Made In Abyss – Season 2 Episode 8 “The Form the Wish Takes” Recap & Review

The Form the Wish Takes

Episode 8 of Made in Abyss Season 2 begins with Reg confronting Faputa again on behalf of Riko and friends. Reg informs her that he needs pieces of Faputa as a ransom for Nanachi and Mitty’s freedom from Belaf. Faputa will accept his offer if Reg can fulfill an old promise.

As we all know, Reg doesn’t remember much about his past, including this promise to Faputa. While Faputa’s distraught that Reg doesn’t know, his admiration wins her over. Reg doesn’t want Faputa to relinquish a piece of her body to him, but she has no issue doing so. This leads to Faputa ripping off one of her arms, as she’s down to sacrifice anything for the promise. The promise in question revolves around Reg helping Faputa destroy the village and its residents.

Meanwhile, Vueko continues to share more insight about her, the Ganja, and Irumyuui’s past. In the past, Vueko leaves Wakukyan and heads to Belaf’s quarters. She informs her of what had gone down regarding Irumyuui, her children, and Wazukyan’s attempts at saving them all.

Unlike Wazukyan, Belaf feels guilty for not having the energy to stop Wazukyan from committing his heinous act. He’s also ashamed of himself for eating Irumyuui’s children via Wazukyan’s soup. As he sulks in misery, Wazukyan enters his corridors and asks Vueko to join him in visiting Irumyuui.

Upon entering her room, Wazukyan informs Vueko that Irumyuu’s been giving birth to new offspring at lightning speeds. When they enter Irumyuui’s room, Vueko’s left speechless. Irumyuui had transformed into a blob-like beast and gave birth to another Hermit Rat-like baby. Vueko approaches her and realizes how attached Irumyuui had become with this baby, despite being born only a day ago.

Unfortunately, Wazukyan takes her child from her, causing Irumyuui to scream in dismay. Although Wazukyan doesn’t want to take Irumyuui’s baby from her, he values his comrades’ lives over Irumyuui’s timely happiness. During Wazukyan’s killing spree, he realized that Irumyuui’s babies’ effect on their health held a better impact while they were born fresh. He proceeds to execute Irumyuui’s new child in front of Vueko.

Vueko denies Wazukyan assistance and flees the area to be with Irumyuui. She apologizes for not having the courage to stop Wazukyan from murdering her children. She couldn’t choose between the two factions she held dear to her heart. As a result of her guilt, she draws a dagger and threatens to end her life. Vueko drops the dagger as Irumyuui holds her close. Vueko shares a few words and leaves Irumyuui be.

We revisit Belaf in his room. Although she’s full of guilt, Vueko decides to work alongside Wazukyan in preparing everyone’s soup. She argues that her life of that time was punishment enough and has no qualms about what happens to her afterward. She begins feeding Belaf the meal, but he asks her to stop. Although he finds the meal irresistible, he doesn’t want to consume it out of respect for Irumyuui.

As more Ganja members recovered, more of Irumyuui’s children perished. One day, Irumyuui stopped shrieking as Vueko went o check up on her progress. She stumbles across a peculiar sight. Irumyuui had another wish egg jammed into her system. The initial egg had collapsed because of her transformation, which led to Vueko’s curiosity.

Suddenly, Wazukyan enters the room and explains where the second wish egg came from to Vueko. While Vueko is bedridden, Irumyuui became weakened in response. This encouraged Wazukyan to ask the Interference Units if more eggs existed and if they could acquire another one for him. They confirm his theories by bringing him another egg for him to insert into Irumyuui’s insides.

Vueko asks Wazukyan if Irumyuui’s newfound transformation was her wish or his. Suddenly, Irumyuui starts spiraling out of control, causing Vueko to comfort her. Wazukyan informs Vueko that it’s time to see Irumyuui’s new wish take shape.

We transition to the Ganja traversing the abyss’s sixth layer with Irumyuui as their guide. Some members are swiped and murdered by giant birdlike creatures during their expedition. Wazukyan informs everyone not to worry and focuses on following Irumyuui. As a result of his guilt over Irumyuui’s children, Belaf asks Wazukyan to leave him behind. Wazukyan denies Belaf’s request because of his importance to him, and they continue following Irumyuui.

Irumyuui stops at the edge of a cliff. Wazukyan asks the Interference Unit if it knows where they are. It tells him they are in a hidden spot near the center of the pit. Vueko checks up on her but immediately stands back when Irumyuui’s pink-like skin cracks. Irumyuui grabs some of the monstrous birds from earlier using her new tentacle arms and feasts upon them.

Belaf crouches and pleads with Irumyuui to devour him in retaliation for eating her children. He remarks that he’s strong enough to subdue hunger and pain. However, he couldn’t stop eating the soup. This is why he’s willing to sacrifice his bones and soul for Irumyuui out of respect for her.

Suddenly, a large hole opens from Irumyuui’s center and appears like an entrance. Belaf walks into Irumyuui’s body through the newly-crafted entrance. Only a single member of the Ganja calls out to him. Upon entering, Belaf is attacked by the same gooey balancing monsters we’ve seen in the present. They transform into the giant snake and flower-like Hollow we know him as in the present.

Everyone besides Vueko is in awe at Belaf’s new body. Wazukyan acknowledges Belaf for his sacrifice and informs everyone that it’s time to relinquish their souls and bodies to Irumyuui. He remarks that Irumyuui has transformed into a shelter they can call home. Everyone but Vueko follows suit with his demands.

Wazukyan confronts Vueko, who is against following through with Wazukyan’s request. She doesn’t believe Irumyuui wished for this and argues the second egg’s power is responsible for everything. Vueko walks to the cliff and plans to end herself. Wazukyan warns her that this will go against Irumyuui’s wish. Vueko apologizes for being selfish and jumps off the cliff.

Before she could fall to her demise, Wazukyan saves her. Vueko blacks out but notice something strange about Wazukyan’s arm. A good chunk of it had turned to stone, and she ponders if he had gained or utilized a wish egg for himself. Wazukyan admits that he only saved her because she is Irumyuui’s only mother figure.

She wakes up and finds herself imprisoned inside Irumyuui’s head (the location Riko finds her at in episode six). Wazukyan informs her that she can form a tighter connection with Irumyuui here. Vueko notices that Wazukyan is no longer human and has transformed into a Hollow–just like Belaf. He confirms that he did use a wish egg on himself, but he decided to give his body over to Irumyuui. His Hollow form only serves as a remnant of his former self.

Vueko questions Wazukyan for his decision to use a wish egg on himself despite the warnings they received from the Interference Units. He did so to encourage the others to have faith in Irumyuui and because he’s known for having superb instincts. Vueko and Wazukyan discuss homesickness and share their differing interpretations of it. Wazukyan leaves Vueko and tells her to stay put and listen in on Irumyuui’s feelings.

In the present, Vueko shares her experience inside Irumyuui’s head with Riko and her friends. She says that she sensed faint signals informing her that the other Ganja members had given up their flesh and souls to become a part of Irumyuui. Although Irumyuui lost her human intellect and consumed everyone, including the Golden City’s power, she had one purpose.

Irumyuui’s purpose was to give birth to Faputa, her final child who wouldn’t die prematurely and would be able to withstand anyone in their way. She had done so in secret from Wazukyan and the other Ganja. When Faputa broke free from her egg, she attacked and murdered the remaining Interference Units who had accompanied the Ganja since they arrived.

Vueko argues that Faputa’s ferocity symbolizes her mother’s pent-up rage, sadness, and aggression she attained from Wazukyan’s murderous ploy. Although she never saw what Faputa looked like, Vueko could hear her screams while imprisoned inside Irumyuui’s head. She also argues that Faputa knows everything that transpired between her mother and her siblings. It is Vueko’s hope that Faputa will fulfill her mother’s wish, break the village’s curse, and forge a new and joyous path for herself.

While in her mind, Vueko explains that the balancing gooey creatures feel like a reimagining of Irumyuui’s former children and those who never got the chance to be born. Since Irumyuui’s no longer around, Vueko felt it was necessary to act as these creatures’ mothers. She’d sing them songs and give them names.

This concludes our look into the Ganja, Vueko, and Irumyuui’s past as we see Riko, Moogie, and Maa astounded by what they heard. Vueko confirms that Irumyuui doesn’t have the strength to maintain the village because Faputa inherited all three wish eggs. Remember, she attained the third egg from Wazukyan’s human body. However, the value system established in Iruburu helps keep Irumyuui alive.

Riko stops Vueko and asks her what Faputa plans to do. Vueko argues that Faputa wants to free her mother by destroying the village, but it won’t be an easy feat for her. Faputa cannot enter the village through the membrane due to her nature.

Riko asks if there’s a way for Vueko to reason with Faputa, but Vueko shoots that option down. Riko asks Vueko what her desired wish is. Vueko tells Riko that she does not wish to be forgotten at the conclusion of the episode.

The Episode Review

This eighth episode of Made In Abyss’s second season was a decent follow-up to its seventh. It gave us all the intel we needed surrounding the backstory of the Ganja’s experience with the sixth layer alongside the origins of Iruburu Village. We also received shocking revelations concerning Faputa’s character and her qualms with Iruburu village’s residents.

I’m thrilled we can finally put this backstory to rest. There have been a lot of theories concerning the Ganja and the Hollow residents in this village, and it’s great that the anime addressed this during Vueko’s retelling. Since Made In Abyss is known for putting its characters in despair, I anticipated their background to plummet closer to darker territory than toward the light.

I felt Vueko, Irumyuui, Wazukyan, and Belaf’s voice actors and actresses performed their roles well in this episode. You could feel the suffering and turmoil evoking Vueko, Belaf, and Irumyuui’s voices. Vueko’s determination to throw away her life because of her failed attempts at safeguarding her companion’s wish meshed well with her personality.

Although I have my gripes with Belaf, I argue the scenes depicting him in a mentally ill and broken light were crucial in establishing his regret and sorrow for devouring Irumyuui’s children.

Despite no longer being human, you can tell Irumyuui didn’t appreciate Wazukyan’s horrid actions. Despite Irumyuui’s lack of humanlike features, her screams and body language captured her heartbreak beautifully during these scenes. It’s unforgivable what Wazukyan did to her, so I’m glad the anime punished him by forcing him and his crew to relinquish their soul and human bodies to her as an offering.

As for Wazukyan, his cold attitude and pleasant demeanor throughout this episode are what I’d expect from his character. Although I found the reveal of him injecting a wish egg into himself selfish, this feeling washes away after hearing he had given it to Irumyuui along with his body. Unlike myself, there will be a few watchers who feel he deserves a harsher punishment since his actions, while noble for his people, weren’t in the slightest to Irumyuui. Hopefully, we’ll see him severely punished for his actions.

Despite being a great follow-up, I found myself scratching my head and curious about some of the reveals and content in this episode. For example, I mentioned that I had issues with Belaf’s character. While I understand he’s a noble figure, it didn’t feel right for him to have this strong attachment with Irumyuui. We’ve never seen the two spending time together, so his reactions to the situation feel contrived and bizarre to me. A more wholesome interaction between Belaf and Irumyuui would have convinced me of Belaf’s disgust regarding his consumption of Irumyuui’s children.

I had issues regarding the reveals and responses to dreadful situations in this episode. For example, I’m unsure if I can buy into Wazukyan installing a wish egg into his chest and surviving that long without the side effects kicking in.

We’ve learned from the Interference Units that adults can’t handle the power, which was visually proven accurate with the demise of the Food Survey Team. So to see Wazukyan walk away from it with minor injuries didn’t feel right to me. While he’s known for having a “divine intellect,” he’s not known for having a divine body.

The Ganja members’ reaction to Belaf’s transformation and their immediate decision to follow Wazukyan’s orders to end themselves didn’t sit with me. While they’re known for being a suicide corps group, many of them had shown fear of losing their lives numerous times in these past two episodes. This is most apparent when we see them react in fear of losing their lives to the winged creatures in this episode. But for some reason, they don’t show a shrivel of fear seeing their noble comrade Belaf getting his body torn apart inside Irumyuui’s body.

It just doesn’t seem plausible. That’s why I loved Vueko’s response to disobeying Wazukyan’s orders to follow Belaf. It’s more realistic than contrived to fit with a storyline. Therefore, I argue it would’ve been better if there was an even split between the faction. One side would follow Wazukyan’s orders while the other would stand alongside Vueko. It would even make her banishment to Irumyuui’s head feel more like a punishment than a gift.

Otherwise, this episode was a nice follow-up to the horrors depicted previously. Now that we know how Iruburu came to be, the anime can focus more on Faputa’s plan for revenge. Let’s hope that things turn out alright for everyone.