Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9

Vueko x Cyclops

Right after the OP of Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9, we got a great scene. No, I’m not talking about all the Hollows surrounding Reg to witness a piece of Faputa. I’m talking about Vueko’s former lover standing next to her.

In my Episode 8 review, I pointed out that we now know Vueko’s former lover is the cyclops Hollow. Now, the anime skipped over their sex scene in the Ganja Party backstory. But, this scene at the start of Episode 9 makes me think this Hollow girl still has some role to play.

I liked how she stood nervously next to Vueko and glanced over at her. It’s clear that she recognizes who Vueko is despite her disguise — just as Wazukyan did. But, we got no indication that Vueko recognized her.

Vueko and the cyclops Hollow from the anime series Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9
Vueko and the cyclops Hollow

So, the question is, does Vueko know who the cyclops Hollow is? It’s possible that she doesn’t. There hasn’t been any evidence pointing to her recognizing most of the Hollows. She recognizes Wazukyan. But, that’s because she’s seen his Hollow form before. And, from what I remember, she also saw Belaf transform. So, she’d recognize him, too.

Beyond those two, Vueko never saw the Hollow forms of her former party members. While imprisoned, she could sense what was happening in Iruburu. But, she couldn’t see anything. I wonder what her reaction will be when she finds out who the cyclops Hollow is.

Will we ever get to see her figure this out? I don’t know. While I’d like for it to happen, there’s no reason it has to. It’s not important in the grand scheme of things. But, it would be nice to get a bit more information about the relationship those two had.

Wazukyan’s True Wish

I hate to admit it, but Riko might be smarter than I am. She figured out that Wazukyan’s true wish is for the Ganja Party to continue exploring the Abyss. But, how did she come to that conclusion? And if it’s true, why did the Ganja Party settle down?

The answer to the first question is actually pretty simple. What kind of person would willingly descend into the Sixth Layer? The only people who would risk not being able to return to the surface are those who live and breathe adventure.

If you descend into the Sixth Layer, you’ve decided adventure is more important than your life. This was true for the Ganja Party. This is true for both Riko and Lyza. And, this is even true for Bondrewd — the only person to successfully return from the Sixth Layer.

Wazukyan as a Hollow from the anime series Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9
Wazukyan as a Hollow

Let’s talk about Bondrewd for a moment. If he didn’t continue beyond the Sixth Layer (as far as we know), why am I putting him in this category? Well, he sacrificed himself to get there. His White Whistle is made from his own body. And, while he’s not on the same kind of adventure as Riko, I’ll still count his experiments.

So, how did Riko know that Wazukyan wants to continue his adventure with the Ganja Party? Because that’s what everyone who reaches the Sixth Layer wants. But, that leaves the question of why the Ganja Party settled in Iruburu.

My best guess is that Wazukyan didn’t intend for this settlement to be permanent. His followers were dying from parasites, monsters, and the environment. They needed somewhere safe to stay, or they’d all die before reaching the bottom. And so, Wazukyan bet that someone in the future would help them continue on their journey.

Faputa’s Revenge

Even after finishing Episode 9, I’m still not sure how Faputa removed an arm by tearing off her ear. We do see that she’s missing an arm. But, the very clear wound on her head isn’t where her arm connected. So, what happened to her ear?

I don’t have an answer to that question. But, I guess it doesn’t matter in the end because Faputa was completely healed. So, moving on, let’s take a look at Faputa’s attack on Iruburu. After Reg blows a hole in the side of the village, Faputa and Gaburoon show up.

The difference between how Faputa and the Hollows act is very interesting, to me. Faputa’s much more serious than normal. And she explicitly states that she’s there to slaughter all the villagers. She doesn’t plan to leave any survivors. And yet, the response of the Hollows doesn’t match the situation they’re in.

Faputa entering Iruburu from the anime series Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9
Faputa entering Iruburu

The Hollows are excited to see Faputa up close. Majikaja even says that he’s “so happy!” But, why is this the case? Are the Hollows happy that Faputa is going to kill them? According to Wazukyan, they have been living in the village for about 150 years, after all.

I don’t think that’s why they’re happy to see Faputa. Well, that could be how Belaf feels. We know that he wanted to die after finding out what he ate to survive the parasite infection. But, for the rest of the Hollows, this doesn’t make much sense.

It could be that Faputa is the key to the Hollows escaping from Iruburu. What if the only way for their souls to be able to leave Iruburu is for Faputa’s to take their place? Iruburu is all about balance and value. If she’s sealed in Iruburu, maybe they can leave.

Conclusion

What do you think about Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun Episode 9? Will Vueko ever realize who the cyclops Hollow is? Do you think Wazukyan knew that someone would one day release the Ganja Party from Iruburu? And were you surprised to find out that the red things on Faputa’s head are horns?

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My review of Episode 10 is available now.

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