Yup, this is one of those posts that pretty much makes me feel guilty just for writing it and spoiling perfection…
Anime has an annoying habit of scheduling really, really important episodes – and the finale of Made in Abyss certainly qualifies – at extremely inopportune times for me. I’m traveling and in the middle of an unrelentingly grueling training class which ends in a pile of exams I need to study for, so the timing for this final episode could hardly be worse. I like to save these sorts of viewings for when I can really focus on the subject matter, savor it – but for something like the final episode of a series like this, there’s no way one can justify waiting several days to weigh in if one is going to do so at all.
And so, here I am, exhausted and now, emotionally battered. To get it out of the way, yes – this finale was exceptional. The whole series was exceptional of course, but finales for adaptations of ongoing manga are especially treacherous. We’ve been blessed with a couple of unicorn-caliber great ones over the past calendar year – first with Udon no Kuno no Kiniro Kemari and now Made in Abyss. The former was a virtually peerless example of how to give an ongoing series a definitive conclusion – the latter of how to stress the ongoing nature of the narrative while still giving a sense of closure and emotional satisfaction.
Might one infer from that the notion that there’s hope of a second season of Made in Abyss? Well, I certainly think there’s more hope than with Udon no Kuni (read: virtually none) – this manga is quite a bit more popular, and the anime figures to sell considerably more (though likely still modestly). The budget and overall production here was on a higher plane than Udon no Kuni as well. But even if there was a willingness to do a sequel on the part of the production committee, I think it’s going to be a good while before it happens given that there’s just not enough manga material and this is a monthly series. The buzzword for now is patience, but I do believe there’s a chance.
That this final episode had an awful lot to accomplish is undeniable by any standard; that it accomplished almost all one could hope for undeniable by any unbiased one, I would argue. The luxury of a double-episode was a boon Kojima-sensei and his team utilized to fullest possible effect – not a moment of these 45 minutes was wasted, and not a frame, word of dialogue or note of music out of place. The first order of business was finally filling in the details on Nanashi and Mitty’s backstory, and whatever foreboding thoughts one might have had about that, they were likely exceeded by the reality.
To begin with, we see that Nanachi was a street urchin living on her own, filthy and starving but able to read ancient glyphs (not a useful talent for surviving on the streets). One day a white whistle comes to her town – a man named Bondrewd (Morikawa Toshiyuki). Even if one was ignorant of Made in Abyss‘ fearsome reputation it would have been easy to spot that Bondrewd was up to no good in soliciting urchins to join him in “exploring” the Abyss. That these children are destined for a horrible fate is a given – the only question is how it’s going to play out.
This “Sovereign of Dawn” loads the children about a submersible which takes them down to the Fourth Layer. Along the way the shy and bookish Nanachi is befriended by the genki and upbeat Mitty (Kitamura Eri). Knowing what’s going to happen to these two – and to all the children – makes these scenes almost as unbearable to watch as the horrors to follow themselves. It would be hard to overstate just how evil Bondrewd is – all the more so because he couches it in terms of “research” for the public good. None of it is especially surprising – I’d more or less formed a picture in my mind of how Nanachi and Mitty’s past would play out – but it’s nevertheless shocking.
The upshot of all this is the cliffhanger from last week’s episode. It’s understandable that Nanachi wants to help Mitty die – and in Reg’s Incinerator she sees the possibility of making it happen – perhaps the only possibility, given that the curse Bondrewd inflicted on her has made Mitty seemingly immortal. Reg’s beam is apparently the “Sparagos”, which has the power to simply wipe anything it touches (like Mitty’s left eye, in the past) from existence. There can be no doubt that Nanachi asks what she asks of Reg out of love for Mitty, and it was pretty clear after last week’s dream sequence that Mitty was still trapped inside her hideous shell of a body, at least to some extent.
Still, though – spare a thought for Reg here. To whatever extent Reg is a machine – robot, android, or otherwise – in terms of his consciousness he’s absolutely, 100% human (and a child at that). And not just any human child, but an exceptionally gentle spirit – a kind boy who clearly finds the idea of hurting anyone else horrifying. This is a huge and terrible thing Nanachi is asking of Reg, even given her reasons and the fact that she’s saved Riko’s life. She’s asking Reg to carry around the horror of this moment for the rest of his life. I don’t think Nanachi would have asked if she felt she had any other possible recourse, but that doesn’t lessen the existential damage she’s doing to Reg.
One of the reasons all this is so effective, if we’re honest, is because Nanachi is really a more interesting character than Riko. Her story is gut-wrenching, and her on-screen chemistry with Reg is tremendous. This is a tragedy we feel on a visceral level. I do think what Reg did was for the best, and one can only hope he’d eventually come to to see that, too. What really got to me most was his extracting a promise from Nanachi not to take her own life once he’d done his job – not because he wanted her to keep treating Riko, but because of his concern for her. And Nanachi was clearly planning on following Mitty into the spiritual abyss, too – though perhaps in Reg and Riko she might just have found enough of a reason to stick around and delay her reunion with Mitty for a while longer.
Riko does indeed recover, more or less – she’s left with a terrible scar, and limited use of her left hand – but recover she does (though not before an excruciating extraction of the shroombear’s healing fungus from her arm). To assist in this Nanachi takes her to a healing hot spring, where Riko coaxes Reg into joining her – and we get still more proof that Reg is human in every way that matters. It’s not surprising that Nanachi agrees to join Riko and Reg in their continued quest to find Lyza (who may just hold the answer to Reg’s quest, too) – her home seems very much a paradise in this hellish netherworld, but without Mitty around there’s little to keep her there. And she would have every reason to feel that she, too, has business on the Sixth Layer – unfinished business, in her case.
And that’s where Made in Abyss leaves things – unfinished in a gut-wrenching way, but miraculously complete nonetheless. I don’t know how one could realistically have asked more of this finale than what it delivered, or of the series as a whole. I’ve talked in the past of how it’s a miracle that obscure little series like Nana Maru San Batsu and Kabukibu! get produced at all in the current anime environment, and that’s certainly true. With Made in Abyss, the miracle is not to much that the show was made – the manga is almost universally praised by critics and is modestly popular. The miracle is that Made in Abyss was such a staggeringly perfect production, top to bottom. This is not a title anyone thought would sell tens of thousands of discs, but it received one of the most impressive anime adaptations of the modern era.
Truly, Made in Abyss is a marvel, a freak. The material itself is brilliant of course – that’s down to mangaka Tsukushi Akihito, who’s delivered something utterly ruthless and endlessly imaginative. But what Kinema Citrus has done with it almost defies description – it’s such a beautiful work of art, from the art design to the animation to the soundtrack. That a relatively obscure property should receive an adaptation so overflowing with attention to detail, sheer brilliance and yes, hard cash is truly astonishing. I hope the discs sell decently and I know the manga has seen a measurable bump in sales, but it’s hard to imagine the production on the whole is going to make any money (or that the production committee expected it to). There’s still room in anime for passion and artistry for their own sakes, clearly – and that’s something that gives you a bit of hope for the future.
I haven’t seen the likes of Made in Abyss before in anime, and I doubt I will again anytime soon. There are elements of Hunter X Hunter in here, certainly – the notion of children being place in dire peril and forced to make terrible choices is something the two series have in common, in addition to the brilliance of their creators. But Made in Abyss is very much a singular entity, a strange and magical and horrifying assault on the senses. To put recognizable and believable characters in strange and wondrous situations and force us to feel what they feel – this is something which only the best fantasy has the power to do, and Made in Abyss is among the best fantasy anime has ever delivered. It’s one of the finest series of 2017 and a credit to everyone involved in bringing it to our lives.
ED Sequence:
Epilogue:
sweejen
September 30, 2017 at 12:35 amPerfection. As soon as I saw Mitty’s playpen/pyre I lost my composure, all because of the masterful handful of scenes that related the last weeks of Mitty’s conscious life, and the way that story amplified Nanachi’s simultaneous joy and pain.
I was shocked by how fast and raw their transformations were in the elevator, but now that I think about it, the most life-altering things happen in just a few seconds: diagnoses, accidents, awful news, disasters. Before and after divided by just a couple of seconds.
BigFire
September 30, 2017 at 12:38 amFifth Layer. The Trio are going from The Goblet of Giants (4th Layer) to the 5th (Sea of Corpse). Fifth Layer is really only reachable by White and Black Whistle and against all odds, Bondrewd somehow managed to maintain Idofront, the structure you saw in Nanachi’s flashback on the 5th Layer.
Each Layer’s ascension carries it increase toll of the curse. The cutoff point is the 6th to the 5th as this episode demonstrates. You lost your humanity. When a White Whistle made the journey to go from 5th to the 6th, they’ve effectively made their final journey as there’s no coming back. Riko’s mother made that choice.
HoTaRu
September 30, 2017 at 1:38 amThis episode ripped me to pieces and put me back together again. It was one of the finest episodes of any show I have ever seen in all my years as an anime fan; sheer perfection from start to finish. You said it all in your post, Enzo, and much more eloquently than I could right now after experiencing that finale. Like with all your Shouwa Genroku posts, I have enjoyed reading all of your insights and opinions for this show all season long. I will be patiently waiting for a second season, fingers crossed. I cannot imagine that after finishing a masterpiece like this first season was that they wouldn’t continue when given the opportunity. I hope I’m not wrong. (BTW, I found out just recently that the manga has been licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment, which made me pretty happy!)
Guardian Enzo
September 30, 2017 at 7:36 amYes, the manga being available is certainly a nice consolation prize until a second season becomes a realistic possibility. Thanks for your kind words.
Kurik
September 30, 2017 at 3:05 amThat was an amazing finale. As one poster said, ripped you up and put you back together again in the end. Nanachi and Reg are the best characters for this series and for the year for me. I am more than tempted to read the manga but will be patient. One thing that confused me. How is bondrewd able to have created that lift to the fifth layer? Do the other whites and administration know it exist? That aside best anime of the year. I welled up as well.
Thumpthump
September 30, 2017 at 3:12 amReally took for granted these last 4 (maybe 5) episodes and the peak they reached as far as quality. This episode was an emotional rollercoaster and had me glued to the screen. That ending sequence really hit hard and I loved the way it retraced their journey with their delivery. Like always a great post Enzo and best of luck on your exams! Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for a sequel.
Stefan
September 30, 2017 at 4:29 amFor anyone that wants to start with the manga; begin at the end of chapter 26.
You were warned.
Dop
September 30, 2017 at 4:50 amYeah, nothing much to add other than that was the show of the season for me, and there’s just no justice if it doesn’t get a second season.
Glad to see the manga’s getting an English language release next year, too.
GC
September 30, 2017 at 7:11 amFor sure I will be buying the DVDs once they show up for sale on Amazon.
hgfdsahjkl
September 30, 2017 at 7:47 amI will hold back on reading the manga a little because I will regret it, if we got a second season,best anime adaptation since mob psycho IMO
BigFire
September 30, 2017 at 5:30 pmThe problem with waiting is that it will take a bit of time for the manga to crank out. We’re 18 chapters past the end of the anime, and there’s one major story arc ended, and 6 more chapters after that. So…
Ragefat
September 30, 2017 at 11:57 amThere has been some time since a piece of media left me emotionally drained as this finale did, this series was definitely something else, best of the season hands down for me.
cryum
October 1, 2017 at 1:40 amWow, that was an absolutely amazing adaptation. For many of the other episodes, I would say some key manga panels were not done justice, but this episode got everything not just right, but better in every way.
Secondary tidbit that perhaps only Enzo may have caught on: I had the privilege of going to Tokyo Disneyland recently. One of their top attractions is Journey to the Center of the Earth. Let’s skip past whether the ride itself is good or not, because that’s a fairly complicated answer. I had thought the choice for Bondrewd’s voice was rather odd, not quite hamming up the World’s Best Dad, but not being obviously malicious, until it clicked: Bondrewd’s voice sounds JUST LIKE the narrator from the ride, guiding you on a journey into the depths of the world, all the while thankful for your “contributions” to science.
Guardian Enzo
October 1, 2017 at 7:50 amSeriously? That makes him even creepier. Although I thought Morikawa played it perfectly anyway – that melted caramel sweetness dripping with arsenic.
Bokusenou
October 2, 2017 at 2:39 pmWow, reading this made me look up what the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” ride looks like, and the thing they use to travel downward (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iEzlc1dkhEY At about 1.19 in that video) reminds me a lot of what the kids traveled in in this episode on their first journey down into the Abyss…that’s kind of cool!
Gina
August 12, 2020 at 12:03 amRewatched Made in Abyss after watching the recent movie: Dawn of the Deep Soul, and the experience was just as immersive even knowing the plot in full.
Will you be reviewing the movie, or did I miss the post on that?
The good news is that we get a caption: “To Be Continued” at the end of the movie. The production staff behind MiA definitely seemed keen, but whether we can have it anytime soon is a question mark I guess, especially given Covid.
Guardian Enzo
August 12, 2020 at 12:52 amI saw it in the theater pre-pandemic, but I prefer not to review raws whenever I can avoid it. I do plan to cover it when it releases on disc. As far as continuation, I think it’s confirmed to be continuing in theatrical form if I’m not mistaken.
GalekC
September 19, 2020 at 5:21 amJust saw the movie via HIDIVE.
Gonna see it again while I still have it purchased & focus more on the beautiful animation.
Kevin Penkin is a mad lad btw – using some of the MiA fandom’s actual memes for a few soundtrack titles
Guardian Enzo
September 19, 2020 at 8:44 amAll true, but boy, it’s one dark ride.
Sofaris
January 2, 2022 at 9:17 pmActully it was Nanachi that coaxed Reg into joining Riko in the hotspring. Riko just asked. I love how innocent and casual she is about it.
You did say that Riko is less interesting then Reg and Nanachi and I agree but after having retwatched the show many times and having watched the movie a few times I grew to apriciate her a lot more. She is absolutly quintessential fore the tone and feel of the show. Despite a the dark aspects the there is a lot of positivity and joy to it aswell and that comes mainly from Riko and then that Bleeds over to Reg and Nanachi. After the sad scene with Mitty its amazing how Riko brings the mood up again. And her enjoyment of the Adventure seems to bleend over to Reg and Nanachi in Dawn of the Deep Soul. In that movie it seems like all 3 of them sincerly cherish this Adventure.
Its honestly satisfaying that Riko loves this Adventure. That the decision of making this journey did pays of fore her. It almost feels like she cherishes even the hardships of it. I have not read the Manga beyond of what the Anime shows but that Mangapanel where she shows Prushka her scar with a smile on her face makes me belive that.
So yeah she is less compex then Reg and Nanachi but she is still a pretty amazing character in my book.