Made in Abyss Season 1, Episode 10 Review

The fourth layer, the Goblet of Giants

Reg and Riko begin to head down towards the fourth layer, the Goblet of Giants. Riko quickly displays her knowledge of the new layer’s plant life, however, while Riko is excited, Reg is concerned. This layer will cause such a strain that you will “bleed out of every orifice in your body.” Reg feels the presence of a creature, it turns out to a “orbed-piercer” that has spines that can penetrate steel. They are also covered in poison, Reg and Riko attempt to escape, but the orbed-piercer catches up to them.

Reg and Riko vs the Orbed-piercer

The orbed appears to be more intelligence than originally thought. It prevents Reg and Riko from fleeing, while blocking the blaze reap. Riko gives the scaled umbrella to Reg, he uses it to block the orbed attack, but pierces the umbrella and Riko’s hand, poisoning her. Reg ties a rope around Riko’s arm to prevent the poison from spreading, the blaze reap is submerge under water and he can’t use his incinerator or he’ll faint. Reg’s only choice is to flee upwards, as the orbed prepares to strike he yells distracting it, then uses his arm to pull them up.

Riko poisoned

Riko begins to hallucinate, the curse of the abyss causes the poison to be “expelled” from Riko’s body, however, then her blood begins to pour out of her eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Meanwhile, Riko’s hand turns purple and begins to swell. Riko tells Reg to cut her hand off, she tells him that he needs to break the bone first, then cut it. Riko begins to turn pale and stops breathing, as Reg’s is crying an odd looking creature appears and tells him to perform CPR.

The creature introduces itself, as Nanachi a hollow.  This episode was intense and harsh. Normally I would assume that Riko would always be okay regardless of what happens but even though she will survive this ordeal she won’t be the same. The breaking of her arm was hard to watch, but at the same time adds to the series realness and since of urgency. Reg and Riko have also lost several item intended to help them survive, making them more helpless than they were before. I don’t think this Nanachi is trustworthy but Riko and Reg need it to survive.