Made in Abyss Chapter 67 Discussion

this one took so long when is the next chapter coming out

I think this chapter is one of the most important ones in the series (and it has very little to do with Nanachi)

The abyss, most likely, is the amalgamation of souls, or more particularly the collective unconscious. Souls don't exist outside of Orth/the abyss because the collective unconscious resides in the abyss. Every 2000 years, the abyss overflows due to the amount of collective unconsciousness built up which causes the curse (or the curse itself is the unconscious) to leak out. This is also further supported by a psychologist named Jung who described the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind as basically an abyss that could be an inspiration for the series.

The abyss judges the conscious and unconscious mind instead of what actually is. For instance, the orphans likely were assigned their birthdates due to fallen parents. That date isn't their real birthdate. however, they still die on that day. That's because their conscious mind believes that is their birthday. The fact that Riko and the others do not know what time it is actually protects them from this. Furthermore, we can also see this pattern in a previous arc with the value of objects. Riko's attachment to Meinya, a squished creature, holds more weight in the abyss's eyes than any treasure, solely because of her unwavering belief in its value, not because of what its objective value actually is. Kajyu mentions that those who believe their own lies have that has their true truth. Therefore, a lot of the consequences of the abyss result purely based on how one's mind perceives it rather than how it actually is.

So, why does this matter? Well, it would give a reasonable explanation for why Riko is actually likely to make it to the bottom. Riko is optimistic, a little oblivious (maybe intentionally!), and unaware of the surface's current time. These would all be protective factors for why a childlike wonder would actually benefit someone down to the abyss's deepest parts. If Riko does not know the time, then she cannot succumb to the birthday death disease. Riko is flawed which ironically makes her protected.

I think this chapter is one of the most important ones in the series (and it has very little to do with Nanachi)

The abyss, most likely, is the amalgamation of souls, or more particularly the collective unconscious. Souls don't exist outside of Orth/the abyss because the collective unconscious resides in the abyss. Every 2000 years, the abyss overflows due to the amount of collective unconsciousness built up which causes the curse (or the curse itself is the unconscious) to leak out. This is also further supported by a psychologist named Jung who described the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind as basically an abyss that could be an inspiration for the series.

The abyss judges the conscious and unconscious mind instead of what actually is. For instance, the orphans likely were assigned their birthdates due to fallen parents. That date isn't their real birthdate. however, they still die on that day. That's because their conscious mind believes that is their birthday. The fact that Riko and the others do not know what time it is actually protects them from this. Furthermore, we can also see this pattern in a previous arc with the value of objects. Riko's attachment to Meinya, a squished creature, holds more weight in the abyss's eyes than any treasure, solely because of her unwavering belief in its value, not because of what its objective value actually is. Kajyu mentions that those who believe their own lies have that has their true truth. Therefore, a lot of the consequences of the abyss result purely based on how one's mind perceives it rather than how it actually is.

So, why does this matter? Well, it would give a reasonable explanation for why Riko is actually likely to make it to the bottom. Riko is optimistic, a little oblivious (maybe intentionally!), and unaware of the surface's current time. These would all be protective factors for why a childlike wonder would actually benefit someone down to the abyss's deepest parts. If Riko does not know the time, then she cannot succumb to the birthday death disease. Riko is flawed which ironically makes her protected.