As is usually the case with movies spawning from anime series, “Dawn of the Deep Soul” is essentially a longer episode with better production values. At the same time, though, since the movie is actually part of the canon of the series and not a separate episode, the quality of both story and artform is at least on the same level with the impressive series, even expanding some of its most crucial elements.
Riko, Reg and their new friend Nanachi, after the events involving the first and Mitty, continue their journey down the Abyss and arrive in the 5th layer. However, in order to proceed, they must ask permission from a notorious White Whistle, Bondrewd the Novel, who was actually the man responsible for the state Nanachi and Mitty were in. The appearance of Prushka, a darling girl who immediately becomes the group's friend and calls Bondrewd father, temporarily lifts their worries, but they soon realize that the ruler of the base is still up to his old tricks, which have actually become even worse. As the group also needs their own white whistle to proceed, a showdown is inevitable.
As we mentioned in the review of the first season, the production values of the series are among the best we have seen in an anime, and even more surprisingly, they have improved for the movie, even if slightly. In that fashion, Kazuchika Kise's character design is even more detailed, finding its apogee in Reg's transformation and Bondrewd's overall sketch, the coloring pop ups even more, and the detail of the background is even more intricate, in a movie that you can just sit and watch every single frame.
Apart from this, however, the brutality and cruelty that was present in the first season goes to an even higher level here, with the torturing of children (including maiming, piercing, even liquefying, closes in on fetishization. This aspect can be perceived as one that adds to the drama and the comment on how grown ups exploit children, through eugenics in this case, but not fully. As such, the title emerges once more as one definitely not for children, with the same actually applying to the overall context here.
Regarding the drama, Prushka's arc and the way she is exploited by Bondrewd adds another level to Nanachi and Mitty's story, with the cruelty of the White Whistle only being matched by his tremendous fighting skills, as Kojima presents him as a genuine villain, a true sociopath who feels no kind of empathy for no one. And talking about his powers, the action element in the movie is much more intense than the series, with a number of battles taking place throughout its duration. The quality is not exactly of epic proportions, but it does remain entertaining while adding to the drama, while Kinema Citrus's animation finds its apogee in these sequences.
Also of note is the way the trio is shaped as a military unit essentially, with Riko providing the theory, Nanachi the practicality, and Reg being the execution instrument, essentially the footsoldier. This approach both allows for further analysis of the characters and their overall role, and works quite well in terms of entertainment, equally in the action scenes and in every obstacle the trio stumble upon in their way.
“Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul” is an excellent movie, and a great sequel to a great series overall.
