Not usually an anime fan but watched "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0" on Hulu Plus
Made 2 years before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, this anime tells of a hypothetical 8.0 earthquake which, unlike the actual 2011 quake, is centered right near Tokyo.
The central figure is Mirai, a middle school girl. At the beginning, she's the type of early adolescent who drives adults mad with her aimlessness, self-pity, and general brattiness. As the story opens, she is mad at her family because it's the first day of summer vacation, and her parents, who both work, have told her that they have no special plans, while her classmates at her prestigious private school all have exciting plans. Instead, she is told to take her little brother, who like many little brothers, knows exactly which buttons to push to get a reaction out of his sister, to see a robot exhibit on the artificial island of Odaiba. (Having visited Odaiba on my most recent trip, I enjoyed this part.)
They are on the island when the earthquake strikes. Suddenly, nothing works. No cell phone contact, no transportation, no food or water except what convenience stores have been instructed to give out in case of a disaster. Collapsed and burning buildings, bridges, and highways are everywhere. With the help of a woman who happens to live in the general direction of their home and is worried about her own family, they make their way off the island and start walking the approximately twenty miles home. They have no idea what they will find when they get there, because the fragmentary reports they hear talk about massive fires.
Along the way, they encounter further dangers, as strong aftershocks topple weakened buildings. Yet they also encounter great kindness and self-sacrifice.
If you know "Grave of the Fireflies," this anime has some of the same feel to it, although it isn't as dark and tragic. Still, the ending is not the unalloyed "happy ending" that American films require.
But something important happens. Mirai is no longer the self-centered brat she was at the beginning of the film. She learns to appreciate what she has lost and what she has left.
Just be sure you have some tissues or a handkerchief handy when you watch this.
