Made in Abyss exist long time ago but why it is still not popular despite of how good its story was. This is actually frustrating especially to a person like me who follow the manga faithfully from the start. As well as the anime series and the movies which is actually amazing.
Why No One Are Talking About Made in Abyss?
The reason why this anime are not popular despite of its quality in both animation and story is because of false first impression when they saw this anime.
Be honest that when you first saw the poster of this anime you might think that this is just a normal fun adventure anime because of the two kids being chased by the giant snake looking creature. This kind of thing is actually normal to most anime that makes you think nothing bad will happen. But that's where you go wrong. Made in Abyss is actually a very dark story. Imagine two young children decided to explore the deepest part of the earth called "Abyss" only by themselves. How do you think can they survive in an adventure given that the survivability rate of those who return to surface safely is very low. They will not just encounter dangers from the monsters but also the threat of the curses that usually took most of the adventurer's life. It is a dark story of survival into the world that humans should not explore. But with the love of family and eagerness to find answers into the mysteries of abyss, Riku and Reg will conquer even the deepest part of abyss to achieve their goals.
Why It Should Be More Popular?
Aside from the breathtaking story, the reason why this anime is considered a masterpiece is because of its Good Worldbuilding. The Idea of Abyss is already crazy but still they manage to divide it into 7 layers that the deeper layer they reach the more dangerous it becomes. It also means that Made in Abyss is actually getting darker every chapters in manga or every episodes anime. The art of each layer are godly made and its all thanks on how artistic their illustrators are.
There is also the characters that you will love. This is actually funny because at first I even think that this anime is meant for children because of how the characters looks children friendly. But this thoughts disappeared when they started to depart on their journey and met different kind of people. They started meeting normal people but the deeper they reach the less human they encountered. This part is actually sad and depressing because most of them are once normal but because of the wickedness of humans they've become creatures not suitable to be called humans anymore.
The Movies and Anime Series
The ratings of this anime from anime rating site is actually above average. But their popularity is criminally underwhelming. For those who want to check this anime this is what the anime series and movies all about.
Made in Abyss (2017)
Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure Mystery Drama Fantasy
This is the anime series of Made in Abyss which consist of 13 episodes. It shows how Riku met Reg (a mysterious humanoid robot that they believed to come from the Abyss). This is where they decided to conquer the deepest part of abyss to find the mother of Riku and know the true origin of Reg.
The first half of the series is all about Riku and Reg conquer the first 2 layer of abyss. That's where they met Ozen, the old comrade of Liza (Mother of Riku). Ozen has a headquarter in 2nd layer with her assistant Marulk. This is where they learn what happened to Liza and how Riku was born.
While the second half is the most depressing part of this series. This is where they met Nanachi and Mitty, a creature called "Narehate". They are once human but after surviving the 6th layer, their appearance changed and now living peacefully away from humans in 4th layer. The story of this two is very sad especially when you learn about their story and their goals.
Made in Abyss Movie 1 and 2
This two movie is just basically the summary of Anime series split into 2. The only difference is they have much detailed animations and few changes in sound/music. The movie 1 was entitled as "Made in Abyss Movie 1: Journey's Dawn" while the other "Made in Abyss Movie 2: Wandering Twilight". The story hasn't changed. The Movie one is all about how they started their adventure until Ozen part. While the Movie two is all about their meeting with Nanachi and Mitty. It's up to you if you still want to watch the movie or just stick with the anime.
Made in Abyss Movie 3: Dawn of the Deep Soul
This movie is the sequel of anime series. This is the part where they met new characters like Prushka and his father Bondrewd. Coincidentally Bondrewd is actually the person behind how Nanachi and Mitty turned into Narehate. They need to solve this issue because they need approval from Bondrewd to pass Level 5 and continue to Level 6. This movie is very frustrating but its also good. You definitely need to watch this movie after the anime.
This series need a lot more attention. Especially now that it has a Season 2 coming soon and it will be all about the crazy happenings in 6th layer. The darkest and creepiest Level so far and their 7th layer goal is already approaching. What awaits them on the final layer and will they be able to return to the surface?
I remember people talking about the series when it was released. It was a favorite among the Reddit & Youtube crowd, but the hype died down after the OG series was finished. That is just normal these days.
Although I remember people complaining that the MIA manga is a bit too "pedo" for them. As I haven't read the manga, I don't know if this is accurate, but that statement for sure didn't help the series.