(This review was originally written on MyAnimeList on November 22, 2017)

Made in Abyss is a show that is immediately appealing to any anime fan. It's art and animation outclasses everything that has come out this year, its score is unique and elevates some of the best moments of the show, it has the aesthetic of a lost classic square-enix game, and the premise is one that immediately overwhelms the mind with possibilities about what could happen in the abyss. The premise is then supported with genius bits of world-building and clues about the true nature of the abyss, where it gives the viewer enough information to understand the world of Made in Abyss while still being surprised at every major event.

As I was watching this show this was all immediately clear from the first episode. On all technical fronts, this show was a marvel. But part of me worried that this show may only have its appeal in its technical mastery. The greatest appeal that an anime can have for me is in its emotional core, not just in what is the most obvious, but the second layer that it works on. I think about Space Patrol Luluco, a crazy over-the-top series that ends up delivering a very genuine message by the end. Or Redline, which decides at the end of a beautifully animated, almost 40 minute race of mind-blowing proportions, that the entire movie was about the power of love and somehow pulls it off.

Luckily, this emotional core (can't come up with a less pretentious phrase) becomes clear in a big way for Made in Abyss. There is a moment in which things become very clear for both the main characters and the viewer about the true nature of this show: there are stakes and there are consequences. As appealing as the premise is, it is also one in which danger is not only constantly present, but leaves real damage that threatens the lives of the main characters greatly. The truth is the premise was always a very cynical one: going into an abyss that is an extremely dangerous hazard for the sake of collecting artifacts for money and fame, and specifically forcing children to do so for their orphanage. It is only after the moment mentioned above that the show drives the point home and continues to do so all the way until the last episode.

Made in Abyss does not wallow in this sort of attitude, though. It is not "dark" for the sake of being "dark". It instead treats it as a reality that needs to be accepted. But Made in Abyss cares deeply about its characters, just as deeply as they care about each other. Riko and Regu only have each other, and each has been through so much that the idea of losing one another is enough to cripple them for significant amount of time. And their friendship is one with a real foundation, having been developed for months off-screen after first meeting each other. Each provides something valuable to the other, they work best together, and you root for both of their well-being not only for the sake of the show but for their sake as well.

In that way, Made in Abyss is about hope in a hopeless place, about facing harsh reality while knowing the chances of success are low. Optimism will only get you so far until insurmountable forces knock you down, and from their you must rely on whatever strength you have left as well as the strength and kindness of others. Even then, nothing is easy, and everything feels like it is out to get you. But in then end, you pull yourself back up every time until you're dead. It something that most would consider hopeless, but considering you've gotten this far, it is beautiful in a way.

For this reason, Made in Abyss manages to not only be a technical marvel, but also a genuinely beautiful and engrossing story on top of that. It feels like the kind of anime that immediately makes its presence known as more than just another season favorite. Whether or not it gets a second season, it is an anime that I will come back to again and again for the incredible achievement it is.