Made in Abyss: L'aurore de l'âme

Highly recommend for fans of the show as it is a direct, cannon continuation of the story!

• Story is just as good as the original series, if a little bit convoluted.
• New characters are a bit jarring but the villain lives up to the hype.
• Action scenes are AWESOME.
• Lore / world-building is still there, answering important questions and giving way to new mysteries!

The only real problem I had was having to watch it dubbed in the cinema. Most of the voices were unfortunately high-pitched and grating on the ears, making all the weird sexual tropes even harder to stomach (I remember this show being surprisingly dark but not perverse).

The movie was absolutely exhilarating. The animation is still beautiful and the music, while maybe not as memorable as the cuts from the TV series, still elevated the world of the abyss perfectly. I didn't think the show could get any bleaker but they found a way. There were so many times I was anxious about the story progressing further because I didn't want to find out what horror would be uncovered.

The action sequences really picked up this time around and there were so many well played moments where I found myself holding my breath because I wasn't sure how things would pan out.

Often times you might find that a movie version of an anime series drops in quality either in storytelling or plot development because they're usually side stories. But this isn't the case here. It's a continuation from the end of season one and it, more or less, plays out just like the TV series. It was the perfect amount of time to dedicate to the Bondrewd arc I think and it really does feel like a monumental event. Despite its more grandiose presentation, there are still smaller moments dedicated to characters interacting with the abyss's landscape and creatures.

Can't wait for the next part in the series.

The rabbit hole goes deeper and this time round, the arc has a more convoluted storyline than previous installments. Bondrewd shines as the nemesis in character design. In this world, he's seen as an extremely valuable person, bore no ill will but clearly does not have any moral boundaries. Horrific and gruesome experiments have been conducted on victims for common good where knowledge is prized above all moral considerations. The practice has gone on since time immemorial by those in power and control. In the last scene, Bondrewd concluded that it is a shame to lose a good body and summarises the ethical conundrum. The music and soundtrack by Kevin Penkin is on point. The art direction and fight scenes could be better portrayed while it's understood that the producers wish to remain faithful to the manga series. There are also inconsistencies in some of the plot details and the bond between Pruskla and Riko seems a little too contrived. Overall, the movie will not disappoint fans but short of the standards of the greatest animes.

Made in Abyss is one of the best animes to come out in recent years. It's stunning world building with gorgeous animation. I found the series oddly mesmerizing with it's cutesy style yet grim and dark tone. With season 2 recently announced I decided to finally watch the movie which is set after season 1 but before season 2.

The biggest standout in this film is Bondrewd who is just an amazing antagonist. He is loving and compassionate with no genuine ill will to the protagonists but will commit horrible things with no remorse. He wants to discover all the mysteries of the abyss and believes everything he does is completely justified. Even when people don't agree with him, he is genuinely fine with it and doesn't harper any negative feelings towards them. This makes him such an interesting character! His relationship with Nanachi is the main focus of the story and it's definitely very engaging.

Kevin Penkin returns to compose the music for the film and it is still as beautiful as ever. Every song is stunning and elevates every scene. The animation is still great with some pretty thrilling animation in the 3rd act. It also continues to have some really dark moments which is what made the series stand out in the first place.

I have some issues with the film though. Firstly, is the lack of worldbuilding as the movie is completely in one place which is one great aspect from the show that is not in the movie. A new character called Prushka is introduced and ends up being an underwhelming character. She is not very interesting and has limited interactions with the main characters but for some reason the story acts like she was great friends with them. I felt her character didn't amount to much. I'm also annoyed that Riko, the main character, never really does anything worthy of a main character and ends up just being carried by Reg and Nanachi. She doesn't really undergo any proper character development and just ends up feeling like a person who just happens to be there.

Despite all that, this is a great sequel to the first season and I definitely can't wait for season 2!

Probably the most amazing discovery I made since watching anime. Made in Abyss is a treasure with layers that keep unfolding the deeper you dive into it. You are the explorer and Kevin Penkin's music is your guide. I listened to the soundtrack of the movie before watching it, as I often do. I also read the manga prior to watching the movie... I cannot even begin to imagine the rollercoaster that a person will go through if they are walking into this movie with no expectations. It will blow your mind.

The character Bondrewd is flawless. An incredibly complex character that will haunt you throughout the entire movie. The voice, the motive, the story, the value system, the philosophy... a very well done antagonist.

The visuals are even more impressive than the series. The music... Kevin Penkin has outdone himself. If even possible, he outranked himself.

I can only say that I have the deepest appreciation for the team behind this anime and movie. They are doing a wonderful job at giving life to this story. Hope they keep moving downward. Kudos.