Abyss-olutely Wild: Made in Abyss is Dragging Us Back into the Depths (And I'm Terrified, in a Good Way)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
The critically acclaimed (and terrifying) anime series *Made in Abyss* is set to return with a new film series, with the first installment slated for 2026, bringing back its beloved (and traumatized) original cast and creative team for another descent into its beautiful, brutal depths.
Right, so you know that feeling when you’ve meticulously explored every last, nitty-gritty corner of a game world, defeated the final boss, delved into every hidden lore tablet, and then, just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone whispers, 'But what about *this* secret door?' That’s pretty much how I felt when word dropped that the *Made in Abyss* anime franchise is getting a brand-spanking-new series of films.
Bloody hell, just thinking about it gives me the delightful shivers. For the uninitiated, *Made in Abyss* is that rare beast of an anime that manages to be simultaneously adorable, breathtakingly beautiful, and utterly, soul-crushingly brutal. It's a dark fantasy epic centred around a mysterious, colossal geological formation known only as the Abyss – a place that sucks in adventurers with its wondrous, reality-bending layers, only to spit them out (or, more often, turn them into amorphous blobs of despair) if they dare ascend too quickly.
This nugget of news, originally reported by Isaac Rouse over at Polygon, has certainly got my digital gears whirring. The first part of this new film series is slated to hit theatres in 2026. Two thousand twenty-six! That’s enough time to theoretically descend a few layers of the real-world Abyss, perhaps pick up a cursed artifact or two, and *maybe* make it back before the premiere. Or, more likely, just enough time to binge the existing series another five times and prepare your emotional fortitude.
Now, here’s the bit that really gets my circuits buzzing with cautious optimism: most of the cast and staff from the original anime series are set to return. We’re talking about studio Kinema Citrus, the wizards behind the show’s distinctive visual style, and director Masayuki Kojima, whose masterful hand guides us through the Abyss's wondrous and horrifying landscapes. Hideyuki Kurata is also back on series composition, which means the narrative threads should remain as deliciously tangled and terrifying as ever. Crucially, the original voices for Reg, Riko, Nanachi, and Faputa are all returning for the film. That’s massive, mate. It means the core essence, the very *soul* of these characters – and their collective trauma – will remain intact. No weird recasts to throw off your internal sanity meter.
Of course, it wouldn't be *Made in Abyss* without introducing new reasons for existential dread. An official image of the upcoming movie features two new characters named Tepaste and Cravagli. Who are they? Friends? Foes? More unfortunate souls destined for a deeply unpleasant fate? Given this series’ track record, I’m leaning towards 'something that will make you question your life choices and why you enjoy this beautiful, painful story so much.'
For those who haven’t yet taken the plunge (pun absolutely intended), *Made in Abyss* first graced our screens with a 13-episode TV series back in July 2017. It was an immediate cult hit, adapting Akihito Tsukushi’s equally dark and captivating manga. Its second season, *Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun*, aired in July 2022, concluding with a one-hour finale that left many of us staring blankly at our screens, wondering if we’d ever truly recover. (Spoiler: We haven't.)
This isn’t the franchise’s first rodeo on the silver screen either. Before *The Golden City of the Scorching Sun*, two recap movies helped refresh memories, leading up to the 2020 release of *Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul*. That film adapted the Ido Front Arc and, believe me, it was a brutal, beautiful, and deeply unsettling experience. It premiered in Japan in January 2020, raking in over 102 million yen (approx. $929,300 at the time) during its opening weekend – a decent haul for a niche anime film, showing the dedication of its fanbase. It later made its way to select U.S. and Canadian theaters, albeit with a COVID-related delay, because even global pandemics respect the Abyss’s power to make plans go awry.
So, what does this all *mean* for us, the curious gaming enthusiasts who appreciate a good narrative, whether it’s in pixels or exquisitely animated frames? Well, for one, it's a testament to the power of a genuinely compelling, original story. *Made in Abyss* thrives on exploration, discovery, and the high stakes of an unknowable world – tropes that resonate deeply with anyone who’s ever spent hundreds of hours in an RPG, meticulously charting maps and dreading what lies around the next corner. It’s like a roguelike, but with more emotional scarring.
The return of the original creative team is the real gold here. Too often, when a successful property gets new instalments, especially films, it feels like a corporate cash grab, a cynical attempt to milk a franchise dry. But with Kojima, Kinema Citrus, and the original voice cast on board, it feels less like a desperate scramble for yen and more like a continued artistic journey. They clearly have more stories to tell, more depths to explore, and more ways to make us question the very nature of humanity and what happens when you stare into the void (and the void stares back with unsettlingly cute eyes).
There's a gentle skepticism, of course. Can they maintain the incredible quality, the unique blend of wonder and horror, without diluting what makes *Made in Abyss* so special? Each descent into the Abyss has felt more dangerous, more profound, and more visually inventive than the last. The bar is incredibly high. But if any creative team can pull off another journey into the truly bizarre and beautiful, it’s this one.
For now, if you’re itching to catch up or just want to re-experience the unique brand of terror and wonder, *Made in Abyss*, both compilation films, and *Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul* are all streaming on HIDIVE. Get ready, mates. The Abyss awaits, and it’s probably got something new and disturbing planned for us.
Tags: Anime, Dark Fantasy, Exploration, Narrative, Film Adaptation
Original article: Polygon