Made in Abyss

First, let me start with something that may be the reason why you won't like the anime. "Fan service" and generally perverted scenes involving children are really unnecessary in this anime, I don't want to see a scene in every episode where a 12-year-old girl is naked or hear another mention of a little boy's penis, I don't know what it's for, but this anime would be for I find it much more enjoyable without these types of scenes. The atmosphere of mystery and adventure plus the dissonance between cute characters and a really brutal world is very good The charming appearance of the characters and the friendly atmosphere in the first episodes are misleading because what happens next is a rollercoaster of emotions that left me quite depressed for a long time. The characters are very cool and have interesting designs. Not all of them are exceptionally written, but it is very easy to like them and be moved by the tragic fate of some of them. Soundtrack...I thought aot had the best soundtrack in the history of anime and I still think so but it ranks right up there with Made in Abyss, the soundtrack in this anime is a feast for the ears, you just have to watch it and see for yourself. This "review" was written after two seasons and a movie, I really recommend this anime, if you can survive the "fan service" you will love it. The first season 9/10, the rest 10/10

“If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” Perhaps Nietzsche had something to say about this show as the longer I watches it, the more I’m consumed by its captivating landscapes and eldritch horror found within its depth. [Contains Minor Spoilers] Located on the island of Ōsu where its single defining feature is an one kilometer wide hole, that is speculated to be over twenty kilometers deep, Made in Abyss follows the pair of Riko and Reg as they progress on their one-way journey to the very bottom. The biggest strength is its immersion that Made in Abyss submerges its viewers with by crafting an entire society that has every facet of it revolve around the mythos of the Abyss. Everything from the hierarchy of the cave raiders, the harsh reality of the orphans left behind, and the general nihilistic attitude towards the Abyss is expertly encapsulated by visual cues like the color of the whistles awarded to each cave raider, the town’s architecture or the rituals that are reverently performed in respect to the giant hole in the ground. Whereas other fantasy shows, that feature a singular towering dungeon, has its characters ascending and conquering its levels, Made in Abyss goes the opposite direction with its descent into the unknown, the unrelinquishing power of the Abyss to dominate all those who enter into its domain. In addition to the nightmarish creatures found below is the presence of a curse that exponentially worsen when a diver attempts to go back to the surface which depends on how deep they are. In effect, if one wants to reach the bottom of the Abyss, they can never return to the town of Osu. This isn’t a cheap gimmick for it pushes our characters past the point of no return and pays off in spades in some truly heart-wrenching moments later down the road. While the main plot-line of two characters going to lowest layer may seem simple but the way that is meshed together with interesting characters, danger and the prevailing ambience of mystery is what make this show so special. Moving away from contemporary anime character designs, Made in Abyss characters have a very cute style of rounded faces wouldn’t be out of place on a children morning show. Given the utter ruthlessness of the Abyss, it presents an odd juxtaposition to have these two polar opposite meld together and only adds to the distinct vibe of the show. Reg, being a robot originating from the Abyss, remains an enigma due to his memory loss but still acts like like a child due to his programming while Riko is relentless on fulfilling her desire to go to the bottom of the Abyss. Individually, they are not the most compelling characters but it is their inseparable bond that is the real draw and it only grows stronger, the deeper they go. For while Reg is powerful with his integrated firepower and grappling hands, the knowledge and drive that Riko brings to the table forms a symbiosis relationship that neither is going to reach the bottom without one another. While Riko does have the maturity of a twelve-year-old girl at the end of the day, she is quite believable when view within the context of a society that trains its children to excavate for ancient artifacts kilometers below the surface in a hostile environment full of carnivorous monsters. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the cast but they range from childhood love to suffering personified to being unsettling and menacing in their pursuit of experimental research. Animated by Kinema Citrus, known their work on Black Bullet, Barakamon and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, this is probably the studio’s best visual work to date. The real star is the how the Abyss is shown in both its vibrant and foreboding nature that shares many parallels to the many critically acclaimed works by Studio Ghibli. It comes as no surprise that the show’s art director of Osamu Masuyama is actually a former background artist from Studio Ghibli. Under his direction, there is a real sense of verticality and expansiveness that stretches to the void. Furthermore, complementing the gorgeous background art is the soundtrack composed by Australian-born Kevin Penkin where he uses an orchestral ensemble supplemented by electronic effects to give the abyss its sound. However, as good as his standard tracks are, the insert songs seems to be the popular with the audience with its hip-hop influence and haunting vocals. If I had one complaint about Made in Abyss, it would be that the show doesn’t offer significant challenges to its two main characters until the last third of its run-time. All the elements are there in the background with nature of the curse, the ferocity of the creatures that inhabit the abyss and the adversarial geography of its individual layers but they are fully realized towards the conclusion. The fault doesn’t lie with how the anime was produced but rather the plot progression found within source material of the manga. I have a feeling that the production staff was very well aware of this issue and did everything its could within the constraints of a one-cour show with a slightly above-average run-time of thirteen episodes along with a double-length finale. In the end, they did an admirable job of pacing out the plot without rushing its story or creating an original shoddy conclusion. It is so refreshing to have a fantasy adventure that stands alone on the merits of its world building, atmosphere and journey without dipping into the more unsavory aspects found within other shows of its genre. For a show to leave its audience only wanting to venture deeper into Abyss’s hauntingly beautiful and terrifying mysteries is indeed a very commendable accomplishment.

Absolutly Magnificent! This is my first Anime which I could easily give it a solid 10/10. The Soundtrack is absolutly AMAZING! (Fun Fact: The Soundtrack was directed by Kevin Penkin who is an Australian, yup a non-Japanese soundtrack producer) The Plot gets you hooked IMMEDIATELY! And the Characters are all Wonderful! Another thing about this Anime adaptation is that it follows the Manga PERFECTLY! Its just so damn wonderful. This really is a Must-Watch Anime. It was rated the best anime of 2017 but I believe it still deserves way more praise than what it actually has. (This was my first anime review) <3

Truth be told, I stopped watching the anime after the 6th episode and continued the rest by reading the manga because the anime had terrible pacing. The first few episodes had some glimmers of interesting things and ideas, but were obviously and painfully stretched out. After reading the manga it was pretty apparent why: the animators had to get at least 2 minutes per panel since the chapters were so short. Even so, any criticisms I have with the manga are identically with the anime since my gripes are mainly with the story, characters, and setting whereas I found the art and sound to be the best parts of the anime. Let me preface this review by warning you of minor SPOILERS. The most glaring and pressing issue that really took me out of this anime/manga was how readily Riko's friends allowed her and Reg to disappear into a LITERAL deathtrap. Riko had made her intentions explicitly clear that she wanted to go to the deepest parts of the Abyss in order to find her mother, which no person had EVER survived climbing out of. Not only do her teacher and Uncle both know about this... they actually allow and encourage it. Two very experienced divers who are extremely knowledgeable about the dangers of the Abyss and very acutely aware that Riko is a FUCKING 12-year-old girl with no special abilities along with a barely understood robot/cyborg thing that's supposed to act as a guardian. What the fuck is wrong with these people? They are sending off a child to a place of eldritch horror in which being torn limb from limb and eaten is one of the better deaths you could hope for. The only sensible friend that Riko has who opposes this is peer pressured into making up with Riko because he said that her mother is most likely dead. Which is almost certainly true and a sentiment that any person with a brain could agree with. The second issue I have with the series is the world-building. And I'm not talking about the specifics of the Abyss, although there are plenty of problems there. The series takes no effort in implicitly establishing and reinforcing the idea that the people of Orth are Abyss diving experts and the fact that their daily lives revolves around this deadly Abyss. Most of the divers are dressed like they're going to the safari rather than diving into the literal pits of hells. I would have thought that the series would have incorporated some mountaineering and caving terms and concepts like bivouacking or belaying. This would make sense since they are literally climbing into a hole and climbing back out. But nope, I'd seen only one scene where a person climbs down with a rope and that was like a 10 foot drop. Why does nobody have any climbing equipment or even any rope on them? Riko gets carried down like the child she is by Reg's mechanical arms... so what about the rest of the cave divers? Riko and Reg also seem to have no equipment on them whatsoever. Reg carries the only backpack they thought to bring with them and in it has some cooking utensils and some change of clothes. Are these kids going to a fucking summer camp? In some scenes they are sleeping in the open. Why didn't they bring a tent with them? Wouldn't that make more sense than sleeping in the open with monsters all around? And why doesn't anyone seem to have any weapons? In the very first episode a giant flying shark shows up in an usually safe area almost kills Riko and her friend. Her teacher literally gave no fucks about that and told them to be more careful. None of the cave divers, apart from the elite White Whistles, carry any form of self-defense or seem to be strong enough to take on even the weakest of enemies. This just breaks my immersion far too much. This is like trying to explore the Marina Trench with some kiddie floats. These are the main problems I had with the anime before I broke off of watching it. It's not a matter of wanting to see more action or guns, it's a matter of tonal consistency. If the kids were going to a summer camp, this anime would fit it perfectly. The people of this world (with the exception of White Whistles) do not look, feel, or talk like they live next to a gaping Abyss of horror and madness. They let Riko go off as though she's just going to the playground by herself for the very first time. I could go on with the issues I found with the story and characters, but you could find those with other reviews. This show and manga are both highly overrated and complete trash in my objective opinion.

My personal experience: So, it's been a while since I last watched an anime. I'm too busy and stuff, so I wanted something fast, relaxing and new. I searched about anime that came out this year, 2017 and I found "Made In Abyss". I loved the art and the design in general from the first view. I knew nothing about the story, I just thought it would be an adventure with kids.. but it's more than just that! I was surprised by how amazing the story is, how dark and evil this anime could get. I must admit I got emotional many many times while watching it. It's not just the unique story, the cute characters who have their own story, the art... it's also the music! It's been ages since I LOVED an anime OST so much! Everything is so well produced... I ended up finishing it in 2 days... It was one of the most enoyable anime I've ever watched. I recommend it! P.S.; I even finished the manga! Which is amazing, if you ask me. Can't wait for the new season in 2019.

The only word to describe this anime is perfection. The perfect blend of gorgeous scenery and morbid themes come together to create a rich world teeming with untold stories and stories that are told are done so without heavy exposition but rather with heavy visuals. The middle of the anime is a bit slow but is necessary to ensure that bigger story problems don't appear in the future and the beginning gets viewers so emotionally invested that it is acceptable. The two main characters are shown to be extremely inexperienced but are actually surprisingly resourceful and there are very few times where they survive simply because of plot armour. The art style perfectly captures the childlike innocence of the main characters and every shot is purposefully made to convey something and creates amazingly breathtaking scenes amid all the terror. The music is also masterfully done to accompany the whole story, they make the awe inspiring scenes more awe inspiring, the horrific scenes more horrific and the sad scenes more depressing. All these components create an anime that had me hooked from the beginning, mortified at the atrocities and wanting for more by the end.

Made In Abyss is one of those anime that will completely immerse you from the start with its superb world-building and gripping storytelling. It will keep you hooked until the very end as you take a journey into the unknown and discover the world the anime has to offer. The story starts off in the city of Orth, situated at the top of a large bottomless chasm known as the Abyss. Cave raiders from Orth enter the Abyss regularly in search of treasures known as relics. Enter Riko, a passionate little girl living at the local orphanage with a keen desire to explore the Abyss and become a great cave raider just like her mother. One day while exploring the upper levels of the Abyss she stumbles upon a fainted robot who resembles a child. Introduced as Reg, he has no recollection of who he is and how he got here. After receiving information about her mother, and wanting to discover who he is, both Riko & Reg decide to embark on a journey to the bottom of the Abyss. The world of the Abyss is awe-inspiring, bursting with imagination and creativity with stunning environments and mystical creatures. Half the treat of this series is exploring this beautiful environment which resembles that from Ghibli films. However don’t be fooled into think that this series is just going to be a happy-go-lucky walk in the park adventure, far from it actually. The Abyss is a dangerous environment where literally everything wants to (and will) kill you. The Abyss is made up of different layers with increasing amounts of danger the deeper you travel down as the monsters become stronger and stronger. Getting back up ain’t no easy feat either as the whole Abyss is covered by a curse with its effects worsening the deeper you are. Ascending even a couple of metres can cause vomiting, nausea, external bleeding, and in the worst case scenario, the loss of your humanity or death. Our poor protagonists have literally embarked on a suicide mission! As a result this anime won't hesitate at being violent and gory when it needs to be. If you don’t like seeing little kids getting hurt then be warned; this anime is NOT for you. The Abyss is a place of despair where happy endings aren’t guaranteed. The green environments and cute character designs give off a false impression that this is a kids show; IT ISN’T! It’s a show designed for more mature audiences with lewd and disgusting moments. And that’s just the start as according to the manga-reader overlords, the non-adapted material later on is even more messed up. However I urge you to stick around because the story is FANTASTIC! It’s completely unpredictable with a lot of plot-twists, suspenseful moments and cliffhangers that will leave you quickly wanting more. It’ll charge your emotions through moments of torment and despair, but also make you smile and laugh during its light hearted moments. A common complaint while the show was airing was that each episode only felt 5 minutes long as we all became so immersed in the story, then plummeted into despair when the episode ended and had to wait a week for the next one. Time flies when you’re having fun doesn’t it? The characters are another highlight as all the main and supporting characters are well developed. Love or hate them, each character has unique personalities with their own set of traits and flaws. In particular I loved the dynamic relationship between Riko & Reg; they not only become great friends but also work well together; compensating for each-others weaknesses. Reg’s combat abilities prove invaluable but he’s rather naive, and indecisive in the heat of the moment. He therefore relies on the intellect of Riko who despite her optimistic and childish nature, is quite knowledgeable about the Abyss. Both Riko & Reg would both be lost without each other. I really came to like these characters and felt bad for them during their times of hardship. The mysterious Ouzen and the lovable sarcastic fuzzball Nanachi are great too! During production Kinema Citrus spared no expense; Made in Abyss is a visual treat with stunning environments, cute character designs and (mostly) fluid animation. The god-like soundtrack is on another level entirely! It not just complements the anime, it literally sets the mood! It’s primarily soft ambience that makes use of piano, violin and percussion. It adds to the awe-inspiring environments and creates all those suspenseful moments. It has to be one of the best anime soundtracks that I’ve heard in recent memory! Overall Made in Abyss is a must watch! It has a real sense of adventure with a great unpredictable story and well developed characters. It’s an anime that I’ll never forget and has earned a special place on my favourites list.

How long has it been since I've encountered a work of art like this? After months away from anime I truly thought I had grown up, lost interest in the themes that eastern cartoons offer. Yet ironically, the show that revitalised my love for anime, was a show about various children, and it was just... INCREDIBLE!!! I want this feeling to last forever, staying up all night rewatching my favourite episodes, my heart beating out of time as I fall asleep listening to the beautiful soundtrack. This show truly wells up every emotion I can comprehend; Be it distress, solace, love, you name it! This series, so delicately put together, invokes it all, and I'm gonna tell you why! (You're welcome in advance) Let's kick it off with some context: Our journey begins in the city of Orth, which surrounds a certain curious hole in the ground named the Abyss. The Abyss is an unexplained phenomenon filled to the brim with precious artifacts and history from previous generations. This provides reason for plenty of adventurers to explore it's depths, be it a sense of adventure, or means to make some cash. However exploring this pit spells more dangers than you might expect. If you manage to fend off the wide array of creatures that roam it's walls, you must deal with "the curse of the Abyss": Basically, as you move further into the Abyss, rising back out causes burdens on the body, ranging from minor headaches to more concerning issues such as bleeding from all orifices. Our main character is an enthusiastic little loli, who is for some reason absolutely desperate to explore each centimetre of the Abyss, despite the various risks and consequences. Right! Now let's talk about what makes this show so great. I'm sure I don't need to touch upon the premise (I can tell you're already brimming on the edge of your seat with curiosity), but I'll expand on the themes, story quality and pacing. Allow me to tell you right away, Masayuki did not fuck around here. The script is wonderfully laid out, almost never wasting time. Every scene seems to have a proper meaningful purpose that felt necessary for the story to progress. One thing that surprised a lot of people (myself included) is how dark and brutal this show can be from the very first episode. I've seen plenty of people admit to their preconceptions concerning cute little prepubescent characters going on a carefree adventure. Hell, I only picked up this show because Nanachi looked adorable and I wanted to see her in action (I know, I'm terrible). However, as I'm implying, this series offers much, much, more. It expertly builds tension and constantly forces you to expect the worst. When things turn out well, the level of relief you experience is something I can't quite put into words. Enough of that, lets move on to the characters, the heart of the production! I'd like to begin by mentioning how wonderful the character designs are. I'm certainly biased by my opinion, but the simple aesthetic really mixed well with me, I love how interesting and unique the characters are to look at; I love Nanachi's fluffy paws, I love the little satchels strapped to Maruruk's head, I love the way Reg actually questioned Ozen's weird skunk hairstyle, and I love the fact that Riko looks so simple despite her bottomless potential. They were all an absolute pleasure to look at. Moving on from appearances though, it needs to be said that the main cast is very young (generally around twelve years old). Many people find it hard to empathise with childish personalities, however, I for one found it to be delightful. I enjoyed the sense of innocence; The lack of shame when it came to nudity, and the simplistic pure bonds that the characters established with each other. It was refreshing in a way, and the age of the characters was not something that bothered me whatsoever. When it comes to artwork, animation, and sound direction, this production really strives to impress. I wasn't exaggerating earlier when I said I listen to the OST as I fall asleep, each track is expressive in a meaningful way and fits a scene nice and snug. I particularly enjoyed the carefree piano track and 'Hanezeve Caradhina' which boasts beautiful vocals and a tempo that never failed to get me excited. If you're not planning to watch the series, please, please go listen to that track, it is moving beyond words. Besides music, the Series also has an arsenal of really nice, satisfying, and most of all, realistic sounds that really help you to get immersed in the obscure and marvellous world. This falls hand in hand with beautiful animation and scenery, which consistently had me mesmerised with awe. You know those moments where you think "damn, I wish that place was real", you'll probably get that a lot if you're anything like me. I suppose my biggest disappointment with this series is that it flew by so fast. While the ending was more than satisfying, it has simply been so long since I last became so heavily invested in a cast of characters and the world that they live in. It's truly a shame that I won't get to see their further adventures any time soon (although I will definitely be picking up the manga). I hope with all my heart that this series manages to pull off the second season that it deserves, but till then, I will be keeping this first season close to my heart, for a long time. Cheers for reading (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) Happy cave raiding!

Let me start off by saying that Made in Abyss is a series that deserves to be bestowed with the title of a Masterpiece of an anime series. This may sound like I'm placing the series on a pedestal, and you could say that personal bias has influenced by decision to rate MIA a full 10/10 for all the components, but please allow me to try my best to break down and pinpoint just exactly why it has earned such a place in my heart. Beginning with the first episode, which took me by serious surprise when I was left in absolute awe by the mystical vibes exuded by the astounding visuals and the beautiful soundtrack. MIA has one of the best first episodes I have ever seen thus far because unlike other shows where they bombard the audience with a complex plot in a desperate attempt to bait them into watching the rest of the show, MIA does that exact opposite. Instead, we tag along with our protagonist, Riko, and her adventures down into the abyss. Some things occur, and right off the bat, episode one was sufficient to leave me tense at the edge of my seat, yet the premise is simple and digestible enough for me to follow along. And at the end, we are treated with a stunning picturesque overview of the abyss, and that alone was enough to leave me desiring to be transported into their world and explore the abyss along with Riko. They had successfully pulled off their intended effect – to reproduce that sort of charm and mystery of the abyss, something that is so dangerous, slightly sinister, yet people, both the characters in MIA, along with the audience, are drawn to it. Moving on to the crux of MIA, the plot. The first few episodes mask the true sinister reality of the show and I was tricked into thinking this would be a cute adventure series with Riko and friends, but boy does that completely change in the next few episodes to come. Now don’t get me wrong, being ‘dark’ or ‘deep’ doesn’t necessarily equate to a good compelling story, as plenty of shows that seek to achieve such an effect often go beyond their capacity and all that remains is simply a cringefest of wasted potential. Yet, MIA absolutely nails in its execution. Even in earlier parts where there was a lighter more upbeat tone, the story never got stale and it was just downright entertaining to witness the happenings and adventures of Riko and those around her. And now that I think about it, it wasn’t really the plot itself that was unique or fantastic, rather, it's the perfect pacing and storytelling the series chose to adopt that really sold the show to me. I would go so far as to say that MIA is somewhat like a deconstruction of adventure genres and how behind the excitement and thrill of going on a journey of never return, lies the harsh brutal reality, something that even 12 years olds are not immune to, and are in fact more prone to its effects due to their fragility. I could not have asked for a better two main characters, Riko and Reg. One is an enthusiastic fearless adventurer and the other a shy yet fiercely protective friend. This iconic pair are extremely well written characters that spoke out to me on a profound level, weaving my emotional attachment towards them, and thus cue the tears and heartache when misfortune befell them. The complement and supplement each other in so many ways that it is just really darn endearing to see them interact. And due to spoiler reasons, I shall not delve deep into the third main character that only appears in the later episodes, but she, too, is absolutely precious and I honestly cherish the chemistry and relationships that they foster over the span of the series. Even side characters, including the most minor ones, and even ones that don’t even appear apart from through flashbacks and recollections, are memorable and they have that sense of quirkiness and originality that is in its own way a breath of fresh air after so many reused anime troupes that we have seen time and time again. Every single Friday for 13 weeks, this show was something that I really looked forward to. It was a spectacular journey and one that I am so happy I decided to start. It is absolutely magical and a feast for my eyes as with such a unique art style accompanied with the most detailed backgrounds. Every piece of music matched the scene so well and it was truly a beautiful symphony of sounds, visuals and storytelling. Thank you for reading my review of this Masterpiece and I hope that you will embark on the same journey as me and finish it with the same feelings as I did. :)

Underdeveloped world building and plain character arcs topped with a sprinkle of pedophilia, make for an overhyped malicious fluff. Made is Abyss is not just bland -- it's straight up concerning in the choices it makes. See, I have seen my fair share of effedup/gore movies, and yet I've felt very uncomfortable during many unnecessary interactions among the protagonists (which are like, 10 years old). The show puts the viewer in the stand of a lowkey pedophilic gaze, often showing things that feel wrong to be watched (e.g. frequent pissing). It tries to hide a peculiar view of children behind the façade of an intrinsically disturbing story. It's distasteful. It makes me question whether viewers are actually conscious of the types of media they consume and of what is being implied by certain dynamics.

Made in Abyss is an anime from last year brought to us by Kinema Citrus (because poor literacy makes for good studio names). Now, I only know this studio because they worked with White Fox on the second series of Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka. I've also heard of this anime because MAL is enamoured with it and my highly intelligent sister hates it. But she also didn't care for Akuma no Riddle or Angel Beats so I may well disagree with her on this too. Of course her big complaint was that it went into super twelve year old edgelord writing during the last part of the series and if that is an apt description, I don't think we'll be disagreeing.  Story: We open with young Riko exploring the early part of the Abyss, a great and mysterious area where explorers can find treasures but also encounter deadly perils and suffer from a "curse" when they ascend that can wreak havoc on them. After an encounter with a monster that's strangely high up, she finds a mysterious robot boy. She decides to keep  him rather than turning him in and they soon find themselves setting out on an adventure into the depths of the abyss.  The biggest narrative issue with the series is that the tone is wildly inconsistent. Now, I don't agree with my sister about it going really badly edgelord but it does go from more light-hearted adventure to some pretty dark and gruesome stuff involving unethical medical experiments and bleeding eyes. And that does cause some tonal issues. It's like when Gintama went from joking about anuses to a serious story arc about children being raised as prostitutes or when Galaxy Angel went from zany comedy to a serious episode for some reason. These things don't work well together.  Now, to its credit, there's clearly an effort put into separating the content to minimise the potential problems from the darker content clashing with the lighter with some work at shifting between them properly instead of just going from one to the other out of nowhere.  Then there's the curse of the abyss. When I first heard it described, I thought it was going to be like a diver ascending or descending too rapidly, but the series gets a bit stupid with it. There's a point where we see our plucky heroine ascend a slight incline and get hit by the curse. Which doesn't even make sense with the actual explanation they give for how the curse is supposed to work, by the way. The series also has a strange obsession with child nudity. To the point where I have to question whether or not the original writer just has a fetish for it. Seriously, they bring up Regu's penis at least five times and the idea of stringing up children naked is brought up and actually shown in action at one point.  With those issues out of the way, there are some good ideas present in this series. The whole set up with the abyss could make for a pretty fantastic dungeon crawler. The concept behind the curse is interesting, even if its not always executed well. When the series is sticking to its normal aesthetic, it has some strong moments. This is a series that could be really good, but a lot of its ideas aren't out of the build up stage by the end of the first series. So, its potential ends up being largely unrealised.  Characters: At this juncture, most of the characters are pretty under-developed. Riko is adventurous and knowledgeable but she doesn't have the skills to pull off a lot of what needs done. She probably should've stuck to the earlier layers grinding up her level for a while. Regu is just bland. He's determined to protect Riko but he easily gets his jimmies rustled. Oh, and he has amnesia so his past is mysterious. Yeah, he's one of those rather generic protagonists. Undoubtedly, he'll learn to harness his power and reign in his emotions to emerge as  "the greatest hero" because that's what usually happens with that variety of protagonist. Then we have Nanachi. The androgynous character with the dark past.  To be fair to both Regu & Nanachi, there's enough room in their back stories for something different and interesting to be put in there. If I review the next series, I'll tell you if that happens. It definitely doesn't in this one.  Then we have the various secondary characters. I'll be honest, I don't foresee any of them moving past their rather trite archetype forms. Clearly, the story is going to follow Riko, Regu & Nanachi. The rest might show up briefly but I doubt they'll get enough focus to become three dimensional. But maybe they'll pull a Lower Decks on us.  Art: The biggest issue is the copious levels of child nudity. Seriously, is Tsukushi on some kind of watch list? He probably should be. Not only is Riko, the child we see starkers most often, all of twelve but the art style makes her look even younger. So, that's uncomfortable for everybody. And the action sequences are a bit weak since they largely involve Regu getting kicked around and then firing his laser or something else happening to just end it abruptly. I will give the series credit on the abyss itself. The environments look great. The creatures are interesting looking as well.  Sound: Our main characters are voiced by Ise Mariya, Tomita Miyu & Izawa Shiori. The three of them are pretty good in their roles. Kevin Penkin's soundtrack is quite nice. Really, the sound as a whole is the only element I don't have any major issues with.  Ho-yay: This series is like Soul Eater in regards to ho-yay. Whether or not it has a good amount depends on whether or not the androgynous character (Nanachi) is female or male. If they're a girl, there's a fair amount once they show up. Both because of the stuff with Mitty and because of their response to Riko once she starts interacting with them. If they're a male, there's not really any at this juncture.  Final Thoughts: Ultimately, I can't agree with the hype surrounding this series. It has a foundation that could be built upon for a great series, but it also has some major flaws. That being said, I also don't agree with my sister. With all due respect for her, the dark moments aren't all that bad and they do at least try to transition to and way from them properly. I would be interested in checking out the second series once it airs to see if it fleshes out the characters and takes full advantage of all the potentially strong elements that have just been built up at this juncture or if it wastes them. But, for the first series, I have to call it average. The flaws and strengths balance each other out pretty thoroughly and it winds up neither good nor bad but with the foundation in place to go either way. Yeah, I'm definitely going to review the second series when it's finished.

This is probably the best anime I have watched in my 20 years since dragon ball days. If you are on the fence about watching Made in Abyss or not, I highly recommend this. In fact I believe this series is going to be even more popular as time goes on. Kinema Citrus has outdone themselves bringing this amazing web manga to anime format. Story - 10 From the first episode I was intrigued on how the Abyss works in the series. Main plot is our character needs to venture to the depth of the Abyss to meet her mother. It is simple and doesn't drag out the entire purpose of the journey. The entire show brings out that charm of going on an adventure with your trusted friend for an important purpose. I adore all 13 episodes with joy, sadness and excitement! Art - 10 FUCK YES! The series has great animation! From little mannerism of a kid who twiddle their fingers when anxious to reacting at a shocking moment, its all feels natural. The animation is very fluid, you can tell the animators care very much down to small details like leaves and water to move like it does in nature. Speaking of leaves and water, the background art is outstanding... You can take any moment in the series as a singular painting and it still puts a smile on my face. This is in my opinion, great art style and animation working together in harmony. If you are interested pick up the manga too! I can't recommend enough to get both the manga and anime-blu-ray(when it release)! Sound - 10 I usually watch with an open back headphones, so sound stage is pretty important to me. That being said the sound effect, is as close to perfect as you can. The rustling noise of plants when being stepped on and so on is very detailed. I appreciate all the attention it gets when it comes to sound effect. The OST is memorable as well, you can distinguish Made in Abyss sound track easily and it fits very well with the series. Overall not invasive in a scene and accompany it very well. The voices of the main characters are great too. Characters - 10 With exception of a few characters the motivation and development is fantastic. I honestly put this next to My Hero Academia for how much emotional investment I have for almost all of the characters to do well. The author of the web manga did an amazing work overall on the characters. Overall - 10 You can not miss this anime if you care about top quality story telling, animation, art style, sound. I highly recommend this to all anime fans from all level. This kind of anime doesn't come very often, that is why it is important we recognize and support them to continue producing amazing anime such as this right here.

"When a white whistle descends to the sixth layer people call it their "last dive."~ *No Spoiler Concise Review* TL;DR: Lord of the Rings meets Shinsekai Yori crossed with Madoka Magica. Riko and Reg gets curious and now will dive deep into the abyss to unearth its secrets while looking for Riko's mom because they received a letter. [Story: 6/10 , Characters: 7/10, Art: 9/10, Sound: 9/10, Enjoyment: 8/10] Don't overhype this anime as anime of the season. Overhyping the anime might disappoint you but undervaluing it might actually reward you. Made in Abyss is an adult anime disguised as a kids' show that starts off innocent but rapidly twists into this terrifying reality that viewers experience through the eyes of the main characters Riko and Reg. This anime in essence is a world building adventure anime. As each episode pass, the terror and horror the MCs see and learn about the abyss as they dive deep in search of Riko's mom, Lyza, strips away any child like innocence viewers might perceive to have about this show. That's what makes this show so addicting and such a guilty pleasure to keep on watching, just to find out more. The story starts off with young orphaned kids working in the abyss as cave raiders hunting for relics for their orphanage so they can make money by selling it. Right away you start to wonder how can such young kids be forced into this harsh labour. However, you realize that these kids are not ordinary kids. They are able to puncture through solid rocks with heavy pickaxes, lift heavy blocks of stone, carry almost twice their volume on their backpacks. Out of nowhere, a 2 ton flying stingray attacks them and they make it out without a scratch. The fact that the children aren't even phased by this makes you realize how dangerous this world is. Regardless, it is through this incident Riko meets Reg, her half human-half android saviour. Later, the orphanage receives a letter from Lyza, a legendary white whistle, who descended all the way down to the 7th layer of the abyss, and for some apparent reason, despite knowing how horrific and dangerous the abyss is, tells her young daughter, Riko, that she will be waiting for her there. Even Riko knows how dangerous it is because they have documents detailing the terrible dangers that lie in the abyss and physiological dangers one will experience as they come back up the abyss. But the show must go on. So Riko and Reg sneaks out at night with their cave raiding gears with a few help of their friends and sets on a journey to meet Lyza. Though the premise is a bit absurd but it's the journey that makes it rewarding to watch since viewers are equally curious as Riko in finding out the truth with their very own eyes. The characters really makes this show unique. Riko is an eccentric ambitious cave raider who was born in the depths of the abyss but was lifted back up the abyss without suffering any physiological problems. She is the living embodiment of the idiom curiosity kills the cat. Reg is equally special, since he is half human and half robot with extendable hands, robotic body but a working penis with a normal butthole that do not feel anything physiologically. How do we know this? Riko experimented on him as soon as she found him of course. From stuffing a ruler up his butt to electrocuting him to bring him back to life, she has done it all. The human characters in this show are all so twisted that the only normal characters that viewers can connect with is the robot Reg himself. There is also a whistle rank system for cave raiders. Starting from Red and Blue to all the way to Black and lastly White. The white whistle cave raiders are said to be this amazing cave raiders that are able to descend through all the gruesome layers and some even make their way back up. Are they still sane that's left up for viewers to decide. Beside Riko and Reg, we get to meet a cave raider from each rank, Maruruk (blue), Gilo (purple), Hablog (black) and Ouzen (white). We see first hand how adept each of them are in their physiological abilities & intuitions for their surrounding juxtaposed with how far their sanity has deviated from the norm as their whistle rank rose due to how far down they descended into the abyss. There is another character that viewers will be introduced to later but I will keep their surprise a secret. It's subtle attributes as such that captivates the audience to watch more to know whether the Red whistlers, Riko and Reg will face same predestined harshness. Needless to say, all of the characters are just batshit zany with a little bondage fetish because their primary form of punishment for anyone is tying them up naked and whipping them to their heart's content. Regardless of the interesting premise and unique characters, the sound, the voice acting, the art and the animation are really the highlight of the show. The animation is mostly hand-drawn with slightly blended CGI that allows small details subtle expressions and background motion to be captured better. The art and cinematography makes you feel like you are in a high budget Ghibli show. You feel immersed with the reality around you. The video editing and directing just throws you inside the abyss and leaves you gripping on your chair waiting for the terror to pass. If that wasn't all, the background score by composer Kevin Penkin is beautiful. His use of the vocals accompanied with orchestra makes it so emotional and leaves you in awe. Not to mention, the OP and ED songs are so moe that it's a direct contrast to how the show is everything but moe. It's such a nice play on the whole metaphor that the abyss may seem full of wonder and awe but in reality it's anything but that. The seiyuus for Riko and Reg did a great job in capturing their emotions. Especially the seiyuu for Ouzen. Just the voice acting alone showed us how far her mental conditions have deviated. Overall, Made in Abyss is a world building survival adventure anime with great premise that has executed itself well so far. In the beginning, the robot's ability makes him a broken cave raider because he is able to descend with such ease however, by later episodes they finally start showing robotic ability will only help get you past so far before they are faced with the harshest reality and unknown terrors of the abyss. If they didn't do that then this show would have fell flat. The characters despite being childlike are constantly in messed up adult situations where they must make harsh decisions to survive. There is room for improvement but with how successful the first season is and even reaching MAL top 100, hopefully fans do not overhype it to the point of ruining the experience for others. Anyways, if you are still curious and hopefully people have not overhyped this anime too much, then definitely check it out let me know later how you like it. P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!

The mangaka/author has some weird fetishes; these become pretty clear throughout the show. It's a real shame because the worldbuilding and overall story are intriguing. The fact that children fight through the horrors of the abyss and prevail is a definite part of the story and contributes to its depth. However, showing those children naked and discussing their genitals in nearly every episode does not contribute to the story and feels super weird, anticlimactic, and unnecessary. I'm fairly certain the author is also into peeing stuff. The story about Nanachi and Mitty was, in my opinion, genuinely emotional, but of course, the final moments included more sexualization of children. Why? I don't understand. I feel conflicted because I really enjoyed most parts of the show, but it also seems like the author is trying to push his weird fetishes onto the viewers. (Updated) After watching more of the show (movie, season 2) the weird moments get a lot weirder and actually fucked up. I cannot recommend this to anyone and the author needs to be investigated tbh.

If someone recommended this anime to you, they probably told you it's a show that looks innocent and wholesome on the outside, but takes a dark turn, presenting this as a selling point of the show. However, this is exactly my issue with the show. As other reviews also claim, at first the show resembles a kids show. They say it's part of the magic or something but to me it's a problem. I don't want to watch a kids show. I didn't come here to watch dumbass kids do dumbass things, have dumbass interactions, and make dumbass decisions for every second of the show where the "dark" stuff isn't happening. First half had me snoozing. Then comes the dark stuff. I say "dark" because it's the word that everybody throws around to describe the show, but it's a complete understatement. What you will watch is utterly fucked. If you want to know what I mean, go look at the character page on MAL for "Mitty". Stare into those eyes for a minute or two. I'll try not to spoil anything further, just be prepared to watch a whole origin story for that thing. This part of the show made me almost nauseous. So what do you get when you put a kids show together with body horror? What is the intended audience of the show? Apparently you get an 8.63/10 on average and the audience is 1.2 million regular users on MAL. If you're a "regular" person, you might enjoy this show. But if you're like me you'll be asleep until the part where you'll be vomiting.

there are two things i fucking love in art, whether that's anime, film, novels, comics, whathave you, if you have either, or BOTH of these two things, i am motherfucking all in, baby. i'm strapped in, and whatever story you have to tell, i am primed and buttered as all hell to hear it if you have them. 1. this is something that is sadly absent in most new things nowadays, whether in anime or anything else: capturing that sense of ADVENTURE. whether that's seeing peter o'toole crossing the sunbaked, 70mm, 2.20:1 vastness of the desert in lawrence of arabia or ashitaka embarking on the quest to reverse the curse spreading through his body in princess mononoke or when young luke skywalker climbs out on the mounds in front of uncle owen's moisture farm, gazing longingly into the twin suns as the timeless and chilling binary sunset theme blares in the background in star wars, it's just so goddamn rare for me to watch something that really evokes that feeling, that THRILL of something big coming, of something thrilling and dangerous out there waiting for our protagonist. i don't know how to really describe it, but it's when a story successfully conveys that feeling of pure longing for something more, building up tension to something epic that can only be experienced when our protagonist gets up off their asses, conveying it so well that we as an audience also FEEL that longing, that desire to go out there with the protagonist, questing this mysterious, unfamiliar world, that's what i'm talking about, when i say sense of adventure. a sense that there's just something...out there waiting for us to be explored, dangers to dodge and thrill us., and that sense is so damn rare to find nowadays. 2. another thing that's rare as fuck? today or otherwise? when a place, a location, is living, breathing, as much of a character as any of the protagonist, brimming with mystery and a promise that whatever we find will be mind-blowingly awesome. locations with their own rules and their own little dangers that always surprise, another layer revealing not more answers, but more questions. places like the titular labyrinth in del toro's pan's labyrinth, that weird ghosty spirit world in miyazaki's spirited away, and the zone in tarkovsky's timeless stalker, there are locations that take as much effort in writing and as much investment as they it does with typical characters, and when done right, those locations themselves (ESPECIALLY in the aforementioned example of stalker, my god i love that movie), become the main characters. and yes, if you haven't guessed by now, made in abyss does all of these things; evoking an all-encompassing sensation of adventure and creating a mysterious world that's so dense and alive that its rules and dangers become their own character. it's rare as fuck for me to find ANYTHING that does both of these things so flawlessly, yet here we are. made in abyss is an anime that will throw curveballs at you, it's a show that's unflinching in its contextual treatment of characters and situations, thicker than mama's most mozarella-packed risotto with its mystery. just from its character designs, it makes our main heroes all chibi and cute, having them live in an adorable and quaint voidside village before completely suvbverting our expectations set up in those first three or so episodes by showing the horrors and dangers that they established in the writing of the beginning. the show never wastes a single minute of screentime, making sure the pacing is barrelling forward, full-steam ahead in its 13 episode run whilst also making sure that every character, side character, subplot, mystery, and world-building element is fully fleshed-out for our entertainment pleasure, making our little thumbs want to click forward to binge until the ending without using exploitative shock value, character deaths, or any other cheap, schlocky gimmicks just to keep us engaged. what makes me respect and LOVE made in abyss, is that it relies on strong, strong, strong af characters (for God's sake, the show takes a 4-5 episode detour with the main protagonist absent, and i didn't mind AT ALL because the secondary protagonist and the newly-introduced third protagonist were just as interesting, developed, and convincing as the main character! don't even get me started on the relationships and character dynanmics of this show, because i haven't been THIS invested in an anime protagonist duo since fucking SPICE AND WOLF) gorgeous eye-watering art (there is never, NEVER a reused background, rarely even a fucking reused LOCATION for more than two episodes; we're always moving, always descending deeper, deeper into the abyss to new and just absolutely spectacularly-painted vistas, and our eyes are constantly thanking us for it), and the mounting, mounting, mounting mystery of the abyss (with how fast the anime moves, i was shocked that by the end of it, the appeal of the mystery not only remains, but is instead, swollen, the questions swirling in my head more plentiful than at the beginning, my investment in its world multiplied tenfold). it really is pretty much perfect in regards to what i personally search for in an anime, from the characters (again, the considerable main cast are all given ample time, and i'm sure if this was a 50+ episode show, it would rival legend of the galactic fucking heroes in how masterful it is at fleshing out and spending time to expand upon them) to the score (just....just watch the first episode man, you'll see), made in abyss is an achievement of adventure storytelling. like, if you really want me to find any flaws, i'd be goddamn nitpicking. like there are a total of two or three shots i found a little off since the CG was pretty sketchy and noticeable. other than that.......uh......... ......uh...??????? so yeah, this show is as perfect as you can get in terms of establishing the beginning of what is hopefully, HOPEFULLY a long-ass, expansive saga, because there is no way a world with this much potential, and characters with this much potential for growth can be expended in two or even three seasons. hell, i could watch this show, watching the characters grow up from 12 years old to fucking 22 years old for 5, 6+ seasons man, that's how invested i am. go out there and fucking watch and support this shit, because i am thirsty for more. godDAMN (ps, i didn't even touch upon how UNFLINCHINGLY BRUTAL this show is, not for the shock value or anything gimmicky like that, but because the world they've established is fucking horrific in a "damn nature, you're a fucking monster!!" kind of way, and boy does it lead to some of the most EXCRUCIATING scenes i've ever put myself through in the world of nipponese animation. so if you're evading the show because you think it's loli/shotabait or if it's a cutesy fantasy slice of life, then let me tell you, your expectations are fucking wrong, and go watch this, now, go watch, watch this NOW)

I'm trying to not to give this an undeservedly low score just to contrast the praise this anime has received. I'll stick mostly to criticisms since everyone else has focused on the merits of this anime. Firstly, the premise of Made of Abyss is quite an interesting one which lends itself well to developing plot and characters. The idea of a global economy based on useless trinkets from the abyss is the first insult to the viewer's intelligence, but it's such a minor part that it can be ignored. What cannot be ignored is the completely unbelievable characters. Let's start with the 12 year old girl who wants to be a cave explorer. So, what are her special anime abilities? She doesn't have any. She's weak, of average intelligence, and doesn't possess any special knowledge about the abyss. And yet, she manages to come away unscathed from this place which is supposed to be so dangerous. It's impossible to take the abyss seriously as a dangerous place when you have tiny children managing to survive within it with little issue. Next, there's the indestructible robot with a particle cannon for an arm. His physical abilities are probably meant to contrast Riko's frailty, but you still never feel that Riko is in any real danger anyhow. The pacing is bad. The first few episodes do very little to set up the story, and serve only to waste time. Once the main characters enter the abyss, they rapidly progress through this allegedly dangerous place, meeting little resistance. The second problem with them going so quickly is the fact that you don't ever get a sense for the unique aspects of each layer. With a setting filled with such diverse places, you'd expect to get to experience those places with the characters. You don't. The art is good, but there's too much dialogue and not enough animation. The background music, sounds, and voice acting are good. I'm personally not a fan of the OP. The ED serves as a perfect metaphor for the show as a whole- it's supposed to be dark behind a light and airy facade. Unfortunately, that darkness doesn't manifest itself well enough to feel ever-present. Towards the end, you catch a few glimpses of it. I don't regret having watched this, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. 6/10

Made in Abyss Isn't Just an anime, It's an experience. You get introduced on the world of the anime by the raid of Riko (The protagonist) That tries to shows how much that world have to offer, but, as the episode goes on you discover that there's more and more that the Made in Abyss world can offer, You discover that It's actually unlimited things to offer. The abyss isn't full explored and the anime makes you feel like Isn't like even half of the abyss was explored, and It shows the relics, valuable things that only have in the abyss, and that are tons of unknown relics. The anime makes you feel like you could be there and explore like they do, the anime makes you want to be the adventure, makes you want to discover things, makes you want to find adventure, It makes you feel like anyone could be important and anyone can find valuable things that can change even the world. The anime makes you want to be in it universe, even if is dangerous it makes you want to risk and fight the danger to conquer things, the anime makes you feel like opportunities are for everyone there. The Creatures: The creatures of the anime acts like real animals, with instinctive moves, and unique aspects of life.Some walk in groups, some are lone animals. They have their form to fight and to get their food, they have their form to walk and their form to eat, they have what they eat and what they don't, they have weak and strong points. Just like the real nature [SPOILERS] The Characters: The characters makes you feel like they are real humans(or human robot and a rabbit that was a human), none of them have powers, act like the strongest thing in the world, have abilities with swords or anything like that.What they have is:A normal girl, a cute rabbit and a robot that doesn't know the own past. The robot called "Reg" Have a weapon on his arms, his arms can extend and that help them on their adventure that they go into the abyss.As he only has a weapon and a capacity, It still makes you feel like it could be possible to exist. The girl called "Riko" Knows how weak she is compared to the others and even with this she takes courage to search her mother, she knows how much is the risk to back and she doesn't expect comeback, It makes you feel like they really know what they are about to do and they aren't underestimating anything, making the realistic aspect of the anime stronger. The cute rabbit called "Nanachi" Have a real dark past, they shows how cold they can be towards see guts, blood and people suffering due that past, That past made they need to be cold to support everything that was happening around they, they needed to stay calm even when doing the "Dirty job" to bendrewd (Showed in manga), making you know the why she is like that, affirming that they really was a normal human until they became a hollow. (Unfortunately the autor leaved Nanachi gender as unknown, that's the why I used "They") The Realism: The amount of realism of this anime is amazing, It doesn't make the universe that the autor created be about the characters exploring the abyss, It makes the character exploring the abyss be about showing the universe of the anime, It doesn't have mercy showing the wild nature of the creatures and the "Curse of Abyss" what inflicts every human, It's incredible how the anime is not afraid to show how dangerous the abyss and the creatures are by extremely warning the characters physically and mentally. I've never seen something that shows the amount of love that the autor have with the universe that they created like Made in Abyss did, It impressed me, I never gave the perfect rate to anything, I never gave 5 stars or 10/10 before but that anime got it from me, It wouldn't be fair give another rate than that. My Rate to Made in Abyss: 10/10

Made in Abyss: When I first stumbled across it, I was reluctant to try it out, because it looked far too cutesy and peaceful for my tastes at that time. Eventually, though, the artwork had my curiosity peaked, so I began watching it. What I was greeted with was a first episode that was about as close to ‘perfect’ as anything I had seen before. I was officially hooked from episode one. And while some following episodes didn’t quite live up to the first episode’s quality, that was to be expected with the bar set so high. Everything in this show was presented fairly naturally, and any exposition felt like it fit quite well into the show without breaking immersion. Our main characters are Riko and Regu. Riko is a 12 year old ‘Cave Raider,’ someone who ventures down into the deep chasm that the world is centered around. Regu is a robot (or maybe cyborg?) boy who saves Riko from being attacked in the first episode, and his origin is one of the central intrigues of Made in Abyss. The two primary characters play off of each other very well, often to either comedic or adorable effect. A series of events leads Riko to believe that her mom is deep in the Abyss, so she and Regu start an adventure to the bottom of the Netherworld. The greatest thing about these characters is that, even though they have simple personalities that are easily summed up, they behave flexibly and are believable in the context of the world. For example, Riko, although being naïve and childish, is also rather brave and knowledgeable about the Abyss, likely because of her aspirations of becoming one of the highest ranking cave raiders. The art is also phenomenal, and one of the show’s biggest draws. Made in Abyss has 3 distinct art styles. There’s the beautiful, painterly background that helps convey the World of Made in Abyss, and does a mesmerizingly wonderful job of it, too. Then there is the chibi character art, used to display the characters as cute (and that’s pretty much it). Finally, there’s also the fact that may of the creatures found in the Abyss are drawn in a completely different style than characters. You’d imagine that this would lead to chaos amongst the clashing art styles, but you’d be sorely mistaken. In fact, it does a wonderful job of making the creatures fit in with the world, while making the characters appear unnatural in comparison, which works really well with this world. There is also the phenomonal sound design. Made in Abyss features a magnificent soundtrack, courtesy of Kevin Penkin. Also, the general sound effects vary from either very realistic to very cartoonish, which helps to convey the current tone of the events taking place. Additionally, the sound design can also be horrific (in a good way). This applies especially to the horrendous, gut-wrenching scenes, which were disturbing on their own, but made significantly more so by the incredible sound design. This also applies to the phenomenal voice acting, which also helped convey said scenes in the most fittingly disturbing way possible. In general, I consider Made in Abyss to be my number 1 anime of all time. However, there are a few serious gripes, as with any other show. My only real gripe, personally, is the sexualisation of a twelve year old girl, which I do not find O.K. However, I do my best to ignore it, as it isn’t ever presented in an overtly sexual manner, thankfully. A major gripe I have seen, however, is that those who read the webcomic say that the pacing is too slow. I would have to say that I disagree with that, however, and I would have honestly preferred if the anime were a few episodes longer so they could have slowed down the pace even more, specifically in the First Layer. Final Comments Made in Abyss is my personal favorite Anime, and I would highly recommend it if you think you are prepared for the (surprisingly intense) horror scenes that comes later on in the series.

The first mistake that I made when seeing the cover is thinking that it is a kids show that my little sister could watch... I couldn't be any further from the truth. This show is a god damn masterpiece and it outright deserves a 10. I made my first MAL account just so I could praise this show. Now on to the actual review... Story: The storytelling elements that are used such as having the narrator set the tone or mood for the episode really make the episode great. The story as you can tell from the synopsis is one full of adventure. The plotline is established at the very beginning of the series and maintains a clear sense of direction as our adventurers go into the abyss. There is a sense of progress in the story with friendships and goodbyes as they descend further deeper into the mysterious abyss. Art: It is so beautiful... from the adorable characters to the vivid backgrounds vibrating with life and energy. It helps set the tone and mood of the episode but this is on a whole different level as it uses the art to contrast different things to further emphasize the importance of that subject. Everything is unique and it really feels as if it is a new world full of quirky fun monsters to dangerous life-threatening beasts. The art is just simply amazing. Sound: THE SOUND IS ONE OF THE HIGH POINTS OF THE SHOW. My god with the art and the sound and the voice acting of the characters it truly elevates this show to the top... The music is always used to set the correct tone and mood at the correct times creating this effect where you are on this adventure with Riko. Character: The characterization that the director uses to make them seem humane-like and real is just pure genius. From the characterization of the robot to the characterization of Riko it is just absolutely brilliant. You really feel as if they are actual people with actual motivations you can relate to and the way they use characterization to bring out their personalities. Each character feels unique and doesn't feel like a rip-off. Enjoyment: I've never actually made a timer for when an anime would release its finale until today. It is so good that it deserves to be AOTS definitely and a front runner for AOTY. I absolutely loved it. Overall: 10/10 If you skipped to the end just don't read my review. Just go right now and start watching.