Concealment
In the fifth episode of Made In Abyss Season 2, Reg explores the warped structures in hopes of finding a way back to the village. After he spots some wildlife, Reg encounters the Turbinid Dragon and engages it in combat. Recalling Riko’s warnings from episode two, Reg tries to run away from the beast. However, the dragon catches up to him and begins to attack. ..
Reg was trying to leave the Turbinid Dragon’s habitat, but it was attacking him. Faputa, the bulky companion, saved Reg from falling.
Reg thanks the bulky being for saving him and tells him he would love to chat, but he must return to his friends. Before departing, the bulky being warns Reg that he’s going in the wrong direction and that he and his friends need to leave the village immediately because both Faputa, and it is very dangerous. The bulky being also states that he cannot stop or protect them from both. ..
Reg travels with the bulky individual to avoid getting lost again. As they travel, the bulky individual protects Reg from wild animals. He also shares some information regarding Faputa and her various ways of testing Reg to see if he was the boy she remembered from the past. This individual informs Reg that he must recover his “missing data” on his own as he has no information about Reg or his past endeavours.
This individual classifies Reg and itself as an Interference Unit, designed to observe and touch things to gather knowledge. This unit explains that every lair houses a different Interference Unit, but he cannot attain knowledge of their whereabouts because transmissions have ceased for a while. He theorizes that the others may have malfunctioned or have been taken away by some unknown entities. He also tells Reg that they are similar design-wise but aren’t known for crossing layers.
Reg asks the bulky unit about his creation, but the unit informs him that he doesn’t have that information. However, since Reg is a special interference unit, he should be able to uncover that information himself. As they conversate, they arrive near Iruburu Village. We also receive a name for it from the bulky unit. It’s called Iruburu Village. ..
Meanwhile, Riko and Maa are chatting with the Hollow Sage Wazukyan at the diner from the previous episode. They share some subtle discussions regarding each’s meals and some remarks regarding the village’s crude residents. Wazukyan informs Riko that not all of them are evil and that most of the residents mean well. The diner’s chef informs Riko about the Three Sages’ boss-like status and how they are responsible for Iruburu’s creation. After finishing his meal, Wazukyan leaves.
Riko visits Doguupu, a place within the eye of the village, to learn more about their language. She writes down all the words she learns there, and leaves with a new understanding of their culture and way of life.
Riko and Maa head into a tunnel, only to find themselves in the presence of some sludge-balancing monsters. Riko is worried about what this means for them, but before she can enter one of the tunnels, she hears a faint voice coming from behind them.
She is surprised to find out that she is not human anymore and that she has been living inside the monsters for years. Riko is thrilled to find another human in the sixth layer and bombard her with multiple questions. Vueko looks shocked. She replies to Riko with her name and informs her that she no longer feels human.
Riko is curious about Vueko, the human who told her that she could find a balance monster in her language. Vueko tells her that she likes to sing and name the balancing monsters, and has not talked to another human in ages. Riko tries asking her questions in Iruburu’s language, but Vueko stops her in her tracks. Vueko informs Riko that she got a signal from one of them and that she can guide her to that individual.
“Before she can guide her to one of her friends, Vueko tells Riko that she needs to free Riko from these monsters’ grasp. Riko asks Vueko if she considers herself a terrible person. Vueko explains that the village is rooted in evil and that she played a hand in shaping it that way.”
Although she opposed things turning this way, the others thought differently, resulting in Vueko getting sealed away into Doguupu. She also states that she watched Iruburu through its “signals.” She argues Iruburu isn’t as bad as it was in the beginning but feels her punishment was justified because she was driven by greed and wanted to become something beyond human. ..
Riko ignores Vueko’s dissatisfaction with herself and frees her while demanding that Vueko help her find Reg and Nanachi. Vueko, Riko, and Maa leave Doguupu and head back into Iruburu. Vueko takes in the scenery and notes that it’s been a while since she last saw it.
Riko and Veuko find themselves in Iruburu as they explore the city. Riko notices that the city is becoming more lively, likely due to an event called the Luring. Before they could question Vueko about it, they arrive at Belaf of the Three Sages’ house. Vueko tells Riko that she can’t go inside because she doesn’t want them to know that she left Doguupu. Riko doesn’t fret since Maaaa will be by her side.
Belaf tells Riko that Nanachi sold herself as value to buy Mitty from him. Riko is shocked and asks why she would do that. Belaf tells her that she was willing to sell herself for less than the price Mitty was worth, so she could have Mitty. Riko is horrified and asks what he means. Belaf tells her that he found Mitty on the streets and decided to sell her to make money.
Belaf has taken Mitty’s essence, and he is using her to satisfy his own desires. Majikaja feels guilty about everything as he is responsible for bringing Nanachi to Belaf. He declares that Nanachi didn’t like how Belaf was feasting on Mitty’s essence with his suction eyes. She rushed over to Mitty’s need and declared that she would give herself up to Belaf if this would prevent him from causing Mitty harm.
Belaf confirms to Riko how Mitty ended up in his possession. He tells her that he found her when he was looking for Nanachi and Mitty. He says that he wants to help them both get back to their own lives, but they need to be careful about who they trust.
Belaf and his associates approached Mitty with a container. Belaf realized Mitty’s high value and wanted her for himself. However, Bondrewd wouldn’t trade Mitty for anything. This forced Belad to pay heavy compensation to receive an Iruburu-born Mitty for himself. He says he sacrificed 724 of his limbs, 50% of his body length, and a position of his sensory organs to get a perfect copy of Mitty–from her body to her soul. This is what Nanachi sacrificed herself for as compensation.
Riko contemplates what she will give Belaf in compensation for freeing Nanachi and Mitty. She tries betting a piece of her equipment, hair, and nails with Belaf, and exclaims that he’s being a bit greedy with his choices. Although he agrees, Belaf doesn’t find Riko’s offerings adequate for him to fork over Nanachi and Mitty. ..
Belaf offers Riko three options for freeing Nanachi: giving her eyes, legs, or half of her innards. The episode concludes with Riko shaking in fear. ..
The Episode Review
In the fifth episode of Made In Abyss’s second season, we continue to receive more lore and questions to ponder. We receive some snippets of information regarding Reg and some intel about Vueko’s and Faputa’s bulky companion’s circumstances. We also learn about the village’s name and see some stakes being raised for our characters. ..
In this episode, we learn that Reg is an Interference Unit tasked with collecting information about one of the abyss’s specified layers through physical and visual means. We learn that Faputa’s robotic companion is also an Interference Unit with similar properties to Reg and that they come from different creators. Although I enjoyed learning more about Reg’s past, I felt the episode strayed too quickly from that direction. ..
When Reg and Faputa’s robot friend arrive, all communication between the two ceases in order to focus on Riko and Maa’s shenanigans at the diner. It would have been interesting to learn more about Faputa’s robot friend, its creator is not disclosed, but it seems like it was withholding information about its creator, designated name, and where it was built. ..
Although the bit with Riko learning Iruburu’s language with the diner shop worker was wholesome, we could have gotten something grander. On the other hand, I enjoyed Riko’s portrayal in this episode more than in the previous episodes. The past episodes depicted her in this “damsel in distress” role that would have made things dull if it continued. Granted, Riko’s in a tight predicament at the end of the episode regarding her gamble with Belaf. However, this episode showcases more of Riko’s great communication skills and charm.
unlike Faputa’s friend, I feel the episode gave us enough titbits regarding Vueko and how she ended up in Doguupu. While her personality remains the same, she does not feel as courageous as in the first episode. I argue the brief scene of Faputa screaming during one of Vueko’s stories indicates we will receive more intel about her and the Ganja down the road.
I feel that this episode holds up well visually-outside of Belaf’s character design. It looks utterly choppy, sluggish, and slightly ruins immersion for me. Majikaja benefits from it, but Belaf cannot. I’m hoping future episodes will make better use of Belaf’s design or scrap it for a more traditionally animated approach. ..
This was a great episode. Hopefully, future installments will explore Reg and Iruburu’s past more, as well as fixing some of the animation and visual errors. ..
