Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is the second season outing of the action-adventure anime series with a cute and colorful animated world. Created by Akihito Tsukushi, Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is a vibrant landscape of animation with a touch of charm added to the equation. The series features animation produced by Kinema Citrus (The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, The Rising of The Shield Hero). The original voice cast includes Mariya Ise, Shiori Izawa, and Miyu Tomita.

Reg (Mariya Ise), Riko (Miyu Tomita), and Nanachi (Shiori Izawa) embark on a new mission and it is one that none can return from. The venture takes them in to the sixth layer of the strange Abyss. This is a territory known as the Last Dive. There is no one with any knowledge about what happens to those individuals who trek beyond and go this route. Despite the special possession of a white whistle, the experience is one full of obstacles.

Reg, Riko, and Nanachi continue onward in the sixth layer and find it truly might be the path of no reversal. The path is full of unexpected dangers, overwhelming obstacles, and terrifying creatures. As the trip expands, the golden city enters the equation. The trio must now find themselves investigating the city as well as the inhabitants that reside within. Can the mystery of the Golden City of the Scorching Sun be solved?

The Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun series has a charming cast of characters at the forefront of the storytelling. This is one of the reasons the series is such a delightful series for fans of the program. The central cast includes Reg, Riko, and Nanachi.

These characters are compelling and fit the storytelling threshold well. The main characters are partly so compelling because the character design element is exceptional. Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun features character design work by Kazuchika Kise (Blood-C: The Last Dark, Ghost in the Shell: Arise) and Yuka Kuroda. These design elements certainly showcase a side to the characters that welcomes imagination – the audience will appreciate these components of the characterizations and the distinct art style used for the designs themselves.

The animation is exquisite and one of the central strengths of the series. The production features stellar art direction by Osamu Masuyama (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Miyori in the Sacred Forest) and Teru Sekiguchi (Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout). Under the chief animation direction of Ga Young Park (The Rising of The Shield Hero Season 2, Cardfight!! Vanguard overdress) and Yuka Kuroda (Accel World, Sword Art Online II), Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is something unique in the anime realm – providing a bright, colorful, and imaginative animation style imbued with creative elements. The series doesn’t fit a cookie-cutter aesthetic and has a more charming style that recalls the likes of cute Nintendo games. A more creative approach than a typical series of this genre.

The cinematography by Tsunetaka Ema (I'm Quitting Heroing, Strike Witches) is a compelling element of the series, too. The cinematography for Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun provides plenty of class. The visual element of the series is essential to the production. Colors are robust looking and the use of lighting is well handled for this tale. The end result is a production with a more creative, energized, and compelling aesthetic than a typical series in this threshold of the genre.

The score composed by Kevin Penkin (The Rising of The Shield Hero, Tower of God) is compelling fun and adds a sense of charm to the series that may have been missing otherwise. Penkin is a talented composer and someone with a good understanding of the concept and what the series needed musically. The score certainly adds a sense of whimsy to the storytelling and this is a good aspect of the production – providing something fun and breezy to expand the arena of the series.

Written by Hideyuki Kurata (Maria the Virgin Witch, Samurai Flamenco), Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun continues the adventures of the central cast of characters. Kurata has fun exploring this universe. The tale has a sense of ambition while aiming to please established fans of Made in Abyss. The end result is something that feels cohesive with the preceding season – the style is similar and audiences will appreciate the consistency.

Directed by Masayuki Kojima (A Spirit of The Sun, Tibetan Dog), Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun expands on the journey of Made in Abyss. Fans of the franchise will be pleased in seeing the continuing journey of the anime saga. Kojima has a good time building on the blocks of the original, expanding the production with a sense of creativity and ambition. The aesthetic is essential to the series and Kojima understands this and caters the colorful production to the audience seeking more fun in this world.

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sentai Filmworks, Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun is presented in 1080p MPEG- 4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation on the release is exceptional and the encoding provides viewers with a quality viewing experience.

Color reproduction is excellent on the Blu-ray release. The encode quality is similarly impressive and the animation is well preserved as a result. The native high-definition animation looks robust and far more immersive than a standard-definition upscale would have yielded by comparison. The presentation is superior to streaming options with a healthier bit-rate encode. This is one of the reasons Blu-ray is superior to streaming video services as the presentation quality remains higher (with better quality encoding methods and a more consistent video stream – and no worry of an unexpected dip in the presentation quality, either).

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles). The lossless audio provided on the release is a worthwhile element of the presentation. The lossless encoding capably preserves the soundstage of the series.

The release benefits from including both the original language version and the English dub option. Fans of Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun will find the audio presentation satisfying (with good dialogue reproduction and excellent clarity for the score and soundstage). A good effort from Sentai Filmworks.

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release doesn't come jam-packed with bonus features but it does include a few worthwhile inclusions (such as a short film). Though the set might have benefited from audio commentaries, making-of documentaries, and slideshow galleries, the included extras are still of note. See below:

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 1:32)

Together With Papa (Short Film) (HD, 6:44)

Japanese Promos (HD, 3:20)

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Made in Abyss – The Golden City of the Scorching Sun continues the epic odyssey of the hit anime series. The series has such a colorful and artistic animation style. The animation is key to the production and one of the key reasons audiences connected with the original and will continue to want to explore the realm of the series here (with the return of the franchise). The series has a good voice-cast, too – with Mariya Ise, Shiori Izawa, and Miyu Tomita adding to the series charm.

The Blu-ray release from Sentai Filmworks includes a solid high-definition presentation and a lossless audio sound presentation. The high-quality audio on the release is excellent and one of key reasons potential buyers may wish to pick up the release. The set also includes a small selection of extras, including a short film entitled Together With Papa. Recommended.