English Dub Review: Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul

 

Overview:

Reg, Riko, and Nanachi descend deeper into the mysterious Abyss and reach the fifth layer, the foreboding Sea of Corpses. The group is ready for a challenge, but they enter the orbit of Bondrewd, a powerful and evil White Whistle who doesn’t just have ties to Nanachi’s past, but has significant plans surrounding Reg’s future. Every new turn brings on fresh dangers and Riko and company grow concerned that they may not even be able to reach the sixth layer, or at least not all in one piece.

 

Our Take:

One of the most impressive things about Made in Abyss is that from an outside glance it’d be understandable to dismiss this complex psychological drama as a children’s fantasy series. Made in Abyss stars precocious children who are drawn in a way that accentuates their innocence as Riko and her robotic companion, Reg, embark on this adventure. Riko, Reg, and later Nanachi, have the common goal to reach the bottom of the Abyss, but each new layer that they reach drastically increases the anime’s maturity and the level of dangers that are encountered.

It’s not unusual for series to begin in an innocent place and then gradually mature along with the characters as they grow up, with Hary Potter being one of the best examples. Even Dragon Ball subscribes to this principle to a minor extent. However, what Made in Abyss does is different because these characters aren’t on a journey that spans multiple years or an entire adolescence. Riko and company, as well as the audience, don’t get such a buffer and it’s a lot more jarring as the ante gets increased with each new layer that they reach.

Made in Abyss has done an excellent job with how it’s introduced these darker elements in a way that’s felt natural, but Dawn of the Deep Soul continues this trend and goes to places that aren’t just bleak for Made in Abyss, but anime in general. There are straight up children getting tortured and psychologically brainwashed in this movie and it’s treated like business as usual. Dawn of the Deep Soul is the Made in Abyss sequel that fans have been waiting for, but it’s also one that doesn’t pull any punches and is ready to test its characters in new ways.

Dawn of the Deep Soul covers a lot of ground, but it’s important to establish just how the newly-reached fifth layer is and what a difference it makes to this kind of film. In the past, there have still been moments of levity that have helped Made in Abyss keep its head up above the increasing tide of despair, but the fifth layer marks a level of despondency that can’t be escaped and with it Made in Abyss brings a new feeling of tension with this adventure material. Dawn of the Deep Soul doesn’t betray the series’ roots, but rather it enriches them in a way that not everyone will be able to handle. This is still an adventure anime, but this movie just as easily doubles as a horror film.

There are terrifying visuals where Bondrewd, the film’s villain, massacres groups of children who he’s already been abusing for a fuel source. There’s an extensive sequence where Reg is naked and subjected to a number of cruel experiments in Bondrewd’s attempts to better understand his significance. This even culminates in him amputating Reg’s hand. This is a movie that’s so dark that there’s a whole sequence that involves a blazing inferno that’s started to wipe out a horde of parasites that’s just brushed aside in favor of other events. It should come as no surprise that an area that is colloquially referred to as the Sea of Corpses gets into heavy material, but Dawn of the Deep Soul deserves credit for not holding back. With the places that the fifth level of the Abyss visits, I’m actually worried for how brutal the following layers will be. These characters have already been through a lot.

Riko, Nanachi, and Reg all accomplish some incredible things as the fifth layer of the Abyss tests them, but it’s the film’s villain, Bondrewd, who really steals the show. It’s kind of incredible just how effective Bondrewd is as an antagonist. He’s not just stereotypically evil, but he genuinely feels dangerous and unstable in a way that’s often not seen in an anime of this nature. Villains in anime movies can sometimes feel disposable, but Bondrewd is the opposite of that. There were numerous occasions, particularly when Bondrewd tortures Reg, where I thought of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, which is a feeling that I never thought Made in Abyss would have me reach.

Bondrewd stoops to some very wicked acts throughout Dawn of the Deep Soul, but the film also explains that it’s Bondrewd that turned Nanachi and Mitty into Hollows in the first place. That in itself gives Bondrewd an eerie reputation that previous White Whistles haven’t had. The way in which Riko and company enter his vast abode feels like they’re about to stay overnight at Dracula’s Castle. There’s palpable tension. The character may not be a vampire, but he does have a possessive hold over people that similarly uncomfortable.

This largely revolves around Prushka, a child who’s clearly brainwashed by Bondrewd, but the material gets considerably creepier when she refers to Bondrewd as her father, yet it feels like there’s a lot more going on here. Prushka gets a number of opportunities to stand on her own beyond her captor and some of her more tender scenes with Riko really make an impact, if only to reflect how both of these characters are damaged in different ways.

The entire cast does exceptional work with the material, but David Harbold and Avery Smithhart’s performances as Bondrewd and Prushka really rise to the occasion. They put a lot into these tortured characters. Prushka’s plight becomes more painful as the film goes on and while I wasn’t necessarily expecting her to join Riko’s party, her violent end comes as a big surprise. A possible return is hinted at by her consciousness being transferred to a Life Reverberating Stone, but it’s still a callous conclusion to what’s already a heavy movie. At least Prushka’s pet, Meinya, seems to stick around for the ride.

The Curse that afflicts Riko is an important part of Made in Abyss and it’s one of the anime’s more engrossing mysteries. Dawn of the Deep Soul expands on this area in some fascinating ways. Not only does Riko gain a better understanding of her affliction, but she watches how it affects Bondrewd as he succumbs to its darkness. Bondrewd becomes a vicious beast, which brings to light a bigger revelation that Bondrewd is more a consciousness that can travel between different hosts that he manipulates. It’s a twisted turn for the story, but one that’s consistent with the themes of subservience and psychological damage that are prevalent throughout the film.

Just as much as Riko’s hidden abilities are unpacked, Reg’s importance is also boosted in some important ways as he learns that he’s a relic of the Abyss and gets to his new strength to ultimately defeat Bondrewd. This leads to most of the exciting action sequences from the film, but there’s also a previous encounter with giant insects that’s also extremely satisfying. Made in Abyss is a series that’s always looked beautiful, but Dawn of the Deep Soul is especially attractive. All of the big moments pop on screen and the film’s score makes for amazing accompaniment. The music accentuates the film’s dark tone and there’s some really inspired use of vocals that help represent the feeling of hopelessness that’s often present on the fifth layer. Kevin Penkin is quickly becoming one of the best names on the musical side of the anime industry.

Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul is surprisingly one of the best anime films of the year, but it might alienate or even be viewed as borderline objectionable to newcomers. This is not a movie that tries to function as a standalone story that’s accessible to outsiders. Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul is a film that isn’t just extremely satisfying for fans of the series, but it paints an encouraging picture for the direction of Made in Abyss’ future.

Dawn of the Deep Soul is easily the best story that the series has tackled and the film resonates as strongly on a visual level as it does with its storytelling. The serious narrative benefits from a very effective villain that will honestly be hard to top as the series moves forward. A Made in Abyss sequel has already been announced and whether it arrives in the form of a film or television series, it’s exciting to know that audiences will get to dive deeper down into the Abyss.