Made in Abyss Episode 9: Ouzen's Warning and Riko's Stand

Quick Summary of Made in Abyss Episode 9

In Made in Abyss episode 9, “The Great Fault,” Riko and Regu begin their descent and discover that even cute little furry animals can’t be trusted in the Abyss. They also learn that ancient ships embedded in walls are perfect spots for huge creatures — with matching appetites — to make a lair. Finally, Riko learns that there’s one creature that she just can’t stomach.

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious!

What’s In This Post

Quick Episode Summary
3 Favorite Moments
Thoughts
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3 Favorite Moments in Made in Abyss Episode 8

Moment 1: Riko Thought the Madokajack Was Bad…

Made in Abyss Episode 9: Regu and Riko try to escape the crimson splitjaw.

Big lair? Big creature. The crimson splitjaw is back — and he’s angry! Capture from the Amazon Prime stream.

9:15: After blowing off the madokajack’s head, we know that Regu’s going to be unconscious for about two hours to recharge. We’re still on edge after the madokajack’s attack, and what shows up? A crimson splitjaw. Not just any crimson splitjaw; the same one that attacked back in episode 1! It seemed angry, too. The camera shots from Regu’s perspective as he was about to faint (9:50), even as Riko tried to push the neritantans out of their way, drove home in a visceral way just how much danger they were in.

Moment 2: Battle Cry of the Neritantans

12:19: The amakagame is a terrifying creature perfectly adapted to living in the dark tunnels around the Great Fault, isn’t it? A huge mouth and an even larger stomach — simple, effective, but vulnerable to Riko’s knife (thankfully for our heroes)! The “Should be Terrifying but is Cute Instead” award of the week goes to the neritantans for their battle cry prior to attacking Riko. They mistook her for their favorite fruit because she was covered in the amakagame’s stomach juices. The neritantans are small, but if they’re anything like a mink or ermine in our world, their teeth are sharp and in the numbers that were attacking Riko, so she’d be in serious danger. Just another day in the Abyss, huh?

Made in Abyss Episode 9: Riko tries to escape the neritantan

In the Abyss, even the adorable little Tribble-like creatures called neritantans can be deadly. Notice how her light shines off the neritantans in the front row? Capture from the Amazon Prime stream.

Moment 3: The Curse or the Neritantan Horde?

15:19: Riko thought by emerging into another vertical shaft that she’d reached safety. Then she saw the steep incline to the next exit — an incline that went up. She knows what the curse will do to her, but with the neritantan horde closing in, she courageously plunged upwards. I loved how she used her intellect to anticipate and fight the effects of the curse, like when she dismissed the specters of Marulk and Ouzen as hallucinations. She was even able to ignore false images of her friends and mentors. Did you notice, though, which hallucination tripped her up? Her mother Lyza (17:02). That is, until she realized that Regu wasn’t with her in the illusion.

Thoughts about Made in Abyss Episode 8

The Abyss Has a Rich Ecosystem

I’m trying out a new format for my reviews. Instead of listing everything I liked about the episode, I’m forcing myself to limit it to three things. It’s arbitrary, but I hope the new format will keep the reviews shorter and more enjoyable for you to read! It might help me be more creative, too (limits can do that, you know!).

Made in Abyss Episode 9: Riko tries to escape the madokajacks

Madokajacks are yet another example of the rich and interwoven ecology of the Abyss. They make the world more science fiction and less fantasy — and in this case, that’s a good thing! Capture from the Amazon Prime stream.

Two things stood out for me in this episode. First, the realism of the eco-system once again asserted itself. Madokajacks need large lairs, and when grounded, they use their wing-knuckles to run. The little neritantans that are flat so they can stay out of the way of bigger creatures, and because their diet consists of fruits, their meat’s tender. The amakagame use scent to draw in the neritantans, which makes perfect sense in a dark and closed environment. Riko even hurled neritantans into the Fault to distract the larger creatures with food so she and Regu could make it to another cave. All this combines to make the world feel immersive and interesting.

Riko Continues to Grow

The second thing was the huge development in Riko’s character. She now realizes that on her own, she would never make it. I think she intellectually understood this before (like during their survival training), but the knowledge hadn’t sunk into her bones, so to speak. It seemed like events in this episode forced her to internalize that knowledge, like when she said (14:54), “Has it not been two hours yet? Reg, come on and wake up already!” Then, after she saw through the illusionary trip back to Orth with Lyza, Riko collapsed on the ground, her strength finally at its end. She explicitly says to Regu (19:14), “Now I see how hard it is being on your own inside the Abyss… I was being protected by you all along…”

Made in Abyss Episode 9: Riko's growth is inspiring

Riko’s growth this episode was beautiful. It’s the kind of thing I watch anime hoping to see. Capture from the Amazon Prime stream.

And in case we didn’t get the point, Riko sums it up by saying being on her own would have been impossible (20:45).

As if to put an exclamation point on this idea, Riko even tosses her mother’s weapon, Blaze Reap, to Regu so he can finish off the crimson splitjaw. Riko knew that even though the weapon had been her mother’s, Regu would be more adept at using it.

And oh boy, wasn’t she right? Regu dealt the beast a lethal blow. Even after striking the crimson splitjaw, the everlasting gunpowder kept exploding as the beast fell into the Fault. Cool stuff!

What were your favorite moments in this episode? Do you think Riko will become a little more cautious now that she understands herself a little better? Or do you think she’ll keep plunging away? Let me know in the comments!

Made in Abyss Episode 9: Ouzen’s Warning and Riko’s Stand

Quick Summary of Made in Abyss Episode 9

What’s In This Post

3 Favorite Moments in Made in Abyss Episode 8