Note: this post contains spoilers for the film and the section of the TV series that the film adapts.
Friday evening at Anime Central featured the premiere of Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight, the second of two films recapping the recent anime series. While I typically don’t go out of my way to watch recap movies for series I’ve already seen, because I enjoyed Made in Abyss so much and because the convention was hosting several staff members who were involved with the film, I thought it might be fun to see how the film differed from the TV version. The premiere was a “red carpet event,” with what I assume was an opportunity for individuals with press passes to interview said staff members. The long line of audience members was directed into the auditorium before any of that took place, however. I did scope out the area earlier in the day, and did my best to act like the movie star I was always meant to be (kidding).
Due to a miscommunication with my husband I actually had to step out of the line as I got to the door and we returned later once we met up again (I realized much later that the auditorium was nowhere near full capacity and I could probably have saved him a seat, but I didn’t know that at the time). Luckily I still got a hold of some special free swag (a clear file featuring several of the characters) that they were passing out to people in line. We re-joined the event just prior to the film starting, so unfortunately had to miss any pre-film conversation with the staff members (though having been to a couple of their panels throughout the weekend, I can assume it was a fun but not groundbreaking conversation). The film started soon after we found our seats.
The film was shown on two large screens on either side of the large main stage. This is something that’s typical of most convention set-ups I know of, and something I wish I had taken into account when we were choosing where to sit. Because we were sitting somewhere in the middle watching the movie on screens that were not raised very high off the ground, and because the film was presented in Japanese with subtitles, it became clear that it was going to be difficult to see and read what we needed to in order to get the full experience. Luckily I’d literally just re-watched the swath of episodes covered in the film over the previous couple of weeks, and my understanding of spoken Japanese is okay, so I could follow what was going on. I think the experience would have been better without having to crane my neck and piece together the dialog, though. This isn’t the fault of the convention by any means, but definitely something to consider if you happen to find yourself in a similar situation.
Film Spoilers Start Here!
The film itself doesn’t provide a lot of new information for those who have already seen the series. It covers the time period from when Riko and Reg leave Ozen’s station on the second layer, up to the conclusion of the anime series. Most of the material from when the duo traverses the third layer (the Great Fault) is cut for time; that part of the anime provides some suspenseful moments, but I understand why it was reduced in the interest of moving things along. The only part I really missed is the portion where Riko is forced to drag Reg’s catatonic body up a slope, and she sees some interesting visions of her mother and Orth as the curse of the Abyss affects her mind. I think this provides some interesting character development for Riko, especially as it relates to her relationship with her mother; the fact that it was taken out in favor of some of the material that was retained says some interesting things about what the storytellers consider a priority to the narrative. Honestly, though, keeping the material intact would have altered the pacing and made the film feel too lengthy (as it stood, I believe it was just a bit longer than 90 minutes).
Most of the remaining “big” moments are left intact, with just a few minutes shaved off here and there to tighten things up for the more limited time frame. My husband commented that he felt as though perhaps the part of the scene where Reg attempts to sever Riko’s poisoned arm was re-edited somewhat to make Reg appear more decisive, though it was subtle enough that I’d have to watch them side-by-side to know for sure. We also do not see Riko’s initial vision of Mitty while she’s comatose; those revelations occur in their entirety after she’s been revived and is speaking to Reg and Nanachi about the experience of feeling trapped inside her own body. I’m of two minds about this change, but I think ultimately it works well to add a little bit of haunting tragedy for those who are not already familiar with the story. For me, it’s always been one of the standout moments of the narrative, so I was happy that it was still utilized.
There was a bit of new material included that fleshed-out an interaction Reg had with Lyza (which I believe was previously only implied), as well as a minute or so that was added to the stinger at the end. The scene following the credits introduces the new character Prushka, a small child (or child-like) character who lives with Bondrewd in his lair on the fifth layer. The characters and their relationships will be important to the next film (or so I believe from the very limited research I’ve done – I don’t want to spoil myself too much!), set to be released in 2020, so this serves as a good bridge between the old and new material.
Film Spoilers End Here!
Audience reaction to the film seemed positive. I thought that most people in attendance would have been familiar with the TV series already, but from some of the chatter I overheard afterward it sounds like this wasn’t necessarily the case. I think some of the strongest opinions I heard were from those individuals who weren’t expecting some of the violence and body-horror the series incorporates, especially during this segment of the story. That’s definitely something to be aware of going in; this is not the cutesy fun adventure one might expect from the advertisements and key art. “Tricking” someone into watching it without them knowing about the potential for shock value seems mean-spirited to me (one person in question exclaimed “I can’t believe you made me watch this on my birthday!”). I always try to give pretty explicit warnings any time I recommend this story to people I know, at least.
After the screening, there was more free swag to be had, including a different clear file, a couple of nice posters, and a lanyard with a whistle (for all of your important cave-diving missions). I didn’t grab one of everything available, but there was definitely plenty to be had for the crowd that attended (and even the people who were just wandering by). There were also packets of tissues with images of Nanachi and Mitty on them – I wish I’d had those before I went into the auditorium! Additionally, there were some interviews being given after the screening on the red carpet outside the auditorium, but I didn’t hang around close enough to hear any of the questions. I have a little bit of an aversion to hanging around “famous” people; I tend to believe they just want to live their lives like everyone else, so I don’t want to be the weirdo hovering around their periphery.
While I enjoyed the experience of attending an “event” screening, it’s definitely something where one’s mileage will vary. There’s a part of me that laughs a little bit at anime fandom’s apparent desire to legitimize itself by throwing (or attempting to throw) Hollywood-style events; this is my personal opinion, but I think the medium and the fandom is perfectly legitimate even without all the pricey events and celebrations that announce its presence to the outside world. That said, it’s always neat to have a little bit of fun, and while I’ve attended a lot of limited-run theatrical anime screenings over the past couple of years, this is the first time I’ve been to one that’s been accompanied by so much extra pomp and circumstance. At the very least, I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to do something new.