Made in Abyss is a 13 episode anime based on the manga series. It is set in a world where on an island volcanic crater, a huge hole extending far into the depths of the earth was found. As explorers (eventually known as cave raiders) went into the hole, they discovered amazing creatures and ancient mysterious relics. As more and more cave raiders arrived to strike their fortune in the Abyss, a city was formed around the hole and eventually became Orth.
The Abyss is not only interesting with the unique creatures that inhabits it but the deeper you go, the greater the toll on the human body when they want to return. It starts off with headaches but deteriorates to bleeding and death. It is similar to altitude sickness but faster acting and more serious. The anime follows an orphaned girl, Riko, whose mother was a famous cave raider. She disappeared years ago and thus Riko's aim is to follow her mother's footsteps, train and descent into the Abyss to find her. One day, while on the upper layer of the Abyss, she discovers a robot boy. After reviving him and giving him the name of Reg, the pair sets upon the journey into the Abyss, to go deep where no one has ever reached.
Reg is a mystery. Typically, he doesn't know what he is or where he comes from. He has some amazing abilities such as being able to fire a powerful laser beam and extend his arms. Despite that, there are parts of him that isn't robotic at all (and becomes a somewhat recurring joke). We know that he is important due to various hints from the story but we won't get any answers this season about his true nature, that's for sure. While it doesn't take a long time before Riko and Reg to head down to the Abyss, it does take a little bit longer than you'd expect. Once they do head down there though, this is where the anime gets a lot more interesting. This is because the various creatures they encounter down there, as well as the whole ecosystem and dynamic between the organisms that live there is so different and intriguing.
Each encounter with a creature of the Abyss leaves you wondering how it fits in with the ecosystem. Each has some sort of unique characteristic and as Riko and Reg continues on their journey, you start to become wary of everything due to how brutal the Abyss could be. The cave raiders are separated into ranks, with Red Whistles being beginners and only allows to the first layer, the White Whistles are top of the top and proven to be resilient to the strain of being in the Abyss. Riko's mother was a White Whistle and it's only natural that she knew a few characters that Riko and Reg ends up encountering. As the personality and backstory of Riko's mother is revealed, as well as the origins of Riko herself, the implications are significant. It sucks you in with its interesting premise and consequences.
The pacing is fast in terms of how quickly Riko and Reg traverse through the layers. You might have expected the first season to spend most of its time in the early layers but you'd be surprised at how far they go. This also helps in illustrating how serious the curse of the Abyss is. Even just a slightly incline is enough to trigger the horrendous effects.
In the deeper layers, this is where things get serious. There is an intense scene involving the pair and it can be hard to watch, even though the anime spared the most gruesome details. There are times where you feel that Riko is a liability and if it wasn't for Reg, she would not have survived that far. Riko tends to be a bit too eager and reckless which is not a good combination considering how dangerous the lower areas of the Abyss are.
Surprisingly, the anime has its sad and emotional moments, especially the ending. Despite only spending an episode or so at fleshing out the relationship, it makes you care for the characters. You feel the unjust at the situation the characters find themselves in and the inevitable result of what's going to happen. Made in Abyss also ends at a nice stopping point, enough to make you eager for more. The animation is stunning and looks great. The vibrant colors lends well to the types of environments that we see such as the grass, forests and high fantasy creatures.
Overall, Made in Abyss has an intriguing premise that it manages to deliver. It constantly shows new things about the Abyss and most importantly, despite all the questions it raises, it gives you enough answers to feel satisfied and yet yearn for more. The second half of the season definitely focuses more on the emotional side of things and it delivers a heart wrenching result.
----------------------------------------------
For other anime reviews, have a look at this page.