Made In Abyss Shocking Final Episode Advanced Screening Report

TV anime Made in Abyss, based on the manga of the same name by Akihito Tsukushi, aired from July to September 2017. The story takes place in an unexplored pit known as the Abyss. It depicts the adventures of a young Cave Raider named Riko and a humanoid robot named Reg as they set off to discover the mysteries of the Abyss. It features Cave Raiders who devote their lives to pursuing their impossible dreams in the last place that is forbidden to mankind.

Prior to the broadcast of the final episode, a preview screening took place on Sunday 24 September. Voice actresses Miyu Tomita (Riko), Mariya Ise (Reg), and Shiori Izawa (Nanachi) appeared on stage along with director Masayuki Kojima and producer Shinpei Yamashita. After the episode was screened, they talked about their open and honest thoughts on the impending broadcast of the final episode, as well as about the must-watch scenes of the series.

The talk show kicked off with a gloomy atmosphere, as the episode shocked the audience. Among the cast members who appeared on stage, Ise and Tomita, who had just watched the final episode for the first time, confessed their bewilderment, ‘This could be too much’ and ‘I’m still shaking.’

In order to lighten up the mood, Izawa ignited conversations with her cute voice which sounds just like Nanachi. She and Tomita presented the special version of their web radio program Abyss Talks from Radio in Abyss ~ Riko and Nanachi’s Cave Raiding Radio, and talked about their thoughts on the series in retrospect.

Regarding the scenes that left the biggest impression on them, Tomita chose the scene in which Reg and Riko first encountered each other, explaining that, ‘if the two hadn’t met, the story would not have begun. Come to think of it, Scarlet Maw did a good job.’ Her answer was humorous but demonstrated that their encounter means a lot to her. Ise picked the scene of Reg coming across Tamaugachi in Episode 10, and talked about her tense feeling, ‘I was mentally prepared for the encounter when I read the scene in the script. However, my instinct sensed danger throughout the recording.’ Furthermore, she revealed that the scene of Reg and Riko shouting needed to be performed three to four times, which made them totally exhausted, ‘I spent all my energy on the scene.’

Izawa talked about Nanachi’s first scene in Episode 10, ‘I felt huge pressure on me to appear in a highly tensed situation as if I were a savior.’ Director Kojima chose Episode 9. He said that this was because, along with the aid of screenwriter Hideyuki Kurata and manga author Akihito Tsukushi, he had to add original material in order to expand the short chapter of the original work to a full-length anime episode. This meant he had to spend a lot of time and energy on this episode drawing so many storyboards. Yamashita confessed that his favorite character was Maruruk (voiced by Aki Toyosaki) and revealed his ambition of one day creating an OVA titled ‘A Day in the life of Maruruk’, which made the audience laugh.

Made in Abyss enchanted fans with its mesmerizing scenes which were created thanks to the all-out effort from each and every staff member, such as the artistic drawings of the mysterious world of Abyss, the music which made the anime more impressive, and the alluring narration scripts at the beginning of each episode. The audience gave a round of applause to the staff members who watched the show from the audience seats: manga author Akihito Tsukushi, art director Osamu Masuyama, and screenwriter Hideyuki Kurata.

At the end of the show, Ise exclaimed, ‘I really love Made in Abyss so much, and I want to see a sequel!’ Yamashita also talked about his desire to make a sequel. When you watch the final episode, I’m pretty sure that you’ll want to know what happens next.

If you haven’t watched Made in Abyss yet, I recommend you watch the series and enjoy the great adventure of the brave Cave Raiders. It’s never too late.

Made in Abyss was part of our weekly anime reviews. Check out our review for the shocking final episode: