Made in Abyss Episode 11 Review: Nanachi

At the end of that nightmare of an episode of Made in Abyss last week, we were at last introduced to Nanachi, who offered to save Riko! Now, compared to the previous horror, this episode was pretty peaceful! However, it also proved very informative; it threw answers to questions and questions to answers all over the place!

Japanese Original Episode Title: ナナチ

Plot

Nanachi’s here to save the day by healing Riko! But to do so, she needed materials to fully treat her, so it’s up to Reg to gather them all on time! Will it suffice, though? Will she be able to save her life and save her arm? There’s also still the question of who and what she truly is, as well as the question of her past!

Episode Highlights

Hollows: So, we’re right that hollows were once humans who suffered the Sixth Layer’s curse! The difference, though, between Nanachi and Mitty’s appearance and mental state is astounding! Nanachi is still sentient, and a bit human physically, but Mitty looked like a blob and was, in all honesty, pretty useless! However, the latter’s condition was how it should normally look like. No wonder Nanachi didn’t want to be found by other humans. Her existence really would rock the raiding community! Is it possible there are others like her, I wonder? On the other hand, I actually felt pretty bad for Mitty. I kept wondering if she was suffering since she seemed like she was in pain with all her moaning and how her eye looked. Going by this, I bet some of us would’ve thought it better for her life to just end instead of prolonging her agony, right? Although, Nanachi said she already lost her intellect and personality, so it’s as if she’s already become like one of the creatures of the Abyss. If that’s true, then keeping her alive was more for Nanachi who was all alone there. Perhaps she didn’t go along with the norm of killing off the hollow, then taking their belongings. She needed her friend beside her.

Treating Riko: How incredibly fortunate that the one who found Riko and Reg knows, not only how to treat Riko’s condition, but what specific thing/s in the Abyss would prove useful! I wonder where she learned all of that; maybe she’s been living there for quite a while already so she’s learned through studying her surroundings. Reg also did a great job collecting the stuff she needed, even if most of those were for her food (she did have a point; she needs to eat too, and it’s the least he can do for helping Riko!). I found it amazing that such a deadly place as the Abyss had some pretty useful stuff for humans, even if it’s a parasitic mushroom resurrecting something that might already want to rest in peace. The medicine made from her friend that Nanachi inserted into Riko’s…butt hole, was also from the Abyss, right? I guess it’s just like poisonous plants and animals. If you use them in the right way, they actually have medicinal properties! Here’s to hoping Riko gets 100% better, especially since the spunky girl really didn’t want to give up on her adventure, even though she was already on the verge of death and nearly lost her arm!

Nanachi’s flashback: Oho? What could Nanachi’s connection be to Bondrewd, the White Whistle Ozen? What was he having her do? And just what in the world is his whistle’s design supposed to be? Just from that, I already somewhat understood why he’s someone to be wary of.

A piece of a memory: The moment I thought I’d never see (at least in this season): a clue on Reg’s memories! All this time only Riko has progressed with her goal, but now it’s Reg’s turn! And boy, who would’ve thought that it’d still be connected to Lyza! So it really is highly likely that he knew her, and that he was the one written about in her documents. But what was with that ominous memory? It’s like he was saying goodbye to her, and he saw her ‘grave,’ too. Really makes you wonder what the context is, huh? Also, the necklace! He had that when Riko found him in the first episode! Where could she have put it, and what’s it for?

Themes & Trivia

Humanity: Anyone noticed that Reg has been acting way more human lately? We saw it last week, and we saw it even more here. Nanachi has been teasing him a whole lot, making him show a variety of expressions! Nanachi, too, showed just how human she still was even though she didn’t look like one. She helped out people who were in dire need even though she didn’t know them, putting herself in their shoes by remembering what she herself experienced before.

Alternative medicine: Unfortunately, there aren’t any hospitals or clinics in the Abyss, so someone will just have to get by with unorthodox modes of treatment, like what Nanachi used on Riko! In our modern times, there are lots of people who go for treatments like this: acupuncture, oriental medicines, dietary supplements, chiropractic and the like!

Comments

What a great introductory chapter for Nanachi this was! We got to know her character, her personality, her backstory, and her capabilities, all in one episode without making it feel unnatural! That’s hard to pull off! I also loved the peaceful atmosphere they set, truly feeling like the calm after last week’s storm, but not without the destruction left in its wake. As always, the BGM had a huge part in this; it successfully enthralled me once again! There were also a lot of emotions featured, as I mentioned, and they managed to capture each one properly! It was a wonderful episode!

What are you doing, Mitty?

Mitty suddenly crawled up to an unconscious Riko, and I hope the bad feeling I got when I saw it was just me exaggerating! I hope Reg or Nanachi sees it quickly! On another note, the title of next chapter seems to be about the Curse. I wonder what we’ll find out!

Were you satisfied with what happened this week? Let me know in the comments section! We’re also already halfway through with September (time flies by so fast!), and that means this season is close to over! If you haven’t caught up to our Summer 2017 reviews yet, it’s time to do it now!

You can also check official anime screenshots from the episode at our Made in Abyss Episode 11 Stills and Summary.