margarete.kuhic - 2016-03-05 18:44:55

lindgren.clementine - 2016-01-21 10:06:29

A very heavy story, based on a real life event. Making it to a animated tv show, made me feel so heartbroken from watching it.

torn - 2015-10-04 21:01:55

We’ve all seen them before – those big Hollywood blockbusters based off true stories that everyone raves about. And from a glance, Tokyo Magnitude may
seem like it’s just the Japanese version: but I’m here to tell you that it is a story like no other.

Story:

“Mirai, a middle school freshman girl, along with her younger brother Yuuki, go a robot exhibition on Odaiba Island at the beginning of summer vacation. After Mirai asks her brother to get her a drink a powerful tremor rumbles through Tokyo and within minutes Japan finds itself hit by a magnitude eight earthquake. Together with a delivery woman named Mari who they meet in Odaiba, Mirai and Yuuki begin their long journey to
their home, clasping each other’s hand tightly.”

Magnitude 8.0s’ story was based on the 70% possibility that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake will occur in Tokyo in the next 30 years (quote from 2009). However it depicts what would happen if an 8.0 earthquake took place, and is set in 2012. (For those who don’t know anything about earthquakes, please feel free to look at the end of the review for some details). Magnitude however, is mainly about the story of characters, rather than the earthquake or the damage it does. The story is amazingly done, with the plot being consistent and every episode leaving you on the edge of your seat. For the first time in a longtime, I
could feel my stomach knotting at all the hints of what was yet to come. No episode felt like a filler or a waste of time and it had the perfect balance between drama and comedy, unlike the blockbusters we see in cinemas. 

Animation:

The animation is the only thing I would pick on, because it’s not the best I’ve seen. Some shots of characters look out of place, and there was many a time when I cringed at the body proportions, but you have to give it credit as it was made in 2009 when CGI was starting to appear more frequently in
anime and it was unfortunately not given the high budget it deserves. However it does a fantastic job of portraying emotions which I always look out for, so whenever a character cried – it looked genuine and realistic, which is a pleasant change from the more recent drama animes. The backgrounds are
something I appreciated a lot, as it was filled with tons of intriguing details. For example, when the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower come into view (and eventually fall) we see lots of tiny detail on the underbelly and sides which really brings it to life. The company BONES even stated that ‘it
would try to realistically depict the after-effects of such a situation’ which I can happily say that it certainly looked like they did.

Sound:

The opening was okay but a bit out of place for a drama/tragedy anime, whilst the ending was very fitting: upbeat with a hint of melancholy, which helped bring about a few tears each episode. The soundtrack was executed well, with staccato yet gentle piano pieces when emotional scenes occurred, and
playful tones when it was a happy or relaxing scene. However, Magnitude 8.0 is a talkative anime which also relies on sound effects to help create the atmosphere rather than a soundtrack like most. Therefore, other than the music helping to set the scene, it is not something that you can sing a lot of
praise about.

Characters:

Here’s where Magnitude really excels. Because it is about them and their journey, we see incredible development in each character over the span of
eleven episodes. With a nice side cast, who get a decent amount of screentime, to complement, I believe the cast of Magnitude 8.0 has to be one of my favourites.

Mirai: 

Unlike her name, Mirai doesn’t know what she wants to do in the future and as a consequence she is failing in school. She also harbors a strong dislike for her parents, as they are always busy and have no time to take them on holiday, let alone for her or Yuuki. Mirai is a great example of a teenaged anime character done right, as she’s very lifelike – for example, although she keeps saying she doesn’t want to be treated like a child, she argues with Yuuki and storms off in a huff a lot towards the beginning. So far, we see that Mirai is very depressed and fed up with life, which is natural for her age, however once the tremor shakes Tokyo and engulfs the exhibition, we suddenly see another side to Mirai – the sisterly side. When she realises Yuuki is trapped inside, Mirai goes through extraordinary lengths to find him and nearly risks her life in order to do so. Mirai also deals with loss in a very realistic way, she doesn’t just wipe her tears and say something impressive; she cries
until there are no more tears. This makes her a relatable character and a lovable one at that, especially as through each and every episode, Mirai gradually matures into a young independent woman. I won’t spoil anything for the ending, but I strongly believe that she is possibly the strongest
(emotionally wise) character I’ve seen in a long time.

Yuuki: 

Yuuki is the adorable younger brother who loves his big sister to bits. With a big smile on his face, he holds a lot of courage in his heart and seemingly never falters, despite the horrors surrounding him. Yuuki is also very mature for his age, as it is implied that he understands what is happening at home and the internal conflict in Mirai. He feels like he is the glue sticking them all together, uplifting Mirai’s spirits whilst
comforting Mari’s. Much like Mirai,we also see Yuuki slowly turning into a fine young man, however talking about him any further would ruin the plot so I’ll end it here.

Mari: 

Mari is a mother of one, delivery women with a cheery exterior. Mari’s motherly nature is what initially brings her to look after the children and help Mirai search for her brother at the beginning. But eventually Mari feels a stronger connection of love towards the children as they continue to bring a
smile to her face with every step. Mari is a very brave and reliable character who doesn’t hesitate to protect the children when the aftershocks hit Tokyo relentlessly and put them before her own desire of finding her mother and daughter. However, when she starts to learn of the fires in Sangenjaya,
her hometown,she starts to slowly break down. She is an excellent example of how even adults are human, despite children thinking they’re not. We see this with the interaction when Mari visits the morgue, hoping her daughter and mother are not there. Mirai is shocked to see that Mari is upset, as she
just assumed that all adults never lose their cool. Mari reminds us that even the strongest looking of people can be frightened and that we should all look after each other, despite our exteriors. 

**Enjoyment:**

As you can probably imagine, I thoroughly loved this anime. I don’t get to say that a lot,but I can assure you this anime is certainly one of a kind. It was chilling as the realism was done in such a way that we got to see what truly happens during an earthquake and the aftermath, with some events
saddening and disturbing and others heart-warming and joyful. The story was very compelling and the characters were so human and lifelike, so beautifully portrayed, to the point where I felt like I was on the journey with them. They made me smile and laugh and they made me cry too. Every
episode was directed in such a way that I was anxious to see what was waiting for me around the corner. And with a superb ending, I honestly can’t express just how much this anime has affected me in a positive way.

**Overall:**

Tokyo Magnitude is a captivating story of the beauty of human willpower and love as three very different people form a bond through a journey like no other. I can guarantee that there is something for everyone here, and it will not leave you disappointed but rather it will leave you feeling fulfilled
and sad at the same time.

I would recommend this to everyone, no matter what genre or tropes you like as it doesn’t feel like an anime as such, but rather a story to be
enjoyed by everyone.

I would not recommend this to people who are looking for action or adventure or people who are not in the mood for depressing stories as it will give you exactly that.

And with that, I thank you again for reading this review and I hope you enjoyed it! I also hope you will be encouraged to pick up this amazing anime as
well. 

(A Few Brief Notes on Earthquakes: all you would need to know for this anime is that 7.0-7.9 earthquake would ‘cause damage/severe damage to most buildings, some would partially or completely collapse, well-designed structures are likely to receive damage. Would be felt across great distances with major damage mostly limited to 250 km from epicentre ’and that a 8.0-8.9 earthquake would ‘cause major damage to most (if not all) buildings. Will definitely cause moderate to heavy damage to sturdy or earthquake-resistant buildings and would be felt in extremely large regions’.)

beahan.burnice - 2015-10-04 12:37:43

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 was absolutely amazing! There were times when it did get boring, slow and sometimes repetitive, but the story is moving and each character is unique. It is not one to miss!

xpredovic - 2015-07-07 03:08:36

I came into the film knowing that something expected would happen and still left with the expected being unexpected--
It was frustrating to watch, yet knowing that it's so close to reality. I wanted to get angry many times but knew I might have even reacted the same in the situation. It was enjoyable and their actions are as if it should/would be in times of disaster - keep moving. Characters also contributed greatly to the events happening.

I liked it. :')

gsanford - 2015-05-20 05:41:05

The ability to survive is something that exists in the core of every human being on this planet and it is always an experience to watch a piece of work try to depict what someone would do in a disaster scenario. Case in point Tokyo Magnitude 8.0.

Tokyo Mag 8 follows the experience of Mirai Onozawa, a freshman middle school student who takes her younger brother, Yuuki, to a robot exhibition on a man-made island when, well read the title, in the course of this they meet Mari Kusakabe and then the three try to get back to the mainland and back home, and based off personal experience and from what I know off news reports and stuff, the production team has done a pretty good job for creating a Mag 8 earthquake, aftermath included. On a side note the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit the coast of Japan in 2011 was a Mag 9, just for comparison.

With the basic premise down, aside from the immediate shock one goes through when experiencing an earthquake, the anime goes a bit further by taking our characters through aftershocks and the general chaos that comes with an earthquake, hell the fucking Tokyo Tower comes down at one point, the only thing that the anime doesn't show really is looting.

With a cast of only three characters you will come to feel for these characters, even if the anime is a mere 11 episodes, granted it probably does this by somewhat breaking the trope of the protagonists being high school students, with Yuuki only being 8 and Mirai being at least 12 or so, the feeling of vulnerability inevitably creeps in, because these aren't capable 16 year olds, these are kids, granted they have an adult with them but still.

The sound is average I supposed, although in my opinion the ED feelings out of place compared to the rest of the anime.

The art is... difficult for me to describe, but the two things I can say about it is that the people's smiles are triangle and they manage to slip in some CG that you'll miss if you're not focused on the background.

Tokyo Mag 8 is a great watch, it gives a refreshing break from the dim-a-dozen Shounen, Romance, Fantasy, and Mecha shows. There will be points where you are going to tear up in this anime, hell I teared up in the second episode, and the home stretch is a fitting end to a very good journey.

Goodbye my brethren, see you in the next one.

erdman.matteo - 2015-05-16 19:58:37

Ok. I think this anime is very strong.

Well first, it's a bit weird to watch a 2009 anime about something that really happened in 2011. It makes it definitely stronger, especially if you consider the fact that the anime try to be very realistic and coherent (The only "wrong" thing is that there is no tsunami, but since the epicenter is IN Tokyo, it might seem plausible. In 2011 the epicenter was in the sea.).

Anyway let's talk about the anime. What makes it very good is, after its subject and the way it talks about it, its scenario. It's just goddam good. Or... maybe average, but the narration is incredible. Innocent, showing the harsh reality of this kind of event, but also describing very well with great subtlety the feelings of the characters. 

Characters that are very good by the way. You learn to like them during the anime.

Animation is not incredible but never problematic. Art is very good however. Each scene is very detailed, precise, with some important elements that are not specifically exaggerated. very good. The chara-design might look a bit weird but isn't so unusual with this kind of anime.

Music is ok. It definitely does its work, but isn't really memorable (except maybe for the very cool ending).

I'd like to talk more about the scenario but I don't want to spoil, and I think it's one of those anime where spoil is very prejudicial. Just... watch it.

amari07 - 2014-12-21 19:36:31

HyperWind's review #5

Sometimes I feel like I need some sort of emotional kick in my life. The first time I felt this I watched Clannad, the second time I gave Anohana a try and pretty recently I felt like having another one too, but I've pretty much exhausted the share of well known emotional anime shows, so I turned to the somewhat underground titles and this instantly caught my eye.

-- The Story --

The story is about a pair of siblings, Mirai and Yuki, trying to survive a gigantic 8 units on the Richter scale earthquake that happened in Tokyo during their little trip to a robotics exhibition, of course, they survived the impact, but a the city was destroyed and there were no news about their relatives, so they figured to somehow get home. Along the way they met Mari Kusakabe who's also doing the same thing, so they banded together to increase their chance of survival.

Yeah, it's nothing novel worthy, but the presentation and the emotion conveyed by the characters is so good and so heartwrenching that I'd make anyone shed at least one tear.

Yep, this show is really feelsy, even approaching to Clannad levels at the end, so I'd recommend grabbing a box of tissues and a snuggling partner before watching.

-- The Animation -- 

While this show was made by studio BONES, who have made a ton of amazing looking shows in the past, this time they got kinda lazy.

The characters were really bland, derpy looking and really poorly animated. The backgrounds were nothing special and they had that old trope of adding less detail to objects who are about to move.
There, also, was a lot of CG that blended really horribly with the hand drawn animation.

-- The Sound --

The music was composed by Kow Otani and I have to say, he did a really fine job with this one. The Music was emotional and fit the theme of the show perfectly, plus the ED was really good, it stuck in my head for days.

-- The Characters --

This show focuses around 3 characters: Mirai Onozawa, Yuki Onozawa and Mari Kusakabe.

The former two are the main sibling pair and Mari is a stranger who they happened to come by in Tokyo just before the accident.
I feel like these characters are the strongest point of the show. They seem completely human and show human emotions, motivations, unlike the moe blob and god MC-kun type characters of recent shows, who just make your anime watching experience worse and worse.

These characters make you emotionally invested, they make you care about everything that happens on the screen, and when something does happen (and it really does [spoilers]), you just can't seem to control your emotions, you feel like crying, like begging that it wasn't true, it genuinely feels like you're watching humans like yourself.

-- Final Thoughts --

If you're searching for something really emotional or something to fill the Clannad void, this will work perfectly. It has everything you could wish for: happiness, comedy, struggle, and, of course, drama, just flowing rivers of emotions and drama that hit you so hard in the heart, stars will come flying out of it.

-- Other Details --

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 was directed by Masaki Tachibana.
Musical composition was done by Kow Otani.
Animated by studio BONES.
Licensed by Siren Visual in Australia and Maiden Japan in the US.
Originally ran from the 9th of July to the 17th of September, 2009.

volkman.pasquale - 2014-05-29 09:08:33

One of the first anime to make me cry and i don't cry easily

stephania.schultz - 2013-11-03 21:04:11

1st time ever writing a review!

I came into this series head strong, left with manly tears rolling down my cheeks. This anime was quite enjoyable. The story was a very simple yet realistic in fact many Asian countries suffer from earthquakes and events like this may have happened in actuality. The animation is very crisp and friendly. I can't remember much of the sound, but the song at the end of the final episode. Got me pretty bad. Now for main characters you have Yuuki; kind and warm kid in fact the Yuuki brought me a smile every time I saw him. Mirai; a brat that is going though puberty. :D. And Mari a very kind and protective woman that has very strong motherly sense. If that makes any sense. Overall I enjoyed this series so very much. It should be watched both by dudes and dudettes. Sorry for not writing a 5 star review.