Warning: the following article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Made in Abyss and the 2020 film Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul.
Made in Abyss is finally returning from hiatus with a new trailer promising a Season 2 in Winter 2022. The popular and critically acclaimed adventure series originally aired in 2017, with two summary films released afterward and the movie Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul continuing the anime storyline in 2020. The lure of treasures and adventures in the deep hole in the ground known as the Abyss will continue in Season 2 with a whole new arc and characters to enjoy, but for those without the time to rewatch all of Season 1, here is a brief summary of Made in Abyss and where Dawn of the Deep Soul left off.
The story so far focuses on Riko, whose mother, Lyza, was an Abyss Cave Raider who achieved the highest ranking, White Whistle. However, she has not been seen for ten years and Riko herself was floated up out of the Abyss as a baby to reach the town above, where she was taken in at an orphanage. Riko dreams of going into the Abyss and one day, while exploring the upper regions, comes across a cyborg boy named Reg who can't remember his past but looks to have come from deep in the Abyss. Soon after, a message from Lyza arrives at the top -- it contains her White Whistle, a drawing of Reg and a note saying that she is waiting at the bottom of the Abyss. Riko is determined to go join her mother, and Reg might be the only being who can keep her alive for the journey. The two set off, completely unprepared for what is to come.
The Abyss has six known layers, each more perilous than the last. While the entirety of the Abyss is filled with danger, things don't become truly deadly until the duo reach the fourth layer, where a creature's attack stings Riko with lethal poison. Riko tells Reg to cut her arm off, but he only manages to break it before attempting to drag Riko upwards to safety, but there is another danger to being so far in the Abyss -- when someone attempts to travel back upwards, they begin to die. Blood starts spilling out of Rika's orifices and she stops breathing, which is when Nanachi, a humanoid creature who resembles a rabbit, makes her appearance.
Despite her skills at staying alive in the Abyss, Nanachi's story is a tragic one, and one she does not give lightly. She and her blobby, mute companion, Mitty, were once children sent down into the Abyss and then rapidly brought back up as part of a series of experiments done by the White Whistle Bondrewd. It was the rapid ascent through the Abyss that transformed Nanachi and Mitty, and Mitty was then subjected to cruel experiments that left her misshapen and in constant pain until Nanachi rescued her and fled into the Abyss. Once Riko recovers, Nanachi decides to join their descent, but only after Reg is able to kill Mitty and end her pain.
The events of the movie, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul, are about the trio's attempt to bypass Bondrewd to gain access to the sixth and final known layer of the Abyss. To their surprise, Bondrewd welcomes them into his base, along with his daughter Prushka, whom Riko strikes up an immediate bond with. However, the true purpose of the welcome is to examine Reg, as he is a product of the lowest layers of the Abyss, and he is abducted and mutilated while Nanachi has to face her history with Bondrewd and the fact that, in her fear of him, she helped him develop a way to use people as a power source -- stored in a handy little box -- to enhance his strength.
When Prushka learns of what happened to Reg, she helps the three escape, but since Riko does not have her own White Whistle, they are unable to pass into the sixth layer. This ends in an ultimate confrontation with Bondrewd where he is defeated but Riko makes the terrible discovery that Prushka had been torn apart for Bondrewd to use as fuel during the fight. Prushka does manage to spit out a piece of her bone, which is what creates a White Whistle for Riko and allows her, Reg and Nanachi to continue down into the sixth layer.
Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun will feature some all new characters alongside the original trio and perhaps shed light on the mysteries, curses and blessings of the Abyss. Lyza's whereabouts, Reg's origin and the reason behind the sickness affecting those in the city above are all burning questions going forward, as well as what the sixth layer has in store for the motley crew of Cave Raiders.
Made in Abyss can be streamed on HIDIVE and Amazon Prime. Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul can be streamed on HIDIVE.
