If you ignore the political climate and rash of popular culture folks being terrible, and choose to only look at the media that has come out this year, 2017 has been insanely good. That goes for Games, Movies, and shows; but in a year as good as this, to have something stand head and shoulders above everything else is really a testament to that work's quality. Anime, in particular, has had a really strong year - I adored shows like My Hero Academia S2, Attack on Titan S2, and Food Wars S3; but I can't say I was expecting my top show of the year (and maybe the past few years) to be one that I'd never even heard of before. Enter Made in Abyss.

Made in Abyss is maybe a perfect show. I am really struggling to come up with any complaints. I could maybe pick apart the pacing ever so slightly, but even then, I still enjoyed every episode from start to finish. I consider it to be comparable to what I personally consider the greatest anime shows of all time, and even in that company, it continues to hold its own. But enough fawning over it - what is so cool about MIA?

Let's start with the story. The world of MIA is extremely unique, and it feels like every corner of it has had its lore thoughtfully crafted from the ground up. Every character matters and has their own discrete backstory, every location has had years and years of history, every artifact they look at has its reason for existing, every enemy has motivations that make them hard to hate (well, except one), etc etc. The two main characters of the story, Riko and Reg, are perfect. They contrast one another, and each of the two could not exist without the other. The story shows us life through both of their eyes, and their relationship is inarguably one of the most important parts of the whole show. I don't want to get into either of their stories, nor the core story for this review; but let me say that the story is - beyond a doubt - one of the best I've seen, and every episode will leave you wanting to learn more about the world.

MIA is brought to life by a truly breathtaking art style. On first glance, the character design looks like what you would expect from some kid's show - they are adorable, they have quirks that make them super cute, and their dialogue is fairly flowery. The backgrounds are beautiful, and it came as no surprise to me to learn that the art lead on the show had previously worked on Howl's Moving Castle and Your Name - the artwork is simply stunning. The thing is... Though the art is beautiful and the kids are cute, this show is also extremely disturbing. I do not want to spoil anything, because I think going in blind is the best way to experience this show, but I will issue this one single caveat to your potential enjoyment: if you cannot handle gore and body horror, perhaps this show will not be for you. The dark parts of this story very, very affecting, and I am left with vivid imagery that I will not soon forget.

On equal footing as the beautiful art, the music and sound design really pull their weight to round out this amazing experience. A common problem with anime sound design is that they tend to use the same sound effects over and over, and from anime to anime; but everything in MIA seems like it was handcrafted for this show, and carefully tuned to fit every scene perfectly. The music is just the same - equal parts beautiful and haunting, just like the story. I don't usually like to use ambiguous terms when describing music; but Kevin Penkin really crafted something special, which is hopeful and optimistic, while being wrapped in darkness. It is an OST that you could very easily put on and listen to on its own (which I have already done quite a bit, already).

Something that a lot of anime have trouble with is having a good ending. This goes doubly for shows that could potentially have another season, because they want to leave things on a cliffhanger; but, when they do that, it also means that the audience is left dissatisfied with how many questions have been left answered versus those which has been resolved. The hour-long finale episode of MIA is perfect. It carries you through a very broad range of emotions - it is silly, funny, disgusting, horrifying, emotionally devastating, and has one of the most beautiful ending montages I've seen to date. Even if there was not to be a second season (which there is!! It was announced a little under a month ago) I would have been left totally satisfied. It closes the arc it set into motion this season, and leaves you in a state where you are both wanting more, but are also filled a warm sense that you have experienced a compelling and whole story.

I could go on about this show for hours, and easily triple the length of this review were I to include spoilers; but, please, if you are a fan of anime, I implore that you give this show your time. It is not for the faint of heart, and if you have kids, definitely don't watch it with them; but it is one of the best anime out there, and you may fall in love with it just as I have. I cannot wait to see where the story goes, and I am eagerly awaiting the second season. I will continue to follow this series for as long as it will go, and will continue singing its praises for years to come.

I rate Made in Abyss: 5/5

B2112's Anime Reviews: Episode 0