Compilation films are a bit of a sore subject for many anime fans. After all, far too many series have languished in repeating the same material in a theatrical format for a quick buck. Plus there’s the problem of the mere prospect of seeing essentially the same show again but in a different format being a strange one. But studio Kinema Citrus is keen to emphasise the amount of work they’ve put in to their new Made in Abyss compilation films, as they shared an image of the number of new animation cuts produced for the two films.
こちら『劇場版総集編メイドインアビス』新作カットのカット袋たちです。
この他にもTV版から修正の加わったカットが多数あります！
TV版ご視聴済みの方は修正点を探しながら観るとより楽しめるかもですね☺️
今なら前編・後編ともに上映中です！ぜひ劇場へ‼️🎥 #miabyss pic.twitter.com/C2vsn9kIKU— キネマシトラス公式 (@KinemacINFO) January 21, 2019
That’s a pretty big pile of animation cuts right there – while I’m not quite sure, at a glance I’d estimate that there are around 100 in that pile. It’s clear from this that Kinema Citrus have been hard at work in assembling the new compilation movies to make it a worthwhile experience for fans, and I hope that their passion comes through in the films because of this.
The big question is, however, what exactly these new animation cuts are. Given that we’ve only had confirmation of one entirely new scene so far for the second movie, it’d be safe to assume that the majority of these cuts are simply reworks or tweaks to existing scenes. The lack of information on what exactly these compilation films have to offer for established fans of the series is exactly what is making me drag my feet in going to see them in theaters, and I’m sure that many others are feeling the same way.
That being said, since that new scene introduces an important character for the upcoming arc called Prushka, that has made me curious to see how Kinema Citrus might use this opportunity to better link the compilation movies to the upcoming sequel project, which was recently confirmed to be another theatrical film. Any efforts to do so would help the three films fit together more coherently as a whole, something that would greatly enhance the sequel film’s ability to act as a ‘climax’ of sort in turn. This would also be beneficial in providing established fans with a reason to see the films in the first place.
Made in Abyss is the latest series to take a more original approach to it’s compilation films, with Code Geass doing much the same last year for it’s compilation films by adding in new scenes to better link to the upcoming sequel movie Lelouch of the Resurrection. I can’t help but think this suggests that anime studios and producers are becoming aware of many fans’ apprehension towards compilation films, and are finally being forced to try and provide more of a compelling product.
In any case, the two Made in Abyss compilation films Journey’s Dawn and Wandering Twilight are out in Japanese cinemas now.