Set to release in July, Netflix's Japan Sinks: 2020 imagines a future where an earthquake hits the titular nation following the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, leaving a family to try to survive while the world breaks apart around them. Unfortunately, Japan has a tragic history when it comes to natural disasters, which might explain why very few anime exist that directly involve these types of catastrophes.
Anime storylines are more likely to revolve around man-made or supernatural disasters than the natural kind. Be that as it may, there still exist a handful of disaster anime series and movies that are worth checking out, some of which should serve as ideal opening acts for Netflix's upcoming release.
10 Coppelion
While Japan Sinks: 2020 should take place during and immediately following the events of a natural disaster, Coppelion is set two decades after Tokyo was reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland due to a nuclear meltdown. In this alternate reality, the immune to radiation Ibara Naruse, Aoi Fukasaku, and Taeko Nomura are part of a special unit tasked with answering distress signals originating from survivors who entered the still highly dangerous Tokyo.
Coppelion is far from flawless, as only Ibara is depicted as being competent from the main three girls. That said, Coppelion is a decently entertaining series with some great artwork and a genuinely intriguing premise.
9 Hakubo
Hakubo is a rather short film that does something almost unheard of for anime: It acknowledges the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The movie follows a group of teenagers who are going about their lives in Iwaki, an area that was hit prominently by these natural disasters.
Despite some minimal references to the 2011 disasters, Hakubo does not shine much of a light on the way those incidents impacted Japan's people. The movie is generally quite directionless and features some dark moments that are not truly earned. It is mainly worth watching for the solid animation.
8 7 Seeds
Out of nowhere, Natsu Iwashimizu wakes up in the distant future as one of a handful of people picked to continue existing following the death of mankind. 7 Seeds blends horror and mystery to craft a tale about survival in a world that has long since moved on from humanity.
While not a conventional disaster anime, the series tries to approach most of its situations as realistically as possible. Along with the threats posed by the unforgiven environment, 7 Seeds also explores the relationships and distrust that arise between the survivors.
7 Natsunagu!
After an earthquake hits the Kumamoto area, Natsuna Keyaki loses contact with a friend she met online. In order to make sure they are okay, Natsuna embarks on a trip to try and find her missing contact.
Consisting of 12 short episodes, Natsunagu! is a surprisingly heartwarming tale of human kindness and a community's ability to persevere in the face of adversity. Natsuna's journey leads her to meet a number of helpful individuals who go out of their way to lend her a hand.
6 The Day the Earth Moved
The Day the Earth Moved is about the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, a disaster that took the lives of thousands of people. The anime takes place in Kobe City, which was very close to the earthquake's epicenter and suffered widespread damage, and follows a family as they seek shelter during the incident. The anime also covers the aftermath of the earthquake, as many were left without homes and people risked their lives to help others.
The Day the Earth Moved is not a technical marvel but it does a respectable job handling one of Japan's saddest days.
5 School-Live!
Zombie movies are generally their own thing, but the subgenre has a long history of being used to comment on social issues. School-Live! starts out as a seemingly straightforward slice of life anime before revealing itself to be a psychological character study with horror elements that also happens to be a pretty effective "cute girls doing cute things" series.
Unable to process the news that a zombie outbreak has left humanity devastated, Yuki Takeya's PTSD manifests as a deep-seated delusion that forces her three friends to play along to keep her steady. School-Live! explores the way survivors cope with a disaster.
4 Taiyou no Mokushiroku: A Spirit of the Sun
Split into two parts, Taiyou no Mokushiroku: A Spirit of the Sun's first movie centers around a series of natural disasters that leave Japan devastated and requiring the assistance of other countries. The second movie jumps forward more than a decade to focus on the Japanese refugees who were taken in by nations like Taiwan, and the issues faced as they try to assimilate into a new culture.
A Spirit of the Sun is a haunting and realistic tale that offers no simple solutions, as it explores the social, economic, and political impact such a disaster could have on a country and its people.
3 Your Name
Makoto Shinkai's Your Name does not reveal itself to be a disaster movie until around the halfway mark, as it initially sets itself up as a body-swap comedy with romantic elements. Once the reveal happens, Your Name becomes a thrilling drama as two teenagers try to find a way to save a town's villagers before disaster strikes.
While Your Name is much more than just a disaster movie, it handles that aspect of its story well. This 2016 film is a great pick for those yearning to watch a disaster flick that is not too heavy or emotionally exhausting.
2 Yomigaeru Sora: Rescue Wings
When it comes to disaster anime, there are two series that stand out. 2006's Yomigaeru Sora: Rescue Wings is one of them. This underappreciated anime follows Kazuhiro Uchida, a pilot who wanted to fly fighter planes but ultimately ends up joining a town's helicopter rescue unit.
Through intense missions and interactions with the rest of the squad, Uchida learns to appreciate the importance of his job. Rescue Wings shines a light on the professionals that risk their lives when natural disasters strike, and the anime boasts great writing throughout.
1 Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is the definitive disaster anime series, a position it has held since 2009. While the young Mirai and Yuuki Onozawa are away from home, an earthquake hits Tokyo that destroys the city, taking the lives of many in the process. The children, along with an adult they meet, try to make it through the ravished city in order to get back to their families.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a slow-paced anime that focuses on the aftermath of a natural disaster as two children are forced to grow up quickly to survive. On paper, this is the closest series to Netflix's Japan Sinks: 2020.