A Fateful Encounter

[Temperance]

Yeah... yeah... very nice. How about giving the writer some credits?

So..you believe I'm not that one who wrote that ?

 

[syx]

@syx you freaking lied to me

What are you referring to, bro? :/

So..you believe I'm not that one who wrote that ?

Did I stutter? Why do people never take me seriously?

Review Link from user Veronin from MyAnimeList - September 30th, 2017

Made in Abyss is an anime for adults. Though it may seem little more than an adventurous children's anime, chibi art and all, it gradually reveals itself as something much darker, as Riko's and Reg's hopeless ascent continues, stumbles along, no happy ending in sight, death -- and worse -- awaiting them for each step they fall.

Many anime give off the facade of maturity: gratuitous gore, sadistic and loony villains, self-serving themes ripped from entry-level philosophers such as Nietzsche - features that make a story palatable to rebellious teenagers, rather than the adults they so desperately wish to be.

But Made in Abyss doesn't fall into these trappings. It contains graphic, violent scenes, occasionally even outright disturbing, but never is there a moment where it feels unnecessary. It is a story of adventure, of survival, and of finding life within death.

Made in Abyss has one of the most interesting settings in anime. A city built around a giant pit, gaping downwards for tens of thousands of metres, its nature unknown, treasure and terrifying beasts awaiting any who wish to test their luck. What's at the very bottom of the pit? How deep can one truly go before death is an inevitability? In many ways, the pit is reminiscent of Hell: for each layer they reach, they encounter something more ghastly than the last, the stench of death progressively growing stronger. But Riko and Reg press onward, determined to find Riko's mother, no matter if they succumb to the dangers and find themselves a permanent resident of the abyss.

While there exists ample world-building, the story instead puts the focus on the duo rather than the world at large, preferring instead to carefully reveal the details of the world through their eyes and ears, evolving the viewer from mere spectator to active participant. You don't know much about the pit's third and fourth layers until they reach that part themselves, and the fifth and beyond remain a complete mystery because nobody has ever actually survived to tell the tale. It's an elegant way to keep the viewer interested: I don't want to be told what to expect - I want to see for myself what monsters and contamination and other awfulness await the further they fall, and so I find myself with the next episode playing as soon as the credits hit roll.

It can be difficult for some (myself included) to empathise with child characters in anime, but Made in Abyss does an excellent job of making the viewer concerned about and emotionally invested in the survival of Riko and Reg. Their friendship with one another is deeply heart-warming, as they have, much like real children, no ulterior motives, and genuinely enjoy their time together. They rely on one another, their abilities complimenting the other's: intellect and cooking in Riko's case, and combat and acrobatics in Reg's. There is no journey without the other-- it is either two or it is zero. And so it is difficult not to have a visceral emotional response when one of the two is desperately, miserably trying to save the other's life.

Some caution should be taken when watching Made in Abyss, as it is by no means a happy adventure. With every episode, there is fear that one of them may die, that they may be betrayed, that they may become permanently disfigured or forced to kill or commit some other horrid act. This is seldom a concern for most anime, as the protagonists will always survive and reach some sort of happy ending to their story. But not Made in Abyss. It makes very clear that bad things are inevitable, which, given the setting, is perhaps only appropriate. Corpses, vomit, grossly deformed wounds, blood bleeding from and seeping into the eyeballs-- Made in Abyss is by no means something that should ever be viewed by children, and even adults would do well to prepare themselves if they are not accustomed to these sorts of horrors. The abyss is not a wonderful land of treasure, but an awful place where awful things happen.

There are still some minor issues with the story, however. Most prominent is the fact that there is as of yet no actual ending, something I did not realise until the final episode when I looked at the source material and found out that, oh, the manga was still ongoing. This ceases to be a problem in the event of future seasons and adaptations, but will there be any? Will this be where the anime ends, in the middle of their journey? "Hey, this is the end of the anime, so go and read the manga" is not quite what you want to hear when you are emotionally invested in an anime. But, I suppose, a faithful, if potentially incomplete adaptation is still preferable to the dreadful anime-only endings that plague many unfortunate adaptations. The story is too grand in scale, too personal for it to end after only thirteen episodes.

The story could have also done without the more sexual situations-- the references to penises, and one ungraceful moment where Reg returns from trying to save someone's life, only to blush and freak out immediately after when he sees Riko being undressed. With how serious the mood was at that point in the story, it effectively killed all the tension that had been building for the entire episode. That's not to imply this scene existed to create sexual arousal in the audience-- Made in Abyss has more integrity than that-- as she was being undressed solely for health reasons, but certainly it was not a scene that felt in any way necessary. There's a time and place in the story for comedic relief, and that was not the time.

Made in Abyss is fairly impressive in terms of its sound and artwork. The background music starts adventurous and gradually becomes more ominous as the story progresses, even if the ending theme remains almost hilariously light-hearted and incongruently so-- its lyrics being more appropriate to Barney & Friends than a graphic life-or-death struggle. While the artstyle may not be to everyone's taste, it at least remains detailed and consistent throughout the series (the map after the ending sequence being a nice addition), although there are perhaps two or three odd moments during the action sequences where the animation will suddenly become sketchy, for reasons that are mystery to me.

In one of the weakest seasons for anime, where interesting series may well be nonexistent, Made in the Abyss is a genuine surprise. While I might reserve claims such as it being the best anime of the year (Sangatsu no Lion takes that one for me), it is a truly special anime, one which had me worried and invested in the characters' fate in a way that very few anime ever have.

I want to see a future where Riko and Reg return to a happy life on the surface. But, much like them, I am determined to see their journey to its end, no matter the result.

Your Post:

Made in Abyss is an anime for adults. Even though it may seem little more than some anime about an adventure with children, chibi arts and sorta fanservice, it reveals itself as something much darker, as Riko's and Reg's hopeless descent continues, with no happy ending in sight, death -- and worse -- awaiting them for each step they fall.

It contains graphic, violent scenes, occasionally even outright disturbing, but never is there a moment where it feels unnecessary. It is a story of adventure, of survival, and of finding life within death, that's what makes it good.

It also has one of the most interesting settings in anime. A city built around a giant pit at the very bottom of the pit something we may can't imagine. How deep can one truly go before death is an inevitability? In many ways, the pit is reminiscent of Hell: for each layer they reach, they encounter something more ghastly than the last, the stench of death progressively growing stronger. But Riko and Reg press onward, determined to find Riko's mother, no matter if they succumb to the dangers and find themselves a permanent resident of the abyss.

While there exists ample world-building, the story instead puts the focus on the duo rather than the world at large, preferring instead to carefully reveal the details of the world through their eyes and ears, evolving the viewer from mere spectator to active participant. You don't know much about the pit's third and fourth layers until they reach that part themselves, and the fifth and beyond remain a complete mystery because nobody has ever actually survived to tell the tale. It's an elegant way to keep the viewer interested: I don't want to be told what to expect - I want to see for myself what monsters and contamination and other awfulness await the further they fall, and so I find myself with the next episode playing as soon as the credits end

It can be difficult for some (myself included) to empathise with child characters in anime, but Made in Abyss does an excellent job of making the viewer concerned about and emotionally invested in the survival of Riko and Reg. Their friendship with one another is deeply heart-warming, as they have, much like real children, no ulterior motives, and genuinely enjoy their time together. They rely on one another, their abilities complimenting the other's: intellect and cooking in Riko's case, and combat and acrobatics in Reg's. There is no journey without the other-- it is either two or it is zero. That's one beautiful thing, that is always changed in a way in other mangas/animes, but not here

The thing is the fact that there is not yet an actual ending, something I did not realise until the final episode when I looked at the source material and found out that, oh, the manga was still ongoing. This ceases to be a problem in the event of future seasons and adaptations, but will there be any? Will this be where the anime ends, in the middle of their journey? "Hey, this is the end of the anime, so go and read the manga" is not quite what you want to hear when you are emotionally invested in an anime. But, I suppose, a faithful, if potentially incomplete adaptation is still preferable to the dreadful anime-only endings that plague many unfortunate adaptations. The story is too grand in scale, too personal for it to end after only thirteen episodes, I want to see the end of their periple

The story could have also done without the more sexual situations-- the references to penises, and one ungraceful moment where Reg returns from trying to save someone's life, only to blush and freak out immediately after when he sees Riko being undressed. With how serious the mood was at that point in the story, it effectively killed all the tension that had been building for the entire episode. That's not to imply this scene existed to create sexual arousal in the audience-- Made in Abyss has more integrity than that-- as she was being undressed solely for health reasons, but certainly it was not a scene that felt in any way necessary.

In one of the weakest seasons for anime, where interesting series may well be nonexistent, Made in the Abyss is a genuine surprise. It is a truly special anime, and the best one of the year, one which had me worried and invested in the characters' sfate in a way that very few anime ever have.

I want to see a future where Riko and Reg return to a happy life on the surface. But, much like them, I am determined to see their journey to its end, no matter the result.I wanna see the end of this exceptionnal story

Next time, better not mess with syx. I'm done and I'm out.

 

[Purity of Magi]

@syx after reading your post I somehow got reminded of this meme lol XD

 

[Temperance]

Meh.

 

[Nii]

oh darky... but hey, at least you didn't copy something and put it in a contest So no worries, I shall forgive you

 

[syx]

@syx after reading your post I somehow got reminded of this meme lol XD

Such pitiful beings... those who forget that I'm the true heir of the Sharingan. Nothing escapes my eyes.

Meh.

 

[Temperance]

oh darky... but hey, at least you didn't copy something and put it in a contest So no worries, I shall forgive you

..Thanks

 

[Nii]

@syx you freaking lied to me

I see...if I take it that he already accepts magic in a somewhat basic sense then it comes down to just denying Beato's involvement...that does make a lot of sense. Thanks, because that helps bring some calm into the chaos I find myself in (actually you mentioned something similar before but I didn't see it this way XD) . I'm trying to get her motive though. Why does she claim to be involved if she wasn't? And if she was...why bother defending yourself. Hmm, well beato already explained about human's natural resistance to magic and how it strengthens the more they disbelieve. But if the believe in witches, then the resistance weakens thus giving the witches/magic more... 'freedom' I guess. So, if she was involved and is a witch, it would make sense that getting Battler to submit would be an advantage. But if she wasn't involved and is a witch, then maybe she's just getting a kick out of the game? Well the benefit still exists though....and I suppose she'd still have fun regardless. But then why does she get flustered when it seems Battler might corner her? It does somehow hint she wasn't involved entirely? Else there would be no reason to lose her cool...so there's probably some trick to her actions...but again, if she really was a witch, couldn't she have just done some magic so everything would actually happen like she says, then there would be no contest to begin with. Or maybe she isn't powerful enough, hence the whole game to get battler to submit which would be an advantage to her.... Or maybe she needs his acknowledgement for her to attain some higher level in witch ranking? Lol 'It's useless... It's all useless!!!! '
I suppose I could go on and on about the possibilities. I'll just have to get more information first...

BTW, I did start Ep 4, and yeah, turns out it's Ange XD. It was a fresh experience showing us 12 years into the future and putting aside the gloomy rokenjimma for a while, although Ange's story isn't exactly roses and sunshine either. I wasn't too thrilled though.. It felt like such a huge shift and I was trying to understand how it helps. But one important thing is that Episode 4 uses Ep 3's story as premise....so far the games have been.... Maybe I should fictional, and they ever really cross into each other. So having Episode 4 based on Episode 3 feels weird, as though that was the main story? Hmm... If I think of it as explaining how Ange got to the end of Episode 3, it would make sense, but we have beato and battler saying its the next game.... Anyway, as usual I definitely need to play a bit more first. I got to see a glimpse of Rosa's ugliness and why you said She's a horrible mother, and at the same time I got to see another side of Maria too that made me actually feel sorry for her. I get the feeling this would be quite an amazing episode

Haha, and even more cool theories right there Obviously I won't confirm or deny any of them, but there is a certain level of truth to something you said
As for Battler, I think it still is about "was magic used on Rokkenjima" in a general sense, and "Does Beatrice really exist (on Rokkenjima)" on a smaller scale, though I felt that it's mainly about denying Beato at this point. She's driven him so far into a corner that it has turned into a relatively simple "how can I deny her and win this shitty game" kinda mindset for Battler, so he prolly doesn't even care if magic exists or doesn't, right now. Which is kind of... not the best idea I would say. After all, without love it can't be seen x)

Well who is to say that Ange's story is from after EP3? Just because Eva is the sole survivor, like in EP3, it doesn't mean that it's the premise for Ange's story. I think you should keep in mind that there's not a single proof that her story continues from EP3, you only came to that conclusion because Eva's the only survivor there too. But yeah, it's a pretty damn huge shift, that surprised me as well. It does have its importance though, like for example the stuff you mentioned about Rosa and Maria.

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 13, 2017, Original Post Date: Dec 13, 2017 ---

Nvm

Well greg you already told me that you talked to him once, and I asked you to tell him to show himself here So in a sense it just felt like a repeat from what, a month ago or so?

 

[syx]

..Thanks

Come on, it's no biggie. I'll tell you a secret of mine to make you feel better:

All the gifs I used so far are copied from somewhere else.

And yes, I will admit: all my edits are stolen as well...

 

[Lawl Po Bia]

oh darky... but hey, at least you didn't copy something and put it in a contest So no worries, I shall forgive you

 

[syx]

Oh... you didn't.

 

[Lawl Po Bia]

What are you referring to, bro? :/


Did I stutter? Why do people never take me seriously?

Review Link from user Veronin from MyAnimeList - September 30th, 2017


Your Post:

Next time, better not mess with syx. I'm done and I'm out.

can't fool our shyx-dono

 

[Temperance]

Damn you lawl

 

[Lawl Po Bia]

 

[Holt]

Well who is to say that Ange's story is from after EP3? Just because Eva is the sole survivor, like in EP3, it doesn't mean that it's the premise for Ange's story. I think you should keep in mind that there's not a single proof that her story continues from EP3, you only came to that conclusion because Eva's the only survivor there too. But yeah, it's a pretty damn huge shift, that surprised me as well. It does have its importance though, like for example the stuff you mentioned about Rosa and Maria.

Well I thought it was since no other episode had Eva as the sole survivor..heck none of the other episodes had any survivor iirc. Hm...I guess you're giving me a hint of some sort XD

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 14, 2017, Original Post Date: Dec 14, 2017 ---

What are you referring to, bro? :/

You told me you hadn't gone far in Umineko, but apparently you know about events of Ep 3

 

[Nii]

Well I thought it was since no other episode had Eva as the sole survivor..heck none of the other episodes had any survivor iirc. Hm...I guess you're giving me a hint of some sort XD

--- Double Post Merged, Dec 14, 2017, Original Post Date: Dec 14, 2017 ---

You told me you hadn't gone far in Umineko, but apparently you know about events of Ep 3

Well who knows if any of the EPs are the "real" past or events that happened on Rokkenjima, or which is the "real" one. And yes, it was a hint No worries though, not that much longer until you will get some answers regarding a lot of things. Doesn't mean there won't be more new questions though

syx read until the end of EP4, though he didn't finish that one yet. As for why... it's complicated, a syx-kind of reason.

 

[Kiki]

I nominate Emiya Shirou from the Fate series

About time this best boi gets nominated

Basically nii nominated himself

Been a while. Long time no speak. How are you doing nii? :3

 

[Nii]

@Purity of Magi guess I have to tag you here bc I don't think you have a thread? Time to make one!

Saw some good stuff on tumblr, and felt like sharing

Spoiler: Umineko Spoilers

Basically nii nominated himself

Been a while. Long time no speak. How are you doing nii? :3

lol you think I'm like Shirou? :3

Good to see you ahmad, I'm doing just fine. One more week of work and then two weeks of vacation How are you?

 

[Selene]

@Purity of Magi guess I have to tag you here bc I don't think you have a thread? Time to make one!

Saw some good stuff on tumblr, and felt like sharing

Spoiler: Umineko Spoilers

lol you think I'm like Shirou? :3

Good to see you ahmad, I'm doing just fine. One more week of work and then two weeks of vacation How are you?

shirou hate is lie, he does some stupid stuff but he means well.

 

[syx]

You told me you hadn't gone far in Umineko, but apparently you know about events of Ep 3

It was never a secret that I almost reached the end of EP4. And that's not even the half of Umineko, so yeah... I haven't gone far. That's also what nii told me. :/

By the way, you are the liar here. You said you wouldn't finish Umineko before me, but it looks like you will finish it even within this year.

syx read until the end of EP4, though he didn't finish that one yet. As for why... it's complicated, a syx-kind of reason.

I only have 50 chapters of Toaru left before I continue Umineko. And hey, it was your recommendation! I'm almost there nii... almost.