Despair and hope. These terms may seem opposite from one another, but they come in contact when dealing with nearly impossible odds. Stories involving coming home from Homer’s The Odyssey or going through a journey to accomplish an impossible task from J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings have similar tones and themes. Despair involves the daunting odds of the protagonist(s) defeating the conflicts that arise that give us, the audience, a sense of dread and makes us care for our characters to succeed. Hope is the audience’s reaction that they feel out of the despair that we see from the characters’ perspective.

Made in Abyss fits this notion quite accurately. Although it may not seem that way in the first half, it slowly begins to bring in the dreaded atmosphere like a shotgun blast by the halfway point. Unlike many anime shows that have attempted to do this, Made in Abyss does it in a way that does not seem superficial. When an anime tries to do anything disturbing or serious and fails, it will either come across as forceful, get a cheap feeling of anxiety from the audience, or become so ridiculous that it becomes a comedy. Instead, Made in Abyss does this emotional reaction in a way that feels authentic. It is the perfect balance that still elicits a response that makes you care for the characters more and the struggles that they are facing.

As many people have pointed out previously, this anime has many throwbacks to Studio Ghibli films, predominantly Miyazaki-directed ones. You do not get that feeling from the character designs. They are chibi-ish – for lack of a better word – almost as if they are chibi characters with long limbs. However, I thought the Ghibli influence was very apparent in the world’s designs and backgrounds. They remind me of Castle in the Sky with the creation of the city and the forested areas Regu and Riko travel in the Abyss. Despite being on an anime television budget, they are beautifully drawn and rendered very well with the animation.

The one remarkable thing in the animation and design department is the designs of the actual monsters in the Abyss and the locality of the Abyss itself. One obvious Ghibli influence that came to me when seeing the monsters was the creatures in Princess Mononoke. How they move and all of their unique body parts give them a distinct look that makes them both terrifying and fascinating to look at. What struck me about the Abyss itself was how it seemed. When you think of the word “abyss,” you usually think of a putrid dark place where not even light can escape from. In this, it seems like the complete opposite. It doesn’t look like it, yet it feels like an abyss with all the creatures. Looking at it from this angle gives us something to grasp on how we should interpret what Hell is, not from a visual perspective but something within it. That in itself makes the setting very creative and imaginative.

Overall, what I can say about how Made in Abyss is from a story perspective. The 2nd half is where it starts to become something extraordinary from any anime in recent years. Now that is not to say the first half is bad. It just pales in comparison to the other that it might. What pushes it back from the other is how it drags from episode to episode. It does give us a great introduction to our two main heroes, Riko and Regu. We get a great glimpse of how they fit into the world, and it keeps us guessing how these two will pursue their journey. The other characters, however, do not garner the same sentiment. It’s not that they are terrible characters. They are not given enough leg work for us to remember them when our primary focus is Regu and Riko traversing the Abyss. Plus, there are many side stories from episodes 1-3 involving these supporting characters that do not go anywhere and are brushed aside quickly. Again, not bad. It’s just not great.

Now the most significant story beat that I think is one of the most effective I’ve ever seen involves a character way later in the show named Nanachi. His story arc involving his friend Mitty is masterful in the lightest way. If his story were to be put on as its full spin-off and expanded, it would be one that I would whole-heartedly watch the moment it started airing. It is tragic to see, but that, in turn, gave Nanachi a level of sympathy for his character, and we see him in a completely different light than what his initial debut would’ve implied.

Regu and Riko contribute the story through drama and comedy at a relatively nice pace. Along with Nanachi, we get to see them contemplate the end goal of finding Riko’s mother in the deepest level of the Abyss. It provides a deep layer of mystery that keeps you guessing what they will see. The first arc they come across involving Ozen the Immovable is pretty good. It adds a horror element to it that is eerie when we are left with our heroes figuring out what to do with the circumstances they are faced with. Regu and Riko’s relationship as friends is heartwarming, and you genuinely care for both of them. Whenever either one is in danger, and the other is trying their best to help them, the show creates a sense of urgency that keeps you glued to the screen on what will happen.

Made in Abyss was an exceptional watch as someone who has watched anime regularly since 2007. Do I think this might be the best anime to have come out in recent memory? We will have to see how it plays out as the manga continues and how the next seasons will treat the source material for years to come. While some faults keep it from being perfect, especially in the first half, the great things about it are incredibly memorable and will make me continue to think about them for a while. Useful in its tragedy and outstanding in its execution.

Grade: A-