Made in Abyss

(Because this is my first review I literally went and binge watched a bunch of anime reviewers to try and sound professional. My life is so sad it's not even funny.)

Sooooo... Made In Abyss. I goddamn LOVE this show. I want to make something clear right now - this is not a show for everyone. It's rated R17 for a reason, because there are some legitimately disturbing and downright gory scenes. But it's not a mindless, just-there- to-be-edgy gore, it's the kind of gore that is used to build on the atmosphere and illustrate the shows themes in a clearer light. So if you can stomach it, then this show is definitely worth a watch.

Story - 9/10 The basic premise of this show is that there is a huge pit called the Abyss, full of dangerous monsters and ancient relics. No one knows what is at the bottom, but adventurers called cave raiders go down into the abyss with hopes of finding out the secrets and origin of this mysterious structure. Our main character, Riko, is a small girl who's mother used to be a White Whistle, the highest rank of cave raider you can be. One day Riko is out cave raiding on the upper layers when she meets a amnesiac robot called Reg. After receiving a letter from her mother telling her to come to the bottom of the Abyss, she and Reg go on an adventure to try and find out the truth. While it's at first seems reasonably cliché, the story becomes more and more intricate as it goes on and gets very dark and mature. Despite all this dark tension, there is a certain sense of wonder and hope throughout the whole show that stops it from becoming a Tokyo Ghoul-esque pit of depression. (Nothing against TG but you gotta admit they lay it on a bit thick.)

Characters - 8/10 Since the show is only 13 episodes and has an incomplete ending, there hasn't been crazy amounts of character development yet. The characters all have unique personalities and are beginning to mature, but they're really only starting their "character arcs." But the reason I'm rating this category so high is because of how well the characters play off each other. Riko is the confident, obsessive, albeit sometimes cocky adventurer (although the cockiness is never overdone to the point of annoyance). Reg, while being quite powerful, is extremely nervous and has a tendency to follow everyone else's plans, which leads to some great moments when he's stuck on his own. Then we have Nanachi, a character we meet around episode 10, who is the more sceptical and knowledgeable one. These three different personalities bounce off each other and use each other to improve or change themselves.

Sound - 9.5/10 The soundtrack is perfect for this show. All the different OSTs serve as excellent accompaniments to whatever scene they're allocated, and lots of the music has a sense of wonder and mystery which is this shows strongpoint. However, while there are some stand out tracks, a lot of the OSTs don't really stand out on their own, and really only work in the context of the show. But since were only reviewing said show, I'm still going to give it a 9.5.

Art - 10/10 So, the character designs for some of the younger characters is a bit subjective. Some people like it and others wish it was more mature, to reflect on the show. I personally think it adds to the misleading nature but that's just me. Not counting those, all of the older characters look absolutely awesome, and the art for the environments and backgrounds... There are no words to describe it. It is honestly spectacular. The visuals for the fight scenes are also well animated, and there's never a point where it feels the quality has gone down. Which is impressive considering the relatively low budget the creators had to work with.

Overall - 9/10 As you probably got by how I was gushing over it like a fangirl, but I really like this show. On terms of pure enjoyment this was probably a 10 but I had to factor in the actual writing of the show as well. As I mentioned before, the story is incomplete, and the manga is currently on hiatus until 2018 so it might be a little while for season 2. (The anime covered 26 chapters and the manga only has 42). Also, the show could do without some of the sexual references, but too be fair they're few and far between, with the worst of it being in episode 2. The show is also held back by the lack of character development so far but this was still a crap ton of in to watch. There is still a few months of the year left but this is definitely the best show so far - not including sequels *cough* HeroAca S2 *cough. If your OK with seeing the odd scene of a small innocent child in immeasurable pain then your good to go.

I am a 30 year old stoner dude, who usually watches action movies and so forth, but this was truly addictive, and gripped me from start. I don't usually comment like this, but this show deserves it. The story is a rollercoaster of emotions. And the music, OMG, what an amazing job they did on producing one of the most beautiful soundtracks I've heard on a show, just awed at how the music matches the atmosphere in every scene. WOW! I highly recommend this gem!

The story in the dubbed first movie is a surprising combination of what should be conflicting light and airy tones with a dark and bleak story and quest but to my surprise they came together masterfully.

The artwork, music, characters and story flow exceptionally well and before you realize it the first in the series of movies is done leaving you fulfilled but wanting the next chapter in the story.

There are gaps, characters that seem to deserve more depth and unresolved issues, but considering there are multiple movies in the series yet to be dubbed I'll have to hope all of those small things holes get filled by the end of arc.

You can tell there was a ton of effort put into this series. As someone who doesn't like the current trends in anime these days, I found massive enjoyment watching Made in Abyss. This might not make sense, but it feels really pure and new. I highly recommend just diving straight into this series without knowing much about it.

Made in Abyss is going down as one of my favorite shows of all time. Not just one of my favorite animes, one of my favorite shows. The characters, world-building, plot progression, music, art style, animation, voice acting (sub and dub), everything is incredible.

The show is a return to fantasy elements, and doesn't set up an rpg style world or borrow from Tolkien or C.S. Lewis. It begins in an optimistic and lighthearted tone with just enough dark implications to get you wondering, but as it goes on it begins to explore the most brutal aspects of being human in an increasingly harsh manor. But it never gets to be too much, and it doesn't feel like gratuitous suffering because the two lead characters push through with hope, determination, and a childish charm.

I really hope Made in Abyss gets another season. I'm dying to know what happens after the latest episode, and I would read ahead in the manga if the author weren't such a creep. If you're prepared for a shockingly dark and intense show with incredible quality and enough high moments to get you through the low ones, then give it a watch. You won't regret it.