Made in Abyss: Journey's Dawn

Adapted from Akihito Tsukushi's manga by Kinema Citrus, this first film compiles the opening half of the television series into a theatrical presentation ahead of the sequel film. Made in Abyss is notorious for pairing charming, storybook-influenced visuals with genuinely disturbing body horror and loss, a contrast that became the franchise's defining trait. Kevin Penkin's orchestral score is widely praised as one of the finest in modern anime, and the series has built an intensely devoted following on the strength of its uncompromising cruelty. Its gentle opening makes the eventual cruelty land considerably harder than expected.