I love B-level disaster movies/series like Japan Sinks 2020, yet I suspect this does not hold true for most individuals. In contrast, A-level disaster movies/series are far more likely to be well-received, though even then, there is a specific group for which this genre will never appeal; the disaster genre is, after all, a genre that falls into the category of horror for certain people.
However, why are B-level disaster movies like Japan Sinks not received as well as the A-level ones, when they both follow the same formula of having a ton of death in the end and the endings often leaning towards a particular direction? The answer lies not in how much death occurs but instead in how death is handled. But one of the exciting things regarding Japan Sinks 2020 is that while the series itself is B-level, it is that the source material, from my understanding, is actually A-level; no, I haven't read the original or any of the previous adaptions, but I have done some research.
Based on what I've learned of the original and the other adaptations, which are all set in the 1970s, I can't consider Japan Sinks 2020 a good adaptation of the source material. True, taking an older work and presenting it in a modern setting can be an exciting take on a classic work, but doing this doesn't make the modern adaptation better, and sometimes, doing just this without thinking things through can lead to narrative problems. In this particular case, Japan Sinks 2020 attempts to capture the nuance of the original Japan Sinks, but fails to understand some critical things about the original.
For example, in the first episode, there is a discussion of the work of Tadokoro and Onodera's research and how the theory of Japan sinking is, in effect, debunked, and that is why the theory is held in disdain, while in the original, the research done by the two was held in disdain because Japan at the time of writing Japan Sinks (the original) was behind the times when it came to science, namely plate tectonics wasn't accepted in Japan during the 1970s, with Japan instead accepting a debunked science regarding geology.
Of course, from what I've researched regarding the original, another significant change is the lack of preparedness in the 2020 version, where as in the original, they were given 10 months to evacuate Japan. Of course, if Japan did have ten months to evacuate in 2020 as per the 1970s original, there wouldn't be a disaster movie at all, given how technology has improved since the 70s, yet to achieve this, the scientists are denounced for different reasons, because their work's been debunked, rather than the staunch rejection of their work debunking what was currently accepted as true -- and there is a difference.
Speaking of which, another thing the 2020 adaption does is decide to focus on brand new characters, sidelining the two scientists. This seems to be a trend, one I'm not fond of personally, though I do have to it that the 2020 adaption does it better than some of the others I've seen, as while they take a background role, they are still important to the overall narrative. And the show did manage to keep some of the original themes through the mixed heritage of the children, and yet while the 2020 version does this well, things should have been kept there; instead, the show goes and stretches the theme out, making it thin, but the reasons for doing so is likely for diversity checkboxes.
Which, diversity isn't a bad thing - it can be good for the plot, which as I said, the children being of mixed ethnicity is actually integral to the plot and does keep one of the original themes intact, but on the other hand diversity shouldn't be put a done as simply a performative act as doing this actually devalues the representation, but I'm actually saying this as someone who isn't white, who is POC over here in the US.
One could argue this time stamps the work. Which, yes, the original is also time-stamped, yet regarding the original, the lack of acceptance of plate technology is actually integral to the plot, whereas the ways this work is time-stamped is less so, unless one considers that Japan Sinks 2020 is actually a direct response to the Fukushima earthquake of 2016, playing with the idea that the 2020 Olympics would bring a level of restored moral to the country, but this is also in vein with a few other works released after 2016 that attempted to boost morals of the general public, and yet...
Isn't it then a failure on the shows part to try and appeal to a global audience outside of Japan for the 2020 version?
Some of the blame I think should be placed on strict guidelines likely placed on the 2020 version of anything streamed on the streaming service "must have this in it", and yet this is I think proof of why these check-boxes are actually detrimental, that this particular piece shouldn't have been made for an American audience when it should have focused on being aimed at the Japanese audience thus being authentic to not only itself, but the original source material, but one of the draws towards Anime of the late is the focus on story over diversity check boxes, favoring diveristy that happens organically, which as I said, the show did well with the mixed-heritage children while missing majorly by overdoing it.
Noted here that this isn't an indictment of what is currently coming out of the steaming service, yet it is still a bit of a mess, but more of a reflection on how things were around 2020, what a lot of American entertainment pushed for without realizing what they doing, yet also pushing these standards I think unfairly on series made outside of America.
Then there is the issue of the deaths, how they seem more for shock value, but the fact the family keeps taking pictures as if they're on vacation with very little to no purpose behind this action -- there is one point where I did find it held merit, but "spoilers" there, the deaths were often not well thought out, played on the stupidity of the characters, although here I do it it is possible to find a three-foot Japanese yam three-feet underground, which anyone who decides to watch this will understand when they get to that point in the second episode and not think something as crazy as some going in not knowing that think it is, it's--
Well, narratively speaking, too many deaths are deaths that could have been avoided if not for the characters doing stupid things. This is a major thing that sets the B-level apart from the A-level disaster series/movies. It's not to say that A-level doesn't have characters who die from stupid reasons, but these characters aren't the main cast of characters, are side characters who the series presents going in as not being all there, and sometimes this causes the deaths of others as well, which because it was a death caused by someone outside of the group, caries far more weight than had it been caused by the person in the group who died.
In the end, as I said - the not recommended isn't because I don't think this series isn't worth it, but that going into this one should manage one expectations, have an understanding of what they're getting into.
Oh! Speaking of, I also wish to warn that the series utilizes rape for drama purposes. This is meant as a trigger warning and I'll leave it at that to prevent spoilers, but hopefully this will help others determine whether this series is for them or not, whether it is worth their time to pick up, because I think anybody looking for an A-level disaster series/movie that takes itself seriously will be disapointed, but anybody looking to laugh will be fine -- expect for maybe the rape for drama part, which I see being a turn off for many.
