The second season of the Made in Abyss anime is scheduled to begin airing in July 2022. The second season will cover episodes following the first season and the movie, and will mainly focus on adventures on the Sixth Layer of the Abyss. However, as it will include content from the new movie, it is recommended that those who have only seen the first season of the anime watch Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, which is a continuation of the first season, before watching the second season. In this article, we'd like to look back on Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul!
About the Episodes Leading Up to "Dawn of the Deep Soul"
"Dawn of the Deep Soul" is a sequel to the first season, covering the story of Riko and Reg's meeting and departure, through to their meeting with Nanachi. Nanachi is a popular character in Made in Abyss. The end of the first season depicted Nanachi and her roommate Mitty's time as humans, as well as the circumstances that led to Nanachi's transformation into a "Whoa." Her shocking past and the man who could be considered the root cause of it all, Lord Bondrewd, are revealed, and the movie depicts a confrontation with Bondrewd.
I have to go to the deepest part of the Ido Front
Dawn of the Deep Soul is set in the Fifth Layer of the Abyss, the Sea of Dead Bodies. Here, you'll find the Ido Front, established by Lord Bondrewd, one of the White Whistles. To proceed further, you'll need to reach the Altar of the Deep Sea, located at the very depths of the Ido Front. It was inevitable that Nanachi would encounter Bondrewd, who could be considered her sworn enemy.
Reunion with the New Bondrewd, Lord of Dawn, the White Whistle
After arriving at the frontline base, the three finally come face-to-face with one of the White Whistles, the new Bondrewd, Lord of Dawn. Nanachi hates Bondrewd, a man she doesn't even want to see, and Ozen calls him a complete scoundrel. However, he harbors no animosity toward the three and warmly welcomes them. While they might think they'll be able to get through the fifth floor without any trouble, the Altar of the Distant Sea actually only activates when their White Whistles are present.
Riko's Encounter with Prushka, Her Dear Friend
Riko also meets another person at the front-line base: Bondrewd's daughter, Prushka. Prushka, a cheerful and adventurous girl, hits it off with Riko and becomes her guide around the front-line base. Rico and Prushka become close friends, and they become close friends. Bondrewd loves Prushka, and Prushka respects Bondrewd and regards him as a father figure. Bondrewd, who Ozen calls a scumbag, is actually a compassionate saint...until now.
Bondrewd was Bondrewd after all! The showdown with Lord Dawn finally begins
Nanachi begs Bondrewd to let her go and leave the two of them alone, since she'll be working there. However, Bondrewd refuses. He's so curious about Reg's mechanical body that he's planning to restrain and dissect him. One of Reg's arms has already been severed. Bondrewd was Bondrewd after all. Bondrewd has no sense of ethics! Nanachi rushes to rescue Reg, and Riko and Prushka, hearing the commotion, rush to his aid. The conflict with Bondrewd became decisive.
Lord of Dawn: The Achievements and True Nature of the New Bondrewd
Bondrewd gathered orphans, showered them with love and care, and then used them as human experimentation subjects. Bondrewd had no idea he was doing anything wrong. A true psychopath, he appeared gentlemanly and likable at first glance, in stark contrast to Ozen, who appears frightening but is actually very kind. In reality, he was described as "something mysterious wearing a mask and pretending to be human." Bondrewd's many great feats were achieved through extreme human experimentation and the use of any means necessary to achieve his goals.
Will Bondrewd finally be defeated after a deadly battle?
Riko and his friends managed to escape, but they were able to intercept Bondrewd and his Prayer followers as they pursued them. They attempted to eliminate Bondrewd and his companions by luring them into the nest of a dangerous primitive creature called a bell-headed snake. Although the prayers with him were all killed, Bondrewd used the power of the relic to wipe out the crickets and praised Riko and the others for their strategy. Bondrewd had been watching them through Nanachi's eyes, and Nanachi used this to her advantage to overwhelm Bondrewd with a well-calculated tactic, putting Bondrewd under increasing stress and finally defeating him.
Sir Bondrewd! A new body!!
Prushka mourns Bondrewd's death, but then a prayer appears before her and, in a stroke of sheer rage, cuts off his own head and replaces it with Bondrewd's. Bondrewd is resurrected, horrified by his resurrection with a reversed version of Anpanman's face and head. The prayers, who everyone thought were Bondrewd's assistants, are actually all Bondrewd himself. Bondrewd has implanted his spirit into the prayers using relics, multiplying himself. Bondrewd is, so to speak, a spirit with an infinite supply of spirits. In the end, Bondrewd retreats with Prushka, telling the three to come back anytime.
A Terrifying Invention: Cartridges!
Among Bondrewd's inventions was a groundbreaking invention that reduced the upward pressure. It was called the Cartridge. With this invention, exploring the Abyss would have been significantly less risky. However, the Cartridge's true nature was essentially a living human being stuffed into a box. It was a product of madness, transferring the curse onto a boxed human, barely retaining the necessary functions to survive. Nanachi was once tasked with manufacturing these cartridges.
The second round finally begins!
Riko and Nanachi encounter Bondrewd at the cartridge processing plant. They learn that the White Whistle required to travel to the lower levels is made of humans, that it can only be used by those with a strong connection to it, and that the White Whistle Bondrewd possesses is one that Bondrewd himself has become. Then, Reg appears, having consumed all the electricity in the base. And so begins the second battle with Bondrewd.
The Final Battle with Bondrewd
Reg regains consciousness after being fired from the oversized Cremation Cannon, and Bondrewd drags him into a large hole, where the final battle begins. Bondrewd chases Reg as he fights his way up the hole, consuming cartridges one by one. Bondrewd receives the power of the blessing and spits out the last cartridge. Bondrewd loved all his children and remembered their names. The child named Prushka was the one who was used in the final cartridge. While enduring the excruciating pain inside the cartridge, Prushka recalled Bondrewd, who had rescued him from a dire situation, and the fond memories of growing up at the frontline base. Even as a cartridge, Prushka still loved his father and longed to go on adventures with Riko and the others.
Prushka as a Life-Resonating Stone
In the final battle, Bondrewd was blown away by the Cremation Cannon fired from one of Reg's arms, which Riko was holding. The Life-Resonating Stone, the raw material for the White Whistle, was found inside Prushka's cartridge. This qualified Riko and the others to advance to the Sixth Floor. Although Bondrewd apparently had a replacement, he did not attack Riko and her friends again, and Riko and her friends did not attempt to kill Bondrewd. With Bondrewd seeing them off, Riko and her friends proceeded to the Sixth Floor.
[Made in Abyss: Golden Land of the Fiery Sun] Summary of the Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul
I've summarized the Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul movie, which leads into the second season. Bondrewd is a symbol of Made in Abyss and is extremely popular. The episode with Bondrewd was certainly a memorable one. Even after Riko and her friends made it to the Sixth Floor, I can't help but feel that Bondrewd is watching over them. In fact, I'm sure Nanachi is excited to see it through his eyes. The movie was a masterpiece, so if you're going to watch the second season, I highly recommend watching it beforehand!
