Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss is a dark fantasy adventure anime series that follows Riko, an orphaned girl, and Reg, a robot boy, as they descend into a colossal and mysterious chasm known as the Abyss. The series is set in the town of Orth, which surrounds the Abyss, a source of ancient artifacts and dangerous creatures. While initially appearing as a whimsical adventure with a unique art style, the narrative quickly delves into grim and psychologically intense territory, exploring themes of survival, human nature, and the cost of discovery. The show is not intended for young audiences due to its graphic depictions of violence, body horror, and unsettling themes. It is generally recommended for mature viewers capable of processing highly disturbing content.
Concerns
Violence
HighMade in Abyss features extremely graphic and disturbing violence, gore, and body horror, which intensifies significantly as the characters delve deeper into the Abyss and across subsequent seasons. This includes vivid depictions of mutilation, dismemberment, torture, and grotesque physical transformations, often inflicted upon child characters.
In Episode 10, Riko suffers a compound fracture of her arm, which Reg is forced to re-break and cut using primitive tools, leading to graphic depictions of her screaming in agony and bleeding from multiple orifices. Mitty is subjected to horrific experiments by Bondrewd, resulting in her transformation into an immortal, malformed creature that endures perpetual suffering until she is euthanized. Bondrewd also transforms other children into 'cartridges' through a torturous process to bypass the Curse of the Abyss, depicting children as sacrifices in a deeply unsettling manner.
Romance and Sexual Content
HighThe series contains unsettling and explicit sexual content, particularly concerning child characters. This includes suggestive situations, frequent discussions and visual focus on child genitalia, implied non-consensual acts or intentions, and the sexualization of young characters often intertwined with themes of body horror and child endangerment.
Reg, a young robot boy, is frequently subjected to 'dick jokes' and explicit references to his genitals. In a highly disturbing scene, the antagonist Bondrewd forcibly strips Reg and performs a physical inspection while making uncomfortable comments and touching his genitals, causing Reg clear distress. Additionally, Riko draws a nude picture of Reg and shows it to other characters. The manga also implies that humanoid creatures in the Abyss have sexual intentions towards a young female character. The physical transformation of Mitty is also described as being 'highly reminiscent of female puberty,' contributing to the unsettling nature of the content.
Scary & Intense Content
HighMade in Abyss is fundamentally a cosmic horror story, featuring pervasive and extreme scary and intense content. This includes significant body horror, psychological torment, existential dread, jump scares, and deeply shocking imagery. This content is central to the narrative, frequently traumatizing, and consistently escalates in intensity.
The 'Curse of the Abyss' causes increasingly horrifying physical and mental degradation, graphically depicting characters' bodies 'shredding apart,' 'warping flesh,' and experiencing extreme pain upon ascent from deeper layers. The character Irumyuui's transformation into a 'mother who birthed monsters' in the second season is described as 'extremely disturbing and shocking.' The entire narrative cultivates an 'existential nightmare' through the complete deformation of humanity, trapping characters in endless suffering, such as Mitty's fate.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumThe series includes characters, notably Nanachi and Marulk, whose genders are intentionally left ambiguous by the author. The creator has stated a preference for avoiding gendered pronouns for these characters in English adaptations to maintain this ambiguity. While not explicitly LGBTQ in a romantic or identity sense, the gender fluidity of these characters is a consistent element. There are no explicitly gay, lesbian, or transgender characters.
Nanachi, a 'hollow' with a unique appearance, is consistently referred to with gender-neutral pronouns in official English translations, reflecting the author's intent for ambiguous gender. Similarly, Marulk, a child character residing with Ozen, presents femininely but uses masculine pronouns in Japanese, with English translations also maintaining gender neutrality or reflecting ambiguity.
Profanity
MediumWhile specific examples of strong expletives are not frequently highlighted in reviews, 'Made in Abyss' carries an R-17+ rating for profanity, indicating the presence of strong language. The dialogue also includes crude humor, such as 'dick jokes,' contributing to a level of profanity that goes beyond mild language.
The TV-MA rating in the United States and the R-17+ rating for profanity explicitly indicate that strong language is present within the series. Discussions surrounding the show's content also mention the inclusion of 'dick jokes' as part of the narrative's humor, which contributes to the overall presence of crude or offensive language.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe main protagonists, Riko and Reg, engage in significant acts of rebellion by defying the strict rules of the orphanage and venturing into the perilous Abyss. While these actions are disobedient, they are driven primarily by a powerful desire for adventure, discovery, and to reconnect with Riko's mother, rather than by malicious intent or disrespect for authority figures.
Riko, an orphan, directly disobeys the orphanage's strict regulations and the warnings of elders by embarking on a dangerous journey into the Abyss, driven by her aspiration to become a White Whistle like her mother, Lyza. This journey is an explicit act of defiance against the established order of the surface world and the rules meant to protect children from the Abyss's dangers.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumWhile 'Made in Abyss' does not overtly mock or oppose Christian beliefs, its dark fantasy setting explores themes and depicts actions that can conflict with Christian values. These include human experimentation, torture, and disregard for life undertaken for exploration or power, without clear moral condemnation within the narrative's immediate context.
The story features 'White Whistles' who are legendary Cave Raiders; their creation can involve a 'sacrifice of oneself' for another, hinting at a ritualistic or transactional value placed on life that differs from Christian doctrine. More significantly, the antagonist Bondrewd performs extensive, horrific human experimentation on children, transforming them into tools ('cartridges') for his research, demonstrating a profound disregard for human dignity and life that directly contradicts Christian ethical teachings.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThe series does not feature traditional witchcraft, sorcery, or overt occult rituals. Its fantastical elements are deeply rooted in the mysterious, almost biological, mechanics of the 'Curse of the Abyss' and ancient artifacts, which operate more as a unique scientific/magical system of the world rather than traditional magic or demonic influences.
The 'Curse of the Abyss' is a physiological phenomenon causing various afflictions upon ascent, becoming more severe with depth, rather than a magical spell or demonic curse. The 'relics' and their powers are presented as advanced ancient technology or natural phenomena of the Abyss, not as items of sorcery or the occult. There are no clear depictions of spellcasting, summoning demons, or explicit occult rituals throughout the series.
Substance Use
LowThere is minimal to no explicit depiction of substance use, such as alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, or smoking, by main characters. Any such instances would likely be incidental background elements rather than central to the plot or character development.
Content reviews and parental guides do not highlight any significant instances of alcohol, drug, or smoking use by characters. The narrative focuses on the dangers of the Abyss, creature encounters, and the physical/psychological toll of the journey, rather than substance abuse as a theme.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Not recommended for anyone under 18. The series carries a TV-MA rating in the United States, along with content warnings for graphic violence, gore, sexual content, and disturbing themes. Parental and fan community reviews consistently advise against it for younger audiences, citing intense body horror, child endangerment, and psychological distress. Later seasons and movies escalate the intensity of these elements.
Additional Notes
The contrast between the cute art style and the extremely graphic, disturbing content is a frequent point of discussion and concern for parents and viewers. The content intensifies significantly in later installments (movies and second season), moving into more explicit body horror and psychological torture.
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