Common Name: Made in Abyss
Score: 10/10, 5/5
Length: 13 Episodes
Genre: Adventure, Action, Drama, Grimdark
WARNING: This show features several scenes depicting nudity, violence, and the torture of young children. Despite appearances, this is a show meant for an older audience.
Summary: There remains one last great unknown in the world, a horrible place that swallows up all who enter it, known simply as The Abyss. In spite of the danger, however, the call of adventure has brought a vast number of people to the mouth of The Abyss, creating a kind community that can express its fear and worship of the Abyss with the same breath: "We all return to The Abyss." Determined to find her mother, the legendary White Whistle Lyza, the young Delver known as Riko has her mind set on reaching the bottom of The Abyss one day. Being only a Red Whistle, the lowest rank of Delver next to the trainee Bells, that dream might as well be impossible though, until Riko discovers a humanoid robot that is. Capable of firing an indiscriminately destructive laser and scaling The Abyss without suffering the effects of The Curse, this robot find might just be Riko's ticket to the bottom. Naming the bashful artifact Reg, Riko bids farewell to her peaceful life in search of a dream that will, more likely than not, just get them killed.
DISCLAIMER: I thought I'd offer some forewarning that this is going to be a seriously long review and I will more than likely get into spoiler territory at some point. If you want to avoid spoilers and go into this show raw or want to invoke tl;dr, I will state right here that I highly recommend checking this one out. It gets really dark at some points, but this show is fantastic and deserves all the praise I have to offer in the paragraphs to follow.
Review: If I had to express why it is that I grew to love writing these anime reviews, I'd have to say it's because anime has the ability to create awe-inspiring visuals and narrative moments that are wholly unlike any other storytelling medium. Unfortunately, it's not very often that we actually get these moments since they require each and every facet of the show to be working at its best. Needless to say, doing so also requires a lot of money and skill. Every year or two though, there'll be a show or two that will briefly realize that potential, setting them apart from the chaff. Made in Abyss is not one of those shows though; not by a long shot. It is a show that realizes that potential from start to finish, making it one of the rarest and most valuable shows out there. While I'll admit that I might be over-hyping it a tad, I can already tell this'll be one of those shows that will not only stick out in my mind but color my perception of other shows years from now. I say this because Made in Abyss is already messing with my perception of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou, a cutesy, slice of life adventure show that's currently airing. If that's not a sign of quality, I don't know what is.
So, with my bias clearly stated, I guess it's time to get this pain train chugging.
Following the adventure of Riko, the orphaned child of the legendary White Whistle Lyza, and her robotic companion, Reg, Made in Abyss is a show that can be appreciated from two distinct but interconnected perspectives. The first is one centered on Riko's adventure itself, marveling at the shape the journey takes and the characters they meet along the way. The second perspective, the one that I will focus on here at the start, is what Riko's adventure says about this world and The Abyss's place within it. While this second perspective might sound like a ridiculous waste of time, I can solidly claim that one of the show's strongest points is the depth and thought put into the world.
Though I acknowledge that these statements of depth might be seen as a joke, I am serious about this show's level of detail.
For example, that illegible scrawl on this map can actually be translated to Japanese kana.
Centered primarily around The Abyss and the city of Orth, which sits around the mouth of The Abyss, we start the show learning about the specifics of the city, its culture, and its relevance to the world at large. Specifically, it is acknowledged that The Abyss is the last great wonder of the world. It is the last great unknown in a world that has been scoured and researched to completion. With that established, it figures why people would be attracted to this place. Everyone from the downtrodden with nowhere better to go to fame seekers and scientists has a place in the city of Orth. All that is necessary to find one's place in the city is a willingness to assist in the effort to plumb the depths of The Abyss. There is, however, one big hitch with the exploration of this great unknown.
This place is full to bursting with shit that can and actively wants to kill you!
Unfortunately, The Abyss is home to more than just some Indiana Jones wannabes. Though it is unclear whether or not these creatures reside anywhere else in the world, it is clear that exploring The Abyss gets more and more dangerous the farther down someone goes. Following a king of Darwinian mentality, it is all but stated that the more dangerous layers of The Abyss create a similarly dangerous ecosystem, one full of creatures that need to be smarter, stronger, and generally more deadly just to survive on the lower layers. Yet it is not necessarily the creatures that make The Abyss an inhospitable place for mankind. That particular issue can be attributed to the nature of The Abyss itself.
Yeeeah, I'm not referring to the threat altitude sickness.
Though no one seems to know where it came from--with theories ranging from the weapon of an ancient nation to the will of The Abyss itself--The Curse of The Abyss easily stands as the single greatest threat to those who dedicate their lives to its exploration. While the nature of the beast is just another great unknown for the people of Orth, its basic mechanics are understood by everyone. Specifically, each level of The Abyss makes surviving the ascent more and more impossible, inflicting pain and injury by orders of magnitude with each layer. After a point, though, it is simply impossible to ascend without some means of repelling The Curse. Yet, in spite of all these dangers and the constant threat of death, the Delvers of Orth possess an unwavering dedication to this place that will, more likely than not, become their grave. Here's the thing though: I can see why they would be so willing to sacrifice everything to The Abyss.
Put simply, The Abyss is the call to adventure given physical form. It's a vast unknown equal parts
terrifying and beautiful that practically dares humanity to conquer it.
There is a kind of spiritual magnetism to this hole of infinite potential, the remnants of some ancient civilization housed within. Quite literally, the people of Orth worship The Abyss, the place that will likely be their grave, as if it were some kind of sentient and fickle god. Of course, what is a god if not a thing greater than ourselves? A being of infinite complexity that mankind is incapable of understanding despite our best efforts--using that kind of interpretation, it again makes total sense why the people of Orth would possess some amount of reverence toward the world's last unknown. In spite of that reverence, however, the rest of the world still hungers for an answer to this last great place. Eager to buy the relics Delvers recover for a pretty penny, the economy and livelihood of Orth are centered entirely around finding the key(s) to understanding their god.
Of course, since no one knows what form that key may take, every artifact from
the simplistic Star Compass to the explosive Blaze Reap holds value.
At the same time, however, the city of Orth functions as a barrier between the outside world and The Abyss. Though their role could be seen as a strictly self-interested one, barring other nations the ability to raid The Abyss, they do ultimately protect one from the other. On the one hand, they protect The Abyss from being sacked or destroyed by some sort of military power by slowly trickling their discoveries out to the world. On the other, they also safeguard against a massive and senseless loss of life by turning Delving into a meritorious profession that requires years of rigorous training. Based on one's ability to survive and withstand the horrors of The Abyss, every Delver is assigned a whistle that determines how far they are permitted to delve ranging from the Trainee's Bell to the legendary White Whistle (Bell, Red, Blue, Moon, Black, and White). While this kind of meritorious social structure might be seen as limiting and unfair to some, it's not hard to see that these restrictions are ultimately implemented to protect the safety of Orth and its limited number of Delvers.
Of course, we wouldn't have a story if any of those rules and socio-political intrigue meant anything to Riko,
the girl who could have destroyed the most valuable artifact to date--a living robot--by shoving a ruler up his butt.
So, with all that fascinating background information established, we come to the real meat of the show--Riko's journey into The Abyss. While the point of it all is relatively simple--delve into The Abyss to find Riko's long-lost mother--the journey itself is a rather complex one. By having two children as our main characters, we're given a series of bizarre juxtapositions and developments
to consider along the way. For example, there is a strange kind of juxtaposition between the dark cruelty of The Abyss that I noted before and the unwavering cheer and optimism Riko expresses in spite of the ever-present danger. Following the math of survival in this world, it just doesn't add up that she can or will succeed in this place. So, how can it be that this innocent and defenseless child finds a way to find hope and happiness in such a hopeless place? How can this show express itself as such a bright and cheery adventure when their survival is questionable at best?
Barring the obvious answer that Riko is equal parts insane and suicidal, the best reason
I can figure shines more light on the sheer brilliance of this show.
To put the matter simply, the insanity of Riko's journey works because of its subtle, grimdark nature. Grimdark, as a genre, functions by taking the darkness that is undeniably present within our own world and then ratcheting it up to 20 in a fictional format, turning the whole affair into something that can be both upsetting and humorous depending on your audience. Yet in Made in Abyss we see the grimdark of this cruel and unforgiving world do battle with an equally absurd amount of hope and cheer. Through Riko's unwavering optimism and passion, we're given a story where the light of childish optimism might just overtake the dark. In other words, Riko exists as an exemplar of childish behavior. Like all children, Riko is energetic, emotional, foolish, impatient, and driven thanks to her one-track mind. What she does, however, is take all those traits that define the typical kid and ratchets them up to an absurd level. Eventually, it almost becomes believable that Riko might just succeed in her quest. Yet, since this show clearly depicts an ongoing battle between grimdark and "merrylight," it figures that Riko would find a foil in Reg, a being born the dark Abyss.
It's almost like being a living weapon, capable of killing anything that gets in the way,
might just color one's perspective in a more negative light.
While he might normally sway toward a kind of neutrality between the light and dark of this world, it is worth noting that Reg's thoughts tend to focus more on the negative than the positive. Where Riko is insistent that they can and will succeed in their task, Reg holds a kind of cautious optimism. This personality, I think, derives from the understanding that Reg is the sole reason they have any chance of surviving. Burdened by the weight of that, Reg constantly frets and fears that the worst might happen. It is because of his own power and knowledge of what he can and cannot do that he realizes how vulnerable they really are. He knows that if he drops his guard for a minute, their journey could end in the worst way possible--with Riko torn to bits by some creature he didn't see coming and him left without a reason or will to go on. Through Reg's fears, insecurities, and inabilities, we get a solid perception of their hopelessness. Yet, because of Riko's bizarre determination, he finds the power to seek out his own goal--to find out what he really is and where he came from. The most interesting thing to note about Reg, however, is his slow and gradual growth into the role of a Delver and what exactly that means.
Honestly, even if I am talking out my butt with this whole light vs. dark thing,
I'm willing to give this show all the praise I can for its art alone.
At the show's start, Reg basically begins as a blank slate with an undoubtedly dark past given his place of origin. He has no memory of who he is, what he is, or why he is. What he does have though is a clear set of goals: figure all that personal stuff out and protect the girl who calls him a friend at all costs. Though those tasks might cause him no small amount of anxiety and fear, they do slowly form him into someone who can do all those things without any hesitation--a true Delver. While initially, he takes Riko's blind optimism and one-track brand of determination as a weird quirk, those same qualities do eventually begin to take shape within Reg. The strange thing to note, however, is that these qualities don't just define these two. They define each and every Delver in one way or another. The only difference between each Delver boiling down to how the battle between the light and the dark manifests within them.
For example, Riko's uncle Habolg expresses that battle by being just a pip lower on the merrylight end of the spectrum,
fearing that he'll never see her again but lying to all of them that everything will be fine so their light won't waver in The Abyss.
Where this battle between merrylight and grimdark best manifests, however, comes nearly halfway through the show when Riko and Reg meet one of the White Whistles, Ozen the Immovable Sovereign. Characterized primarily as a tentative ally to the pair, Ozen functions as the first real example of how dangerous The Abyss can be. More than that, however, is her presence as one of the other great juxtapositions in Made in Abyss. Namely, it is through her less than friendly mannerisms how much needs to be sacrificed before someone can effectively descend The Abyss as a White Whistle. Striking a balance between dark monstrosity and human Delver, it is honestly difficult to categorize Ozen as a human being in that she seems to utterly lack any light within herself.
In fact, pretty much everything about her screams that the dark of The Abyss has solidly taken hold of her.
Despite appearances, however, there is some light within Ozen. More specifically, there is a light that manifests itself through memories of who she used to be and the girl she trained, the girl who would one day become White Whistle Lyza, "The Lord of Annihilation." Each and every moment with Ozen of the present day is filled with that darkness. Within her memories, however, we see scenes full to bursting with color and light. There is a sense that she truly loved those times, even though she was still foul-tempered back then. That light shines most notably though when Lyza is with her though, illustrating just how much Lyza meant to her old teacher.
I can see where Riko gets her magnetic optimism and overwhelming merrylight.
How the light manifests physically with present-day Ozen doesn't appear all that different from an action you would expect from that darker aspect. Offering Riko and Reg nothing but abuse, cruelty, and her signature foul-temper, it again becomes difficult to see her as anything other than just another one of The Abyss's monstrosities. Yet, when you consider her role in the past, the light begins to make itself known. To be more clear, she functions as a teacher for Riko and Reg just like how she was a teacher for Lyza--a cruel bastard of a teacher, to be sure, but a teacher none the less. Rather than lying to them and coddling the pair like Habolg, Ozen's method of teaching expresses just how ill-prepared the two are for the terrors of The Abyss. After all, if Reg can't protect Riko from her attacks, what chance does he have against an enemy that actually wants them dead. So, through channeling the school of hard knocks, we see that signature battle of light and dark take hold and manifest uniquely within another Delver.
In Ozen's case, though, we see it manifest in the creepiest way possible.
An interesting question to consider is whether or not that significant loss of light is a reality present within every White Whistle or just something specific to Ozen, the woman who lost everything she cared for when Lyza vanished. Considering the inhuman juxtaposition between her and Reg, however, it is certain that a great deal of humanity must to lost to plumb the depths of The Abyss. Inhumanly strong, nearly invulnerable, and emotionally deadened, Ozen the Immovable lends more credence to the Darwinian nature of The Abyss I mentioned previously. Though Reg has the capabilities of reaching that level of strength, he lacks the will and experience necessary to protect Riko from a White Whistle. In time, though, that fact might change.
It might be more accurate to say that fact must change if they're going to survive though.
As much as I'd love to keep spoiling this show for everyone, I think I've finally covered the vast majority of my "deep thoughts" regarding Made in Abyss. To say that I love the show at this point would clearly be a strong understatement. The art is gorgeous even though the style makes it look simplistic. The animation is fluid and tense. The show's pacing was fantastic from start to finish. The music played into the themes and juxtapositions I spoke of without overwhelming the experience. Honestly, when Made in Abyss isn't offering a fun and deeply disturbing bait and switch plot, its blowing my mind with the fantastic cast of characters it has to offer. Each and every aspect of this show screams that there is more to this title than meets the eye. Heck, I'm fairly certain I could find more to talk about if I went back to watch it again, but I'd rather not suffer the trauma this show induced for a second time. What I would love, though, is a second season. While I'm perfectly happy with where the show ends, I know there's more to this story and would kill to see it in adapted with the same skill and level of quality we got with this season. Until then, I'll just have to settle with this show making me second guess every cutesy show that comes out over the next few years. So, with all that said, do I really need to say more? This show is great. Go watch it, unless you are especially sensitive to the topics I listed in the Warning segment, in which case I recommend it only if you think you'll be able to stop crying when all is said and done.