Since I took the HiDive I decided to watch Made in Abyss, and I did so in one sitting. I hadn't really paid this much attention when it was big last year - Nothing about it looked particularly special, just another "young characters adventure in a fantasy setting" show which there seem to have been a few of recently and none of which have particularly taken my fancy. But I watched Made in Abyss on recommendation from a friend whose judgement I usually trust, and boy was I wrong about it not being special.
The world of Made in Abyss is not your run of the mill party adventuring D&D or Final Fantasy XI fantasy setting. Of all things, I feel like it has more in common with something like Galaxy Express 999 (and perhaps even the story that inspired that, Night on the Galactic Railroad) in that it's the story of a journey by inexperienced young protagonists through very strange and different worlds to the one they know towards a mysterious final destination. A journey in which they learn hard truths about life that erode their innocence but perhaps bring them a better understanding, a physical journey into adulthood if you like. Not to say that Made in Abyss is particularly deep or philosophical, but it's certainly quite thoughtful when it comes to its humanity and the characters' relationships. It's also a very beautiful and unique world, the environments appear like more subdued, neutral palette versions of the kind of otherworldly fantasy art of the '70s and '80s, like if you turned down the saturation on a Roger Dean painting.
And as for those main characters, they're on the cusp of their teenage years and they actually act like it, not like they're 8 or 18. They have a certain confidence and naivety that they can accomplish things by themselves which are incredibly difficult even for the adults in their world, but when things go wrong they also feel scared and helpless. They're a girl and a boy an the onset of puberty and you can believe that they are (with Reg obviously starting to feel shame and the pull of attraction to Riko, who hasn't quite got there yet and is still more of an innocent) and all of this makes them realistic kids. Kids you know really shouldn't be in these dangerous situations (and it's slightly concerning that the adults in the world they interact with don't seem to have much of a problem with them venturing into what is almost a literal Hell/underworld) but who I easily find myself rooting for and willing to succeed against the odds.
But more than anything I'm enjoying the atmosphere of mystery and feeling of trepidation at what the next thing the abyss is going to throw at Riko and Reg will be, whether physical danger or just a new revelation. It makes it feel like a real adventure the viewer is being taken on too. But viewers are also privy to knowledge that there is a real sinisterness to this world that lies just outside the understanding of the main characters (despite the darkness they encounter) and I'm definately looking forward to more of that.
[INLINESPOILER]The tying up kids naked as a punishment is still kinda creepy though.[/INLINESPOILER] [INLINESPOILER]And I can now confirm the rabbit does not have boobs.[/INLINESPOILER]
8.6/10
