Though it's seemingly a cute and child-friendly series, the Made in Abyss anime is full of gut-wrenching, harrowing storytelling. This has allowed the franchise to go on for over a decade. Soon, the anime and movie versions of the franchise became very popular. Both of these adaptations are still going, as is the manga source material. There's no better time to get into the series in any of its forms. The second season of the Made in Abyss anime, titled The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, dropped in July 2022.

Made in Abyss had already captivated audiences with its beautiful art and deep world building, among other things. As a result, those who missed the bandwagon the first time around might need to do some catching-up. There are some important pieces of media to watch in order for anime viewers to watch in order to fully enjoy Made in Abyss. This includes the initial 13-episode anime series plus three movies, most of which rehash old content in the form of a compilation. Likewise, there's also the most recent season of the Made in Abyss anime, with a third season of the series now on the way.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on November 1, 2023: Since the release of the series' most recent seasons and movie, Made in Abyss has continued to be a popular series. Likewise, there's been another movie announced, making older fans want to rewatch the series while newcomers catch up. As a result, there's more interest in the order of the Made in Abyss film series and its anime, namely in how the two mediums relate to each other.

What to Know About Made in Abyss Before Starting

Riko and Nanachi hold hands whilst standing over a huge precipice
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To decide where to start with the Made in Abyss anime, it's important to know what the story centers on. It begins on the outskirts of the Abyss, an immeasurably deep hole full of monsters, ancient relics, and all sorts of mysterious phenomena. Likewise, it has a tone that seemingly combines fantasy with dark science fiction. In fact, things quickly get dark from the beginning, despite appearances. The main character is Riko, a Cave-Raider-in-training who desires to adventure to the bottom of the Abyss, where her mother is presumably waiting for her.

The voyage to the increasingly dangerous Abyss is a long and arduous journey, but she makes friends who help her along the way. The first person to help is Reg, a cyborg-like being who apparently hails from deep within the Abyss. The two small adventurers are eventually joined by Nanachi, a former human girl who had her body altered by the Curse of the Abyss. It's hard to imagine how these three kids will handle the ever-increasing dangers of the Abyss, but they showcase immense confidence in their arduous journey, despite their many grim circumstances.

Made in Abyss began in 2012 as a manga from Akihito Tsukushi (real name Shigeya Suzuki). The series easily became the creator's most famous work beyond perhaps the third title in the Suikoden video game franchise. Published in the magazine Web Comic Gamma, Made in Abyss and its subsequent anime adaptation are actually meant for the more mature seinen demographic. Again, this makes its seemingly childish, happy-go-lucky art a bit of a misnomer, lulling fans into a sense of calm before its impending dread. Currently, the manga has 12 completed tankobon volumes, and all but the most recent have already been localized in English. The anime adaptation began in 201, and the first season lasted for a total of 13 episodes. This is far from the extent of the franchise, which delivered fans even more episodes and movies.

The Made in Abyss Anime In Chronological Order

Made in Abyss: Season 1 (Including Movies)

The characters from Made in Abyss stand together
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Obviously, the best place to start with the Made in Abyss anime franchise is at the beginning. This is Riko's journey through the first few Layers of the Abyss. The first of the Made in Abyss seasons ran from July to September 2017, and it was produced the animation studio Kinema Citrus. Said studio has also made other popular recent anime, including the three seasons of The Rising of the Shield Hero. At about 24 minutes per episode, watching all of Season 1 can take up to 312 minutes, only a little over five hours. As long as time isn't an issue, watching from here is the best option.

Another potential starting point would be the first Made in Abyss movie, Journey's Dawn. This and the second of the Made in Abyss movies, Wandering Twilight, recap the events of the first season. Journey's Dawn retells the events of the first episodes while adding new animation for the intro. Similarly, the second Made in Abyss compilation movie did the same for the remaining 5 episodes in the first season. By removing the anime's openings, endings, recaps, and a few minor scenes, the runtime is cut down to 227 minutes. There are also brief scenes of original content at the start of each film, though they're best appreciated upon rewatches of the story's events. A few minor details will be missing here and there, but these movies clearly and concisely get across all the key plot points for Season 1 of Made in Abyss.

The third Made in Abyss movie, Dawn of the Deep Soul, features wholly original content. It continues the story right where Season 1 and Wandering Twilight both left things off, as the three young Cave Raiders adventure deeper into the Abyss. Despite the original nature of the story, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul is canon to the manga/anime, making it required viewing in order to be caught up before launching into Season 2.

Made In Abyss Season 2

Reg's Incinerator from Made in Abyss.
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Season 2 of Made in Abyss debuted in July 2022 and picked up with Riko arriving at the sixth layer of the Abyss. The group finds the promised ruins of the Golden City, but living within are strange humanoids known as Hollows. Though everyone senses danger from the Hollows, they are welcomed into the city where they meet Faputa, princess of the Hollows. They also discover the horrific and terrifying origins of the city. The adventure continues on, following an incredibly dark path filled with sorrow and bloodshed.

Made in Abyss can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

The Made in Abyss movies are currently available to stream on Hulu.

Made In Abyss anime cover art with characters fleeing a monster
Made in Abyss
TV-14
Action
Adventure

A girl and her robot companion search for her mother, who's lost within a vast chasm.

Release Date
July 7, 2017
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
2
Creator
Akihito Tsukushi