Tokyo
Magnitude 8.0
Number of episodes: 11
Production Studio:
BONES, Kinema Citrus
Fansub Release Viewed: BSS
Likelihood of US Release:
Medium–High
There is said to be a 70 percent likelihood that an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 will hit Tokyo in the next thirty years. Mirai is a middle school freshman who lives through such an event, and must find her way back home with her brother.
Episode Summary
Mirai is a middle school student who is not enamored with her life. On the last day of classes before Summer vacation, the other girls are excited about the exotic places they’ll be going with their families, but Mirai’s family has no such plans and she knows it. She can’t even go out shopping after school with her friends since she has to babysit her little brother until her mother gets home from work. When Mirai gets home, her mother is about to leave and meet a client, but leaves a box of cakes for the kids to enjoy, since it’s her birthday. Her mother returns at about 8pm, and the bickering between her and Mirai’s father begins. Mirai goes to bed wishing that her life was more interesting, or even that her parents would show more interest in her.
The next morning, Mirai is roped into taking her little brother Yuuki to a robot exhibition in Odaiba, and mopes nearly the entire trip out there. It seems like every time she starts to have a bit of fun, someone else steps in to ruin it for her, and she spends much of the trip standing in the background and being irritated. Before they leave, Yuuki decides that they should buy a gift for their mother’s birthday, and pick out a flower pin for her. As they’re making their way to the door, Yuuki runs to use the bathroom, and Mirai is dealt another blow as a boy with an ice cream cone runs into her and gets her skirt dirty. She begins to write an angry text message with her cell phone, but begins to feel an ominous rumble beneath her feet. As concrete collapses and metal twists around her, all she can think of is her brother, who is still in the crumbling building beside her.
Thoughts
The moment I heard the premise for this series and saw a few teaser scenes, I knew that it would be something to look out for. While the disaster genre is almost over-represented in modern cinema, I can’t recall seeing an anime that I would file under that header, so I was instantly curious as to how an anime might handle the events differently than a live-action film. So far, what I’ve noticed is that what the show has done best is juggle different types of tension.
While this episode only briefly touches on what will become the defining moment of the series — the devastating earthquake which rattles the people, architecture and infrastructure of Tokyo — the lack of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants moments in this installment is offset by the unusually realistic depiction of the doldrums of adolescence, seen through the eyes of the main character. I’m certainly not ashamed to admit that I’m within throwing distance of turning thirty, but I’m not so old that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel as if no one understands you and your family is full of complete strangers. I’m also impressed by the fact that the usual anime parental absenteeism — you know, situations where high school kids live on their own or the main character lives with a drunken single mother who acts as though she’s a kid herself — has been replaced by a family that is obviously experiencing some internal strife. Mirai’s brother is too young to comprehend his parents’ strained relationship, but Mirai is acutely aware of the stress both her mother and father feel while arguing over dinner.
The tension in Mirai’s family, which begins to come to a head when she takes her brother to the robot exhibition, almost mirrors the amount of tension we as the audience are experiencing knowing from the opening scenes that a disaster is imminent and that we don’t really have any idea of when it will actually take place. Every time the characters pass by some iconic piece of architecture, one wonders how long it will be until it becomes a twisted pile of concrete and metal, and when the world falls silent in the moments before the quake shatters the city, it’s enough to make one’s heart race.
As expected from Studio BONES, the animation is top-notch. The character designs are more subdued than most other anime, with a roundness to the characters’ faces and a more realistic approach to the anatomy that helps to ground the production a bit. There is also a great attention to detail in the background art that really demonstrates how much research the production team put into making them as realistic as possible. When the quake starts, windows shatter, the suspension bridge twists and thrashes and concrete crumbles to the ground in a very natural way.
Of course, a technically accurate account of a major disaster would be nothing without the previously-described realism in the characters. Mirai is a sympathetic character, and it’s quite clear that, despite her brooding and complaining, the only thing on her mind in the immediate aftermath of the destruction is finding her brother and getting back to her family, imperfect as they may be. I’m excited to find out what happens next.
Pros
- Mirai is relatable, especially if you can remember your teenage years
- The visuals are impressive and the production team’s attention to detail is exciting to watch
- The entire first episode masterfully balances tension, both for the characters and for the viewer
Cons
- The main event doesn’t occur until the final seconds of the first episode, so those looking for instant excitement will be disappointed
