Made in Abyss Season 2 Episode 01

The Compass pointed to the Darkness is the first episode of the Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun anime series.

Synopsis
The Episode opens, showing a younger Vueko looking at the Star Compass in her possession, while being under deck of a ship. Gazing at it, she is reminded of the story her horrible, good for nothing foster father used to boast about while abusing her.

It was back in his youth, when he went out to the sea for a shore hunt. He and his crew found a ship sending up smoke in the ocean. After boarding the ship, they quickly found its crew had died in very unnatural ways, with one having burned without any flames around, one having been bisected and another with spilled out organs. Only one crew member had survived, but was so traumatized he couldn't talk anymore. When Vueko's foster father found the Star Compass on the ground and picked it up, the last crew member upon seeing it began to deliriously mutter about the "Golden City" and how his crew "didn't reach it". Shortly afterwards, the crew member died.

Believing he had been chosen to discover this "Golden City", Vueko's foster father used to tell her this story, while abusing her, to remind her he was special while she had no worth.

Remembering this past, combined with the ship's motion, causes Vueko to feel seasick, and she runs up on deck and throws up into the ocean. Wazukyan, the Leader of Vueko's Explorer Squad, jokingly remarks she is getting quite good at vomiting, but also reassures her they will soon reach their destination: the position Vueko's compass points to.

When Vueko questions if she really should be the one holding onto the compass, Wazukyan reassures her before exiting the scene to "catch a mouse!". Belaf tells Vueko not to worry and that Wazukyan may be quirky but wants the best for all of their squad. Vueko, still in self doubt, asks Belaf if someone as ugly as she should really be allowed to be a Sage of their squad, Ganja. Belaf replies that beauty is objective and virtues like pressing forward no matter how hard things get is what he thinks is truly beautiful. As such, he thinks Vueko should give herself more credit and encourages her.

While they continue to travel to their destination, a storm destroys all other ships travelling next to them. After a long journey, they finally reach their destination, which turns out to be the Abyss. They discover a tribe of natives with whom they exchange information. Vueko also gives the Star Compass to the natives and they learn from them the Golden City can be found by descending into the chasm in the middle of the island, the Abyss, but one cannot return back to the surface.

As they prepare to descend into the hole, they notice a child from the natives has followed them. Upon translating a fresh tattoo on the back of the young girl, Belaf tells the rest of Ganja she has been "relinquished to the Abyss" due to being unable to bear children. Vueko suggests to employ her as their guide, and when another Ganja member is suddenly hit by the curse with the child being able to abstractly explain what happened, Wazukyan agrees. As they start delving into the Abyss, Vueko foreshadows the mysteries they saw and the future unexpected developments.

The perspecitve switches to Riko's Group entering the Altar of the Absolute Boundary. Meinya passes through the altar's membrane first, followed by Riko, Reg, and then Nanachi. The altar suddenly begins to descend into the sea, in response to Riko rubbing Prushka's stone.

Nanachi warns her not to touch it again while they are moving. The group sees a massive sea creature pass by. The altar then passes through a layer that appears to be nothing but piles of bones and corpses. Riko happily states that they are now beginning their Last Dive. The descent takes longer than expected, and after watching Meinya relieve itself, Riko admits she has to do the same and isn't sure if she can wait. Reg encourages her to do it at once, since they have no idea what awaits in the 6th layer, and the scent of incense from the altar will mask the smell.

The altar lands in the 6th layer and the group finds the ruins of a city.

Adapted From

 * Volume 6, Chapter 39: Capital of the Unreturned
 * Volume 8, Chapter 48: The Compass pointed to the Darkness

Character Appearances

 * Ajapoka
 * Belaf
 * Irumyuui
 * Minor Characters
 * Meinya
 * Nanachi
 * Reg
 * Riko
 * Vueko
 * Wazukyan

Bestiary Indexing

 * Meinastilim
 * Unknown Creatures

BGM (Background Music Used in this Episode)

 * GRAVITY (opening version ft. Arnór Dan)