Usually when people ask me to recommend a starter anime, I say "SAO because it does everything so mediocrely you always expect better." After I watched this anime, I can confidently declare that this is the exact opposite to SAO. Made in Abyss is the epitome of anime; a perfect blend of every aspect of anime. It is the Perfect Anime.

Story

One of the most interesting things about Made in Abyss is that its story is so deep, so complicated, it makes the synopsis look like a joke. In terms of the first few episodes, it can be reasonably described as "Castle In The Sky but the Castle is a giant hole in the ground", but as you progress further and deeper in the abyss, the layers, much like the forcefield, get much more complicated.

The worldbuilding in this anime is insane, achieving a perfect blend of both immersive and real, but also the ethereal, surreal feel to it. It feels like a world that you can just lose yourself in, yet at the same time so fantastical and whimsical it feels like a dream. Orth is your classic steampunk bustling megalopolis, teeming with life. You can tell this from the livelihood of the children at the orphanage, the nature of the whistle hierarchy, and just how society functions. The Abyss on the other hand is a whole other perspective, a unique ecosystem embedded in each layer. Each layer was a separate fantastical display of nature.

Damn these desks look both fun and dangerous at the same time

In terms of the general plot, it manages a perfect blend of progression and hindrance. Every time a filler occurs, it's not because the anime wants fanservice or to stretch its screentime or anything, it's because the characters themselves can't progress. The first filler was because Reg wasn't an official diver, the second was because Riko got injured. It makes the fillers feel necessary and due to the structure of the Abyss deepen the world even more by having whichever character isn't incapacitated explore this new strange world.

On top of that, as I mentioned earlier, it has a perfect blend of everything. The first thing that immediately stands out is the mention of darker themes, as we dive further into the layers of the Abyss the inherent threat of death becomes more and more apparent, they start appearing as early as the Second Layer, which indicates that this ain't a baby walk anymore. Yet amidst all the blood, the risk of death, and the darker connotations of the deeper layers, it still manages to put in heartfelt moments, where you can laugh alongside the main characters as they live and adapt to this new world. It leaves you with an immense satisfaction despite having witnessed them almost die earlier, and an immense desire to floof Nanachi's fur.

Art

Made in Abyss isn't a Shinkai film, nor does it possess the simplistic traits of Ghibli, but it is characterized by its attention to detail. The art does a brilliant job of illustrating the wonderful ecosystems of the Abyss and everything our characters do to interact with it, even the slightest alteration of it, is noticed. In a sense, the art reflects the forcefield of the Abyss themselves, reacting to the characters and adapting so. The man-made objects look rustic and artificial, standing out to the natural shades employed to color the Abyss. The characters themselves are also treated similarly. Riko and Reg stand out amongst the natural environment with their bright hues and colorful design, while Nanachi's natural grey blends right in.

Sound

The music, oh my god the music. It is a masterpiece, a work beyond recognition of mortal ears. The soundtrack Kevin Penkin composed conveys so much innate emotion that any attempt from me to put it to words instantly makes it sound lesser in value.

If anyone reading this is wondering how powerful this music really is, then go to YouTube or Spotify, search up"The First Layer" from the Made In Abyss OST, and make sure it's playing before returning to read this.

▶ The blend of instruments Penkin used illustrates a hollow vibe, as if the music itself is bouncing off the rocky walls of the Abyss, the blend of chordal techniques and the instruments gives this bouncy music an airy vibe, instilling a feeling I can only describe as "The Feeling of Unknown Adventure". The closest thing I've felt to this feeling is when I watched Castle in the Sky, as its similar premise gives it a similar attitude, but this attribute is present in a lot of other vibes given from other prominent music tracks. Just look at Mario Galaxy's soundtrack or "Footlight Lane" from Super Mario 3D World.

If the feeling given off from the OST isn't enough, just look at when it's implemented, "The First Layer" and "Hanezeve Caradhina" are implemented more than once in the track, and both in moments that define them. Whenever the main characters are exploring an undiscovered, eerie, yet also exhilarating area, you can hear "The First Layer", while "Hanezeve Caradhina" plays at every moment when the anime wants you to appreciate the wonderful world that is the Abyss. If Kevin Penkin ever got together with Makoto Shinkai to produce an anime or a film, it would knock Spirited Away 6 layers under.

Characters

The characters are built upon the basis of co-dependency. The characters are reliant on each other to survive, and they were written and built to do so. Riko has a strong mind yet a weak body, and Reg has a strong body yet a weak mind. They were counterparts from the start, as Reg, the cyborg, is tasked to protect Riko physically, while Riko stays by his side to console his fragile mind. Riko's strong personality means that she frequently gets herself in danger, while Reg is forced to come out of his shell in order to save Riko from said danger. They're literally yin and yang, and that is why their interaction feels so natural. On top of that, each character isn't afraid to confront their fears, and their journey of self-discovery progresses further with each layer descended. The supporting characters enforce the duality between the core duo as well, as each belongs to their respective layer, they cannot accompany Riko and Reg as they descend even further into the Abyss, and because of this known fact that they won't accompany them the whole way through, you're forced to look at what they do to better the two during their short time with them.

Overall, Made in Abyss is the Perfect Anime, a cheery, whimsical anime that conveys much deeper meanings, a duo bound in a co-dependency as their journey of self-discovery advances furher, and an immersive world that both real and surreal highlighted by a music conveying a whimsical feel and immersive art.