One of the contenders for Crunchyroll’s ANOY 2017 was this 13-episode production by Kinema Citrus, a studio that wasn’t especially well known up till now. (I’ll try to discuss it without spoiling anything, because it’s an anime I think both otakus and non-enthusiasts would equally enjoy.)
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The story is paced inexplicably well, and excitement permeates the plot from the very first episode. Most of it is unpredictable, with little quirks and information reveals before you’d expect, leaving you outside your comfort zone for how far you’d expected the story to progress in an episode. And just when you think you see a pattern in how the characters move, or in the events that occur, a devastating scene both grasps you fiercely and has you feeling hopeless like few other animes can accomplish.
The two main characters are children who live in an island like any other, except for one particular characteristic: a hole in the center that’s a kilometer wide and with no discovered bottom, aptly named “the Abyss”. Adventurers are drawn by curiosity into the pit to discover rare relics and interact with the unique creatures; the deeper you go, the more dangerous the journey – especially since those who descend into the pit suffer the “curse of the abyss” when they climb back to the surface, plagued with symptoms ranging from mild nausea to massive bleeding or even death – escalating with the depth from which they ascend. The theme interestingly draws parallels with UofT prof Jordan Peterson’s concept of the human spirit, which voluntarily shoulders burdens and walks forward in the face of suffering, in its depiction of adventures who willingly confront the terrible and dangerous unknowns of the Abyss.
Although the art style in any film is subject to arbitration, Kinema Citrus’s impeccable attention to detail and fantasia-like expression set the mood through color and techniques such as intentionally roughly drawing creatures in situations of danger and fear, reflecting the emotions of the characters themselves. Here are some examples:
Finally, no good anime would be complete without a unique and compelling soundtrack. Australian-born composer Kevin Penkin, also an underdog in the industry prior to Made in Abyss’ release, created soundtracks that both complement the scenes and hold up under musical scrutiny. In an interview, Penkin described the ascending musical key of a certain song as an acoustic metaphor for the walls of the Abyss rising to engulf the main characters as they ventured ever deeper. For the rest of the pieces, the Australian specified on his compositions being played by an extra-small ensemble of just 19 musicians, in a full-sized stage that could fit over 130: a parallelism of the relatively tiny characters’ adventure in the massive pit. Although it’s not known if it had any significant effect on the recorded music, it’s refreshing to see such passion and resonance between the musical and visual aspects of an anime.
In essence, Made in Abyss has a great, fluid storyline, complete with art and audio that seamlessly accompany each other and simultaneously draw the viewer in. Although it’s not suitable for younger audiences, due to some occasional inappropriate references and (very slight) gore, it’s an anime that most people should find highly enjoyable. My only complaint is that it’s too short – but a second season’s reportedly underway.
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