So I have been watching this particular anime recently on my PSP on my way to and from work, and normally I mostly go for the action oriented stuff (Baccano, Ghost In The Shell, Etc) but surprisingly this one has really drawn me in.

Tokyo Magnitude 8 is the story based around the 70% chance that a major earthquake will hit Tokyo within the next 30 years and the story of a small group of people as they return to there home through ravaged Tokyo.

This isn’t a story of magnificent heroes  it is set in a disaster zone amid a myriad of horrors it is full of hope and the better side of human nature as the three protagonists make their way back to their home.  For all that it doesn’t show people as paragons of virtue but what they are; rash, unpredictable but generally trying to the best for each other. Its a representation of what defines civilisation, not the technology nor the infrastructure but the people and the way they act. It is a breath of fresh air for me in an entertainment world which so often is concerned with the darker sides of our world and human nature.

A lot of the character based anime around has really turned me off because of Japan’s tendency to try to shoehorn those awkward relationships in and be rather heavy handed with their messages. This one surprised me it doesn’t try and force a moral down your throat and has some of the most endearing and realistic characters I have ever seen, I am particularly fond of the unreasonably up beat Yuuki (The main characters little brother), from his fascination with robot’s and his desire to impress his big sister to his naivety (not to be mistaken for the common representation of naive characters as moronic.) he is the perfect picture of a young boy growing up in a world that fascinates and delights him.

The other characters are also very realistic, they have their faults their hopes and concerns and even Mirai who annoyed me a tad at the start emerged as a likable if somewhat frustrating character with the real care she shows she has for her brother and others around her.

One of the things that impressed me the most was the work they put into the other characters with what would be considered small parts in the story, I won’t go into the specifics but they did their best to make everyone as realistic and nuanced as possible

Is it for everybody? probably not, the animation and sound isn’t anything special, It’s not a revolutionary piece of work but it is poignant, thought provoking without being depressing as these things so often are and is in my opinion a superb piece of work.