Summary
Episode 1 is tragic and filled with panic — an impactful opening chapter.
This recap of Netflix anime series Japan Sinks: 2020 season 1, episode 1, “The Beginning of the End” contains significant spoilers.
Access all the episode recaps.
How does Japan Sinks: 2020 season 1, episode 1, “The Beginning of the end” open?
Episode 1 begins with a plane soaring through the air. Ms. Mutoh is readying herself to arrive in Tokyo. The chapter is deliberately making everything look peaceful and homely. While a teacher trains a group track and field, an earthquake starts. There’s an eeriness in the air. There’s an inevitability. Episode 1 is tragic and filled with panic — an impactful opening chapter.
A second earthquake
After the earthquake eases, students get alerts on their phones for a second earthquake, and this time, it is more brutal. The city is collapsing and it’s in ruins everywhere. One of the students we saw recently is trapped and bleeding out. While all this is happening, a light depressing soundtrack is playing underneath the tragedy. The plane arriving is damaged and it has to land in the river.
A plane lands
The plane lands on the river and the passengers seem safe as they all leave on the slide one at a time. Ms. Muto helps a child swim who is struggling. The sun starts to set to put an ambiance over the disaster as the city is in ruins. A woman runs back to her village to find it ruined and she fears the worst as she tries to use her phone but she cannot get through to whoever she was trying to call. She nearly collapses in grief but then she pulls herself together.
Finding family
The girl is looking for Go, Koichiro, and Mari Mutoh. As people around her shout for their families, in the distance, she sees multicolored lights in the trees and she runs towards it with excitement. When she reaches the trees at the top of the steps she sees her father. The girl is called Ayumu — they hug tightly. She asks her father if he has seen Go but he hasn’t.
How does Japan Sinks: 2020 season 1, episode 1, “The Beginning of the End” open?
Suddenly, Nanami and Go arrive at the same place and there are more reunions. Go’s eyes are covered in blood and bandaged but luckily his eyes are okay. Then the mother arrives (Mari) — she was on the plane. Mari tells Nanami that she and Haruo will find their family, she guarantees it. Phone signals return. Ayumu suddenly breaks down, feeling guilty she left her friends behind. Suddenly a helicopter crashes from the sky and bodies and blood falls. There’s so much depression in this chapter to highlight the seriousness of the characters’ situation.
