Made in Abyss

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.

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.

Rarely has a show annoyed me so much like "Made in Abyss".

The anime is actually extremely well done in many ways. The presentation is really very good and made me very interested in how the story will unfold and how the characters will develop.

To stay with the characters - they were often really well written and the relationships between the characters also developed in a meaningful way.

The look of the anime and its animations are also extremely lovingly designed, so that you enjoy watching it.

The anime really could have told an extremely interesting story about children entering a world unknown to them, unaware of the dangers of it...

Apparently the author thought there was one thing missing - the sexualization of children... In the first season you got some very questionable scenes - sexual violence on children, very scantily clad children, children getting to know each other's bodies.

Normally I would have stopped the anime a long time ago, but here I looked past it and said to myself that everything makes sense because I was really interested in the story.

But in the middle of the 2nd season I finally stopped the anime - here really no option was left out, if it was possible to portray the characters in light clothing or to sexualize them in some other way.

Without all that weird stuff, the anime could easily have gotten an 8/10 or 9/10 from me, but because of all that slightly pedophilic tinge, I can't give it more than a 6/10, unfortunately, even though the rest was really good.

(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.

Made in Abyss looks childish. If you think it is for kids. You are Grosly mistaken! Stop that train of thought before it's too late.

Basic plot: it's about a girl and a robot boy who decide to travel down "the abyss" a giant hole for spoiler reasons.

I can calmly say there were Scenes, ney episodes that left me speechless and utterly dumbstruck.

The show is beautifully animated. And to top it all off the plot is completely original and very well fleshed out. You'll enjoy the unique traits of each character and the diverse pacing of the story.

If you are a fan of sci fi adventure, studio ghibli, or are just looking to get your sick kicks. Made in Abyss is for you.