The extra complication in 2026 is a second pair of theatrical releases. Japan screened the existing second season in two halves before the new film opened. Those screenings are different from the new theatrical series and its announced Part 2. This guide separates them without revealing the major outcomes of the descent. Release information was checked on 25 October 2026.
The main Made in Abyss watch order
- Made in Abyss season 1 — all 13 episodes. Alternatively, watch Journey’s Dawn followed by Wandering Twilight.
- Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul — the story film between the two television seasons.
- Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun — all 12 episodes of season 2.
- Made in Abyss: Awakening Mystery — the first film in the new theatrical series, released in Japan on 23 October 2026. The announced Part 2 follows this film; its notice gives no release date.
The production’s own October catch-up programme lists the earlier main story in precisely the useful sequence of first season, Dawn of the Deep Soul, and second season. It also confirms the two episode totals.
Choose the first season or its two compilation films
For a first watch, I recommend the thirteen-episode television season. Its episodic structure lets the departure, discoveries and changing dangers arrive in the form in which the anime first presented them. You can follow Riko’s decision to descend and her partnership with Reg without first working out which film contains which part of the beginning.
The film alternative is Journey’s Dawn, followed by Wandering Twilight. The official compilation-film announcement identifies them as the first and second halves of a recap release. They belong together as the alternative opening. Watching only the first recap and moving straight to Dawn of the Deep Soul leaves the second half of that route behind.
Choose the films if a condensed presentation suits you, or if you want to revisit the opening before moving further down. Choose the series if you want the original episode-by-episode experience. This is a recommendation about how to begin, rather than a claim that the two versions are identical in every edit. Neither route requires completing the other before continuing.
The similar English titles make a practical difference here. Journey’s Dawn is a recap; Dawn of the Deep Soul is the later story film. Look at the full subtitle when an app truncates a result to “Made in Abyss” or groups several films under one collection.
If you are comparing another anime with both television and film openings, our Madoka Magica viewing guide explains that series’ separate recap and sequel choices.
Keep Dawn of the Deep Soul before season 2
Sentai’s film synopsis places Riko, Reg and Nanachi in the fifth layer, where they encounter Bondrewd and Prushka. Its second-season synopsis places the group deeper, in the sixth layer. These are successive stages of the same expedition, carried across a change of format.
The film develops the relationships and circumstances that the second season inherits. Going directly from season 1 to a listing marked season 2 skips the intervening story. You can keep the details of Bondrewd and Prushka unspoiled while still knowing that their film is required for the main route.
If you have already started The Golden City of the Scorching Sun and the group’s situation feels unexplained, return to Dawn of the Deep Soul before going further. Rewatching the recap films is not the missing step when you have already finished the original thirteen episodes.
The 2026 screenings repeat season 2
In September and October 2026, Japan gave The Golden City of the Scorching Sun a two-part theatrical screening. The official screening page identifies the first part as episodes 1–6 and the second as episodes 7–12. Their runs began on 18 and 25 September respectively.
That packaging does not turn the second season into two new sequel films. If you have seen all twelve television episodes, you have already followed the story represented by those two screening halves. They can matter as a cinema experience or a refresher; they do not need another place after season 2 on your main-story checklist.
The distinction is especially useful when a listing says only “Part 1” or “Part 2”. A Golden City screening part identifies a range of existing TV episodes. The new theatrical series begins with Awakening Mystery. Match the subtitle as well as the part number before choosing a ticket, disc or viewing entry.
The same principle applies to the older films’ 2026 revivals. The production’s revival programme separates the two compilation titles from Dawn of the Deep Soul. A new screening date is not a new point in the story.
Awakening Mystery continues after The Golden City
Awakening Mystery, also listed as Mezameru Shinpi, is the first instalment of the new theatrical series. Its Japanese opening date was 23 October 2026. Finish the twelve-episode second season before moving to it; it continues the descent rather than introducing the franchise again.
On opening day, the production confirmed that a second part is being made. That notice describes it as continuing the first theatrical instalment. It supplies a production announcement, without a release date or a further viewing choice to make now.
For your watchlist, put the new film after season 2 and leave its sequel as an announced continuation. Avoid treating an old “season 3” placeholder, the second half of the Golden City screening, and the new theatrical Part 2 as interchangeable entries. They refer to different formats or stages of the catalogue.
Check the exact release before choosing access
For English-language viewing, Sentai’s catalogue links the first series to HIDIVE; its separate film and second-season pages identify those releases too. The older official virtual-cinema page says its screenings have concluded and directs viewers to HIDIVE for the earlier three films. It is not an access notice for Awakening Mystery.
Check the title, language options and availability for your country before subscribing or purchasing. A Japanese cinema date establishes a Japanese release, not an English streaming date. The October broadcast and free-video schedules linked above were Japanese catch-up events, not a promise of permanent worldwide access.
Treat short extras separately from the main route. The official 2026 revival page explicitly says that Marulk’s Daily Life, a bonus shown with the film in 2020, was not included in that revival. A screening or edition can therefore contain the main film without every associated extra. Check its stated contents if collecting bonuses matters to you.
