The Compass Pointed to the Darkness
The first episode of Made in Abyss Season 2 begins with Vueko, a new female character, reminiscing about the horrors of her past life involving a former fisherman who’d found her. She also ganders at her compass, one of her most valuable possessions. She recalls the story this fisherman would always tell her concerning–the day he found this mysterious compass. ..
While traversing the seas, a captain found an abandoned ship filled with dead human remains. Amongst searching further, he finds a mysterious man who harbors the same compass we see at the episode’s start. Before the man passes away, he tells the fisherman that there’s a man-eating pit (referring to the show’s abyss) that harbors a golden city. Afterward, the fisherman takes the compass, heads back to his ship, and relays this information to Vueko before abusing her. ..
Unfortunately, the leader of the ship treats Vueko poorly and she has dark memories that constantly scar her into her adult years. This leads her to vomit off the ship as we learn that she is now under the guidance of her new leader, Wazukyan. Noticing her pain, Wazukyan reassures Vueko that she shouldn’t apologize for vomiting and shares kind remarks toward her to boost her self-worth.
Wazukyan leaves Vueko to support the others on board. We get introduced to another crewmate named Belaf. Belaf and Vueko discuss Wazukyan’s character and his strong determination to find the Golden City. Despite being deemed as one of the group’s Three Sages, Vueko tells Belaf that she doesn’t feel like she fits the role. He shares some kind words with Vueko to lighten her mood before she’s called to assist with someone’s fever. ..
We transition to nightfall, where the ocean tides are becoming harsher. Wazukyan and Belaf notice several abandoned cargo, insinuating that other crewmates’ ships they were traveling along with didn’t make it out alive. While all seemed lost, Vueko tells them that the compass was acting up, leading to them discovering a solitary island. They land on the island, ushering a brief montage of them climbing one of its highest mountains. They reach the top and discover the abyss (the same abyss our protagonists Reg, Riko, and Nanachi are traversing).
The team arrives at the village, where they meet the tribe’s chief. The chief speaks a different language, but Belaf can understand and translate his words for the others. The chief tells them about the island and its residents, and how they came to be there. He also tells them about a treasure hidden on the island, and how they can get it if they find it.
Vueko decides to trade her compass for the chief’s knowledge due to the chief encountering hostile travelers in the past. Many Lord of the Rings fans will get a kick out of the tribe’s chief calling the compass “precious.” Although Belaf questions Vueko about her decision, she tells him the compass isn’t extraordinary to her, as she’s still searching for that “light in the darkness.” We pan to a shot of a mysterious little girl lurking in the shadows.
The team peers into the abyss. Belaf shares insight about what he attained from the villagers. He states that the Golden City (The Capital of the Unreturned) is deep within it. There’s no chance they’ll return to the surface if they search for it. ..
A mysterious girl appears behind Vueko, and Belaf inspects her body for something. He learns she is marked for exile because she cannot bear children. Despite not wanting her on their travels, Vueko convinces everyone to add her to the team since this girl’s knowledge of the abyss can guide them. Wazukyan accepts Vueko’s offer, and the girl accompanies them on their venture through the abyss. ..
One of Wazukyan’s crewmates falls ill after traveling to the abyss, despite the girl warning one of his crewmates about the pit’s dangers. Belaf translates the girl’s words, which make Wazukyan trust her more. ..
We see Vueko’s group, Ganja, as they head into a portal that leads to Reg, Riko, and Nanachi from the climax of Made In Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul.
We return to the present with Riko, Reg, and Nanachi jumping through a portal. They discuss Bondrewd for a bit before Nanachi tells them they shouldn’t worry about Bondrewd since he can’t do much to them besides peeking in on their journey through Nanachi. Reg hugs Nanachi to thank her before she relays information that they’re currently descending past the “sea of corpses” to reach the abyss’s sixth layer.
Riko asks Nanachi how long it’ll take them to reach the sixth layer. However, Riko finds herself needing to go number one and two. Thankfully, Nanachi and Reg give her some alone time to do her thing. Afterward, Reg notices them reaching their destination and alerts the others. ..
The episode concludes with Wazukyan and Riko’s group first seeing and arriving at the sixth layer of the abyss. ..
The Episode Review
The show begins with a bang, introducing us to new characters and mysteries as we follow the story of Vueko, a caretaker who was abused by her previous employer. The scenes depicting her misconduct are brutal, but it will help viewers sympathize with Vueko and appreciate her new friends’ goodwill.
As the three friends of Riko, Reg, and Nanachi smile and giggle as they consider the brutal altercation they had with Bondrewd, it’s also great to know that Bondrewd’s prescience hasn’t escaped their minds. This gives insight that he may serve a bigger role in the series. Let’s hope it has nothing to do with harming more children.
This episode of “The Crown” had beautiful animation and masterful compositions by Kevin Penkin. These two aspects worked together to deliver an immersive, grand experience from beginning to end.
Although some scenes felt unnecessary to include, the first episode of Season 2 was a lot of fun. I hope this series can keep this momentum going!
