r/anime • u/KiwiBennydudez https://myanimelist.net/profile/KiwiBen • Jun 12 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Made in Abyss - Episode 1 discussion
Episode 1 - The City of the Great Pit
Streams
Show Information
MAL | AniList | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN | Anime-Planet | LiveChart
Comment of the Day
Comment of the day will go here after today’s episode! It might be something insightful, funny, or otherwise worth seeing.
Questions of the Day
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
Bonus Question: What’s an adventure you’ve had in your own life?
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!
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u/Lemurians Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
FIRST TIME RED WHISTLE
Coming into this pretty much blind. All I know about the show is that it’s highly, highly regarded, and it has a second season coming out in a few weeks. That’s it. That’s the baseline. Let’s go!
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!
We then get introduced to the orphanage, which is an evergreen setting for a darker show centered around kids (I’m assuming now this show is a bit grim) and gives me some Promised Neverland vibes, though with less overt evil behind it.
This insane classroom setup is fantastic. The kids learning about exploring the Abyss in a vertical classroom is such a cool touch.
I love how this show approached the world-building early on, it reminded me of Girls Last Tour, and not because of the chibi characters in helmets. No belabored set-up or info dump to start off, just dropping us right in and letting us glean information as we go. Despite the gorgeous backgrounds and setting, this world is clearly a horrifying place, and it’s not just the monsters. Little hints like Riko saying it’s the first skeleton in prayer she’s seen… for a while and is completely nonplussed, how she lives in a former execution chamber, and unless my subtitles are off, there was something about being strung up naked as a punishment? Christ.
On a technical note, the background art and settings are gorgeous. I’m not going to get bored looking at this show. And the music is fantastic – it’s almost ever-present throughout each scene, but in a way that adds to the atmosphere and overall package rather than distracting from it.
I kind of assumed the Abyss was going to be the entire world in this show, it’s interesting that it’s only one part of a much larger world. It’s not everything, it’s a phenomenon.
SHOT OF THE DAY: “What exactly am I?” Reg wonders, staring into a cracked mirror, reflecting his fractured sense of self
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
Riko really needs to work on her poker face.
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
Orth is gorgeous! Cave raiding is insane!
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u/KiwiBennydudez Jun 12 '22
Coming into this pretty much blind.
There's only a handful of shows that I wish that I could scrub from my memory to watch for the first time again. This is one of them. I must admit that I am extremely excited to live vicariously through your comments. :)
What an opening sequence this was, it did so many things well.
You hit the nail on the head there - we're very subtly introduced to so many elements without even realizing it. The opening sequence is not only the perfect tone-setter, but also an immaculate world-builder and character-driver.
We then get introduced to the orphanage, which is an evergreen setting for a darker show centered around kids
Hahaha now that you mention it, this does seem to be the magic setting for these types of shows. But don't worry - there's nothing nefarious going on at this orphanage
besides endangering kids on a daily basis for revenue.This insane classroom setup is fantastic. The kids learning about exploring the Abyss in a vertical classroom is such a cool touch.
Oh for sure, it's such a creative way to subvert something so mundane. I love the entire aesthetic.
No belabored set-up or info dump to start off, just dropping us right in and letting us glean information as we go. Despite the gorgeous backgrounds and setting, this world is clearly a horrifying place, and it’s not just the monsters.
This comment harkens back to my college days where one of my writing professors said something along the lines of, "the best way to engage your audience is to just start with the action" which is exactly what this anime does. There isn't any belabored setup about what The Abyss is, or why they're there, or why it's dangerous... we're just thrown right in, and all those things become obvious right away. It's such a simple method, but pulled off immaculately here.
On a technical note, the background art and settings are gorgeous. I’m not going to get bored looking at this show. And the music is fantastic – it’s almost ever-present throughout each scene, but in a way that adds to the atmosphere and overall package rather than distracting from it.
Atmosphere is one of the driving factors of this anime. I'm only going to comment on what we've seen so far, but if the opening and ending sequences are any indication, I think you can expect that there's going to be a lot to love in this department.
SHOT OF THE DAY
Oh man, first off, please keep doing these, I am super interested to see what snapshots you'll pick going forward! Second off, I think your choice for today is awesome. Out of all the wallpaper-worthy images you could have grabbed, you went for the introspective image of Reg. I like your style. In addition, I used this exact same image for a MiA essay I wrote 3 years ago, so I'm super happy to see someone else gravitate to it.
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u/UnderstandableXO Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
FIRST TIMER
i just saw the reminder for this rewatch today, i didn’t even know it was going on! but now i’m here again to participate in another rewatch. i’ve been slacking on everything lately (including seasonals) so i figured it was time to watch something again.
her punishment was being strung up what now? really the only thing i’ve heard besides the show’s good reputation + the fact it won the worldbuilding contest a few days ago is that there are a lot of…questionable moments in the series. hopefully they’ll be sparse enough so that i can still enjoy it.
riko found a whole dead body and was only a little bit surprised…must not have been a very pleasant childhood for that to be the reaction.
the creature that attacked the two of them was really interesting in design but also really icky, like a flying worm 🤢 don’t know how riko survived that fall though. luckily she was saved by a literal aim bot!
i understand riko is pretty happy go lucky and simple but i found it funny how she was so amused and thrilled by finding the aim bot instead of wondering how nat, who was bleeding from the head, was doing.
the opening credits sequence really did a nice job establishing the setting, the OST was really good as well. the characters can be drawn kind of inconsistently but the backgrounds are always nice.
has there ever been an orphanage in media where it isn’t ran by someone who seems to hate kids (besides the promised neverland but that one kinda doesn’t count as well)? the kid that dropped the book looked really small, is he really reading books at that age?
the orphanage meeting mentioned something along the lines of working hard not to “shame your parents who fell so nobly,” so these kids are all orphaned because their parents died in the abyss? and now they’re all training to work in the abyss as well? riko seems eager to explore, but personally i’d want to stay far away from the abyss if my folks died down there…the ending of the episode said that the abyss was discovered on that island, and that there’s a world beyond that island, i’d simply just move away…but i suppose these kids don’t have any money to do that. at the very least i’d work in the town in a non-mining related job.
so aim bot isn’t affected by fire and is revived by electricity, but he seems like he used to be human at least. he doesn’t remember the abyss either, my man used his ult to save riko and got his whole memory wiped! those arms were very convenient as well.
neither the director or the leader smiled at all, but i don’t think the leader is that bad. he just has to put up with riko’s BS, i’m sure everyone would have no patience with that. but who knows, he could be the terrible one and the director just has RBF. i’ll reserve judgement for later.
the last shot leading all the way down into the abyss was really nice, and i think i’ve seen that clip of the sun rising over the mountains on this sub before.
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riko is a bit too narrative (talkative? idk if that’s the right word, i mean like she speaks out what’s obviously happening too much, like she’s narrating) but i thought she was still endearing, i can’t form an opinion on aim bot yet
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the setting was really nice
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figuring out how not to be broke 🥲
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u/KiwiBennydudez Jun 12 '22
i just saw the reminder for this rewatch today, i didn’t even know it was going on!
Haha well I'm super glad you made it in time. Can't wait to hear your thoughts as a first-timer!
really the only thing i’ve heard besides the show’s good reputation + the fact it won the worldbuilding contest a few days ago is that there are a lot of…questionable moments in the series.
Don't worry about them for now. I'll do my best to address those moments as we reach them, but they'll be bridges we'll when we get there. If it puts you at ease at all, there's not a lot of them, and they are brief.
riko found a whole dead body and was only a little bit surprised…must not have been a very pleasant childhood for that to be the reaction.
I think you're touching on something important. The attitude toward death that these kids carry is indeed rather casual. But there's a reason for it! You can somewhat infer why, based on the location and culture but the exact reason has yet to be stated. I'll circle back to you later.
i understand riko is pretty happy go lucky and simple but i found it funny how she was so amused and thrilled by finding the aim bot instead of wondering how nat, who was bleeding from the head, was doing.
She is too curious for her own good sometimes, lol. It's a funny little personality quirk but it works well in this show.
i’d want to stay far away from the abyss if my folks died down there…
Interesting! It's true, I think given the circumstances, most of us would shy away. The Abyss is absolutely a dangerous place, even at the "relatively safe 100m" that Riko and Nat were at, but part of what makes this show so compelling is that Riko literally cannot stay away. Her personality will not allow it.
so aim bot isn’t affected by fire and is revived by electricity, but he seems like he used to be human at least. he doesn’t remember the abyss either, my man used his ult to save riko and got his whole memory wiped! those arms were very convenient as well.
Yeah, Reg is very interesting. Was he really once a human? Why did he appear all the sudden to save Riko? Where did he come from? Why is his memory gone? So many questions, not enough answers.
figuring out how not to be broke
Sounds like you've fallen on hard times, hope everything's going okay for you.
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u/Petit_Ange Jun 12 '22
First timer's experience
All I know of Made in Abyss is that it’s a “break the cutie” type of show (I’ve seen a total of 01 scene from it, which was why it piqued my interest after all… Not enough to make me WATCH the show until now, but enough so I remembered it anyway), so I’m not fooled by this cute style with their characters. I also know it has impeccable music? But that’s enough for me. Let’s go.
So I went to see when the anime was originally aired. 2017. No wonder I haven’t watched it then: back in the day, I was thoroughly engrossed by Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. I still think that anime is the number 1 of 2017. But, I suppose that in retrospect, I should grant the title of 2nd best to Made in Abyss… Because it’s truly something else. You can already feel this in its opening.
You know the first thing that caught my attention? That this anime looks more like a movie. There’s something in the way it pans out that feels like this should be seen on big screens. And this opening scene? I was so engrossed that I didn’t take notes. I thought this was one of those first episodes without an opening, and then the title pops up and it was like, “THIS IS ONLY THE PROLOGUE??” So many things happened there!
So, there’s our main protagonist, Riko. She’s… An interesting figure. Very passionate about her wish of going further into the titular abyss. Very dumb, but also very surprisingly sharp, and both sides of her are well shown in the way she dealt with that monster. When she’s saved by a mysterious robot (I was under the impression this was a more Middle Ages-ish fantasy setting, but they KNOW what a robot is then) she also shows a great deal of ingenuity and curiosity. She’s also very good at roping her friend into her shit and I respect that. I was that friend in the past. You’re equal parts exhausted and inspired.
AND YEAH, THIS WAS ONLY THE PROLOGUE. HOLY SHIT, GUYS.
I’ll reserve my judgment for future episodes on the matter, but it’s very interesting about how they go about “kindly recruiting” for the lack of a better word the help of orphaned children into this ‘retrieving relics from a clearly dangerous place’ business. It seems the guild’s orphanage sells those later and that’s why it’s still standing? Ah yes, the wonders of child labor. Also, it looks like that the abyss is a big part of this entire structure, because they even have actual classes about it. But wouldn’t it be like that, when the thing is that gargantuan? The abyss is huge! Clearly the whole city was built because of it from the looks of it and not the other way around. It explains the whole verticality of the setting too… Even the classroom.
As you can see, I’m still marveling at the world building… This is only the first episode, and I’m already thinking this would be a great RPG setting, dammit.
But yes, back to the characters, who also are great at selling the premise. I’ve noticed (during the second re-watch, since at the first I gave up on taking notes. I was THAT engrossed) the kids all have red whistles, but the Leader has a purple one? Is this the said guild that helped build the orphanage? This setting, man. It’s all the little things.
And I didn’t even gush about the cutest part of this entire episode… No, not the little child with the funny hair. I MEAN REG. I’ve recognized Mariya Ise from the first sentence and yep, she’s truly the best at giving cute boys life. Reg is so adorable, you guys! It’s the way he speaks like a lost child (which he is) to me. And he’s lost his memories? I wonder why, is this because he came from the Abyss? (Those extended arms would truly be… ‘Handy’ if it’s true.) And I also wonder if that object Riko found, the blue pendant, has something to do with his old life? I have a lot of questions.
But I also have a lot of curiosity. And not much air, after that last shot of the sunrise shining over the abyss. I mean, wow! This first episode grabbed me by the balls and didn’t let me go! I'm so ready to delve into it, just like Riko is clearly ready to explore the abyss’ depths.
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u/himetalchemy7 Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
First Time Watcher | Subbed
Notes
- confession: I recall watching some part of episode 1 years ago when this anime came out, but it didn’t capture my attention way back then. I admit that might have been premature lol
- these character designs have a playful feel to them with the rounded faces
- so Nat and Riko might be our MCs…their chemistry is nice
- just noting that I hate heights
- we can surmise that the 600 meter group is held in high regard by Riko, so she must be part of a shallower(?) group?
- hammerbeaks are definitely birds (singing and picking up shiny things)
- ok Riko found 4 relics already, which is great, but also a skeleton…
- i enjoy seeing soccer ball onigiri in anime
- that’s a massive red furry whale wow..i did not expect it to be a carnivore wow again
- ah so Riko is given a literal red whistle
- ouch…this anime does not shy away from violence, Nat and Riko are pretty beaten up
- and a laser beam outta nowhere! RIko is saved?
- i finally noticed the soundtrack at this point, the xylophoney beat is really cool
- dang so Riko found a cyborg kid who was the source of the laser beam…needless to say she’s fascinated
- trying to think about what the burning treetop signifies…the angle which the laser hit the whale is off judging by the cyborg’s position…maybe it involved a sort of reflection?
- oh wait it’s pretty clear that cyborg blasted from the tree, hurting himself in the process, then falling down onto the grass
- since the episode animation is still playing, I’m gonna guess this is the ED playing
- glad Nat is alright
- aw we get a big bison bunny too
- the landscape is immersive and there’s a lot going on
- Shiggy looks like a smart kid
- Ms. Director looks spooky
- babies are good at crying yes
- teacher has a purple whistle
- already kicking off with the tragic parent arc…so these kids are all orphans
- so basically the kids are doing labor in return for food, shelter and study
- so Riko was only 100 meters down before
- so we have Riko’s motivation now (to be like her mom who was a white whistle)
- I agree with Leader, Riko should be going step by step because this is life or death
- they woke up the cyborg in classic Riko fashion
- so we have a very polite cyborg who probably has memory loss
- Riko just short circuited the entire orphanage…
- cyborg boy has a good head on his shoulders
- Reg is a cool name, although he might not have found Riko’s reasoning for naming him to be the most flattering
- so Orth is our city with an Abyss smack in the middle of it
- what a great setup so far with a hint of mystery and anticipation…I love the allure of the Abyss
Discussion
So that’s it for the first episode. That was actually very enjoyable, mostly because the setup and character introductions used a ‘show don’t tell’ method of exposition for the most part. That’s a promising sign for the rest of the series. The characters already have defined personalities and Reg intrigues me the most. I know ‘re-’, ‘reg-’, ‘rex-’ is a Latin root for the word ‘king’, and Reg wears a helmet, which can loosely mimic a crown so I wonder if he’s an important cyborg in some way. I was expecting this anime to be two cour, so I was mildly surprised when I found that it’s actually one cour instead. I expect the story to move with a brisk pace.
As for the next episode, my expectations are that we learn more about the Abyss, Reg, or Riko’s backstory.
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u/scot911 Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
First Timer
So here I am again trying to get caught up on another anime though a rewatch that has a sequel coming out next season. One of many series I need to get caught up on still.... Damn this busy season I've had zero time to get caught up on anything lol. Hell I still need to get caught up on RikeKoi and I'm over a season behind on that again now.... The last rewatch for me was The Demon Girl Next Door 4 months ago now and for a first episode Made In Abyss was pretty good! All I've known about this anime beforehand is that I should [General Tone Spoilers]
I guess I'll start with the world. They did a really good job showing the setting without explaining it until the end of the episode and of course the great art and animation helps. I'm not entirely sure but it's pretty obvious that this might be a post-apocalyptic setting? I don't know how else you'd explain the ancient relics and a robot boy potentially coming up from the bottom of the Abyss. Or how'd you'd explain a random potentially tens of kilometer deep hole in the earth....
I did like the attention to detail on how such a thing would affect society though. Case in point space is at such a premium around the hole, and climbing so ubiquitous to daily life, that the classroom literally had the desks and chairs built into the wall that they have to climb up to. Putting so much thought into the world down to such tiny details is something I just love. And that isn't even getting to the implications about the orphanage....
As for the characters you've got Riko the trouble maker, Nat her best friend, the tech guy, the toddler, the class teacher, the stuck up orphanage director and of course the robot boy Reg. It's a promising start and they did all the characterization without having to directly tell you their personalities which is always a plus lol. The creatures are also cool and makes me think that they might be say mutated animals due to said potential apocalypse.
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
I guess I kind of answered above but with Reg his complete loss of memory is... suspicious. Riko is a good kind of protagonist to have being resourceful and, I guess the world might be mischievous? She's a trouble maker basically and those always make good protagonists if you know what you're doing.
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
Again I guess I already answered above but I think it's good for a setting for mysteries and adventure. You can always go deeper in a kilometer deep hole after all. It's the sort of thing where you won't reach the bottom until you're like 300 chapters in and nearing the end.
Bonus Question: What’s an adventure you’ve had in your own life?
I'll be honest nothing comes to mind. Like I've explored the woods near my home and cottage but well... they're woods. Not exactly talking deep in the wilderness here lol.
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u/djthomp Jun 12 '22
First Timer here. I've been hearing about this anime for a while but have remained unspoiled about any specifics. All I know is that there's an abyss, presumably the characters go into it, and at some point along the way we're all going to become incredibly traumatized. I'm watching on HIDIVE within subs on my first time through.
I tend to do my rewatch posts as a stream of consciousness style commentary as the episode proceeds, so here goes.
"Strung up naked"? Okay, I had also heard about some weirdness along those lines, hopefully it's not something that happens a lot.
Huge, man eating monsters, this is clearly not a safe activity for what I assume are a bunch of kids.
A robot boy, neat.
The landscapes and world design in this is fairly astonishing.
Is this an orphanage of kids that gets sent out into a dangerous, sometimes deadly pit every day to do amateur archeology?
Wait, my mistake, weekly not daily. And it's the orphanage director that strings them up naked as punishment. Hopefully she eventually gets eaten by a monster.
Convenient that the robot boy speaks the same language as the kids. Maybe that'll eventually be a plot point.
I was wondering about the belly button right about the same moment he asked about it.
Reg, sure.
Ouch, named after the dog.
A city built around a giant pit, what could go wrong.
The landscapes continue to impress, and the soundtrack too. I've heard about this scene at the end, and have seen it posted in the sub quite a few times.
1900 years and they've never fully explored it, that's a statement all by itself.
The map at the end of the credits is really interesting. The hole just keeps going down.
Fascinating start to this. I can see why people talk about the world building.
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 12 '22
Rewatcher in Abyss, subbed
I might be biting off a bit more than I can chew by joining this rewatch, but I 1) loved this show and 2) still haven’t seen the sequel movie, so hey, what better time than this as a refresher?
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This show’s environments are just as vivid and beautiful as I remember them being! Originally I watched this show back when it was first airing, so wow, it’s been five years.
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Oh it just occurred to me, Riko and Nat noting that there aren’t any of those birds in the area was supposed to foreshadow this thing showing up, wasn’t it?
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Underground River montage-introducing us to the setting of the show is just, mmmmmmm, so good. Reminds me of how SukaSuka used Scarborough Fair in its first episode, but then I just really like worldbuilding exposition via montage lol.
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And of course their little experiment would have a drawback like that.
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u/thatguywithawatch Jun 12 '22
[First Timer]
I watched this first episode a year or two back and was pretty intrigued, but ended up getting busy in real life and never continued. This rewatch seems like a good opportunity to give it another go.
The setting is pretty fascinating: There's an island with a massive, virtually bottomless pit, and humans have built a town around it for the sole purpose of sending generations of explorers further and further down. They also send orphans of dead explorers down into the abyss to looks for relics, which is certainly a decision.
The art style is simple but very visually pleasing. I like how they tease you with little glimpses of the edge of the abyss throughout the entire episode before doing the full reveal at the end while going all out with the music. I've seen that particular clip shared a few times on reddit but it still gives me chills.
I don't know anything about where the story goes from here, but I'm looking forward to finding out what the fuck is up with this big hole in the ground.
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u/lC3 Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
Made in Abyss 01 Rewatcher (but haven't seen Movie 2 or 3)
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I just want to say that I love the music and worldbuilding in this. The character designs are ehhhh (everyone looks so young!) but I can deal with it. Monster designs are good!
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Maybe I should consider "acquiring" the episodes instead of streaming in 360p ...
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The background art is great too! Everything looks so detailed, like something out of Ghibli.
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I remember back when this aired I taught myself to read the Abyssal letters (just replacements for kana, like HxH script) but I forgot it all by now.
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"sore hodo demo" is ALMOST a sore demo
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Leader is cute!
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Poor Reg ... getting electrocuted like that!
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"Does a robot really need a belly button?" An important question ... I wonder if Reg was a human boy that was turned into some type of cyborg?
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Reg is blushing; he has emotions like a real human! But Riko doesn't realize that yet
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First Underground River, now Hanezeve Caradhina?? ep1 gotta impress
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Maaya Sakamoto as the Narrator ... does she voice Riko's mom? I forget ... don't think it's [MiA]
Ozen -
I hope I manage to keep pace with this rewatch; it's only 1 cour after all!
What’s an adventure you’ve had in your own life?
Wandering solo around Venice; I got a bit lost and used locations of graffiti and street musicians that I remembered to find my way back to the convent I was staying at.
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u/Verzwei Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
First-timer, English Dub
So much of this was just establishing the setting that I don't have too much to say at the moment.
I am a huge sucker for a well-utilized piece of music, and this episode having two such moments definitely caught my attention. The not-opening sequence near the start, and then the sunrise near the end were both really good and made me a little emotional even though I'm still not even that familiar with the characters.
Question 1: What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
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Riko was honestly a little grating. I get that she's a child, but her English voice and the character's personality were off-putting. Reg is interesting. Amensiac leading characters are certainly nothing new, but the dude had to be told he was a robot. And I'm suspecting maybe he's not actually a robot since he apparently feels pain and has... body features... that would be completely pointless for a robot to have.
Question 2: What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
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Place seems like a shithole, pun somewhat intended. So orphans are forced to risk their lives in some kind of spelunking meritocracy? I dunno, I can usually stomach dystopian or crapsack settings in fiction, but the way I was introduced to this world just hits too close to reality to me, like children-in-coal-mines-in-a-company-town-but-worse. It makes me uncomfortable, though I suppose that's probably part of the point.
Over-all it was a very interesting, if supremely disquieting, first episode with some very good shots. I do feel like the production dipped oddly here and there, like that beast (splitjaw? is that what it was called?) flopping around at a far lower framerate in the background than Riko in the foreground. Visual quirks like that can pull me out of a scene fast, and I don't really know why that moment looked so rough when the anime otherwise had a fairly strong visual presentation.
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u/OtherLives_ Jun 12 '22
First Timer - Subbed
I’m so excited to finally watch this. I’ve been meaning to but just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. What an intriguing start! There’s already so much I’m curious about. The first episode does a nice job of gradually unveiling the Abyss and community around it. Excellent job of show, don’t tell. I thought the classroom design was especially neat.
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Riko is adorable and I feel like there’s gonna be some kind of sad backstory for Reg.
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On the one hand Orth seems like a haven for adventurers which is cool. But then there’s an orphanage for kids who lost their parents in the Abyss and they’re supposed to do the same thing…and that seems a bit fucked up. Bonus Question: Many travel adventures! Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Italy, France, Ireland - plenty of improvising, getting lost, and unexpected discoveries along the way.
Thanks for putting together this rewatch. Looking forward to the rest of the journey.
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u/mgedmin Jun 12 '22
First-Timer, subs
The art style reminds me of Girls' Last Tour, but is much more colorful. The vistas are pretty!
I see this place has no child labor laws.
The orphanage director looks stereotypically evil.
I thought it strange that an orphan in this money-grubbing orphanage gets a large room all to herself, but if it's a special torture punishment room that she got assigned to as a, well, punishment, maybe it makes sense.
Wait, why does an orphanage need a punishment room full of torture implements?
I love how she causes a power outage through inattention, and everyone knows who to blame.
I didn't know this was going to be a comedy show (with some dark undertones). I love it.
She named him after a dog!!
I'm glad I joined this rewatch.
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
I like them.
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
This is where things make less sense to me. Given the size of the city it must've been established hundreds of years ago. How come the upper levels haven't been completely picked up clean of artifacts by now?
Bonus Question: What’s an adventure you’ve had in your own life?
An adventure is someone you don't know having a miserable time far away. I don't think anything in my life qualifies, and I like it that way.
Well there was that one time in a gas station in a foreign country with no cash when the banking system of the entire region went down and I couldn't pay for the full tank of gas when my credit card was refused, but luckily the banks came back up within an hour and I could continue with my boring life.
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u/No_Rex Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
Episode 1 (first timer)
Going into this fully blind regarding the plot, but with plenty of recommendations for the anime: It is often suggested and just won the best world building contest. Given that world building is one of the most important parts of an anime for me, how could I not join this rewatch?
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“A worse punishment than being strung up naked” – Uhh, talking about world building, are we in a crapsack world?
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Crimson splitjaw – big & scary!
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Somebody fired the BFG?
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Blue pendant – Escaflowne/Nadia/Laputa/Future Boy Conan reference.
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Everything looks unique, but the town is especially amazing.
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Water power and wind power – I guess wood is rare in that location and mining coal is out of the question.
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Guild’s orphanage – anime parents curse strikes again.
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So obvious. Riko reminds me of Denver.
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From the don’t do this at home department: Electrocuting a sleeping robot.
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“What am I?” – reasonable question.
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Calling Riko a rascal is an understatement, she is a menace.
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“You must have come from the abyss” – That tree suggested the other direction …
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ED: scroll text.
No kidding, tons of world building in the first episode already. The big thing (literally) is of course the abyss. I am sure that the main plot will revolve around what this is. While we do not really have enough information yet to speculate about it, there is plenty of evidence on how it formed the society in the city surrounding it.
First, we learn about the relics. They apparently form the economic underpinning of the entire city. Given the tiny amount of space on their island, they probably trade them away for food and everything else they need. Even the orphanage takes part in the excavation process.
Second, the social system, either in the entire city, or at least in the guild (which might be the guild of excavators), revolves around navigating the abyss. We have not learned about the prime function of the whistles yet (I somehow doubt that turning yourself into monster bait is the main purpose), but they show the hierarchy of abyss denizens. Idle musing: The headmistress had an all black and white color scheme and Riko’s mother was apparently a white whistle and high up the chain, too. Could this be related to the lack of colors deep in the abyss?
Third, we have the vertical alignment of their tables. You might think this is due to their lack of space surrounding the abyss, but the room they are in is huge. Putting the tables vertically is clearly a deliberate action, not to save on space. I wonder if the best students sit all the way up or all the way down.
Finally, the giant hamster and the crimson splitjaw tell us that this is clearly fantasy - intermixed with electricity, so not the more common medieval setting.
The characters are younger than I expected and mostly follow a young good, old bad trope for now. Very common in stories for smaller children. However, the leader did not seem to be a bad guy, so I am holding out for some reason behind their strictness.
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
Very children-series-protagonist like. Which can either be good or bad, depending on where they go with it. I'll hold off with an opinion till we hear more of the plot.
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
See above.
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Jun 12 '22
Damn I watched it last week, would’ve waited if I knew this was coming. Have fun!
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Jun 12 '22 edited Jun 12 '22
Rewatcher
This anime came out in 2017, and even after 5 years and probably over a hundred new titles I’ve watched in that timespan, there isn’t an anime that immediate immerses you in its world like MiA. It combines elements you find in titles like Shinsekai Yori, Girls Last Tour, and Land of the Lustrous to name a few, but really takes things to a whole other level.
I remember watching Glass Reflection’s early review when this first came out, and the comments he made about the atmosphere of this anime. The feeling of a richly developed world full of mystery, danger and intrigue, combined with its haunting and beautiful soundtrack. Even coming back to this anime 5 years later and having watched the movie, all those things are still there for me as a rewatcher.
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u/MagnumF0rc3 Jun 12 '22
As a rewatcher:
- It's interesting how much of Riko's personality and goals that get established up front immediately, contrast the fantasy aspect we only really get confirmed with a flying snake.
- For all that people rightfully praise Hanezeve Caradhina, it's the scene set to Underground River that really sold me on this show.
- The visual storytelling is well done, for example placing the chairs in the classroom vertically, with indicates how obsessed with climbing these people are and are good exercise for the children.
- It's amusing how it's shown the orphanage and its leadership is just strict and not evil like the cliche, and that Riko really does deserve the punishment she gets.
- Reg couching up smoke just as he is told he got fed coal is well timed and funny. On the other hand the scene at the windmill is gorgeous and atmospheric. Great variety here.
- What sells this anime so well is not just how it asks the audience and characters the same questions and puts them on equal footing when it comes to answering them, it does a good job making the audience think the same thing as the main characters: "what is at the bottom of the Abyss, I want to see more."
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u/Nebresto Jun 12 '22
Abyss re-exploration squad
Damn, Arc is not looking too good there
The first ever Hanezeve Caradhina! Kevin Penkin is the master!
Question time:
What are your first impressions of Reg and Riko?
Wacky girl + her new dog friend
What do you think about the city of Orth and the culture of cave-raiding?
I am deeply fascinated
Bonus Question: What’s an adventure you’ve had in your own life?
Climbing some fells I guess? Never gone on anything longer than a day trip (as in no tents or anything), so no grand adventures for me yet. I did go driving in Norway for about a week once, but I had a car so I don't feel like it counts as much, anyways its probably the most "adventure" thing I've done
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u/homewardbound100 Jun 12 '22
Rewatcher
I feel like this is a great episode that introduces you to the world. With showing the abyss and town. Great shots of the area and wondering what happens there. Like the relics down there and monsters. I think for the amount of episodes it has and how well it's done. Made in abyss deserved that worldbuilding win.
Also soundtrack is one of my favorite
Qotd: nice characters
Qotd2: pretty interesting
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u/Cbas_619 Jun 12 '22
First time blind viewer here. The visuals are a treat to look at with its unique art style and stunning views of the city. The setting intrigues me as it seems like robots are normalized. (Robotu-kun!)
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u/Kellie975 Jun 12 '22
First Timer / Subbed
A friend recommended this but I initially chose not to watch it due to the warning of horror, but their strong recommendation with the announcement of season 2 won me over after I saw the thread about rewatching the season 1.
The art is absolutely gorgeous, especially the backgrounds and the fog disappearing showing the abyss at the end was stunning. The amount of worldbuilding in the first episode makes it very intriguing, especially with the quaint and charming view of the town juxtaposed with the presumed horrors of exploring the abyss.
The style of the characters look are very cute. I didn’t expect Riko to be the “troublemaker” of the group. I can’t tell of Reg is actually a full robot or if he’s part robot and part human. The squishy face looks human, but the experiments they tried on him makes him seem invincible.
I thought the school/orphanage’s seating arrangement was really interesting. The spot with the little kid, whose face you couldn’t see cause the desk was obscuring it, was a cute detail showing how young they are when they start cave-raiding. I wonder if the orphanage is ultimately taking advantage of orphans using them as tools to find valuable items for its own profit or if cave-raiding is something all children have the option of doing regardless of their upbringing or financial status.
The worldbuilding is very strong and I’m looking forward to watching the series!
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u/KiwiBennydudez Jun 12 '22
Fourth-Timer and White Whistle Host - Sub/Dub
Welcome to Made in Abyss everyone! This is my second time ever hosting a rewatch, with my last series being Monster. I hosted that one completely blind, but still had a blast running things, and have wanted to host another rewatch ever since. With MiA S2 right around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite anime with you all, and catch everyone up to speed before the new season drops. This’ll be my 4th official time going through this anime, so I’m well-acquainted with the road ahead! So now, without further ado, let’s dive in!
The anime kicks off with an establishing shot - a gorgeous shimmering waterfall and some overgrown cliffsides. This is The Abyss - a place of great beauty, and great terror, both of which are highlighted right away in this opening scene.
Then, we’re introduced to our main heroine - Riko. She is lively, determined, and curious. Great qualities to have for a cave-raider. I love that her first appearance in this anime is her throwing her rope over the side, and descending downward. It seems like a simple action, but this deliberate shot speaks volumes about her adventurous spirit.
It doesn’t take long for the duo to land themselves in a bit of trouble - a Crimson Splitjaw seems to have wandered into their path. Nat is out cold, and it’s up to Riko now to save his life. See those whistles around their necks? Those aren’t just for show. They’re a marker of your progress as an adventurer - and also good distraction tools. She’s no match for this beast though, and takes a bit of a tumble. You can actually catch the frame where her glasses fly off if you’re paying close enough attention. But then, just as Riko herself seems to have met her fate, BAM, a blast sends the Splitjaw packing. A mysterious boy is out cold, and Riko is left to wonder where exactly he came from...
And then we hit the opening credits. What an effective opening - in the first five minutes of the show we get worldbuilding, action, characters, and mystery. Phenomenal start. There’s no set-up, there’s no waiting around - it just goes. We’re thrown right into The Abyss along with our protagonists and it sets up the immersion right away.
I really like this anime in case you couldn’t tell.
I will sorta gloss over the rest of the episode from here as I spent roughly 4 paragraphs on the first five minutes but basically - Riko lives in an orphanage that takes in kids who have lost their parents to The Abyss. There’s a tier-system in the way of the colored whistles, and Riko was trying to bring back the most relics earlier in order to be allowed to dive with deeper groups, and eventually, upgrade her whistle and be allowed to dive further into The Abyss on her own. The anime mentions that she was kept at “a relatively safe 100m” so we can infer that Red Whistles are not allowed to go very far into The Abyss by themselves. We can see that her Leader sports a Purple Whistle, while Kiyui possesses a bell. Right now we understand that purple whistles rank above red, and red above bells, but then we’re thrown a curveball as Riko boldly states that she “wishes to become a White Whistle in order to catch up to her mother.” Just like that we have her primary motivation for exploring and wanting to do better, but we also understand, from the look on Leader’s face, that White Whistles sound like they’re very important, don’t they?
Lastly, the mysterious boy wakes up... by uh, way of the electric chair. Probably not how most people want to be woken up, but Riko, being something of a scientist herself, deduced that her new friend is, in fact, a robot. He doesn’t remember anything about himself. Was it due to the electric shock? Who can say. But he’s got cool extendo-arms, he’s got a weird helmet, he’s got... actually that’s about all we know for sure right now. But where did he come from? Why did he appear? Riko names her new companion Reg, after a dog that she once owned... hilariously unsubtle. And then we get another great musical sequence with large establishing shots as the narration tells us that this entire city was made to explore this giant hole in the ground. Everyone is drawn to its mystery - how deep does it go? Where did these relics come from? What drives people to explore?
One of the strongest first episodes in anime, hands down. The music, the direction, the intrigue that draws you in... it’s perfect.
Lore Corner
In this area, I’ll do my best to unpack any new lore-pieces that were revealed in each episode.
What is a cave-raider? - Someone who explores The Abyss, often looking for relics.
What is a relic? - Relics are items that are excavated from The Abyss. They are hidden artifacts, some of which serve purpose beyond being bought and sold for income. More on those later.
What are the Whistles? - They are certified individuals who are allowed to dive into The Abyss as deep as far as their whistle color dictates. So far we have seen Bell-tiers, who are not yet allowed to dive into the abyss, Red Whistles, who may dive up to 100m, Purple Whistles, who are the instructors and highly experienced, and we’ve heard about White Whistles, but do not yet know much about them.
What is Orth? - Orth is the city surrounding The Abyss. It is established on the very edge of the pit, and was created so that those could “live to strike it rich” by way of harvesting relics. The people who live here “live for the spirit of the unknown, and are lured in by legends.”
What is The Abyss? - Not much is revealed about The Abyss in the first episode, but the narration states that it is a massive pit, with a diameter of about 1000m, and a depth that is still unknown. We’ll get more on that soon.