Japan Sinks 2020 is Awesome, Actually

I can't stop thinking about Japan Sinks 2020, Masaaki Yuasa and Pyeongang Heo's fresh take on the Disaster genre. It may be Science Saru's most divisive work to date, but this Netflix original is bursting with interesting ideas and complex emotions. Here's everything I loved about it.
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In the depths of his Mother's Basement, Geoff Thew creates videos analyzing the storytelling techniques of anime and video games. He has been named the number one Worst KZbin Anime Reviewer by The Top Tens.

[@Beatlelover21]

In a real disaster scenario, taking the time to stop and grieve could mean your own death, in a real scenario, you have to become numb and push the grief down in order to survive. That really got to me. It makes sense that the only times you as a viewer cry are the beginning and the end. You cry once it starts and then you get to cry after it’s all over. You get to cry and grieve once you’re sure you’re safe.

[@Crisjola]

Karen luvs Jesus yeah, but it depends on whether the people you love who you've lost would *want* you to be in that hole and not survive yourself. Especially if they sacrificed their life (not their existence, that still remains within those who knew them) for your sake so *you* could make it out and keep going. Maybe I have a weird perspective coming from a… painful background, where I really don't know what I'd do without my mum because the rest of my family is straight up untrustworthy and abusive. Losing that support would nearly kill me but I know that she wouldn't want me to bury myself in guilt or the self hate I fall into now when I do have her support and love. I often joke with a friend of mine that "even if you can't go on for the people in your life, go on for the animals because they won't be able to understand why you left them"-but it's true. Your loved ones/family wouldn't want you to die with them because they wouldn't want you to die anymore than you would want them to. In a situation where I lost all human companions I care for, I would probably *make* myself go out and find/get attached to an animal-since I have a natural distrust of other people because of my past-simply to not fall into that gaping chasm that would be so tempting to let myself fall (back) into.

[@ebbandfloatzel]

To be honest, the one character I was sad most about in this series. Was Haruo. And that's probably because I saw myself heavily in his character. Many of the deaths felt more somber or even too quick to even feel anything but dread, but with my guess of Haruo's death being connected to Episode 6's "I really want to see you run Haruo. I'm sorry if this is the wrong time, I just never got a chance to say it to you" and watching it happen with such an atmosphere... Really hit me. Especially knowing how similar his character was to me on a ankle deep level. I don't know, it was just the most significant to me for some reason.

[@vkirishima4480]

But is this how people act in reality? I agree completely with what you're saying but this is the ideal perspective but far from how people actually act. Especially children.

[@ebbandfloatzel]

@@vkirishima4480 did you watch it? They were talking about a specific character's arc and outlook on the situation. Not every character. In fact, every character actually SHOWS different types of grief. One becomes closed off, one understands and accepts the death, one feels guilty and is incredibly mournful, and one bottles up their feelings because "it's the right thing to do in the scenario." as explained.

[@vkirishima4480]

@@ebbandfloatzel Yeah I watched it. In my opinion I found that only Ayumu showcased any real grief. Sure, we get the Mother break down throwaway explanation during the weed vacation. For my perspective, I found it hard to believe that she was simply putting a strong act all the time since we get moments where she is alone and has a moment to be vulnerable but doesn't. Only showcases the reality of her grief when Ayumu requires the character development. Now if this is sufficient for you then that's fine. It wasn't for me. Also, Go a small child only says "Dad ____" a few times here and there and sees a dream sequence... His Dad was blown to bits in front of him and this primary school child just says "Dad?" This problem gets better later in the show, the character's respond to later deaths and situations far more believably especially with the mother's death or with Koga-senpai. But at this point, death is weightless. My problem I found was that there were no stakes at this point as I can just expect the next character to die to drive the plot with no ramification except to Ayumu. Nanami's death was especially laughable. From my perspective, there was grief in the form of 'closing up' or 'bottling your feelings' for survival in the form of the mother. Yet, no instances of her actual feelings she is claiming to have, except in her required break down moment. Now sure, this breakdown moment *can* be enough to showcase a legitimate bottle up explosion of emotions if we the audience are given foreshadows for this to be the case. Moments where perhaps the camera pans and catches her spaced out in the archer grandfather's supermarket. Or moments where she has a sad expression when she is alone. This would then make it believable and the pay off would have been more worth. The other form of grief was Ayumu's spectrum of guilt and shock. Otherwise, Go just soldiers on with the occasional throwaway line and dream until the mother's death. Perhaps Robin Hood Grandpops as well showcased a genuine reaction. Now this is of course my perspective, I'm sure that you interpreted things differently and saw certain reactions in a different light. If so, I am curious on your thoughts about what I've said as well as what you think about some scenes in the show. I'm currently in a grey area with this show where I found so many 10/10 moments and so many 1/10 moments so I'd love to keep talking about some of the show with you.

[@vcprovost]

Everybody's fine.... Untill mom pulls out the pink death camera 📸☠️

[@emilioorange7055]

NOOOO-

[@albertb8530]

What you don't realize is that this universe was connected to Death note but instead of a book it was a camera jaja

[@cyanidevx724]

Legit what I thought during the entire show

[@rooksillmane4791]

The moms death hit the hardest bruh

[@drelovestats6715]

I swear bruh everytime she take a pic either someone dies or another earthquake 😭

[@marcosantoro7465]

Nanami death was the least gory and the most unsettling to me. She just...died. No last words, no tries to save her, she's left there. And I really appreciated it, it made the serie more grounded somehow. A ballsy move from the writers.

[@kayladunaway7101]

It really pushes home the point that when people you love die, you don't always get to say goodbye - sometimes you don't even get any kind of warning. They're there one second and the next they're just... gone. And the most horrible thing about it is *there is nothing you can do* . Absolutely *nothing*

[@GamingWithHajimemes]

Worst part is not only that you don't expect it, it happens so fast after she and the other woman there, fight off a rapist and have one of their first wins in a long time. You watched them win and then.... Lose so fast.

[@carljohnson7168]

It sucked because I thought she was pretty cool. She was chill and felt mature to lead the group, but she died..

[@possible_ghost]

The leg thing reminds me of my brother. He had an ingrown toenail that he left untreated whrn we were in highschool. He never told anyone about it even as it got infected, and started bleeding, and eventually became gangrenous. If my parents hadnt noticed all the bandaids he was using, he would likely have lost the whole foot, or even could have died. People will go through a lot of physical pain and discomfort to avoid asking for help. Whether the reason is pride, shame, or pure denial.

[@kadebrockhausen]

Well shit... I should probably get that taken care of before *I* lose my foot

[@crazynoob159]

Kade Brockhausen Yes, me as well

[@changlee1196]

Dang as soon as she winced going into water the first time I already had a bad feeling about parasite/infection. And it getting worse over time was making it pretty apparent what was gonna happen.

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

Yeah there was a lot of stupid shit in this anime, but people are criticizing all the wrong things

[@taurusfiend5836]

exactly. shes a young kid with a younger brother, she lost her friend and then her parents, she even goes on to say she wont let herself die. she was struggling through the pain simply by her desire to survive.

[@chris2746]

I'm not sure if classifying Daniel as the "weeb" is fair to him. He went through another disaster in his home country which has given him ptsd (the cringing to the fireworks every time). He likely didn't "choose" japan as much as had it assigned when he was getting refugee status. His seeming overeagerness to engage in and learn in Japanese culture may likely not as much been as much out of affection for Japan, but rather intentional study to give a foreigner who has zero chance of blending in a chance of blending in with the society. Is he a dork? absolutely. But I see a desperate attempt to blend in more than a cringey guy.

[@kl3321]

Underrated comment. Daniel was actually a pretty good character.

[@casslane3932]

yep totaly agree i undertood him more than the other charecters especialy as the racist elements came through more

[@dionysus6892]

Totally agree, Daniel’s arc kinda hit me the most. He stayed at Shan cause it was the last place he felt happy at. Also you can read deeper into the fact that he was/is Yugoslavian. Yugoslavia broke up in 1991-1992 so it’s safe to say he was young when it happened. But judging from his magic acts and saying how he’s come to entertain is tragic to me. He went through the hardship of “losing his country and family” but decided he’d be there to cheer up and make people smile. He’s hurt from what happened to him but is a clear survivor. It makes him choosing to stay at Shan even sadder I think. Daniel was good, he was a dork. But he deserves it.

[@iamanonymous8251]

Mzzmmz.zz...z..z.zz....z.zz..z.zz.z.z.zz.zaz.......zAZzzzzzZzz s

[@davidmcc9141]

One thing to add about the broken English discussion: The artist Mary Cagle did a comic series called "Let's Speak English". In it she covers how many children osmosis English via media, internet and learning; and end up saying nonsense things. And let's not forget kids are living cringe, it's part of growing up.

[@Vespuchian]

Cagle's encounters with hilarious, adorable cringe remains a highlight of my experience with webcomics. Highly recommended to anyone.

[@GaiaDblade]

So Japan is learning broken English from America's media the same way Americans are learning broken Japanese from anime?

[@ricemilk413]

I'm polish and there's a playground outside my window. I often hear things like "shut the fuck up, baby" spoken by small children. So yeah. Also I haven't watched the anime but from what this video shows I might relate to Go a lot. Being the always on the internet speaking english person who wants to leave the country in part because of discrimination. To say that character is unrealistic is funny to me.

[@KaguroDraven]

I mean, you need only look at the other side of the coin to see how realistic it is. How many weebs constantly sprinkle their english with japanese? Especially where it doesn't actually fit.

[@KoiPuff]

People for whatever reason can’t stand anything being “Cringy” in shows but people are cringy in real life. Kids use slang incorrectly, adults make jokes that fall flat, old people say inappropriate shit. Cringe is part of life. People die in funny ways. People live in weirder ways. That’s life. I really loved this show. That ending montage was beautiful and I loved how it tied the whole series together.

[@young__blacksmith]

Perfectly said ^

[@Booma4142]

Cringe and cheesy are the hallmarks of sincerity.

[@pandadogunited1504]

Something being a part of life isn’t a valid reason for why it should be in a show. Realism is good, but shows don’t who’s people waiting outside a hospital surgery room for hours for the same reason people don’t want to see cringe. If you are going to put it in the show it has to be well done and there can’t be a lot of it.

[@abedabed7009]

Yes... but its not intentional in this anime

[@djohnsveress6616]

What are you talking about, I don't know what Gamer club you are in, but i want in.. Cringe is Cringe, No less, no more.. If you see it, burn it.. And that whole show was one weird cringe fest.. don't care how good the back bone is, If i mute the video and turn off the subs the visuals are Great, or at least they are great when it matters.. Gikkuk said it perfectly, it's a show with 10/10 scenes with 4/10 characters Don't confuse the two.. first 3 episode perfection, the last 7 mediocre with some out standing "Moments" that really only just lasts a moment..

[@codymccormick7317]

For being a disaster story where literally any character could die at any moment, and for the timing of such a dark series to premiere, I felt surprisingly uplifted by the end of it. Its beautifully executed.

[@sergiosarmiento4371]

The first couple of episodes gave that feeling but then the show suddenly changed, especially when they got to that cult camp and you think something messed up it's going to happen and nothing happens, the cult people were actually cool

[@Emily-je4kp]

Not gonna lie the first episode with that first horrible quake sent me into a fullblown panic attack and the rest of the show really only went on to give me more anxiety. the quakes felt hauntingly realistic and brutal. Also, heroin addict ojisan doing 360 no scopes on his scooter with his bow and arrow KILLED ME

[@violettaa554]

YES!!! all of this lmfao,, God I just finished it today and I loved it. I see everything in life in a different way now

[@Emily-je4kp]

@And Be Balanced yeah! i had to stop after the first episode too because it was giving me really bad anxiety. powered through the rest of it a week later and was really depressed about it for a month or two. I'm glad someone else had a similar experience!

[@jaedagarner390]

@And Be Balanced i completely agree. like i decided to watch it at night and i was so traumatized by the death of the dad and just how real everything felt in the first episode it made me freak the f out. i ended up watching the entire series that night bc i was DETERMINED to see a happy ending because i knew that my anxiety would not be able to take the uncertainty for more than a day. it honestly made me feel really shitty, and i wish they’re was a warning saying that the material could’ve been triggering.

[@oFiGuReZo]

That’s so over exaggerated.

[@Emily-je4kp]

​@@oFiGuReZo What's over exaggerated?

[@Manu-yw2nu]

As an bilingual person who learned English as a second language, I can affirm that Go is a normal, even if cringe case. I have completely forgot the name of a world in my native language just to remember it in english multiple times, and there are some english worlds that simply don’t have a proper translation, and are the only suitable ones once you know them. For example, portuguese doesn’t have a word with the same meaning of “sassy” or “edgy”, even though including english terms in our vocabulary is really common, and I will die mad about it

[@maxjoechl5663]

Same in German. I can‘t even think of a good German equivalent for a word like „awkward“.

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

Such a pain we don't the words "edgy" and "cringy", I'd insult so many teenagers lol

[@mauroc1896]

Yeah it is the same for me, with several friends who are also bilingual i tend to switch languages while texting to express myself better (usually from spanish to english). I don't really do that irl bc i have issues pronouncing words, but i still recall one of those friends sending me a voice message where they added a few english words in between just like the way we texted.

[@bloomblock2768]

Your right, iam Brazilian and the closest word I can get to "Edgy" is: Sinistro/Pessoa Sinistra; And even that don't aply allways, also the opposite aply to, for example, the English language don't have a equivalent word to: Saudade, which in Portuguese means something like: "I miss you".

[@Krlytz]

THIS. This exact thing happens to me all the time (I'm main Spanish, second English), and I do interchange English words when speaking sometimes, specially when talking to other bilingual friends. And most importantly, it DOES sound cringy af most of the time, because even if your pronunciation is good, changing from one language to the other immediately is hard.

[@HotaruIchimaru]

"I'll punch those who mocked me"

[@Noahsaltys]

Yes onodera

[@choppachoppa1515]

RAP GENIUS

[@psychowolf6650]

Did anyone else shed a silent tear for onodara when Kite cut him off saying "wow, you're really going for it?" Cuz Lk, i felt like he had more bars to drop.

[@meaw_girl_8189]

Where did u watch this?

[@Noahsaltys]

@@meaw_girl_8189 netflix

[@IIeTpoc9IH]

"He hopes to move to Estonia..." Me, an Estonian : "But...why tho?"

[@brycegokool8265]

Counterpoint, why not?

[@ommsterlitz1805]

But did Kite survived at the end ??

[@glummdead]

Your many beautiful bogs.

[@manasakaguchi]

Ψ Воинomme I would like to believe that he was in the audience at the olympics

[@stielimusterman3066]

bryce gokool Because it‘s an economically weak country that is always in danger of being annexed by Russia.

[@Bibimbapski]

A lot of people complaining about the cult haven't been to or lived in Japan. There are many cults in Japan, South Korea and other East and Southeast Asian countries. I lived in Japan for six years and ran into recruiters at the arcade, near our neighborhood and downtown or even other cities. I had a neighbor who approached me because she wanted to learn English and found out later she was a cultist trying to recruit more foreigners into their group. She would wait for me and my family to return home and leave pamphlets of their cult in our mailbox. At the arcade, they would choose their most attractive male and female members to bring in people. Aside from cults, there are a lot of pyramid scams or multi-level marketing groups there too. My family thee run into both cultists and pyramid scam recruiters all the time, you just learn to ignore them politely. The actress from the Tokyo Ghoul live action film, Fumika Shimizu, almost quit acting because she joined a cult called Happy Science.

[@heek8964]

I guess that makes the cult leaders good intentions even more of a subversion then, ironic how despite the goal actually being long-term personal growth it still ended up as what amounts to a group suicide, but for completely different reasons than normal cults.

[@Mldy96]

And cults all over the world are still not as rare as one would think, either - my BFF's mum seems to attract both recruiters AND even leaders every other year or so

[@vkirishima4480]

There really isn't that many cults in Japan. Pyramid schemes are as prevalent as any other country.

[@nanhty8321]

When I went on a school exchange trip to Japan, some people in our group got given these tissue packets with a comic telling about aliens who come visit important people (like Jesus) and now visited this guy who is spreading the message about these aliens. It was super weird.

[@himasekiwari155]

where in the world did they get tons of weed tho XD?

[@skylarsaysstuff]

My favorite part of this series is the paralyzed character. I was fully expecting them to kill him off right away. "Oh how sad, he's disabled, he's a burden who has to die." But the other characters actually cared for him despite being paralyzed and I was so happy seeing him at the happy end with new technology to help him.

[@TheSpectator7]

When I saw the title of this anime I was like: "who'd make an anime completely roasting the shit out of Japan." Until I realized I read the title wrong as "Stinks" not "Sinks" and I felt embarrassed! 😅

[@thechickengod]

I also read the title as "Japan Stinks 2020" at first and that's admittedly what caught my eye haha.

[@groofay]

I mean, your first impression isn't wrong when you consider the rap scene 😂

[@thechickengod]

"I live in Japan and everything sucks! I wanted some yams and got my dad blown up! Traveling around with my friends and Mom, Japan really stinks so I made this song! Ayyye, Japan Stinks Twenty-Twenty! All I wanna do is run and make money! Ayyye, Japan Stinks Twenty-Twenty! Everyone died and now I feelin' kinda lonely!"

[@hugegander9477]

@@thechickengod i hate you joe but why am i laughing? XD

[@poggers4392]

i thought it would be a shounen anime about cleaning sinks like "I- IS HE USING THE TRIPLE SPONGE SPECIAL?" while all the judges ge wet literally and figuratively.

[@uniqueking13_]

I was left shocked of how many characters they killed off

[@subarticb5670]

Not just how many, but how they die!!! I'm like wait what? He/She died?!?!?!?!? WTF!

[@succulentboi676]

I was shocked at how many were left alive to be honest

[@Fartucus]

@@succulentboi676 especially from the same studio that made devilman i was expecting the worst but its not as dark as i thought it would be.

[@kingdomdani]

The “Mother Thank you” was best comedy scene of the year!

[@djohnsveress6616]

Bro.. I'm not kidding at the end, i felt bigger pressure for the YT-er guy then the mother.. I was only surprised how Ayumu Even survived considering at the first episode she fell and cut her leg and i literally said out loud "Yep, she won't treat it, i call it" Not only that, she didn't even thought about getting gaze... Btw it's supposed to show how things can turn out to be bigger problems then they might seem at first, or that's what some say... I say Bullshit, She was treating Onodera for days in the Weed cult base, with gaze and shit.. Yet she didn't treat herself ? That's just dumb :I

[@Timelost_Techpriest]

Is this the one with the old man in the mobility scooter with a bow?

[@kingdomdani]

360 no scope!!!!

[@Timelost_Techpriest]

It is! Ha, found the source for my new favorite gif.

[@matthiasmodeste916]

My mans went ez kills, actin like hanzo

[@some_shitposting_idiot3023]

And a child that gets killed by a rock instantly after talking

[@beanstars_]

@@Timelost_Techpriest pls do us a favour and give us the link of it

[@Kooruu]

Honestly, I adore Go. He reminds me so much of my 9 year old brother. Especially with the way he speaks! English isn't our first language, but he is learning insanely quick. He even calls our mom, "mom" in english, just like Go. I'd say he's a realistic bilingual kid!

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

He acts so much like a young gen z kid and I sincerely love that. It bothers me how quick ppl are to hate on well written child characters just because they "can't relate to it". Ppl are so bitter...

[@ladynoluck]

The animation isn’t always pretty, but humans aren’t pretty when in distress and stuff. I really liked Japan Sinks, and I definitely cried a good handful of times. Thank you for covering it!

[@necloe]

Except you don't transform in an ugly monster as in this anime.

[@edward.miranda]

Yeah explain the giant monstrous hands

[@ladynoluck]

Mary Lain Lol, have you never seen a human going past their limits in sports (e.g., weightlifting) or in medical situations like labor? People aren’t pretty nor always perfectly normal-looking under duress. And it’s animation. Obviously, it’s exaggerated.

[@ladynoluck]

Edward Abarilla ... bud, I’m clearly not talking about genuine animation errors here.

[@necloe]

@@ladynoluck Of course I have seen them, but again... they do not change their faces completely as it happens in this anime. Plus, their faces become ugly over the corse of the story even in normal circumstances such as chatting. I strongly believe people feel they must like this anime simply because it is by a famous animator.

[@mrrd4444]

Here's some Filipino perspective I want to lay down: If you ever lived in Asia, you would know that most Asian people look to the Philippines, go to the Philippines, and have online classes with Filipinos to learn how to speak English. It makes sense that a Filipino mother would speak a fair amount of English that passes onto her son who makes friends online. It's also important to note that Filipinos were one of the groups horribly abused by Japan during WW2, particularly because of America's colonial power over the country, so while I don't have much of a Japanese perspective I think it says a whole lot that they made the family half Filipino, half Japanese. Filipinos also have one of the most active overseas presence in the world, and consistently rank in the top 10-top 15 most gender equal countries IN THE WORLD because many women are the educated working breadwinners in a Filipino family,. especially overseas. A lot of Filipinos are also extremely Americanised, so they have the largest social media presence in the world and take part in a lot of online living. For an insular, racist Japanese group, I feel like the only way the Muto family could be more offensive to their sensibilities is if they were half white. These are bits that aren't picked up on without that knowledge of the culture, and I like how you've given this show that fair shake because I generally did like it and was baffled by all the hate. Also, because the trolls have found their way here : Fuck Duterte and anyone who you know supporting him is either a fake account made by someone paid to have multiple fake accounts, or benefits from his mass murder and bending over to China. 😊

[@humourlessjester3584]

"possibly" is a bit of an understatement. We definitely were abused by Japan, albeit not in the same brutality as they did Korea. However the brutality we faced was more notable among our women, as they were used as sex slaves or "comfort women" for Japanese soldiers. There are whole books and documentaries to this. So I think it's even more powerful that the Filipino character is a woman. It shows that our history doesn't define the relationships that we can build now, in contrast to the relationship we had several generations ago.

[@CaptainVenusaur]

Thanks for sharing this with us. I can easily recognize the racial issues the shows addressing, but as much as I can try to connect to it, I’m still very much an outsider

[@rastadude]

The effects of these events are seen and experienced by people today. We Filipinos are big on colonial mentality. I remember being told that I should stop playing under the sun, because if my skin got too dark I wouldn't be attractive anymore and girls don't like going out with dark skinned Pinoy boys. Which baffled me because I'm part Chinese and my skin was that dark to begin with. It wasn't only until I grew older that I started to understand what they meant. Filipinos like to imitate what they see. Caucasians are held in especially higher regard than other people. Pinoys usually think of themselves as lower that people with lighter skin color. The correlation is if you're white, you're rich, have status, are beautiful, etc. Since, most Pinoys are moreno/morena (brown), they view themselves as lower class than whites. It gives me great pain because I have met and talked with may expats and tourists and a lot of them also have that in mind. Because they came to Third World country that they're better in every way. I've even gotten comments saying "I'm different than other Filipinos." Which makes me angrier because I'm not. I am a Filipino, I just happen to have lived a better life than other. I got a proper education. Different circumstances don't make me different from my countrymen. But I digress. It seems to me that [some] "Foreigners" see Filipinos as lower than themselves, but a lot of Filipinos share that view. So we try to emulate and imitate people from other countries because we see them as better than ourselves and end up imitating the worst aspects. All in all losing sight of what makes Filipinos special.

[@jennifero3883]

@@rastadude The white is better mentality is seen all over the world with various cultures. We have been brainwashed to think anything associated with whiteness is rich, smart, and attractive.

[@joshuacaoili6365]

I don’t know if its wrong but im just happy that the mom was Filipino. I think this was one of the important themes tackled in the series.

[@senorcaruso8711]

Japan Sinks must give to the teenagers that feel fear when they sense a little earthquake the same (or more) anxiety to those who truly believed that the world could have ended in 2012 when they saw the movie 2012.

[@glummdead]

The only anxiety I felt watching 2012 was because I was watching 2012.

[@CosmicCreatorCat]

World ending scares literally play out on screens all the time. Unless there's a real, credible indicator, you can learn to ignore em or live in fear.

[@loft777]

laugh in chilean

[@fixyourposture7547]

@Karen luvs Jesus is that you, again?

[@icarushasfallen7906]

my friend in another part of my country had an earthquake while on call with me a few days after i watched this anime, i nearly had a heart attack

[@justinjeffries1554]

What got me was at the end when we see the kid they meet in the first episode totally fine. It made me wonder if they had just gone left would they have all survived? EDIT: As an English teacher in Japanese elementary schools(the countryside at that where foreigners aren't commonplace) I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the way Go uses English randomly is...pretty much exactly how the few enthusiastic English students use it. They use it wherever they can, whenever they want even if it's not correct or fully appropriate. It is cringe 😂 but it's true to form for the curious kids who want to seem more worldly and different before middle school sucks all that out of them

[@andreay9935]

Same here that question struck me, if they went with the group would all of them be alive? Since we see the kid all grown up and well. In the end this is the outcome we see.

[@gundampeacekeeper]

Andrea Y but if they hadn’t gone that way Japan wouldn’t have been able to come back later in the way it was because they wouldn’t have had the data on the rising land

[@supremekingowl9350]

@@gundampeacekeeper do you not understand? The group that went the other way survived for a different reason. He's asking if the main cast went with them they could all probably survive by chance

[@tiaradonita5283]

maybe it could just be the kid that survived, who knows

[@supremekingowl9350]

@@tiaradonita5283 with that we would never know the endless possibilities if they took that direction , which makes the adventure of the story great

[@TigrMchine]

If someone stopped to mourn someone else's death in this show, there is a 90% chance they would also die.

[@Benji-vw4ij]

Late response, but in certain deaths, sure thah is 100% possible, but for others no. It’d be understandable to keep moving, but have a scene or even show some emotional breaking after, one of the few ones we get is the father’s death. The rest of the deaths are pretty much “NOOOO” Mom; “we have to keep moving” Everyone: “okay.” *a second later* what was I crying about?” At least give us some twisted faces, slumped bodies, puffy eyes, ANYTHING! Any small bone could’ve been thrown fro the death scenes and the characters witnessing them, but this mostly falls short. The deaths being semi random are honestly swept under the rug due to the nature of the show, anything can happen with nature so honestly thah doesn’t bother me, but the one thah does is somehow one character feels the emotional burden of the deaths and everyone else seems to be like “welp”.

[@icarushasfallen7906]

@@Benji-vw4ij i disagree with you that they should have added hints of grief, because i think that simply isn't realistic. under huge crushing grief people struggle to move forward to much more, and it would have slowed them down to indulge even a little in those feelings. instead of them allowing themselves to grieve but still move forward, i think everyone simply refused to mentally acknowledge it longer than absolutely necessary, instead just pushing it away to the corners of their minds to focus on survival. For me, if they added things like puffy eyes or twisted faces, I was have found it much more unbelievable.

[@WolfXGamerful]

Seeing this title after the Trash Taste podcast is kinda weird lol

[@eliang6445]

Ye

[@matthiasmodeste916]

Yeh feels weird expecially

[@studi0robb]

i think the divergent opinions of Joey and Geoff are very interesting. Joey isn't your typical ha--fu (ハーフ) as he can speak and read japanese better than many "pure-blooded"Japanese, so i can understand why he felt put off by Go's "engrish". after all, Joey is Nisei and, when speaking japanese among japanese people, he doesn't casually pepper his dialogue with cliché metaphors and phrases like Go does. but i think Geoff nails it when he points out that Go isn't really all that interested in being "japanese". Go from the start is very "globally thinking" thanks to his online gaming and he sees many japanese cultural norms as restricting and off-putting. Japan itself has, since the Meiji era, struggled with its identity with the west (the theme of the Hatsune Miku song, senbonzakura), and the overwhelming message of Japan Sinks is that, for good or bad, having mixed races is a by-product of an increasingly shrinking world and that it's more important for japan to maintain its *cultural identity* (cherry blossoms, fuji-san, kimono, sake & sushi, onsen, and whatever else one can think of as being distinctly "japanese") than it is for japan to be racially pure. that message is *very* forward thinking on the part of Yuasa-sensei.

[@WolfXGamerful]

@@studi0robb I didn't actually expect such an informative and detailed opinion to be shared about Japan in a reply to a comment like this, but thank you so much for sharing.

[@djohnsveress6616]

@@WolfXGamerful It was literally in the Show Ep 9.. And by literally i mean They literally are talking about it, or rapping for that matter..

[@nomyum7042]

I have a theory. Japan Sinks 2020 is the sequel of Weathering with You.

[@en3677]

Citing Eyepatch Wolf's Jojo Pt. 2 video, death isn't slow and dramatic like in most media. Realistically, it's more sudden and jarring or slow and agonizing, something that this show understands.

[@beanstars_]

True, but in jojo's at the least they mourned but in this anime they did but it wasn't a lot, no hate on this anime. Personally I think it's a 6.5, and is it controversial to say I like Japan sinks as much as I like devilman crybaby if not better?

[@emanon69]

@Karen luvs Jesus Faster than normal alcohol, that's for sure.

[@spacepiratecaptainrush1237]

can I say, Kite being a trans man caught me off guard but I loved it. I had to watch him getting rid of the skirt twice to be sure then googled to confirm. part of me kind of wishes there had been more subtext through the story but another part is kind of glad that it wasn't an explicit plot point. Kite is simply a trans person existing, his being trans has no relevance to the story. could they left that reveal out? sure, lots of studios, directors, writers etc would. But they didn't. It's small and subtle, but it's important. Now I want more characters like that, just trans people existing in the larger story (and hopefully not ending up dead because I'm really sick of that trope)

[@Eikinkloster]

What is Kite was actually a cross dressing boy who outgrew it in his early adulthood? That would explain how we can't notice he is trans. Real trans people don't pass like that.

[@spacepiratecaptainrush1237]

sure they do, believe me, nearly everyone I know is trans. also it's confirmed he's trans, no point arguing it.

[@Eikinkloster]

@@spacepiratecaptainrush1237 confirmed by whom?

[@perksofbeing554]

@@Eikinkloster he passes so well because he transited as kid/teen which is implied in my opinion by him takeing off his skirt as he's flying kite that thats around when came out and chose his name . also his family is rich so isn't unreasonable to assume he went o on puberty blockers hence being tall and eventrally went on testosterone and in the last episode the main character use femaleJapanese language(think Latina and latino in Spanish being gendered) to describe him even though he use he and him to describe himself [misgendering him] and in the like cult sub plot people said hes only guy wearing green uniform or yellow can't remember and its common for trans people that visit japan pod hotels to have wear birth at birth pjs scrubs idk. Also part shows intent was to show a more modern take on old manga also excuse me if i got grammar or something else wrong i typed this out real quick

[@Eikinkloster]

moo.mOoo.moO0 yeah, actually rewatching it I started seeing Kite’s facial female lines. And I had come across comments on Kite being referred in feminine pronouns. Glad to see Netflix pushing their progressive agenda into Japan. I guess we can look forward to them joining the West soon in our racial riots and other features of our progress.

[@caosisaac]

Is it bad that when i first saw the title "japan sinks 2020" i automatically assumed it was just the august tragedy for apolalypse bingo?

[@phoenyck]

"Heavy novel" was a good joke.

[@wingedone6512]

The fact that most of the deaths were sudden and jarring is one of the things that made me like this show a lot. :) The stars rarely align to allow people dramatic, emotional goodbyes IRL. And while those dramatic scenes can be done well in shows, I often find them melodramatic or tropey. So I REALLY appreciated how "real" the deaths felt in this.

[@edmeegdrl2160]

I really cried more at Haruo's death than at the death of all those characters with beautiful but unrealistic sentences who are in the most series. his death was just beautiful, the animation and the context was such a brilliant idea. the fact that he run in slow motion to show how he return to his old him in a beautiful scene with beautiful reflects and luminosity, before die in just one second, the death coming down hard on him symbolised by the wave, in a fast scene with bland and real colours. this death has brilliantly mixed the traditional effect we love and the reality

[@QDJW]

I think the people who say this show is surface level honestly have no idea how xenophobic Japan is.

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

What does xenophobic mean?

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

Sorry if that sounds stupid but I'm just curious

[@LunaRyuugamine]

Xenophobia is the fear/hatred of those from other countries.

[@gama103]

@Karen luvs Jesus it depends on where you move i guess. I've seen other people that stayed in Japan saying positive things about it and how everyone was nice to them.

[@hey-fv2gg]

gama103 definitely yes, if you stick with the big cities as Tokyo people should barely notice you for being a foreign, if you go to the country side be ready to not be so well welcome

[@TheBeastBandit]

Best part of JS2020: GERIATRIC 360 NO SCOPE

[@intelligenceparadigm4931]

And the back of his chair is BULLETPROOF for some reason.

[@toiletpaper3394]

But that's the only good part of the show

[@gabrielabautista2966]

That and the death of the kid. Seriously, it was halarious when the rock fell. It was so out of place and that made the scene amazing

[@intelligenceparadigm4931]

@@toiletpaper3394 man I wrote like 1000 words on another video detailing about 15 reasons why the mom shouldn't have died and the more I thought about it, the more I laughed at how stupid it was. This show is filled with comedy gold.

[@Otokogoroshi]

I didn't shed any tears until the last episode and I just... broke down. It is what I needed in a time like this, a story that shows that even after the worst of disasters there is an AFTER a healing period, a rebuilding and regrowth. Also I kept expecting the cult to be crazy ass evil and was really pleased that they were... more or less fine!

[@harker-san6903]

It’s interesting, we’re getting a number of old novel adaptations. Like there was Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited and now there is Japan Sinks 2020.

[@guaya8681]

... Millionare Detective is a novel adaptation? :I

[@-datrandomdude-6979]

​@@guaya8681 yep, written by Yasutaka Tsutsui who's also the original creator of the anime movies 'Paprika' and 'The Girl who Lept through Time'

[@DrGandW]

Yo can I get a No Longer Human anime the manga was great

[@-datrandomdude-6979]

@@DrGandW watch the first 4 episode of Aoi Bungaku its an adaptatio of it! (And at the same time watch the other episodes too since they are also adaptation of classic japanese literature like no longer human)

[@biazacha]

I wouldn't call it interesting... with stream and internet the demand for entertainment is never so severe and tons of people in the creative industries are getting burned out on different ways - so in the same beat that Hollywood remakes every hit from the 80s and 90s they possible can, Japan is looking to old gems and introducing them to a new audience.

[@matthewrandall8883]

This show was such a difficult watch. The un-ceremonious deaths are something that will un-settle me. The entire show had me in a constant state of fear, I persevered though and I'm just glad that Kite survived. Ultra sad when the guy with glasses was swept away by the currant.. I saw it coming but.. I still had at least some hope.. Cries..

[@mst3kharris]

Japan sinking into the Pacific? Boring. Call me when Japan sinks into the _Atlantic._ Now that’ll be exciting!

[@heek8964]

I-I have no words. Good job sir.

[@Nothing-1w3]

Atlantic ppfff! Call me when it will sink into black sea

[@estehtix]

Make that indian ocean instead

[@blarg2429]

What about the Sea of Serenity? It's a region of the moon, so probably even less likely than some random terrestrial body of water.

[@Jose.AFT.Saddul]

Wait till South China Sea sinks into the west philippine sea

[@vexorian]

I would honestly never dare to watch a postapocalyptic show during this pandemic.

[@kayleekidman4751]

I feel like that’s fair lol

[@heek8964]

This show consistently made me want to puke, not because of anything dumb like bad animation or whatever, but because that's exactly how the show wants you to feel, the fact it accomplishes this so consistently and intensely is proof enough of it's quality to me. On top of that the characters feel like real people, reacting to an indescribably horrible situation, they keep to themselves, change very slowly, make dumb decisions to protect their self image, and legitimately care about others around them even in the worst possible situation. There are so many little scenes and character arcs that are absolute gold, and there are so many different angles one can consider them from. In short, 9/10 show, an incredible amount of depth.

[@boyisland2859]

Really? The whole series, aside from the first three episodes, felt so rushed to me. Take the cult arc for example, I had no idea what was going on the entire time because the show did such a poor job explaining it. Alot of the "emotional" moments rubbed me the wrong way as well, like the cook who had literally no character development suddenly explaining his backstory right as he sacrificed himself to save the younger brother. Then in the second to last episode, the reveal that the mom had a pacemaker that was about to stop working came totally out of left field and felt so cheap. Any good anime owes most of it's success to the build-up in between emotional and action packed sequences, but japan sinks 2020 bounces from one set piece to another, abandoning plot points and at times totally failing to make sense at all. That being said I still really enjoyed watching just because the disaster genre is such a woefully unexplored genre in anime and also the kid getting his head smashed was really funny

[@heek8964]

@@boyisland2859 they don't have time to stop and figure out what exactly is going on, or even stop and grieve their loved ones that's one of the large points of the show is that there's no time to stop and think in this situation. Also, the pacemaker did have a fair amount of buildup to it, it was clear she was hiding something from them, she was always looking for a power outlet when she could, and we did see the solar charger a few times. The foreshadowing was just subtle and not outright stated, you would need to actually pay attention to what's happening on screen to catch it. the rushed feeling of the pacing is intentional and the show only works if you don't watch it with the expectation of it being bad, because a lot of what makes it great is atmospheric or requires you to pay attention. If you expect it to be bad then you wont be able to buy in to it's actually realistic portrayal of people in a disaster scenario because it acknowledges things about people other shows ignore, like how hard it is to process trauma, or how people will do stupid things like not read warning signs when they're overconfident or stressed out, or how children will act and speak in stupid and cringey ways, but since other shows tend to ignore these things and you're already expecting it to be bad they're dismissed as "bad writing", when they are, in fact, what makes the show so great.

[@boyisland2859]

@@heek8964 I totally disagree. The characters stay with the cult for several days, and no time whatsoever is devoted to explaining the reasoning behind what happens at the end of the arc. And sure, maybe it can be argued that the characters have no time to worry about what's going on with the cult, but shouldn't the situation be explained to the audience for the sake of a cohesive story, especially since we as the audience have plenty of time to receive such information? Also, I'm a big fan of realistic banter between characters, even when said banter gets a bit cringeworthy. But my God, no other moment in anime made me cringe as hard as the rap scene. Moments like that in Japan sinks 2020 can't be excused, or labelled as anything other than bad writing with sloppy voice acting. And finally about the pacemaker, I watched the entire anime over again just yesterday and I promise you there was no foreshadowing whatsoever. That moment was nothing more than a lazy move by the writers to add emotional weight to the story, because at that point there was very little remaining. I still enjoyed this anime, but it's not at all the master piece you're making it out to be.

[@elhilo1972]

@@boyisland2859 What about the cult you wanted to be explained? It was simple: the leader had good intentions to use her power to make a place where everyone felt dignified, especially her son. It backfired, of course, with some opportunistic people in the ranks, but it was pretty clear what the cult was about. And I'm honestly confused as to how people think the rap scene as cringe. They went through some tough crap, and they found a way to vent it. They voiced their beliefs on Japan sinking and their own personal philosophies. If anything, it felt real homey and cathartic.

[@boyisland2859]

@@elhilo1972 Firstly, awful English voice acting by the obviously native Japanese actors is what made it awful. The cult was extremely underdeveloped and the whole supernatural aspect of it was extremely forced and felt really out of place given that the anime had been grounded very much in reality at that point in the series. Additionally, there was absolutely zero mention of wealth disputes among the leaders but it's ham-fisted in at the last second as a really sloppy and unbelievable reason for the cult members to turn on each other. The animators needed way more time to work, I'm positive at least two or three episodes of content was cut from the cult storyline. Really disappointing.

[@kaorudragneel8498]

I always get excited when you post. Good luck against Gigguk in the tournament!

[@DDarkestKnight]

Eh?

[@TheRandomeer]

Tournament?

[@DDarkestKnight]

@Fredy Real-Calderon When?

[@gryfon_gamez8184]

S

[@gryfon_gamez8184]

Éehhester?

[@SanjiTyloxion]

Thanks for this video Geoff. I must admit I've only slightly been sticking around with most of your stuff lately, but your interpretation of this show and summary has helped me out more than I imagined and likely more than you'd expect. One of my Grandmother's died recently. And I did not understand how I was supposed to feel. I had not interacted with her for long, and had alienated myself from most of my family from that side, my father's side, due to various reasons. But when she died I felt strange, I felt conflicted. Everyone I had alienated from me sent messages to me about how she cared for us regardless, and how they cared for us as well, and hoped my other grandma, currently with us, was safe, despite not being their blood relative, and apparent hostilities from the past. They wished us the best, and I felt empty, and from feeling empty I began to feel immense guilt and self hatred. I thought of myself as a monster for not feeling as I thought I should. I understood how I had come to see all the recent deaths as numbers, and when this one jumped out at me I wanted to feel something, and it was only self loathing when it turned out I could no longer relate. But I understand how this can be a way of rebuilding myself, and my seemingly forgotten bonds. And how I can mend the gaps I feel in myself and my family. Thank you.

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

Good luck on your journey!

[@Cowmoo83]

Finally, a review which discusses the themes/underlying meanings of this show! It’s been hard for me to take any of the scathing critical reviews seriously because they almost all completely ignore this part of the show. This isn’t a perfect show, but the thematic backbone makes it higher quality than many are giving it credit for.

[@konnermorris1753]

In defense. Any form of entertainment is made up of multiple pieces. Just because a show potentially has "a lot to say" doesn't mean that other critiques should be ignored. It just means that despite the fact the show is a mess story, it's themes still create some form of reaction from the viewer. In my honest opinion, too much focus away from everything else in the story and a hyper focus towards the potential themes is a gross form of critique. In general every person watches a show for one reason or another. Not everyone is going to be looking for the themes. But my main issue with a focus on themes is you get the English education system.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

@@konnermorris1753 the only time i think thematic focus is relevant is when its not underlying, for a theme to be the primary focus of quality it needs to be front and center a la Revolutionary Girl Utena and it doing things like making use of its short deadlines and low budget to hammer in its themes even further

[@djohnsveress6616]

Dawg.. No one gives two cents for your Thematic backbones.. Especially not when you dig it with psychic weed babies (Unless if your "Backbone" is the Psychic weed baby aka devil man) What are the Themes Even ? The only thing really got explored is "Death" in its bluntest way (Not necessary deep) And Multi nationalism vs Nationalism (Extreme ver. Nazism, not racism, one differentiates nationality the other diff your color.. It's the same but different backbone :I ) And even that only got explored in Ep 9 with the Rapping (Wich was great all memes aside) but all before that was forgettable, i will not remember the old man for his view on foreigners, but because he has the cleanest no scope headshots.. I will not remember the folks on the shore for being asses but bec.. Nah i just won't.. But i will deff remember the rap scene... Waiiiiiiit, 9 episode for a rap scene ?

[@Cowmoo83]

Konner Morris Point well taken. I wasn’t trying to discredit all aspects of other reviews, but when a show like this has explicit recurring messages, and a review completely ignores them and calls the show bad nonetheless, the review feels incomplete. Like you said, a hyperfocus on themes isn’t desirable. The same can be said for a hyperfocus on plot, as I’ve seen in most other reviews of this show.

[@konnermorris1753]

@@Cowmoo83 I would agree with you there. But, the plot is what drives forward the themes. Similarly, the characters are aspects of a show which should evolve and change based of the theme. So when a critic critiques some plot point or the entirety of the plot, for example, the show, while quite compelling dissolves into torture porn that actually takes away from the story. Additionally, especially for shows/movies/books/videos, you need to be able to relate to/transport yourself into the world the creator is presenting you. If an author/creator sacrifices logic, derails the plot out of convenience, constantly uses mcguffins/coincidences to propell the plot, etc. This cheapens and often weakens the perceived theme. So, as a critic. I would first argue that in Japan Sinks, similar to many other disaster stories. The audience must suspend too much of their belief before they can even begin to appreciate the story being created by this studio. While the show may have an established an clear theme, as a viewer the transportation to finally end up at the destination isn't worth the price. And I would conclude as a reviewer, let's say you do suspend your disbelief. You appreciate the characters. Their experiences. The show does only a skin layer examination of humanity. In fact, it tells you all it has to say in the first three episodes and never actually evolves or progresses from that. As a reviewer, I would give this a passing score of a 5/10. This isn't to say it's bad. It just isn't good either. It's basic. It's surface level. It is a lot of ridiculous deaths. (If you thought darling and the franxx had Looney tunes deaths. Just you wait.) Tldr; If a reviewer focuses on the plot in order to make a conclusion about the themes. He is not ignorant. He was not wrong. It is wrong for a reviewer to look at the themes and ignore everything else around it.

[@o0Avalon0o]

As someone who's working with & been a youth, I've seen a fair share of kids hide wounds out of fear &/or guilt. My friend has a crooked collar bone to this day because he was afraid to tell his abusive father.

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

Yeah, it made sense for her character. She felt guilty about not helping her team mates and there were big things happening so she probably didn't want to bother people about her wound and then it felt too late to tell or maybe it was a form of punishing herself. Either way, it's common behavior for a teenager

[@noodles6712]

Aaa as a Filipino American having the mom be a strong Filipino woman it feels so great to be represented i was shocked but I was extremely happy and filled with joy she reminds me a lot of my own mom

[@ramona.vargas7298]

When Gramps killed those guards, I laughed my ass off, I rewound it a few times to watch again

[@fudgegorilla]

I just realized this anime ends with a trans gamer, a paralyzed man, a teen girl who loses her leg, and a small child...being the survivors of a massive disaster, against the Survival Of The Fittest Bullshit that most people push in disaster or apocalypse stories.

[@fudgegorilla]

@Tesla-Effect and he uses it to help a man with full body paralysis.

[@thirdwheel9938]

Ah, the most oppressed minority of all.... GAMERS

[@thirdwheel9938]

sorry i just had to make the joke 😅

[@luizairinam2136]

I was so amazed watching this show. It looked beautiful when it had to so the inconsistency in animation did not bother me. I loved the stylisation. I adored the sound. We go so fast through the deaths and the events because this is how fast the characters have to go through them, unable to process. I loved KITE so much, he was incredible. Ayumu's wound is a physical represantation of her mental scaring, that is born in the locker room and only gets worse as the series progresses, advancing to the life threatening point. She has to literally cut a part from herself and give it up to be reborn. I would have so much more to say about this mesmerizing anime, I truly and whole-heartedly love it, thank you for the vid

[@chrisbroad2689]

To me it’s a 5 or 6/10 show with some 10/10 moments (trash taste summed this up perfectly for me)

[@luizairinam2136]

@@chrisbroad2689 trash taste means enjoying mindless shows, having fun because they are so bad. This anime has so much substance and social commentary, you only watched the carnage got it:(

[@luizairinam2136]

@@chrisbroad2689 also saying that means YOU DIDN'T EVEN WATCH THIS VIDEO you are commenting on so ewww what are you doing here

[@chrisbroad2689]

Luiza Irina M I enjoyed the show well enough (why would I comment on something that I hadn’t watched). Personally the themes were impaired by the literal actions and progression of the story. Darling in the franxx has interesting themes but man is that not a good show because of what the literal is. In a perfect world what happens on screen is just as interesting as what it is trying to say (Eva is my second favorite show behind hunter x hunter). This show has some amazing scenes though (basically the entirety of the first two episodes, and some of the death scenes like the sprint), but it didn’t hit as hard as I wanted, still cool that you loved it. Just brought up the quote cause I thought it summed up my thoughts perfectly. Can’t wait to watch more of the directors work since I’ve only watched this and Devil man crybaby and loved Devil man. Ping pong is next.

[@stonecat676]

Wow, you and I share all of our opinions, down to Ayumu's wound. Another thing to note is that she is a relay track runner; and throughout the show she could only run facing forward with multiple people "passing on the baton" to her so that she could live. The deaths transitioned from sudden and traumatizing to self sacrifices. The later deaths in particular encompassed the characters' essence in a much clearer way (the old man, the mom, the senpai). Even Kite's semi death. Her wound got worse and worse as she shouldered each person's death and their potential, as well as her own grief. She could only let this all go once she got to safety and had her leg amputated, like you said.

[@12seconds77]

About the People saying that mixing english words into speach being unnatual I am a non nativ english speaker and I constantly use english Idioms and figures of speach while speaking my nativ language.

[@BioMatic2]

yeah im the same, sometimes i have to remind myselft to not do that.

[@BlackReshiram]

Me, before watching Japan Sinks 2020: oh i dont rly have anything else to watch, might as well just binge it Me, after watching Japan Sinks 2020: **GROSS SOBBING** THANKS I DIDNT NEED MY HEART ANYWAY

[@matheusreis9772]

My mins blew when I realized that Kite was a transgender man by the final montage

[@budgetmicro5387]

Bruh what are you talking about?

[@matheusreis9772]

@@budgetmicro5387*mind 31:06 He addressed it on the video. The montage even hints why Kite named himself Kite

[@budgetmicro5387]

@@matheusreis9772 My Bad sry.

[@matheusreis9772]

@@budgetmicro5387 that's ok :)

[@emmapolcyn9505]

Take a shot for every negative review of this show titled "Japan Stinks"

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

Ah yes, it's ironic how people give negative review's about an anime which is Japanese because it talks about underlying Japanese cultural themes. He weebs are weird.

[@ordinarytree4678]

@@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209 ?? Japan isnt that great of a place bud. The culture is not above critique.

[@Add183]

Ordinary Tree that’s...what he’s saying

[@emmapolcyn9505]

@Ordinary Tree They're saying that Japanese culture is a very nessesary detail to know in order to have proper context for things in this series...

[@raina4752]

I get sick of saying this but I’ll do it anyway. The old man is not a racist. He’s xenophobic.

[@makaiev]

being both is quite common tough...

[@trashchild5945]

ikr, quite obvious

[@trashchild5945]

xenophobic: having or showing a dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries. racist: a person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another. He dosen’t like people from other countries but won’t show hate towards them

[@trashchild5945]

Ambulance Chan you have a point, but the old man himself isn’t really racist

[@BioMatic2]

Im sorry Geoff.....but i can only think about THAT ONE kid and how hilarious it is. the two first episodes are goegeous though

[@intelligenceparadigm4931]

What about Daniel? Do you remember Daniel?

[@boeman6702]

The final episode brought me to tears. The anime gave us 9 episodes and 13 minutes of pure horror, death, and desolation. When it finally gave us time to mourn for the death of our characters, they made us mourn for the entire nation and everyone who was lost.

[@DeionSpeaks]

I’m glad I watched it recently. It was crazy, ridiculous, heartbreaking, but also interesting. Much like Devilman, the rapping in Japan Sinks was probably my favorite part of the show.

[@gibberishname]

I misread this title as "Japan STINKS! 2020 is Awesome, Actually" and damn near had a stroke

[@ashethewitch1156]

same!

[@ChurchOfCatology]

I can see a franchise out of this. The next season could be called "Britain sinks" or maybe "China Sinks". Think of all the sinking that could be had.

[@eprot6170]

How tf do they want to pull of an earhtquacke in great britain? Its like one of the places with no earhtquacke

[@ChurchOfCatology]

@@eprot6170 Who says it's gotta be an earthquake.

[@madebysalad7916]

@@ChurchOfCatology Why would we even need an earthquake, a few sinks would be enough

[@TheSpectator7]

How bout a spin-off with the super volcano in America erupts... It'll be called *America-Blows!* 🤣🤣

[@U1TR4F0RCE]

It's based off of a novel without sequels. Interestingly enough the author who is considered one of Japan's best sci-fi novelists actually lived to see the 2011 Tohaku Earthquake and one of his last writings was an article talking about his hopes for Japan's future on Japan evolving after the catastrophe.

[@kadenpaul7318]

i didnt find a single cringe moment in all 10 episodes and when thay all rapped i felt really good... its so soothing listening to them rap abt japan sinking and how people choose who they like by how they look

[@hellokittyfan2459]

When Haruo died I genuinely cried because I liked his character so much.

[@kingmuizz708]

I was waiting for this video. I legit binged the series so fast.

[@budgetmicro5387]

Same lol

[@moytesting]

hey Jeff, I think that those circle transitions really fit with the style of the music! Really nice, small editing choice :]

[@MarshGlyph]

This anime really did tug at my heart-strings in certain moments. Your conclusion (especially seeing Ayumu sobbing as she watched that video) honestly made me cry again. I loved this anime and loved your review of it. The fact that its music was so similar to that of a Silent Voice (one of my favourite anime movies and one I watch when I need a good cry) was a huge plus and really made me more susceptible to heart-string tugging haha

[@anyan72]

finally, I've been waiting to hear someone talk about this show that actually gets it. I thought it was pretty amazing, yet all people seemed to be discussing were semantics. Like how did y'all completely miss the point or points when they're right there. Also, kite casually being trans, bless.

[@necloe]

So if someone doesn't like "Japan Stinks" s/he doesn't get it. Oh well.

[@the1grove]

Mary Lain *sinks

[@necloe]

@@the1grove I wrote "stinks" on purpose :P

[@necloe]

@Mr. Obunga • 20 years ago absolutely not true. You can dislike something as it is without being forced to "interact" with others. BTW, the same can be said for people who love this anime and fail to understand why other people don't like it. So what?

[@BioMatic2]

@Mr. Obunga • 20 years ago ah so we are devolving into the " save Martha" arguments. Execution is a thing......that matters.

[@chibixleon]

Thank you so much for making this video. I loved this series and its nice to see a bunch of other people loved it as well.

[@taypatryn7276]

Beautiful video MB. It's obvious you put a lot of effort in and it shows, as does the heart. I feel how much you care about the video and KZbin can always use more videos like it. Love your content. Keep up the great work! 👍

[@celfhelp]

one of my favorite aspects of this series was its depiction of sacrifice, and it makes me sad that some people dismiss it all as "tragedy porn". demonstrating what it means to be willing to trade your life for someone else's is so powerful and beautiful....ugh, sucks that some people miss it. speaking of missing it, i really enjoyed the effort you made to touch on the many societal/cultural nuances in this series. as someone who has gone to great lengths to understand a few different cultures/people/histories (including japanese), it makes my heart hurt when others don't bother before they unleash harsh criticism. nuance and subtlety are two of my favorite things, and that made this video an extremely enjoyable watch. thank you

[@lephantm1920]

When Ayuma's (mc) father died, I actually cried

[@michaelkoech3365]

This was put together really well! Thank you for such great content!

[@ArloLinn]

Really happy that you mentioned that Kite is trans, lots of people missed that when watching. I loved the series from the start but finding out that my favourite character is trans like me was seriously the best!

[@ShaneLeGrand]

Honestly thoroughly enjoyed the show and ending specifically hit me hard.

[@sunnivamhagatun]

omg i didn’t even realize KITE was trans!

[@DagobertoSaraiva]

You did a very good job on your review, man. Thanks for share it with us.

[@JakeNubbin]

Look, animation quirks aside, everything aside, I just appreciate the artstyle. I'm so glad it doesn't look like, you know, every other 2D anime out there. I'm glad that it doesn't look like "Fairy Tale glistening glowy shiny big eye young adult fruity body-pillow-land fantasy crazy hair". Which, by the way, is the sponsor of today's video-

[@andreschavez8094]

I was satisfied with the ending it was so warm hearted. I love anime with deep meanings behind it.

[@frenticspider1186]

I was so frustrated seeing everyone shiting this show ignoring all the good parts of the show.Thank you for making this video

[@gabrielabautista2966]

I don't know, I saw the anime twice and I thought that episodes 1 and 2 were pretty great and realistic, other than a few parts but the moment it got to the cult arc I was so confused. Like what was the point of that? To stop and grieve? That happened for like 3 minutes over the course of the 3 episodes. What was the thing with the weed thing? The lady that was able the talk to the dead? The 360 noscope? It had gone from serious thriller to outright slapstick comedy. After that, I just was so done with the story. I couldn't get reinvented even after eps 8 and 9. Also episode 10 was just rehash and an ad for most of it. I feel like it was a 4-5/10 show with some 10/10 moments. Bit those moments couldn't save the absolute shitshow that had ensued. The concept was great, just not executed all that well.

[@ordinarytree4678]

Some people have standards and can accept that some things are stupid.

[@dnmr.boomer1448]

I watched this and it was heart wrenching, tense, and just all around great story imo.

[@ultimatehaki1]

I was in neither camp after finishing this anime, it was ok. I simply felt it would have worked better had it been about twice as long. It being only 10 episodes made the thing feel like a best moments highlight reel instead of a fully fleshed out show.

[@Silk_WD]

I second this opinon. It was entertaining for what it was, but not a show I am likely to rewatch. I don't know if it being longer would have made it better. I do however think that the time could have been used better. The ferry scene felt unnecessary and the cult section could definitely have been shorter. More time spent on the characters instead of shaky subplots might have helped.

[@djohnsveress6616]

For sure, Deleting the Cult Part (3 Episode wich is a lot for this) would have Helped A LOT ! Not everything, but a lot still . . . Like the deaths would be still meaningless and fast, but i at least would go on the same investment level as i was around ep 1-3.. because i lost a lot of that with ep 4-6, after ep 7 i just wanted to rush the whole thing..

[@hb23.]

that’s how i felt! i really enjoyed it but a few extra episodes couldve really fixed things

[@biazacha]

I kinda of get what you mean, but imo if the pacing was better distributed the result could be more solid; while Geoff says the cult was the calm before the storm... imo it just felt dragged and broke the narrative flow.

[@aejei]

Same, it's not that i "hate" it and it's not that i "love it" either, it's just that i enjoyed the show because of a totally different reason than what the show intended (mostly). Sure there are some parts that the anime did an excellent job on, such as the first episode and some moments scattered throughout the episodes, but i enjoyed it because how bad it is. I laughed my ass off watching japan sinks and i don't know if that's just me, but i'm sure there are a lot of people who felt the same. I think some people who loved it (MB included) considered that as hate? Even though some people who felt the same way as me just really likes to shit on it without any genuine hate towards it

[@brandondavidson4085]

Fun fact: This video shows all of the actual animation in the entire show.

[@abedabed7009]

This guy is spittin

[@matthiasmodeste916]

No way must be edited

[@MSstudioHD]

I have never seen a so low level in animation from japan (if is made by japanese)

[@succulentboi676]

MS 私は死にたい you obviously haven’t watched trashy low tier isekai power fantasy anime and garbage highschool slice of life anime that literally skip frames and have stiff animation. This might be different from what we normally see (not a huge fan) but it’s not the worst thing

[@MSstudioHD]

I have seen mostly every type of anime, and something like this show never in my life, if you actully look instead of reading subtitles you will see that most of the charachter are off model most of the time and the framerate is like 4 frames per scene. (Obviously in the sakuga moment are not). (I like science saru anime and style) I watched only the first 3 e ep to be clear, and also the dialogue are innatural at best and every charachter is retarded.

[@Alibaba-le2ku]

Watching this after seeing the rock falling on the kids head

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

The parents lives hit rock bottom after that. Sorry couldn't help it

[@Just.Celeste]

I'm glad I went in with only your review saying it was awesome (also, Yuasa, I mean, what more is needed) and didn't even know about the heavy critiques because I loved everything about it, for many of the reasons you mentioned!

[@ADerpyReality]

That moment where kite would be really supportive/sweet moment but is high and laughs talking about wonder woman.

[@pharaohh5560]

The only thing I thought was meh was that, i never rlly cared when the characters died like I could never care that some characters died. Also it was kinda just... like messy? It felt so all over the place. But I watched all in one sitting so they definitely did some things right for me to watch it like that.

[@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209]

Well during a crisis everything is messy and confusing. I think the show life the viewer in the same seat as the characters. No time to stop and think, no time to breath. No time to do anything but survive

[@pharaohh5560]

Free Fafnir mimikumaster5 yeh I guess it was just TOO realistic that it just didn’t feel like anything.

[@bluntrack1075]

Just Some Guy Without a Mustache nah this anime wins best comedy because I was consistently laughing my ass off, like when that rock slams that kids head

[@boyisland2859]

​@@justsomeguywithaforeheadmu6209 I've seen alot of people defend japan sinks 2020 in this type of way. Some variation of "well real life is messy, confusing, and doesn't make alot of sense so this anime really isnt so bad." But that's a total fallacy in my opinion. Tv shows, anime specifically, really fall apart when they can't stick to a single story line and become messy. Japan sinks 2020 is no exception, I'm pretty sure everyone who watched it was confused as fuck when the cult members started shooting each other with literally no context. The fact that there was a supernatural plot point to begin with really destroyed my immersion.

[@faiaflrt]

I was told once in a writer's workshop that fiction is usually more believable than reality, and never to write a story that's this realistic because people wouldn't be able to connect to it. Interesting to see that they were sort-of right.

[@beckstheimpatient4135]

I remember watching Devilman Crybaby. It was like watching a trainwreck - I couldn't look away but was horrified. I absolutely did not expect it to go the way it did, but I liked the end result. I think I'd enjoy this anime as well - and I like the fact that death is just... there. Nobody needs to spend 10 minutes on a death scene with moving final words like in shounen stuff.

[@stephhanley3167]

Just watching this video you made had me in tears. Thank you.

[@xcaluhbration]

That opening earthquake captures the panic of being in a devastating so accurately.

[@severath19]

Am I the only one who completely disagrees with him on the rap scene? I honestly thought that was one of the best scenes in a show that I have ever seen.

[@noels__]

it made me uncomfy but probably only because of second-hand embarrassment or something lol

[@1123Navi]

In a weird way, this show was intensely difficult to watch during the pandemic, but also everything I needed to help me reflect on why I'm continuing on with life in it. Sometimes, the point of life is just to enjoy the beauty of your world in all its pain, glory, and oddity.

[@tysonwellings1068]

I really like the point you made about the ending being interpreted by different audiences. Having grown up in Japan I saw it as a homage to Japanese culture and felt a sense of sadness at the thought of having all those cultural elements lost in time. The ending made me nostalgic and I felt like it was great. It didn't occur to me that it could have been an Olympics advertisement until I begun reading the discord around the series.

[@Radiogumdrop]

I really liked the ending montage of the cultural photos. A disaster in this scope could destroy a culture forever. The documentation just goes to show how much there is to appreciate for life somewhere else and what would be gone if something like this could actually happen.

[@krosismytosis]

Gramps really pulled off the drifts on that one.

[@Muropfel]

At times I felt weirded out by the animation style because it IS unconventional, but it sure captured all that body language and emotion of the cast. Despite the style I kept on watching because the premise and the overall writing had me hooked, you never knew what would happen next, the direction and emotional atmosphere could change in just a few seconds

[@gpena525]

wow thanks for putting the epilogue scene in there when ayumu is crying ,, yup i’m definitely fine🥲

[@tutterbear98]

That clip of the scene just after the montage with the camera might've completely sold me on this show. I wasn't going to watch it rn because of * gestures broadly* but dammit that little moment made me cry, like, in a "look at how *beautiful* everything is" kind of way

[@purefreedom1527]

Japan sinks is AMAZING. I love it jt made me cry in the end i really love how much they portayed humans overcoming challenges and taking risks through difficult and unexpected circumstances. This was amazing hands down.

[@dbdn1825]

Trash taste: Japan sinks is so bad MB: well, actually...

[@dbdn1825]

@Tesla-Effect they literally gave the show a 4/10 5/10 except for Joey who gave it 7/10 (wich he later felt bad for giving it a score that high)

[@Axterix13]

@@dbdn1825 Yes and no. Both Gigguk and Cdawg state that they rank it that low due to the cult sub plot. Without that, Gigguk states he'd have given it a 7/10. And generally speaking, the cult bit is what most people say is the worst part of the show, including Geoff here. And based on the clip here, of a guy in a wheel chair going Legolas, well, that the cult bit gets bashed seems legit.

[@neofromthewarnerbrothersic145]

This was really not "my kind of show" but man I really loved it. It's just beautiful in so many ways. And you're right, the music is incredible. The freestyle and the ending montage just fuckin got me.

[@alexishagerman7038]

Damn. I got teary eyed at that little montage towards the end 😂

[@bookterror]

I just finished the show and was left.. confused? I didn't really know what to think or even if I liked it or not. You certainly gave me some new perspective on it.

[@inshayana]

Oh my! I just discovered it's called Japan Sinks 2020 because the original is a manga from 1973.

[@MfundoNdala]

Yesssss!!! This series was so damn good. I watched the whole thing in about 2 days. Thanks for this review!

[@Bluewolf-wk4ul]

The moms sacrifice really took awhile to SINK in.