Made in Abyss メイドインアビス

2017 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.6 (784844)

Updated every Fridays at 21:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll | HIDIVE | Netflix

Synopsis

The Abyss—a gaping chasm stretching down into the depths of the earth, filled with mysterious creatures and relics from a time long past. How did it come to be? What lies at the bottom? Countless brave individuals, known as Divers, have sought to solve these mysteries of the Abyss, fearlessly descending into its darkest realms. The best and bravest of the Divers, the White Whistles, are hailed as legends by those who remain on the surface. Riko, daughter of the missing White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator, aspires to become like her mother and explore the furthest reaches of the Abyss. However, just a novice Red Whistle herself, she is only permitted to roam its most upper layer. Even so, Riko has a chance encounter with a mysterious robot with the appearance of an ordinary young boy. She comes to name him Reg, and he has no recollection of the events preceding his discovery. Certain that the technology to create Reg must come from deep within the Abyss, the two decide to venture forth into the chasm to recover his memories and see the bottom of the great pit with their own eyes. However, they know not of the harsh reality that is the true existence of the Abyss. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Ise, Mariya

Tomita, Miyu

News

Reviews

douve_atomique
11/01/2023, 08:28 AM
If my experience with this anime had to be summarized by one word, it would be: disappointment. The series starts off with a rock solid premise: the Abyss, a giant hole through the earth filled with valuable artifacts, uninimaginable creatures and realities beyond human comprehension. A city was built around this mysterious void on the surface and Divers are adventuring towards what seems to be the center of the earth, with their journey becoming increasingly difficult the deeper they go. A story about a giant abyss very reminiscent of Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell, with a side of archaeology and a good amountof mystery? What's more to ask for? As an archaeologist myself and very avid reader, this premise had me extremely excited. Unfortunately, as the story progresses, everything just falls flat. The sense of adventure and exploration is almost non-existent, the duality between the very young and innocent protagonists and the absurdly dangerous abyss they venture into is negated by plot conveniences, the ethical aspect of the Divers retrieving ancient relics and selling them on the surface isn't touched upon, the mystery generated by the Abyss is for the most part uninteresting because of how easily every question is answered, and the laws regarding the Abyss make absolutely no sense. STORY Very straightforward; Riko, the main character, wants to find her mom, a white whistle, who seems to be waiting for her at the bottom of the Abyss. The goal is thus very simple, to descend into the Abyss, but the execution is extremely difficult, facing the dangers this place has to offer. There isn't much to say about the story in itself, it just works. However, what doesn't work is the way it is executed. As mentionned above, I was expecting an adventure full of dangers and anguish, ripe with discovery of an ancient civilisation but also self-discovery, fear and doubts, regrets and hope. Almost none of that is present in this anime. Although the Abyss is presented as a very threatening place to go in, and almost impossible to come back from, the two protagonists of the story seem to just breeze through the various layers of this giant hole. Everytime danger arises, it is quickly taken care of by Reg, who just happens to be a robot equipped with a weapon "that defies the laws of the Abyss". When Reg finally finds himself faced with an opponent too strong for him, it is quickly revealed that she was just testing him and Riko. When Riko gets stabbed by a poisonous creature, a new character is conveniently introduced. She conveniently happens to have a immortal blob as a friend who conveniently can produce an antidote capable of curing Riko. Just when I thought Riko's own actions and carelessness would have consequences, i.e. her losing an arm, she is quickly taken care of and healed. It is hard to really feel any sort of tension when nothing seems to be able to seriously threaten the protagonists. Reg is a seemingly immortal robot and Riko is equipped with the strongest plot armor she could find. CHARACTERS This is by far the show's most prominent issue. Almost none of the characters are interesting. Side characters are very quickly forgotten and don't really add anything to the story. Riko and Reg are headed into the depths of the earth, so one would think that the various dangers and characters they meet along the way would change their perceptions of the Abyss, of its creatures, of its artifacts; they would learn from these encounters and become better prepared to face this place and its hazards. Except they don't. Riko does learn some informations about her past but even this big plot twist actually doesn't matter because it doesn't actually change anything in the story, atleast in the first season. The various species of creatures they encounter also don't seem to alter in any way Riko's view on the Abyss. It's like she doesn't realize this place is dangerous and just keeps running off on her own despite being completely defenseless. This could be a way to add depth to her character and to emphasize her innocence by confronting her with the horrors of the Abyss. But one would expect some sort of character development from these encounters. Needless to say, Riko doesn't go through any developement throughout the series. She simply realizes, towards the start of her adventure that she is defenseless without Reg, but she seems to quickly forget that. Speaking about Riko, there is almost nothing compelling about her character. Apart from knowing how to cook, she is pretty much useless. The story is basically the same as an escort mission from a video game where Reg has to make sure nothing serious happens to Riko. Reg is not a bad character, he is just very bland. Although he lost his memories, he doesn't seem to question anything around him. Is he a robot? If he is a robot, why does he act exactly the same as a human? Where does he come from? Why was he trying to go back to the surface? Why did he lose his memories? The relationship between Riko and Reg is very straightforward but one has to question why Reg is so intent on helping Riko reach the bottom of the Abyss; after all, he doesn't owe her anything, he's going on a near suicide mission just because? Maybe this will be explained later in the story. The only other character that matters is Nanachi, and she is by far the most complex of the main trio. Without going into details, she actually has personal motivations which are a clever twist on a common trope and wants to use the protagonists to achieve her goal. Her backstory was way more interesting than anything else and I would've rather watched an anime with her as the main character. One thing to note about the main characters is that they're all very young. As mentionned a clash between innocence and horrors could be an interesting path to character development, but that development just doesn't exist. I can't help but feel that the same show with adults as the main protagonists would've been infinitely better. Furthermore, the constant sexualization of Riko and Reg is greatly disturbing. Do we really need that many details about Reg having a penis depsite being a robot? Do we really need to see Riko naked at every turn, her clothes drenched in pee? I did say at the start of the review that I wanted a story about self-discovery, but I wasn't really thinking about this. Sexual discovery for children is obviously a very important and interesting topic, but it just seems out of place in the context of this anime. WORLD The world that the show takes place in is by far its most interesting part and will probably manage to maintain most viewer's (myself included) attention. It is engrossing, fascinatingly disturbing and frighteningly compelling. An Abyss filled with the ruins of an ancient civilization and grotesque monsters, the potential is infinite. Unfortunately, as I was watching the anime, I kept wanting more. I wanted to know about the world outside the Abyss, about the city around it, about how it was discovered, about how the discovery affected everything else, about the relics being sold on the surface, about the different layers, about the different whistles colors, about the creatures inside the hole, about the relationships between the different species and their environment, about how the Divers managed to go to the sixth layer and come back, about the different manmade structures, about this ancient civilization, ... But the anime just doesn't want to give exposition. It barely explains anything about what makes it interesting in the first place. The story is also full of plot conveniences where rules regarding the Abyss are only explained when the characters need to make use of them. Everything just feels extremely artificial. It's a good opportunity to talk about pacing here. What makes the world of Made in Abyss even more infuriating, is that the story's pacing is all over the place. The anime spends 3(?) episodes on the surface introducing side characters that play no role in the story. Riko and Reg then take the plunge into the Abyss. We are also introduced to an array of different whistles that correpond to the depth their owner can go to. These actually do not matter because our two protagonists just rush through the first 3 or 4 layers with ease. The anime then spends a few episodes developing Nanachi's character and backstory, which is the best part of the show. And I feel like this is how every layer should've been. An opportunity for our protagonists to encounter side characters which will help them discover more about the Abyss and themselves and become more prepared to face it. But they don't need that because the Abyss is actually not really dangerous or they're just really lucky. ENJOYMENT I really wanted to enjoy this show, the synopsis got me very excited to say the least. The start was promising albeit a bit slow, but then the descent into the Abyss was just a mess of poor pacing, plot conveniences, lackluster character development and world building. The mystery surrounding the Abyss and the situations in which the characters could find themselves in still managed to keep me interested and make me watch to the end of the first season. If you don't mind a mediocre story with even more mediocre characters Made in Abyss should definitely manage to keep you entertained thanks to its nightmarish yet beautiful world.
HarVeeGee
09/23/2021, 05:29 AM
Fantastic premise, beautiful background art, exceptional music, in service of a bland, horribly paced story. If you’re a world-building details pervert or - given how much loli content with weird creepy sexual overtones there are - a regular pervert, I’d maybe recommend this. To anyone else I say avoid this like the plague. I hate almost every character. Riko is the most annoying little twerp in the history of human nightmares. Reg is a wet blanket with no discernible personality. Ozen The Immovable is what the lamest person you know thinks a “cool character” acts like. Only Nanachi endears himself to the viewer in any wayby actually having traits and motivations you can empathise with, but by the time he shows up you’ve sat through hours of the most terrible writing you’ve ever seen in an anime. It’s just staggering to me how much of this “adventure” anime is just characters sitting around talking. It’s not an exaggeration to say literally nothing happens in this show for episodes at a time, then when something actually interesting and exciting threatens to happen the show breezes right by it like it doesn’t matter. It’s literally paced in the exact opposite way it should be. What’s particularly galling is that there’s one part of the story which really does work - the first 15 minutes or so of the final episode is the backstory of two characters introduced late in the season, and it very quickly does the work of building up an attachment to them in a way that the preceding 12 episodes abysmally failed to do with Riko & Reg. So the main consequence of the one good sequence is that I resented the rest of the show. I’d honestly be inclined to give this a 4 or 5 for merely being boring, but I have to really slam it for how gross and pervy it is. Why does the school headmistress have to punish Riko by trussing her up naked in the way a dominatrix would? Why is every character who meets Reg so obsessed with peeking at and commenting on his penis? Why the obsessive focus on how often Riko pees her pants, the long lingering shots of the pee? Why does the only way Nanachi can cure Riko’s poisoning involve shoving a dildo up her ass? That last one is not a joke. It’s literally a thing which happens. And as for how profoundly affecting the darker moments of the show allegedly are? Give me a spell. Animate any cute chibi character being horribly tortured, and anyone will have an involuntary reaction to that, for the same reason you can easily generate an emotional reaction by having a puppy be murdered in a live action movie. If this show made you cry, it didn’t do that with good writing. It did it by playing the cheapest, most manipulative cards in the deck. Garbage.
Arlamp01
08/09/2021, 11:00 AM
I felt uncomfortable throughout the series. It was too weird to focus on the underlying mystery. I couldn't help but think about what kind of weird tastes the author of this series had. Because punishing kids by hanging them naked in BDSM is shady enough to make me raise an eyebrow throughout the show. I mean ... what was the need to use children as protagonists? They appear naked, dismembered or doing strange things. And it is not that I care about the tastes, fetishes or mental illnesses that a person may have, but it seems to me that if your intention is to tell a good story,you should put your eccentricities aside for a matter of being professional. And it's not that I was bothered by any of that, it's that I just can't find a positive justification for doing it. The real reason is the following, the series has to use shock in order to impress the viewer. It has to show innocent and happy children bleeding and being tortured to look dark and serious. And doing that indicates mediocre writing. The series did not have to use strange and annoying children to tell this story, I can not take it seriously and even less including the uncomfortable things that I already mentioned.
bird-ee
01/26/2021, 09:05 AM
All I can say: what a catastrophic waste of talent. Pedophilia has demolished what could have been an incredible, beautiful anime. I felt uncomfortable enough watching an anime clearly meant for adults featuring primarily literal children, but unquestionably unacceptable scenes *just kept happening*. It makes me sick to even try to go into detail. There is no doubt in my mind that this show was made by actual pedophiles. The scenes are eventually so frequent and consistently absurd that it is entirely impossible to excuse them as "coming of age" moments. The show even dives into what could actually be described as torture or gore fetishization.I can barely stomach violence and agony in a show about adults, but not in a show with so many creepy undertones about, again, literal 12 year olds. The worldbuilding was beautiful and positively captivating; I kept hoping that it would turn around or just cease being so fucking weird but it didn't. It carried on all the way to the last episode. The world is fascinating and it filled me with wonder unlike any other, but unfortunately the anime it is attached to was created by disgusting weirdos, by unabashed pedophiles. I'm disappointed that this show is as popular and well-received as it is.
12saints
09/06/2020, 01:59 PM
On a first sight Made in Abyss does not sound too bad. A girl named Riko is about to be killed by a giant beast when an amnesiac robot pops up and saves her. One thing leads to another and soon she is thrown into the mysterious hell pit. The setup is very interesting and very well done. The stakes and goals are immediately established, make sense, and make you want to know more. I got amazed by how well we were introduced to the main plot, and how good was writing in those episodes. Everything looked so fresh and different from any fantasy showin recent years, and I loved how the first episode made me almost tear up over the beauty of this world. Unfortunately, there's not much of a story in Made in Abyss. Synopsis pretty much describes 80% of the entire plot. The premise established in the first episode is good, and the last episode would be really good, in my opinion, but nothing in between really leads up to, or makes you care enough about the characters or their circumstances, for the ending to hit as hard as it could have. For the most part, characters are going down, episode after episode, facing from little to no obstacles on their way. There is no room for Made in Abyss to actually breathe and explore its own setting, even though there's potential for a deeper and more meaningful story as it was shown in flashbacks of Ozen or Nanachi, but so far that's nowhere to be seen. Don't let the seinen label fool you, adult rating is justified by two gore scenes near the end, but in its very core this is an adventure shounen with linear and simplistic plot and quite uncompelling characters. The anime has a serious problem deciding whether it wants to be a realistic or a cartoony one. For an episode, Riko ping-pongs between cavern’s walls with Looney Toons physics and no damage comes to her. In the very next episode, a minor injury leads to a botched surgery with lots of grotesque details. The line between realistic and fantasy is constantly erased and redrawn depending on what the plot needs at the moment. Everyone and their mothers are talking about dangers of the Abyss and how it’s impossible to survive here. Then, we have a clueless robot and Darwin Awards nominee of heroine doing every mistake possible and getting away scot free until the very end. There's a childishness to the anime that doesn't quite fit with the major themes of the plot, and in many ways it feels more like bait and switch. Now look, I'm usually not that judgmental of the main character as long as they're not completely terrible, but Riko is so actively, offensively, overwhelmingly horrible that it boggles the mind. Even as a child she's an absolute failure, shallow and annoying. I didn’t expect from a girl a caricature over the top intelligence of The Promised Neverland protagonists, but she is lacking basic cognitive skills. Her stupidity effectively turns 1/3 of the show into a waste because everything that Ozen tried to teach her was forgotten once main characters crossed the layers. What does she think? Honestly, I'm not sure she does at all, it's rare we get any insight to her thoughts while others get plenty of focus. Personally to me she as a character just didn't have any growth. By the end of the anime, Riko finally faces consequences of her dumb decisions, but she ends up learning nothing from it. There isn’t a lot to say about her companion. Reg exists as little more than a personification of the viewer, similar in many ways to isekai protagonists, and lacking in any meaningful characterisation besides his natural instinct to protect Riko. I’m interested in his origin, but as a character he is just an excuse to spoon feed the viewer more exposition. The side characters didn't really stand out, either, though they are slightly better than the leading duo. There is some backstory and development to Ozen and Nanachi, while some characters are barely fleshed out at all like kids from Orth, and are only there to serve a very specific purpose in the plot. This was obviously a bit unfortunate, since I feel like there was certainly time for more time to be spent with the characters, and yet we’re left with this. It is at the point where you can’t feel or naturally sympathize with the characters; in fact Made in Abyss tried to make you feel bad for characters solely because they are small children. For some people, this works, and throwing a pretty loli through a tornado of awfulness is enough to instil sympathy. That's great, and I don't hold a grudge against these people. If anything, I am jealous of how easily they can feel emotion. What actually bothers me is how effortless this method of storytelling truly is, and the audacity Made in Abyss has to pretend it is something deep (no pun intended). After the last episodes, I have passed the final grade from 9 to 7. The tease for which we have been submitted by the authors, an awesome art and music deserve a whole 10, but the story and characters are nothing special. It’s very clear more effort was put on style and shock value rather than substance. There are several instances of legitimately investing and interesting storytelling in this anime, but it’s too few and far between to be worthy of any real praise. Not to mention that it is constantly interrupted by inopportune comedy during or immediately following a dramatic moment. Made in Abyss definitely had potential, but just wasn't executed well.
Not_Megumin
03/26/2020, 05:09 PM
Heavy spoilers, but its not worth watching anyway so it doesnt matter. Episode 1-3: The best part of the whole series really, the world portrayed is interesting and made me want to know more about it. It was a bit slow at points but it was generally ok and interesting. Made me very hopeful for the rest of the anime since there was so so much potential. Episode 4-9: Absolute shittiest part of the whole anime. None of it makes sense. This part is literally the following 3-4 times: Riko does some stupid shit, Regu has to save her from the stupid shit, repeat. At this point this really becomes boring because thatinteresting world is not really explored at all. Sure it is shown and it is pretty to look at but theres nothing we learn about it, theres no new information for the viewer. Ouzen is a terrible character in every way, the way the two of them interact with her and vice versa makes me believe a child wrote this with no understanding at all of why adults might act angry. Just portraying her as outright evil and then suddenly forgiving her for no reason? Any decisions they have made in these episodes are all completely illogical and even someone with an IQ of 80 would not make them. Every single problem they get into is because of Riko, and Regu always saves her. Why? I dont know. Why is Riko and Regu so attached to each other? I dont know. Why does Riko not care about her surroundings or really anything? I dont fucking know. The relics are absolutely terrible and boring. They actually also represent this anime overall the best "Looks pretty and does absolutely jack shit". Like seriously? A compass that just points downwards? The womb looking thing that brought shit back to life was cool and thats about the only good relic in this whole series. The anime boasts about how many different and unique and special there are but does not show any of them or what they do. What a shame. You can make up excuses for all of these intense fundamental problems but you are the one making them, not the show. You are inserting reasons that were not present there. Episode 10-12: Finally the loop ends when Riko is out of the picture for a little while. The part that made you feel "uncomfortable" was barely anything, it was a bit edgy but I have seen much worse. Nanachi is the only good character in this anime. Regu is ok at best since his character is essentially "Help Riko with shit" and nothing more. I liked these episodes the best, probably because the anime actually started explaining like a few different things? And had some character interaction that wasnt just them narrating what they were doing (Which is 90% of the dialogue in 4-9). Episode 13: Ok so, this one was mostly good, very edgy but it was ok. I liked it up until the point where Nanachi explained her logic for wanting to kill Mitty. It literally contradicts itself. If Mitty is already gone and her responses are just "instincts" or "reactions" why does it matter if she dies? If her soul is still in there why not try cure her somehow instead? I wouldn't have a problem if the logic was "Do it because it was her last wish". But it wasn't, it was "Kill her because shes in a cage". If shes in a cage that means her soul is still in there and shes not just reacting on instincts. The PEEdophilia in this anime is absolutely terrible. I'm not one that cares about nudity but this isn't that. This is just sexualization for the sake of it, the constant pissing is painfully forced and would ruin the anime by itself if it didn't have the other problems. Literally who is this for? Fanservice for the author and like the 1/100 people in the audience who like such despicable shit? In conclusion, Made in abyss is a terrible waste of a potential story, character interactions and world building. Art is not my thing but it is good, music is fine, and that is all, and it is not nearly enough to make it worth even consider watching.
Sorinne
09/05/2019, 03:08 PM
I think this series is incredibly overlooked and very overhyped at the same time. Sounds weird, right? Made in Abyss is prime example of poorly executed great idea. This show had everything to become a modern classic, but wasted it on bland characters, poorly paced dull story and blatant fetishism. Worldbuilding Made in Abyss sets up one the most interesting fictional world to explore, but barely does anything with said world. Since episode 1 you'll be showered by paragraphs of exposition and ramblings about great adventures, but the Abyss itself is very shallow. It does look pretty, all thanks to amazing background art, but it's empty as desert. 3-4species of monsters per layer, no foreign delvers, no artifacts to collect, nothing of what you can expect by looking at its map and listening narrator's voice. I still think Made in Abyss is worthy to watch for the world alone if you are tired from generic fantasy/isekai setting, but actual Abyss is one big missed opportunity in terms of worldbuilding. Monster designs, landscapes, idea of the curse field are great, yet plain and tiresome story doesn't allow them to shine. Story It's linear and aimless. The most interesting part of the story are flashbacks and it speaks a lot. Somewhere in the middle of Ozen's arc I questioned myself: "why do we even follow Reg and Riko, when Lyza's past seems 10x times more interesting than her daughter's speedrun?" The shock value and horror may have worked if there would really be consequences. Despite building up the dangers of the Abyss nothing of lasting consequence actually happens. For every time main characters are getting into troubles there is always Deus Ex Machina to save them. Characters I don't have prejudice against children as main characters, I think that immature protagonists can be incredible opportunity for a writers to show how the horrors of the Abyss can warp unprepared young minds. Alas, for an author of Made in Abyss it was an opportunity to show how 12yo girl pees herself almost every episode. I was expecting the characters to be more developed than what is the standard fare for shounens, but Riko and Reg totally fit into what every main character of shounen series are, despite Made in Abyss being seinen. The worst part is that they don't grow because of their hardships, they just stay as naive as in the beginning so the viewer would feel bad for watching suffering of cute, innocent kids. Side characters are slightly better, but they don't have enough screentime or proper arcs e.g. Ozen, who was intriguing, but actually exists for exposition only. Nanachi's part amused me at some point by how writers tried to brush away the fact that cute bunny tortured almost as many people as its creator. I was seriously disappointed that potentially interesting morally grey character turned into a token furry loli at the end. Drama I've heard million times how this series is sad and depressing. It's not, if you wouldn't allow to fool yourself by simple tricks. Made in Abyss essentially skips all needed development of emotional connection between viewer and characters and makes you feel bad for them because they are small children. It uses every possible tearjerking trope in a span of one episode from cancer like desease to loss of pet and sweet tragic girl, who fell for some loser. For me, it's jumped the shark. Art&Music Background art is incredible, music carried half of the overall enjoyment. I liked monster designs and White Whistles. Architecture of Orth was also great. tl;dr: Made in Abyss has an interesting setting and the production values are excellent. But it seriously fails with the main characters and with the laughably forced melodrama.
Lub
06/16/2019, 02:14 PM
Only the first paragraph is spoiler-free. I won't say this is the most overrated show on this site as I am convinced that is Legend of the Galactic Hero, however as I have not seen it, I don't feel confident in making that statement about this show. You will have people tell you how well written it is, how dark and scary and tear-jerking it is, but once you've seen it you will finally realize that the only reason this show is rated as high as it is, is because there are naked twelve year old’s in it. The loli's have finally made their triumphantreturn, and my god if it wasn't a shit show. That is as much as I will say without spoilers, as the rest of this review will be filled with them. I would not recommend this show to my worst enemy, unless that person is Riko. Let's start off with some of the good parts, shall we? First of all, the environmental art is spectacular, in fact, I might even go as far as to say it is the best I've seen in an animated TV-show. Perhaps a big reason why the environment sticks out so much is because it is very well contrasted to the simplistic, minimalistic art of the characters. It works well together, although it does make one wonder why they would spend such a huge budget on art and then go with some of the simplest character designs. The contrast is like I said great, but I can't help but picture this show with the same level of art quality for everything that is shown in the environments. As far as the animation itself goes, it is perfectly fine by today’s standards. It is no Fate/Zero but it gets the job done for sure. The music feels the same way the animation does, it's whatever. There were some memorable songs, namely Hanezeve Caradhina and The First Layer. The rest of the OST fits the theme and feel of the show well, but does not protrude itself in an otherwise, above average OST collection. That’s it for the good parts. Let us move on to the naked children, shall we? I've heard people make the argument that the fact that there are naked 12 y/o's is not an issue and actually one of the shows strong suits. The fact that they don’t mind being naked and later on are embarrassed about their bodies being shown to each other is the show portrays their innocence and makes them feel young. This might be the biggest bullshit point I've ever heard. Are you seriously telling me that the ONLY WAY to portray innocence is in the form of naked children? Fuck off. The fact that people even dare defend this shows what kind of fans a stunt like this pull. It is not like this is a one-time thing either. They start out naked at the orphanage, where the universal punishment for being bad is to string them up naked on a fucking flagpole. A few episodes later the old man finds the robot and the first thing he has to check is whether this robot has a dick or not. And apparently the only medicine to help Riko has to be taken in the form of a dildo up the ass. Come the fuck on. My personal interpretation is that these scenes of nudity are an awful attempt at humor, something which is enforced later on in the show as well. But even assuming that the nudity itself is not an issue the placings of these scenes are fucking terrible. Every time you feel like there is finally a serious moment, every time there is about to be some character development – enter the fucking comedy scenes and everything is forgotten. Wow you just experienced something really traumatic and is about to have an internal meltdown? Comedy scene and all is well. Wow someone just told you they want you to kill them and you don’t know what to do? Comedy scene. There are also random romance scenes thrown in there that contribute the same kind of things the comedy scenes do. I suppose one could argue they are another facet of the whole “they are young teenagers exploring their bodies and growing up!11!!1!1!” idea, but they feel incredibly forced and unnecessary. This show lands in such a weird spot between taking itself too seriously and at the same time trying to be self-aware and implementing comedy as a form of lightheartedness. The issue is that the writing is so fucking horrid that the comedy takes away all the impact from whatever previously what shown. It feels like saying “sorry” but then following it up with “but”, it immediately invalidates everything you said prior. This is not the only examples you can find of bad writing though. A couple of things that annoyed me were how they spent a solid five minutes explaining that the robots arm could only reach 40 meters. For this to then be completely ignored for the rest of the show in favor of it becoming a tool for plot armor. The range of his arm is only relevant when it is convenient for the plot. Like in episode 5 they mention how it won’t reach Riko as she is being taken away, but then a few minutes later it suddenly does reach while the distance itself had not decreased whatsoever. There is also the issue with the robot’s super move, the boom beam axe which much like his extending arms are purely used as a plot tool. He’ll avoid using it for the whole episode because reasons getting them into trouble for 20 minutes only to end up using it at the end anyway because much like everyone fucking knew it was the only way for them out of their dilemma. This isn’t the only logical fallacy either. Riko ponders the idea that the mark that shows up when the robot puts his helmet on might be something important, something we as viewers are lead to believe as well. But instead of just taking the helmet off and putting it back on again to show the mark again, she just leaves it be and goes “ wow I wonder wtf that mark was…” like all she had to do was put his helmet on again if she wanted to see it again???????? Speaking of Riko, this brings us to the worst part about the whole show. The characters. There are three major characters in this show to speak about. Riko and the robot being the main two, and then later on the rabbit chick comes in as well. I don’t really hate the robot, sure he’s uninspired and boring but he’s whatever. He functions as the safety blanket for now, he has his hidden overpowered powers with the notion that his past is still unknown and could potentially be an enemy. Riko is the most character I have ever seen, and I cannot fathom how anyone can feel even the slightest hint of empathy towards her. She constantly has this upbeat, nothing can go wrong, kind of attitude no matter how many horrid things happen to her. And every time you feel like she is about to change, something terrible just happened, she starts spiraling, oh boy, shit’s about to go down. Lol, sike, enjoy some naked kids btw. She has 0-character development throughout the whole fucking show, which is surprising considering nothing else happens either. They go down to the next floor, but it just feels so formulaic. They go down, something happens, they run around on the floor for a bit, the robot uses his busted move and they move on. They could have skipped the first 10 episodes and only had the last three and I swear I would not even have noticed. Speaking of the last three episodes, this is where the dumbest character is introduced, the bunny girl. She lives alone in her little hut taking care of her friend because insert sad backstory. That’s whatever, seems cool I guess. Then they bust out the cliffhanger on the second to last episode, where she goes “kill my slime friend”. Apparently, her only purpose in life has been to keep her friend alive, so she wants to take both herself and her friend out of this misery by getting them both killed. This is where things spice up, she seems like a cool character finally. But then the robot makes her promise him that she won’t kill herself afterwards and she gives the fakest fucking smile I’ve ever seen and says that she promises him. Instantly you’re led to believe, oh god she’s going to do it, she’s going to kill herself and maybe finally Riko will have some development off the sad death. NOPE, guess it wasn’t a fake smile and she would rather go on traveling with these random ass kids she has hung out with for four days for no other fucking reason than it being convenient for the plot seeing as the next floor is apparently impossible for them to traverse without her. Everything written so far has led up to her killing herself, but nope, we need her for the plot so lol don’t mind the last episodes I guess her trauma is over now! :D Some other minor things were how a lot of plot points were left open like the stupid star compass that was so important for 3 episodes, then disappeared but kept reappearing in the opening hinting that it was in fact important and worthy of remembering. Although considering how it is getting another season, I guess that’s whatever. I also thought the cliffhanger ending was super cliché, but again, compared to its other flaws it doesn’t really affect the big picture. I was really close to putting this shit at a 1/10 for affect but I felt like I had triggered enough of you with the rest of this review.
forster82
09/07/2018, 02:02 PM
Absolutly Magnificent! This is my first Anime which I could easily give it a solid 10/10. The Soundtrack is absolutly AMAZING! (Fun Fact: The Soundtrack was directed by Kevin Penkin who is an Australian, yup a non-Japanese soundtrack producer) The Plot gets you hooked IMMEDIATELY! And the Characters are all Wonderful! Another thing about this Anime adaptation is that it follows the Manga PERFECTLY! Its just so damn wonderful. This really is a Must-Watch Anime. It was rated the best anime of 2017 but I believe it still deserves way more praise than what it actually has. (This was my first anime review)
NoiceMeme
01/18/2018, 07:23 AM
You can't say shows featuring a combination of lolis, furries and traps are all shit anymore because of this amazing adaptation of an exceptional manga. Bummer, innit? We get to follow a story of a small girl going on a suicide mission trying to reach her mommy stuck in a deep part of a glorified manhole, which is possible only because she conveniently finds an overpowered chibi cyborg on one of her practice strolls. This guy also happens to represent the average male MAL user as he gets a boner every time he cuddles a loli, including furry lolies with unknown type of genitals. Nice.You can find the full description of the cyborg at the end of the review. Well, I mentioned a glorified manhole, didn't I. It is called "the Abyss", as the title suggests. It is as gorgeous as it is dangerous, the feeling of suspense and the visuals are both marvelous. As there is little known about deeper parts of the pit, the shroud of mystery thickens with every meter of our descent. No worries about backtracking, a convenient decompression syndrome called "the curse of the glorified manhole" makes sure our little girl is positively suicidal, because, go figure, jumping too high in this manhole may turn you into a blobfish (true story). On a serious note, lets talk about the good stuff: Environments are glorious. The complexity of the layers is something very rarely seen in the medium. Chibi character design creates chilling contrast between the innocence of the children and the darkness of the abyss. It works very well, especially in later episodes. Visuals are spectacular overall, I very rarely, if ever, see landscapes/background so datailed and vivid. Huge bow before the man in the lead of the design. The soundtrack album to this series is one of the best I have ever heard. Peaceful ambience emphasizes the mystery of the abyss, while the well executed build up in some of the more aggressive tracks accompanies our little friends during their struggles. Every environment has it's theme, also, which gives more substance to the world. Sound utilization in the final episode is a masterwork. Japanese voice actors do a great job during the intense scenes. Nanachi sounds adorable. Strongest points of the source material are definitely the coldness of the abyss, world design, dependence between the main characters and the consciousness that "there is no going back". Dark twists accompanying the story development are the main reason of success of the series. This is the type of show that gives out the impression of cuteness and peacefulness at first, hints at something thrilling about the setting in the beginning, keeps the suspense troughout the entirety of the series and absolutely blows your mind with the climax. Time spent watching this show is a time spent well. Story: 6/10 Art: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Character: 8/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 ___________________ CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT Reg, the Treasure of the Deep. Our new champion, Reg, is a jungler. His passive, "artificial body", grants him immunity to auto-attacks and many skillshots. His Q skill, "graple", allows him to grab an object in his field of view and transport him and nearby allies to a target location. His W "restrain" wraps a pair of ropes around his target, immobilizing it, but rendering him unable to use his Q. His E, "empowered perception", grants him vision on nearby enemies. His ultimate is called "incinerator". After channeling energy into his palm, he fires a ray of hot plasma in a straight line, destroying everything in the way. Using "incinerator" forces Reg to sleep after ten minutes. This skill has a 2 hour cooldown. These game mechanics allow us to skip to the fun part of the story pretty quickly. It is important to note that Reg reaches his full potential in a team full of underage female champions.
Missingnomer
10/01/2017, 02:37 AM
They actually tried. I always come back every season with a ting of hope in my heart. “Maybe this time a studio with some talented people WHO CARE about their work will make a show that will be worth watching.” A lot of seasons have come and gone. I would be lying if I said there hasn’t been any good shows for a long time. Many great animes have released over the last few years, yet I was yearning for something that wasn’t just a show with a great plot twist, or even a show that wrote believable and memorable characters. I wanted an anime that stolemy heart. Made in Abyss was a series I never even heard of before Summer 2017. In fact, I didn’t even know of its existence till half-way through the Summer season. When I first saw the picture for the show here on MAL, I was unimpressed. The art came across as childish and goofy. The rating, on the other hand, was extremely high for a show I dismissed as “childish,” at first glance. Thank you MAL faithful, if it wasn’t for the oddly high score, I would have passed on this show. Now, you aren’t sitting there reading this review to hear how I had the wonderful accident of crossing paths with this anime. You want to know why you should watch it. After all, you are probably wondering how this show got to the top 50 highest ranked shows on MAL. I’ll tell you how: They tried. Firstly, the characters are the heart of this great anime. I can go on about describing how they look one-dimensional and at first you may be confused as to how these little children can even begin to be involved in a fantastical original story, but I won’t. You see, Made in Abyss isn’t a show to be described. It is a show to be experienced. The art, the music, and the characters are done in such a way that if you took a step back and analyzed it all, you would see the love and care the original manga author and the anime creators had for them. They aren’t just here to entertain the audience, they are here to take the audience on a journey with them. The journey is full of trials and triumphs, heartache and despair, yet they aren’t shoved down your throat. It all unfolds naturally before the audience’s eyes. The originality drips from this anime like sweet and soothing nectar for my soul. My heart could only take so many “video game worlds” and “moe overload” animes. Finally, a fantasy adventure that doesn’t tell me how to think or what to feel. The only small complaint I can conjure for this master-level display of originality and heart is that the plot doesn’t start to unravel until the tail end of the series (see what I did there fellow Nanachi fans?), yet the world and characters more than make up for this small shortcoming. Again, I could write an in-depth analysis on why the opening episodes are brilliant, how the music accompanies the atmospheric art and sets the tone for certain scenes, how the characters are naturally fleshed out, how the actual world the characters live in feels like a character itself, or how the story progresses at just the right pace. But I won’t. Listen, I may not know what you look for in an anime, but I can tell you why I love anime, and I why I continue to watch it even when more than half of the shows that come out every season are literal garbage. I want to find that one anime that can steal my heart. Even if it may be for one season. I want it to take me for a ride I won’t forget. Fate/Zero, Eureka Seven, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist – they are all great animes, don’t get me wrong. However, they didn’t steal my heart. Made in Abyss stole my heart.
Piezuri
09/30/2017, 05:42 PM
Welcome to the most overhyped show of 2017. Made in Abyss is a perfect example of an above average show that gets hyped up by every body which forces others into believing that the show is something it really isn't. I, for a change, am not blinded by "hype", and can see the flaws in Made in Abyss, which are quite numerous. Story : 2/10 Sometimes it speeds up and gets somewhat interesting, sometimes it slows down and gets really boring. The show is basically boring up to episode 6, then somewhat interesting up to episode 9, and then a snoozefest until the end, unless you happento like the characters, which I didn't. Episode 13 is dedicated to the backstory of 2 characters I honestly couldn't care less about. The story in Made in Abyss tries to be this grand mystery with multiple intriguing plot lines, but fails at doing so. One of these seemingly important plot points only gets a half of the final episode dedicated to it, the other is a superficial motivation for the main character to go down the Abyss. So the plot ends up relying on the adventures of Riko and Reg, which I must say, are the "interesting" part of the show. Made in Abyss builds a vast, colourful world that it ends up forgetting to explore. Something that I was wondering while watching this show is "Do other countries exist? Is there anything beyond the mountain-island on which the characters live?", a question to which I didn't get a reply. What does the show actually explore then? The Abyss? Sort of, up to a certain point at which the main characters stop at a layer which happens around episodes 8-9. Thing is, the show starts exploring the world it has built around episodes 3-4, so that's only 4-5 episodes of exploration, in an anime in which the story is held up by the adventures of the main characters. You're left with an empty shell of a promise you were given by the set-up episodes. All in all, Mady in Abyss is a spark of originality and good ideas with nothing to back those ideas up. Art: 8/10 Although I'm not a fan of the artstyle, which lowers my mark a tad bit, I must say that the art in Made in Abyss is great. The world is drawn beautifully and down in the Abyss we can witness variety filled scenery in the various levels of the aforementioned shaft. However, since the show stagnates at certain points, some of the this scenery gets old. The animation isn't outstanding, but for a show made in 2017, it's surprisingly not poor outside of the BD releases. The small chibi characters are easier to animate after all. Sound: 10/10 The OST is beautiful. The opening has some nice vocals. The ending is catchy. The voice actors all did an amazing job at their characters. This is the one point where Made in Abyss shines. Character: 4/10 Why am I giving such a low mark to a show that heavily focuses on the relationship and adventures of 2 characters? Simple. 4/10 is for the 4 good characters of this show: Riko, Reg, Ouzen, and Nanachi. I will admit that these 4 are all quite charismatic and memorable. However, I hate kids, so I couldn't stand Riko and Reg most of the time. Ouzen, being one of the 2 characters I actually liked in Made in Abyss should have been developed more. I'd gladly watch an episode dedicated to her rather than the 13th episode which was dedicated to Nanachi and Mitty. Enjoyment: 4/10 Made in Abyss never made it past the "it's ok" phase for me. It hang during its airtime at a 6, sometimes showing the potential of peaking at a 7, only to nose dive to a 4 with the boring last episode. It's one of the shows I'd switch on in the background while doing something else, only paying about 3/4s of my attention to the show. Overall: 4/10 Do you like adventure anime? This show isn't for you. Do you like captivating or relatable characters? This show isn't for you. Do you like empty promises? This show might be for you. Do you like eye candy? Watch Made in Abyss, otherwise, don't.
Veronin
09/30/2017, 01:03 PM
Made in Abyss isn't at all what it appears to be. Though it may seem little more than an adventurous children's anime, chibi art and all, it gradually reveals itself as something much darker, as Riko's and Reg's hopeless ascent continues, stumbles along, no happy ending in sight, death— and worse— awaiting them for each step they fall. Many anime give off the facade of maturity: gratuitous gore, sadistic and loony villains, self-serving themes ripped from entry-level philosophers such as Nietzsche - features that make a story palatable to rebellious teenagers, rather than the adults they so desperately wish to be. But Made in Abyss doesn't fallinto these trappings. It contains graphic, violent scenes, occasionally even outright disturbing, but never is there a moment where it feels unnecessary. It is a story of adventure, of survival, and of finding life within death. Made in Abyss has one of the most interesting settings in anime. A city built around a giant pit, gaping downwards for tens of thousands of metres, its nature unknown, treasure and terrifying beasts awaiting any who wish to test their luck. What's at the very bottom of the pit? How deep can one truly go before death is an inevitability? In many ways, the pit is reminiscent of Hell: for each layer they reach, they encounter something more ghastly than the last, the stench of death progressively growing stronger. But Riko and Reg press onward, determined to find Riko's mother, no matter if they succumb to the dangers and find themselves a permanent resident of the abyss. While there exists ample world-building, the story instead puts the focus on the duo rather than the world at large, preferring instead to carefully reveal the details of the world through their eyes and ears, evolving the viewer from mere spectator to active participant. You don't know much about the pit's third and fourth layers until they reach that part themselves, and the fifth and beyond remain a complete mystery because nobody has ever actually survived to tell the tale. It's an elegant way to keep the viewer interested: I don't want to be told what to expect - I want to see for myself what monsters and contamination and other awfulness await the further they fall, and so I find myself with the next episode playing as soon as the credits hit roll. It can be difficult for some (myself included) to empathise with child characters in anime, but Made in Abyss does an excellent job of making the viewer concerned about and emotionally invested in the survival of Riko and Reg. Their friendship with one another is deeply heart-warming, as they have, much like real children, no ulterior motives, and genuinely enjoy their time together. They rely on one another, their abilities complimenting the other's: intellect and cooking in Riko's case, and combat and acrobatics in Reg's. There is no journey without the other— it is either two or it is zero. And so it is difficult not to have a visceral emotional response when one of the two is desperately, miserably trying to save the other's life. Some caution should be taken when watching Made in Abyss, as it is by no means a happy adventure. With every episode, there is fear that one of them may die, that they may be betrayed, that they may become permanently disfigured or forced to kill or commit some other horrid act. This is seldom a concern for most anime, as the protagonists will always survive and reach some sort of happy ending to their story. But not Made in Abyss. It makes very clear that bad things are inevitable, which, given the setting, is perhaps only appropriate. Corpses, vomit, grossly deformed wounds, blood bleeding from and seeping into the eyeballs— Made in Abyss is by no means something that should ever be viewed by children, and even adults would do well to prepare themselves if they are not accustomed to these sorts of horrors. The abyss is not a wonderful land of treasure, but an awful place where awful things happen. There are still some minor issues with the story, however. Most prominent is the fact that there is as of yet no actual ending, something I did not realise until the final episode when I looked at the source material and found out that, oh, the manga was still ongoing. This ceases to be a problem in the event of future seasons and adaptations, but will there be any? Will this be where the anime ends, in the middle of their journey? "Hey, this is the end of the anime, so go and read the manga" is not quite what you want to hear when you are emotionally invested in an anime. But, I suppose, a faithful, if potentially incomplete adaptation is still preferable to the dreadful anime-only endings that plague many unfortunate adaptations. The story is too grand in scale, too personal for it to end after only thirteen episodes. The story could have also done without the more sexual situations— the references to penises, and one ungraceful moment where Reg returns from trying to save someone's life, only to blush and freak out immediately after when he sees Riko being undressed. With how serious the mood was at that point in the story, it effectively killed all the tension that had been building for the entire episode. That's not to imply this scene existed to create sexual arousal in the audience— Made in Abyss has more integrity than that— as she was being undressed solely for health reasons, but certainly it was not a scene that felt in any way necessary. There's a time and place in the story for comedic relief, and that was not the time. Made in Abyss is fairly impressive in terms of its sound and artwork. The background music starts adventurous and gradually becomes more ominous as the story progresses, even if the ending theme remains almost hilariously light-hearted and incongruently so— its lyrics being more appropriate to Barney & Friends than a graphic life-or-death struggle. While the artstyle may not be to everyone's taste, it at least remains detailed and consistent throughout the series (the map after the ending sequence being a nice addition), although there are perhaps two or three odd moments during the action sequences where the animation will suddenly become sketchy, for reasons that are mystery to me. In one of the weakest seasons for anime, where interesting series may well be nonexistent, Made in the Abyss is a genuine surprise. While I might reserve claims such as it being the best anime of the year (Sangatsu no Lion takes that one for me), it is a truly special anime, one which had me worried and invested in the characters' fate in a way that very few anime ever have. I want to see a future where Riko and Reg return to a happy life on the surface. But, much like them, I am determined to see their journey to its end, no matter the result.
HelghastKillzone
09/29/2017, 04:49 PM
“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” Perhaps Nietzsche had something to say about this show as the longer I watches it, the more I’m consumed by its captivating landscapes and eldritch horror found within its depth. [Contains Minor Spoilers] Located on the island of Ōsu where its single defining feature is an one kilometer wide hole, that is speculated to be over twenty kilometers deep, Made in Abyss follows the pair of Riko and Reg as they progress on their one-way journey to the very bottom. The biggest strength is its immersion that Made in Abyss submerges its viewers withby crafting an entire society that has every facet of it revolve around the mythos of the Abyss. Everything from the hierarchy of the cave raiders, the harsh reality of the orphans left behind, and the general nihilistic attitude towards the Abyss is expertly encapsulated by visual cues like the color of the whistles awarded to each cave raider, the town’s architecture or the rituals that are reverently performed in respect to the giant hole in the ground. Whereas other fantasy shows, that feature a singular towering dungeon, has its characters ascending and conquering its levels, Made in Abyss goes the opposite direction with its descent into the unknown, the unrelinquishing power of the Abyss to dominate all those who enter into its domain. In addition to the nightmarish creatures found below is the presence of a curse that exponentially worsen when a diver attempts to go back to the surface which depends on how deep they are. In effect, if one wants to reach the bottom of the Abyss, they can never return to the town of Osu. This isn’t a cheap gimmick for it pushes our characters past the point of no return and pays off in spades in some truly heart-wrenching moments later down the road. While the main plot-line of two characters going to lowest layer may seem simple but the way that is meshed together with interesting characters, danger and the prevailing ambience of mystery is what make this show so special. Moving away from contemporary anime character designs, Made in Abyss characters have a very cute style of rounded faces wouldn’t be out of place on a children morning show. Given the utter ruthlessness of the Abyss, it presents an odd juxtaposition to have these two polar opposite meld together and only adds to the distinct vibe of the show. Reg, being a robot originating from the Abyss, remains an enigma due to his memory loss but still acts like like a child due to his programming while Riko is relentless on fulfilling her desire to go to the bottom of the Abyss. Individually, they are not the most compelling characters but it is their inseparable bond that is the real draw and it only grows stronger, the deeper they go. For while Reg is powerful with his integrated firepower and grappling hands, the knowledge and drive that Riko brings to the table forms a symbiosis relationship that neither is going to reach the bottom without one another. While Riko does have the maturity of a twelve-year-old girl at the end of the day, she is quite believable when view within the context of a society that trains its children to excavate for ancient artifacts kilometers below the surface in a hostile environment full of carnivorous monsters. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the cast but they range from childhood love to suffering personified to being unsettling and menacing in their pursuit of experimental research. Animated by Kinema Citrus, known their work on Black Bullet, Barakamon and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, this is probably the studio’s best visual work to date. The real star is the how the Abyss is shown in both its vibrant and foreboding nature that shares many parallels to the many critically acclaimed works by Studio Ghibli. It comes as no surprise that the show’s art director of Osamu Masuyama is actually a former background artist from Studio Ghibli. Under his direction, there is a real sense of verticality and expansiveness that stretches to the void. Furthermore, complementing the gorgeous background art is the soundtrack composed by Australian-born Kevin Penkin where he uses an orchestral ensemble supplemented by electronic effects to give the abyss its sound. However, as good as his standard tracks are, the insert songs seems to be the popular with the audience with its hip-hop influence and haunting vocals. If I had one complaint about Made in Abyss, it would be that the show doesn’t offer significant challenges to its two main characters until the last third of its run-time. All the elements are there in the background with nature of the curse, the ferocity of the creatures that inhabit the abyss and the adversarial geography of its individual layers but they are fully realized towards the conclusion. The fault doesn’t lie with how the anime was produced but rather the plot progression found within source material of the manga. I have a feeling that the production staff was very well aware of this issue and did everything its could within the constraints of a one-cour show with a slightly above-average run-time of thirteen episodes along with a double-length finale. In the end, they did an admirable job of pacing out the plot without rushing its story or creating an original shoddy conclusion. It is so refreshing to have a fantasy adventure that stands alone on the merits of its world building, atmosphere and journey without dipping into the more unsavory aspects found within other shows of its genre. For a show to leave its audience only wanting to venture deeper into Abyss’s hauntingly beautiful and terrifying mysteries is indeed a very commendable accomplishment.
SunlitSonata
09/29/2017, 07:45 AM
Lost destiny, power at a price, the tolls of exploration. That is what goes on to drive them, to lead destiny forward to a world behind comprehension. That is.... the Abyss. It's certainly an interesting place to be sure. Those who return from it rarely bring back all its secrets, but receive worship regardless as more and more people are conditioned to go in and do work for their society. In that setting, this show is most definitely a journey, one where two young kids, drawn by their pasts beyond their understanding, discover a world where everything is dangerous and cooperation is a necessity. Made inAbyss is quite the interesting show. Being the critical standout in a generally disappointing anime season, it proved that having ambition and being willing to take risks to not sugarcoat content is very much appreciated, where something with a simple synopsis as "kids go into hole" can be so captivating, atmospheric, perilous, heart wrenching, mysterious, and even sweet. Our story begins with our young protagonist Riko. Being an explorer in training, one day when in the titular Abyss, she is nearly eaten by a giant worm monster that wouldn't be out of place in Monster Hunter. Thankfully she is saved by a mysterious robot, seemingly unusual from anything she'd seen in the pit. The robot takes on the name Reg, and with both it being curious about its origin and Riko wanting to wonder what happened to her mother after a Call to Adventure, they set off into the giant pit, possibly to never return, but not before the show takes the time to worldbuild first and create a very distinct atmosphere for itself. Worldbuilding, you see, is one of the show's greatest strengths, and one of the elements about it that stands out best, often in ways that are shown more than said. Upfront, it offers the pure exhilaration of exploring a rich fantasy world. Its compelling premise compacts the heart of adventure into two contrasting forces: fragile, ever-optimistic humans and the yawning, endless abyss. The show's direction is wonderful at establishing scope, as when in the early layers of the Abyss, shaping shots to have an upward pan do wonders to illustrate the great vertical descent there is compared to the surface, and even in the orphanage where Riko is staying, nifty details like the elevation of desk chairs and the way White Whistles are practically revered as messiahs regardless of moral implications of their actions help give a sense of identity to the world. This is to say nothing of the different layers, uniquely designed monsters, and locations we see Riko and Reg head towards, characterized beautifully and designed with a special tone, while still conforming to the general rules of the world and the expectations initially set up. It makes the Abyss feel like a fully functional setting, even if there's still FAR more to see overtime to make it compete with say, the dystopia in Shinsekai Yori. This is helped a lot by the production values. Kinema Citrus (Black Bullet, Barakamon) did a great job with this one. The landscapes are luscious, the character designs are nicely unique from the standard mold, the character animation is consistently smooth, and they really nail all the different details of the world visually. The soundtrack is even better, in fact it's phenomenal. Done by Kevin Penkin, an Australian composer who worked a lot with Square Enix, the soundtrack has a grand and wonderful feel to it. The beautiful atmospheric scenes are made even better with the excellent music choices, the tense scenes are truly tense, and even the quiet scenes can have very nice and memorable little melodies, it’s a win all around with great insert songs, starting from Episode 1 before the title is even revealed. I even give the sound design some points that come together with the character animation. Whenever Reg moves around with his metal armor pieces, you hear the little “chink” sounds as the parts move around in diverse ways. It’s a small element but goes to show a greater appreciation of little things, which is very nice if you want to give your show plenty of charm. As far as the story outline goes, it feels like a "Castle in the Sky meets Cave Story scenario". The show's atmosphere seemingly prepares it for an adventurous tone through a variety of colorful set pieces, the two protagonists have a youthful energy that never felt dishonest with co-dependence on each other, and the way the fantasy elements are integrated are very much classic myth, rather than falling into the ever popular Isekai MMO worlds known in anime nowadays. It lets things sink in, and like the director's previous effort in Monster, many moments are presented free of dialogue to let the tone play out with a wonderful musical score, accurately representing the source material's panels and accentuating the thrills and plot twists, whether meant to be exhilarating or disturbing. Which brings me to the Cave Story elements, aside from the similar plot point of an amnesiac robot in a massive below ground system, Riko and Reg getting through situations can be VERY difficult, and what lies beyond the initial curiosity of adventure at times reaches very cruel and heart wrenching levels. They also both have a cute bunny involved in lab experiments. The horror elements of the story come through this way, a natural consequences of two kids being prepared for the outside world and how often they appear at death's door, with Episode 9 being one of the best examples on how hard it can be to adapt for everything the Abyss throws at them. To the show's credit, these elements rarely come off as edgy, but rather, the tone is set right from the first episode to accommodate both the adventurous and underlying dread elements that it rarely breaks, and the idea of suffering a pain while trying to go back up the pit is well established and used to its potential, however heartbreaking it might be. Except for a slow gap midway through in which three episodes are spent in one location, the plot has a steady momentum as we follow Riko and Reg on their journey. It's amazing how a show description as simple as "kids go into giant hole to discover themselves" can have so much backing it up. The characters themselves are simple in construction, but compelling enough to buy into their journey. The show mainly follows two characters, Riko and Reg, along with a handful of others they meet along the way including the super bro Habolg, the VERY tough love figure Ozen, and one other character introduced very late who was very entertaining in sardonic trolling as well as how the show concluded with her prominence. Riko on paper is a very simple character, an energetic girl who wants to find her mother with a positive outlook ahead of her regardless of danger. Despite this, I admired her character for two reasons, both for her optimistic attitude and her basically having a pinch of "murder hole street smarts". Certain elements of being a cave raider, even if a rookie, go a long way to show how resourceful she can be, and when going with Reg on this journey, she has more forewarning of protocols, mapping and certain creatures, enough to make it seem like she has proper experience for her journey, but not SO much that it makes it seem like she can maneuver around everything. Without Reg, she'd be disadvantaged, but not entirely nonfunctional. She was a sweet character I enjoyed seeing be enthused and hoped for her quest to succeed. Reg, the robot, is a bit different. Coming from the pit itself without a memory, he's understanding the generalities of human interaction through being with Riko, and in a few cases, he's the one to take charge, having some nifty tools at his disposal but in certain cases at a heavy cost that could be devastating at the worst of times. Easy comparisons are drawn between Riko’s intelligence and societal upbringing but generally poor constitution, and Reg’s physical strength but lack of awareness or mental fortitude. As a newcomer to the societal mores, rules, and general knowledge of the Abyss, Reg also acts as an audience insert, but not in a power fantasy way, more in the sense that he’s drawing lines between who knows what. Although Riko knows far less about the Abyss than her mother or her initial Leader, she knows a lot more than Reg, and this becomes invaluable throughout their journey. In this way, their roles are sometimes reversed. Rather than Reg being sent as a gift to Riko for her journey, Riko is a gift to Reg on his journey because she provides him with necessary knowledge and training that he does not have. Together they create an interesting and compelling dynamic, with an additional sidenote that the way Riko was raised, she's conditioned to deal with many horrible things while Reg is not, making the innocuous robot's path to humanity ironically clearer. It's their journey, them having just enough to make it through and cover for each other, but still having to endure their way through many easily life-threatening situations that make Made in Abyss so damn compelling. That’s not to say the show was always perfect. The low point was Episodes 6-8, and being stuck in one general location on one specific thing ground the journey to a screeching halt, and having a certain character make expressions that were…a bit extreme, even by this show. The character herself was very well executed in context, but it made things a bit more drawn out than needed. There are quite a few...............awkward jokes, mostly innocent enough to let slip by but still noticeably weird focusing around the kids in odd, curious ways. Another thing would be the small supporting cast, but to the show’s credit, it knows when it needs to leave things to the main characters while still giving the sides some expression. Finally, there’s the unfortunate general lack of a conclusion common with many adaptation shows given short lengths, but with the content we were given, it more than carried its weight. Plus, unlike other shows that shamelessly cock tease us with a cliffhanger, we get a legitimately beautiful montage scene to close off this portion of adventure. When it shined, it REALLY shined. The final double length episode especially is an amazing showing of this element, combining strong character climax with just enough inspiration to not feel cheesy. Conclusion Made in Abyss is a true gem, a shining pillar in a mostly bleak and disappointing season. Is it perfect? Of course not, but the amazing atmosphere, unique worldbuilding, solid tone accompanying horror and dread, and likable, compelling cast of characters make this a great series for what we have. I’d recommend this to anyone hoping for a fairly ambitious title or for fans of wondrous media.
Stark700
09/29/2017, 07:22 AM
I’ve always had a fascination for fictional stories about fantasy adventures that adds a bit of survival horror to the mix. The type that stick to my memories the most are those that follows a journey to the unknown. As such, Made in Abyss came as no exception when I discovered this adaptation. It’s a show bringing in mystique that captivated me from start to finish. An anime like Made in Abyss takes on an approach with dynamic emotions to heart and it’s really an anime that people shouldn’t miss out. Reading the synopsis itself can feel a bit intimidated. As a manga reader, I wasintimidated at first when I realized what the series had to offer. The idea of a young girl journeying to the Abyss, a place with the darkest secrets and dangerous creatures really draws potential. What really bought my attention to heart for this show is how emotional the journey turned out to be. Make no mistake. Made in Abyss is more than just surviving in some unknown world. My first impression of this show is its colorful character cast. We have Riko, a 12-year old young girl who often seems to bring trouble wherever she goes. Joining her in this adventure story is a young robot boy named Reg. These two brings together a journey with various emotions. To me, it’s this pair that carries the journey as they take on unforeseen challenges. Individually, the two aren’t too alike. In fact, Reg isn’t even human but he does express a lot of human behavior. The first few episodes makes it clear that Reg cares about Riko a lot as a friend. Similarly, Riko is fascinated by Reg because of his nature and she also values him greatly. What really makes this show stand out is their character chemistry. Between the pair, Riko is the brain while Reg is the brawn. This is easily evidenced with Riko’s knowledge with the creatures they encounter. On the other hand, Reg is physically tough and is able to perform difficult feats that Riko cannot. However, Reg is mentally weak and thus need Riko’s support to survive. Together, this pair really sells the emotional drama of this show. Outside of this duo, we also meet their friends such as Nat, Shiggy, and Jiruo. The show only features them in the first few episodes as the main journey is undertaken by Riko and Reg. Nonetheless, their roles are also noticeable with Jiruo being the leader, Shiggy helping Reg, and Nat’s character chemistry with Riko. As the journey ventures on, we discover characters that are not so human-like and in fact possess otherworldly traits. Characters such as Nanachi and Ozen are featured in this season for their valuable roles. It’s important to realize that without them, Riko and Reg’s lives may have perished very early on. Ozen’s character also extends to relation with Riko’s mother during their past. The series cleverly convey their background stories that can be very appealing and also important. Speaking of Riko’s mother, she is her inspiration. Throughout the show, it’s made clear that Riko has an ambition to become just like or perhaps even surpass her. The background story regarding Mitty and Nanachi can also create various feelings for viewers as they realize the darker side of this anime. While this anime stands out as a fantasy/sci-fi adventure, there’s also many mystery elements that shouldn’t be overlooked. The mystery of the Abyss itself is one of the biggest factors as it creates a fear of uncertainty. If you’re an anime only viewer, then you’re in for a ride. For Riko and Reg, they face dangers that tests their physical and mental abilities. The “Curse of the Abyss” is also a recurring ideal that is revisited between some episodes. No one is really sure exactly what it is but the show makes it clear that it’s something malevolent. Other mystery elements to take notice of includes the origins of the Abyss, Ozen’s motives, the White Whistles, and among others. The exposition of this anime is also very consistent and doesn’t rely on boring narratives to do the work. Technical terms are also made easy to understand. To be honest, watching this anime always invited me to think and anticipate what may happen next. I have read the manga but it still makes me wonder how this anime will handle the adaptation. After completing the show, I have to admit that it does it brilliantly. Despite being an incomplete adaptation and inserting in some original content, its selling factors hits their mark. The Abyss itself is also filled with colorful world fiction. An anime like this really sets the bar for world building as each layer reveals its unknowns. The creatures our adventurers encounter are also unique and arouse various feelings. I can’t remember how many times I felt a chill down my spine whenever Riko or Reg stands in the face of danger. The emotional drama between the pair also feels very realistic. If you’re familiar with any survival horror media (books, tv shows, movies), then you’ll be surprised at how well this anime delivers its emotions. Studio Citrus may not be a powerhouse name but they definitely deserve the praise for crafting such an interesting world. It has the right fantasy elements with its eldritch creatures, the eye-catchy backgrounds, uncharacteristic architectures, and creative horror. Indeed, a show like this has violence so expect some body horror and graphic scenes. Character expressions has a good deal of psychology that really brings out its survival horror content. For the character designs, it shouldn’t take long for viewers to get used to them. I actually find it unique as its main character cast is mostly children. They represent youth and potential as Riko and Reg embarks on their journey. The creatures in the Abyss possesses otherworldly traits that make stand out. These ranges from monster birds, deadly insects, giant porcupine-like beasts, and horrific snakes. In addition, this anime has ancient artifacts that each has their own unique traits. Visually, Made in Abyss is really a special show that is appealing to the eye. Soundtrack is also impressive if we take a closer look at the voice mannerisms. Riko and Reg’s VA both deserves praise for their ability to step into the shoes of these kids. However, the most noticeable character in this anime would be Ouzen. I have to confess that Sayaka Ohara did a phenomenal job with her role. Thanks to her talent, Ouzen’s voice sounds haunting that always brings an eerie feeling whenever she appears. The words she speaks, the way she moves, and her personality is easily made possible with such a talented voice actress. The theme songs of the show holds a distinction of its fantasy themes. OST is eerie that helps this show stand out for its darker elements. Made in Abyss is a solid example of how a fantasy-adventure/survival horror should be made. It has a small yet memorable cast of characters, an exceptional death world with its fictional elements, and emotional drama that is endearing to watch. The show doesn’t tell its story with narratives that may put you to sleep. Instead, it delivers its journey with the sharp instinct and stylish storytelling. This is an anime that isn’t easily recommendable to anyone. The pacing can take some patience to get by and it has a character cast that may not be so likeable. Still, give this anime a try. There’s an old saying that goes “success is a journey, not a destination”. For this show, I couldn’t agree more.
IzaEpsil
09/29/2017, 06:32 AM
Are you looking for a good, fun, light-hearted adventure? This has that. Are you looking for a wonderful, sci-fi thriller? This has its thrilling moments. Are you looking for wonderful chemistry between the characters? This presents that. Do you want an anime with well-animated fight scenes? This gives us that. Are you looking for an anime that has a wonderful staff backing it up, always checking to make sure they bring out the anime’s fullest potential, based from its manga source, faithfully adapting it? They both have, and do that. Made in Abyss is an anime that can abide to almost anyone’s taste in anime. I personally believe that Madein Abyss is an anime and manga that will ring throughout time as one of the best classics to come out in recent years. Why? I’ll tell you. As said before, Made in Abyss has a staff of people running it that always checks to make sure that every episode is doing great, always trying their hardest into their works. A wonderful story, great character chemistry, a harmonious soundtrack, effects, and voice actors, and beautiful, fluid animation. All of that came onto the screen because of such a wonderful staff (except story, for the most part. Credit to the author, Akihito Tsukushi!). Everything about the series was able to grab me and pulled me in like a roped hostage on a train or bank scandal. While that may sound rough, what is truly meant is that, just from the first episode, I could tell that Made in Abyss was going to be great. In the first episode, it panels off immediately into a beautiful waterfall within the first layer of the Abyss and then into an abundance of flowers, trying to make you feel as if you’re standing right next to the lead in their journey into the abyss. The staff did that to have world build for the viewers, but it was a lot more than that. With the waterfall and pacing through the first episode, the waterfall and what happens after foreshadows what is to come later in the story. EVERYTHING that happens in the first episode is foreshadowing the story within the Abyss. But let me get back to what happens shortly after the waterfall and flower clip. We are introduced to the lighthearted driver of the story and her friend, Riko and Nat. They walk down a path where they see a gondola, foreshadowing that Riko will be going down into the abyss. Then she goes on an excavation to find relics, only to find a dead body in prayer. And then.. The craziest part of the episode that foreshadows the darkness of the story. A child, an inch away from death, from being eaten by the monster with the most peculiar characteristics that will have importance in the show. The monster can be compared to that of a Manta Ray, a slug and a snake. Of course, because Riko is the main character, she cannot just standby and watch it all happen. So, she tries to attract the monster away from the child by blowing her whistle, and she runs away as hard as she can, and she gets hurt. Just when it seems everything is hopeless, A robotic child, or maybe I should say a knight in shining armor, saves Riko with a blast of light, and is found unconscious shortly after. Riko can’t just leave him, being the main character. So, she brings him. That robot’s name is Reg. Thus, starts the wonderful character chemistry between the characters. With the first episode, whenever the characters interact with each other, it always brings great joy for how well they work together. It might be that the leads are kids (no, not lolis, they range from ages 10-12, and Kiwi is, like, 4), but because they are kids, it makes me feel as if I, myself, am a kid again. Just watching them do what they do across the screen, pulls my heart even more into the story. It truly feels as though I’m standing next to them during their interactions. Due to the leads being kids, they give off the light-hearted sense of adventure. Living joyously, actively, and having fun. This is just between Nat, Riko, Reg, and Sigy. Don’t even get me started on the interactions with Lyza, Ouzen and Nanachi. Their interactions are some of the biggest reasons why this anime is great, along with the fight scenes. Lyza being the narrator, Ouzen being the badass grandmother, and Nanachi (My favorite!) breaking your average anime tropes. If you want to know how great they are, just watch the anime. After the encounter with Ouzen, the story shows that, not even the main characters have plot armor. The definition of humanity treads onto many uncomfortable grounds for its viewers to display dark desires from within. Another great attachment to the anime is the sound. The soundtrack is beautiful. In an instant, from hearing the insert song from the first episode, I pre-ordered the soundtrack. The soundtrack sounds as if it came straight out of a game, and really has an adventurous beat to it. Thank you, Kevin Penkin. However, if I were to compare the soundtrack to the sound effects, the sound effects are some of the best sounds I have heard out of anime, especially when Reg shoots his arms or laser. What I can describe those sound effect as, is organic. With the voice actors, the kids sound like kids, and the old adults sound like old adults. But, when the intensity rises, comedically and dramatically, or narration within the anime, say, the fight scenes and Maaya Sakamoto (Her narration is wonderful to hear), the voice acting is great. It rounds about the sense of adventure, just like everything else the anime provides. With the voice acting, one can tell that there is passion going on behind the scenes. One more thing to talk about that the anime provides is the animation. I have not seen many anime with such fluid flowing animation besides those of Ghibli films. Speaking of which, the background animator of Made in Abyss comes from the Ghibli films! Will that motivate you to watch and finish Made in Abyss? ...No? Okay, then I’ll provide more than that to motivate you. Time frame 19:57 to 20:10 in the first episode. That should be enough to talk about the animation, because animation like that is all the anime will provide, making eye candy for the viewer. From the grainy wood, to the cavities on rock walls, and the sun coming over the horizon are wonderful details added by the animators. Overall/TL;DR | Enjoyment: 10/10. Made in Abyss is quite original in handling the fantasy setting, and I have to say that I’m glad something like Made in Abyss was able to come by. How the author was able to build a culture around an enormous crater is quite plausible. Made in Abyss provides variety and satisfaction, and it even provides the knowledge of the author, such as medical assistance and ecological terminology. Made in Abyss is an anime I can universally recommend. A great story that compels the viewer to finish from the start, active and lively characters that can be described even more as such through their interactions, the wonderful music from the soundtrack, sound effects, voice actors, and the Ghibli-comparable animation. I utterly, truly, from the bottom of the abyss within my heart, recommend this anime to anyone who seeks a great story. Made in Abyss provides just that. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sincerely, a great fan.
Pipe
09/29/2017, 06:22 AM
I want to be honest. I was evading this anime and manga. My first impression was the picture of Riko, Regu, and Nanachi, I thought: An anime about children, with some strange plot, fanservice and maybe a big bunny. I was not expecting anything from this anime. I was preparing to skip and to "bury" it in a review, but now I can eat my own words. This anime is a jewel. The adaptation is incredible. It has a good narrative with an impressive artistic design, combined with the most beautiful soundtrack of the year and an acceptable character development. Story: 8 An anime with a goodstory. It has everything, mystery, emotion, sadness, love, action, tears and much more. The story could be straightforward and conceptually very simple, several details are added as the story progresses. The show highlights concepts such as friendship, trust, why the abyss became important to the locals and the curse that surrounds it without being too complicated for the viewer to understand. Also, we can observe the constant need to find the truth and the need to resolve the abyss' mysteries. Besides, the story blended very well with the art and soundtrack to produce a beautiful animation. The abyss is an incredibly creative world. For me, it has its own set of laws where all the characters converge. The story never contradicts the abyss but uses it to propel the mysteries and characters. The plot is very attractive, and the details are revealed at the right pace to keep you hooked to the end. Also, some details are never shared, we can try to guess about them. Lowering the abyss is a dangerous task. However, it is gratifying to see the consistency between hazards and depth. Perhaps the only negative point I have is that the story is not going to be finished as the manga is still going on. In addition, it was only adapted to chapter 26 of the manga. I'm sure we'll have to wait a while for an ending. Characters: 8 The main characters are Riko and Regu. I consider Nanachi and Ouzen as secondary characters but those two added important details to the story. Riko radiates great enthusiasm. She wants to explore and to understand the abyss. Besides, she is anxious to go deeper because she wants to see her mom. She suffers, cries, worries, but always tries to be active no matter how weak she is. She is brilliant, but her body is not that strong. She trusts Regu unconditionally. Regu. Is it a machine? Is it a hybrid? This character has a mystery that maybe will not be explained. He is powerful but lacks thoughtful analysis. For that reason, he is the best partner for Riko because she is the rational one and they trust each other. Ouzen (Ozen): She is a human being but could be a monster. She does not care if you're weak or strong. She will show you the reality and if necessary will put you in your place. Nanachi is more a survivor of the abyss curse. She (I'm assuming she's a girl) is very intelligent and has suffered a lot. However, there may be an error in her age. She might look young as Riko, but is she so young? I think she's older than Riko and Regu. The characters look good together because their traits are very different. The show portrayed them very well. However, I would consider the characters as the weakest link in the series. Do not get me wrong, they are good, but they were not explored enough to explain some parts of the story. At times I felt that we just touched the surface of these characters. There are some background questions, and I'm sure we will get the answers in the future. Art: 9 The best of the season. They pay attention to details. For example, in episode one at the end, we can see the talent of this group when they combined the shadows and the lighting at dawn and created a perfect movement. The precise colors and design created an impressive effect that for the spectator's eyes could be one of the best of the year. That quality remained throughout the series. In addition, the choice of colors and a smart move adjusted within the scenes helps you to focus on what matters, not forgetting or letting go of the details if you choose to focus on other parts of the scene. The action sequences have an excellent design and do not lose quality. They also combine very well with the sound mixing. Sound: 10 With one word I want to praise this "exceptional" sound. The OST has several scores that help the storytelling. For example, a mixed composition such as "Underground River" (Ep1, Disc1), "Hanazeve Caradhina" (Ep1), "Swings and Roundabouts" combined with an intelligent sequence, an impressive story and a witty artistic direction created the perfect environment to catch any viewer and make them anxious for more. We can find another example in the score "The first layer." This score helps to add to the plot the feeling of the unknown and the expectation for the future. The music runs in the best time possible. It creates excitement, drama, conveys feelings to viewers and makes the plot and characters shine. The songs Deep in Abyss (OP) and Tabi no Hidarite, Saihate no Migite (ED) are the perfect complement to this anime. These songs are very catchy and have a great rhythm. Finally the VO. I'm not used to talking about it, but in this case, the voices helped to portray the characters. For example, Ouzen's voice. That voice adds excitement to the scenes and creates a great twisted mystery to the character. Enjoyment: 9/10 I really liked this anime. It does not matter if the characters were not explored in detail, no matter the lack of answers about some characters or if the story did not end. The show brings a lot of excitement to any viewer. The story is solid, well structured and consistent almost all the time. The pace is good and the details never hurried. Another good point is that they followed the manga so none could complain. The art and sound led the narration out of the chart. Overall: 9/10 I was tempted to give a 10 to this anime, but the questions about the characters and the unfinished story lowered the score. Unfortunately for us, we do not know if we will get a continuation of the anime in the future, but it does not matter. I recommend this anime, the art, the adaptation are exceptional with a unique soundtrack. It was the best of the season so skipping it will be a mistake. In the end, I became a fan of this story and I don't regret it. PS: Yes! Another messy review by Pipe and I didn't proofread again, sorry.
ItzToxic
09/29/2017, 06:20 AM
Open up an endless world of possible settings. A Giant hole in the middle of civilization, in which lies a gigantic hole dangerous to mankind. What could it be? How does it work? What lies within it? Made in Abyss is one of my personal favourites of Summer 2016 due to its amazing setting, atmosphere, and world building with amazing execution along with an amazing narrative. It shows us the dangerous and more grim side of things while making it completely thought provoking. We start off this adventure with Riko, a girl with curiosity and the need to adventure the depths of the Abyss thoroughly. Withno signs of fear, she heads on strong until her partner Nat gets into trouble with a creature. She does save him and with this, she meets a robotic boy named Reg. His origins at the time were mysterious and unknown to Riko. Thus their adventure as boy and girl, in search for a purpose begins. Why do they feel the need to enter the Abyss? Why risk it all and go into a deadly place? For the search of Riko’s Mom and her whereabouts. Her curiosity and duty like feeling called her into the Abyss and Riko wanted to find the answer to it all. While they adventure and stray from what was called their home, they delve deep into deaths row. While they do this, their personality matures while they grow significantly as characters. Proceeding with caution and making the right decisions is all that matter. Because one little mistake and it may be then over for our adventurers. Something I can appreciate about Made in Abyss is its use of colours and looking at the atmosphere within its full beauty telling us that great Storytelling isn't all they can do. While they're at it, why not insert a beautiful song while we look at some beautiful scenery? Setting the tone like that in the first episode and I knew that this series would be great. I have read the manga before hand and seeing it brought out to life is much more satisfying. The way the voice acting is brought out, to how the creatures look, to the soundtrack. I might be praising the music too much, but I think it deserve just that much praise. The objective here mainly is Riko and Reg in search for Riko’s mother and descending further into the Abyss, with more risks to come. The system of the Abyss is explained and how it works. Riko and Reg knows that this will be a very difficult trip. But they head in otherwise. Despite them being a lower rank (red whistle), they show bravery and proceeds. Let me just say this to those who might not have a clue, but I suggest heading into this anime cautiously. It is by no means a kids show, so don't be fooled by the childlike artstyle. You'll find it more enjoyable and it might give you a more interesting experience. What makes this anime for me is the atmosphere and the feeling once they go deeper and deeper. It seems ok at first, but as it progresses, the atmosphere becomes more dark and fearful along with an uncomfortable feeling. It's weird how Riko, who is only a little girl, dives into this deathly hole with little to no hesitation. Her drive is that insane. Which I find very odd in some ways. It's just not normal for a little girl to conceive all the consequences and dangers that lies ahead and just disregard those things in a sense and be on her merry way. Interesting how she's like that. The art style and character design is not something you usually see, which gives Made in Abyss a more unique touch to it. The design will not appeal to everyone I'm sure, but I for one really appreciate how each character looks. With the Chibi looking artstyle to the very beautiful looking layers in the Abyss, the unique story, the execution, working together with the beautiful Soundtrack, Art, and animation, this anime is like ear gasms plus eye gasms. It’s very satisfactory. As the anime progresses, so does Reg and Riko. They learn to trust each other better (although Riko looked like she liked Reg from the start with her happy go lucky attitude). They learn that the Abyss is no small thing and that they must learn that no help will come for them in times that they are in danger. If there’s anything to complain about, it may be the fact that the narrative aspect of the show seems a bit slow. I found the character development to be ok, but overall this anime is my favourite of Summer 2017. I loved the death vibes as they went deeper. The anime is mostly based around Reg and Riko and their adventure within the abyss. This is how you world build, this is how you make an adventure series, this is how you add violent scenes, this is how you create suspense, this is how to make someone truly cringe, this is how you execute storytelling correctly. Made in Abyss does it all, with minor errors or flaws, it proves that little children going on a nice adventure isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
HaXXspetten
09/29/2017, 06:17 AM
It's been a long time since I saw an anime which manages to immediately get you captivated as much as Made in Abyss did. At first glance it might look like a kids' show of sorts, but you really couldn't be much further from the truth. This is a pretty dark anime past a certain point, but even before that it's still fantastic. Made in Abyss is a perfect example of an adventure anime done right. When I first started watching it, it reminded me of the feeling you get when you jump into some beautiful-looking open-world RPG for the first time, as the world ofMade in Abyss simply looks stunning. The environments are breathtaking by themselves, but the nature of the giant hole into the underworld known as the Abyss is also so fascinating to think about. Just what could lie down there? How could such a thing possibly even exist? It teases your imagination with its unique flora and fauna, and there are so many mysteries to unravel about both the Abyss itself but also the main characters' personal intrigues which are related to it. It's like a legendary dungeon which is just begging to be explored to see what new fascination lies just around the corner. The story follows the peculiar robot boy Regu and his human friend Riko as they embark on a perilous journey into the depths of the Abyss in search of Riko's long lost mother. During their travels they have to learn first-hand about all the different types of hazards that lie within the Abyss, and what kind of strange creatures inhabit it. The main characters are both children and as a result still quite immature in nature, yet they're still filled with unwavering determination and courage to push onwards. Riko is ultimately quite helpless and incapable of defending herself or traversing difficult terrain, so Regu helps her out with his multi-purpose robotic arms to get the job done instead. But above all, they both feel very believable. Riko is very humane in nature and quite quickly becomes someone you want to cheer for, and even Regu is surprisingly genuine despite being an amnesiac robot of unknown origins. There are also a handful of side characters making appearances of different sorts throughout the show, but while most of their roles are relatively brief, they all feel like they serve a purpose. It's not just a well-written and exciting adventure anime though, but past a certain point the story also becomes very serious. In an almost Madoka-like twist of fate, it's like the author suddenly snapped his fingers and decided to take the series to the next level, which resulted in one of the most gruesome anime episodes I've seen in a long time. It was legitimately hard to watch (you'll know it when you see it). However, this only serves to further add to the feeling of peril and caution when trying to proceed further down into the Abyss, because the viewers are shown first-hand that this place is not to be underestimated. The show may have childlike characters and beautiful environments, but death might just lurk around any nearby corner nonetheless. Made in Abyss is one of those anime which may be fairly straightforward in nature, but is still just so interesting in so many different ways that it's hard to stop watching. You never know what you're going to find next in this fantasy-like place, and the danger and intensity of the Abyss is showcased so well in order to get the appropriate atmosphere across to the viewers. It's beautiful yet deadly at the same time. It may have merely been a potential dark horse when the season started, but by the end of it there's no question which horse won the race any longer.

Made in Abyss メイドインアビス

2017 summer | Episodes: 13 | Score: 8.6 (784844)

Updated every Fridays at 21:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll | HIDIVE | Netflix

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Ise, Mariya

Tomita, Miyu

News

Reviews

douve_atomique
11/01/2023, 08:28 AM
If my experience with this anime had to be summarized by one word, it would be: disappointment. The series starts off with a rock solid premise: the Abyss, a giant hole through the earth filled with valuable artifacts, uninimaginable creatures and realities beyond human comprehension. A city was built around this mysterious void on the surface and Divers are adventuring towards what seems to be the center of the earth, with their journey becoming increasingly difficult the deeper they go. A story about a giant abyss very reminiscent of Dante's journey through the nine circles of Hell, with a side of archaeology and a good amountof mystery? What's more to ask for? As an archaeologist myself and very avid reader, this premise had me extremely excited. Unfortunately, as the story progresses, everything just falls flat. The sense of adventure and exploration is almost non-existent, the duality between the very young and innocent protagonists and the absurdly dangerous abyss they venture into is negated by plot conveniences, the ethical aspect of the Divers retrieving ancient relics and selling them on the surface isn't touched upon, the mystery generated by the Abyss is for the most part uninteresting because of how easily every question is answered, and the laws regarding the Abyss make absolutely no sense. STORY Very straightforward; Riko, the main character, wants to find her mom, a white whistle, who seems to be waiting for her at the bottom of the Abyss. The goal is thus very simple, to descend into the Abyss, but the execution is extremely difficult, facing the dangers this place has to offer. There isn't much to say about the story in itself, it just works. However, what doesn't work is the way it is executed. As mentionned above, I was expecting an adventure full of dangers and anguish, ripe with discovery of an ancient civilisation but also self-discovery, fear and doubts, regrets and hope. Almost none of that is present in this anime. Although the Abyss is presented as a very threatening place to go in, and almost impossible to come back from, the two protagonists of the story seem to just breeze through the various layers of this giant hole. Everytime danger arises, it is quickly taken care of by Reg, who just happens to be a robot equipped with a weapon "that defies the laws of the Abyss". When Reg finally finds himself faced with an opponent too strong for him, it is quickly revealed that she was just testing him and Riko. When Riko gets stabbed by a poisonous creature, a new character is conveniently introduced. She conveniently happens to have a immortal blob as a friend who conveniently can produce an antidote capable of curing Riko. Just when I thought Riko's own actions and carelessness would have consequences, i.e. her losing an arm, she is quickly taken care of and healed. It is hard to really feel any sort of tension when nothing seems to be able to seriously threaten the protagonists. Reg is a seemingly immortal robot and Riko is equipped with the strongest plot armor she could find. CHARACTERS This is by far the show's most prominent issue. Almost none of the characters are interesting. Side characters are very quickly forgotten and don't really add anything to the story. Riko and Reg are headed into the depths of the earth, so one would think that the various dangers and characters they meet along the way would change their perceptions of the Abyss, of its creatures, of its artifacts; they would learn from these encounters and become better prepared to face this place and its hazards. Except they don't. Riko does learn some informations about her past but even this big plot twist actually doesn't matter because it doesn't actually change anything in the story, atleast in the first season. The various species of creatures they encounter also don't seem to alter in any way Riko's view on the Abyss. It's like she doesn't realize this place is dangerous and just keeps running off on her own despite being completely defenseless. This could be a way to add depth to her character and to emphasize her innocence by confronting her with the horrors of the Abyss. But one would expect some sort of character development from these encounters. Needless to say, Riko doesn't go through any developement throughout the series. She simply realizes, towards the start of her adventure that she is defenseless without Reg, but she seems to quickly forget that. Speaking about Riko, there is almost nothing compelling about her character. Apart from knowing how to cook, she is pretty much useless. The story is basically the same as an escort mission from a video game where Reg has to make sure nothing serious happens to Riko. Reg is not a bad character, he is just very bland. Although he lost his memories, he doesn't seem to question anything around him. Is he a robot? If he is a robot, why does he act exactly the same as a human? Where does he come from? Why was he trying to go back to the surface? Why did he lose his memories? The relationship between Riko and Reg is very straightforward but one has to question why Reg is so intent on helping Riko reach the bottom of the Abyss; after all, he doesn't owe her anything, he's going on a near suicide mission just because? Maybe this will be explained later in the story. The only other character that matters is Nanachi, and she is by far the most complex of the main trio. Without going into details, she actually has personal motivations which are a clever twist on a common trope and wants to use the protagonists to achieve her goal. Her backstory was way more interesting than anything else and I would've rather watched an anime with her as the main character. One thing to note about the main characters is that they're all very young. As mentionned a clash between innocence and horrors could be an interesting path to character development, but that development just doesn't exist. I can't help but feel that the same show with adults as the main protagonists would've been infinitely better. Furthermore, the constant sexualization of Riko and Reg is greatly disturbing. Do we really need that many details about Reg having a penis depsite being a robot? Do we really need to see Riko naked at every turn, her clothes drenched in pee? I did say at the start of the review that I wanted a story about self-discovery, but I wasn't really thinking about this. Sexual discovery for children is obviously a very important and interesting topic, but it just seems out of place in the context of this anime. WORLD The world that the show takes place in is by far its most interesting part and will probably manage to maintain most viewer's (myself included) attention. It is engrossing, fascinatingly disturbing and frighteningly compelling. An Abyss filled with the ruins of an ancient civilization and grotesque monsters, the potential is infinite. Unfortunately, as I was watching the anime, I kept wanting more. I wanted to know about the world outside the Abyss, about the city around it, about how it was discovered, about how the discovery affected everything else, about the relics being sold on the surface, about the different layers, about the different whistles colors, about the creatures inside the hole, about the relationships between the different species and their environment, about how the Divers managed to go to the sixth layer and come back, about the different manmade structures, about this ancient civilization, ... But the anime just doesn't want to give exposition. It barely explains anything about what makes it interesting in the first place. The story is also full of plot conveniences where rules regarding the Abyss are only explained when the characters need to make use of them. Everything just feels extremely artificial. It's a good opportunity to talk about pacing here. What makes the world of Made in Abyss even more infuriating, is that the story's pacing is all over the place. The anime spends 3(?) episodes on the surface introducing side characters that play no role in the story. Riko and Reg then take the plunge into the Abyss. We are also introduced to an array of different whistles that correpond to the depth their owner can go to. These actually do not matter because our two protagonists just rush through the first 3 or 4 layers with ease. The anime then spends a few episodes developing Nanachi's character and backstory, which is the best part of the show. And I feel like this is how every layer should've been. An opportunity for our protagonists to encounter side characters which will help them discover more about the Abyss and themselves and become more prepared to face it. But they don't need that because the Abyss is actually not really dangerous or they're just really lucky. ENJOYMENT I really wanted to enjoy this show, the synopsis got me very excited to say the least. The start was promising albeit a bit slow, but then the descent into the Abyss was just a mess of poor pacing, plot conveniences, lackluster character development and world building. The mystery surrounding the Abyss and the situations in which the characters could find themselves in still managed to keep me interested and make me watch to the end of the first season. If you don't mind a mediocre story with even more mediocre characters Made in Abyss should definitely manage to keep you entertained thanks to its nightmarish yet beautiful world.
HarVeeGee
09/23/2021, 05:29 AM
Fantastic premise, beautiful background art, exceptional music, in service of a bland, horribly paced story. If you’re a world-building details pervert or - given how much loli content with weird creepy sexual overtones there are - a regular pervert, I’d maybe recommend this. To anyone else I say avoid this like the plague. I hate almost every character. Riko is the most annoying little twerp in the history of human nightmares. Reg is a wet blanket with no discernible personality. Ozen The Immovable is what the lamest person you know thinks a “cool character” acts like. Only Nanachi endears himself to the viewer in any wayby actually having traits and motivations you can empathise with, but by the time he shows up you’ve sat through hours of the most terrible writing you’ve ever seen in an anime. It’s just staggering to me how much of this “adventure” anime is just characters sitting around talking. It’s not an exaggeration to say literally nothing happens in this show for episodes at a time, then when something actually interesting and exciting threatens to happen the show breezes right by it like it doesn’t matter. It’s literally paced in the exact opposite way it should be. What’s particularly galling is that there’s one part of the story which really does work - the first 15 minutes or so of the final episode is the backstory of two characters introduced late in the season, and it very quickly does the work of building up an attachment to them in a way that the preceding 12 episodes abysmally failed to do with Riko & Reg. So the main consequence of the one good sequence is that I resented the rest of the show. I’d honestly be inclined to give this a 4 or 5 for merely being boring, but I have to really slam it for how gross and pervy it is. Why does the school headmistress have to punish Riko by trussing her up naked in the way a dominatrix would? Why is every character who meets Reg so obsessed with peeking at and commenting on his penis? Why the obsessive focus on how often Riko pees her pants, the long lingering shots of the pee? Why does the only way Nanachi can cure Riko’s poisoning involve shoving a dildo up her ass? That last one is not a joke. It’s literally a thing which happens. And as for how profoundly affecting the darker moments of the show allegedly are? Give me a spell. Animate any cute chibi character being horribly tortured, and anyone will have an involuntary reaction to that, for the same reason you can easily generate an emotional reaction by having a puppy be murdered in a live action movie. If this show made you cry, it didn’t do that with good writing. It did it by playing the cheapest, most manipulative cards in the deck. Garbage.
Arlamp01
08/09/2021, 11:00 AM
I felt uncomfortable throughout the series. It was too weird to focus on the underlying mystery. I couldn't help but think about what kind of weird tastes the author of this series had. Because punishing kids by hanging them naked in BDSM is shady enough to make me raise an eyebrow throughout the show. I mean ... what was the need to use children as protagonists? They appear naked, dismembered or doing strange things. And it is not that I care about the tastes, fetishes or mental illnesses that a person may have, but it seems to me that if your intention is to tell a good story,you should put your eccentricities aside for a matter of being professional. And it's not that I was bothered by any of that, it's that I just can't find a positive justification for doing it. The real reason is the following, the series has to use shock in order to impress the viewer. It has to show innocent and happy children bleeding and being tortured to look dark and serious. And doing that indicates mediocre writing. The series did not have to use strange and annoying children to tell this story, I can not take it seriously and even less including the uncomfortable things that I already mentioned.
bird-ee
01/26/2021, 09:05 AM
All I can say: what a catastrophic waste of talent. Pedophilia has demolished what could have been an incredible, beautiful anime. I felt uncomfortable enough watching an anime clearly meant for adults featuring primarily literal children, but unquestionably unacceptable scenes *just kept happening*. It makes me sick to even try to go into detail. There is no doubt in my mind that this show was made by actual pedophiles. The scenes are eventually so frequent and consistently absurd that it is entirely impossible to excuse them as "coming of age" moments. The show even dives into what could actually be described as torture or gore fetishization.I can barely stomach violence and agony in a show about adults, but not in a show with so many creepy undertones about, again, literal 12 year olds. The worldbuilding was beautiful and positively captivating; I kept hoping that it would turn around or just cease being so fucking weird but it didn't. It carried on all the way to the last episode. The world is fascinating and it filled me with wonder unlike any other, but unfortunately the anime it is attached to was created by disgusting weirdos, by unabashed pedophiles. I'm disappointed that this show is as popular and well-received as it is.
12saints
09/06/2020, 01:59 PM
On a first sight Made in Abyss does not sound too bad. A girl named Riko is about to be killed by a giant beast when an amnesiac robot pops up and saves her. One thing leads to another and soon she is thrown into the mysterious hell pit. The setup is very interesting and very well done. The stakes and goals are immediately established, make sense, and make you want to know more. I got amazed by how well we were introduced to the main plot, and how good was writing in those episodes. Everything looked so fresh and different from any fantasy showin recent years, and I loved how the first episode made me almost tear up over the beauty of this world. Unfortunately, there's not much of a story in Made in Abyss. Synopsis pretty much describes 80% of the entire plot. The premise established in the first episode is good, and the last episode would be really good, in my opinion, but nothing in between really leads up to, or makes you care enough about the characters or their circumstances, for the ending to hit as hard as it could have. For the most part, characters are going down, episode after episode, facing from little to no obstacles on their way. There is no room for Made in Abyss to actually breathe and explore its own setting, even though there's potential for a deeper and more meaningful story as it was shown in flashbacks of Ozen or Nanachi, but so far that's nowhere to be seen. Don't let the seinen label fool you, adult rating is justified by two gore scenes near the end, but in its very core this is an adventure shounen with linear and simplistic plot and quite uncompelling characters. The anime has a serious problem deciding whether it wants to be a realistic or a cartoony one. For an episode, Riko ping-pongs between cavern’s walls with Looney Toons physics and no damage comes to her. In the very next episode, a minor injury leads to a botched surgery with lots of grotesque details. The line between realistic and fantasy is constantly erased and redrawn depending on what the plot needs at the moment. Everyone and their mothers are talking about dangers of the Abyss and how it’s impossible to survive here. Then, we have a clueless robot and Darwin Awards nominee of heroine doing every mistake possible and getting away scot free until the very end. There's a childishness to the anime that doesn't quite fit with the major themes of the plot, and in many ways it feels more like bait and switch. Now look, I'm usually not that judgmental of the main character as long as they're not completely terrible, but Riko is so actively, offensively, overwhelmingly horrible that it boggles the mind. Even as a child she's an absolute failure, shallow and annoying. I didn’t expect from a girl a caricature over the top intelligence of The Promised Neverland protagonists, but she is lacking basic cognitive skills. Her stupidity effectively turns 1/3 of the show into a waste because everything that Ozen tried to teach her was forgotten once main characters crossed the layers. What does she think? Honestly, I'm not sure she does at all, it's rare we get any insight to her thoughts while others get plenty of focus. Personally to me she as a character just didn't have any growth. By the end of the anime, Riko finally faces consequences of her dumb decisions, but she ends up learning nothing from it. There isn’t a lot to say about her companion. Reg exists as little more than a personification of the viewer, similar in many ways to isekai protagonists, and lacking in any meaningful characterisation besides his natural instinct to protect Riko. I’m interested in his origin, but as a character he is just an excuse to spoon feed the viewer more exposition. The side characters didn't really stand out, either, though they are slightly better than the leading duo. There is some backstory and development to Ozen and Nanachi, while some characters are barely fleshed out at all like kids from Orth, and are only there to serve a very specific purpose in the plot. This was obviously a bit unfortunate, since I feel like there was certainly time for more time to be spent with the characters, and yet we’re left with this. It is at the point where you can’t feel or naturally sympathize with the characters; in fact Made in Abyss tried to make you feel bad for characters solely because they are small children. For some people, this works, and throwing a pretty loli through a tornado of awfulness is enough to instil sympathy. That's great, and I don't hold a grudge against these people. If anything, I am jealous of how easily they can feel emotion. What actually bothers me is how effortless this method of storytelling truly is, and the audacity Made in Abyss has to pretend it is something deep (no pun intended). After the last episodes, I have passed the final grade from 9 to 7. The tease for which we have been submitted by the authors, an awesome art and music deserve a whole 10, but the story and characters are nothing special. It’s very clear more effort was put on style and shock value rather than substance. There are several instances of legitimately investing and interesting storytelling in this anime, but it’s too few and far between to be worthy of any real praise. Not to mention that it is constantly interrupted by inopportune comedy during or immediately following a dramatic moment. Made in Abyss definitely had potential, but just wasn't executed well.
Not_Megumin
03/26/2020, 05:09 PM
Heavy spoilers, but its not worth watching anyway so it doesnt matter. Episode 1-3: The best part of the whole series really, the world portrayed is interesting and made me want to know more about it. It was a bit slow at points but it was generally ok and interesting. Made me very hopeful for the rest of the anime since there was so so much potential. Episode 4-9: Absolute shittiest part of the whole anime. None of it makes sense. This part is literally the following 3-4 times: Riko does some stupid shit, Regu has to save her from the stupid shit, repeat. At this point this really becomes boring because thatinteresting world is not really explored at all. Sure it is shown and it is pretty to look at but theres nothing we learn about it, theres no new information for the viewer. Ouzen is a terrible character in every way, the way the two of them interact with her and vice versa makes me believe a child wrote this with no understanding at all of why adults might act angry. Just portraying her as outright evil and then suddenly forgiving her for no reason? Any decisions they have made in these episodes are all completely illogical and even someone with an IQ of 80 would not make them. Every single problem they get into is because of Riko, and Regu always saves her. Why? I dont know. Why is Riko and Regu so attached to each other? I dont know. Why does Riko not care about her surroundings or really anything? I dont fucking know. The relics are absolutely terrible and boring. They actually also represent this anime overall the best "Looks pretty and does absolutely jack shit". Like seriously? A compass that just points downwards? The womb looking thing that brought shit back to life was cool and thats about the only good relic in this whole series. The anime boasts about how many different and unique and special there are but does not show any of them or what they do. What a shame. You can make up excuses for all of these intense fundamental problems but you are the one making them, not the show. You are inserting reasons that were not present there. Episode 10-12: Finally the loop ends when Riko is out of the picture for a little while. The part that made you feel "uncomfortable" was barely anything, it was a bit edgy but I have seen much worse. Nanachi is the only good character in this anime. Regu is ok at best since his character is essentially "Help Riko with shit" and nothing more. I liked these episodes the best, probably because the anime actually started explaining like a few different things? And had some character interaction that wasnt just them narrating what they were doing (Which is 90% of the dialogue in 4-9). Episode 13: Ok so, this one was mostly good, very edgy but it was ok. I liked it up until the point where Nanachi explained her logic for wanting to kill Mitty. It literally contradicts itself. If Mitty is already gone and her responses are just "instincts" or "reactions" why does it matter if she dies? If her soul is still in there why not try cure her somehow instead? I wouldn't have a problem if the logic was "Do it because it was her last wish". But it wasn't, it was "Kill her because shes in a cage". If shes in a cage that means her soul is still in there and shes not just reacting on instincts. The PEEdophilia in this anime is absolutely terrible. I'm not one that cares about nudity but this isn't that. This is just sexualization for the sake of it, the constant pissing is painfully forced and would ruin the anime by itself if it didn't have the other problems. Literally who is this for? Fanservice for the author and like the 1/100 people in the audience who like such despicable shit? In conclusion, Made in abyss is a terrible waste of a potential story, character interactions and world building. Art is not my thing but it is good, music is fine, and that is all, and it is not nearly enough to make it worth even consider watching.
Sorinne
09/05/2019, 03:08 PM
I think this series is incredibly overlooked and very overhyped at the same time. Sounds weird, right? Made in Abyss is prime example of poorly executed great idea. This show had everything to become a modern classic, but wasted it on bland characters, poorly paced dull story and blatant fetishism. Worldbuilding Made in Abyss sets up one the most interesting fictional world to explore, but barely does anything with said world. Since episode 1 you'll be showered by paragraphs of exposition and ramblings about great adventures, but the Abyss itself is very shallow. It does look pretty, all thanks to amazing background art, but it's empty as desert. 3-4species of monsters per layer, no foreign delvers, no artifacts to collect, nothing of what you can expect by looking at its map and listening narrator's voice. I still think Made in Abyss is worthy to watch for the world alone if you are tired from generic fantasy/isekai setting, but actual Abyss is one big missed opportunity in terms of worldbuilding. Monster designs, landscapes, idea of the curse field are great, yet plain and tiresome story doesn't allow them to shine. Story It's linear and aimless. The most interesting part of the story are flashbacks and it speaks a lot. Somewhere in the middle of Ozen's arc I questioned myself: "why do we even follow Reg and Riko, when Lyza's past seems 10x times more interesting than her daughter's speedrun?" The shock value and horror may have worked if there would really be consequences. Despite building up the dangers of the Abyss nothing of lasting consequence actually happens. For every time main characters are getting into troubles there is always Deus Ex Machina to save them. Characters I don't have prejudice against children as main characters, I think that immature protagonists can be incredible opportunity for a writers to show how the horrors of the Abyss can warp unprepared young minds. Alas, for an author of Made in Abyss it was an opportunity to show how 12yo girl pees herself almost every episode. I was expecting the characters to be more developed than what is the standard fare for shounens, but Riko and Reg totally fit into what every main character of shounen series are, despite Made in Abyss being seinen. The worst part is that they don't grow because of their hardships, they just stay as naive as in the beginning so the viewer would feel bad for watching suffering of cute, innocent kids. Side characters are slightly better, but they don't have enough screentime or proper arcs e.g. Ozen, who was intriguing, but actually exists for exposition only. Nanachi's part amused me at some point by how writers tried to brush away the fact that cute bunny tortured almost as many people as its creator. I was seriously disappointed that potentially interesting morally grey character turned into a token furry loli at the end. Drama I've heard million times how this series is sad and depressing. It's not, if you wouldn't allow to fool yourself by simple tricks. Made in Abyss essentially skips all needed development of emotional connection between viewer and characters and makes you feel bad for them because they are small children. It uses every possible tearjerking trope in a span of one episode from cancer like desease to loss of pet and sweet tragic girl, who fell for some loser. For me, it's jumped the shark. Art&Music Background art is incredible, music carried half of the overall enjoyment. I liked monster designs and White Whistles. Architecture of Orth was also great. tl;dr: Made in Abyss has an interesting setting and the production values are excellent. But it seriously fails with the main characters and with the laughably forced melodrama.
Lub
06/16/2019, 02:14 PM
Only the first paragraph is spoiler-free. I won't say this is the most overrated show on this site as I am convinced that is Legend of the Galactic Hero, however as I have not seen it, I don't feel confident in making that statement about this show. You will have people tell you how well written it is, how dark and scary and tear-jerking it is, but once you've seen it you will finally realize that the only reason this show is rated as high as it is, is because there are naked twelve year old’s in it. The loli's have finally made their triumphantreturn, and my god if it wasn't a shit show. That is as much as I will say without spoilers, as the rest of this review will be filled with them. I would not recommend this show to my worst enemy, unless that person is Riko. Let's start off with some of the good parts, shall we? First of all, the environmental art is spectacular, in fact, I might even go as far as to say it is the best I've seen in an animated TV-show. Perhaps a big reason why the environment sticks out so much is because it is very well contrasted to the simplistic, minimalistic art of the characters. It works well together, although it does make one wonder why they would spend such a huge budget on art and then go with some of the simplest character designs. The contrast is like I said great, but I can't help but picture this show with the same level of art quality for everything that is shown in the environments. As far as the animation itself goes, it is perfectly fine by today’s standards. It is no Fate/Zero but it gets the job done for sure. The music feels the same way the animation does, it's whatever. There were some memorable songs, namely Hanezeve Caradhina and The First Layer. The rest of the OST fits the theme and feel of the show well, but does not protrude itself in an otherwise, above average OST collection. That’s it for the good parts. Let us move on to the naked children, shall we? I've heard people make the argument that the fact that there are naked 12 y/o's is not an issue and actually one of the shows strong suits. The fact that they don’t mind being naked and later on are embarrassed about their bodies being shown to each other is the show portrays their innocence and makes them feel young. This might be the biggest bullshit point I've ever heard. Are you seriously telling me that the ONLY WAY to portray innocence is in the form of naked children? Fuck off. The fact that people even dare defend this shows what kind of fans a stunt like this pull. It is not like this is a one-time thing either. They start out naked at the orphanage, where the universal punishment for being bad is to string them up naked on a fucking flagpole. A few episodes later the old man finds the robot and the first thing he has to check is whether this robot has a dick or not. And apparently the only medicine to help Riko has to be taken in the form of a dildo up the ass. Come the fuck on. My personal interpretation is that these scenes of nudity are an awful attempt at humor, something which is enforced later on in the show as well. But even assuming that the nudity itself is not an issue the placings of these scenes are fucking terrible. Every time you feel like there is finally a serious moment, every time there is about to be some character development – enter the fucking comedy scenes and everything is forgotten. Wow you just experienced something really traumatic and is about to have an internal meltdown? Comedy scene and all is well. Wow someone just told you they want you to kill them and you don’t know what to do? Comedy scene. There are also random romance scenes thrown in there that contribute the same kind of things the comedy scenes do. I suppose one could argue they are another facet of the whole “they are young teenagers exploring their bodies and growing up!11!!1!1!” idea, but they feel incredibly forced and unnecessary. This show lands in such a weird spot between taking itself too seriously and at the same time trying to be self-aware and implementing comedy as a form of lightheartedness. The issue is that the writing is so fucking horrid that the comedy takes away all the impact from whatever previously what shown. It feels like saying “sorry” but then following it up with “but”, it immediately invalidates everything you said prior. This is not the only examples you can find of bad writing though. A couple of things that annoyed me were how they spent a solid five minutes explaining that the robots arm could only reach 40 meters. For this to then be completely ignored for the rest of the show in favor of it becoming a tool for plot armor. The range of his arm is only relevant when it is convenient for the plot. Like in episode 5 they mention how it won’t reach Riko as she is being taken away, but then a few minutes later it suddenly does reach while the distance itself had not decreased whatsoever. There is also the issue with the robot’s super move, the boom beam axe which much like his extending arms are purely used as a plot tool. He’ll avoid using it for the whole episode because reasons getting them into trouble for 20 minutes only to end up using it at the end anyway because much like everyone fucking knew it was the only way for them out of their dilemma. This isn’t the only logical fallacy either. Riko ponders the idea that the mark that shows up when the robot puts his helmet on might be something important, something we as viewers are lead to believe as well. But instead of just taking the helmet off and putting it back on again to show the mark again, she just leaves it be and goes “ wow I wonder wtf that mark was…” like all she had to do was put his helmet on again if she wanted to see it again???????? Speaking of Riko, this brings us to the worst part about the whole show. The characters. There are three major characters in this show to speak about. Riko and the robot being the main two, and then later on the rabbit chick comes in as well. I don’t really hate the robot, sure he’s uninspired and boring but he’s whatever. He functions as the safety blanket for now, he has his hidden overpowered powers with the notion that his past is still unknown and could potentially be an enemy. Riko is the most character I have ever seen, and I cannot fathom how anyone can feel even the slightest hint of empathy towards her. She constantly has this upbeat, nothing can go wrong, kind of attitude no matter how many horrid things happen to her. And every time you feel like she is about to change, something terrible just happened, she starts spiraling, oh boy, shit’s about to go down. Lol, sike, enjoy some naked kids btw. She has 0-character development throughout the whole fucking show, which is surprising considering nothing else happens either. They go down to the next floor, but it just feels so formulaic. They go down, something happens, they run around on the floor for a bit, the robot uses his busted move and they move on. They could have skipped the first 10 episodes and only had the last three and I swear I would not even have noticed. Speaking of the last three episodes, this is where the dumbest character is introduced, the bunny girl. She lives alone in her little hut taking care of her friend because insert sad backstory. That’s whatever, seems cool I guess. Then they bust out the cliffhanger on the second to last episode, where she goes “kill my slime friend”. Apparently, her only purpose in life has been to keep her friend alive, so she wants to take both herself and her friend out of this misery by getting them both killed. This is where things spice up, she seems like a cool character finally. But then the robot makes her promise him that she won’t kill herself afterwards and she gives the fakest fucking smile I’ve ever seen and says that she promises him. Instantly you’re led to believe, oh god she’s going to do it, she’s going to kill herself and maybe finally Riko will have some development off the sad death. NOPE, guess it wasn’t a fake smile and she would rather go on traveling with these random ass kids she has hung out with for four days for no other fucking reason than it being convenient for the plot seeing as the next floor is apparently impossible for them to traverse without her. Everything written so far has led up to her killing herself, but nope, we need her for the plot so lol don’t mind the last episodes I guess her trauma is over now! :D Some other minor things were how a lot of plot points were left open like the stupid star compass that was so important for 3 episodes, then disappeared but kept reappearing in the opening hinting that it was in fact important and worthy of remembering. Although considering how it is getting another season, I guess that’s whatever. I also thought the cliffhanger ending was super cliché, but again, compared to its other flaws it doesn’t really affect the big picture. I was really close to putting this shit at a 1/10 for affect but I felt like I had triggered enough of you with the rest of this review.
forster82
09/07/2018, 02:02 PM
Absolutly Magnificent! This is my first Anime which I could easily give it a solid 10/10. The Soundtrack is absolutly AMAZING! (Fun Fact: The Soundtrack was directed by Kevin Penkin who is an Australian, yup a non-Japanese soundtrack producer) The Plot gets you hooked IMMEDIATELY! And the Characters are all Wonderful! Another thing about this Anime adaptation is that it follows the Manga PERFECTLY! Its just so damn wonderful. This really is a Must-Watch Anime. It was rated the best anime of 2017 but I believe it still deserves way more praise than what it actually has. (This was my first anime review)
NoiceMeme
01/18/2018, 07:23 AM
You can't say shows featuring a combination of lolis, furries and traps are all shit anymore because of this amazing adaptation of an exceptional manga. Bummer, innit? We get to follow a story of a small girl going on a suicide mission trying to reach her mommy stuck in a deep part of a glorified manhole, which is possible only because she conveniently finds an overpowered chibi cyborg on one of her practice strolls. This guy also happens to represent the average male MAL user as he gets a boner every time he cuddles a loli, including furry lolies with unknown type of genitals. Nice.You can find the full description of the cyborg at the end of the review. Well, I mentioned a glorified manhole, didn't I. It is called "the Abyss", as the title suggests. It is as gorgeous as it is dangerous, the feeling of suspense and the visuals are both marvelous. As there is little known about deeper parts of the pit, the shroud of mystery thickens with every meter of our descent. No worries about backtracking, a convenient decompression syndrome called "the curse of the glorified manhole" makes sure our little girl is positively suicidal, because, go figure, jumping too high in this manhole may turn you into a blobfish (true story). On a serious note, lets talk about the good stuff: Environments are glorious. The complexity of the layers is something very rarely seen in the medium. Chibi character design creates chilling contrast between the innocence of the children and the darkness of the abyss. It works very well, especially in later episodes. Visuals are spectacular overall, I very rarely, if ever, see landscapes/background so datailed and vivid. Huge bow before the man in the lead of the design. The soundtrack album to this series is one of the best I have ever heard. Peaceful ambience emphasizes the mystery of the abyss, while the well executed build up in some of the more aggressive tracks accompanies our little friends during their struggles. Every environment has it's theme, also, which gives more substance to the world. Sound utilization in the final episode is a masterwork. Japanese voice actors do a great job during the intense scenes. Nanachi sounds adorable. Strongest points of the source material are definitely the coldness of the abyss, world design, dependence between the main characters and the consciousness that "there is no going back". Dark twists accompanying the story development are the main reason of success of the series. This is the type of show that gives out the impression of cuteness and peacefulness at first, hints at something thrilling about the setting in the beginning, keeps the suspense troughout the entirety of the series and absolutely blows your mind with the climax. Time spent watching this show is a time spent well. Story: 6/10 Art: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Character: 8/10 Enjoyment: 10/10 ___________________ CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT Reg, the Treasure of the Deep. Our new champion, Reg, is a jungler. His passive, "artificial body", grants him immunity to auto-attacks and many skillshots. His Q skill, "graple", allows him to grab an object in his field of view and transport him and nearby allies to a target location. His W "restrain" wraps a pair of ropes around his target, immobilizing it, but rendering him unable to use his Q. His E, "empowered perception", grants him vision on nearby enemies. His ultimate is called "incinerator". After channeling energy into his palm, he fires a ray of hot plasma in a straight line, destroying everything in the way. Using "incinerator" forces Reg to sleep after ten minutes. This skill has a 2 hour cooldown. These game mechanics allow us to skip to the fun part of the story pretty quickly. It is important to note that Reg reaches his full potential in a team full of underage female champions.
Missingnomer
10/01/2017, 02:37 AM
They actually tried. I always come back every season with a ting of hope in my heart. “Maybe this time a studio with some talented people WHO CARE about their work will make a show that will be worth watching.” A lot of seasons have come and gone. I would be lying if I said there hasn’t been any good shows for a long time. Many great animes have released over the last few years, yet I was yearning for something that wasn’t just a show with a great plot twist, or even a show that wrote believable and memorable characters. I wanted an anime that stolemy heart. Made in Abyss was a series I never even heard of before Summer 2017. In fact, I didn’t even know of its existence till half-way through the Summer season. When I first saw the picture for the show here on MAL, I was unimpressed. The art came across as childish and goofy. The rating, on the other hand, was extremely high for a show I dismissed as “childish,” at first glance. Thank you MAL faithful, if it wasn’t for the oddly high score, I would have passed on this show. Now, you aren’t sitting there reading this review to hear how I had the wonderful accident of crossing paths with this anime. You want to know why you should watch it. After all, you are probably wondering how this show got to the top 50 highest ranked shows on MAL. I’ll tell you how: They tried. Firstly, the characters are the heart of this great anime. I can go on about describing how they look one-dimensional and at first you may be confused as to how these little children can even begin to be involved in a fantastical original story, but I won’t. You see, Made in Abyss isn’t a show to be described. It is a show to be experienced. The art, the music, and the characters are done in such a way that if you took a step back and analyzed it all, you would see the love and care the original manga author and the anime creators had for them. They aren’t just here to entertain the audience, they are here to take the audience on a journey with them. The journey is full of trials and triumphs, heartache and despair, yet they aren’t shoved down your throat. It all unfolds naturally before the audience’s eyes. The originality drips from this anime like sweet and soothing nectar for my soul. My heart could only take so many “video game worlds” and “moe overload” animes. Finally, a fantasy adventure that doesn’t tell me how to think or what to feel. The only small complaint I can conjure for this master-level display of originality and heart is that the plot doesn’t start to unravel until the tail end of the series (see what I did there fellow Nanachi fans?), yet the world and characters more than make up for this small shortcoming. Again, I could write an in-depth analysis on why the opening episodes are brilliant, how the music accompanies the atmospheric art and sets the tone for certain scenes, how the characters are naturally fleshed out, how the actual world the characters live in feels like a character itself, or how the story progresses at just the right pace. But I won’t. Listen, I may not know what you look for in an anime, but I can tell you why I love anime, and I why I continue to watch it even when more than half of the shows that come out every season are literal garbage. I want to find that one anime that can steal my heart. Even if it may be for one season. I want it to take me for a ride I won’t forget. Fate/Zero, Eureka Seven, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist – they are all great animes, don’t get me wrong. However, they didn’t steal my heart. Made in Abyss stole my heart.
Piezuri
09/30/2017, 05:42 PM
Welcome to the most overhyped show of 2017. Made in Abyss is a perfect example of an above average show that gets hyped up by every body which forces others into believing that the show is something it really isn't. I, for a change, am not blinded by "hype", and can see the flaws in Made in Abyss, which are quite numerous. Story : 2/10 Sometimes it speeds up and gets somewhat interesting, sometimes it slows down and gets really boring. The show is basically boring up to episode 6, then somewhat interesting up to episode 9, and then a snoozefest until the end, unless you happento like the characters, which I didn't. Episode 13 is dedicated to the backstory of 2 characters I honestly couldn't care less about. The story in Made in Abyss tries to be this grand mystery with multiple intriguing plot lines, but fails at doing so. One of these seemingly important plot points only gets a half of the final episode dedicated to it, the other is a superficial motivation for the main character to go down the Abyss. So the plot ends up relying on the adventures of Riko and Reg, which I must say, are the "interesting" part of the show. Made in Abyss builds a vast, colourful world that it ends up forgetting to explore. Something that I was wondering while watching this show is "Do other countries exist? Is there anything beyond the mountain-island on which the characters live?", a question to which I didn't get a reply. What does the show actually explore then? The Abyss? Sort of, up to a certain point at which the main characters stop at a layer which happens around episodes 8-9. Thing is, the show starts exploring the world it has built around episodes 3-4, so that's only 4-5 episodes of exploration, in an anime in which the story is held up by the adventures of the main characters. You're left with an empty shell of a promise you were given by the set-up episodes. All in all, Mady in Abyss is a spark of originality and good ideas with nothing to back those ideas up. Art: 8/10 Although I'm not a fan of the artstyle, which lowers my mark a tad bit, I must say that the art in Made in Abyss is great. The world is drawn beautifully and down in the Abyss we can witness variety filled scenery in the various levels of the aforementioned shaft. However, since the show stagnates at certain points, some of the this scenery gets old. The animation isn't outstanding, but for a show made in 2017, it's surprisingly not poor outside of the BD releases. The small chibi characters are easier to animate after all. Sound: 10/10 The OST is beautiful. The opening has some nice vocals. The ending is catchy. The voice actors all did an amazing job at their characters. This is the one point where Made in Abyss shines. Character: 4/10 Why am I giving such a low mark to a show that heavily focuses on the relationship and adventures of 2 characters? Simple. 4/10 is for the 4 good characters of this show: Riko, Reg, Ouzen, and Nanachi. I will admit that these 4 are all quite charismatic and memorable. However, I hate kids, so I couldn't stand Riko and Reg most of the time. Ouzen, being one of the 2 characters I actually liked in Made in Abyss should have been developed more. I'd gladly watch an episode dedicated to her rather than the 13th episode which was dedicated to Nanachi and Mitty. Enjoyment: 4/10 Made in Abyss never made it past the "it's ok" phase for me. It hang during its airtime at a 6, sometimes showing the potential of peaking at a 7, only to nose dive to a 4 with the boring last episode. It's one of the shows I'd switch on in the background while doing something else, only paying about 3/4s of my attention to the show. Overall: 4/10 Do you like adventure anime? This show isn't for you. Do you like captivating or relatable characters? This show isn't for you. Do you like empty promises? This show might be for you. Do you like eye candy? Watch Made in Abyss, otherwise, don't.
Veronin
09/30/2017, 01:03 PM
Made in Abyss isn't at all what it appears to be. Though it may seem little more than an adventurous children's anime, chibi art and all, it gradually reveals itself as something much darker, as Riko's and Reg's hopeless ascent continues, stumbles along, no happy ending in sight, death— and worse— awaiting them for each step they fall. Many anime give off the facade of maturity: gratuitous gore, sadistic and loony villains, self-serving themes ripped from entry-level philosophers such as Nietzsche - features that make a story palatable to rebellious teenagers, rather than the adults they so desperately wish to be. But Made in Abyss doesn't fallinto these trappings. It contains graphic, violent scenes, occasionally even outright disturbing, but never is there a moment where it feels unnecessary. It is a story of adventure, of survival, and of finding life within death. Made in Abyss has one of the most interesting settings in anime. A city built around a giant pit, gaping downwards for tens of thousands of metres, its nature unknown, treasure and terrifying beasts awaiting any who wish to test their luck. What's at the very bottom of the pit? How deep can one truly go before death is an inevitability? In many ways, the pit is reminiscent of Hell: for each layer they reach, they encounter something more ghastly than the last, the stench of death progressively growing stronger. But Riko and Reg press onward, determined to find Riko's mother, no matter if they succumb to the dangers and find themselves a permanent resident of the abyss. While there exists ample world-building, the story instead puts the focus on the duo rather than the world at large, preferring instead to carefully reveal the details of the world through their eyes and ears, evolving the viewer from mere spectator to active participant. You don't know much about the pit's third and fourth layers until they reach that part themselves, and the fifth and beyond remain a complete mystery because nobody has ever actually survived to tell the tale. It's an elegant way to keep the viewer interested: I don't want to be told what to expect - I want to see for myself what monsters and contamination and other awfulness await the further they fall, and so I find myself with the next episode playing as soon as the credits hit roll. It can be difficult for some (myself included) to empathise with child characters in anime, but Made in Abyss does an excellent job of making the viewer concerned about and emotionally invested in the survival of Riko and Reg. Their friendship with one another is deeply heart-warming, as they have, much like real children, no ulterior motives, and genuinely enjoy their time together. They rely on one another, their abilities complimenting the other's: intellect and cooking in Riko's case, and combat and acrobatics in Reg's. There is no journey without the other— it is either two or it is zero. And so it is difficult not to have a visceral emotional response when one of the two is desperately, miserably trying to save the other's life. Some caution should be taken when watching Made in Abyss, as it is by no means a happy adventure. With every episode, there is fear that one of them may die, that they may be betrayed, that they may become permanently disfigured or forced to kill or commit some other horrid act. This is seldom a concern for most anime, as the protagonists will always survive and reach some sort of happy ending to their story. But not Made in Abyss. It makes very clear that bad things are inevitable, which, given the setting, is perhaps only appropriate. Corpses, vomit, grossly deformed wounds, blood bleeding from and seeping into the eyeballs— Made in Abyss is by no means something that should ever be viewed by children, and even adults would do well to prepare themselves if they are not accustomed to these sorts of horrors. The abyss is not a wonderful land of treasure, but an awful place where awful things happen. There are still some minor issues with the story, however. Most prominent is the fact that there is as of yet no actual ending, something I did not realise until the final episode when I looked at the source material and found out that, oh, the manga was still ongoing. This ceases to be a problem in the event of future seasons and adaptations, but will there be any? Will this be where the anime ends, in the middle of their journey? "Hey, this is the end of the anime, so go and read the manga" is not quite what you want to hear when you are emotionally invested in an anime. But, I suppose, a faithful, if potentially incomplete adaptation is still preferable to the dreadful anime-only endings that plague many unfortunate adaptations. The story is too grand in scale, too personal for it to end after only thirteen episodes. The story could have also done without the more sexual situations— the references to penises, and one ungraceful moment where Reg returns from trying to save someone's life, only to blush and freak out immediately after when he sees Riko being undressed. With how serious the mood was at that point in the story, it effectively killed all the tension that had been building for the entire episode. That's not to imply this scene existed to create sexual arousal in the audience— Made in Abyss has more integrity than that— as she was being undressed solely for health reasons, but certainly it was not a scene that felt in any way necessary. There's a time and place in the story for comedic relief, and that was not the time. Made in Abyss is fairly impressive in terms of its sound and artwork. The background music starts adventurous and gradually becomes more ominous as the story progresses, even if the ending theme remains almost hilariously light-hearted and incongruently so— its lyrics being more appropriate to Barney & Friends than a graphic life-or-death struggle. While the artstyle may not be to everyone's taste, it at least remains detailed and consistent throughout the series (the map after the ending sequence being a nice addition), although there are perhaps two or three odd moments during the action sequences where the animation will suddenly become sketchy, for reasons that are mystery to me. In one of the weakest seasons for anime, where interesting series may well be nonexistent, Made in the Abyss is a genuine surprise. While I might reserve claims such as it being the best anime of the year (Sangatsu no Lion takes that one for me), it is a truly special anime, one which had me worried and invested in the characters' fate in a way that very few anime ever have. I want to see a future where Riko and Reg return to a happy life on the surface. But, much like them, I am determined to see their journey to its end, no matter the result.
HelghastKillzone
09/29/2017, 04:49 PM
“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” Perhaps Nietzsche had something to say about this show as the longer I watches it, the more I’m consumed by its captivating landscapes and eldritch horror found within its depth. [Contains Minor Spoilers] Located on the island of Ōsu where its single defining feature is an one kilometer wide hole, that is speculated to be over twenty kilometers deep, Made in Abyss follows the pair of Riko and Reg as they progress on their one-way journey to the very bottom. The biggest strength is its immersion that Made in Abyss submerges its viewers withby crafting an entire society that has every facet of it revolve around the mythos of the Abyss. Everything from the hierarchy of the cave raiders, the harsh reality of the orphans left behind, and the general nihilistic attitude towards the Abyss is expertly encapsulated by visual cues like the color of the whistles awarded to each cave raider, the town’s architecture or the rituals that are reverently performed in respect to the giant hole in the ground. Whereas other fantasy shows, that feature a singular towering dungeon, has its characters ascending and conquering its levels, Made in Abyss goes the opposite direction with its descent into the unknown, the unrelinquishing power of the Abyss to dominate all those who enter into its domain. In addition to the nightmarish creatures found below is the presence of a curse that exponentially worsen when a diver attempts to go back to the surface which depends on how deep they are. In effect, if one wants to reach the bottom of the Abyss, they can never return to the town of Osu. This isn’t a cheap gimmick for it pushes our characters past the point of no return and pays off in spades in some truly heart-wrenching moments later down the road. While the main plot-line of two characters going to lowest layer may seem simple but the way that is meshed together with interesting characters, danger and the prevailing ambience of mystery is what make this show so special. Moving away from contemporary anime character designs, Made in Abyss characters have a very cute style of rounded faces wouldn’t be out of place on a children morning show. Given the utter ruthlessness of the Abyss, it presents an odd juxtaposition to have these two polar opposite meld together and only adds to the distinct vibe of the show. Reg, being a robot originating from the Abyss, remains an enigma due to his memory loss but still acts like like a child due to his programming while Riko is relentless on fulfilling her desire to go to the bottom of the Abyss. Individually, they are not the most compelling characters but it is their inseparable bond that is the real draw and it only grows stronger, the deeper they go. For while Reg is powerful with his integrated firepower and grappling hands, the knowledge and drive that Riko brings to the table forms a symbiosis relationship that neither is going to reach the bottom without one another. While Riko does have the maturity of a twelve-year-old girl at the end of the day, she is quite believable when view within the context of a society that trains its children to excavate for ancient artifacts kilometers below the surface in a hostile environment full of carnivorous monsters. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the cast but they range from childhood love to suffering personified to being unsettling and menacing in their pursuit of experimental research. Animated by Kinema Citrus, known their work on Black Bullet, Barakamon and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, this is probably the studio’s best visual work to date. The real star is the how the Abyss is shown in both its vibrant and foreboding nature that shares many parallels to the many critically acclaimed works by Studio Ghibli. It comes as no surprise that the show’s art director of Osamu Masuyama is actually a former background artist from Studio Ghibli. Under his direction, there is a real sense of verticality and expansiveness that stretches to the void. Furthermore, complementing the gorgeous background art is the soundtrack composed by Australian-born Kevin Penkin where he uses an orchestral ensemble supplemented by electronic effects to give the abyss its sound. However, as good as his standard tracks are, the insert songs seems to be the popular with the audience with its hip-hop influence and haunting vocals. If I had one complaint about Made in Abyss, it would be that the show doesn’t offer significant challenges to its two main characters until the last third of its run-time. All the elements are there in the background with nature of the curse, the ferocity of the creatures that inhabit the abyss and the adversarial geography of its individual layers but they are fully realized towards the conclusion. The fault doesn’t lie with how the anime was produced but rather the plot progression found within source material of the manga. I have a feeling that the production staff was very well aware of this issue and did everything its could within the constraints of a one-cour show with a slightly above-average run-time of thirteen episodes along with a double-length finale. In the end, they did an admirable job of pacing out the plot without rushing its story or creating an original shoddy conclusion. It is so refreshing to have a fantasy adventure that stands alone on the merits of its world building, atmosphere and journey without dipping into the more unsavory aspects found within other shows of its genre. For a show to leave its audience only wanting to venture deeper into Abyss’s hauntingly beautiful and terrifying mysteries is indeed a very commendable accomplishment.
SunlitSonata
09/29/2017, 07:45 AM
Lost destiny, power at a price, the tolls of exploration. That is what goes on to drive them, to lead destiny forward to a world behind comprehension. That is.... the Abyss. It's certainly an interesting place to be sure. Those who return from it rarely bring back all its secrets, but receive worship regardless as more and more people are conditioned to go in and do work for their society. In that setting, this show is most definitely a journey, one where two young kids, drawn by their pasts beyond their understanding, discover a world where everything is dangerous and cooperation is a necessity. Made inAbyss is quite the interesting show. Being the critical standout in a generally disappointing anime season, it proved that having ambition and being willing to take risks to not sugarcoat content is very much appreciated, where something with a simple synopsis as "kids go into hole" can be so captivating, atmospheric, perilous, heart wrenching, mysterious, and even sweet. Our story begins with our young protagonist Riko. Being an explorer in training, one day when in the titular Abyss, she is nearly eaten by a giant worm monster that wouldn't be out of place in Monster Hunter. Thankfully she is saved by a mysterious robot, seemingly unusual from anything she'd seen in the pit. The robot takes on the name Reg, and with both it being curious about its origin and Riko wanting to wonder what happened to her mother after a Call to Adventure, they set off into the giant pit, possibly to never return, but not before the show takes the time to worldbuild first and create a very distinct atmosphere for itself. Worldbuilding, you see, is one of the show's greatest strengths, and one of the elements about it that stands out best, often in ways that are shown more than said. Upfront, it offers the pure exhilaration of exploring a rich fantasy world. Its compelling premise compacts the heart of adventure into two contrasting forces: fragile, ever-optimistic humans and the yawning, endless abyss. The show's direction is wonderful at establishing scope, as when in the early layers of the Abyss, shaping shots to have an upward pan do wonders to illustrate the great vertical descent there is compared to the surface, and even in the orphanage where Riko is staying, nifty details like the elevation of desk chairs and the way White Whistles are practically revered as messiahs regardless of moral implications of their actions help give a sense of identity to the world. This is to say nothing of the different layers, uniquely designed monsters, and locations we see Riko and Reg head towards, characterized beautifully and designed with a special tone, while still conforming to the general rules of the world and the expectations initially set up. It makes the Abyss feel like a fully functional setting, even if there's still FAR more to see overtime to make it compete with say, the dystopia in Shinsekai Yori. This is helped a lot by the production values. Kinema Citrus (Black Bullet, Barakamon) did a great job with this one. The landscapes are luscious, the character designs are nicely unique from the standard mold, the character animation is consistently smooth, and they really nail all the different details of the world visually. The soundtrack is even better, in fact it's phenomenal. Done by Kevin Penkin, an Australian composer who worked a lot with Square Enix, the soundtrack has a grand and wonderful feel to it. The beautiful atmospheric scenes are made even better with the excellent music choices, the tense scenes are truly tense, and even the quiet scenes can have very nice and memorable little melodies, it’s a win all around with great insert songs, starting from Episode 1 before the title is even revealed. I even give the sound design some points that come together with the character animation. Whenever Reg moves around with his metal armor pieces, you hear the little “chink” sounds as the parts move around in diverse ways. It’s a small element but goes to show a greater appreciation of little things, which is very nice if you want to give your show plenty of charm. As far as the story outline goes, it feels like a "Castle in the Sky meets Cave Story scenario". The show's atmosphere seemingly prepares it for an adventurous tone through a variety of colorful set pieces, the two protagonists have a youthful energy that never felt dishonest with co-dependence on each other, and the way the fantasy elements are integrated are very much classic myth, rather than falling into the ever popular Isekai MMO worlds known in anime nowadays. It lets things sink in, and like the director's previous effort in Monster, many moments are presented free of dialogue to let the tone play out with a wonderful musical score, accurately representing the source material's panels and accentuating the thrills and plot twists, whether meant to be exhilarating or disturbing. Which brings me to the Cave Story elements, aside from the similar plot point of an amnesiac robot in a massive below ground system, Riko and Reg getting through situations can be VERY difficult, and what lies beyond the initial curiosity of adventure at times reaches very cruel and heart wrenching levels. They also both have a cute bunny involved in lab experiments. The horror elements of the story come through this way, a natural consequences of two kids being prepared for the outside world and how often they appear at death's door, with Episode 9 being one of the best examples on how hard it can be to adapt for everything the Abyss throws at them. To the show's credit, these elements rarely come off as edgy, but rather, the tone is set right from the first episode to accommodate both the adventurous and underlying dread elements that it rarely breaks, and the idea of suffering a pain while trying to go back up the pit is well established and used to its potential, however heartbreaking it might be. Except for a slow gap midway through in which three episodes are spent in one location, the plot has a steady momentum as we follow Riko and Reg on their journey. It's amazing how a show description as simple as "kids go into giant hole to discover themselves" can have so much backing it up. The characters themselves are simple in construction, but compelling enough to buy into their journey. The show mainly follows two characters, Riko and Reg, along with a handful of others they meet along the way including the super bro Habolg, the VERY tough love figure Ozen, and one other character introduced very late who was very entertaining in sardonic trolling as well as how the show concluded with her prominence. Riko on paper is a very simple character, an energetic girl who wants to find her mother with a positive outlook ahead of her regardless of danger. Despite this, I admired her character for two reasons, both for her optimistic attitude and her basically having a pinch of "murder hole street smarts". Certain elements of being a cave raider, even if a rookie, go a long way to show how resourceful she can be, and when going with Reg on this journey, she has more forewarning of protocols, mapping and certain creatures, enough to make it seem like she has proper experience for her journey, but not SO much that it makes it seem like she can maneuver around everything. Without Reg, she'd be disadvantaged, but not entirely nonfunctional. She was a sweet character I enjoyed seeing be enthused and hoped for her quest to succeed. Reg, the robot, is a bit different. Coming from the pit itself without a memory, he's understanding the generalities of human interaction through being with Riko, and in a few cases, he's the one to take charge, having some nifty tools at his disposal but in certain cases at a heavy cost that could be devastating at the worst of times. Easy comparisons are drawn between Riko’s intelligence and societal upbringing but generally poor constitution, and Reg’s physical strength but lack of awareness or mental fortitude. As a newcomer to the societal mores, rules, and general knowledge of the Abyss, Reg also acts as an audience insert, but not in a power fantasy way, more in the sense that he’s drawing lines between who knows what. Although Riko knows far less about the Abyss than her mother or her initial Leader, she knows a lot more than Reg, and this becomes invaluable throughout their journey. In this way, their roles are sometimes reversed. Rather than Reg being sent as a gift to Riko for her journey, Riko is a gift to Reg on his journey because she provides him with necessary knowledge and training that he does not have. Together they create an interesting and compelling dynamic, with an additional sidenote that the way Riko was raised, she's conditioned to deal with many horrible things while Reg is not, making the innocuous robot's path to humanity ironically clearer. It's their journey, them having just enough to make it through and cover for each other, but still having to endure their way through many easily life-threatening situations that make Made in Abyss so damn compelling. That’s not to say the show was always perfect. The low point was Episodes 6-8, and being stuck in one general location on one specific thing ground the journey to a screeching halt, and having a certain character make expressions that were…a bit extreme, even by this show. The character herself was very well executed in context, but it made things a bit more drawn out than needed. There are quite a few...............awkward jokes, mostly innocent enough to let slip by but still noticeably weird focusing around the kids in odd, curious ways. Another thing would be the small supporting cast, but to the show’s credit, it knows when it needs to leave things to the main characters while still giving the sides some expression. Finally, there’s the unfortunate general lack of a conclusion common with many adaptation shows given short lengths, but with the content we were given, it more than carried its weight. Plus, unlike other shows that shamelessly cock tease us with a cliffhanger, we get a legitimately beautiful montage scene to close off this portion of adventure. When it shined, it REALLY shined. The final double length episode especially is an amazing showing of this element, combining strong character climax with just enough inspiration to not feel cheesy. Conclusion Made in Abyss is a true gem, a shining pillar in a mostly bleak and disappointing season. Is it perfect? Of course not, but the amazing atmosphere, unique worldbuilding, solid tone accompanying horror and dread, and likable, compelling cast of characters make this a great series for what we have. I’d recommend this to anyone hoping for a fairly ambitious title or for fans of wondrous media.
Stark700
09/29/2017, 07:22 AM
I’ve always had a fascination for fictional stories about fantasy adventures that adds a bit of survival horror to the mix. The type that stick to my memories the most are those that follows a journey to the unknown. As such, Made in Abyss came as no exception when I discovered this adaptation. It’s a show bringing in mystique that captivated me from start to finish. An anime like Made in Abyss takes on an approach with dynamic emotions to heart and it’s really an anime that people shouldn’t miss out. Reading the synopsis itself can feel a bit intimidated. As a manga reader, I wasintimidated at first when I realized what the series had to offer. The idea of a young girl journeying to the Abyss, a place with the darkest secrets and dangerous creatures really draws potential. What really bought my attention to heart for this show is how emotional the journey turned out to be. Make no mistake. Made in Abyss is more than just surviving in some unknown world. My first impression of this show is its colorful character cast. We have Riko, a 12-year old young girl who often seems to bring trouble wherever she goes. Joining her in this adventure story is a young robot boy named Reg. These two brings together a journey with various emotions. To me, it’s this pair that carries the journey as they take on unforeseen challenges. Individually, the two aren’t too alike. In fact, Reg isn’t even human but he does express a lot of human behavior. The first few episodes makes it clear that Reg cares about Riko a lot as a friend. Similarly, Riko is fascinated by Reg because of his nature and she also values him greatly. What really makes this show stand out is their character chemistry. Between the pair, Riko is the brain while Reg is the brawn. This is easily evidenced with Riko’s knowledge with the creatures they encounter. On the other hand, Reg is physically tough and is able to perform difficult feats that Riko cannot. However, Reg is mentally weak and thus need Riko’s support to survive. Together, this pair really sells the emotional drama of this show. Outside of this duo, we also meet their friends such as Nat, Shiggy, and Jiruo. The show only features them in the first few episodes as the main journey is undertaken by Riko and Reg. Nonetheless, their roles are also noticeable with Jiruo being the leader, Shiggy helping Reg, and Nat’s character chemistry with Riko. As the journey ventures on, we discover characters that are not so human-like and in fact possess otherworldly traits. Characters such as Nanachi and Ozen are featured in this season for their valuable roles. It’s important to realize that without them, Riko and Reg’s lives may have perished very early on. Ozen’s character also extends to relation with Riko’s mother during their past. The series cleverly convey their background stories that can be very appealing and also important. Speaking of Riko’s mother, she is her inspiration. Throughout the show, it’s made clear that Riko has an ambition to become just like or perhaps even surpass her. The background story regarding Mitty and Nanachi can also create various feelings for viewers as they realize the darker side of this anime. While this anime stands out as a fantasy/sci-fi adventure, there’s also many mystery elements that shouldn’t be overlooked. The mystery of the Abyss itself is one of the biggest factors as it creates a fear of uncertainty. If you’re an anime only viewer, then you’re in for a ride. For Riko and Reg, they face dangers that tests their physical and mental abilities. The “Curse of the Abyss” is also a recurring ideal that is revisited between some episodes. No one is really sure exactly what it is but the show makes it clear that it’s something malevolent. Other mystery elements to take notice of includes the origins of the Abyss, Ozen’s motives, the White Whistles, and among others. The exposition of this anime is also very consistent and doesn’t rely on boring narratives to do the work. Technical terms are also made easy to understand. To be honest, watching this anime always invited me to think and anticipate what may happen next. I have read the manga but it still makes me wonder how this anime will handle the adaptation. After completing the show, I have to admit that it does it brilliantly. Despite being an incomplete adaptation and inserting in some original content, its selling factors hits their mark. The Abyss itself is also filled with colorful world fiction. An anime like this really sets the bar for world building as each layer reveals its unknowns. The creatures our adventurers encounter are also unique and arouse various feelings. I can’t remember how many times I felt a chill down my spine whenever Riko or Reg stands in the face of danger. The emotional drama between the pair also feels very realistic. If you’re familiar with any survival horror media (books, tv shows, movies), then you’ll be surprised at how well this anime delivers its emotions. Studio Citrus may not be a powerhouse name but they definitely deserve the praise for crafting such an interesting world. It has the right fantasy elements with its eldritch creatures, the eye-catchy backgrounds, uncharacteristic architectures, and creative horror. Indeed, a show like this has violence so expect some body horror and graphic scenes. Character expressions has a good deal of psychology that really brings out its survival horror content. For the character designs, it shouldn’t take long for viewers to get used to them. I actually find it unique as its main character cast is mostly children. They represent youth and potential as Riko and Reg embarks on their journey. The creatures in the Abyss possesses otherworldly traits that make stand out. These ranges from monster birds, deadly insects, giant porcupine-like beasts, and horrific snakes. In addition, this anime has ancient artifacts that each has their own unique traits. Visually, Made in Abyss is really a special show that is appealing to the eye. Soundtrack is also impressive if we take a closer look at the voice mannerisms. Riko and Reg’s VA both deserves praise for their ability to step into the shoes of these kids. However, the most noticeable character in this anime would be Ouzen. I have to confess that Sayaka Ohara did a phenomenal job with her role. Thanks to her talent, Ouzen’s voice sounds haunting that always brings an eerie feeling whenever she appears. The words she speaks, the way she moves, and her personality is easily made possible with such a talented voice actress. The theme songs of the show holds a distinction of its fantasy themes. OST is eerie that helps this show stand out for its darker elements. Made in Abyss is a solid example of how a fantasy-adventure/survival horror should be made. It has a small yet memorable cast of characters, an exceptional death world with its fictional elements, and emotional drama that is endearing to watch. The show doesn’t tell its story with narratives that may put you to sleep. Instead, it delivers its journey with the sharp instinct and stylish storytelling. This is an anime that isn’t easily recommendable to anyone. The pacing can take some patience to get by and it has a character cast that may not be so likeable. Still, give this anime a try. There’s an old saying that goes “success is a journey, not a destination”. For this show, I couldn’t agree more.
IzaEpsil
09/29/2017, 06:32 AM
Are you looking for a good, fun, light-hearted adventure? This has that. Are you looking for a wonderful, sci-fi thriller? This has its thrilling moments. Are you looking for wonderful chemistry between the characters? This presents that. Do you want an anime with well-animated fight scenes? This gives us that. Are you looking for an anime that has a wonderful staff backing it up, always checking to make sure they bring out the anime’s fullest potential, based from its manga source, faithfully adapting it? They both have, and do that. Made in Abyss is an anime that can abide to almost anyone’s taste in anime. I personally believe that Madein Abyss is an anime and manga that will ring throughout time as one of the best classics to come out in recent years. Why? I’ll tell you. As said before, Made in Abyss has a staff of people running it that always checks to make sure that every episode is doing great, always trying their hardest into their works. A wonderful story, great character chemistry, a harmonious soundtrack, effects, and voice actors, and beautiful, fluid animation. All of that came onto the screen because of such a wonderful staff (except story, for the most part. Credit to the author, Akihito Tsukushi!). Everything about the series was able to grab me and pulled me in like a roped hostage on a train or bank scandal. While that may sound rough, what is truly meant is that, just from the first episode, I could tell that Made in Abyss was going to be great. In the first episode, it panels off immediately into a beautiful waterfall within the first layer of the Abyss and then into an abundance of flowers, trying to make you feel as if you’re standing right next to the lead in their journey into the abyss. The staff did that to have world build for the viewers, but it was a lot more than that. With the waterfall and pacing through the first episode, the waterfall and what happens after foreshadows what is to come later in the story. EVERYTHING that happens in the first episode is foreshadowing the story within the Abyss. But let me get back to what happens shortly after the waterfall and flower clip. We are introduced to the lighthearted driver of the story and her friend, Riko and Nat. They walk down a path where they see a gondola, foreshadowing that Riko will be going down into the abyss. Then she goes on an excavation to find relics, only to find a dead body in prayer. And then.. The craziest part of the episode that foreshadows the darkness of the story. A child, an inch away from death, from being eaten by the monster with the most peculiar characteristics that will have importance in the show. The monster can be compared to that of a Manta Ray, a slug and a snake. Of course, because Riko is the main character, she cannot just standby and watch it all happen. So, she tries to attract the monster away from the child by blowing her whistle, and she runs away as hard as she can, and she gets hurt. Just when it seems everything is hopeless, A robotic child, or maybe I should say a knight in shining armor, saves Riko with a blast of light, and is found unconscious shortly after. Riko can’t just leave him, being the main character. So, she brings him. That robot’s name is Reg. Thus, starts the wonderful character chemistry between the characters. With the first episode, whenever the characters interact with each other, it always brings great joy for how well they work together. It might be that the leads are kids (no, not lolis, they range from ages 10-12, and Kiwi is, like, 4), but because they are kids, it makes me feel as if I, myself, am a kid again. Just watching them do what they do across the screen, pulls my heart even more into the story. It truly feels as though I’m standing next to them during their interactions. Due to the leads being kids, they give off the light-hearted sense of adventure. Living joyously, actively, and having fun. This is just between Nat, Riko, Reg, and Sigy. Don’t even get me started on the interactions with Lyza, Ouzen and Nanachi. Their interactions are some of the biggest reasons why this anime is great, along with the fight scenes. Lyza being the narrator, Ouzen being the badass grandmother, and Nanachi (My favorite!) breaking your average anime tropes. If you want to know how great they are, just watch the anime. After the encounter with Ouzen, the story shows that, not even the main characters have plot armor. The definition of humanity treads onto many uncomfortable grounds for its viewers to display dark desires from within. Another great attachment to the anime is the sound. The soundtrack is beautiful. In an instant, from hearing the insert song from the first episode, I pre-ordered the soundtrack. The soundtrack sounds as if it came straight out of a game, and really has an adventurous beat to it. Thank you, Kevin Penkin. However, if I were to compare the soundtrack to the sound effects, the sound effects are some of the best sounds I have heard out of anime, especially when Reg shoots his arms or laser. What I can describe those sound effect as, is organic. With the voice actors, the kids sound like kids, and the old adults sound like old adults. But, when the intensity rises, comedically and dramatically, or narration within the anime, say, the fight scenes and Maaya Sakamoto (Her narration is wonderful to hear), the voice acting is great. It rounds about the sense of adventure, just like everything else the anime provides. With the voice acting, one can tell that there is passion going on behind the scenes. One more thing to talk about that the anime provides is the animation. I have not seen many anime with such fluid flowing animation besides those of Ghibli films. Speaking of which, the background animator of Made in Abyss comes from the Ghibli films! Will that motivate you to watch and finish Made in Abyss? ...No? Okay, then I’ll provide more than that to motivate you. Time frame 19:57 to 20:10 in the first episode. That should be enough to talk about the animation, because animation like that is all the anime will provide, making eye candy for the viewer. From the grainy wood, to the cavities on rock walls, and the sun coming over the horizon are wonderful details added by the animators. Overall/TL;DR | Enjoyment: 10/10. Made in Abyss is quite original in handling the fantasy setting, and I have to say that I’m glad something like Made in Abyss was able to come by. How the author was able to build a culture around an enormous crater is quite plausible. Made in Abyss provides variety and satisfaction, and it even provides the knowledge of the author, such as medical assistance and ecological terminology. Made in Abyss is an anime I can universally recommend. A great story that compels the viewer to finish from the start, active and lively characters that can be described even more as such through their interactions, the wonderful music from the soundtrack, sound effects, voice actors, and the Ghibli-comparable animation. I utterly, truly, from the bottom of the abyss within my heart, recommend this anime to anyone who seeks a great story. Made in Abyss provides just that. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sincerely, a great fan.
Pipe
09/29/2017, 06:22 AM
I want to be honest. I was evading this anime and manga. My first impression was the picture of Riko, Regu, and Nanachi, I thought: An anime about children, with some strange plot, fanservice and maybe a big bunny. I was not expecting anything from this anime. I was preparing to skip and to "bury" it in a review, but now I can eat my own words. This anime is a jewel. The adaptation is incredible. It has a good narrative with an impressive artistic design, combined with the most beautiful soundtrack of the year and an acceptable character development. Story: 8 An anime with a goodstory. It has everything, mystery, emotion, sadness, love, action, tears and much more. The story could be straightforward and conceptually very simple, several details are added as the story progresses. The show highlights concepts such as friendship, trust, why the abyss became important to the locals and the curse that surrounds it without being too complicated for the viewer to understand. Also, we can observe the constant need to find the truth and the need to resolve the abyss' mysteries. Besides, the story blended very well with the art and soundtrack to produce a beautiful animation. The abyss is an incredibly creative world. For me, it has its own set of laws where all the characters converge. The story never contradicts the abyss but uses it to propel the mysteries and characters. The plot is very attractive, and the details are revealed at the right pace to keep you hooked to the end. Also, some details are never shared, we can try to guess about them. Lowering the abyss is a dangerous task. However, it is gratifying to see the consistency between hazards and depth. Perhaps the only negative point I have is that the story is not going to be finished as the manga is still going on. In addition, it was only adapted to chapter 26 of the manga. I'm sure we'll have to wait a while for an ending. Characters: 8 The main characters are Riko and Regu. I consider Nanachi and Ouzen as secondary characters but those two added important details to the story. Riko radiates great enthusiasm. She wants to explore and to understand the abyss. Besides, she is anxious to go deeper because she wants to see her mom. She suffers, cries, worries, but always tries to be active no matter how weak she is. She is brilliant, but her body is not that strong. She trusts Regu unconditionally. Regu. Is it a machine? Is it a hybrid? This character has a mystery that maybe will not be explained. He is powerful but lacks thoughtful analysis. For that reason, he is the best partner for Riko because she is the rational one and they trust each other. Ouzen (Ozen): She is a human being but could be a monster. She does not care if you're weak or strong. She will show you the reality and if necessary will put you in your place. Nanachi is more a survivor of the abyss curse. She (I'm assuming she's a girl) is very intelligent and has suffered a lot. However, there may be an error in her age. She might look young as Riko, but is she so young? I think she's older than Riko and Regu. The characters look good together because their traits are very different. The show portrayed them very well. However, I would consider the characters as the weakest link in the series. Do not get me wrong, they are good, but they were not explored enough to explain some parts of the story. At times I felt that we just touched the surface of these characters. There are some background questions, and I'm sure we will get the answers in the future. Art: 9 The best of the season. They pay attention to details. For example, in episode one at the end, we can see the talent of this group when they combined the shadows and the lighting at dawn and created a perfect movement. The precise colors and design created an impressive effect that for the spectator's eyes could be one of the best of the year. That quality remained throughout the series. In addition, the choice of colors and a smart move adjusted within the scenes helps you to focus on what matters, not forgetting or letting go of the details if you choose to focus on other parts of the scene. The action sequences have an excellent design and do not lose quality. They also combine very well with the sound mixing. Sound: 10 With one word I want to praise this "exceptional" sound. The OST has several scores that help the storytelling. For example, a mixed composition such as "Underground River" (Ep1, Disc1), "Hanazeve Caradhina" (Ep1), "Swings and Roundabouts" combined with an intelligent sequence, an impressive story and a witty artistic direction created the perfect environment to catch any viewer and make them anxious for more. We can find another example in the score "The first layer." This score helps to add to the plot the feeling of the unknown and the expectation for the future. The music runs in the best time possible. It creates excitement, drama, conveys feelings to viewers and makes the plot and characters shine. The songs Deep in Abyss (OP) and Tabi no Hidarite, Saihate no Migite (ED) are the perfect complement to this anime. These songs are very catchy and have a great rhythm. Finally the VO. I'm not used to talking about it, but in this case, the voices helped to portray the characters. For example, Ouzen's voice. That voice adds excitement to the scenes and creates a great twisted mystery to the character. Enjoyment: 9/10 I really liked this anime. It does not matter if the characters were not explored in detail, no matter the lack of answers about some characters or if the story did not end. The show brings a lot of excitement to any viewer. The story is solid, well structured and consistent almost all the time. The pace is good and the details never hurried. Another good point is that they followed the manga so none could complain. The art and sound led the narration out of the chart. Overall: 9/10 I was tempted to give a 10 to this anime, but the questions about the characters and the unfinished story lowered the score. Unfortunately for us, we do not know if we will get a continuation of the anime in the future, but it does not matter. I recommend this anime, the art, the adaptation are exceptional with a unique soundtrack. It was the best of the season so skipping it will be a mistake. In the end, I became a fan of this story and I don't regret it. PS: Yes! Another messy review by Pipe and I didn't proofread again, sorry.
ItzToxic
09/29/2017, 06:20 AM
Open up an endless world of possible settings. A Giant hole in the middle of civilization, in which lies a gigantic hole dangerous to mankind. What could it be? How does it work? What lies within it? Made in Abyss is one of my personal favourites of Summer 2016 due to its amazing setting, atmosphere, and world building with amazing execution along with an amazing narrative. It shows us the dangerous and more grim side of things while making it completely thought provoking. We start off this adventure with Riko, a girl with curiosity and the need to adventure the depths of the Abyss thoroughly. Withno signs of fear, she heads on strong until her partner Nat gets into trouble with a creature. She does save him and with this, she meets a robotic boy named Reg. His origins at the time were mysterious and unknown to Riko. Thus their adventure as boy and girl, in search for a purpose begins. Why do they feel the need to enter the Abyss? Why risk it all and go into a deadly place? For the search of Riko’s Mom and her whereabouts. Her curiosity and duty like feeling called her into the Abyss and Riko wanted to find the answer to it all. While they adventure and stray from what was called their home, they delve deep into deaths row. While they do this, their personality matures while they grow significantly as characters. Proceeding with caution and making the right decisions is all that matter. Because one little mistake and it may be then over for our adventurers. Something I can appreciate about Made in Abyss is its use of colours and looking at the atmosphere within its full beauty telling us that great Storytelling isn't all they can do. While they're at it, why not insert a beautiful song while we look at some beautiful scenery? Setting the tone like that in the first episode and I knew that this series would be great. I have read the manga before hand and seeing it brought out to life is much more satisfying. The way the voice acting is brought out, to how the creatures look, to the soundtrack. I might be praising the music too much, but I think it deserve just that much praise. The objective here mainly is Riko and Reg in search for Riko’s mother and descending further into the Abyss, with more risks to come. The system of the Abyss is explained and how it works. Riko and Reg knows that this will be a very difficult trip. But they head in otherwise. Despite them being a lower rank (red whistle), they show bravery and proceeds. Let me just say this to those who might not have a clue, but I suggest heading into this anime cautiously. It is by no means a kids show, so don't be fooled by the childlike artstyle. You'll find it more enjoyable and it might give you a more interesting experience. What makes this anime for me is the atmosphere and the feeling once they go deeper and deeper. It seems ok at first, but as it progresses, the atmosphere becomes more dark and fearful along with an uncomfortable feeling. It's weird how Riko, who is only a little girl, dives into this deathly hole with little to no hesitation. Her drive is that insane. Which I find very odd in some ways. It's just not normal for a little girl to conceive all the consequences and dangers that lies ahead and just disregard those things in a sense and be on her merry way. Interesting how she's like that. The art style and character design is not something you usually see, which gives Made in Abyss a more unique touch to it. The design will not appeal to everyone I'm sure, but I for one really appreciate how each character looks. With the Chibi looking artstyle to the very beautiful looking layers in the Abyss, the unique story, the execution, working together with the beautiful Soundtrack, Art, and animation, this anime is like ear gasms plus eye gasms. It’s very satisfactory. As the anime progresses, so does Reg and Riko. They learn to trust each other better (although Riko looked like she liked Reg from the start with her happy go lucky attitude). They learn that the Abyss is no small thing and that they must learn that no help will come for them in times that they are in danger. If there’s anything to complain about, it may be the fact that the narrative aspect of the show seems a bit slow. I found the character development to be ok, but overall this anime is my favourite of Summer 2017. I loved the death vibes as they went deeper. The anime is mostly based around Reg and Riko and their adventure within the abyss. This is how you world build, this is how you make an adventure series, this is how you add violent scenes, this is how you create suspense, this is how to make someone truly cringe, this is how you execute storytelling correctly. Made in Abyss does it all, with minor errors or flaws, it proves that little children going on a nice adventure isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
HaXXspetten
09/29/2017, 06:17 AM
It's been a long time since I saw an anime which manages to immediately get you captivated as much as Made in Abyss did. At first glance it might look like a kids' show of sorts, but you really couldn't be much further from the truth. This is a pretty dark anime past a certain point, but even before that it's still fantastic. Made in Abyss is a perfect example of an adventure anime done right. When I first started watching it, it reminded me of the feeling you get when you jump into some beautiful-looking open-world RPG for the first time, as the world ofMade in Abyss simply looks stunning. The environments are breathtaking by themselves, but the nature of the giant hole into the underworld known as the Abyss is also so fascinating to think about. Just what could lie down there? How could such a thing possibly even exist? It teases your imagination with its unique flora and fauna, and there are so many mysteries to unravel about both the Abyss itself but also the main characters' personal intrigues which are related to it. It's like a legendary dungeon which is just begging to be explored to see what new fascination lies just around the corner. The story follows the peculiar robot boy Regu and his human friend Riko as they embark on a perilous journey into the depths of the Abyss in search of Riko's long lost mother. During their travels they have to learn first-hand about all the different types of hazards that lie within the Abyss, and what kind of strange creatures inhabit it. The main characters are both children and as a result still quite immature in nature, yet they're still filled with unwavering determination and courage to push onwards. Riko is ultimately quite helpless and incapable of defending herself or traversing difficult terrain, so Regu helps her out with his multi-purpose robotic arms to get the job done instead. But above all, they both feel very believable. Riko is very humane in nature and quite quickly becomes someone you want to cheer for, and even Regu is surprisingly genuine despite being an amnesiac robot of unknown origins. There are also a handful of side characters making appearances of different sorts throughout the show, but while most of their roles are relatively brief, they all feel like they serve a purpose. It's not just a well-written and exciting adventure anime though, but past a certain point the story also becomes very serious. In an almost Madoka-like twist of fate, it's like the author suddenly snapped his fingers and decided to take the series to the next level, which resulted in one of the most gruesome anime episodes I've seen in a long time. It was legitimately hard to watch (you'll know it when you see it). However, this only serves to further add to the feeling of peril and caution when trying to proceed further down into the Abyss, because the viewers are shown first-hand that this place is not to be underestimated. The show may have childlike characters and beautiful environments, but death might just lurk around any nearby corner nonetheless. Made in Abyss is one of those anime which may be fairly straightforward in nature, but is still just so interesting in so many different ways that it's hard to stop watching. You never know what you're going to find next in this fantasy-like place, and the danger and intensity of the Abyss is showcased so well in order to get the appropriate atmosphere across to the viewers. It's beautiful yet deadly at the same time. It may have merely been a potential dark horse when the season started, but by the end of it there's no question which horse won the race any longer.

Made in Abyss メイドインアビス

North American Anime & Manga Releases for September

Interview: Kinema Citrus Staff Reflect on 'Made in Abyss'

North American Anime & Manga Releases for November

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

English Dub Cast Announced for 'Made in Abyss'

Recap Movies of TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Announced

'Made in Abyss' Sequel Announced

Winners of the Newtype Anime Awards 2017

Q4 2017 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 12/23]

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Final Episode to Receive 1-Hour Broadcast

Summer 2017 Simulcast List [Update 8/8]

Q3 2017 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/13]

Summer 2017 Preview

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Additional Cast Members Announced

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Announces Cast and Additional Staff

Manga 'Made in Abyss' Gets TV Anime Adaptation

Made in Abyss メイドインアビス

North American Anime & Manga Releases for September

Interview: Kinema Citrus Staff Reflect on 'Made in Abyss'

North American Anime & Manga Releases for November

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

English Dub Cast Announced for 'Made in Abyss'

Recap Movies of TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Announced

'Made in Abyss' Sequel Announced

Winners of the Newtype Anime Awards 2017

Q4 2017 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 12/23]

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Final Episode to Receive 1-Hour Broadcast

Summer 2017 Simulcast List [Update 8/8]

Q3 2017 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/13]

Summer 2017 Preview

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Additional Cast Members Announced

TV Anime 'Made in Abyss' Announces Cast and Additional Staff

Manga 'Made in Abyss' Gets TV Anime Adaptation