Story : 2/10
Sometimes it speeds up and gets somewhat interesting, sometimes it slows down and gets really boring. The show is basically boring up to episode 6, then somewhat interesting up to episode 9, and then a snoozefest until the end, unless you happen to like the characters, which I didn't. Episode 13 is dedicated to the backstory of 2 characters I honestly couldn't care less about.
The story in Made in Abyss tries to be this grand mystery with multiple intriguing plot lines, but fails at doing so. One of these seemingly important plot points only gets a half of the final episode dedicated to it, the other is a superficial motivation for the main character to go down the Abyss. So the plot ends up relying on the adventures of Riko and Reg, which I must say, are the "interesting" part of the show.
Made in Abyss builds a vast, colourful world that it ends up forgetting to explore. Something that I was wondering while watching this show is "Do other countries exist? Is there anything beyond the mountain-island on which the characters live?", a question to which I didn't get a reply. What does the show actually explore then? The Abyss? Sort of, up to a certain point at which the main characters stop at a layer which happens around episodes 8-9. Thing is, the show starts exploring the world it has built around episodes 3-4, so that's only 4-5 episodes of exploration, in an anime in which the story is held up by the adventures of the main characters. You're left with an empty shell of a promise you were given by the set-up episodes.
All in all, Mady in Abyss is a spark of originality and good ideas with nothing to back those ideas up.
Art: 8/10
Although I'm not a fan of the artstyle, which lowers my mark a tad bit, I must say that the art in Made in Abyss is great. The world is drawn beautifully and down in the Abyss we can witness variety filled scenery in the various levels of the aforementioned shaft. However, since the show stagnates at certain points, some of the this scenery gets old.
The animation isn't outstanding, but for a show made in 2017, it's surprisingly not poor outside of the BD releases. The small chibi characters are easier to animate after all.
Sound: 10/10
The OST is beautiful. The opening has some nice vocals. The ending is catchy. The voice actors all did an amazing job at their characters. This is the one point where Made in Abyss shines.
Character: 4/10
Why am I giving such a low mark to a show that heavily focuses on the relationship and adventures of 2 characters? Simple. 4/10 is for the 4 good characters of this show: Riko, Reg, Ouzen, and Nanachi. I will admit that these 4 are all quite charismatic and memorable. However, I hate kids, so I couldn't stand Riko and Reg most of the time. Ouzen, being one of the 2 characters I actually liked in Made in Abyss should have been developed more. I'd gladly watch an episode dedicated to her rather than the 13th episode which was dedicated to Nanachi and Mitty.
Enjoyment: 4/10
Made in Abyss never made it past the "it's ok" phase for me. It hang during its airtime at a 6, sometimes showing the potential of peaking at a 7, only to nose dive to a 4 with the boring last episode. It's one of the shows I'd switch on in the background while doing something else, only paying about 3/4s of my attention to the show.
Overall: 4/10
Do you like adventure anime? This show isn't for you. Do you like captivating or relatable characters? This show isn't for you. Do you like empty promises? This show might be for you. Do you like eye candy? Watch Made in Abyss, otherwise, don't.
