Netflix has no shortage of dark fantasy, with The Sandman, Castlevania, and Delicious in Dungeon giving fans plenty to watch. But one of the modern era’s most unforgettable dark fantasy series is strangely missing from Netflix’s US library. Made in Abyss streams on Netflix in select international territories, but American viewers need a subscription to HIDIVE, Sentai Filmworks’ rival anime platform, to watch it. That’s a frustrating gap for a series that has earned a reputation for pushing dark fantasy to some seriously uncomfortable places.
Created by Akihito Tsukushi and animated by Kinema Citrus, Made in Abyss has two acclaimed television seasons and the canonical sequel movie Dawn of the Deep Soul. Its newest theatrical sequel, Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery, also arrived in Japanese theaters on October 23, 2026. Yet the biggest reason this anime sticks with viewers isn’t its expanding franchise.
The adorable character designs and lush, Studio Ghibli-style backgrounds make it look like a harmless children’s fantasy. That couldn’t be further from the truth. With a TV-MA rating and an R15+ theatrical rating in Japan, Made in Abyss is packed with brutal body horror and psychological trauma. This is one fantasy series that makes its cute art style look seriously deceptive.
HIDIVE’s Made in Abyss Is The Brutal Dark Fantasy Masterpiece Netflix US Completely Missed
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What makes Made in Abyss so terrifying isn’t just the monsters lurking underground, but the fact that the Abyss itself is practically a death trap. The massive pit stretches over 20,000 meters into the Earth, with seven layers that become increasingly dangerous the further explorers descend. And unlike most fantasy adventures, simply turning around and heading home isn’t an option. The deeper someone goes, the worse the consequences of climbing back up become.
That’s thanks to the Curse of the Abyss, an invisible force that makes ascending a nightmare. The first layer causes mild dizziness, but by the fourth, blood starts pouring from the body. The fifth can strip away all five senses, while the sixth can turn explorers into mutated creatures called Hollows. Even Riko and Reg’s encounter with the poison-spined Orb Piercer in season 1 is so brutal that Reg is forced to consider amputating Riko’s badly injured arm.
But the real horror comes from the people who understand the Abyss and exploit its rules. Bondrewd, a White Whistle scientist, turns orphans into living cartridges to protect himself from the curse. Meanwhile, revelations about Riko’s birth, Reg’s mysterious origins, and the ancient skeletons found praying underground keep raising questions about what actually lies at the bottom. Season 2’s Golden City arc only makes those mysteries stranger, giving Made in Abyss the kind of worldbuilding that makes every horrifying discovery worth following.
The Horrifying Truth About The Bottom Keeps The Made in Abyss Mystery Completely Addictive
The less a newcomer knows before watching Made in Abyss, the better. Part of the fun is slowly uncovering the secrets buried beneath the Abyss, with every discovery making the world feel stranger and more dangerous. But the series isn’t just about watching its characters suffer. Riko and Reg’s growing group of companions gives the story plenty of heart, even when things get downright horrifying.
Nanachi, the fan-favorite blessed Hollow, quickly becomes one of the series’ most memorable characters, while Faputa, the immortal Princess of the Hollows, brings plenty of emotional weight to season 2. These aren’t just side characters thrown in to help the main duo. Their pasts and connections to the Abyss make the world feel much bigger than Riko and Reg’s expedition.
Noticeably, viewers need to follow a strict watch order to get the full story: after finishing the 13-episode season 1, viewers must watch the canonical third movie, Dawn of the Deep Soul (skipping the first two recap films), before starting season 2, The Golden City of the Scorching Sun. With the brand-new sequel film trilogy kicking off in Japan with Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery, Netflix US truly missed out on licensing an all-time dark fantasy masterpiece, making a HIDIVE subscription well worth it for genre fans.
Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss is an adventurous fantasy series set on a remote island with the Abyss, a deep, mysterious chasm filled with relics and creatures. Riko, an aspiring explorer, discovers a peculiar robotic boy in the upper levels, and together they embark on a perilous journey into the Abyss.
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