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Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul

Name: Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul
Director: Masayuki Kojima
Released: 2020
Duration: 105 min

2020

Director

Masayuki Kojima

Runtime

105 minutes

Average Rating

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Synopsis

A continuation of the epic adventure of plucky Riko and Reg who are joined by their new friend Nanachi. Together they descend into the Abyss' treacherous fifth layer, the Sea of Corpses, and encounter the mysterious Bondrewd, a legendary White Whistle whose shadow looms over Nanachi's troubled past. Bondrewd is ingratiatingly hospitable, but the brave adventurers know things are not always as they seem in the enigmatic Abyss.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.8/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The story prioritizes survivalist bonds and platonic companionship over romantic subplots. It avoids traditional heteronormative tropes but lacks explicit markers of non-cisnormative identities.

Gender Representation

Good

Riko serves as a high-agency leader and the primary intellectual driver of the expedition. The film disrupts gender hierarchies by centering female autonomy and curiosity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film uses non-human species as metaphors for social stratification and otherness. Nanachi’s identity explores the experience of being a marginalized, biologically altered being.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The narrative critiques institutional authority and systemic cruelty through figures like Bondrewd. It challenges structured, Western-centric views of morality in favor of complex, situational ethics.

Disability Representation

Good

The Curse of the Abyss serves as a metaphor for chronic, debilitating conditions. Characters navigate the world through the lens of their physical trauma and altered biological states.

Strengths

Strong female agency through Riko's leadership and intellectual drive.
Sophisticated use of non-human characters to explore social marginalization.
Nuanced depiction of physical and psychological trauma as a lived reality.

Areas for Improvement

Lack of explicit LGBTQ+ identity markers or non-cisnormative representation.
Narrative focus remains primarily on platonic and survivalist connections.

AI Analysis

Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul succeeds by using its high-fantasy setting to deconstruct traditional power dynamics. It replaces standard heroic tropes with a framework of systemic struggle and moral ambiguity. The film's strength lies in its ability to explore the psychological and physical toll of exploration. While the film excels in gender agency and metaphorical representation of disability, it remains neutral regarding explicit LGBTQ+ identities. The use of non-humanity to explore social 'otherness' provides a sophisticated layer of diversity that transcends simple ethnic casting.

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