Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷

2022 summer | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.6 (226606)

Updated every Wednesdays at 22:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Synopsis

After surviving the brutal challenges of Idofront, Riko now possesses a White Whistle, allowing her to descend into the Abyss's sixth layer—The Capital of the Unreturned. Alongside Reg and Nanachi, Riko begins to explore the uncharted domain, where the ruins of the promised Golden City are located. As the trio starts to adapt to the harsh environment, they soon encounter dangerous creatures and treacherous landscapes. Their expedition leads them to a village inhabited by strange beings known as "hollows." Despite the creeping sense of unease that welcomes them, the three venture onward to uncover the mysteries of the settlement and long-lost legacies of the forgotten adventurers who once descended into the horrors of the unexplored Abyss. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Izawa, Shiori

Ise, Mariya

Tomita, Miyu

News

Reviews

exezz
08/14/2024, 03:35 PM
Drop this anime after 1st season. You're welcome. Here's a few reasons why the second season is not worth your time (neither is this review) 1) Characters It was frustrating how little agency the main cast had. You could pretty much leave them out and the story would play out about the same. But wait, there is a line up of brand new characters, surely these guys have awesome story to te-- nope, they are awful. If you're at the last episode of the season and can't even remember the name of the character this thing is about, yeah, that's not good, that means you just don't care.2) The plot Alright, so the plot has layers and that's good. Maybe too many layers. Some layers are downright brilliant but most of them are weird, illogical, don't make sense, or just feel like a filler. Why does it have to be so complex? Like, Ghost in Shell is less complex. Death Note has fewer exposition dumps. This show used to have such a haunting and beautifully simple premise, so I wonder how we get from swashbuckling adventure with occasional horror to this headache-inducing exposition dump marathon. You may as well just read a book. 3) Pacing It attempts to alternate between present and past. It is a risky technique because flashbacks can hamper the momentum, but if done well, it can pay off in a satisfying aha moment - "oh wow, now it all makes sense!" kind of thing. Not here. It has one foot in presence and the other in the 150 year old past constantly, and reveals just enough to explain the last scene, or line of dialogue, which makes you clueless to the very end. To be honest, I binged it in 2 evenings, but it was my hope, my wish for it finally make at least some sense, that pushed me forward, but it made me watch it whole, so that counts I guess. 4) Worldbuilding The worldbuilding is hands down the strongest element of "Made in Abyss" series. It strikes unique balance between soft worldbuilding and hard worldbuilding. In this season, in this level, a rigid worldbuilding element has been introduced - a principle of value, payment, balancing, what happens to those who steal or hurt others. It seemed like it was about to play a way larger role, given that this was the cornerstone of how this society worked, it was supposed to be the core theme of this entire season, but in the end it just fell flat because the morale behind it was... sorry to say it but hollow. So disappointing. 5) The weird stuff Yeah nah, I'm not going to waste energy to try to invent euphemisms for all the creepy sh*t which is so ever-present in this series. As an author, you have million choices how to tell a story and the author picked these? idk what to say man. TLDR; MCs in backseat, over-bloated info dumps, things happen but none of them matter and the morale of the story is far from moral, much less uplifting, inspiring or insightful in any capacity and I am most likely going to skip the future installments. I give it a four, it has its moments.
0004_1
05/05/2024, 06:11 AM
The Sequel to Made in abyss, The second season gets going alot quicker and gets into the messed up shit faster which i prefer since the first few dragged of season 1. Art - 8/10 - I have a few issues with the animation, for the most part its pretty good, but there is a clearly heavier reliance on CGI this season, which for the most part looks decent but CGI will drag anything down unless its amazing. Characters - 9/10 - A huge fan of almost all characters in this show now, even the villains dont feel villainous for no reason, Still dont like Riko asa character tho/ Story - 10/10 - Stays messed up, Stays true to the first season and stays entertaining, a more action based season is something that did help it, another slower paced season like season 1 would have dragged the 13.5 episodes on. OST/Sound Design - 10/10 - Kevin Penkin Did the soundtrack, i dont really need to say much more. He is amazing at doing atmospheric sounds and Ost's, the ending is also a classic. The op is a bit lacking and doesn't fit the season. Enjoyment - 9/10 - Enjoyed more than season 1, I Tend to notice a pattern where second seasons are typically better than the first maybe for me atleast. Overall 9/10 Great Sequel season with an above average ending, Awaiting the next season in um.... Probably never since the show is almost caught up to the manga.
Myarthe4th
04/10/2024, 03:40 AM
This season did not move the plot forward as much as I had hoped it would. We got 12 episodes but barely touched on any of the numerous mysteries that make this show interesting. Most of this season felt like the writers were stalling and not giving the audience any answers. The tragedy in this season felt utterly ridiculous. It was so obvious that the writers wanted to make the audience cry when they reintroduced a certain character from the first season. I didn’t get even get emotional when that happened. I also felt like everything about Faputa’s mom was just so unnecessarily tragic andI also did not have an emotional reaction to that. In fact, I felt that entire storyline was absolutely absurd. Tbh, I’ve always felt like this show is very very hit or miss. The first season was boring until the last 3 episodes and this show peaked in movie 3. That movie was absolutely perfect and I am so sad to get such a disappointing follow up. At this point, I just want all the questions answered without any more forced tragedies. Although I’m still excited to watch more Made in Abyss, I’m starting to feel like this show is overhyped and I hope the final reveals at the very end are not as disappointing as the entirety of this season.
Chrystarii
01/23/2024, 10:55 AM
Made in Abyss: a series which in my heart, I really wanted to love, but in the end was tragically disappointed by. To be clear, I think this show is quite competent. The world building and concepts were fascinating. I loved the 7 different layers, and the corresponding illnesses that came from ascending in each one. The sense of foreboding and mystery was incredible in the first season, with the praying corpses, scattered relics, etc. It made me excited to learn more about the abyss as a place, and how such a harsh environment had even come to exist. But unfortunately, beyond all of that, that’sall Made in Abyss turned out to be: a list of cool ideas, stunted by underwhelming execution. Problems with S1: To reiterate, S1’s strengths were in the world itself. The first three episodes were set up perfectly—creating an apprehensive sense of dread around what awaited Riko and Reg in the unknown of the abyss. I felt genuinely afraid, and I loved it. It wasn’t until the main characters actually began their descent when I started to notice some negative patterns in the narrative’s storytelling. My main qualms lied with Riko and Reg. Aside from behaving in ways that felt out of place for 12-year-olds, Riko’s consistent disregard for her own safety and lack of self-preservation got tiring very quickly. She experienced little in terms of character development, and seemed to be used primarily for “cute bait”—existing only for the purpose of being viciously mutilated when the plot wanted higher stakes. (Also this is a side note, but I noticed an alarming amount of scenes where these *twelve-year-olds* had sexually questionable interactions, moments of nudity, or expulsion of bodily fluids. I can understand the desire to raise the story’s tension, but the ways these elements were used only ever felt uncomfortable and fetishy, and had very little relevance to the plot.) Despite these factors though, what made S1 special was Nanachi’s arc. Her arc was the first time Made in Abyss presented conflict in a way that was not only dark, but grounded. She had lasting psychological repercussions that made her hesitant to trust others, and behaved in ways that logically aligned with her character motivations. She was flawed, and her complex desires and maturity of knowing when to back down from a fight made her much more compelling than Reg and Riko; who struggled to learn these basic survival principles up until the end of the season. Season 1 would’ve had so much more gravity to it if the characters actually responded in an appropriate way to the abominations they witnessed. I was expecting to watch as the MCs slowly lose their grasp on their sanity—to witness them struggling to maintain their vigor with each layer they descended. I wanted to see them second-guess themselves and question their desires, only to eventually resign themselves to their choice; crossing the point of no return. Of course, I recognize a lot of this is my own opinion, but I still stand by the fact that keeping the tone cheerful despite the horrors Riko and Reg experienced was the very thing that undermined Made in Abyss as a story. Problems with S2: Basically, add up everything in season 1, plus a myriad of questionably written story beats, and you have season 2. The story introduces the Golden City: a location in layer six where hollows have been dwelling in peace for centuries. It was an interesting idea at first, but in order to make way for all of these new characters’ tragic backstories, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi are unfortunately forced to take a distant backseat. The characters Faputa and Vueko were alright in terms of development, but were introduced in a way that felt way too abrupt. We hadn’t received any prior implications or foreshadowing about the Golden City in S1, so rather than watching satisfying lore elements click into place in S2, we were overwhelmed by a loosely related side-quest which the main characters merely stood by and witnessed. Everything felt jarringly out of place as a result, and the conclusion was unsatisfying because of how little anything changed afterward. (Which, I can’t help but observe that Faputa basically committed immense war crimes to accomplish her goals by the end, yet was painted as a hero despite that due to her self-proclaimed “noble cause”. That’s not really an ideal message to be sending…) In the end, season 2 wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t mesh well with the original plot. It would’ve made more sense as a movie rather than an entire arc of the story. 6/10: excessive suffering, and inconsistent, convoluted plot elements. I miss the sense of foreboding from season 1. (Also Nanachi had a severe lack of screen time. She got done so dirty, and no one talks about it enough.)
Seam_Ali
12/15/2023, 02:30 PM
Season 2 stands as a mesmerizing continuation of the series, seamlessly blending breathtaking animation with a compelling narrative that delves even deeper into the mysteries of the Abyss. From the outset, the anime grabbed my attention with its stunning visuals, showcasing an unparalleled attention to detail that brings the fantastical world to life. The storytelling remains a standout feature, evolving the plot in ways that both surprise and engage the audience. The intricate lore and world-building continue to be a testament to the creative genius behind the series, as each layer of the Abyss reveals new wonders and challenges. Viewers are treated to a symphony ofemotions, from moments of awe and wonder to heart-wrenching scenes that tug at the soul. The character development in this installment is noteworthy, as the protagonists, Riko and Reg, face ever more complex trials that test their resilience and courage. The introduction of new characters adds depth to the ensemble cast, contributing to the richness of the overall narrative. The relationships formed and tested in the Abyss serve as the beating heart of the series, fostering a genuine connection between the audience and the characters. Visually, the animation quality maintains its high standard, with lush landscapes, fluid action sequences, and imaginative creature designs that enhance the overall viewing experience. The Golden City itself is a visual marvel, a testament to the animators' ability to bring an otherworldly environment to the screen with vivid colors and intricate details. The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it complements the narrative perfectly, heightening the emotional impact of key scenes. From the haunting melodies that echo the mystery of the Abyss to the uplifting tunes during moments of triumph, the music adds an extra layer of immersion to the viewing experience. The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is an anime, successfully built upon the foundation laid by its predecessor. It maintains a delicate balance between beauty and brutality, leaving a lasting impression on those who embark on this unforgettable journey into the depths of the Abyss. This installment is a must-watch and I'll give it a 10/10. I hope this series gets a sequel soon!
MxS7HGS
11/18/2023, 08:30 AM
A significant theme of this season revolves around the value we place on things and the reasons behind why we value them. It also explores how others may value things differently and whether those values can change over time. The season delves deeper into the Abyss, where the creatures become more dangerous. Reg, Riko, and Nanachi are on a mission to find Riko's stolen white whistle. As they search for the whistle, they stumble upon a village with colorful and quirky characters. However, they soon discover that the village has a dark past. This season's use of the term value may confuse viewers, as it isapplied to currency, objects, characters, and even emotions. In this world, where different rules apply, trading a life for an item is not unheard of. The season features excellent world-building and well-developed characters, with many flashbacks that are sensitively handled. The season is not without its flaws. Despite this, it is still another great season. Kudos to the producers.
Haioki
08/30/2023, 10:12 AM
For the very first time, an anime brought tears to my eyes. Certain moments reached into the depths of my emotions, unleashing a torrent of tears. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all – this anime features breathtaking landscapes and includes scenes of both beauty and gore, accompanied by an exceptional soundtrack. Its narrative is emotionally stirring, founded on an unprecedented concept. The characters are intricately crafted, each with their own unique history. What sets it apart is that the plot is unpredictable and far from monotonous. Moreover, the art style perfectly complements the story. Story - 10/10 Soundtrack - 10/10 Character development - 10/10
whiteflame55
06/24/2023, 03:42 PM
It's Made in Abyss, and this series has never let me down, so that didn't change here. However, for this series, I did feel that this was a weaker entry. It doesn't give much opportunity for our main cast to develop, instead focusing on an external set of characters that, while interesting, don't have the kind of depth that our main cast displays. The dread of this series is still there and in some ways made more unnerving by the alien setting and circumstances around them. The dual story of the history of this place alongside our main cast's story definitely sets a unique tone.The action is still strong and the animation still amazing, but the emotional beats don't hit as hard and it's just harder to connect with a cast of characters as big as this.
mmm_16
05/09/2023, 04:49 PM
Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou is an abysmal continuation to what could have been an interesting story. The first season showcased fascinating worldbuildind, captivating the viewer with enchanting atmospheres and the promise of a journey in search of the knowledge at the end of the abyss, all qualities this season completely failed in carry on. The movie foreshadowed the shortcomings of the second season, but there the detachment from the strong points of the plot (dynamism of the journey, discovery of the abyss) was excused by the events that were essential for the continuation of the plot. Here the story becomes static once againand is abruptly interrupted by what feels like a 12-episode long filler episode, which is, by definition useless plot wise. We learn nothing more of the abyss, the real protagonist of the story, or of our old characters, with the exception of Reg; can we truly say, though, to have learnt something new about Reg's past? The objective of the new season is the introduction of a new character who is goint to join the original trio of delvers: this is a major goal, but not at the expense of halting the story for an entire narrative arc. Furthermore, said character's story is complicated and strange in a manner that feels exhibitionist: the gore and the gruesome forms of the beings did not feel organic with the canonic elements. Indeed, the story is quite simple but it seems as if the author's intention was to show off his grisly imagination: it is as if the story was written just to appear strange, as if asking you "Am I not quirky? Am I not incredibly original and different from all the other stories?", just like those people who try to appear eccentric just to set themselves apart from the others. Some character's design was well-thought-out and respected their personality, but it was not sufficient considering this was true only for two out of a dozen characters. I understand the intention behind the introduction of other languages but the constant repetition of some locutions (yes, I am talking about "Sosu") is annoying and migraine-triggering, especially so when we consider the explanation behind it. In conclusion, the creepy,nauseating and perverse scenes, that make this whole work feel like someone's fetish come true, would be excusable, as they were in the first season, if it wasn't for a plot that can only be described as boring and insignificant. The only reason the rate is not 1 is because of Kevin Penkin's Soundtrack, which is, as always, evocative and much more emotional than the plot wanted to be. If you find yourself at the end of this too long review, just know that it is not born out of hatred for the original story but from the disappointment of what it could have been.
Godslayer27
02/12/2023, 01:45 PM
Well this one is kinda an tricky series though the firts season was good and really set the bases for what could be an outanding one the movie that served as secuel was Sh@@@t to say the least ( if you are more curious i have an review of it) and sadly this one was the same trash if not even worse than his predecesor. Starting off with the good ones i have to mention the ost and how freaking good tracks are on it, just like the firts season in this aspect still keeps maintaining the same quality and are so emotives and beautifulmelodies. The backgrounds are stunnings and the lore itselft its really intriging and well though in many ways and although is not used even at their minimun of his poetential i think still its there despite all the mistakes and horrors that makes. Our main cast of characters emcompassing the protagonism in a beggining were kinda decent and even i could go so fat to say good but since their secuel in the format of the movie and this second season they became just completly stupids and brainless, there are just a couple of things that i could forgive in certain ones like with nanachi and with a really small degree reg ( in this second season). Riko just went downhill so fast ending up like an innecesary characters that only its there for the sake of moving on with the plot being the other two just following her up, and she expose in every freaking possible situation in such a way that doesnt even questionate a sh@@@t and the worst is that everything just end ups like nothing and she keeps making the same freaking mistakes (like it were an newborn), i cant even call her restless because its just plain dumb as fuck. Nanachi stills hold a good amount of decency as character after all this even with how shitty was portrayed in the movie so i think its one if not the only salveagable character of the main cast, Reg is just an dog lapdog that do wharever riko says and even with that poor try in adding a little more of interest in him with his past and everything doesnt hold enought to actually bring to light how flat and hollow is. The writting of this is a joke i mean the pacing itselft wasnt to much of an problem but dude it just doesnt make sense at all some things the development is so BAD handled and you can see just after the two firts episodes how not even the author doesnt know in what direction to go giving priority to many things that doesnt serve to any kind of purpose like the gore that i dont have any problem with it and i kinda get that contrast between that chibi-like desing with all those grotesque scenes but really many times are efimere to what is all about the arc and in the end feels like an guilty-pleasure by the author to please the audience (as if adding gore to an series would improve it) wihtout adding any value to the series. I like it the new elenct of characters introduced who arrived before and all their backgrounds though still could critize a good amount of them, just in the last batch of episodes it was where started to show up how incoherent were characters like eluko vuelo, belaf or wazukyan that stayed in a kinad gray area quite debatable if actually werent just leave it aside for the sake to fit those 12 episodes or due of pure negligence from part of the author (which wouldnt be a surpraise to this point). And of course to end with the cherry of the cake that ending... ohhh man that ending its the most anticlimatic thing that i have ever seeing i mean if wasnt enought with all the previous mentioned still managed to make it worse. I had to force myselft to finish it to being honest, there are just a few of things that felt like an torture and this was one of them, the dialogs, the motivations of the characters , the freaking writting and development of the story, jesus every single thing that plays an rol in the story telling is an disaster my god when i was in the latest episode i could not wait more to end the suffering because the reality is that hurt so much to actually find something so bad in those aspects, RESUME Well we have reached a point without return and from now on i have now more than undertand that what in a beggining was an promising story with a possible depth lore accompained with an amaizing ost its at his core an really poor attemp of it, comminting HUGE mistakes in the most importants aspects that any series should have an at least decent lv that are characters development, story and narration. Im dissapointed to being honest i was hoping that could reclaim this time with an at least same quality like the firts one but sadly wasnt the case and although has a couple of things that are pretty good ( im not talking of the gore) starts pretty early coming to light all their flaws that end up making an really dissapointing experience.
WritaHolic
11/17/2022, 04:21 PM
As a story, Made in Abyss is made up of three core elements: alien but ultimately enchanting world-building, decently strong character writing, and… uncomfortable moments, be that through horror-writing, the downright gleeful torture of minors, or the somewhat alarming tendency to fetishize children. As our heroes go further down the abyss, the enchanting parts of the world give way to more and more uncomfortable moments, especially in this second season. And that’s not surprising: it’s an abyss, after all, so it should be dark. But as someone who didn’t bat an eye at the horrific scenes in the first season or the movie, I feltphysically ill watching MULTIPLE parts of this second season (Even though I liked it overall). This is a quality of Made in Abyss that I admire—it takes guts to create a story as viscerally uncomfortable and disturbing as this one. But, it’s also a quality that saddens me, because at this point, I can’t fully recommend the second season. If you felt uncomfortable about anything in Made in Abyss’s first season or the movie, you very well might not make it through this second season… or you might make it through but come out hating the franchise, which I definitely don’t want for you. So, only read further if you’re genuinely invested in Reg, Riko, and Nanachi’s plight, and have all the masochism and immunity to child fetishization you need to watch this second season in the first place (as I apparently do). Now, to details. Much like the movie, the second season covers a single arc in a single location. Overall, I think the plot and pacing are impressive, especially given the fact that Riko, Reg, and Nanachi are almost never in the same location this time around. On top of that, the second season throws in a LOT of new characters, as well as a new storyline that runs in parallel thematically, but in the past chronologically. The season juggles all these elements quite well, and although I would have loved a little more time to dive into backstories and side stories, it still gets you invested and emotional when you need to be. Unfortunately, I think the character writing suffers this season. Irumyuui, a crucial character to this season’s plot, isn’t developed much beyond “cute girl who goes through shit.” Wazukyan, while an interesting character, feels like a minor downgrade after Bondrewd. Belaf (#bestboy) holds an incredible amount of symbolic interest, but isn’t present enough for the season to explain his contradictory actions, which ultimately harms his character. Riko only rehashes character beats we already know from the first season, while Nanachi regresses, essentially reliving an arc from the first season after all the stellar development they got in the movie (At least Reg gets some interesting developments and backstory this season). But these are more nitpicks than anything; as I said before, the show still gets the job done and gets you invested and emotional when needed. Visually, the second season is basically just as stunning as everything else the franchise has to offer. Some might be offended by the heavier use of CGI this season, but narratively, I think it works, and even emphasizes how unnatural and out-of-place certain elements of the Abyss are. The soundtrack is also excellently utilized, and builds upon the solid foundation provided by the first season. The OP is both narratively impactful and gorgeous to look at—definitely my favorite opening of the summer season. From a production standpoint, there’s nothing not to like here. If you plan to watch the second season, I’d say binge it. It might help you get through the uncomfortable moments and gloss over the problems in character writing. It’ll also help you keep track of the (admittedly) numerous plot and character threads the season juggles. If you think you can handle extreme conceptual discomfort, binge and enjoy—I certainly did.
InFlare
11/08/2022, 10:27 PM
Since the first season, the story has been picking up pace and is a pleasant adventure with a touch of drama and dark atmosphere. The mixture of fairy tale and haunting setting as the characters descend into the abyss does its job perfectly until you smoothly enter this story arc. The second season for me personally felt like marking time. The history of the settlement could have been revealed much more succinctly and gracefully, but the author stretched the screenplay, creating a heavy chewing gum that you want to spit out and forget by the middle of the season. The only bright spot in the storyis Faputa, only on her charisma and battle scenes can you endure the second half. I look forward to continuing, and I hope that this will not happen again.
greenblood1991
10/19/2022, 04:56 PM
Hello, I do not enjoy writing lengthy descriptions of anime. It is a brief read. Tale: the strongest aspect of the entire anime is the story, namely how two stories from the past and present intertwined in a lovely manner. Art: Retaining the first season's style, which is fantastic. How can I write it down? masterpiece CHARACTERS: The worst aspect of this season was the malicious princess and how the group behaved with her. I was expecting a twist or an open ending. Even the trio (Reg, Nana, and Girl) looked oblivious to the fact that they were in the Golden City.Overall: Nice, but not as good as the prior ones. not even somewhat comparable
TheJoedanimal
10/13/2022, 10:58 AM
Made in Abyss season 2 is at the very least, a highly ambitious addition to Tsukushi's dark world of Orth and the Abyss. As a function of that ambition though, this season is not, nor ever really could be perfect. That being said, there are many truly exceptional things about S2, Kevin Penkin is yet to miss as the composer for the series, the emotional beats are darkly creative and effective, and Misaki Kuno puts on maybe one of the finest VA performances I've ever seen as the Faputa. Nevertheless, fans of the first season that expect more delving into the depths of the unknowablewill likely be disappointed, as this season decides to put most everything previously established on the backburner, to introduce a second alien culture and perspective. This creates the key issue within this season, a holdover from the manga: the pacing. Pacing was naturally going to be a problem with how this arc is structured, and the show does several things to alleviate its effect, but the problem still remains. This narrative is very backloaded, and much of the impact and exploration of the characters doesn't come until about the back quarter of its run. The show does not explain to viewer much of anything that is experienced before that, placing us in the shoes of Riko in trying to piece together the alien context the group finds in the 6th layer, and that can lead to the whole conceit of the arc felling somewhat like a giant waste of time. I can assure you, however, these notions are fully dispelled by the end of the show's run. Made in Abyss tends to run on a bit of a pattern, established at the back half of the first season, where there is always one character who has to be subjected to a fate worse than death before an arc can resolve. First it was Mitty, then it was Prushka, and now the cycle continues, intensifying with every iteration. The truth behind this arc is arguably the grizzliest yet, and produces one of the most interesting characters of the show in Faputa. Speaking of characters, they're a bit of a mixed bag this arc. If you love Nanachi, you will probably not be too happy, as her arc is easily the weakest we've seen yet, and just exists to take her out of the equation for several episodes so we can focus on other characters. From a writing perspective, its pretty lazy and manipulative, and its one of the weakest aspects of the series as far as I'm concerned. Our existing cast as a whole in fact does not see much movement, Riko and Reg get some new abilities and plenty of time in the spotlight, but they're all far outshown by the new additions. Faputa in particular, is incredible, and needed to be, as the emotional heart of the arc. Faputa is something new to the series, a being that is not quite human, not quite blessed, not quite animal, in some ways like Reg but far less recognizable, as a function of the alien values introduced this season. She has many quirks, things that really had to be nailed for her adaptation, and the show absolutely blew her out of the park. Kuno's performance is just about pitch perfect, showing the volatility and full range of her being, convincingly animalistic at one moment to soft and childlike the next and regal and weighty the one after. Its emotional, its raw, its angry, its all of what Faputa is, a perfect portrayal of her character and conviction. Her animation is also stellar (although maybe to the slight detriment of the rest of the show), as she is a strange sort of transforming being, wispy at times, with lots of high speed and fluidity. Anytime she needed to look good, she looked great, and that's not something I feel can often said about characters of this importance. The rest of the animation and voice acting is solid, perhaps not as exceptional as the previous entries, but there are standouts. All of the sages have great voices and put in solid performances, the best of which being the principle villain. The main cast is all more than acceptable, but other than Reg, ultimately not asked to do too much. The animation has some lows and some highs, some CG here and there for some of the more complex and unreasonable creatures, but at the end of the day, its all welcome to properly interpret the confusion that exists in some of the challenges of this arc. The Luring in particular was helped greatly by this, as I don't think I really ever understood exactly what happened in the manga to resolve the issue. Here everything is very clear and effective, and you can actually tell what the creature is and how it works, which is a real plus and boosts that episode from a footnote to a highlight of the first half. The CG is noticeable, but I think only in one or two instances detrimental. It seems to have been used mostly for scale, and I can't say I fault them for it. The one thing I did expected to fault was CG Magikaja, but truth be told by the end of the show I had fallen in love with it. Magikaja is such a strange and alien being anyhow that it almost makes sense that he would be CG, and it aids his wacky sort of noncorporeal mechanical host concept (if that makes any sense whatsoever). Belaf's CG is something I find much harder to fall in love with, and it feels like he got a bit of the short end of the stick in production focus. The few times when he was 2D (I think) he looked great, and his best moment gets resigned to a bit of slide show, even if it doesn't take much away from its impact. All in all though, you could do much worse with CG. Just ask Mappa. The last thing to address would be the emotional conflict itself, which is very hard to dive into without exposing it bare and removing some of its sheen. To keep it simple, its fucked. If you thought the last two instances of Tsukushi abyss torture porn were emotionally manipulative, you won't come out of this feeling much different. Its gruesome, its inhuman, and frankly I don't even know how he comes up with this anymore. But if you buy into it, man is it effective. There are few media properties I would say I'm emotionally invested in enough to be able to force me to tears, but this almost had me like 3-4 times in the back half. It really helps that Kuno plays both Faputa and the recipient of the horrors of the abyss, lending an insane amount of emotion that just isn't present in the source through her voice, but its just a really well done descent into inhumanity, that leaves the audience questioning who the real villain is in all this, and what could have been done otherwise. MiA was never the most thematic property, and I think that continues here, but there's just enough meat on the bone to satisfy, much more so in my opinion through Faputa and her development. I've seen people write her off as a one dimensional boomstick of a character, but that really undermines the conflict that manifests at the core of her being and the development she undergoes as the show progresses. Overall, there's some interesting nuggets here, for sure, but the depth is hardly going to knock anyone's socks off. At the end of the day, its a very solid adaptation of an imperfect source. There are exceptional highs, there are unfortunate limitations, and there are subversions to what an MiA fan who may not have kept up with the series will expect and wish for. Its an ambitious and interesting direction for the series, attaching many new facets onto it as it moves forwards, seemingly now into more familiar exploration type territory (by the latest in the manga). Its a worthwhile watch for any fans of the series, and a fulfillment of the promise it held to manga readers who waited months hanging on every word during Tsukushi's mini-hiatuses. And if you don't like it, you'll have plenty of time to come to terms with it before the next season arrives, trust me.
ElmoNoddyPeach
10/04/2022, 11:36 AM
As many point out, season one was fresh and exciting. It felt original, each episode opened us and the characters up to a new portion of the world and the mysterious curse of the abyss, and I was there for it. The films began to shift my view a little; the writing got obvious and the characters became more 2D. My engagement in the world diminished, but with season one showing so much potential, I started season two in the hope that the serial writing would return us to that original wonder. However, what I found with season two was nausea. The abuse of the humanform and of child characters is nothing new in this series (and nor is it new in anime full stop), but in this, it seems to reach new highs. I found myself almost gagging at one episode, and my stomach isn't usually that weak when watching things. I put off watching the final two episodes for a little while, not because I didn't want it to end, but because I wasn't convinced I wanted to watch it anymore. I felt the sexualisation of the main characters to be unnecessary whereas in the past it had served a light purpose. The writing was messy, and while the overall plot wasn't dreadful, trying to piece it all together while watching it weekly was a challenge at times. I think if it is binged, it would be fine. This might all sound like I hated the show; that I should have dropped it long before the end; and that I wouldn't recommend it, but that isn't what I am wanting to say. I still think the majority of fans of the series will like the show. The animation is still beautiful. They still have this way of introducing new characters in a way that makes you care about them very quickly and want to learn about them. The voice acting highlights all those emotions twists and turns in excruciating detail. I would still encourage viewers to follow these characters on the next stage of their journey as there are so many unanswered questions and so much more of the abyss to explore, but in a way, I feel I am entering my own abyss in watching this show. How much of my humanity could I lose in the process? Will I be able to come back from the torture this anime will predictably bring in the future?
CryptidSenpai
10/04/2022, 07:08 AM
I've never been this astonished and upset with a show I used to love. All the makings of a 10/10 squandered by the biggest sack of shit suffer porn I have ever seen. This is too much. I've been robbed of my empathy. I can't invest myself in the main cast without feeling like I'm participating in one big predictably fetishistic narrative. It wasn't always this way. Made in Abyss' first season set up a story full of hope, grit and unparalleled intrigue. Its setup might just be the best in any anime and the characters were instant favourites for me. Later episodes hit like aton of bricks, I couldn't take my eyes away from it. The ending, after 14 stellar episodes, was equal parts heartwrenching and beautiful. One of the most memorable pieces of media I have ever experienced and probably ever will. Here's where we're at now: The visuals are still great, the soundtrack is still stunning, the world building and character design work never ceases to entertain and every once in a while, there are moments of absolute brilliance. Tragically, the movie prior to this season has taken any tonal surprises out of the plot's sails. We went from shockingly poignant to edgy boarding on fanfiction territory in the span of one arc. Along with this came indefensible moments of cringey character interactions that make me feel wrong for ever having thought the uncomfortable parts of season 1 are additive to the experience. Take everything I just wrote, make the worst aspects of the movie even more unbearable and you have The Golden City of the Scorching Sun arc. Trusting the writing to handle anything with a level of subtlety is a lost cause at this point and fooling anyone a third time will take a whole lot more than another new cast of captivating characters. Ultimately, the further down into the abyss I go, the more obvious it is that this will never be the show I wanted. Through denial, anger and disappointment, I’ve finally arrived at acceptance. No matter how many complaints warrant being thrown at the state of Made in Abyss, you can’t say it doesn’t leave a seriously strong impression. Even if it’s no longer for me, I’m glad more seasons are still being made and that true fans of the manga are getting a masterful adaptation of the adventure they love.
Snowtime4K
09/28/2022, 09:38 AM
Wow. This show has always been emotional and knows EXACTLY how to tug at your heart strings. This season is just the same Made in Abyss as you'd expect. First, this review will start by assuming you’ve watched the first season of Made in Abyss and want to know if you should continue the series. Make sure to watch the third movie Dawn of the Deep Soul, it is VERY important for understanding the plot of Golden City. Secondly, if you enjoyed the last season, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching this season. With that said, I knew Made in Abyss was messed up, with Riko, Reg,and Nanachi having been through one of the most horrifying experiences young characters in Anime go through. For this season, you can expect (at bare minimum) the same level of horror as before. More importantly, in some aspects of this season, I felt the author has outdone himself. Story: The season contributes towards the overarching storyline of Riko’s adventure and gets relatively complex. Themes and certain things characters do are quite subtle, and it is done quite well. They use a few cliche concepts, but the true essence of Golden City isn’t comparable to other shows I’ve seen. Sound: The sounds and voice acting are impeccable, I don’t have any complaints whatsoever. The OP is very strong as well. Characters: There’s a new batch of characters introduced, and I believe they’re controversial in the aspect of entertainment value. I would say that I really like Vuelo. She is a great addition to the story, and her cute, unconfident personality coincides with her storyline. However, I didn’t particularly enjoy the rest of the new characters. The reason is because in former arcs, we kept getting introduced to extremely interesting and quirky characters. We had characters like Ouzen, Bondrewd, Nanachi, and Prushka enter who don’t feel too “tropey”. In this season, they decided to add more characters, but they are frankly boring in comparison. Their character development is either uninteresting, or straightforward. Namely, the main villain of this arc is mediocre. I still consider them an acceptable character, because the overall story is THAT watch-worthy to make up for it. On the other hand, the new villain is undoubtedly a downgrade compared to the characters like Ouzen or Bondrewd. The horrible moments we’ve had with those two compared to the new villain feel uniquely different. Don’t get me wrong, even though the new characters outside of Vuelo are hard to like, I do enjoy what they did with the main trio. The main three and Vuelo, (along with one other new addition) really carry the story this arc. Minor complaints: It might sound odd to complain about since this is Made in Abyss, but… this season was REALLY weird. It’s a bit on the line of being TOO weird? The author seemed to go out of their way to make almost every episode uncomfortable to watch; either it’s horrifying, or disgusting. Pick your poison.
Gsarthotegga
09/28/2022, 08:54 AM
Season 2 returns with a strong OP/ED combo that complements the Golden City of the Scorching Sun arc very well, and I start by mentioning this because the OP in particular gives a solid impression of how different this season is compared to the original. Unlike the S1 OP that was little more than a summary of the first episode, this one crosscuts frequently between two different sets of characters exploring the Abyss. The closing is rather abstract, bringing to mind the oceanic depths presented at the end of the 5th layer, which we observed in the 3rd movie, and the vastness and mystery itevokes is a great note to close on. S2 manages to finally slow down, and it weaves together an even darker atmosphere with deeper storytelling and world building. Enjoyable as it was, S1 always seemed a bit too brisk, like the author had ants in his pants or ADHD, and sometimes there would be nary an event before Riko and Reg shot through a layer like it was almost nothing, which kind of dampens the impact and undersells the anomalous nature of the abyss. The main characters, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi don't receive nearly as much focus here. They all get separated for most of the series around episode 4. Riko has to fend for herself and doesn't have the luxury of being babysat the whole time and explores a bit on her own. Nanachi revisits the past again, and while I kind of thought this seemed unnecessary on my first exposure to her scenes in the manga, it makes sense; sometimes we expect a character arc to be cleanly resolved and then the character has moved on, but that doesn't tend to be how the mind really works. Reg regains some of his memories and meets the new character Faputa, whose character development is quite strong, because directly and indirectly, much of the 12 episodes actually serve as the backstory and arc for her character, and there are many bittersweet moments due to her complex relationship to the village and its inhabitants. Perhaps the OP oversells the finesse with which the staff weave the Ganja crew's journey through the abyss and our familiar trio of protagonists, but a sizable chunk of this season concerns the Ganja's background and their foundation of the Village of Ilblu, the history of the abyss, and its lore—and while the manga delivered most of this information in one lengthy flashback, the anime wisely chose to mix it up a bit more. Instead of the large scope of season 1, spanning multiple layers, this season opts to instead flesh-out a singular location in the 6th layer, providing plenty of flashbacks as well. Most detractors have complained about this difference between the two seasons, so that is a mental adjustment that will need to be made to fully enjoy this installment. There's always been a layer of scrutiny about this or that element that's questionable or objectionable or whatever throughout MiA's run, but season 2 appears to be a more controversial entry to the franchise than the first season or the 3rd movie. S2 has delved deeper (pun intended?) into territory most are not exposed to often: scatological sojourns and a bit o' butt gut plopping. Get ready to wince with the latter activity! I was eating when they found the "charms." Not fun (this scene and the Meinya scene are more graphic in the anime). I don't feel a need to condemn or justify any specific content. It's true: MiA could have been a very satisfying story without the more macabre, disturbing, or weird elements—the plot wouldn't even have to be reworked all that much, with the main difference being a greater reliance on implying or keeping vague certain "unsavory" aspects rather than showing everything in so much detail. The tone and impact would be a lot different, but either approach would be sufficient with good enough writing and execution. Yet I will say that these "uncomfortable" elements, for better or worse, add a lot of realism, and with realism comes a greater sense of danger for the characters and immersion into their world. This is a dark fantasy involving children embarking on a high-stakes journey through unforgiving terrain that is infested with strange and malevolent creatures and an onslaught of unknown perils. Whether art should conform to this reality of realistic situations and disturbing content in the context of children or not is its own separate question, however, MiA is at least honest compared to other syrupy fantasy anime and series featuring children embarking on their lonesome without adult supervision. Hole in the Ground City from S1 is not quite like the pampered western world; children are pushed to become "adults" sooner, as we can see with Riko (as well as children much younger than her) apprenticing as a cave raider. It could even be argued that modern civilization has an infantilizing effect, as children are brainwashed in public schools when they could be capable of much more. Of course, the adult world can be a dark one, and being pushed to perform as such can lead to harrowing experiences. Think of what horrors might have occurred during the Children's Crusade, where many died or were enslaved during their journey—or even modern migration patterns (the Children's Crusade is a contentious event and not all of them were children). MiA evokes the feeling of an aged fairy tale in its undiluted form before it could be sanitized for children. The colorful child-like atmosphere and the antics of the children clash with dark undercurrents and adult themes, and while I wouldn't go as far as to say this is a deconstruction of any particular genre, it certainly does take what looks to be childish and injects a strand of realism into it, and under the circumstances, there is really nothing else we should expect, unless we want to be lied to. Just as Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica points out all of the lies and inconsistencies inherent in the magical girl genre, so too MiA tackles the naivety of the coming of age adventure and fantasy stories. There is a palpable sense of vulnerability and dread that always surrounds the characters, further accentuated by how alien and strange the various layers are. Just when the Village of Ilblu starts to seem warm, cozy, colorful, and Ghibli-esque, our characters let their guard down, and all of a sudden there's an "attempted rape" (?) in a back alley that ranks as one of the more disconcerting scenes of that nature because we can't even understand the hollows at all as they tower over the characters, though we can easily assume various intentions—there's even enough ambiguity to suggest more innocent intentions from the denizens. That, of course, brings to mind the distinct language and thought-out culture Ilblu possesses, with a whole host of peculiar customs, and only a few villagers speaking Riko's language. Far too often, the plot armor in a series is tremendous, and while there is technically always a little bit for a story to function, the characters in this have gone through a considerably greater amount of hardship and mental shocks to the point that I'm uncertain of what to expect by the end. Even if they don't die, one wonders what can be expected of their mental state, or if they will even remain "themselves," once we've been introduced to the bizarre narehate forms of the former Ganja crew and various cave raiders who happened upon Ilblu afterwards. There's also no turning back due to the curse mechanism. It's all or nothing. To better underline just how dark the atmosphere is, there is an often fleshy, organic appearance to many of the structures and body horror imagery is used copiously here, some have even reasonably likened MiA to being a much different spin on cosmic horror. I would say MiA also compares very favorably to and acts as a spiritual successor to the Strugatsky brothers' Roadside Picnic novel, which also concerns anomalous environments, with the Zone being similar to the Abyss, artifacts that grant wishes or confer powers, and there is even an equivalent to the curse mechanic. Certainly, MiA is a much greater spiritual successor to the themes of the novel than an on the nose and mediocre spoof like Otherside Picnic, while exploring a much different story and thematic content. Lavishly depicted and benefitting from an art director/background artist known for working with Ghibli, the Village of Ilblu is blessed (cursed?) by intriguing mechanics, where value—of a person and their belongings—is ascertained by an arcane process. It also sports one of the most wildly variegated assortment of critters I've ever seen in a village in any fantasy story ever, as it has an unusual backstory as well; the villagers were not born as they were, their shape, appearance, and abilities are based on their desires, which adds an interesting psychological component, and you might even be able to draw some conclusions about their past and present behaviors to better understand their forms. The body horror is ramped up to the highest levels here, with the village and the villagers having a peculiar symbiotic relationship and a horrible past. On the topic of disturbing elements, the village is doubly so compared to just about anything else in the series, save for Bondrewd's experiments, and there don't appear to be any boundaries that can't be crossed, so long as the value system is respected. One can sell his or her body parts: it's easy to compare the possible outcomes to various forms of slavery and trafficking and even organ harvesting. This system of balancing and value is a large part of what leads to many of the most unsettling and emotional moments of the season. Unlike 2021's Tone-Deaf to Your Eternity, MiA actually does have a sense for emotional beats, and much of this comes from the fact that while the narehate of Ilblu look like they were all aliens gathered from a different planet and don't quite form a coherent community in the way that humans would, they were once human, with common human desires, and most of them were once similar to Riko and had the same undying will to explore deep into the abyss, they just got lost along the way or had no other means of continuing their journey. The time Riko's party spends with the villagers is short, but the scripting and timing make it feel as if they'd been together much longer. Oddly enough, it's somewhat like the sense of kinship one feels on a brief encounter with someone of the same nationality when happening upon one another in a foreign land—this sounds paradoxical when considering the context, but the narehate have two "selves" in some sense, both at odds with one another. Even just small scenes like Majikaja silencing Riko from forming a disastrous contract or the scenes with Meinya and Maaa or Belaf's guilt are surprisingly impactful. Probably the most interesting aspect of the season is the basic relationship between Riko's party and other adventures with the villagers and the three sages. Vueko is an empathetic character with a close mother-daughter-like relationship in lieu of the focus on Lyza-Riko from previous installments and functions as a solid narrator. However, the two shining lights of the Ganja crew are clearly Belaf and Wazukyan. Wazukyan is not a character I would consider an antagonist per se—certainly not a villain—but he could be said to be similar to Bondrewd in a sense, just a much lighter, more positive shade. Both are ambitious and will do whatever it takes to achieve their desires. Without people like them, we'd be unlikely to see advancements, though Bondrewd's quest is of a much more edgy and extreme nature. On the other hand, Wazukyan led a band of people without a homeland into uncharted territory, and he did anything and everything he could to maintain his crew and continue the adventure. I personally think he made all the right choices given the circumstances, and one would be lucky to have such a resolute leader. While they ended up losing their humanity, it's unlikely they would have survived otherwise. Despite the outcome at first appearing to be for the best, any wish granted is always double-edged. Though Ilblu may look festive and wondrous, the inhabitants sequestered there lost sight of their dreams, and their "homeland" becomes little more than a decadent economic hub. I mentioned the psychological aspect before, and by looking at Belaf and Wazukyan, they have quite useful abilities, are seemingly powerful, and even grandiose in form. That's... not the case for quite a few of the villagers, many of whom seem squishy, small, and weak, though a few may appear imposing or strong. The segment with the toilet could easily be dismissed as a gross gag scene, but aside from highlighting the truly alien nature of the abyss, the most disturbing aspect is that this toilet is alive and is clearly a narehate. There's another narehate that has a flat appearance and he likes to have people step on him. Quite a few others seem to be psychosexual in nature. This is a reflection of their desires—especially the base, lower ones. Fetishism, perversion, etc. The rest are concerned with various trinkets and consumerism and just about every character fetishizes the flesh of children and would like to purchase one from the market if they could. As odd and dehumanized as they are, they are also in many ways quite human and imbued with both positive and negative traits. The proceedings were very obviously meant to portray a downtrodden people that lost the same ambition and luster for life as Riko, though there are other plot conceits pertaining to Faputa and the village's past. Wazukyan ceases to lead because there is nothing to lead, though an ambition lingers inside of him. In many ways, MiA is deeply about these competing drives, but we rarely see the other side of the same coin. We spend most of our time with Riko and other delvers, all who possess that spirit of exploration and discovery. Those of Ilblu had consigned themselves to the warm darkness like so many do and lost sight of the elusive light that dwells somewhere deep within the Abyss. Ilblu is the first instance where we see any kind of inertia, and, finally, a reinvigoration.
IzaEpsil
09/28/2022, 08:18 AM
What do you think is your purpose for being born? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This review can be read even if you haven’t seen season 1 or the movie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Made in Abyss Season 2 comes at one of the greatest times for anime to develop dramatically. Most of the animations for Made in Abyss stay relatively consistent to their previous seasons in quality, but its best scenes are greater than even the previous movie in animation. This is in reference to all of the battle scenes that happen in Season 2, referred to as the Golden City of the Scorching Sun Arc. Amazing storytelling, along with a beautifully written character cast,my heart feels just as hot as I’d be in the sixth layer. But I’ll get into that later. Let’s talk about the story. The storytelling has to be one of the best parts of Made in Abyss, just under character writing. It doesn’t need to tell us 100% of the land as we follow along the main cast. The studio and the author show us that through architecture and geography. The animation and stills of such has so much storytelling ingrained into it. This is a much more gruesome environment, and that can be seen from the kinds of creatures and their form of living. Blood, bodies, bones.. If they’re even there for anyone to see. Yet, it doesn’t feel out of place given the context of the previous season and movie. This place is expanded upon through our main cast of course, and it helps having the narration of Riko giving us nice questions on the land. I’d have to say, the greatest addition to the story has to be that they stayed in the same layer, rather than rush it like all the other layers. This is inevitable since.. They can’t really rush that! It helped to give us the background for the civilization that lived there (lives! SPOILeR!!!! But not really). The greatest question out of this season has to be the quote at the beginning of this review. There’s so much of humanity that doesn't realize the depth of others affecting us. This can range from a 9-5 job that takes over our lives, sacrifices made along the way, and sometimes even thinking of the purpose to our birth. Can something really be so definitive that it can have a single answer? This season asks us that question, but the adventure, even then, cannot give an immediate answer. But, it does tell us about the music given from this season. The soundtrack is phenomenal yet again, as per Kevin Penkin. I had no doubt. Gravity also SLAPS. A harmonious soundtrack that gives off the sense of adventure. The openings and endings are also fantastic, having another MYTH & ROID addition. The ending is a good example that going deeper into the abyss has its light that can be reached. They all have different manners of evoking many amazing emotions in me.. But not as much as the character cast. Before I get onto that, another question I have to ask is: Can you do anything to survive? The addition to the character cast of Faputa, Vueko, Irumyuui, Belaf, Wazukyan, and many more are added as a part of exploring the sixth layer, and out of these characters, Faputa has to be a new favorite. The amount of backstory put into each character is fleshed out enough for us to see the capabilities of each of them. A person born from nothing, a person of emotion, a person that reaches for the impossible, a person having clairvoyance, a person touched by divinity (and Maaa, a new friend). Their interactions with the main cast, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi, can range from heartwarming to absolute catastrophe. It’s some of my favorites in animation in general. At some point, the actions of these characters aren’t even something that can be stated as inherently right or wrong, and that’s the magic of the abyss that lured them in. Many, /MANY/ times, I had a fight in my head on the actions of the characters, just as much, if not more than I did seeing the previous movie. But I ultimately came to the decision to accept it, even if I don’t find it right, as they always give us the reason. Controversy is a common theme for Made in Abyss, and it’s no different here. And in controversy, a star is born, that star being Faputa. Giving us a fantastic backstory, ultimately stretching back to even season 1, Faputa is the best character addition to the main plot. Faputa’s animations are also so incredibly smooth for her ability to travel. A plethora of questions came about from the addition of Faputa, and they can be answered from the story of the show. Her interactions following the main cast are amazing, to say the least. Animalistic to others, but kind to those that she opened up to. And someone that can understand Faputa more has to be Nanachi, giving us an authentic experience that many of us have felt in the past. And Reg’s experience with Faputa is stellar (despite being so deep in the abyss!). Riko, being the walking exposition dump (but I still find it so interesting!), gives us the interactions of how people live in the sixth layer, even if those people have transformed, and is the pinnacle reason of Faputa’s reaction seeing them together. As I stick around for another season for Made in Abyss, I have to tell you that it is very much worth seeing. Amazing animation again, as well as another great soundtrack by Kevin Penkin, it all helps to tell the story of the abyss. Another continuation of the faithful adaptation, it’s great to know it doesn’t diminish in value. The fight scenes are so smooth, and the weight of it all can be related to even that of a regular life. Another hour long finale. It saddens me that I need to wait for another season again, but I guess that's the magic Made in Abyss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sincerely, a great fan. Everyone, see you later.
Mcsuper
09/28/2022, 07:28 AM
The kid gloves are off. Although some people still do, we can’t pretend this is the happy go lucky journey down the Abyss that we thought this show was going to be back when Season 1 aired all the way back in 2017. One thing that hasn’t changed since then is my undeniable intrigue I have with this series. The adventuring, the stunning scenery, the immaculate OST, the characters, basically everything resonated with me, and with this season of Made In Abyss, that was no different. Since this show is about children, I can relate it to my own childhood to some extent, so I’ll tella quick story. I loved the outdoors a lot as a kid, and still do. I enjoyed hiking and camping a lot, just the wilderness in general, though I didn’t know the necessary worldly survival skills like making a fire, or using a compass. One, scorching summer afternoon, I went on a hike with my friends and parents, into quite a large forest. We walked and walked until “Two roads diverged in a wood”. Being my adventurous and fearless self, “I took the one less traveled by”, albeit with a couple people. It was a maze of trees, and a winding road, far different from the other road, that some of the others from my group travelled on. Knowing that forests were home to such creatures like bears, coyotes, and the creepiest of creatures, I still felt like the happiest little kid in the world, prancing down the forest like nobody’s business. The sun set, and we were set to return from where we came from, back home. However, in our inexperience of the outdoors, we got lost, in the night. We wandered and wandered with seemingly no exit from the vast forest. Hearing the creatures around me, I felt for the first time, a sense of fear, that something might attack my unprepared, vulnerable self. In my fear, I tripped on a branch and injured my leg a little bit. Eventually, my group found the exit, and although those gruelling hours of being lost were some of the toughest in my life, I never stopped being excited about the unknown. And that’s because I started to learn, that there will always be ups and downs in life, and whenever you mess up, it’s always a chance to learn new things, new skills, such as how I could not get lost in a forest next time. The characters in Made In Abyss do much of the same thing, they have encountered their fair share of troubles, but it never gets them down, they learn from the troubles, and have undeniable courage to tackle whatever the Abyss throws at them. At its core, Made In Abyss is a tale of a life’s journey, and one’s slow but sure maturity. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 24/25 This season was a very interesting one to me in that although it’s very self-contained in the Golden City, it tackles the journeys of the past and present, the past being the first adventurers who ventured into the Golden City, the Ganja Squad, and the present being the characters we all know, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi. It further splits into different paths, as each character from the present has their own set of experiences in the Golden City, and each learn vastly different things, and encounter varying things, good and bad. The darkness is instilled in the story from the first moment of the season, and never turns back, yet there are some light moments in the series as well. The Golden City is home to a village, which has their own culture, such as currency, and language, that serves as a very intriguing exploration element that feels as good as the first season, where Riko and Reg explored the wilderness, this time, they explored a city with its own lightness and darkness. For characters from the past and present alike, the Abyss still remains as great metaphor of one’s progression in life. The fact that the sixth layer of the Abyss represents “The Point of No Return”, hammers home the fact that we as humans, only move forward, not back. We can’t go back to being the starry-eyed children we once were, and no matter how hard life gets, we must persevere and find new ways to improve our life and survive. No matter what mistakes we made, we can’t live in the past, because like the Abyss, the real world doesn’t wait for us to get back on our feet and recover. The real world presents us with a barrage of puzzles to solve every single day, so if we get weighed down by our past regrets, we’ll get swallowed up by the curse of the Abyss. ART: 9.6/10 Still very visually appealing with great scenery and I love that they didn’t hold back in the dark moments. The visuals in those moments looked blood-curdling, spine-chilling, and that is what Made In Abyss does so well. MUSIC: 9.7/10 The music by Kevin Penkin instills a great sense of atmosphere, and is very resonant. It’s tempting to listen to it again and again because you can just close your eyes and imagine yourself on an adventure (though maybe don’t imagine what happens in Made In Abyss, or you’ll have trouble sleeping). OP and ED are also very nice, especially the ending by Myth & Roid, which was my favourite this season. CHARACTERS: 19.5/20 The characters continue to be quite the treat to watch. Riko continues to be a character with a ton of heart and a great willingness to persevere no matter how unforgiving the Abyss is. Reg’s backstory is intriguing, and Nanachi has her share of moments, some of which were quite emotional. The characters from the past, the Ganja Squad, had a whole bunch of great characters as well, quite a few that stand out such as Vueko, Irumyuui, Wazukyan, and Belaf. Each have their own struggles, some more than others, and their personalities are quite interesting, ranging from a willingness to do anything to help himself and others survive, to harboring a feeling of guilt that was so great that he couldn’t go on. It’s a very wondrous cast of characters, who each have their backstory told in a very fascinating way, and you feel for every single one of them. There is also no real villain in this story, though I can argue there wasn’t one in Season 1 or the movie. Sure, there are antagonists who oppose the main characters, but they each have their own reasons, whether it is a love for their loved ones, or an appetite for human advancement. There are a lot of morally repugnant themes in this show, but they all have a reason in which to do such unthinkable things, and that’s what makes each and every character special, even if you come to hate them. ENJOYMENT: 14.8/15 Although it’s frustrating that there are so many questions asked, but not enough answers, the show brings about a sort of odd excitement not found in any other show I’ve watched. My immersion was always strong, and every detail in the show is spectacular. Phenomenal. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 19/20 The themes are so well executed because each character is interesting. Another reason is that they never hold back from showing us morally questionable things, whether it is excessive gore, or very grotesque imagery. It really shows us the unforgiving nature of the Abyss, and that is simply amazing. Sure, there are some rather dumb things that happen, such as the toilet humour, but that’s just a minor tonal shift issue for me. OVERALL: 96.6/100 This was an instalment to the Made in Abyss series that felt even better than the first. It’s a great tale of one’s maturity, and it resonated with me a lot. You feel the characters’ fear, you feel their emotions, you cry with them, you smile with them. There is still much to unravel in this adventure, and we probably won’t see another season of Made In Abyss for quite some time, but whenever we get it, I’ll want to be the first in line to witness what comes next in this emotionally damaging journey that I love so much. To everyone who read this to the end, I truly appreciate it.

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷

2022 summer | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.6 (226606)

Updated every Wednesdays at 22:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Izawa, Shiori

Ise, Mariya

Tomita, Miyu

News

Reviews

exezz
08/14/2024, 03:35 PM
Drop this anime after 1st season. You're welcome. Here's a few reasons why the second season is not worth your time (neither is this review) 1) Characters It was frustrating how little agency the main cast had. You could pretty much leave them out and the story would play out about the same. But wait, there is a line up of brand new characters, surely these guys have awesome story to te-- nope, they are awful. If you're at the last episode of the season and can't even remember the name of the character this thing is about, yeah, that's not good, that means you just don't care.2) The plot Alright, so the plot has layers and that's good. Maybe too many layers. Some layers are downright brilliant but most of them are weird, illogical, don't make sense, or just feel like a filler. Why does it have to be so complex? Like, Ghost in Shell is less complex. Death Note has fewer exposition dumps. This show used to have such a haunting and beautifully simple premise, so I wonder how we get from swashbuckling adventure with occasional horror to this headache-inducing exposition dump marathon. You may as well just read a book. 3) Pacing It attempts to alternate between present and past. It is a risky technique because flashbacks can hamper the momentum, but if done well, it can pay off in a satisfying aha moment - "oh wow, now it all makes sense!" kind of thing. Not here. It has one foot in presence and the other in the 150 year old past constantly, and reveals just enough to explain the last scene, or line of dialogue, which makes you clueless to the very end. To be honest, I binged it in 2 evenings, but it was my hope, my wish for it finally make at least some sense, that pushed me forward, but it made me watch it whole, so that counts I guess. 4) Worldbuilding The worldbuilding is hands down the strongest element of "Made in Abyss" series. It strikes unique balance between soft worldbuilding and hard worldbuilding. In this season, in this level, a rigid worldbuilding element has been introduced - a principle of value, payment, balancing, what happens to those who steal or hurt others. It seemed like it was about to play a way larger role, given that this was the cornerstone of how this society worked, it was supposed to be the core theme of this entire season, but in the end it just fell flat because the morale behind it was... sorry to say it but hollow. So disappointing. 5) The weird stuff Yeah nah, I'm not going to waste energy to try to invent euphemisms for all the creepy sh*t which is so ever-present in this series. As an author, you have million choices how to tell a story and the author picked these? idk what to say man. TLDR; MCs in backseat, over-bloated info dumps, things happen but none of them matter and the morale of the story is far from moral, much less uplifting, inspiring or insightful in any capacity and I am most likely going to skip the future installments. I give it a four, it has its moments.
0004_1
05/05/2024, 06:11 AM
The Sequel to Made in abyss, The second season gets going alot quicker and gets into the messed up shit faster which i prefer since the first few dragged of season 1. Art - 8/10 - I have a few issues with the animation, for the most part its pretty good, but there is a clearly heavier reliance on CGI this season, which for the most part looks decent but CGI will drag anything down unless its amazing. Characters - 9/10 - A huge fan of almost all characters in this show now, even the villains dont feel villainous for no reason, Still dont like Riko asa character tho/ Story - 10/10 - Stays messed up, Stays true to the first season and stays entertaining, a more action based season is something that did help it, another slower paced season like season 1 would have dragged the 13.5 episodes on. OST/Sound Design - 10/10 - Kevin Penkin Did the soundtrack, i dont really need to say much more. He is amazing at doing atmospheric sounds and Ost's, the ending is also a classic. The op is a bit lacking and doesn't fit the season. Enjoyment - 9/10 - Enjoyed more than season 1, I Tend to notice a pattern where second seasons are typically better than the first maybe for me atleast. Overall 9/10 Great Sequel season with an above average ending, Awaiting the next season in um.... Probably never since the show is almost caught up to the manga.
Myarthe4th
04/10/2024, 03:40 AM
This season did not move the plot forward as much as I had hoped it would. We got 12 episodes but barely touched on any of the numerous mysteries that make this show interesting. Most of this season felt like the writers were stalling and not giving the audience any answers. The tragedy in this season felt utterly ridiculous. It was so obvious that the writers wanted to make the audience cry when they reintroduced a certain character from the first season. I didn’t get even get emotional when that happened. I also felt like everything about Faputa’s mom was just so unnecessarily tragic andI also did not have an emotional reaction to that. In fact, I felt that entire storyline was absolutely absurd. Tbh, I’ve always felt like this show is very very hit or miss. The first season was boring until the last 3 episodes and this show peaked in movie 3. That movie was absolutely perfect and I am so sad to get such a disappointing follow up. At this point, I just want all the questions answered without any more forced tragedies. Although I’m still excited to watch more Made in Abyss, I’m starting to feel like this show is overhyped and I hope the final reveals at the very end are not as disappointing as the entirety of this season.
Chrystarii
01/23/2024, 10:55 AM
Made in Abyss: a series which in my heart, I really wanted to love, but in the end was tragically disappointed by. To be clear, I think this show is quite competent. The world building and concepts were fascinating. I loved the 7 different layers, and the corresponding illnesses that came from ascending in each one. The sense of foreboding and mystery was incredible in the first season, with the praying corpses, scattered relics, etc. It made me excited to learn more about the abyss as a place, and how such a harsh environment had even come to exist. But unfortunately, beyond all of that, that’sall Made in Abyss turned out to be: a list of cool ideas, stunted by underwhelming execution. Problems with S1: To reiterate, S1’s strengths were in the world itself. The first three episodes were set up perfectly—creating an apprehensive sense of dread around what awaited Riko and Reg in the unknown of the abyss. I felt genuinely afraid, and I loved it. It wasn’t until the main characters actually began their descent when I started to notice some negative patterns in the narrative’s storytelling. My main qualms lied with Riko and Reg. Aside from behaving in ways that felt out of place for 12-year-olds, Riko’s consistent disregard for her own safety and lack of self-preservation got tiring very quickly. She experienced little in terms of character development, and seemed to be used primarily for “cute bait”—existing only for the purpose of being viciously mutilated when the plot wanted higher stakes. (Also this is a side note, but I noticed an alarming amount of scenes where these *twelve-year-olds* had sexually questionable interactions, moments of nudity, or expulsion of bodily fluids. I can understand the desire to raise the story’s tension, but the ways these elements were used only ever felt uncomfortable and fetishy, and had very little relevance to the plot.) Despite these factors though, what made S1 special was Nanachi’s arc. Her arc was the first time Made in Abyss presented conflict in a way that was not only dark, but grounded. She had lasting psychological repercussions that made her hesitant to trust others, and behaved in ways that logically aligned with her character motivations. She was flawed, and her complex desires and maturity of knowing when to back down from a fight made her much more compelling than Reg and Riko; who struggled to learn these basic survival principles up until the end of the season. Season 1 would’ve had so much more gravity to it if the characters actually responded in an appropriate way to the abominations they witnessed. I was expecting to watch as the MCs slowly lose their grasp on their sanity—to witness them struggling to maintain their vigor with each layer they descended. I wanted to see them second-guess themselves and question their desires, only to eventually resign themselves to their choice; crossing the point of no return. Of course, I recognize a lot of this is my own opinion, but I still stand by the fact that keeping the tone cheerful despite the horrors Riko and Reg experienced was the very thing that undermined Made in Abyss as a story. Problems with S2: Basically, add up everything in season 1, plus a myriad of questionably written story beats, and you have season 2. The story introduces the Golden City: a location in layer six where hollows have been dwelling in peace for centuries. It was an interesting idea at first, but in order to make way for all of these new characters’ tragic backstories, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi are unfortunately forced to take a distant backseat. The characters Faputa and Vueko were alright in terms of development, but were introduced in a way that felt way too abrupt. We hadn’t received any prior implications or foreshadowing about the Golden City in S1, so rather than watching satisfying lore elements click into place in S2, we were overwhelmed by a loosely related side-quest which the main characters merely stood by and witnessed. Everything felt jarringly out of place as a result, and the conclusion was unsatisfying because of how little anything changed afterward. (Which, I can’t help but observe that Faputa basically committed immense war crimes to accomplish her goals by the end, yet was painted as a hero despite that due to her self-proclaimed “noble cause”. That’s not really an ideal message to be sending…) In the end, season 2 wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t mesh well with the original plot. It would’ve made more sense as a movie rather than an entire arc of the story. 6/10: excessive suffering, and inconsistent, convoluted plot elements. I miss the sense of foreboding from season 1. (Also Nanachi had a severe lack of screen time. She got done so dirty, and no one talks about it enough.)
Seam_Ali
12/15/2023, 02:30 PM
Season 2 stands as a mesmerizing continuation of the series, seamlessly blending breathtaking animation with a compelling narrative that delves even deeper into the mysteries of the Abyss. From the outset, the anime grabbed my attention with its stunning visuals, showcasing an unparalleled attention to detail that brings the fantastical world to life. The storytelling remains a standout feature, evolving the plot in ways that both surprise and engage the audience. The intricate lore and world-building continue to be a testament to the creative genius behind the series, as each layer of the Abyss reveals new wonders and challenges. Viewers are treated to a symphony ofemotions, from moments of awe and wonder to heart-wrenching scenes that tug at the soul. The character development in this installment is noteworthy, as the protagonists, Riko and Reg, face ever more complex trials that test their resilience and courage. The introduction of new characters adds depth to the ensemble cast, contributing to the richness of the overall narrative. The relationships formed and tested in the Abyss serve as the beating heart of the series, fostering a genuine connection between the audience and the characters. Visually, the animation quality maintains its high standard, with lush landscapes, fluid action sequences, and imaginative creature designs that enhance the overall viewing experience. The Golden City itself is a visual marvel, a testament to the animators' ability to bring an otherworldly environment to the screen with vivid colors and intricate details. The soundtrack deserves special mention, as it complements the narrative perfectly, heightening the emotional impact of key scenes. From the haunting melodies that echo the mystery of the Abyss to the uplifting tunes during moments of triumph, the music adds an extra layer of immersion to the viewing experience. The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is an anime, successfully built upon the foundation laid by its predecessor. It maintains a delicate balance between beauty and brutality, leaving a lasting impression on those who embark on this unforgettable journey into the depths of the Abyss. This installment is a must-watch and I'll give it a 10/10. I hope this series gets a sequel soon!
MxS7HGS
11/18/2023, 08:30 AM
A significant theme of this season revolves around the value we place on things and the reasons behind why we value them. It also explores how others may value things differently and whether those values can change over time. The season delves deeper into the Abyss, where the creatures become more dangerous. Reg, Riko, and Nanachi are on a mission to find Riko's stolen white whistle. As they search for the whistle, they stumble upon a village with colorful and quirky characters. However, they soon discover that the village has a dark past. This season's use of the term value may confuse viewers, as it isapplied to currency, objects, characters, and even emotions. In this world, where different rules apply, trading a life for an item is not unheard of. The season features excellent world-building and well-developed characters, with many flashbacks that are sensitively handled. The season is not without its flaws. Despite this, it is still another great season. Kudos to the producers.
Haioki
08/30/2023, 10:12 AM
For the very first time, an anime brought tears to my eyes. Certain moments reached into the depths of my emotions, unleashing a torrent of tears. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all – this anime features breathtaking landscapes and includes scenes of both beauty and gore, accompanied by an exceptional soundtrack. Its narrative is emotionally stirring, founded on an unprecedented concept. The characters are intricately crafted, each with their own unique history. What sets it apart is that the plot is unpredictable and far from monotonous. Moreover, the art style perfectly complements the story. Story - 10/10 Soundtrack - 10/10 Character development - 10/10
whiteflame55
06/24/2023, 03:42 PM
It's Made in Abyss, and this series has never let me down, so that didn't change here. However, for this series, I did feel that this was a weaker entry. It doesn't give much opportunity for our main cast to develop, instead focusing on an external set of characters that, while interesting, don't have the kind of depth that our main cast displays. The dread of this series is still there and in some ways made more unnerving by the alien setting and circumstances around them. The dual story of the history of this place alongside our main cast's story definitely sets a unique tone.The action is still strong and the animation still amazing, but the emotional beats don't hit as hard and it's just harder to connect with a cast of characters as big as this.
mmm_16
05/09/2023, 04:49 PM
Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou is an abysmal continuation to what could have been an interesting story. The first season showcased fascinating worldbuildind, captivating the viewer with enchanting atmospheres and the promise of a journey in search of the knowledge at the end of the abyss, all qualities this season completely failed in carry on. The movie foreshadowed the shortcomings of the second season, but there the detachment from the strong points of the plot (dynamism of the journey, discovery of the abyss) was excused by the events that were essential for the continuation of the plot. Here the story becomes static once againand is abruptly interrupted by what feels like a 12-episode long filler episode, which is, by definition useless plot wise. We learn nothing more of the abyss, the real protagonist of the story, or of our old characters, with the exception of Reg; can we truly say, though, to have learnt something new about Reg's past? The objective of the new season is the introduction of a new character who is goint to join the original trio of delvers: this is a major goal, but not at the expense of halting the story for an entire narrative arc. Furthermore, said character's story is complicated and strange in a manner that feels exhibitionist: the gore and the gruesome forms of the beings did not feel organic with the canonic elements. Indeed, the story is quite simple but it seems as if the author's intention was to show off his grisly imagination: it is as if the story was written just to appear strange, as if asking you "Am I not quirky? Am I not incredibly original and different from all the other stories?", just like those people who try to appear eccentric just to set themselves apart from the others. Some character's design was well-thought-out and respected their personality, but it was not sufficient considering this was true only for two out of a dozen characters. I understand the intention behind the introduction of other languages but the constant repetition of some locutions (yes, I am talking about "Sosu") is annoying and migraine-triggering, especially so when we consider the explanation behind it. In conclusion, the creepy,nauseating and perverse scenes, that make this whole work feel like someone's fetish come true, would be excusable, as they were in the first season, if it wasn't for a plot that can only be described as boring and insignificant. The only reason the rate is not 1 is because of Kevin Penkin's Soundtrack, which is, as always, evocative and much more emotional than the plot wanted to be. If you find yourself at the end of this too long review, just know that it is not born out of hatred for the original story but from the disappointment of what it could have been.
Godslayer27
02/12/2023, 01:45 PM
Well this one is kinda an tricky series though the firts season was good and really set the bases for what could be an outanding one the movie that served as secuel was Sh@@@t to say the least ( if you are more curious i have an review of it) and sadly this one was the same trash if not even worse than his predecesor. Starting off with the good ones i have to mention the ost and how freaking good tracks are on it, just like the firts season in this aspect still keeps maintaining the same quality and are so emotives and beautifulmelodies. The backgrounds are stunnings and the lore itselft its really intriging and well though in many ways and although is not used even at their minimun of his poetential i think still its there despite all the mistakes and horrors that makes. Our main cast of characters emcompassing the protagonism in a beggining were kinda decent and even i could go so fat to say good but since their secuel in the format of the movie and this second season they became just completly stupids and brainless, there are just a couple of things that i could forgive in certain ones like with nanachi and with a really small degree reg ( in this second season). Riko just went downhill so fast ending up like an innecesary characters that only its there for the sake of moving on with the plot being the other two just following her up, and she expose in every freaking possible situation in such a way that doesnt even questionate a sh@@@t and the worst is that everything just end ups like nothing and she keeps making the same freaking mistakes (like it were an newborn), i cant even call her restless because its just plain dumb as fuck. Nanachi stills hold a good amount of decency as character after all this even with how shitty was portrayed in the movie so i think its one if not the only salveagable character of the main cast, Reg is just an dog lapdog that do wharever riko says and even with that poor try in adding a little more of interest in him with his past and everything doesnt hold enought to actually bring to light how flat and hollow is. The writting of this is a joke i mean the pacing itselft wasnt to much of an problem but dude it just doesnt make sense at all some things the development is so BAD handled and you can see just after the two firts episodes how not even the author doesnt know in what direction to go giving priority to many things that doesnt serve to any kind of purpose like the gore that i dont have any problem with it and i kinda get that contrast between that chibi-like desing with all those grotesque scenes but really many times are efimere to what is all about the arc and in the end feels like an guilty-pleasure by the author to please the audience (as if adding gore to an series would improve it) wihtout adding any value to the series. I like it the new elenct of characters introduced who arrived before and all their backgrounds though still could critize a good amount of them, just in the last batch of episodes it was where started to show up how incoherent were characters like eluko vuelo, belaf or wazukyan that stayed in a kinad gray area quite debatable if actually werent just leave it aside for the sake to fit those 12 episodes or due of pure negligence from part of the author (which wouldnt be a surpraise to this point). And of course to end with the cherry of the cake that ending... ohhh man that ending its the most anticlimatic thing that i have ever seeing i mean if wasnt enought with all the previous mentioned still managed to make it worse. I had to force myselft to finish it to being honest, there are just a few of things that felt like an torture and this was one of them, the dialogs, the motivations of the characters , the freaking writting and development of the story, jesus every single thing that plays an rol in the story telling is an disaster my god when i was in the latest episode i could not wait more to end the suffering because the reality is that hurt so much to actually find something so bad in those aspects, RESUME Well we have reached a point without return and from now on i have now more than undertand that what in a beggining was an promising story with a possible depth lore accompained with an amaizing ost its at his core an really poor attemp of it, comminting HUGE mistakes in the most importants aspects that any series should have an at least decent lv that are characters development, story and narration. Im dissapointed to being honest i was hoping that could reclaim this time with an at least same quality like the firts one but sadly wasnt the case and although has a couple of things that are pretty good ( im not talking of the gore) starts pretty early coming to light all their flaws that end up making an really dissapointing experience.
WritaHolic
11/17/2022, 04:21 PM
As a story, Made in Abyss is made up of three core elements: alien but ultimately enchanting world-building, decently strong character writing, and… uncomfortable moments, be that through horror-writing, the downright gleeful torture of minors, or the somewhat alarming tendency to fetishize children. As our heroes go further down the abyss, the enchanting parts of the world give way to more and more uncomfortable moments, especially in this second season. And that’s not surprising: it’s an abyss, after all, so it should be dark. But as someone who didn’t bat an eye at the horrific scenes in the first season or the movie, I feltphysically ill watching MULTIPLE parts of this second season (Even though I liked it overall). This is a quality of Made in Abyss that I admire—it takes guts to create a story as viscerally uncomfortable and disturbing as this one. But, it’s also a quality that saddens me, because at this point, I can’t fully recommend the second season. If you felt uncomfortable about anything in Made in Abyss’s first season or the movie, you very well might not make it through this second season… or you might make it through but come out hating the franchise, which I definitely don’t want for you. So, only read further if you’re genuinely invested in Reg, Riko, and Nanachi’s plight, and have all the masochism and immunity to child fetishization you need to watch this second season in the first place (as I apparently do). Now, to details. Much like the movie, the second season covers a single arc in a single location. Overall, I think the plot and pacing are impressive, especially given the fact that Riko, Reg, and Nanachi are almost never in the same location this time around. On top of that, the second season throws in a LOT of new characters, as well as a new storyline that runs in parallel thematically, but in the past chronologically. The season juggles all these elements quite well, and although I would have loved a little more time to dive into backstories and side stories, it still gets you invested and emotional when you need to be. Unfortunately, I think the character writing suffers this season. Irumyuui, a crucial character to this season’s plot, isn’t developed much beyond “cute girl who goes through shit.” Wazukyan, while an interesting character, feels like a minor downgrade after Bondrewd. Belaf (#bestboy) holds an incredible amount of symbolic interest, but isn’t present enough for the season to explain his contradictory actions, which ultimately harms his character. Riko only rehashes character beats we already know from the first season, while Nanachi regresses, essentially reliving an arc from the first season after all the stellar development they got in the movie (At least Reg gets some interesting developments and backstory this season). But these are more nitpicks than anything; as I said before, the show still gets the job done and gets you invested and emotional when needed. Visually, the second season is basically just as stunning as everything else the franchise has to offer. Some might be offended by the heavier use of CGI this season, but narratively, I think it works, and even emphasizes how unnatural and out-of-place certain elements of the Abyss are. The soundtrack is also excellently utilized, and builds upon the solid foundation provided by the first season. The OP is both narratively impactful and gorgeous to look at—definitely my favorite opening of the summer season. From a production standpoint, there’s nothing not to like here. If you plan to watch the second season, I’d say binge it. It might help you get through the uncomfortable moments and gloss over the problems in character writing. It’ll also help you keep track of the (admittedly) numerous plot and character threads the season juggles. If you think you can handle extreme conceptual discomfort, binge and enjoy—I certainly did.
InFlare
11/08/2022, 10:27 PM
Since the first season, the story has been picking up pace and is a pleasant adventure with a touch of drama and dark atmosphere. The mixture of fairy tale and haunting setting as the characters descend into the abyss does its job perfectly until you smoothly enter this story arc. The second season for me personally felt like marking time. The history of the settlement could have been revealed much more succinctly and gracefully, but the author stretched the screenplay, creating a heavy chewing gum that you want to spit out and forget by the middle of the season. The only bright spot in the storyis Faputa, only on her charisma and battle scenes can you endure the second half. I look forward to continuing, and I hope that this will not happen again.
greenblood1991
10/19/2022, 04:56 PM
Hello, I do not enjoy writing lengthy descriptions of anime. It is a brief read. Tale: the strongest aspect of the entire anime is the story, namely how two stories from the past and present intertwined in a lovely manner. Art: Retaining the first season's style, which is fantastic. How can I write it down? masterpiece CHARACTERS: The worst aspect of this season was the malicious princess and how the group behaved with her. I was expecting a twist or an open ending. Even the trio (Reg, Nana, and Girl) looked oblivious to the fact that they were in the Golden City.Overall: Nice, but not as good as the prior ones. not even somewhat comparable
TheJoedanimal
10/13/2022, 10:58 AM
Made in Abyss season 2 is at the very least, a highly ambitious addition to Tsukushi's dark world of Orth and the Abyss. As a function of that ambition though, this season is not, nor ever really could be perfect. That being said, there are many truly exceptional things about S2, Kevin Penkin is yet to miss as the composer for the series, the emotional beats are darkly creative and effective, and Misaki Kuno puts on maybe one of the finest VA performances I've ever seen as the Faputa. Nevertheless, fans of the first season that expect more delving into the depths of the unknowablewill likely be disappointed, as this season decides to put most everything previously established on the backburner, to introduce a second alien culture and perspective. This creates the key issue within this season, a holdover from the manga: the pacing. Pacing was naturally going to be a problem with how this arc is structured, and the show does several things to alleviate its effect, but the problem still remains. This narrative is very backloaded, and much of the impact and exploration of the characters doesn't come until about the back quarter of its run. The show does not explain to viewer much of anything that is experienced before that, placing us in the shoes of Riko in trying to piece together the alien context the group finds in the 6th layer, and that can lead to the whole conceit of the arc felling somewhat like a giant waste of time. I can assure you, however, these notions are fully dispelled by the end of the show's run. Made in Abyss tends to run on a bit of a pattern, established at the back half of the first season, where there is always one character who has to be subjected to a fate worse than death before an arc can resolve. First it was Mitty, then it was Prushka, and now the cycle continues, intensifying with every iteration. The truth behind this arc is arguably the grizzliest yet, and produces one of the most interesting characters of the show in Faputa. Speaking of characters, they're a bit of a mixed bag this arc. If you love Nanachi, you will probably not be too happy, as her arc is easily the weakest we've seen yet, and just exists to take her out of the equation for several episodes so we can focus on other characters. From a writing perspective, its pretty lazy and manipulative, and its one of the weakest aspects of the series as far as I'm concerned. Our existing cast as a whole in fact does not see much movement, Riko and Reg get some new abilities and plenty of time in the spotlight, but they're all far outshown by the new additions. Faputa in particular, is incredible, and needed to be, as the emotional heart of the arc. Faputa is something new to the series, a being that is not quite human, not quite blessed, not quite animal, in some ways like Reg but far less recognizable, as a function of the alien values introduced this season. She has many quirks, things that really had to be nailed for her adaptation, and the show absolutely blew her out of the park. Kuno's performance is just about pitch perfect, showing the volatility and full range of her being, convincingly animalistic at one moment to soft and childlike the next and regal and weighty the one after. Its emotional, its raw, its angry, its all of what Faputa is, a perfect portrayal of her character and conviction. Her animation is also stellar (although maybe to the slight detriment of the rest of the show), as she is a strange sort of transforming being, wispy at times, with lots of high speed and fluidity. Anytime she needed to look good, she looked great, and that's not something I feel can often said about characters of this importance. The rest of the animation and voice acting is solid, perhaps not as exceptional as the previous entries, but there are standouts. All of the sages have great voices and put in solid performances, the best of which being the principle villain. The main cast is all more than acceptable, but other than Reg, ultimately not asked to do too much. The animation has some lows and some highs, some CG here and there for some of the more complex and unreasonable creatures, but at the end of the day, its all welcome to properly interpret the confusion that exists in some of the challenges of this arc. The Luring in particular was helped greatly by this, as I don't think I really ever understood exactly what happened in the manga to resolve the issue. Here everything is very clear and effective, and you can actually tell what the creature is and how it works, which is a real plus and boosts that episode from a footnote to a highlight of the first half. The CG is noticeable, but I think only in one or two instances detrimental. It seems to have been used mostly for scale, and I can't say I fault them for it. The one thing I did expected to fault was CG Magikaja, but truth be told by the end of the show I had fallen in love with it. Magikaja is such a strange and alien being anyhow that it almost makes sense that he would be CG, and it aids his wacky sort of noncorporeal mechanical host concept (if that makes any sense whatsoever). Belaf's CG is something I find much harder to fall in love with, and it feels like he got a bit of the short end of the stick in production focus. The few times when he was 2D (I think) he looked great, and his best moment gets resigned to a bit of slide show, even if it doesn't take much away from its impact. All in all though, you could do much worse with CG. Just ask Mappa. The last thing to address would be the emotional conflict itself, which is very hard to dive into without exposing it bare and removing some of its sheen. To keep it simple, its fucked. If you thought the last two instances of Tsukushi abyss torture porn were emotionally manipulative, you won't come out of this feeling much different. Its gruesome, its inhuman, and frankly I don't even know how he comes up with this anymore. But if you buy into it, man is it effective. There are few media properties I would say I'm emotionally invested in enough to be able to force me to tears, but this almost had me like 3-4 times in the back half. It really helps that Kuno plays both Faputa and the recipient of the horrors of the abyss, lending an insane amount of emotion that just isn't present in the source through her voice, but its just a really well done descent into inhumanity, that leaves the audience questioning who the real villain is in all this, and what could have been done otherwise. MiA was never the most thematic property, and I think that continues here, but there's just enough meat on the bone to satisfy, much more so in my opinion through Faputa and her development. I've seen people write her off as a one dimensional boomstick of a character, but that really undermines the conflict that manifests at the core of her being and the development she undergoes as the show progresses. Overall, there's some interesting nuggets here, for sure, but the depth is hardly going to knock anyone's socks off. At the end of the day, its a very solid adaptation of an imperfect source. There are exceptional highs, there are unfortunate limitations, and there are subversions to what an MiA fan who may not have kept up with the series will expect and wish for. Its an ambitious and interesting direction for the series, attaching many new facets onto it as it moves forwards, seemingly now into more familiar exploration type territory (by the latest in the manga). Its a worthwhile watch for any fans of the series, and a fulfillment of the promise it held to manga readers who waited months hanging on every word during Tsukushi's mini-hiatuses. And if you don't like it, you'll have plenty of time to come to terms with it before the next season arrives, trust me.
ElmoNoddyPeach
10/04/2022, 11:36 AM
As many point out, season one was fresh and exciting. It felt original, each episode opened us and the characters up to a new portion of the world and the mysterious curse of the abyss, and I was there for it. The films began to shift my view a little; the writing got obvious and the characters became more 2D. My engagement in the world diminished, but with season one showing so much potential, I started season two in the hope that the serial writing would return us to that original wonder. However, what I found with season two was nausea. The abuse of the humanform and of child characters is nothing new in this series (and nor is it new in anime full stop), but in this, it seems to reach new highs. I found myself almost gagging at one episode, and my stomach isn't usually that weak when watching things. I put off watching the final two episodes for a little while, not because I didn't want it to end, but because I wasn't convinced I wanted to watch it anymore. I felt the sexualisation of the main characters to be unnecessary whereas in the past it had served a light purpose. The writing was messy, and while the overall plot wasn't dreadful, trying to piece it all together while watching it weekly was a challenge at times. I think if it is binged, it would be fine. This might all sound like I hated the show; that I should have dropped it long before the end; and that I wouldn't recommend it, but that isn't what I am wanting to say. I still think the majority of fans of the series will like the show. The animation is still beautiful. They still have this way of introducing new characters in a way that makes you care about them very quickly and want to learn about them. The voice acting highlights all those emotions twists and turns in excruciating detail. I would still encourage viewers to follow these characters on the next stage of their journey as there are so many unanswered questions and so much more of the abyss to explore, but in a way, I feel I am entering my own abyss in watching this show. How much of my humanity could I lose in the process? Will I be able to come back from the torture this anime will predictably bring in the future?
CryptidSenpai
10/04/2022, 07:08 AM
I've never been this astonished and upset with a show I used to love. All the makings of a 10/10 squandered by the biggest sack of shit suffer porn I have ever seen. This is too much. I've been robbed of my empathy. I can't invest myself in the main cast without feeling like I'm participating in one big predictably fetishistic narrative. It wasn't always this way. Made in Abyss' first season set up a story full of hope, grit and unparalleled intrigue. Its setup might just be the best in any anime and the characters were instant favourites for me. Later episodes hit like aton of bricks, I couldn't take my eyes away from it. The ending, after 14 stellar episodes, was equal parts heartwrenching and beautiful. One of the most memorable pieces of media I have ever experienced and probably ever will. Here's where we're at now: The visuals are still great, the soundtrack is still stunning, the world building and character design work never ceases to entertain and every once in a while, there are moments of absolute brilliance. Tragically, the movie prior to this season has taken any tonal surprises out of the plot's sails. We went from shockingly poignant to edgy boarding on fanfiction territory in the span of one arc. Along with this came indefensible moments of cringey character interactions that make me feel wrong for ever having thought the uncomfortable parts of season 1 are additive to the experience. Take everything I just wrote, make the worst aspects of the movie even more unbearable and you have The Golden City of the Scorching Sun arc. Trusting the writing to handle anything with a level of subtlety is a lost cause at this point and fooling anyone a third time will take a whole lot more than another new cast of captivating characters. Ultimately, the further down into the abyss I go, the more obvious it is that this will never be the show I wanted. Through denial, anger and disappointment, I’ve finally arrived at acceptance. No matter how many complaints warrant being thrown at the state of Made in Abyss, you can’t say it doesn’t leave a seriously strong impression. Even if it’s no longer for me, I’m glad more seasons are still being made and that true fans of the manga are getting a masterful adaptation of the adventure they love.
Snowtime4K
09/28/2022, 09:38 AM
Wow. This show has always been emotional and knows EXACTLY how to tug at your heart strings. This season is just the same Made in Abyss as you'd expect. First, this review will start by assuming you’ve watched the first season of Made in Abyss and want to know if you should continue the series. Make sure to watch the third movie Dawn of the Deep Soul, it is VERY important for understanding the plot of Golden City. Secondly, if you enjoyed the last season, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND watching this season. With that said, I knew Made in Abyss was messed up, with Riko, Reg,and Nanachi having been through one of the most horrifying experiences young characters in Anime go through. For this season, you can expect (at bare minimum) the same level of horror as before. More importantly, in some aspects of this season, I felt the author has outdone himself. Story: The season contributes towards the overarching storyline of Riko’s adventure and gets relatively complex. Themes and certain things characters do are quite subtle, and it is done quite well. They use a few cliche concepts, but the true essence of Golden City isn’t comparable to other shows I’ve seen. Sound: The sounds and voice acting are impeccable, I don’t have any complaints whatsoever. The OP is very strong as well. Characters: There’s a new batch of characters introduced, and I believe they’re controversial in the aspect of entertainment value. I would say that I really like Vuelo. She is a great addition to the story, and her cute, unconfident personality coincides with her storyline. However, I didn’t particularly enjoy the rest of the new characters. The reason is because in former arcs, we kept getting introduced to extremely interesting and quirky characters. We had characters like Ouzen, Bondrewd, Nanachi, and Prushka enter who don’t feel too “tropey”. In this season, they decided to add more characters, but they are frankly boring in comparison. Their character development is either uninteresting, or straightforward. Namely, the main villain of this arc is mediocre. I still consider them an acceptable character, because the overall story is THAT watch-worthy to make up for it. On the other hand, the new villain is undoubtedly a downgrade compared to the characters like Ouzen or Bondrewd. The horrible moments we’ve had with those two compared to the new villain feel uniquely different. Don’t get me wrong, even though the new characters outside of Vuelo are hard to like, I do enjoy what they did with the main trio. The main three and Vuelo, (along with one other new addition) really carry the story this arc. Minor complaints: It might sound odd to complain about since this is Made in Abyss, but… this season was REALLY weird. It’s a bit on the line of being TOO weird? The author seemed to go out of their way to make almost every episode uncomfortable to watch; either it’s horrifying, or disgusting. Pick your poison.
Gsarthotegga
09/28/2022, 08:54 AM
Season 2 returns with a strong OP/ED combo that complements the Golden City of the Scorching Sun arc very well, and I start by mentioning this because the OP in particular gives a solid impression of how different this season is compared to the original. Unlike the S1 OP that was little more than a summary of the first episode, this one crosscuts frequently between two different sets of characters exploring the Abyss. The closing is rather abstract, bringing to mind the oceanic depths presented at the end of the 5th layer, which we observed in the 3rd movie, and the vastness and mystery itevokes is a great note to close on. S2 manages to finally slow down, and it weaves together an even darker atmosphere with deeper storytelling and world building. Enjoyable as it was, S1 always seemed a bit too brisk, like the author had ants in his pants or ADHD, and sometimes there would be nary an event before Riko and Reg shot through a layer like it was almost nothing, which kind of dampens the impact and undersells the anomalous nature of the abyss. The main characters, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi don't receive nearly as much focus here. They all get separated for most of the series around episode 4. Riko has to fend for herself and doesn't have the luxury of being babysat the whole time and explores a bit on her own. Nanachi revisits the past again, and while I kind of thought this seemed unnecessary on my first exposure to her scenes in the manga, it makes sense; sometimes we expect a character arc to be cleanly resolved and then the character has moved on, but that doesn't tend to be how the mind really works. Reg regains some of his memories and meets the new character Faputa, whose character development is quite strong, because directly and indirectly, much of the 12 episodes actually serve as the backstory and arc for her character, and there are many bittersweet moments due to her complex relationship to the village and its inhabitants. Perhaps the OP oversells the finesse with which the staff weave the Ganja crew's journey through the abyss and our familiar trio of protagonists, but a sizable chunk of this season concerns the Ganja's background and their foundation of the Village of Ilblu, the history of the abyss, and its lore—and while the manga delivered most of this information in one lengthy flashback, the anime wisely chose to mix it up a bit more. Instead of the large scope of season 1, spanning multiple layers, this season opts to instead flesh-out a singular location in the 6th layer, providing plenty of flashbacks as well. Most detractors have complained about this difference between the two seasons, so that is a mental adjustment that will need to be made to fully enjoy this installment. There's always been a layer of scrutiny about this or that element that's questionable or objectionable or whatever throughout MiA's run, but season 2 appears to be a more controversial entry to the franchise than the first season or the 3rd movie. S2 has delved deeper (pun intended?) into territory most are not exposed to often: scatological sojourns and a bit o' butt gut plopping. Get ready to wince with the latter activity! I was eating when they found the "charms." Not fun (this scene and the Meinya scene are more graphic in the anime). I don't feel a need to condemn or justify any specific content. It's true: MiA could have been a very satisfying story without the more macabre, disturbing, or weird elements—the plot wouldn't even have to be reworked all that much, with the main difference being a greater reliance on implying or keeping vague certain "unsavory" aspects rather than showing everything in so much detail. The tone and impact would be a lot different, but either approach would be sufficient with good enough writing and execution. Yet I will say that these "uncomfortable" elements, for better or worse, add a lot of realism, and with realism comes a greater sense of danger for the characters and immersion into their world. This is a dark fantasy involving children embarking on a high-stakes journey through unforgiving terrain that is infested with strange and malevolent creatures and an onslaught of unknown perils. Whether art should conform to this reality of realistic situations and disturbing content in the context of children or not is its own separate question, however, MiA is at least honest compared to other syrupy fantasy anime and series featuring children embarking on their lonesome without adult supervision. Hole in the Ground City from S1 is not quite like the pampered western world; children are pushed to become "adults" sooner, as we can see with Riko (as well as children much younger than her) apprenticing as a cave raider. It could even be argued that modern civilization has an infantilizing effect, as children are brainwashed in public schools when they could be capable of much more. Of course, the adult world can be a dark one, and being pushed to perform as such can lead to harrowing experiences. Think of what horrors might have occurred during the Children's Crusade, where many died or were enslaved during their journey—or even modern migration patterns (the Children's Crusade is a contentious event and not all of them were children). MiA evokes the feeling of an aged fairy tale in its undiluted form before it could be sanitized for children. The colorful child-like atmosphere and the antics of the children clash with dark undercurrents and adult themes, and while I wouldn't go as far as to say this is a deconstruction of any particular genre, it certainly does take what looks to be childish and injects a strand of realism into it, and under the circumstances, there is really nothing else we should expect, unless we want to be lied to. Just as Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica points out all of the lies and inconsistencies inherent in the magical girl genre, so too MiA tackles the naivety of the coming of age adventure and fantasy stories. There is a palpable sense of vulnerability and dread that always surrounds the characters, further accentuated by how alien and strange the various layers are. Just when the Village of Ilblu starts to seem warm, cozy, colorful, and Ghibli-esque, our characters let their guard down, and all of a sudden there's an "attempted rape" (?) in a back alley that ranks as one of the more disconcerting scenes of that nature because we can't even understand the hollows at all as they tower over the characters, though we can easily assume various intentions—there's even enough ambiguity to suggest more innocent intentions from the denizens. That, of course, brings to mind the distinct language and thought-out culture Ilblu possesses, with a whole host of peculiar customs, and only a few villagers speaking Riko's language. Far too often, the plot armor in a series is tremendous, and while there is technically always a little bit for a story to function, the characters in this have gone through a considerably greater amount of hardship and mental shocks to the point that I'm uncertain of what to expect by the end. Even if they don't die, one wonders what can be expected of their mental state, or if they will even remain "themselves," once we've been introduced to the bizarre narehate forms of the former Ganja crew and various cave raiders who happened upon Ilblu afterwards. There's also no turning back due to the curse mechanism. It's all or nothing. To better underline just how dark the atmosphere is, there is an often fleshy, organic appearance to many of the structures and body horror imagery is used copiously here, some have even reasonably likened MiA to being a much different spin on cosmic horror. I would say MiA also compares very favorably to and acts as a spiritual successor to the Strugatsky brothers' Roadside Picnic novel, which also concerns anomalous environments, with the Zone being similar to the Abyss, artifacts that grant wishes or confer powers, and there is even an equivalent to the curse mechanic. Certainly, MiA is a much greater spiritual successor to the themes of the novel than an on the nose and mediocre spoof like Otherside Picnic, while exploring a much different story and thematic content. Lavishly depicted and benefitting from an art director/background artist known for working with Ghibli, the Village of Ilblu is blessed (cursed?) by intriguing mechanics, where value—of a person and their belongings—is ascertained by an arcane process. It also sports one of the most wildly variegated assortment of critters I've ever seen in a village in any fantasy story ever, as it has an unusual backstory as well; the villagers were not born as they were, their shape, appearance, and abilities are based on their desires, which adds an interesting psychological component, and you might even be able to draw some conclusions about their past and present behaviors to better understand their forms. The body horror is ramped up to the highest levels here, with the village and the villagers having a peculiar symbiotic relationship and a horrible past. On the topic of disturbing elements, the village is doubly so compared to just about anything else in the series, save for Bondrewd's experiments, and there don't appear to be any boundaries that can't be crossed, so long as the value system is respected. One can sell his or her body parts: it's easy to compare the possible outcomes to various forms of slavery and trafficking and even organ harvesting. This system of balancing and value is a large part of what leads to many of the most unsettling and emotional moments of the season. Unlike 2021's Tone-Deaf to Your Eternity, MiA actually does have a sense for emotional beats, and much of this comes from the fact that while the narehate of Ilblu look like they were all aliens gathered from a different planet and don't quite form a coherent community in the way that humans would, they were once human, with common human desires, and most of them were once similar to Riko and had the same undying will to explore deep into the abyss, they just got lost along the way or had no other means of continuing their journey. The time Riko's party spends with the villagers is short, but the scripting and timing make it feel as if they'd been together much longer. Oddly enough, it's somewhat like the sense of kinship one feels on a brief encounter with someone of the same nationality when happening upon one another in a foreign land—this sounds paradoxical when considering the context, but the narehate have two "selves" in some sense, both at odds with one another. Even just small scenes like Majikaja silencing Riko from forming a disastrous contract or the scenes with Meinya and Maaa or Belaf's guilt are surprisingly impactful. Probably the most interesting aspect of the season is the basic relationship between Riko's party and other adventures with the villagers and the three sages. Vueko is an empathetic character with a close mother-daughter-like relationship in lieu of the focus on Lyza-Riko from previous installments and functions as a solid narrator. However, the two shining lights of the Ganja crew are clearly Belaf and Wazukyan. Wazukyan is not a character I would consider an antagonist per se—certainly not a villain—but he could be said to be similar to Bondrewd in a sense, just a much lighter, more positive shade. Both are ambitious and will do whatever it takes to achieve their desires. Without people like them, we'd be unlikely to see advancements, though Bondrewd's quest is of a much more edgy and extreme nature. On the other hand, Wazukyan led a band of people without a homeland into uncharted territory, and he did anything and everything he could to maintain his crew and continue the adventure. I personally think he made all the right choices given the circumstances, and one would be lucky to have such a resolute leader. While they ended up losing their humanity, it's unlikely they would have survived otherwise. Despite the outcome at first appearing to be for the best, any wish granted is always double-edged. Though Ilblu may look festive and wondrous, the inhabitants sequestered there lost sight of their dreams, and their "homeland" becomes little more than a decadent economic hub. I mentioned the psychological aspect before, and by looking at Belaf and Wazukyan, they have quite useful abilities, are seemingly powerful, and even grandiose in form. That's... not the case for quite a few of the villagers, many of whom seem squishy, small, and weak, though a few may appear imposing or strong. The segment with the toilet could easily be dismissed as a gross gag scene, but aside from highlighting the truly alien nature of the abyss, the most disturbing aspect is that this toilet is alive and is clearly a narehate. There's another narehate that has a flat appearance and he likes to have people step on him. Quite a few others seem to be psychosexual in nature. This is a reflection of their desires—especially the base, lower ones. Fetishism, perversion, etc. The rest are concerned with various trinkets and consumerism and just about every character fetishizes the flesh of children and would like to purchase one from the market if they could. As odd and dehumanized as they are, they are also in many ways quite human and imbued with both positive and negative traits. The proceedings were very obviously meant to portray a downtrodden people that lost the same ambition and luster for life as Riko, though there are other plot conceits pertaining to Faputa and the village's past. Wazukyan ceases to lead because there is nothing to lead, though an ambition lingers inside of him. In many ways, MiA is deeply about these competing drives, but we rarely see the other side of the same coin. We spend most of our time with Riko and other delvers, all who possess that spirit of exploration and discovery. Those of Ilblu had consigned themselves to the warm darkness like so many do and lost sight of the elusive light that dwells somewhere deep within the Abyss. Ilblu is the first instance where we see any kind of inertia, and, finally, a reinvigoration.
IzaEpsil
09/28/2022, 08:18 AM
What do you think is your purpose for being born? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This review can be read even if you haven’t seen season 1 or the movie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Made in Abyss Season 2 comes at one of the greatest times for anime to develop dramatically. Most of the animations for Made in Abyss stay relatively consistent to their previous seasons in quality, but its best scenes are greater than even the previous movie in animation. This is in reference to all of the battle scenes that happen in Season 2, referred to as the Golden City of the Scorching Sun Arc. Amazing storytelling, along with a beautifully written character cast,my heart feels just as hot as I’d be in the sixth layer. But I’ll get into that later. Let’s talk about the story. The storytelling has to be one of the best parts of Made in Abyss, just under character writing. It doesn’t need to tell us 100% of the land as we follow along the main cast. The studio and the author show us that through architecture and geography. The animation and stills of such has so much storytelling ingrained into it. This is a much more gruesome environment, and that can be seen from the kinds of creatures and their form of living. Blood, bodies, bones.. If they’re even there for anyone to see. Yet, it doesn’t feel out of place given the context of the previous season and movie. This place is expanded upon through our main cast of course, and it helps having the narration of Riko giving us nice questions on the land. I’d have to say, the greatest addition to the story has to be that they stayed in the same layer, rather than rush it like all the other layers. This is inevitable since.. They can’t really rush that! It helped to give us the background for the civilization that lived there (lives! SPOILeR!!!! But not really). The greatest question out of this season has to be the quote at the beginning of this review. There’s so much of humanity that doesn't realize the depth of others affecting us. This can range from a 9-5 job that takes over our lives, sacrifices made along the way, and sometimes even thinking of the purpose to our birth. Can something really be so definitive that it can have a single answer? This season asks us that question, but the adventure, even then, cannot give an immediate answer. But, it does tell us about the music given from this season. The soundtrack is phenomenal yet again, as per Kevin Penkin. I had no doubt. Gravity also SLAPS. A harmonious soundtrack that gives off the sense of adventure. The openings and endings are also fantastic, having another MYTH & ROID addition. The ending is a good example that going deeper into the abyss has its light that can be reached. They all have different manners of evoking many amazing emotions in me.. But not as much as the character cast. Before I get onto that, another question I have to ask is: Can you do anything to survive? The addition to the character cast of Faputa, Vueko, Irumyuui, Belaf, Wazukyan, and many more are added as a part of exploring the sixth layer, and out of these characters, Faputa has to be a new favorite. The amount of backstory put into each character is fleshed out enough for us to see the capabilities of each of them. A person born from nothing, a person of emotion, a person that reaches for the impossible, a person having clairvoyance, a person touched by divinity (and Maaa, a new friend). Their interactions with the main cast, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi, can range from heartwarming to absolute catastrophe. It’s some of my favorites in animation in general. At some point, the actions of these characters aren’t even something that can be stated as inherently right or wrong, and that’s the magic of the abyss that lured them in. Many, /MANY/ times, I had a fight in my head on the actions of the characters, just as much, if not more than I did seeing the previous movie. But I ultimately came to the decision to accept it, even if I don’t find it right, as they always give us the reason. Controversy is a common theme for Made in Abyss, and it’s no different here. And in controversy, a star is born, that star being Faputa. Giving us a fantastic backstory, ultimately stretching back to even season 1, Faputa is the best character addition to the main plot. Faputa’s animations are also so incredibly smooth for her ability to travel. A plethora of questions came about from the addition of Faputa, and they can be answered from the story of the show. Her interactions following the main cast are amazing, to say the least. Animalistic to others, but kind to those that she opened up to. And someone that can understand Faputa more has to be Nanachi, giving us an authentic experience that many of us have felt in the past. And Reg’s experience with Faputa is stellar (despite being so deep in the abyss!). Riko, being the walking exposition dump (but I still find it so interesting!), gives us the interactions of how people live in the sixth layer, even if those people have transformed, and is the pinnacle reason of Faputa’s reaction seeing them together. As I stick around for another season for Made in Abyss, I have to tell you that it is very much worth seeing. Amazing animation again, as well as another great soundtrack by Kevin Penkin, it all helps to tell the story of the abyss. Another continuation of the faithful adaptation, it’s great to know it doesn’t diminish in value. The fight scenes are so smooth, and the weight of it all can be related to even that of a regular life. Another hour long finale. It saddens me that I need to wait for another season again, but I guess that's the magic Made in Abyss. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sincerely, a great fan. Everyone, see you later.
Mcsuper
09/28/2022, 07:28 AM
The kid gloves are off. Although some people still do, we can’t pretend this is the happy go lucky journey down the Abyss that we thought this show was going to be back when Season 1 aired all the way back in 2017. One thing that hasn’t changed since then is my undeniable intrigue I have with this series. The adventuring, the stunning scenery, the immaculate OST, the characters, basically everything resonated with me, and with this season of Made In Abyss, that was no different. Since this show is about children, I can relate it to my own childhood to some extent, so I’ll tella quick story. I loved the outdoors a lot as a kid, and still do. I enjoyed hiking and camping a lot, just the wilderness in general, though I didn’t know the necessary worldly survival skills like making a fire, or using a compass. One, scorching summer afternoon, I went on a hike with my friends and parents, into quite a large forest. We walked and walked until “Two roads diverged in a wood”. Being my adventurous and fearless self, “I took the one less traveled by”, albeit with a couple people. It was a maze of trees, and a winding road, far different from the other road, that some of the others from my group travelled on. Knowing that forests were home to such creatures like bears, coyotes, and the creepiest of creatures, I still felt like the happiest little kid in the world, prancing down the forest like nobody’s business. The sun set, and we were set to return from where we came from, back home. However, in our inexperience of the outdoors, we got lost, in the night. We wandered and wandered with seemingly no exit from the vast forest. Hearing the creatures around me, I felt for the first time, a sense of fear, that something might attack my unprepared, vulnerable self. In my fear, I tripped on a branch and injured my leg a little bit. Eventually, my group found the exit, and although those gruelling hours of being lost were some of the toughest in my life, I never stopped being excited about the unknown. And that’s because I started to learn, that there will always be ups and downs in life, and whenever you mess up, it’s always a chance to learn new things, new skills, such as how I could not get lost in a forest next time. The characters in Made In Abyss do much of the same thing, they have encountered their fair share of troubles, but it never gets them down, they learn from the troubles, and have undeniable courage to tackle whatever the Abyss throws at them. At its core, Made In Abyss is a tale of a life’s journey, and one’s slow but sure maturity. My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20 STORY: 24/25 This season was a very interesting one to me in that although it’s very self-contained in the Golden City, it tackles the journeys of the past and present, the past being the first adventurers who ventured into the Golden City, the Ganja Squad, and the present being the characters we all know, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi. It further splits into different paths, as each character from the present has their own set of experiences in the Golden City, and each learn vastly different things, and encounter varying things, good and bad. The darkness is instilled in the story from the first moment of the season, and never turns back, yet there are some light moments in the series as well. The Golden City is home to a village, which has their own culture, such as currency, and language, that serves as a very intriguing exploration element that feels as good as the first season, where Riko and Reg explored the wilderness, this time, they explored a city with its own lightness and darkness. For characters from the past and present alike, the Abyss still remains as great metaphor of one’s progression in life. The fact that the sixth layer of the Abyss represents “The Point of No Return”, hammers home the fact that we as humans, only move forward, not back. We can’t go back to being the starry-eyed children we once were, and no matter how hard life gets, we must persevere and find new ways to improve our life and survive. No matter what mistakes we made, we can’t live in the past, because like the Abyss, the real world doesn’t wait for us to get back on our feet and recover. The real world presents us with a barrage of puzzles to solve every single day, so if we get weighed down by our past regrets, we’ll get swallowed up by the curse of the Abyss. ART: 9.6/10 Still very visually appealing with great scenery and I love that they didn’t hold back in the dark moments. The visuals in those moments looked blood-curdling, spine-chilling, and that is what Made In Abyss does so well. MUSIC: 9.7/10 The music by Kevin Penkin instills a great sense of atmosphere, and is very resonant. It’s tempting to listen to it again and again because you can just close your eyes and imagine yourself on an adventure (though maybe don’t imagine what happens in Made In Abyss, or you’ll have trouble sleeping). OP and ED are also very nice, especially the ending by Myth & Roid, which was my favourite this season. CHARACTERS: 19.5/20 The characters continue to be quite the treat to watch. Riko continues to be a character with a ton of heart and a great willingness to persevere no matter how unforgiving the Abyss is. Reg’s backstory is intriguing, and Nanachi has her share of moments, some of which were quite emotional. The characters from the past, the Ganja Squad, had a whole bunch of great characters as well, quite a few that stand out such as Vueko, Irumyuui, Wazukyan, and Belaf. Each have their own struggles, some more than others, and their personalities are quite interesting, ranging from a willingness to do anything to help himself and others survive, to harboring a feeling of guilt that was so great that he couldn’t go on. It’s a very wondrous cast of characters, who each have their backstory told in a very fascinating way, and you feel for every single one of them. There is also no real villain in this story, though I can argue there wasn’t one in Season 1 or the movie. Sure, there are antagonists who oppose the main characters, but they each have their own reasons, whether it is a love for their loved ones, or an appetite for human advancement. There are a lot of morally repugnant themes in this show, but they all have a reason in which to do such unthinkable things, and that’s what makes each and every character special, even if you come to hate them. ENJOYMENT: 14.8/15 Although it’s frustrating that there are so many questions asked, but not enough answers, the show brings about a sort of odd excitement not found in any other show I’ve watched. My immersion was always strong, and every detail in the show is spectacular. Phenomenal. THEMATIC EXECUTION: 19/20 The themes are so well executed because each character is interesting. Another reason is that they never hold back from showing us morally questionable things, whether it is excessive gore, or very grotesque imagery. It really shows us the unforgiving nature of the Abyss, and that is simply amazing. Sure, there are some rather dumb things that happen, such as the toilet humour, but that’s just a minor tonal shift issue for me. OVERALL: 96.6/100 This was an instalment to the Made in Abyss series that felt even better than the first. It’s a great tale of one’s maturity, and it resonated with me a lot. You feel the characters’ fear, you feel their emotions, you cry with them, you smile with them. There is still much to unravel in this adventure, and we probably won’t see another season of Made In Abyss for quite some time, but whenever we get it, I’ll want to be the first in line to witness what comes next in this emotionally damaging journey that I love so much. To everyone who read this to the end, I truly appreciate it.

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷

North American Anime & Manga Releases for June

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' TV Anime Gets Sequel

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'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Unveils Additional Cast, Theme Song Artists, Second Promo

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, First Promo

Q3 2021 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/29]

'Made in Abyss' Anime Series Sequel in Production

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷

North American Anime & Manga Releases for June

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' TV Anime Gets Sequel

Summer 2022 Simulcast List [Update 8/25]

PV Collection for May 30 - Jun 5

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Unveils Additional Cast, Theme Song Artists, Second Promo

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, First Promo

Q3 2021 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/29]

'Made in Abyss' Anime Series Sequel in Production

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス 烈日の黄金郷

North American Anime & Manga Releases for June

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' TV Anime Gets Sequel

Summer 2022 Simulcast List [Update 8/25]

PV Collection for May 30 - Jun 5

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Unveils Additional Cast, Theme Song Artists, Second Promo

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, First Promo

Q3 2021 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/29]

'Made in Abyss' Anime Series Sequel in Production

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス 烈日の黄金郷

North American Anime & Manga Releases for June

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' TV Anime Gets Sequel

Summer 2022 Simulcast List [Update 8/25]

PV Collection for May 30 - Jun 5

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Unveils Additional Cast, Theme Song Artists, Second Promo

'Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, First Promo

Q3 2021 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/29]

'Made in Abyss' Anime Series Sequel in Production

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷

Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ougonkyou メイドインアビス烈日の黄金郷