TRAILER:
SYNOPSIS:
The story is centered around an orphan girl named Riko who lives in the town of Orth on an island in the sea of Beoluska. The city surrounds a strange, giant hole going deep into the earth, which is commonly called the Abyss. The Abyss harbors artifacts and remnants of a civilization long gone, and is therefore the popular hunting spot for so-called Cave Raiders, who undertake arduous and dangerous descents into the mist-filled pit to recover whatever relics they can find. Returning from the Abyss, however, can be dangerous, as "the Curse of the Abyss," a mysterious and potentially fatal malady, manifests upon ascension. The deeper one goes, the more acute the effects of the curse; few who have descended into the lower regions have returned to tell of their experiences. Some legendary Cave Raiders earn the title of White Whistle, one of them being Riko's mother Lyza.
Riko's goal is to follow in her mother's footsteps and solve the mysteries of the Abyss. One day she explores the caves and discovers a robot named Reg who resembles a human boy whom she and her friends befriend. Some time later, Riko is informed that some items sent by Lyza were recovered, including a message to her, telling her to meet in the bottom of the Abyss. Riko then bids farewell to her friends and departs to the Abyss with Reg in search for her mother, despite knowing of the risks and the fact that due to the Curse of the Abyss, she will never be able to return.
EPISODE GUIDE:
No.
|
Title
|
|
1
|
"The City of
the Great Pit"
"Ōana no Machi" (大穴の街) |
|
While delving into
the upper layers of the Abyss to search for relics, Riko and her partner Nat
become separated. Riko then sees Nat about to be eaten by a crimson splitjaw
and draws the beast's attention in order to save him. However, Riko gets
cornered by the splitjaw and is about to be devoured when it is suddenly
chased off by a powerful energy blast. Riko traces the source of the blast
back to a robot boy who has fallen unconscious, and she and Nat carry him
back their home at the Belchero Orphanage. With the help of her friends, Riko
is able to revive the robot boy, who she names Reg. She then takes him
outside to show him the town of Orth, which sits on top of the Abyss.
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2
|
"Resurrection
Festival"
"Fukkatsu-sai" (復活祭) |
|
Riko and her friends
attempt to figure out exactly what Reg is, but cannot find anything
mentioning a robot in the list of recorded relics recovered from the Abyss.
Realizing that Reg will be taken away and dissected if he was ever found out,
Riko disguises him as a regular orphan and arranges his enrollment in the
orphanage. As a member of the orphanage, Reg will be trained to be an Abyss
delver like Riko. Later, The Uncle Habo returns from an expedition to the
Abyss, carrying the white whistle of Lyza, Riko's mother, as well as a sealed
document. As the town celebrates the return of Lyza's whistle, Jiruo tells
Riko about how she was born in the Abyss, and Lyza used a rare relic to
return her safely to the surface before disappearing on another expedition. Riko
is then given Lyza's whistle and is allowed to observe the sealed document.
In it, Riko finds a drawing of Reg as well as a note from Lyza saying that
she is waiting at the bottom of the Abyss, hinting that Lyza is possibly
alive.
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3
|
"Departure"
"Shuppatsu" (出発) |
|
Upon reading the
note, Riko decides to descend into the Abyss to find Lyza. Reg also decides
to accompany her since he believes that he will find answers to both his own
identity and his lost memories in the Abyss. However, Nat openly opposes
their plan, since he knows that if Riko goes to the bottom of the Abyss, the
Curse of the Abyss will make her unable to return to the surface ever again.
He then points out Lyza is most likely dead since it would be impossible for
even a White Whistle to survive in the Abyss for ten years, which angers
Riko. The next night, Riko sneaks out of the orphanage to begin her journey.
Reg stays behind temporarily to convince Nat to come say goodbye, but finds
he is missing. After seemingly bluffing a suspicious Jiruo, Reg reunites with
Riko and they are met by Nat, who regrets the hurtful things he said to Riko
and agrees to guide them to a secret entry point into the Abyss. After saying
their goodbyes, Riko and Reg descend into the Abyss.
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4
|
"The Edge of
the Abyss"
"Abisu no Fuchi" (アビスの淵) |
|
Riko and Reg manage
to descend deep down into the first layer of the Abyss. Reg then remembers
that Jiruo slipped a letter into his backpack and reads it. The letter
contains a copy of vital information about the Abyss, as well as a note from
Jiruo warning the two that he will pursue them at dawn. Riko concludes that
Jiruo is testing them, and if they can reach the second layer without getting
caught, he will stop chasing them. The two continue down to the second layer
when they are intercepted by Habo. He tells them that Nat and Shiggy
requested that he escort the two of them to the Seeker Camp in the second
layer. While grateful, Riko declines Habo's help since she and Reg want to
reach the second layer on their own. Habo informs them that the guardian of the
Seeker Camp is Ozen the Immovable, a White Whistle who helped Lyza transport
the infant Riko to the surface. He also warns the two to be wary of Ozen
before saying his farewells. Riko and Reg then reach the second layer, the
Forest of Temptation.
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5
|
"Incinerator"
"Kasō Hō" (火葬砲) |
|
As Riko and Reg
proceed through the second layer, they encounter a corpse weeper, a large
carnivorous bird that can mimic the cries of help from its prey. Riko is
captured by a corpse weeper and flown to its nest to be fed to its chicks. In
desperation, Reg activates an energy cannon within his hand that destroys the
corpse weeper and large swathe of the surrounding landscape. Riko is saved,
and she is greatly impressed by Reg's energy cannon, which she dubs the
"Incinerator", but Reg then passes out from the strain of using the
weapon. After Reg wakes up, he and Riko proceed to the Inverted Forest at the
bottom of the second layer, where the Seeker Camp is located, chased by
monkey-like creatures. As they approach the Seeker Camp, Reg's extendable
arms are seized by its guardian, Ozen the Immovable.
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6
|
"Seeker
Camp"
"Shīkā Kyanpu" (監視基地) |
|
Riko and Reg are
allowed inside the Seeker Camp, where they finally meet Ozen as well as her
apprentice, Marulk. Riko thanks Ozen for helping carrying her out of the
Abyss as a child, though Ozen darkly notes with amusement that she had
considered many times just leaving Riko behind. Ozen allows Riko and Reg to
stay the night at the Seeker Camp, and they quickly befriend Marulk, who
wishes that they stay for a while longer so they can cave raid together.
However, Riko reluctantly declines, as she wants to continue her journey to
find Lyza. That night, Riko leaves her room to look for the bathroom and
encounters a strange creature. Terrified, Riko flees back to her room. The
next morning, Ozen tells Riko and Reg that she knows about the creature, and
leads them to her chamber to explain it. Along the way, she tells Riko that
Lyza is dead, as she recovered the letter from a grave in the fourth layer.
In addition, the note Riko received telling her to go to the bottom of the
Abyss was not written by Lyza. They then arrive at Ozen's chamber, where Riko
sees the Curse Warding Box, the Relic that protected her as an infant.
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7
|
"The Unmovable
Sovereign"
"Fudō Kyō" (不動卿) |
|
Ozen reveals that
the Curse Warding Box has the power to temporarily revive the dead and the
monster Riko saw was a lump of meat she had placed in there, returning to
life before dying again a few hours later. She also reveals that Riko was
dead when Lyza delivered her and she was revived by the powers of the box as
well, although she has no idea how much time until the effects will wear off
and she will die again. Ozen then starts attacking Reg, who attempts to
defeat her, but falls unconscious after attempting, and failing to use
Incinerator against her. After he awakens, Ozen reveals that she was testing
them to check if they can survive by themselves in the Abyss and decides to
train them, just like she once did with Lyza. She also reveals that the grave
she found was in fact empty, implying that Lyza may still be alive. After Reg
recovers, Ozen tasks him and Riko to survive in a nearby forest for 10 days
without returning as part of their training. She warns them that Reg's
Incinerator must only be used as a last resort because after Reg fires it, he
will collapse within minutes and remain unconscious for approximately 2
hours, leaving them defenseless. Ozen then leaves Reg and Riko to fend for
themselves.
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8
|
"Survival
Training"
"Seizon Kunren" (生存訓練) |
|
Despite some
setbacks, Riko and Reg successfully complete their survival training and
return to the camp, where Ozen reveals to them that the note written by Lyza
was done in some kind of fabric that is too strong for even her to tear
apart, another sign that she must be indeed alive. Before sending them away,
Ozen gives Riko the "Everlasting Pickaxe", Lyza's weapon that she
salvaged from the Fourth Layer, warning them that it could be used as an
alternative to Incinerator, but may have only a few uses left before
breaking, and shares with them the secrets of the Abyss accessible only to
the White Whistles, while instructing them to avoid the other White Whistles
that are currently exploring the Fifth Layer, as they could be a threat to
them. Ozen then reminisces about a promise she made to Lyza to help Riko find
her if they ever crossed paths. Riko then bids farewell to Marluk and the
other residents of the camp before setting for the Third Layer of the Abyss,
the "Great Fault".
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9
|
"The Great
Fault"
"Dai Dansō" (大断層) |
|
Riko and Reg begin
climbing down the Great Fault, using a network of caves to avoid the flying
predators that inhabit the layer. However, they accidentally stumble into a
madokajack nest and Reg is forced to use his Incinerator to kill the
madokajack. However, this attracts the attention of the crimson splitjaw that
had previously been wounded by the Incinerator, and after narrowly escaping,
Reg falls unconscious, leaving Riko to fend for herself. As Riko drags Reg
along, she is lured in and swallowed by an amakagame and forced to cut her
way out of its stomach. Riko is then forced to flee a swarm of neritantans
and finds herself in a cave with an upward slope. With no other choice, Riko
heads up the slope, suffering the effects of the Curse and experiencing
various hallucinations. After reaching the top of the cave, Riko realizes how
important Reg is to her as both a friend and protector. Reg wakes up just as
the crimson splitjaw returns and he is able to fight it and chase it off.
After making camp, Reg realizes that he can now see the Fourth Layer, the
"Goblet of Giants".
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10
|
"Poison and the
Curse"
"Doku to Noroi" (毒と呪い) |
|
Riko and Reg begin
their trek further down the Goblet of Giants, but as they press onward, they
sense a presence moving along with them as they speak. They continue
descending until they are confronted by an orbed piercer, and Reg prepares to
face it until Riko reveals its spines are capable of piercing steel and
poisoning their victims, putting Reg's life in danger as well. They attempt
to escape, but the monster is able to read their movements and stop them,
knocking Lyza's pickaxe out of their grasp and removing any means of
defending themselves. Reg tries to stop the following attack with a scaled
umbrella, but the spines pierce through not only the umbrella, but Riko's
hand as well, injecting lethal poison in her system, forcing Reg to escape
with her by ascending. This unfortunately results in Riko suffering the
Fourth Layer's Curse: bleeding from every orifice. Coupled with the poison,
Riko hallucinates as well, and she urges Reg to sever her arm to prevent the
poison from going further. Though hesitant, he complies, but mid-way through
the process, Riko stops breathing, and Reg, fearing the worst, falls into
despair until a mysterious being tells him to remain calm and perform CPR,
getting Riko breathing once more. They retreat into the hideout of the being,
who is revealed to be Nanachi.
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11
|
"Nanachi"
"Nanachi" (ナナチ) |
|
Nanachi escorts Reg
and the badly injured Riko to a hideout and begins to work on patching up
Riko. Reg is introduced to Mitty, a creature living with Nanachi who reveals
that they are Hollows: aspiring young cave raiders who lost their humanity as
a result of the Curse as they ascended from the Sixth Layer, although Nanachi
exhibits proof of surviving and retaining a semblance of humanity. Nanachi
sends Reg off to fetch ingredients to heal Riko as well as to make Nanachi's
dinner. While he is out, Nanachi seems to recognize Lyza's white whistle.
After fetching the ingredients, Reg is sent to clean Riko's blood and urine
stained clothes at a riverbank behind Nanachi's hideout, and there a memory
resurfaces of him standing by a gravestone with Lyza's Blaze Reap in the
ground. While Riko is left alone, Mitty begins to eye her.
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12
|
"The True
Nature of the Curse"
"Noroi no Shōtai" (呪いの正体) |
|
Back in Orth, Kiyui
falls ill on his birthday, following a mysterious trend called the
"Birthday Death Disease" which has begun to plague the town. Jiruo
takes him to a caravan fleet offshore for medical treatment. When Kiyui's
symptoms suddenly disappear, a doctor muses that it may have something to do
with the Curse of the Abyss. Back in the Abyss, Mitty has apparently taken a
liking to Riko, but Nanachi assures Reg that Mitty will not harm her. Nanachi
then reveals the Curse is all around them in the air, and moves along with
them. Many of the Abyss' monsters such as the orb piercer can see the Curse
and predict their prey's actions based on it. Nanachi sends Reg out to train,
and he comes across a cave raider being attacked by the orb piercer. Thanks to
Nanachi's instructions, Reg is able to chase off the orb piercer with his
Incinerator. Reg then asks the cave raider to tell Jiruo that he and Riko are
okay. When Reg returns, Nanachi surprisingly requests that Reg kill
Mitty.
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13
|
"The
Challengers"
"Idomu Monotachi" (挑む者たち) |
|
When Reg recovers
from using his Incinerator, Nanachi tells him the story of when several
children, including Mitty, were duped by the white whistle Bondrewd. He took
them to his base in the fifth layer of the Abyss, the Sea of Corpses, and
used them for his inhuman experiments into the Curse. Nanachi and Mitty were
sent together to the sixth layer and afflicted by the Curse on their return,
leading to their current appearances and making Mitty immortal. After
Bondrewd tried to kill Mitty several times, Nanachi escaped with Mitty to
relieve her suffering and restore her dignity, but without success. Reg
eventually accedes to Nanachi's request to kill Mitty, and after a tearful
farewell from Nanachi, Reg destroys Mitty with his Incinerator. Some time
later, Riko awakens, and after the three of them spend some time together,
Nanachi agrees to join their quest to meet Lyza. After sending a message by
balloon to the surface, Riko, Reg and Nanachi make their preparations to
leave the fourth layer while Riko regains some use of her left hand.
Meanwhile, their message is eventually received by Shiggy and Nat. When
Bondrewd discovers that Mitty's life signature has disappeared, he realizes
that Nanachi somehow managed to kill her, and expresses a desire to meet Nanachi
again.
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