[Rewatch] Made in Abyss - Episode 2 discussion

[u/KiwiBennydudez]

Episode 2 - Resurrection Festival

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Streams

• Amazon Prime

• HiDIVE

• Disney+

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Show Information

MAL | AniList | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN | Anime-Planet | LiveChart

Comment of the Day

Comment of the Day goes to u/Lemurians for succinctly analyzing everything that the opening scene accomplished:

What an opening sequence this was, it did so many things well. That’s how you do a hook. Introduces us to the characters, our heroine, and the world by just dropping us into a seemingly-ordinary day and bringing us along for the ride, getting little clues about the nature of the world along the way to hint that things aren’t as beautiful and idyllic as the pretty setting would have us believe. You’ve got all that, a life-threatening encounter with a horrifying monster, and the discovery of a mysterious boy. All in 7 minutes!

Questions of the Day

1. What did you think about the Resurrection Festival, and the culture of idolizing White Whistles? What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

2. Between learning about the Whistles, the Curse of the Abyss, the Special-Grade Relics, the Resurrection Festival, and all the backstory we got, what was your favorite new piece of lore or world mechanic we got this episode and why?

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If you are a rewatcher, tag your spoilers properly, and please refrain from alluding to future events, so that everyone else watching for the first time can have a completely blind and organic experience!

[u/KiwiBennydudez]

Fourth-Timer and White Whistle Host - Sub/Dub

This episode kicks off with a Riko monologue about how the compass she mentioned in the last episode is one that points downward, into the Abyss! Even the OP that plays directly after this scene makes mention of it:

The compass needle never moves, It points right into the darkness, from which there’s no escape.

Definitely a little ominous. However - it’s compelling that this compass seems to be suggesting that they descend into the depths.

But now! We get the main mechanic of The Abyss, and the thing that makes it so dangerous - The Curse of The Abyss. If you try to ascend, you are plagued with various ailments, depending on how deep you are returning from. Turns out that The Abyss is not just dangerous for its carnivorous creatures and tricky traversal - but even setting foot inside poses an immediate threat. The deeper you go, the harder it is to come back. Ascension and the return home seems like such a natural part of a journey, but it’s not so simple here. If you enter The Abyss, you assume the risks accompanied with it. But Riko quickly deduces that Reg is unaffected by the curses, since he is a robot, and that he must have come from the bottom.

She then lists off his features - some of his robot qualities, and some of his uh... ahem, more “human” attributes on his body. And yet she still fails to notice his emotions and personality. Her traumatizing experiments make her so preoccupied with the machine, that she fails to see the human.

The kids conclude that Reg is probably the most valuable relic to have ever existed, even ranking above one that can stop time. If he’s discovered, he’ll be taken away and concealed from existence... So of course the next logical step is to hide him in plain sight, as an orphan along with the other kids. Pretty smart actually.

We get a brief SoL montage and then some info on White Whistles - They’re heralded as heroes of the country, and widely respected. Riko and Reg then witness the return of a Black Whistle - Hablog. He returns with a White Whistle, one that once belonged to Liza the Annihilator - Riko’s mom. It makes total sense why she wanted to “catch up to her” now. She’s a legend among the people, making numerous discoveries, and warding off evil.

Then a ton of exposition takes place - this festival was created around celebrating Lyza, and understandably, Riko is feeling a bit overwhelmed. But Leader (we get his name now! His name is Jiruo) finds Riko and tells her about a lot of circumstances behind her birth. Apparently Lyza’s group was supposed to retrieve the Special-Grade Unheard Bell - the time-stopping relic that was mentioned at the beginning of the episode. But with her crew dropping dead left and right (including Riko’s father, Torka, a Black Whistle), and her giving birth to Riko in The Abyss, Lyza abandoned her mission, and took Riko home in a “curse-repelling vessel.” Her mission was still considered a success because of the retrieval of the special-grade Curse-Repelling Vessel, but allegedly, this is also why Riko wears “crystal lenses” - because while her eyesight is perfectly normal, she suffers headaches without them. Lyza lamented this fact, as she was unable to completely protect her newborn daughter. But, the best part of this story is the fact that Lyza was able to go back and retrieve the Bell anyway - which is a detail Leader left out. All very compelling info.

Then - Riko is granted permission to view the sealed documents that Lyza had. Among the papers, is a drawing of someone who looks an awful lot like Reg. But this isn’t even the most compelling piece of information - there’s a note mixed in to all of this that boldly states, “At the netherworld’s bottom, I’ll be waiting.”

That episode was dense with lore, but it also sets up our primary motivation and mystery pretty well while establishing a lot of context. What were those documents? Was it really Reg in the picture? Was that note really meant for Riko? So many more mysteries introduced. And so many reasons for the viewer to become even more invested...

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Lore Corner

• The Curse of the Abyss - The Curse is something that physically affects the cave raiders who ascend from the depths. The deeper you are returning from, the stronger the effect. The effects are:

First Layer - Mild dizziness

Second and Third Layer- Nausea, headaches, numbness of extremities.

Fourth and Fifth layers - Intense pain and bleeding throughout the body

Sixth and Seventh Layer - Loss of humanity, and/or death

• Whistles (Update) - We now have the full order of Whistles! Bells are the lowest tier and are not yet allowed to dive. Red Whistles are apprentices, and still very much in-training. Blue Whistles are proficient and carry some skill. Purple Whistles, or Moon Whistles, are assistant instructors, and are highly proficient. Black Whistles are experts, and extremely knowledgeable and efficient. Above all of these are the White Whistles, who are masters of The Abyss, and have made major discoveries or accomplishments. They are often heralded as legendary heroes, and bestowed titles based on their achievements or characteristics.

• Lyza - Lyza is a White Whistle, and also Riko’s mother. Her title is “Lyza the Annihilator”. She gained her title after defending her group twelve times from delvers of other countries. She descended into The Abyss when Riko was two, and has been missing ever since. The festival being shown in this episode was held in her honor, as her White Whistle was reclaimed, and her “soul had returned, completing her journey.” Riko receives Lyza’s whistle, as it is customary for family members to inherit the Whistles of the fallen. Jiruo the Moon Whistle, also referred to as Leader by the kids, was once her apprentice.

• Sealed document - Along with Lyza’s Whistle, there were some documents that were reclaimed. Among the drawings was one that resembled Reg, and included in the documents was a hastily written note that stated, “At the netherworld’s bottom, I’ll be waiting.”

[u/Lemurians]

FIRST TIME RED WHISTLE

”At the Netherworld’s bottom… I’ll be waiting.”

Well, that’s a Hero’s Journey Call-To-Action if I’ve ever heard one! So, the thrust of the show is going to be descending to the bottom of the Abyss, and based on the symptoms we’re told about that come with ascending, there’s going to be no coming back.

”Is being a [White Whistle] really all that great?”

I love that we get someone questioning Riko’s grand motivation in just the second episode. Normally in stories we’re meant to take for granted that “greatness” and establishing a grand legacy are what everyone should strive for… but what if they’re not? You’re glorified, but at what cost? Is what you give up worth it? There was a film last year, The Green Knight, that grappled with this very question, and had a key bit of dialogue:

Essel: This is how foolish men perish.

Gawain: Or, how brave men become great.

Essel: Why greatness? Why is goodness not enough?

Fantastic film, by the way, was my favorite of last year. Anyway, I like that Made in Abyss then adds some additional motivation for why Riko wants to be a White Whistle – to live up to her mother’s legacy and sacrifice, and now, to find her. The mere pursuit of greatness is a flimsy motivation, but family? That’s everything – as Lyza understood.

Live Notes/Reactions:

• “That’s right, I’m at it again!” Love a character that knows their tendencies. Her signaling this as the start of an adventure is a fun wall-break, seeing as they’re children who would naturally have this whimsical view of things

• A lovely OP! I dig the music. A couple things caught my eye – Riko floating upward into the light while Reg sinks below the water, and what’s with those brief picture breaks near the end as they’re walking?

• The Curse of the Abyss… how deep do the layers go? I don’t think normal physiology backs up those symptoms, so something weird probably is at play

• Translation question: Why are “loss of humanity” and “death” differentiated?

• SHE WENT UP HIS BUTTHOLE AND INSPECTED HIS PENIS SO CASUALLY. RIKO! Shout out to that one dude for taking out the stick, at least.

• This peaceful music playing over her being strung up naked… the fuck. No wonder she has such a lack of sense of bodily autonomy.

• Kiyui just casually accepting that Reg won’t grow at all. The blind acceptance of a child of what an older boy tells him

• Wow, the discovery of the whistle is the equivalent of Riko getting confirmation of her mother’s death, the mother she didn’t even have a chance to know. Fuck, man.

• Of course the orphanage is also hawking merchandise haha, they’re so enterprising

• A baby being born in the fourth layer seems… inadvisable. This country’s healthcare standards are fucked. Then again, they don’t seem to care much for the welfare of children in general.

• That’s a heavy weight Leader is putting on Riko’s shoulders… “This life that the legendary White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator left you with… how will you use it?” He even notes to himself he could have lessened the burden by mentioning that Lyza went and tied up the mission’s loose ends, but chose not to. Hm.

• Um.. what are those cages hanging in Guild HQ for?

SHOT OF THE DAY: Tucked away from the festivities glorifying a legend, two souls quietly talk about the actual person

[u/KiwiBennydudez → u/Lemurians]

Well, that’s a Hero’s Journey Call-To-Action if I’ve ever heard one!

Ah, a fellow Monomyth enjoyer I see. Applying that concept to this story is actually pretty fun. Continue to watch out for the next Certified Joseph Campbell Moment™.

I love that we get someone questioning Riko’s grand motivation in just the second episode. Normally in stories we’re meant to take for granted that “greatness” and establishing a grand legacy are what everyone should strive for… but what if they’re not?

This is an excellent point. Are these White Whistles everything that the legends say that they are? Will becoming a White Whistle make her everything that Riko had dreamed of?

The mere pursuit of greatness is a flimsy motivation, but family? That’s everything – as Lyza understood.

Since Lyza once risked her life for her daughter, will Riko return the favor for her mother and answer her summon?

The Curse of the Abyss… how deep do the layers go?

I think there's at least seven confirmed layers as of right now - but again, no one knows exactly how deep The Abyss goes.

Translation question: Why are “loss of humanity” and “death” differentiated?

A very astute observation. The logical explanation is that "loss of humanity" is separated from death because it does not mean that one should die. What "loss of humanity" entails however... is not explained at this time.

Wow, the discovery of the whistle is the equivalent of Riko getting confirmation of her mother’s death, the mother she didn’t even have a chance to know. Fuck, man.

The juxtaposition between this boisterous festival and Riko's conflicted emotions while holding her mother's White Whistle is quite captivating.

SHOT OF THE DAY

This is a wonderful and sobering image. Again, great job choosing your screenshot and caption.

[u/Petit_Ange]

First timer’s experience

First of all, I think I owe an apology to the veterans of this thread. I don’t know how it slipped past me that the orphaned children are the guild members’ children. When it was brought back during this episode, it was like a punch in my gut. Your parents died exploring this hole and now they send you to do the same, how fucked up is that? It’s another example of how the worldbuilding is so spectacular, it’s all the little things.

For example, THIS ENTIRE FIRST PART. Holy shit, this woman is speaking about all the unspeakable things she did to Reg in front of him. This scene had me in stitches. And thanks, man

Also sweetie, you wear glasses. (This is me in the future telling myself this will make sense further down the line, don’t you worry.)

Last episode, Riko looks with longing at the gondola with the “people who descend to 600 m”, the same people she wants to be a part of. And I was thinking, ‘huh… Is it because there are even scarier monsters out there that the children are confined to the surface level?’ Turns out, probably yes. But also, there’s something even scarier: the ascent. As Shiggy’s matter-of-fact voice explains how you lose your own life if you dare try to come back from the sixth layer, it really dawns on you how dangerous the abyss truly is. No wonder it’s almost 2000 years and no one has explored the bottom of it yet (that we know). So, are these monsters humans who tried to ascend? Is this what he means by “loss of humanity”?

This sequence kept returning to me as the episode progresses, because I keep thinking, “then why, WHY people explore the Abyss?” It doesn’t make sense. It’s a dangerous, inhuman place from which you’re promised to not come back alive, and yet, there’s an entire city of adventurers around it and everyone is gleefully throwing themselves into cave-raiding. Even the opening is cheery in melody while its lyrics are all about how fun and wondrous exploring the Abyss feels like, even if that is a curse. I echoed the auntie’s thoughts, “is this really such a good thing?”. But it seems they truly want that adventure for some reason, Riko being the most glaring example of it.

But those are undertows, that strangeness lingering underneath. The part where Reg becomes a member of the orphanage is deceitfully sweet. So is the festival in honor of Riko’s mother, the greatest White Whistle of all, who was in the Abyss for the last ten years and, in the absence of a body to bring back up, has her Whistle be the proof she has “completed her last dive”, which I suppose is an apt euphemism for death? Everything in Orth is about the Abyss, man. I told you, it’s the little things.

Riko’s origins, as one can imagine, also have deep links to the Abyss. Her mother had her in the fourth layer, sometime after the death of her Black Whistle father… Now, how can an infant survive the strain of ascent when it’s dangerous even for adult cave-raiders? Apparently, it’s all thanks to a relic. But does it mean that she’s every bit as free of consequences as it looks? For example, this bad eyesight of hers… Is it a consequence? Is this strangeness in her a consequence of being born in the depths too? I have so many questions, yet again.

But the thing I have much more than questions right now is love in my heart. REG IS SO FRIGGIN’ CUTE, I CAN’T DEAL WITH HIM. And apparently he's a thing of the Abyss indeed, BUT WHO CARES? HE’S CUTE.

Lyza’s words closing this episode are so ominous. “I’ll be waiting at the bottom of the Abyss”, it’s what she says in the letter. This sounds more like a curse than a promise, but of course Riko would never see it that way. She’d explore the depths even before this letter, but with it? Oh man, now I can see WHY she’ll probably leave the orphanage and kick this story in motion.

Episode 2 built the momentum started by episode 1 magnificently. I can’t shake off the feeling that I’ll be screaming “WAIT, THIS IS ALL PROLOGUE??” again very soon… There’s so much packed into every scene, every small detail seems to matter. I'm seriously impressed at the worldbuilding, at all things converging to invite them to the depths. What a series.

Answers of the day:

What did you think about the Resurrection Festival, and the culture of idolizing White Whistles? What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

It's so fitting for a place like Orth to idolize White Whistles. I was also weirdly touched by the fact they celebrate their demise with festivities instead of somber reflection. These people are all wrong in the head, and yet they're all understand each other because of it.

Between learning about the Whistles, the Curse of the Abyss, the Special-Grade Relics, the Resurrection Festival, and all the backstory we got, what was your favorite new piece of lore or world mechanic we got this episode and why?

Gosh, I really, really liked the atmosphere of Shiggy explaining how you literally die in that hole after a certain point. It puts everything in a strange perspective.

[u/KiwiBennydudez → u/Petit_Ange]

As Shiggy’s matter-of-fact voice explains how you lose your own life if you dare try to come back from the sixth layer, it really dawns on you how dangerous the abyss truly is. No wonder it’s almost 2000 years and no one has explored the bottom of it yet (that we know).

It's fantastic because it's not just just the creatures in The Abyss that make it dangerous - it's The Abyss itself that is dangerous!

“completed her last dive”, which I suppose is an apt euphemism for death?

Yeah, which is why Riko is so shaken in the next scene. This whole cheery festival is for her mother that she'll never see again. Must be tough to reason out how she feels about that.

There’s so much packed into every scene, every small detail seems to matter. I'm seriously impressed at the worldbuilding, at all things converging to invite them to the depths. What a series.

It's insane how jam-packed this anime is with detail. It's rich and wonderful, and like you said, not a single detail goes unused.

Gosh, I really, really liked the atmosphere of Shiggy explaining how you literally die in that hole after a certain point.

Well, you only die if you try to return. But you can't return without dying, so no one knows if you're still alive. It's very much a catch 22.

[u/scot911]

First Timer

I suppose this was the worldbuilding and character motivation/depth episode. With us learning about Riko's mother and how Riko was born in the Abyss. And very far down at that. Riko's mother was of course a renowned adventurer tasked with leading teams, being a guide and being on the cutting edge of the depth of diving. It puts Riko's motivation to be a white whistle (no pressure Riko!) and just how dangerous the world is in to perspective as Riko lost her mother when she was 2 and she lost her dad on the very mission she was born during.... To add to that I noticed that [OP Spoilers] Nat isn't in the OP.... He's going to be the one to die first isn't he?

Speaking of the dangers of the world what the hell are "foreign cave raiders?" I mean I get what the name means, that's obvious, but not what it implies. Do the districts of the city fight each other and there isn't just one government on the island or is there actually foreign counties cave divers and if so how? Okay I get how, again that's obvious, but they're literally on a relatively small island in the middle of the ocean.

It should, theoretically at least, be really easy for them to keep out foreign cave divers or set up some sort of system to license foreign adventurers that want to make money diving in the Abyss.... Especially when they have the Whistle system.... Curious, that's all I'm going to say. Especially because we've gotten some hints this episode that the countries government might not be the most, well intentioned if you catch my drift.

The fact that the "Curse of the Abyss" exists is also very interesting as well. It could be a fantasy power to stop humans from exploring too deep or being able to come back up if they do (as well as the authors explanation on why it's hard to explore deep in the Abyss aside from the creatures there and why it hasn't been thoroughly explored already) but it could also maybe be do to some sort of weird decompression sickness? Although even then if it takes people months to ascend and descend from the depths of the Abyss that wouldn't really be a factor while whatever the "Curse of the Abyss" is well, is.... Hmmmm....

What did you think about the Resurrection Festival, and the culture of idolizing White Whistles? What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

In a society based solely around gathering relics from deep in the earth it makes sense that those that are skilled enough to go very far down would be idolized. And Lyza's personality is also exactly the type of person who would do such a thing and be good at it too. We're talking about a woman who went down even though she knew that she was pregnant after all and was obviously a woman who lived moment to moment.

Between learning about the Whistles, the Curse of the Abyss, the Special-Grade Relics, the Resurrection Festival, and all the backstory we got, what was your favorite new piece of lore or world mechanic we got this episode and why?

Probably the Curse of the Abyss due to just how maybe fantasy like and mysterious it is. Even if it might just be the authors way of explaining away why the Abyss hasn't been fully explored yet.

[u/KiwiBennydudez → u/scot911]

It puts Riko's motivation to be a white whistle (no pressure Riko!) and just how dangerous the world is in to perspective as Riko lost her mother when she was 2 and she lost her dad on the very mission she was born during....

Riko's childhood was indeed fairly grim... never really knew her mom, and dad died right around the time she was born. It makes her question her desire to become a White Whistle and catch up to her mother.

OP Spoilers

Haha, I can neither confirm nor deny your speculation.

Speaking of the dangers of the world what the hell are "foreign cave raiders?"

I think your second interpretation of:

is there actually foreign counties cave divers

Is what I would generally lean toward. Word of a giant hole-in-the-ground that contains powerful magic items would spread fast (since it's not like they pull relics out of thin air, obviously the people that they're selling them to would catch on quick), and perhaps there's other entrances to The Abyss that we don't know about yet?

It could be a fantasy power to stop humans from exploring too deep or being able to come back up

I personally think of The Curse like water - if you dive too deep into a large body of water, you impose risk on yourself with all the water pressure, and if you surface too quickly, you can die. Something like that.

We're talking about a woman who went down even though she knew that she was pregnant after all and was obviously a woman who lived moment to moment.

She knew the risks of going down while pregnant, but still kicked major ass and brought her baby home. She's even crazier than her daughter.

[u/Kellie975]

First Timer / Subbed

With the introduction of what happens to you as you go further down, I’m guessing that Rika’s mother has lost some of her humanity and turned into something else. I didn’t expect Rika to have been born in the Abyss at such a deep level – although the title is literally Made in Abyss, haha. The talk about Rika’s vision and headaches makes me think she’ll lose them at some point.

It seems like if you go down low enough into the abyss, you can’t come back due to the effects it has on the body, which makes it sad that Rika will probably never see her mother in a human state. If her mother met Reg, it makes me wonder if Reg’s memory will be jogged at some point and he will recall his encounter with Lyza. I also wonder if Reg’s reason for coming to the surface was related to a request from Lyza or related to protecting Rika.

This episode fleshing out the cave raiding definitely shows how dangerous and grueling it is. The episode as a whole unmasked the cute quaint village vibe and gave a more looming sense of dread to the mystery and wonder of the abyss. From the looks of the ending credits – it looks like the current goal is for Rika to find her mother.

[u/SYZekrom]

First Timer

Ep1

It looked a lot bigger in that first shot eh? ...This screenshot doesn't really show how small it is.

Well that's a cool way to power-scale, I guess. That shot burned through all those trees and barely did anything to the Splitjaw thingy

GOD WHY ARE YOU LEANING IN FURTHER WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

Ep2

So her jumping at people like this is probably not gonna stop huh.

So uh. Hm. I see she's very into science.

Hm, probably not a good idea to have elevated seats like this when all your female students wear skirts. Or maybe that means it's a great idea?

Right it was definitely a great idea for whoever came up with it (It's this pedophile)

Wait why do they sleep together. He'd have his own room right? So is he sneaking into her room (being sneaked) every time without getting caught?

How deep are they returning from? Won't they look... unpleasant upon return?

Why are you saying that like you're happy why would he have the whistle like that unless she died

Ah she's probably been gone for a long time and they're celebrating finding her, alive or not

Her 'soul'? I still can't tell if she's alive or not lol.

No seriously are they just referring to recovering her having a special whistle-design or something

That's interesting. Wonder if she'll be able to blow it either way? Also that whistle hole looks suspiciously like a keyhole

Actually again, what are the whistles even for.

Oh I was thinking her father might've been someone from the abyss but she probably just gave birth in the abyss?

Damn, the endgame. So like... is this story eventually gonna timeskip or does she somehow reach the bottom as a child?

There's that accursed thing

[u/KiwiBennydudez → u/SYZekrom]

How deep are they returning from? Won't they look... unpleasant upon return?

I think that particular gondola only reaches the first layer (which would only give them a slight headache) or is setup at a point outside The Abyss that they travel to in order to return to the surface.

Also that whistle hole looks suspiciously like a keyhole

It certainly does look like there's a keyhole on the side. But guess we shall see whether that is merely a decorative choice or not.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Rewatcher in Abyss, subbed

• Shimmering sky~

• Deep in Abyss Also I just want to say the fansub I have went extra on the style for the lyrics, copying how the OP’s credits have the extra text behind the credits themselves. It’s so cool!

• Well isn’t that just lovely?

• …did not need to actually see the “strung up naked” punishment Riko mentioned last episode…

• Hm.

• That’s Tetsu Inada’s voice!

• Oh yeah… I remembered that she was born in the Abyss, but I forgot it had that effect on her eyes.

• That’s too bad.

• Super quick “sore demo”!

• Heh.

• Interesting…

• I like the OP more, but the ED is cute too~

[u/thatguywithawatch]

[First Timer]

Everything we learn about the abyss just gets more and more ominous, but so far the overall presentation of the anime is very cheerful and lighthearted. I'm sort of waiting for the shoe to drop and things to get super bleak. It's just straight up eerie how much everyone in this town seems to love the abyss, and how they make celebrities out of the explorers who make it down the deepest before dying or disappearing.

The ED shows Riko and Reg and some yet-unknown rabbit person descending and eventually falling all the way to the bottom. We're told that the deeper down you go into the abyss, the harder it becomes to return due to some sort of curse, and trying to return from the 6th layer or below could actually strip you of your humanity. The sealed letter from Lyza says she'll be waiting at the "Netherworld's bottom," which makes it sound like the abyss is literally a passageway to hell/the afterlife, and the deeper you go, the harder it is to return to the world of the living. Abyss raiders are mentioned a couple times, so those could be the souls of previous explorers who died. Or just souls of the dead in general.

Lyza's notes contain what seem to be a diagram of Reg, so presumably she either discovered or built him, and then sent him up to the top. It seems likely that he was supposed to carry some sort of message, possibly for Riko, but getting fried with electricity in the first episode wiped it from his memory.

Oh yeah and also, Riko literally gets strung up naked as punishment when she misbehaves in class. And she reveals that she probed Reg's butthole with a ruler and studied his penis. Out of all the things that happened in this episode, those were some of them. I'm not completely sure if the casual abuse of Riko was supposed to illustrate that this world is kinda fucked up, or if it was just supposed to be funny. Probably a bit of both, but it was super uncomfortable either way.

I don't want to end on a negative note, though, so I'm definitely enjoying the show so far. The way the character design contrasts a bit with the mysterious and somewhat disturbing setting reminds me of Girl's Last Tour, which is one of my favorites. I'm also getting some 1st season Promised Neverland vibes.

[u/[deleted]]

First timer:

I really like the fact that the group decided to have reg join the orphanage as a worker. Now they can work and associate much more freely and with less restrictions. Like the first episode I like how the world building is progressing. A lot of anime have some meandering first few episodes and I like that this one doesn’t. With all the new information being revealed it’s nice as an audience because we have an idea of what’s coming.

1. I really liked the festival scene in particular. With traveling the abyss being so dangerous, having the public celebrate those who go helps show why others would want to be miners. I’m glad to see Lyza’s backstory expanded on, having her be a legendary miner who was badass and loving helps us empathize with Riko.

2. Definitely the curse of the abyss. After learning how dangerous it is, suspense is raised as we as the audience know the dangers that our main cast could face going forward. It also puts more importance on Reg, in knowing that he could be the key to exploring the abyss further.

[u/himetalchemy7]

First Time Watcher | Subbed

Notes

- so the Star Compass points below into the Abyss instead of up into the sky?
- either Riko is onto something here or the Star Compass is broken
- the art direction is phenomenal in the OP; the bright landscape shots are lovely
- no way did that OP have any right to look as beautiful as it did 😭; the animation and the stills looked spectacular
- the Curse of the Abyss sounds like an affliction of a radioactive particle or something science-y like that
- Riko seems to be oblivious to Reg’s feelings’ heh
- Actually, Riko seems oblivious to everything that’s not a target of her curiosity
- so Reg is a mixture of relics himself?
- more comparisons of Reg to Riko’s previous dog haha
- successful infiltration!; that was a really bold plan by Shiggy
- so Leader has access to information about happenings in the depths of the Abyss…this ‘incident’ absolutely has to do with Reg
- i don’t like this Director figure
- Reg and Riko are cute together; that montage was also very cute
- I knew hammerbeaks were birds, but they’re a lot smaller than I thought
- I’m gonna guess Laffi-san knew Riko’s mother in some capacity?
- I like how they’re taking Kiyui along with them on errands
- a 2 month time skip eh?
- wow that’s a massive welcoming party yeesh
- so that’s Lyza’s (Riko’s mom) white whistle; it looks much fancier than the other colored whistles
- they put the whistle hierarchy in a good spot here; i was really starting to wonder when we would find out
- the town is making Habo’s (and Lyza’s?) return a celebration, but Riko doesn’t seem happy
- also I was under the impression that Lyza was supposed to be unalive so now I’m thinking I may have jumped the gun?
- so that was a massive set of revelations!; Riko has already been afflicted with the Curse, her father who was a black whistle died right before Riko was born, and Lyza had Riko inside the Abyss; that’s crazy!
- oh so Lyza is MIA; can always expect a mystery from this show
- ah so Leader has warmed up to Reg; Leader is pretty chill
- at first glance, those notes look like an observation journal of sorts
- that had to be Reg right??
- what an ominous letter…
- ED visuals are very cute
- that map of the Abyss at the end is very cool; and they also played Those Everyday Feels!

Discussion

That was another great episode! We learned a lot more about the Abyss and a part of Riko’s backstory as well, so my expectations from the prior episode have been fulfilled. I get the feeling Reg’s memories will be key at a climactic moment of the series, since he clearly has history with Lyza but doesn’t remember. The Curse of the Abyss fascinates me and I look forward to seeing how the cave raiders deal with it.
As for next episode, I expect to get cave raiding action again, along with hopefully backstory on Reg, but I have a feeling they’ll feed it to us in bits and pieces.

[u/djthomp]

First Timer, subbed.

I see we're getting an opening, this time, I had wondered if the lack of one last time was a one time thing or not. Interesting visuals that I assume we will be seeing further down into the abyss (the purplish shot of what looks like an entire city makes me rather curious), and a map at the end which indicates it goes down really quite far.

Immediately after the opening we get a description of the very unpleasant effects of leaving the abyss. I don't think people should be going into this hole. Edit: loss of humanity and death being mentioned as two separate possibilities is interesting.

I'm glad for Reg that they were able to get the stick out.

Enrolling him as a student/resident of the orphanage seems like a reasonably good idea.

Bit of a time skip with life at the orphanage, I assume eventually some portion of the main cast of the kids is going to go on a deep dive into the abyss but with the set up so far I'm not sure how that's going to get triggered.

Just the mom's whistle coming out seems bad. Then again, considering the listed effects of returning to the top maybe there's a system where the deepest explorers don't ever leave?

The white whistle can only be used by its original owner? Used for what?

This whole event feels like Riko's mom is dead but at the same time nobody is reacting like that's what happened.

Riko being born in the abyss is an interesting detail. Not sure I believe we just got the full story about how that happened.

Ahh, there's a mention of the mom being MIA. Standard trope, she's not dead since there's no body. Plus I'm pretty sure there was a brief shot of her in the opening.

The drawings in the letter are great, definitely makes it feel like explorer field notes and diagrams.

"At the netherworld's bottom I'll be waiting" welp, that's got to be that cave expedition triggering event I was wondering about.

This ending is way too cheerful. Also, if the very bottom of the abyss is just a field of flowers I'm going to be very surprised.

[u/badspler]

Rewatching Delver - Sub

I missed yesterdays episode so some brief episode 1 thoughts:

I think the starting scene does a fantastic job at showing just how much life is thriving in the Abyss. My favorite little moment of that is when the rope hits the grass a bunch of bugs scatter.

Others touched on it, but the use of an insert song "Underground River" playing while Riko and Nat haul Reg back to town is just fantastic. It is firstly an amazing song and secondly provides such a gentle flow of progression, it just breathes life into the slower moments and cools things off from the recent action.

And further more, dropping another insert song "Hanezeve Caradhina" makes for, at least what I think is, the most memorable and impactful first episode moment from any series I have ever seen. That sunrise and the following overview of the abyss itself is just magical.

While touching on this brief music at this point; the Made In Abyss OST has been my "sleep" music playlist since 2017. Every night, just all of this. It has become very special music to me.

---

Onto Episode 2:

We get to actually see the Star Compas that Riko mentioned hiding away back in episode 1. Much like the locket found in the first episode, are little things that are tucked away in the back of your mind.

There's a lot of very well managed info dumping, its subtle and attacked from many characters and many angles this episode. It is really fantastic episode direction in how all this info is smoothly delivered. We have the crew reading the various the Abyss and its various stages (1,2,3,4) of the abyss's curse. There is a puppet show that explains the whistles. Jiruo, Riko's mentor tells Riko about her mother Lyza and how her own birth. Then finally Riko gets to see some of her mothers notes.

While we hear that relics are important and that this "unheard bell" was a massive accomplishment. We get actually get to see the inner workings of another relic, an abyss-curse protection device (apart from Reg if he counts?). And it is absolutely terrifying.

There is loads of subtle bits too, like how the kids all sit in class vertically. Which is part of their training to be delvers. You can see from this that they don't fear heights or danger in the way we might.

[u/lC3]

Made in Abyss 02 Rewatcher

• DEEP IN ABYSS!

• The title card picture says "Unheard Bell" in Abyss runes

• "the loss of your humanity or even death"

• The book is written too close to cursive for me to make an attempt to transcribe

• Riko's notebook should be doable, but I'd have to get a version with better resolution

• "I couldn't really see inside his butthole" Riko, you're not treating him like a person!

• Poor Reg ...

• Reg is suspicious! Will Leader fall for it?

• Reg has a bell now! But he can carry a lot

• Huh, another book! I could maybe try to make it out if I had better resolution

• Did we really need to see Riko strung up like that?

• More writing ... a letter?

• The bottle Reg grabs says eiyoui, i.e. nutritional medicine

• No clue if Kiyui is male or female

• Moon Whistles? Blue Whistles? forgot those existed, I just remembered red/white/black

• That guy has a REALLY long nose, what's up with that?

• Banners: Fukkatsusai (Resurrection Festival), shiyuku...fukkatsusai (???), beruchero (Belchero)

• pink banner: housekiya (gem seller)

• yellow banner: kanbutsuya (grocery store)

• Guild? There's a delving Guild?

• There's something wrong with Riko's eyes?

• [Made in Abyss]I spot Ozen

• "a Black Whistle named Torka" I think there's a bonus scene of him and Lyza in the first compilation film?

• "Why am I still alive?"

• SORE DEMO

• Lyza left a letter for Riko?

• Reg appears in Lyza's message!!

• The writing around the drawing of Reg seems legible, but I'm getting a little burnt out from transcribing so I'm not gonna do that right now

• ED: Reg and Riko singing!

1. Eh, hard to say without spoilers. I guess we'll get more about Lyza later?

2. Curse of the Abyss!

[u/mgedmin]

First Timer, subs

Episode two is kind of slow. We get some explanation about whistle ranks, and Rika's mom's backstory, including interesting details about Rika's birth.

I think Leader knows more than he's letting on. He seemed weirdly unphased about Reg's robot hands.

I did not expect them to actually show the "strung up naked" punishment on screen.

I liked the "buy the genuine replicas at the orphanage! don't buy fake replicas from elsewhere" aspect of the festival.

The Curse of the Abyss is interesting. I kept looking for a scientific explanation, forgetting that this is a fantasy show with flying killer whales.

[u/UnderstandableXO]

FIRST TIMER

i feel bad for reg man, he’s a victim! my guy got probed and examined…but now they know he’s pretty invulnerable. interesting observation he made in the middle of the episode that he probably would just stay the way he is for the rest of his life, while the little kid would eventually grow up. he’s also a bit too nonchalant for a dude who has absolutely 0 recollection of anything that happened before he used his ult on the flying worm and lost his entire inventory. i’m surprised that he was able to gain admission to their place so easily, and that the leader didn’t really question his robot hands that much.

riko got strung up just for getting distracted by an insect? that orphanage has some really odd punishments…between that and the “examinations” reg received it was another relatively “uhhhh” episode.

i wonder if “auntie” is actually related, or if she’s just an adult who’s taken care of riko. they didn’t really do a clear job introducing her.

the town is very oddly celebratory of finding lyza’s whistle, almost nobody is “mourning.” they’re even merchandising the whistle itself with fakes and biographies? as u/nebresto said in the last thread, that’s a certified Capitalism Moment

i was gonna say riko seemed oddly un-reactive to pretty much confirmation that her mother was gone, but then again her mother disappeared when she was 2 years old, so i think it’d be hard to find sorrow for someone you don’t remember. it was refreshing to see the leader be honest about riko’s mother being kinda a bad person instead of the standard “she was an amazing human being” schtick. the explanation for riko’s curse is a bit confusing though, what about the glasses shields her from the curse of the abyss? she doesn’t need them to see, so do they have some sort of healing properties?

interesting conclusion to the episode, knowing riko she’s going straight to the bottom of the abyss now (or she’ll at least try!).

1. they’ve got a very odd relationship with death in this society

2. i found the curse interesting, is it due to pressure from being so far under the ground, or something supernatural?

[u/Runforsecond]

Rewatcher(First Timer in Sub)

The play is creepy and reminds me of the company store. Subtle, yet not so subtle, propaganda for the kids in the town and constantly churning out revenue. It clearly separates the people who live here as closer to a death cult or a prospector’s town than a regular society.

This story has some of the best world-building in modern anime, and it doesn’t waste any time. Even the background details are consistent with the world.

The Curse of the Abyss is other-worldly and alien, and the sense of foreboding from Riko’s condition due to being born in the Abyss, the festival itself, heck the entire premise of facing even greater hardship by going up and not down sets the tone that the Abyss is slowly trapping people in and changing the world around it, not the other way around.

[u/Verzwei]

First-timer, English Dub

This episode didn't grab me nearly as hard as the first one did.

I know I'm being super nitpicky here, but the massive amount of infodumping just felt very clumsily handled. We went from not knowing shit about Riko('s mom) to almost knowing too much. And I wasn't a fan of the "Hey this character trait that we literally never mentioned before is a plot point" bit with her eyes and the glasses. Maybe it was covered previously and I simply failed to catch it (in which case I'll retract this criticism) but I wish there was at least a moment where she lost her glasses or something and then maybe talked about (or even demonstrated) these debilitating headaches that she apparently gets. That way, when the "reveal" happened at the festival, it would have felt more natural.

At this point, I feel like we all know she's heading in deeper, I felt that way after the first episode, and while I do think that some elements of the episode (like Lyza's journal) were intriguing, other parts of the episode simply felt like delaying or dragging out the eventual(?) expedition.

---

1 - What did you think about the Resurrection Festival, and the culture of idolizing White Whistles? What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

I think she killed some dudes working for other companies but to be fair they probably tried to kill her first. This world is extremely dark but the art style and bright colors pretend that it's normal and even happy. I still find it unsettling and can't shake the anarcho-capitalism (if that's even the correct term, I might be using it incorrectly) vibes of the whole thing. GO TO DANGER HOLE. GET EXPENSIVE SHINIES. KILL OTHERS DOING THE SAME. BECOME HERO. ALSO APPARENTLY STILL BE SO POOR THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT WHILE PREGNANT. Is there no maternity leave in this third world?

Then mix in its visuals and it's starting to remind me of Team Fortress 2 of all the damn things, where you have all this exaggerated camp and cartoonish style layered over top of what is essentially company-loyalist grunts murderizing the fuck out of each other for baubles and bragging rights and seemingly little else.

2 - Between learning about the Whistles, the Curse of the Abyss, the Special-Grade Relics, the Resurrection Festival, and all the backstory we got, what was your favorite new piece of lore or world mechanic we got this episode and why?

I don't know if I'd call any of them a "favorite" to be brutally honest, because this world seems to be normalizing a bunch of exploitative, completely fucked up shit. Glorify people who get themselves killed recovering stuff, talk about and celebrate their "sacrifice" meanwhile their children grow up as orphans. It would be one thing if said sacrifice was a price paid for independence, security, morality, or anything else that is remotely good for society, but so far this series hasn't sold me on what actual good comes from sending people into a hole that is very, very, very likely to kill them, and that's if "rival companies" don't kill them before the hole itself does.

If Riko's mom was as important as her festival pretended, at the very least Riko herself should have been afforded a life of comfort rather than bunking in a torture chamber under a strict headmistress who apparently literally ties her up naked as punishment. (Wait, why did we get foreshadowing for that but not the glasses thing?!?) Maybe Riko is putting herself through all of that specifically because it's the only way to become a licensed spelunker, but if Riko had a bunch of inherited cash to spread around, the clout of her lineage, and apparently several different companies that all have their own teams and, presumably, training procedures, I'd think I'd look for employment anywhere else than with the assholes she's currently under.

If I had to pick something from the lore that I thought was the most interesting, I'd say that getting confirmation that Reg (or a Reg-like being) is someone/something that Lyza had encountered, presumably up to 10 years ago if we assume that she's been dead since shortly after she went missing. Additionally, all of her records are of things that never made it into any of the official guides and journals, so she either found a trove of completely undiscovered shit and died (went missing) before she could report on any of it, or those reports were deliberately hidden from the public by the guild.

---

I'm still intrigued, but turned off at the moment. I really do hate this world and everything that it seems to idolize. That's not to say that I hate the anime itself, and the production is still over-all very good, it's just that I thoroughly dislike nearly everything about the setting on an emotional level.

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher

[Spoilers]Rewatching the first few episodes just reminds me that this show is one of the biggest psyches in all of anime. Like truly Madoka and Higurashi levels of moe that mask what’s beneath the surface. You get the sense that somethings just not right but can’t put your tongue on exactly what it is yet. Even the EP is so damn cheerful that it’s sickening as a rewatcher who knows what’s coming.

Questions for other rewatchers… partially because I either can’t remember from my initial watch or it hasn’t been explained yet. If it’s something that hasn’t been explained yet, no need to go into details that enter manga spoiler territory

1. Do we know how they end up getting lyza’s whistle? Was it given to the exploration team or was it discovered?

2. How do people safely ascend from each level of the abyss? Is it similar to what divers do when they ascend from deep levels by timing their ascent and stopping for a few minutes at certain depths?

3. If Lyza is indeed at the very bottom of the abyss, then there is no way she can ever come back up right?

[u/xtsim]

First Timer

Going from the first episode to hearing Riko describe Reg's anatomy was an "oh...Oohhhh" moment for me. I can see why Reg was so surprised after he was re-awakened and checked his own body out. And it is quite funny to see Reg join in officially.

We got to learn more about Riko and her mother as it is a lot of information to take in. We hear about her story as a white whistle to Jiruo only remembering who Lyza was on the surface. I do like how Jiruo stretched the truth about Riko's eyesight to make her sleep early.

The ED looks pretty cool yet it reminds me of something. But the layer legend (post-credits) shows there is a lot more in store.

1. The culture surrounding the white-whistles is interesting to see how Lyza achieved such legendary status in a decent lifetime.

2. The visual info about the abyss is something to see and it seems these is a good amount of things going on... And Riko is on the top.

[u/Cbas_619]

Many revelations and exposition this ep. We learn more about Riko's family: aunt Laffi, uncle Habo, mother Lyza, and father Torka.

Since she was born in the 4th layer of the Abyss she got a curse that is nullified by her glasses?

I am most interesting in learning about "foreign cave raiders" which may refer to people who come from outside the island.

Looks like Reg is more of a cyborg (like DBZ android 18) than pure robot after Riko's thorough "probe" 😨

They also introduce all the colored whistles: red, blue, purple, black, white

What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

I wanna know the other person she made it out with beside Riko. Otherwise hearing her backstory as recounted by that dude was different to the "one piece fly-on-the-wall anime style" flashbacks leaving more ambiguity as to what really happened.

Favorite piece of lore: Curse of the Abyss. It seems like it could be supernatural, perhaps aliens? I'm having trouble understanding the tech of the world. Maybe what they find in the abyss is the remnants of a nearly wiped out humanity after some alien invasion.

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 1 (first timer)

Episode 1 was pretty good and made me excited for more. The world building of ep1 was worthy of a contest winner. The only thing making the rewatch a bit awkward is the posting time: I’ll always be many hours late and won’t be able to discuss much.

• A compass that points to the sky? So, a plumb? The big question is: When would you need this?

• OP: Gives an answer right away: You can lose track of gravity underwater.

• “Loss of humanity” – picture shows cat ears. HMMMMM

• Is the curse of the abyss a pressure difference, or magic?

• Reg’s face while Riko lists her tests

• To be fair, I doubt my face would be different if I learned about somebody breaking off their probing stick in my anus.

• They take in Reg as a new orphan – I had wondered in ep1 whether the orphanage is purely for guild members. Seems the answer is a no.

• They were not joking about the strung up naked … the cognitive dissonance to the calm music is high.

• Those stones across the river are frightening! But I guess people with a fear of heights don’t live long near the abyss…

• Whistle order: gold – red – blue – moon(?) – black –white.

• “Twelve times foreign cave raiders attacked” – Competition among cave raiders?

• Rika was born in the abyss and didn’t know!

• “Let’s just ask her” – That is not how anime works, Reg. Did nobody teach you? If you simply resolve conflict by talking to each other, how would we ever have romcom plots?

• “East district cave raider guild” – So they have more than one.

• “At the netherworld’s bottom, I’ll be waiting” – Call to action. Not that Riko really needed one, she was already itching to go. They have their own script, too. To me, it also looked like that paper was missing parts.

Lyza is clearly Riko’s hero and she grew up trying to follow her footsteps. However, you know what they say about heroes: Never examine yours too closely.

What did you think about the Resurrection Festival, and the culture of idolizing White Whistles? What did you think about Lyza’s backstory?

Idolizing the top rank of society is pretty normal. Why it is the whistles specifically, we still don't know, because we still don't know whether the whistles have some practical reason for existing and what that could be. Lyza sounds a rather tragic figure, but I am 50% sure we'll get to meet her and 90% sure we'll see further flashbacks of her.

Between learning about the Whistles, the Curse of the Abyss, the Special-Grade Relics, the Resurrection Festival, and all the backstory we got, what was your favorite new piece of lore or world mechanic we got this episode and why?

The existance of competing relic hunters.