, is an original net animation (ONA) series adaptation of the 1973 novel Japan Sinks by Sakyo Komatsu. The series, announced on October 9, 2019, was animated by Science Saru, with Ho Pyeon-gang and Masaaki Yuasa served as directors. Toshio Yoshitaka handled series composition, Naoya Wada designed the characters, and Kensuke Ushio composed the series' music. Yuko Sasaki, Reina Ueda and Tomo Muranaka are credited with starring roles. It was released worldwide by Netflix on July 9, 2020. A film compilation version of the series was subsequently released in Japanese theaters on November 13, 2020.
Summary Shortly after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a major earthquake hits Japan. Amidst the chaos, the Mutou siblings Ayumu (a 14-year-old track and field athlete) and her younger brother Gou (a 7-year-old video game enthusiast) attempt to escape the city with their family and friends. However, the sinking Japanese archipelago complicates their escape. Plunged into extreme conditions, the Mutou siblings believe in the future and acquire the strength to survive with utmost effort.
Voice cast Character Japanese voice actor English dub actor Ayumu Mutō (武藤 歩) Reina Ueda Faye Mata Gō Mutō (武藤 剛) Tomo Muranaka Ryan Bartley Kaito / Kite Kensho Ono Aleks Le Haruo Koga (古賀 春生) Hiroyuki Yoshino Billy Kametz Mari Mutō (武藤 マリ) Yuko Sasaki Grace Lynn Kung Kōichirō Mutō (武藤 航一郎) Masaki Terasoma Keith Silverstein Osamu Asada (浅田 修) Daiki Hamano Jamieson Price Nanami Miura (三浦 七海) Nanako Mori Abby Trott Kanae Murota (室田 叶恵) Tomoko Shiota Cathy Cavadini Kunio Hikita (疋田 国夫) Umeji Sasaki Doug Stone Saburō Ōtani (大谷 三郎) Taichi Takeda Kim Strauss Daniel Gensho Tasaka George Cockle
Episodes
Reception On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 72% approval rating based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.54/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Japan Sinks: 2020 swell of tension and frenetic pace leave little room to breathe, but bursts of hope and interesting insights into humanity may help brave viewers weather its apocalyptic story." The series attracted criticism within Japan for its condemnation of Japanese nationalism, but also received positive attention in the West for its multiculturalism and inclusiveness, and was named as one of the best anime series of 2020.
The first episode of Japan Sinks: 2020 was awarded the 2021 Annecy Jury Prize for a Television Series, and the series as a whole received two nominations at the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. The compilation film version of the series was awarded a Jury Selection Prize at the 2021 Japan Media Arts Festival.
References
External links (anime) at Netflix