The Silent Room

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Small Talk:
What the fuck is wrong with the weather? It was happily raining in the morning, and then it was blazing hot the rest of the day. What madness is this?

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The human spirit is one of my favourite themes in entertainment. Be it TV, books, or heck, even music.

Sometimes we need to be reminded that life isn’t just about aiming for the top, or winning the heart of a fair maiden. It’s also about living it as an individual, cherish each breath and simply being in the presence of another person. To talk about the human spirit is to talk about preserverance, determination and a simple desire to just ‘live’.

That’s when you get some really amazing works of art. A current series that speaks greatly of this theme is Tokyo Magnitude 8.0. It’s a story of how two children, Mirai and her kid brother Yuuki, got caught in magnitude 8.0 earthquake during an outing to Tokyo. All the wanted was to get home safely, but their journey is a perilous fight for survival. Aftershocks, crumbling buildings, fires and unstable ground all threaten the safety of their journey.

While it may sound as such, Tokyo 8.0 is far from an action-packed adventure. It’s a study of how regular, normal people would rise in times of adversity and extend a helping hand to the next random stranger they see. Mirai and Yuuki found a savior in Mari, a single mother who selflessly helped the two to find their way out. They meet volunteers, shelter workers, policemen, firemen, military units; common everyday folks who simply stood up against all odds out of a simple sense of duty.

The strength in their will to survive is what makes Tokyo 8.0 a really special anime to watch. I insist that you pick it up, if you haven’t. The depictions of fear, despair, courage and hope are so frighteningly real. Words fail to describe how much I love watching it.

Oh, I also mentioned music earlier. I don’t come across music that speaks of the human spirit very often, but this is one song that I must urge you to listen. It’s called Hyakkin, an epic orchestral piece composed by Kenji Kawai, featuring the lovely choir of ladies who sang for Kawai’s Ghost in the Shell movie soundtrack. Give it a spin, and look at the energy of that concert. It’s just fucking amazing.

PS: Tokyo 8.0’s ED song, M/elody, is pretty damn nice, too.