Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
IIGearZeroII
You'll like it if:
• You enjoy traveller adventures with a bit of mystery.
• You like dark and twisted themes wrapped in an otherwise cute-looking anime.
• You enjoy watching a group of misfits come together, help each other, and embark on a quest of self-discovery.
• You appreciate atmospheric environments.
You won't like it if:
• You have a strong aversion to lolicon or anything associated with it.
• You have a strong aversion to what can sometimes only be described as torture p*.
• You prefer a large main cast with complex, intertwined relationships. • Dark and twisted shows really aren't your thing.
Story: Made in Abyss Season 1 is essentially the story of two kids embarking on a journey into, well, the Abyss. Along the way, we learn more about the secrets hidden within its different…
Read at the sourceMitaku
One of the show's biggest strengths and weaknesses at the same time is its world-building. At its core, it's really interesting. There are multiple layers, each with their own "mechanics" for how they work and how they can be overcome.
But then our protagonists just speedrun through them, and you don't even get enough time to really get a feeling for any individual layer or the world itself.
I understand that the first season is mainly a build-up for the later layers, making them more impactful and interesting. But even then, I think the show could have put more love into this world, which clearly has some... depths to explore. ;)
Character-wise, the main protagonist is just... a kid? There isn't anything particularly special about her. She has no real abilities, gets saved by others all…
Read at the sourcepoopbut
It's no wonder the manga for this only has 74 chapters after 12 years when the author always has one hand in his pants while drawing this.
First and foremost, anybody who enjoys this is disgusting. This entire show is just a blatant showcase of the author's many, many taboo, disgusting, and illegal fetishes.
As I'm sure everybody has heard at this point, or at least I heard a billion times coming into this, Made In Abyss looks like a cute action-adventure at the surface, but has really dark themes and content once you actually watch it. Many even call it traumatizing. While I don't disagree, this is such a messed up thing to say for how obviously misleading it is. Now, folks, I watched all 13 episodes of this so you don't have to.
The first however many episodes are pretty calm, sans th…
Read at the sourceMomo135
Yeah this is exactly how I remember going through puberty felt like lmao.
This little girl looking for her mom (or her adult self), this other kid trying to find out what he is, it's all very introspective and uncomfortable and dark and scary at times. It has body horror, of course it has body horror. The abyss is awe-inspiring and constantly evokes a sense of uncertainty and fascination. It's well written, the world is beautifully crafted, and the art is absolutely georgeous. It fucked me up too 👍
I'll be honest, all those little sexual things other people commented here do not come as pedo shit to me, they are not there to make the viewer horny, they are not "fan service" or whatever, they are awkward and cringey to see and stuff you'd expect coming from 12 year olds going on an adven…
Read at the sourcechumchummaru
The biggest minus of this whole story are the child characters, that's the only thing that bothered me, being so adult the whole plot would have been more bearable and I would have enjoyed it more. Well, the author likes children, but in the opposite sense and in the course of the plot, he makes it clear from hanging naked in the draft, through occasional nudity to child abuse in the later part of the plot, which they try to cover up in the anime, but in the manga it's like a slap in the face. That's why I can't enjoy it fully and get excited about the wonder of the abyss. Otherwise, ep. 9 is filler. After reading 3 volumes of the manga, what to eat +- the first season, I'm not interested in the rest. Those whiny characters and drama are exactly what interests me the least. The drawing/ani…
Read at the sourcemrkib
This show is really good, but its unnecessary sexualization of children can drag down the experience.
Pros
The overall atmosphere is incredible. It's a very unique experience, mostly due to its world-building. There are so many moving parts surrounding this world that it becomes impossible to really know what's going to happen next. I personally think the world-building is some of the best, reminds me of HXH. The art direction is phenomenal as well. The scenery, in particular, doesn't look like they are just copying the same template over and over for every scene. You can tell they put a lot of work into making every episode look amazing. The monsters also look out of that world; they look like they don't even belong in this show, given how weirdly they are drawn compared to everything el…
Read at the sourceThunderCloud280
If you are reading this review, I'm going to take a bet that this is not the first time you have heard about Made in Abyss. You probably already heard from somewhere else that this is a show that seems cute on the surface but is actually way darker and more graphic than you'd expect. While this is an accurate take, do not assume that it is only that way to elicit shock from a viewer. Made in Abyss does not stoop so low to be solely concerned with shock value over everything else. This show is far more compelling and in-depth than that.
The mystique of the Abyss is quite profound, and it leaves a lot of questions to be answered. What exactly is the Abyss? How did it get here anyway? What lies within the depths of the Abyss? What is the deal with that unrelenting curse? The Abyss seems like…
Read at the sourcefp264
I had heard rumours about this anime, and read a few reviews that made me fear the worst before watching this first season. And I was actually very pleasantly surprised! Each episode made me want to watch the next one.
The animation is very good apart from a few slightly sloppy monster animations, the colours are varied, and the artwork and backgrounds are magnificent. The lore is extremely rich in diversity and creativity: the monsters, the peculiar characters. 9/10
The characters each have their own backstory and are very consistent in their behaviour. The only issue is the use of young children as protagonists, and seeing them sustain damage can be unsettling. Their young age accentuates the kawaii and endearing aspect — you can tell there is a deliberate intention to make the character…
Read at the sourceEnshourT_
There is a feeling that comes with exploring something completely unknown that modern stories rarely capture anymore. That feeling of standing somewhere you've never been before and realizing that no one knows what exists beyond that point. Made in Abyss understands that feeling, not through grand battles or heroic victories, but through the simple act of stepping into a world that feels impossibly bigger than yourself.
- WORLDBUILDING: A PLACE WORTH GETTING LOST IN
One of Made in Abyss greatest strengths is its worldbuilding. The Abyss never feels like a fantasy setting that was created solely for the protagonists to explore, it feels ancient, indifferent, and completely alive. The wildlife doesn't behave like monsters waiting for a fight, they feel like animals that have naturally adapt…
Read at the sourceEleonoraViolet
(Originally written on 2025/06/15, one day after I finished watching this title)
(Actual score - 9.75/10)
Overall, it was a very, very good experience - plenty of variety in terms of what emotions were present, and no issues whatsoever.
ARTSTYLE
- Very nice; it was different for backgrounds / wide camera shots, with emphasis on "painting-like" presentation and more vibrant colors, and characters / close-ups - which instead focused on smoother, more detailed look, oftentimes with darker colors - but I really liked both of those versions.
- The shading and lighting were amazing, visually transforming plenty of scenes into something special - sometimes making it more beautiful (e.g. while the camera was panning over backgrounds), sometimes instantly creating a threatening / haunting / te…
Read at the sourceRayneDayz
Made in Abyss is... weird... Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.
I pushed through this whole series because I've heard chatter about it. About how dark it is.
With that said, that was the only appeal that drew me in, but the only thing that kept me watching was the desire to see a series through to the end.
Allow me to break down all my problems with this show:
(DISCLAIMER!! This is only for season 1; I have not watched beyond that point as of writing this, but after writing this I'll be headed to the movie and then season 2.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let's start with a compliment: the phenomenal WORLD BUILDING!! And when I say it's phenomenal, I mean there's nothing else quite like it! I'd play a game based on this (The game PEAK is as close as you'll get, and it's qui…
Read at the source0063873192871
An interesting story written by a mentally ill psycho, made possible by dozens of other mentally ill psychos animating, directing and producing this abomination.
There is something particularly offensive about this anime: how it takes itself seriously despite being the product of a deranged imbecile writing about kids being dismembered, tortured, and sexually abused, all while being surrounded by enormous creatures trying to kill them in the most varied ways. Somehow, the anime isn't as bad as the third movie (the only one I watched) but it is still bad enough to warrant a 1.
Even with all the insanity put aside, Made in Abyss still leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest issue lies at its very core: Riko is a kid. And an useless kid at that, so how exactly is it interesting to watch her…
Read at the sourcesh10x
This work is one of the best that has captured the essence of adventure, demonstrating that you don't need a thousand episodes or chapters to build a complete world and give me, as a viewer, everything I need: adventure, mystery, and world-building in the best possible way.
The concept is brilliant, and the writer succeeded in making the protagonists, with whom you share the journey, empathize with them, and increase the fear and anxiety with every danger they face. The world-building is nothing short of genius, and the character development is superb, avoiding any repetitive or conventional writing. We see how the abyss itself is the foundation of these characters and their motivations, whether it's for the dreamy Riko, eager to explore and discover the truth about her mother, or for cha…
Read at the sourceNicpus
I love the world building and overall idea of this anime, the music the visuals, I've watched them all and won't spoil anything.
However shame on the disgusting person who wrote the very unnecessary parts, such as talking about their private parts constantly, having them be in overly nsfw situations, when they're so young they still have "baby teeth"
Everytime it happens it ruins whatever moment is happening, it's just disgusting and unnecessary. Remove those parts and this anime is truly peak, it also wouldn't change anything. The weird parts add absolutely nothing to the actual story or situation other than just being really extremely creepy and uncomfortable.
It really sucks, because apart from those parts, this is an amazing anime, that's inspired me to get more into world building…
Read at the sourceKidSquids
I only watched season 1, it left a really bad taste in my mouth and it's 80% because half of the show is just 8 year olds being tortured and peeing their pants, and 20% the last story arc of the season with Nanachi, which was exceptionally well done, definitely the best part of everything I watched, but therein lied the problem of highlighting that the creator of the series is *FULLY CAPABLE* of depicting our main characters in horrible, painful situations without having them be naked, or covered in piss and vomit, or in unnecessarily prolonged torture scenes. they just didn't want to do that. They made one good thing, and it made everything else you suffered through very, very transparently horrible, and for no reason except that it's clearly just what the creator of the series wanted to…
Read at the sourcenulls
well this could be an 8 or a 3 depending on how much the borderline fetishes of the author bother you, they love to torture little kids, there is no real reason to make them little kids, not even 15, beside shock value. it’s classified as seinen anyways, the thing with children is that you’d expect them to grow but they don’t really change? they don’t seem traumatised at all which is against the whole child torture premise of the show, but not even getting a bit less naive because of the circumstances requiring it. the worldbuilding is one of the most unique and interesting in the last several years but more could have been done with it, they say they send people in the hole to find artefacts and whatnot but we never see any of them? a lot of the ecosystem seems more actively evil than jus…
Read at the sourceAtsushiPilchzuki
I knew from the spoilers that it was a specific anime, incredibly mysterious, extrelmy depressing (I want to say that it affects the viewer's psyche), but the scale truly blows me away.
The worldbuilding presented is incredibly rich, not only does the functioning of the city around the abyss seem rational (I really like the idea that technological progress is driven by the risky extraction of artifacts). But te number of creative solutions for the behavior of the abyss' stunning fauna and flora is astounding.
The heroes quickly arouse attachment and are heterogeneous (Riko and Reg have different abilities, so they complement each other when working together). Episodic characters like Ozen and Nanachii drive brilliantly designed storytelling, they are also incredibly creatively presented.…
Read at the sourceErnacram
Made in Abyss has two sides. The first is a wholesome adventure anime where children get to explore wonderful and mysterious worlds, make friends, discover cute and funny creatures, and so on. That’s essentially what it looks like on paper.
The second is a sadistic piece of media where the same children go through the most traumatic experiences, get beaten, tortured (body horror), killed, and sometimes worse. This aspect becomes more and more prominent as the series progresses.
The series uses both aspects as the same time, and that is what makes it genius in my opinion.
Indeed, since we viewers are humans, we have this thing called empathy. We also have some sort of maternal instinct which urges us to protect children (or more generally small and cute things) from danger. Put this tw…
Read at the sourcevitrax
The mangaka/author has some weird fetishes; these become pretty clear throughout the show. It's a real shame because the worldbuilding and overall story are intriguing. The fact that children fight through the horrors of the abyss and prevail is a definite part of the story and contributes to its depth. However, showing those children naked and discussing their genitals in nearly every episode does not contribute to the story and feels super weird, anticlimactic, and unnecessary. I'm fairly certain the author is also into peeing stuff.
The story about Nanachi and Mitty was, in my opinion, genuinely emotional, but of course, the final moments included more sexualization of children. Why? I don't understand. I feel conflicted because I really enjoyed most parts of the show, but it also see…
Read at the sourceMaeves
At first glance, Made in Abyss appears to be a wholesome adventure: bright, whimsical landscapes, soft pastel colors, and adorable, childlike character designs. But this visual innocence is a carefully crafted deception. The anime thrives on visual irony, where the world’s storybook charm sharply contrasts with the brutal dangers lurking below, making the emotional stakes feel far higher than in most adventure stories.
The Abyss itself is a character breathtakingly detailed and immersive. The anime uses Chekhov’s visual guns throughout: subtle shadows, cracks in cliffs, and minor injuries hint at the perils ahead long before they fully unfold, rewarding attentive viewers and enhancing tension. These foreshadowed dangers, paired with moments of genuine wonder, create a rollercoaster of em…
Read at the source
