Written by: Kevin Berge
Can't wait for this happy story of cave diving and strange bunny creatures. What could go wrong? (Image Courtesy of: amazon.com)
When I started reviewing anime, the point was to catch up on the many great shows I have missed over the years, and that collection is basically endless. Along the way, I got pulled into the current anime discourse which led to a flood of recommendations of modern anime still airing.
Some shows were just too good to pass up on. One Punch Man, Attack on Titan, and My Hero Academia all made that list for me, and now I have perhaps a series that tops them all for how excited I was about the concept from the start: Made in Abyss.
This steampunk fantasy world sounded like the thoughtful engaging adventure I most crave in anime. This isn't even mentioning just how highly acclaimed the series is, basically getting top honors for the year from anyone I follow. I would just have to accept I was in this for the long haul.
Some shows were just too good to pass up on. One Punch Man, Attack on Titan, and My Hero Academia all made that list for me, and now I have perhaps a series that tops them all for how excited I was about the concept from the start: Made in Abyss.
This steampunk fantasy world sounded like the thoughtful engaging adventure I most crave in anime. This isn't even mentioning just how highly acclaimed the series is, basically getting top honors for the year from anyone I follow. I would just have to accept I was in this for the long haul.
Basic Story Set-Up
On an island in the fantastical sea of Belouska, there is a giant chasm that stretches far into the heart of the world known as The Abyss that harbors artifacts that are excavated by Cave Raiders. Populated by dangerous creatures, The Abyss is even more deadly the further one descends because any ascent brings with it a violent sickness, the Curse of The Abyss.
In an orphanage in the city of Orth, Riko finds a robot she names Reg, just before being given a message from her legendary Raider mother Lyza to find her mother at the bottom of The Abyss. Riko and Reg sneak out of their orphanage and head into the heart of The Abyss to uncover this mystery.
In an orphanage in the city of Orth, Riko finds a robot she names Reg, just before being given a message from her legendary Raider mother Lyza to find her mother at the bottom of The Abyss. Riko and Reg sneak out of their orphanage and head into the heart of The Abyss to uncover this mystery.
Aww, they're so cute. They're what 9, 10? Wait, Riko is 12? No way she is 12. (Image Courtesy of: marinarasauce.wordpress.com)
Story Arc Analysis
***This is the only section of the review that expects the reader to have already seen the anime. Those who have not should skip ahead to the Impact and Art Style section to avoid spoilers.***
The Orphanage Longing (Eps 1-3): As an opening act, the show takes its time establishing mystery while oddly spending a significant chunk of time on characters that end up not doing anything the rest of the season. It is possible the fellow orphans have a greater story to tell, but it is not clear at the moment.
In this world, orphans seem to be fairly common which serves as a solid introduction to what is coming. As much as these characters discuss death, it doesn't feel real at first. The only real glimpse to start is in the first episode in which Riko distracts a crimson slipjaw from eating her friend and almost gets eaten before Reg saves the day.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment here is that Jiruo, the leader and a surrogate father/brother to Riko, is established well here only to be forgotten. There's even hints that Jiruo could try to chase after them, but nothing comes of that.
Ozen the Immovable (Eps 4-8): Once inside The Abyss, the journey moves fairly quickly with the first reveal of what a White Whistle (the elite Cave Raiders) is like. Ozen is a fantastically odd character who goes from enigma to villain to mentor in quick succession, leaving many questions.
She is a hard-nosed adventurer who has learned the hard way of the threat The Abyss holds, leading to her not visibly showing much humanity especially to Riko and Reg as she tries to test them. Far more than they understand, she knows that they need to grow fast to survive.
While Riko and Reg get hurt in this opening act with The Abyss, their story here feels pretty tame compared to their adventures further down. They survive a corpse weeper, take a beating from Ozen, and ultimately learn better how to fight with what they have.
Perhaps what makes this section so interesting though is just how many questions it raises. Riko is revealed to have been still-born and revived in the heart of The Abyss by the Curse Warding Box. Ozen's memories show vague hints of who Lyza is and her potential fate as well as hinting at Reg's past.
Nanachi and Mitty (Eps 9-13): As much as I thought I was ready for this show's darkness, I was wrong. Episode 10 is absolutely brutal, watching Riko slowly die to poison while bleeding throughout her body because of the Curse of The Abyss. The show even makes the viewer watch Reg try to cut off her arm to save her.
Luckily, the true hero Nanachi arrives in time to save them. It is surprising this character takes so long to be introduced given her status as a main character of the story according to the main poster for the show. The bunny-like hollow is a fantastically aloof character with a tragic backstory.
It feels a bit like the show stops after 10 with so much time spent on Riko's recovery, but it is actually more stressful and intense with no promise that anything will go right and the threat of what comes next. Plus time is given to unveiling how Nanachi and her now inhuman friend Mitty transformed brutally.
If this show has an overarching villain beyond The Abyss itself, it could be Bondrewd, the White Whistle that transformed the two for science, and his introduction is perfect here. If there is anything scarier than facing the most deadly beasts of The Abyss, it is facing the all-mighty power of the White Whistles, proven by Ozen already.
The season closes with an emotional final chapter as Reg kills Mitty to release her from her inhuman shell and the trio with Riko finally recovered begin their venture down into the lower depths of The Abyss approaching the dreaded fifth level, the farthest anyone can go and live. It leaves a ton of room for what comes next.
The Orphanage Longing (Eps 1-3): As an opening act, the show takes its time establishing mystery while oddly spending a significant chunk of time on characters that end up not doing anything the rest of the season. It is possible the fellow orphans have a greater story to tell, but it is not clear at the moment.
In this world, orphans seem to be fairly common which serves as a solid introduction to what is coming. As much as these characters discuss death, it doesn't feel real at first. The only real glimpse to start is in the first episode in which Riko distracts a crimson slipjaw from eating her friend and almost gets eaten before Reg saves the day.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment here is that Jiruo, the leader and a surrogate father/brother to Riko, is established well here only to be forgotten. There's even hints that Jiruo could try to chase after them, but nothing comes of that.
Ozen the Immovable (Eps 4-8): Once inside The Abyss, the journey moves fairly quickly with the first reveal of what a White Whistle (the elite Cave Raiders) is like. Ozen is a fantastically odd character who goes from enigma to villain to mentor in quick succession, leaving many questions.
She is a hard-nosed adventurer who has learned the hard way of the threat The Abyss holds, leading to her not visibly showing much humanity especially to Riko and Reg as she tries to test them. Far more than they understand, she knows that they need to grow fast to survive.
While Riko and Reg get hurt in this opening act with The Abyss, their story here feels pretty tame compared to their adventures further down. They survive a corpse weeper, take a beating from Ozen, and ultimately learn better how to fight with what they have.
Perhaps what makes this section so interesting though is just how many questions it raises. Riko is revealed to have been still-born and revived in the heart of The Abyss by the Curse Warding Box. Ozen's memories show vague hints of who Lyza is and her potential fate as well as hinting at Reg's past.
Nanachi and Mitty (Eps 9-13): As much as I thought I was ready for this show's darkness, I was wrong. Episode 10 is absolutely brutal, watching Riko slowly die to poison while bleeding throughout her body because of the Curse of The Abyss. The show even makes the viewer watch Reg try to cut off her arm to save her.
Luckily, the true hero Nanachi arrives in time to save them. It is surprising this character takes so long to be introduced given her status as a main character of the story according to the main poster for the show. The bunny-like hollow is a fantastically aloof character with a tragic backstory.
It feels a bit like the show stops after 10 with so much time spent on Riko's recovery, but it is actually more stressful and intense with no promise that anything will go right and the threat of what comes next. Plus time is given to unveiling how Nanachi and her now inhuman friend Mitty transformed brutally.
If this show has an overarching villain beyond The Abyss itself, it could be Bondrewd, the White Whistle that transformed the two for science, and his introduction is perfect here. If there is anything scarier than facing the most deadly beasts of The Abyss, it is facing the all-mighty power of the White Whistles, proven by Ozen already.
The season closes with an emotional final chapter as Reg kills Mitty to release her from her inhuman shell and the trio with Riko finally recovered begin their venture down into the lower depths of The Abyss approaching the dreaded fifth level, the farthest anyone can go and live. It leaves a ton of room for what comes next.
It was at this moment it was suddenly clear this was not a happy story. (Image Courtesy of: formeinfullbloom.wordpress.com)
Impact and Art Style
The show I've seen as the best comparison to Made in Abyss is Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a dark and gory story under the guise of a cute adventure. However, Made in Abyss does not feel like it's trying to hide anything. The young characters know from the start the brutality they are in for.
However, it's one thing to know it is coming and another to see it. Over this first season, this show gets more brutal with each section, leading to episode 10 which includes the most brutal scene I've ever seen in anime. The Abyss is not just dangerous. It is brutally unrelenting in a way that evokes the intense gore of a series like Berserk.
However, as much as the shock value resonates, this series sparks because it has more behind the intensity. This is a series about longing and tragedy as well as the reality of violence. It even does not shy away from the lighter side that its art style might seem to evoke with talk of friendship and family in the midst of it all.
The only real issue that comes out of this is the show's complicated relationship with sexuality. Riko and Reg are extremely young characters which makes the occasional focus on their sexual experiences awkward. The anime does well to keep it as a cute discovery of self (supposedly not as much in the manga), but it can feel at times that the writer feels these characters are older than they are.
I am not also convinced that the art style needed to be so cutesy given its subject matter and focus. The animation feels like a simplified version of typical shonen anime despite the imaginative world and creature designs. There's a ton of influences here that are not completely seamless.
Usually I would follow this section with a sub vs. dub discussion, but the recent show has only been released in Japanese with English subs with no news from licensing company Sentai Filmworks of an English dub any time soon. The Japanese does a great job of conveying the youth and innocence of the main characters.
However, it's one thing to know it is coming and another to see it. Over this first season, this show gets more brutal with each section, leading to episode 10 which includes the most brutal scene I've ever seen in anime. The Abyss is not just dangerous. It is brutally unrelenting in a way that evokes the intense gore of a series like Berserk.
However, as much as the shock value resonates, this series sparks because it has more behind the intensity. This is a series about longing and tragedy as well as the reality of violence. It even does not shy away from the lighter side that its art style might seem to evoke with talk of friendship and family in the midst of it all.
The only real issue that comes out of this is the show's complicated relationship with sexuality. Riko and Reg are extremely young characters which makes the occasional focus on their sexual experiences awkward. The anime does well to keep it as a cute discovery of self (supposedly not as much in the manga), but it can feel at times that the writer feels these characters are older than they are.
I am not also convinced that the art style needed to be so cutesy given its subject matter and focus. The animation feels like a simplified version of typical shonen anime despite the imaginative world and creature designs. There's a ton of influences here that are not completely seamless.
Usually I would follow this section with a sub vs. dub discussion, but the recent show has only been released in Japanese with English subs with no news from licensing company Sentai Filmworks of an English dub any time soon. The Japanese does a great job of conveying the youth and innocence of the main characters.
Not many could rock hair like that, but Ozen pulls it off at her age. Wait, she's how old? 70? 80? I'm starting to think in this world people age REALLY slow. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Conclusion
Made in Abyss doesn't really go as far as I would have liked in its first season, but there are 13 great episodes here to explore. I didn't even realize just how good individual episodes were until I saw just how well-paced and executed the story is. There's hardly an empty moment.
This brutal adventure can be hard to watch at times but adorable at others. The world building is some of the best I've ever seen with a real sense of unique atmosphere throughout The Abyss, and the characters have strong personalities and mysteries that make them worth investing in.
I would watch more right now if the second season had already starting airing which is not true of many shows on TV right now. This is anime at its finest, establish world, character, and stakes with mysteries that will resonate to the very end of the series.
I do worry that this might be a case where the start cannot be sustained though. How long can this show go on before it begins to feel like it is overstaying its welcome or ends up relying on filler like most adventure anime? If this tight pacing is kept, I'd expect there's about 4 seasons of total material here to work with.
Moreover, how do you go from here in terms of stakes? The series has promised to continue raising the threat level throughout the descent into The Abyss, but there's only so much farther you can go before it becomes too much. A fine line is already penciled in that the show will have to be wary of crossing.
Those looking for a true mature adventure will find it in Made in Abyss, forgiving the deception of the art style. The show has moments of being a children's tale, but this first season is truly a fantastical survival tale that is among the strongest starts any anime has ever produced.
This brutal adventure can be hard to watch at times but adorable at others. The world building is some of the best I've ever seen with a real sense of unique atmosphere throughout The Abyss, and the characters have strong personalities and mysteries that make them worth investing in.
I would watch more right now if the second season had already starting airing which is not true of many shows on TV right now. This is anime at its finest, establish world, character, and stakes with mysteries that will resonate to the very end of the series.
I do worry that this might be a case where the start cannot be sustained though. How long can this show go on before it begins to feel like it is overstaying its welcome or ends up relying on filler like most adventure anime? If this tight pacing is kept, I'd expect there's about 4 seasons of total material here to work with.
Moreover, how do you go from here in terms of stakes? The series has promised to continue raising the threat level throughout the descent into The Abyss, but there's only so much farther you can go before it becomes too much. A fine line is already penciled in that the show will have to be wary of crossing.
Those looking for a true mature adventure will find it in Made in Abyss, forgiving the deception of the art style. The show has moments of being a children's tale, but this first season is truly a fantastical survival tale that is among the strongest starts any anime has ever produced.
