Made in Abyss is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Akihito Tsukushi. The anime television series adaptation was announced in December 2016.[1] The 13-episode series aired from July 7 to September 29, 2017, on AT-X, Tokyo MX, TV Aichi, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, TVQ, Saga TV, and BS11.,[2][3][4] and covers content from volumes 1 through 3. The final episode was a 1-hour long special.[4] The series was directed by Masayuki Kojima and written by Hideyuki Kurata, with animation by Kinema Citrus and character designs by Kazuchika Kise.[1] Australian artist Kevin Penkin composed the soundtrack for the anime.[5][4] Miyu Tomita and Mariya Ise performed both the opening theme "Deep in Abyss" and the ending theme "Tabi no Hidarite, Saihate no Migite", the latter in collaboration with Shiori Izawa).[6] The first season premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block starting on January 16, 2022.[7]
Two compilation films, titled Made in Abyss: Tabidachi no Yoake (メイドインアビス 旅立ちの夜明け, "Journey's Dawn") (encompassing episodes 1–8 with new scenes for introduction) and Made in Abyss: Hōrō Suru Tasogare (メイドインアビス 放浪する黄昏, "Wandering Twilight") (encompassing episodes 9–13), were released on January 4, 2019, and January 18, 2019, respectively.[8] A sequel was announced at an event in November 2017.[9]
Following the release of the first compilation films, the sequel was revealed to be a film titled Gekijōban Made in Abyss: Fukaki Tamashii no Reimei (劇場版メイドインアビス 深き魂の黎明, Made in Abyss the Movie: Dawn of the Deep Soul).[10] The film premiered in Japan on January 17, 2020.[11][12] The film had been set to premiere in the United States at Anime Boston on April 11, 2020, before that convention's cancellation[13] due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular theater showings in the U.S. had been planned for April 13 (English dub) and 15 (English subtitles).[14]
Following the release of Dawn of the Deep Soul, a new sequel has been announced.[15] On May 5, 2021, it was announced that the sequel is a second season, officially titled Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (メイドインアビス 烈日の黄金郷, Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ōgonkyō), which aired from July 6 to September 28, 2022.[16][17] The main cast and staff reprised their roles.[18] The opening theme is "Katachi" by Riko Azuna while the ending theme is "Endless Embrace" by Myth & Roid.[19]
A sequel to The Golden City of the Scorching Sun was announced on January 15, 2023.[20]
Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series, and streamed it on Amazon's Anime Strike service in the U.S. and on Hidive outside of the U.S.[21][22] Sentai has since released it on home video with an English dub.[23] MVM Films has acquired the series for distribution in the UK and Ireland,[24] and Madman Entertainment has acquired the series for distribution in Australia and New Zealand.[25] Sentai Filmworks has licensed the two compilation films,[26] and screened the first film at Regal Cinemas in Los Angeles on March 15, 2019,[27] with a subtitled theatrical release on March 20, 2019, and an English-dubbed theatrical release on March 25, 2019, in collaboration with Fathom Events.[28] During its panel at Anime Expo on July 5, 2019, Sentai Filmworks announced that they had acquired the license for Dawn of the Deep Soul.[29] Sentai Filmworks planned to screen the film in North America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland with English subtitles on April 13, 2020, subtitled, and with the English dub on April 15, 2020, however, the screenings were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[30][31] Sentai Filmworks also acquired the second season for distribution worldwide except Asia, France, Germany, Italy and Middle East and North Africa, and will stream it on select digital outlets.[32]
Riko, Reg, and Nanachi travel deep into the Goblets of Giants and reach the Garden of the Flowers of Resilience, eventually encountering an underling of the White Whistle Bondrewd called an Umbra Hand, who momentarily sets the field ablaze to destroy the amaranthine-deceptors, green parasitic insects that have migrated from the sixth layer. The trio continue to the fifth layer of the Abyss, the Sea of Corpses, where they eat raw hamashirama, a bizarre fish, before reaching Ido Front, the only gateway into the sixth layer. They are greeted by Prushka, Bondrewd's garrulous adoptive daughter, while Bondrewd himself invites them to stay overnight. Before bedtime, Reg is told by Nanachi that he has three more uses of the Incinerator left, according to the glass lens of his helmet.
While Nanachi later goes snooping and encounters Bondrewd in the hallway, Reg is shown to be captured in a laboratory by the Umbra Hands, who sever Reg's right hand during an experiment. While searching for them, Riko begins to ascend a forbidden staircase, leading to complete sensory deprivation and confusion, the Curse of the fifth layer. After regaining consciousness from falling, Riko is found and bandaged by Prushka. They ascend the staircase together after a whiff of the fur of Prushka's pet Meinya. Nanachi, Riko, Prushka and Meinya all arrive and save Reg from the Umbra Hands.
With Prushka's help, Riko, Reg and Nanachi escape by boat, but Bondrewd soon find the three in the sandstone region of the fifth layer. Riko springs a trap set by Nanachi, while Bondrewd and the Umbra Hands are attacked by a colony of huge seven-tailed scorpions called Stingerheads. Bondrewd uses Sparagmos, a relic that generates a mysterious blade of light, to blast his way free. Reg drags Bondrewd into the ocean and swiftly back onto land, causing Bondrewd to suffer from the Curse and his body to be malformed beyond repair. However, another Umbra Hand takes Bondrewd's White Whistle and helmet and becomes Bondrewd. After subduing Reg and Riko, Bondrewd explains to Nanachi that the Abyss also grants the phenomenon called the Blessing, which is fueled through love.
Later on, Prushka is dismembered in the laboratory by Bondrewd. Riko realizes from a heartfelt dream about Prushka that Bondrewd possesses a rare relic called Zoaholic, which can allow him to disperse his consciousness into his Umbra Hands. Formulating a plan for Reg to recharge using the electricity powering Ido Front, Riko and Nanachi follow Meinya to a storage room full of cartridges, specialized packages made from the flesh and essence of humans. Suddenly discovered by Bondrewd, he reveals to them that he used his original body to create his White Whistle. Bondrewd is interrupted when a fully charged and out of control Reg breaks into the room and mounts a ferocious attack against Bondrewd while destroying everything around him indiscriminately. He is brought back to his senses by Nanachi but is dragged down into the Miniature Garden of Dawn by an Umbra Hand. There he faces off against Bondrewd once more while Nanachi guides Reg to the surface as the water bastion from above collapses around them. As Bondrewd chases Reg upwards, his body is fully transformed through the Curse of the sixth layer. In order to protect himself, Bondrewd uses the Blessing, ejecting all the profusely bleeding cartridges, including that of Prushka. Working together, Riko, Reg, and Nanachi manage to defeat Bondrewd, with Riko using Reg's severed Incinerator to cut Bondrewd's body in half. As his current body expires, Bondrewd praises Nanachi and reveals that his new aspiration is for Nanachi to push forward.
A four-part series of short films, called "Marulk's Daily Life", was produced along the third movie Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul and shown before the movie's screenings in Japan. These short films include Marulk running a small errand with the help of Nat, as well as Marulk having a recollection of his scary past which reveals his first heartwarming encounter with Ozen.
Saturday at 1:30 a.m. EST (effectively, Sunday)