Made in Abyss, a popular anime whose second series will begin airing in July 2022, features adorable character designs influenced by the Etrian Odyssey and Wizardry series, but with a brutal setting that's about 100 times more difficult, and depicts the dynamic actions of characters desperately trying to survive within it. The ruthless and traumatic scenes are certainly moving, but it's these developments that really make the story stand out and allow you to experience incredible catharsis. Here we've compiled a list of the most memorable traumatic scenes that appeared in the first season and the movie!
Trauma Selection #1: Riko Near Death After Being Stressed by an Upward Pressure
Riko and Reg descend from the third layer of the Abyss to the fourth layer, where they encounter a ferocious, vicious creature called a "Tamaugachi," covered in hard, poisonous stingers. With the ability to essentially predict the future, the Tamaugachi is a dangerous protozoan that cannot be encountered without serious consequences. Riko is stabbed by the Tamaugachi's stinger. The only way to escape the highly mobile Tamaugachi is to go upward. However, going upward means being subjected to an intense upward pressure.
My First Trauma
The strain of ascending to the fourth floor causes excruciating pain throughout the body and bloodshed from every hole. Furthermore, the effects of the poison leave Riko covered in blood and close to death. This was the first traumatic scene that brought reality to viewers who had previously thought that Ozen, who seemed cynical and scary but was actually a saint, and that the third floor was surprisingly easy to break through, were actually quite easy to break through. It was this scene that made it clear that this series is a merciless story designed to instill trauma. In the anime, this is episode 10, and the upbeat ending song likely left many viewers feeling conflicted.
Trauma Selection Part 2: Mitty's fate
The deceased Nanachi who saved Riko was originally an orphan with no relatives. Bondrewd, Lord of Dawn, a living legend known as the White Whistle, protected orphaned children, including Nanachi. There, Nanachi befriended a girl named Mitty who was with her. For a while, they lived happily ever after. Until a certain point...
Demonic Experiment
Bondrewd was conducting a certain research project. It involved forcing the curse of rising stress onto others. Orphans were used in the experiment, and Nanachi and Mitty were used as subjects in an experiment to push the rising stress of the Sixth Floor, the loss of humanity, onto one side. The two were dropped to the Sixth Floor by an elevator-like device, where they witnessed the creatures that were once human orphans. They were the remains of their friends who could not withstand the experiment and had been transformed into monstrous creatures.
It's Mostly His Fault
Soon, the experiment begins on the two of them. As the ascent begins, Mitty screams in excruciating pain and transforms into a grotesque creature. Mitty takes on all of Nanachi's curse, becoming the only one to benefit solely from the ascent. This, combined with the scene before the experiment, in which Mitty weeps and encourages Nanachi, is a deeply moving scene. Bondrewd is largely responsible for most of the film's traumatic scenes.
Trauma Selection No. 3: Reg Being Dissected
From the movie "Dawn of the Deep Soul." To advance to the Sixth Layer of the Abyss, contact with Bondrewd was unavoidable. Though Bondrewd is Nanachi's sworn enemy, he surprisingly warmly welcomes the trio. Riko becomes friends with Bondrewd's daughter, Prushka, and Nanachi begs Bondrewd to let her and Reg go ahead and leave them alone, knowing that she'll return. However, the moment Nanachi says this, Bondrewd is no longer able to keep his promise. That's because he had already laid hands on Reg.
Confronting Bondrewd
Bondrewd was intrigued by Reg's mechanical body and wanted to dissect him. He captured Reg while he was asleep and began dissecting him, as if it were his right. He had no consideration for Nanachi or his important guests. Bondrewd had no common sense. Ozen described Bondrewd as a complete scoundrel, and Habolg described him as a mysterious entity wearing a mask and pretending to be human. That's exactly what happened, and the intensity of the incident sent chills down viewers' spines.
Trauma Selection #4: Lord Bondrewd! A new body!
In their battle with Bondrewd, Rico and his friends devised a meticulous strategy to intercept him, forcing him to endure an increased stress, leaving him near death. No matter how you look at it, Bondrewd's life is hopeless, and Prushka, who regards Bondrewd as her father, is overcome with grief. However, at that moment, a prayer approaches Bondrewd and replaces his head with Bondrewd's.
Bondrewd Resurrects
And just like that, Bondrewd revives. Unlike Anpanman, whose face got wet and he lost all his strength, once his head was attached to his new body, he revived as if nothing had happened. Prushka was delighted, but the viewers and Riko, Reg, and Nanachi were left speechless. Look at their faces. What is with you?!
Trauma Selection No. 5: What is the true identity of the cartridge?
Among Bondrewd's groundbreaking inventions was a cartridge that reduced elevated stress. While that may sound revolutionary, its true nature was to pack a living human being into a box so that it could be carried around. By imposing elevated stress on the cartridge, it pseudo-avoided the stress, making it an invention completely devoid of any ethical scrutiny.
What Was Prushka
Bondrewd was fully equipped with cartridges during Riko's battle. Though Bondrewd fought without any regard for the increasing pressure, the cartridges were consumed one after another. And, terrifyingly, Bondrewd remembered the names of all the children who were cartridges, and loved them all. Showing love to children and being loved by them transforms curses into blessings. Among the names on those cartridges was Prushka, who had been living as a human until just recently. The inorganic cartridge Bondrewd finally expelled was Prushka herself.
[Made in Abyss: The Golden Land of the Fiery Sun] Trauma Selection Summary
I've compiled a list of traumatic scenes from the first season and the movie, Made in Ice. Most of them were caused by Bondrewd. However, Bondrewd is a character that symbolizes the series, and the Bondrewd episodes are undoubtedly masterpieces that will remain in the history of anime and manga! I think the traumatic scenes will be significantly less intense in Season 2, where Bondrewd barely appears!
