"Bondrewd Did Nothing Wrong" - Made in Abyss

[@TheDoomerDen]

Since I see a lot of comments for it, the first, second, and final clips of Bondrewd in the video are NOT his dub voiced. I spliced together audio clips of Professor Membrane from Invader Zim to sync with the scenes. Because I found it funny.

[@Eterrath]

It just fits so perfectly lol it's definitely so in my headcanon

[@aminimonki805]

I was so confused I was like no way they made such an awesome character sound so stupid

[@Scarshadow666]

It's so perfect, lol! Now I can't unsee Bondrewd as a more-seriously-written version of Professor Membrane. XD

[@samuraiblack3496]

damn

[@samuraiblack3496]

just...just Damn

[@kilmindaro3]

The first person Bondrewd experimented on and sacrificed was himself. Tucker couldn't even sacrifice a steady paycheck.

[@chelseycarter4016]

Holy shit that was the toastiest Roast I've read so far

[@_Circus_Clapped_]

I found that as such a deep twist [spoilers] He was using surrogate bodies, his consciousness was fused with many others; Bondrewd was like a gang of demons inhabiting one body that is a hollow, it was surprising to me, I thought he was going to be like Ozen with some artifacts inbedded into his body

[@sylvienguyen1010]

Oof

[@lightyagami3492]

Literally this.

[@Kyubeyo]

Fr yho

[@angeladunnangiedraws]

The fact that he - supposedly - seems to remember the transformed children's names down in that pit feels like a significant point that supports this view, in my eyes.

[@TheDoomerDen]

That definitely differs from a lot of other mad scientist type villains, namely in comic book type mediums, where such victims are a dime a dozen to them and they never remember them. I feel at bare minimum, it makes him stand out more for sure.

[@nikkan3810]

Seeing how much he can give to get what he wants, i think it's rather just another sign of him being addicted to the morbid curiosity. He used every single one of those kids for the specific experiments and purposes. Probably has everything documented if not on paper, then in his memory, to a single second. They're names of the discoveries he made out of their bodies, rather the names of the people he loves.

[@sashab7754]

@@nikkan3810 something kind of interesting I thought of while reading your comments is the parallel between Bondrewd and Riko, because in the very beginning of the anime she actually experimented on Reg, trying to learn more about his nature and the implications of his existence on the properties of the abyss. Not nearly as extreme as Bondrewd but still interesting to note, as you mention he is addicted to the morbid curiosity, which literally is the reason Riko went into the abyss in the first place. Really wouldn't surprise me if their relationship took a darker turn down the line. man this show is so cool

[@nikkan3810]

@@sashab7754 indeed an interesting parallel 🤔

[@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece]

The scene was what convinced me. He talked about all of them like real people with names.

[@talking_panda2728]

The fact that his OST is called "the Rumble of Scientific Triumph" and has a child choir in it still blows my mind. Kevin the madlad really outdid himself with that one.

[@HelloOnepiece]

@@israelramirez7546 Cannot wait for spilling loli and muffled shota noises appear in the original OST titles

[@beardedshuckle5220]

@@HelloOnepiece oh god no I forgot about that one. I need to catch up with the past year or two of the manga tho. Licking that’s only like 5 chapters hahahaaa......

[@snubbiyu_biyu]

And the children choir seem to be cheering bondrewd on

[@dovahfruit9503]

dont forget the more children he sacrifices, the less are in the choir (or was it the other way around?)

[@MajiUltimata]

Also, when the cartridge is used up during the ascending fight, a child in the choir stops singing. Really chilling stuff

[@Ferkeshu]

"Don't ask people to do something you wouldn't"- a quote Proceeds to sacrifice himself Morals transcended

[@kingofthedepths3513]

BUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLL SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@toolatetothestory]

All things considered, yeah. He never did anything that he wouldn't have done to himself as well.

[@misanthropicservitorofmars2116]

He said he’d use himself for cartridges, but they don’t work because the abyss itself doesn’t see him as a human anymore.

[@xenotyphon]

​@@misanthropicservitorofmars2116 Damn, that is both sad and really fire in a way

[@michajastrzebski4383]

@@toolatetothestory or rather, that he didnt do to himself already, first.

[@floatingpasta8099]

People often compare tucker and bondrewd as being the same, I'm glad you pointed out how one genuinely loved his child and the other was willing to use his child to save his own skin

[@TheDoomerDen]

Absolutely! I think you can tell that since Tucker lied about what his experiments were, demonstrating his selfish goal of wanting to obtain status. Tucker is easily the worse father lol.

[@bluemassgamer17]

@@TheDoomerDen I think there is something truly terrifying that Bondrew truly doesn't see the evil in his actions while tucker accepts his evil ways.

[@Sabartio]

@@TheDoomerDen What does intent matter at all? What Tucker did to his child was action-wise miles milder in comparison. Bondrewd's perverted love for his children is not a virtue and doesn't change the fact that they suffered far more under him than any would with Tucker.

[@slamfistlord9242]

@@Sabartio That's a bit too much nuance for most.

[@Sabartio]

@@slamfistlord9242 Sad but true(?

[@trigger5258]

I think what’s brilliant about bonedrewd is that he was at first perfectly willing to use himself as cartridges, and would have happily done so had he still been recognized as sufficiently human by the abyss. And unfortunately what’s the most horrifying about bonedrewd is that any person with any sort of compassion would do the same. The abyss doesn’t give anything willingly. And you’d have to be willing to do the same if not worse in order to get an ounce of information from the abyss. For his experiments to have worked, for the cartridges to work, he HAD to love those kids like they were his children. Bonedrewd does things out of necessity. If there is one thing he is not, it’s callous.

[@711jastin]

The Abyss takes as it gives, one does not proceed without sacrificing all they have.

[@nikkan3810]

I would rather disagree. He might want to appear not callous, but it's what he does that makes him that and not what he thinks and says. If he was willing to do everything himself, why not do it? Why use living, sentient, conscious beings as expendable material? Because he cares about the knowledge more than he cares about the kids. They don't get to reap the seeds of knowledge Bondrewd sown, honestly i'm not sure anyone but him does. And kids get used and live out the rest of their lives as trash. What's truly fascinating is the drive that makes him not even hesitate in doing that. Only an absolute pure amalgamation of psychotic narcissism can be soothing a child with soft words while butchering it to pieces. And what for? Not even progress, just an expendable tool.

[@trigger5258]

@@nikkan3810 The reason he doesn't do any of it to himself is because he *can't* The abyss no longer recognizes him as sufficiently human. As far as I know the abyss also contains the means to stop humanity's extinction. The only reason his experiments with the kids work is because he truly loves them, they would not work otherwise. He's exploited that genuine love, absoloutley, but it's there. If there's one thing that's true about bonedrewd, it's that he's absoloutley, 100% sincere in everything he says. everything. Yes he's obsessed with the knowledge gained, but how much of that is that helmet of his deteriorating his mind every time he switches bodies? (something if I'm remembering correctly it does) I won't sit here and call him the greatest father ever. But that's what makes him so facsinating. He's a bastard, but one that is so complex a character it's hard to write him off as just "the villain." the more you learn about him. As far as I know, his experiments and knowledge gained have been sent to the surface, but progress is slow.

[@nikkan3810]

@@trigger5258 I can agree that he's not just random evil shmuck tbh. It's just weird to me to hear him being described as redeemable or relatable in any way. Dude's so twisted it's hard to comprehend. Maybe to him what he does can be defined as genuine love, but ultimately it is a delusion of a mind that can't even be called human anymore. What he has done is not redeemable and that's the point, i feel. He can be physically less human than what's needed to interact with Abyss, but his mind is what got swallowed up the most. That's the part i like about him. He's a definition of "built different". I suppose all white whistles are, considering Ozen is a lite version of the same thing. And seeing Rico's mother being portrayed as a twisted monster is also really curious. She went far beyond what Bondrewd could even imagine and if he's that twisted, what do people that went further look like?

[@megugu2155]

@@nikkan3810 the other 3 (lyza wakuna and srajo) white whistles are probably as messed up and corrupted as Bondrewd. like, the sixth layer villain arguably did more messed up yet necessary things than bondrewd.

[@chaoticfisherman373]

Bondrewd used up the whole orphanage and still being able to be a better father than Tucker himself

[@TheDoomerDen]

Really says something about tucker doesn't it lol

[@BobJones-bg4ui]

You mean the whole orphanage?

[@Ribbons0121R121]

thats 66% more orphan per orphan

[@Stryfe52]

@@Ribbons0121R121 I don’t want your damn orphans!!! What am I gonna do with these?!

[@Literallyhim-2]

@@Stryfe52 eat them

[@somerandomperson6511]

Bondrewd is such a nice guy. Helped Riko and her friends reach the 6th layer and also made his daughter in to a white whistle, just like she wanted. Such a helpful fellow, so great with kids.

[@benruniko]

Great with kids the same way an artist can be great with clay. Smashing %90 into shards to be reused and then making one into a very pretty vase.

[@ChaosCreator4114]

@@benruniko broooo wtff 👀👀

[@benruniko]

@@ChaosCreator4114 lol

[@virginiafernandez6846]

10/10, would let in charge of my kids

[@mrmrmome]

@@benruniko lmaoooooo TT

[@mcpunchins]

Season 1, Episode 13: There is no way it can get darker than this. Dawn of the Deep Soul: Hold my beer.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Surely the rest of the story will be filled with sunshine and lollipops, and won't get any worse. R-right?

[@Delicashilous]

Season 2: "Hello There😀"

[@timothey689]

@@Delicashilous than season 3 : armature

[@711jastin]

season 3: we're just getting started :D

[@GoodwillWright]

Final season: in order to bring true despair to our loyal readers and watchers, the final arc of Made in Abyss will not be made.

[@GoodwillWright]

15:53 Would like to bring an interesting thought to you. Personally, I think the only person in the group who finds Bondrewd's actions morally apprehensible is Reg. Reg ironically is the most human out of the group. Riko only became involved because Bondrewd had Reg maimed and then later Prushka. Nanachi detests Bondrewd less because what he does but rather what he did to her and Mitty, and what he made her do. Both Riko's and Nanachi's issues with Bondrewd is because how he slighted them personally. This is more evident at the beginning how they were perfectly willing to bypass the idofront if Bondrewd let them and also how at the end that despite them being completely capable of putting a permanent stop to Bondrewd, they choose not to. Nanachi was willing to let bygones be bygones because he did technically save her and through chance, fulfilled her dream of exploring The Abyss. He also indirectly gave Riko the means of continuing her journey. Both these characters have their own goals and do not act purely out of sense of right or justice. What I like about Made in Abyss, is that just about all of the characters are messed up in one way or another. The only other character who I think was the closest to 'human' (by our standards) is probably Nat. And this is probably why a character such as Bondrewd can reasonably exist because the majority acknowledges his achievements despite his methods while in our world, we would've used the fruits of his research while erasing his name from history.

[@TheDoomerDen]

That is a very good point. I think its also worth noting that Nanachi (as a result of Bondrewd or not) has done their fair share of highly questionable things, even beyond Bondrewd's direction in the labs. After all, after they escaped, Nanachi still regularly experimented on cave divers for methods to attempt to help Mitty. In their hut there is a small wall of black whistles that I'm fairly confident aren't just ones they "found".

[@GoodwillWright]

​@@TheDoomerDen True, you can look back to see that Bondrewd had rubbed off on her. Sure, she may have not have killed them herself (well, it is implied she did a lot of mercy killing) but she could have let them be injured beyond saving so she could have something to work with. And due to how quickly she was following Riko and Reg, we can assume that when she found the other cave raiders, they were in perfect health, then she watched the creatures of the Abyss whittle them down. It's like she knew she is similar to Bondrewd but was trying to find ways to disassociate herself from him.

[@co7769]

Well, it is kind of hard to be grateful to someone who commits despicable acts like Bondrewd. Even if said despicable acts advance humanity.

[@KiffKan]

yeah that erasing his name from history part is spot on, you'd be suprised how much medicinal knowladge we have nowadays, came from the fucking holocaust. As sad and disgusting as it is the quickest way to find out how a lifing human works is to cut it open and take stuff out until it stops living. Now do that thousands of times and test different stuff on them and now you have one of the most efficient ways to get results. but i disagree with you on 1 part. the names of the german doctors wouldn't have been erased if germany had won, they would've been white washed every problematic thing about them would've been erased from history but not the docters themselves. look at how many "american hero's" were actually horrible people, I mean there used to be 7000000 native american people now there are around 20k those are higher numbers than the holocaust yet no one truly talks about that in the same way. I mean i've seen history books that say native american "gave" the english their land just to be nice or some bullshit like that. (note: im not saying that these two things should be regarded as exactly the same thing but i think that it's clear that one of the two is severly down played.)

[@Lavender-Skiess]

Nanachi basically continued his torturing of Mitty when she escaped. She thought she could figure out what Bondrewd couldn't with less technology & less knowledge.

[@Stormy_Boi]

*on the ethics committee reviewing Bondrewd* "Alright what have we......" *Looks at file* *Looks at Bondrewd* *Looks at file again* *Looks back at Bondrewd* Bondrewd: I regret nothing

[@TheDoomerDen]

Bondrewd: "How can it be crimes against humanity if they're not human anymore? I don't understand."

[@desadograisedrobot515]

Which ethics comittee? I'm gonna make a SCP joke and say they would turn a blind eye to this.

[@GreebleClown]

@@desadograisedrobot515 That’s what they want you to think. How else are they going to weed out the true monsters if they’re scared and hide? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (Also, you wouldn’t want those looking for power and with questionable morals *wanting* to be on the ethics committee.)

[@guntherhess227]

the twist is that the ethics committee are all also Bondrewd

[@Electric_Bagpipes]

@@guntherhess227 wait… what if were all Bondrewd, just don’t know it yet…

[@gabetalks9275]

Bondrewd's insanity only becomes even more compelling when you realize that Riko would never have gotten her white whistle, the very thing that she needed to continue her journey, had Bondrewd not turned Prushka into a cartridge.

[@misanthropicservitorofmars2116]

Bondrewd helps his daughter become a white whistle and did everything he could to help the protagonists continue their journey. He can’t even be described as a villain or antagonist because he doesn’t hinder the protags journey. In story telling terms. He’s like a wise sage giving out the necessary tools that the heroes need.

[@gabetalks9275]

@@misanthropicservitorofmars2116 This completely false. Bondrewd is indeed the villain because his values are diametrically opposed to Riko's, and she's the main protagonist. Bondrewd believes in any means necessary, even if it means trampling over someone else's value, while Riko rejects that and believes in protecting and treasuring everyone's value. It's why she was so reluctant to let Faputa destroy the village, while Bondrewd would've destroyed it in a heartbeat. He was also the obstacle preventing them from reaching the 6th layer. They needed his whistle in order to reach the 6th layer, but he refused because he wanted them to stay, so Reg had to fight him. And after torturing him. And that's even mentioning how he tormented Nanachi and Mitty. And Riko watched new friend reduced to a puddle of blood in front of her eyes. Also, Riko is not Bondrewd's daughter. Riko is Lyza's daughter, so he didn't help her become a white whistle.

[@misanthropicservitorofmars2116]

@@gabetalks9275 lol buddy I know Riko isn’t his daughter. Re read “he helped his daughter become a white whistle” 😂

[@Utrilus]

His charm is his inhumanity. No one sane can sacrifice the person they love, it's supposed to be the other way around. You're supposed to sacrifice for love. instead of loving intensely for the sake of sacrificing. He sacrificed his humanity, which in turn allows him to do the most terrific things to his loved ones without even recognizing its ugliness. Achieving truly cursed, yet blessed, things. His perspective is alien, truly inhuman, beyond the constraints of humanity.

[@Megan_XD]

well written, fully agree

[@nikkan3810]

I honestly prefer this perspective to others. There's no understanding or relating to him. He's not just not human, he's so beyond that, nobody, probably even himself, could grasp how deep he's gone. Chtonic horror taking the form of a human being, driven only by curiosity, forsaking every value a human might hold for the sake of knowing and achieving whatever goals he had set before himself.

[@BJ-zd2or]

@@nikkan3810 with no ethical boundaries, bondrewd is what I've seen as extream in ways imaginable but holds a blessing of goodwill to others. He perhaps is a nice person when he was human and still. The only thing he knows is the experiment. With mini its conflicting, with his daughter still. But he has no grudges. Good dad yet.... not. Took in a child and nursed them to health. Mixed emotions but I say Reg and the others are rightly weary of this guy, the bunny girl (sorry cant remember her name) hates him because what he did to mini, yet he congratulates them on their journey and progress. I dont know what else to say. I'm conflicted.

[@nikkan3810]

@@BJ-zd2or Yeah that's pretty much the point i suppose. No right answer.

[@megugu2155]

Bondrewd is like a glitch in human ethics, a concept that should not exist in our moral compasses. He is not good, nor is he evil. Yet the things he does are both either completely good or completely evil. It is hard to comprehend him as we tend to try to align the people we meet with either "this person is good" or "this person is bad" and the human brain is confused as to whether or not Bondrewd is either of those choices. The viewer understandably does the mistake of seeing him as good or evil in one's first exposure to the character of Bondrewd. What Im saying is: if there exists something beyond humanity, Bondrewd is most definitely that. Complete amorality.

[@faulergeist4159]

As someone who, absolutely loaths the the ideas harming children in any way... i hate the fact, that i understand him, that calling him outright evil would be inaccurate despite what he had done. God i love him as a character though. Also i really enjoy these great work!

[@kingofthedepths3513]

He's a good villain he beats frollo

[@subarusama5673]

"KZbin asked me if this video is made for kids. Lmao" Ah yes. For kids, by kids, made of kids. In the name of scientific progress. ;)

[@max55598]

STOP

[@subarusama5673]

@@max55598 My, my, how very interesting. But there is no need to worry. The kids are not being made of use as humans, you see.

[@featherfiend9095]

Another thing I find interesting is how Bondrewd is characterized as "losing his Humanity". Depending on how you view it you could argue instead that he "transcended his Humanity". For example, as humans we are created with a strong inclination not to die. When we are faced with such a threat we typically grow to hate the entity responsible for it, quickly labelling it as evil without reflecting about why that threat even exists in the first place. We see this scenario play at nauseum when conflicts erupt. Bondrewd differs in that he doesn't take the trio's resistance personally. He dies multiple times and never grows to hate them. It's truly odd for an antagonist to behave in such a way. He respects their opposition to him and respectfully accepts defeat, wishing them all the best. I wouldn't call this "losing one's humanity" but actually quite the opposite. Furthermore, unlike Gueira, he sees purpose and value in Prushka despite her early, grave injuries. He doesn't view people as disposable. Everyone can contribute, no matter how small. After all, he never actually needed Prushka. He could of formed a similar bond with any of the orphans rather than go through the effort of nursing her back to health. However, unlike us, Bondrewd holds no bias towards Humanity when it comes to scientific progress. So in the exact same vein he is willing to brutally fulfill each person's purpose (including himself) in order to carry out his scientific endeavors. At a *purely philosophical* level this attitude is much more wholesome in that it doesn't allow for exceptions (like apply logic A except for B cases). Of course when it comes to morals we usually expect ourselves to be the exception when it comes to what can and cannot be done (i.e. it's okay to commit excessive mass slaughter of other animals, but it's completely immoral to do the same with people; it's bad to have whole ecosystems destroyed except if it allows us to build more areas of residence and commerce; damage to the planet is wrong except if it helps provide jobs such as those in the fossil fuel industry, etc.) where as Bondrewd doesn't see why such ambiguous exceptions are needed (as you mentioned, he tries to extract as much value as possible by being efficient) since they only slow down progress from his perspective ("Then there is no need to worry. For I am not making use of them as humans. I am sure you understand.") Again, one could argue that this is "transcendence" although I am still completely against what Bondrewd does (I strongly believe people should be an exception (as I would expect everyone else to agree with) even if at a *purely philosophical* level it is less appealing). I wouldn't call it "losing one's humanity" though because he isn't devolving to some savage, mindless creature. Finally, Bondrewd's definition of family is also much more "enlightened". Why should blood be an important requirement? "Family" members can still hate one another. IMO, I agree with Bondrewd in that it should only be love (although his view of love allows for gruesome experimentation; while mine and just about everyone else's view of it does not). The mere fact that I'm willing to go out of my way to write this "essay" as a pushback on just the phrase "lost his Humanity" really shows how well the author did in creating nuance in Bondrewd's character.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Super super well thought out, thanks!

[@Notspeshul]

Giguana

[@Ribbons0121R121]

man wrote a whole ass essay

[@featherfiend9095]

​@Robert Dolcetti 1) Thank you for your thoughtful and well-articulated reply. I hope at the very least this discussion will continue to be civil. 2) A few things that I would like to challenge: a) "dignity and value of the human person are seen as unnecessary" A: Actually, Bondrewd commends Mitty for her bravery when talking with Nanachi. He goes through the unnecessary tribulation of nursing Prushka back to health (he never needed Prushka; if he did then Mitty should not of been able to make Nanachi into a Hollow. Furthermore, Bondrewd *knew* this before sacrificing Prushka because he was the one who conducted the experiment on Nanachi and Mitty). So actually, Bondrewd is surprisingly good-natured (i.e. isn't malicious and actually likes positive qualities like bravery and resilience). This is up to interpretation, but personally I think one of the big reasons he chose to sacrifice Prushka anyways was because he wanted to share his "joy" of sacrificing oneself for scientific progress. "We shall view the Dawn together." (both literally (strapped on his back) and figuratively) - Bondrewd. Also Prushka happily accepted being sacrificed, so Bondrewd was 100% successful. He truly loves scientific progress and sees no fault in it. So from his perspective, why shouldn't they want to do it (he did it himself after all)? He understands other people's reasons but from his perspective they are just as irrational as are his reasons to do it for us. From Bondrewd's inhuman view he was giving dignity and value to each person he sacrificed. In fact, that's what makes Bondrewd so tricky to condemn because he is simply operating on a different definition of what is allowable as "dignity" and "value". For us dignity and value doesn't allow for gruesome experimentation to be involved, while for him it does. Additionally, is it dignified and showing value when children are allowed to starve and be homeless on the streets? Because that is exactly what his society (and ours) does. And by society, I mean human society. Just look at all the impoverished nations in comparison to all the relatively extremely wealthy ones. All you have to say is that "It's not our problem" or "We 'can't (somehow) afford it'/'shouldn't burden' ourselves" and billions of people will tacitly agree. I'm no perfect humanitarian either, I do donate but my goal in life isn't to end world hunger. But still, so much for "moral systems" when they are allowed to be self-contradictory. I guess the point I'm trying to make about Bondrewd is before anyone judges him, they should first look in the mirror. Is being apathetic and allowing bad things to happen much better than doing those horrible things yourselves? That's up for you to decide. Bondrewd 100% takes advantage of society's apathy towards strangers. b) "Bondrewd does feel, however, and he feels his love for his daughter all the way up to when he dismembers her and uses her like a tool, committing her to a horrible painful death. That is literally unimaginable to me and more abominable than I can put into words." A: I think you can see the irony though. You're right. Dismembering children is indeed horrifying. But I think it's hard to deny that our sense of morality is highly skewed. One damning example is that we dismember other animals all the time. Chicken, Turkey (we just had Thanksgiving), Pigs, Cattle, etc. And the vast majority of people have no qualms tacitly accepting this. Again, I'm no different either. But why is dismembering one lifeform perceived differently than another? Justification: because we are at the top of the food chain and our biology reinforces our superiority. But Bondrewd isn't human anymore. He isn't tied down by his biology (psychologically) anymore because the Abyss warped his mind to an extreme degree. Bondrewd is a much more "free" individual who is now a slave to his own ideals *alone* . It's for this reason why I believe it is more accurate to call Bondrewd's disposition as "transcendence" and not "loss" of Humanity (which is more ambiguous) because specifically he overcame his Humanity (NOTE: I'm *not* claiming that this is something we should do. In fact, I *oppose* it). He *isn't biased* (because that *is* what he *sacrificed* (besides his body)) and the paradox is that it makes him *way less humane* as a result of it. Normally bias is really bad but here we see a perfect exception by looking at him. Now Bondrewd would not only be willing to dismember other animals, like us; but he would also be willing to dismember those of his own species. He isn't a hypocrite anymore but now he is certainly an abomination. c) "He may be philosophically consistent but he has definitely lost his humanity and gained nothing but hollow knowledge in its place." A: It is because of his sacrifice and inhumane experimentation that he is most capable of saving those on the surface. So while he did gain knowledge, society is actually benefitting from it. What is almost laughable is that he can be construed to be the most "humane" white whistle because of it. Riko and at least 3 other white whistles aren't helping society, while Bondrewd continues to remain in the 5th layer to develop a way for society to overcome the Curse of the Abyss. From what we've seen so far, Ozen is protecting those on the surface from nothing because Bondrewd is preventing the main threats (like the amaranthine-deceptors) from ever getting remotely close to the surface. I hope Ozen gets fleshed out more, because that is quite embarrassing if this continues to remain true for the rest of the manga/anime. Side Note: I find Lord of Dawn interesting because he shines a light on our society. It's not "we're righteous and he isn't". It's "he is a monster and we are just less so". People (such as myself) don't like having the "wool pulled over their eyes" *even* if not doing so means we are painted in a less favorable light, and I think this is one reason why Bondrewd is appealing as an antagonist in MiA. We all yearn for the truth (in one form or another), however disgusting it may be. Bondrewd is the MiA depiction of that.

[@BlkPrm]

“Transcend his humanity” *bloodborne flashbacks* Three umbilical cords and the moon would like a word with you.

[@harryhewson2382]

What I love about Bondrewd is that he never once acts out of malice. That's the most terrifying thing about him in my opinion. Also, since we know what the White Whistles are made of, who did Lyza and Ozen sacrifice to get their Whistles?

[@co7769]

I don’t remember where I saw this, but I think for Lyza it was Riko’s father who sacrificed himself for it.

[@youtubesucks1821]

@@co7769 This is correct. Spoilers below for Ozens whistle. Ozen had a daughter who was turned into a white whistle against her will without Ozen knowing. I believe it was the Man that she had the kid with that did it and then she killed him. That's why she had such a bond with Lyza, because she reminds her of her daughter. And same reason she makes Marulk wear girl clothes. She only wants to mentor a female to feel like she has a daughter again

[@IrisDImtv]

@Co but Lysa was already a white whistle when she met him, no?

[@co7769]

@@IrisDImtvah see I wasn’t sure but the person above your comment confirmed it. Although I don’t know under what circumstances it happened.

[@IrisDImtv]

@@co7769 still feel strange. Ozen said she was angry at Riko's father for impregnate Lyza than die... If he died to make the whistle shouldn't be so angry. Also is stated he died on the fight for the Bell, but wasn't Lysa sent to reclaim it as she was a White? I remember a quote like "w.w. can't deny a request from the country"

[@gfxb3177]

Zim's dad's voice perfectly fits bondrewd. I love it. I'd watch an abridged version of MIA if that was the case

[@TheDoomerDen]

It's oddly fitting isn't it?

[@YaburuRunyaru]

It was so on point that I was afraid it was the actual dub. Now I'm not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed

[@RonnocFroop]

Now I need an edit of Riko telling Bondrewd to turn himself into a cartridge, and him replying with "NOT SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE!"

[@TheDoomerDen]

@@RonnocFroop "Oh Riko, losing your childish dreams is just part of growing up! Why, as a child I thought Crimson Splitjaws were my friends!" "I KNOW BETTER, NOW..."

[@KuraSourTakanHour]

Uh... it's Dib's dad, the one kid who knows Zim's an alien. But yeah, it's amazing

[@jackaruby4222]

“What scene in Made In Abyss do you not want your parents to walk in on you watching?” All of them.

[@lunokhod3937]

the man genuinley loved his kids, but the abyss' influence overpowered even that. i shiver to think what has become of lyza, if she still lives.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Knowing how grim the series has been, final boss material?

[@lunokhod3937]

@@TheDoomerDen that would be fuckin awesome. though the humane part of me is hoping that she will already be long dead so that riko can be spared the anguish

[@Madurleen]

He didn’t love his kids, he loved science and progress.

[@eliaspadari2761]

@@Madurleen he loved they like he loved his resech (deeply twisted, way still pure).

[@dero4378]

Lyza didn't use a relic that melted her mind, like bondrewd did, so probably nothing in that direction.

[@thegreatsubtitleguy4313]

When I look I bondrewd I feel like he is having an argument with himself, he knows what he must do so future tragedies are avoided but a part of him still reminds him that it's not ethical. He can't stop but he doesn't wish to be completely lost because at the end that would make him loose sight of his goal.

[@kingofthedepths3513]

When I see him I see a man who has lost his way and sadly must be destroyed for others safety

[@johnpaulcross424]

You gotta admit though, that Little Dark Age edit was clean

[@TheDoomerDen]

Hard to go wrong with such a great song

[@thecrimsondragon2379]

@ John Paul Cross Didn’t I meet you in another comment section?

[@_neophyte]

That's where I first heard of MiA, and also the reason I watched it

[@Crab_sy]

İf you ever bored , experiment on orphans. What they gonna do? Tell their parents? -Bondrewd

[@duwanglover3424]

I think the best way to describe his character is the idea of "I will become a monster and the villain so that other don't have to be"

[@alyyasserpranajaya3167]

"but, i'll also gives my best effort to support other"

[@co7769]

He definitely doesn’t do it for others but just for the sake of getting more knowledge.

[@notthatthenamematters6163]

@@co7769 no, he does it to allow for safer transportation between layers of the abyss and possibly prevent the clataclism that strikes the world every thousands of years

[@machina5]

This thread is some real 2nd grade philosophy lol

[@Vandita3344]

Bondrewd is the type of character that I love to see more of. This was a great in-depth video about him and his motives. Thanks for the upload.

[@jasonerty]

Love it, Bondrewd is someone you might hate on reaction but retrospectively, maybe on a 2nd watch/read, it becomes clear he is a perfect foil for the main cast, without resorting to being needlessly evil so that the audience understands they are "the villain". Love especially the emphasis on his similar mindset with Riko, almost like she could be in his shoes if she too was stripped of her humanity. Eager to see if it ends up being an ominous foreshadowing for some sacrifices or changes she will have to make to conquer the abyss. or just meant to showcase that Riko's innocence and tenacity may be what is truly needed. Kind of a breath of fresh air to get an antagonist you can "understand" in a way without undermining our view of the main characters own ambitions too. Way too often do authors resort to the "sad villain backstory" trope to make the audience connect with the antagonist at the last minute. I quite like how Bondrewd can do both truly terrible things AND good things without skewing our perspective on his character for cheap empathy points.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Very well said! I think it also provides a valid way of redeeming his character without "turning good". He's still the same character, but after his experience his perceptive changed, and the heroes could very well rely on him if needed most likely. As opposed to a say, complete 180, this was a lot more natural.

[@everforward5561]

I haven't really stopped hating him in the least.

[@DDdreamer90]

Bondrewd comparing himself to Riko aren't empty words either, like I first thought. After all, what was the first thing they both did when they encountered Reg? They strapped him to a chair and started experimenting on him. The only real difference is Bondrewd had the means to actually do something to Reg while Riko didn't. But they have the same unempathic curiosity in the face of something new.

[@Yoshihara72]

​@@DDdreamer90 While this isn't wrong, there is a bit more to it. In Riko's case, Reg wasn't awake/functional and no matter what she tried, he wouldn't wake up. She didn't meet him in a awake/functional state either, she just assumed that he used to be in such. She also only escalated her "research" upon realizing that he won't wake up from it. Riko wouldn't have done some of the more... questionable "experiments" on him, if she met him in an awakened state. In fact, the moment Reg woke up, she stopped ALL kinds of experiments on him and simply restricted her research on asking him questions. This highlights, that her primary motivation was to simply wake him up again. Bondrewd on the other hand knew that he is awake, has a conscious and functions like a human being.

[@nalu11K]

@@Yoshihara72 I think that this point further proves the case of Riko and Bondrewd being alike, only differing in the aspect that Riko still has her humanity. Once she knew Reg was STILL a living being, and was awake, she completely stopped the invasive experiments, showing that her humanity and morality were still intact. Bondrewd however, because he had no humanity or morality to stop him, did not view Reg being awake or a living being as anything to be concerned about, and simply allowed that scientific curiosity, unbound by moral obligation, to take hold and control his actions. I have no doubt that if Riko's humanity and moral standards were not there, she too would be more concerned with the answers to her scientific curiosity, than holding back because the "subject" of that curiosity was still a living breathing thing that felt pain. She would probably be sympathetic, like we see with Bondrewd, and not unnecessarily cruel, but would still conduct those observations and experiments to further her knowledge.

[@gaelstrom0874]

Another thing to mention, when he was fighting Reg, whenever one of his cartridges blew up, he recited the name of each and every one of them. I'm pretty sure he also remembered the name of all of the failed experiments with the 6th layer. It really shows that he did care about all of his "experiments" and didn't just throw them away like they were just materials.

[@GalaxyGoldbox]

He probably goes through a list before bedtime, no?

[@kingofthedepths3513]

He probably did other things to his experiments like !(CENSORED)!

[@kingofthedepths3513]

He didn't care for the kids he only cared about the remnant I mean experiments

[@chronred8190]

@@kingofthedepths3513 wdym? 🤨

[@suomynona7681]

Just a tiny detail that you seem to have missed or gotten wrong. Bondrewd didn't make the ritual site, or the elevator to the sixth layer. That however doesn't make his operation of Idofront any less impressive

[@TheDoomerDen]

Sorry you're absolutely right! I should have clarified that he didn't create that, but I'm sure simply being able to occupy it and staff it was certainly a tough feat. But that absolutely is a difference.

[@fadelsukoco3092]

What's equally impressive is the fact that he can and has been to the 6th layer and back before, as he was the one who gave Belafu a perfect minimally-damaged clone of Mitty in exchange for something, he even took his crew along with him.

[@kziila0244]

@@fadelsukoco3092 No, the village itself gave Belaf the Mitty clone after he sacrificed many parts of his body, not Bondrewd. Bondrewd was carrying around the true Mitty at the time and Belaf wanted it. But since Bondrewd declined, Belaf simply wished for his own clone.

[@Nina-nf4pc]

He’s not in “did nothing wrong squad” but it did give me a new understanding and perspective of Bondrewd. I say fearfully that he’s probably one best antagonist I’ve ever seen since I think the thought of conducting these experiments with children and his love for them was real all that more terrifying.

[@ronanrimpot3343]

Yeah every white whistle are insane not evil but seeing one who is not a active treat feel like the exception

[@TheDoomerDen]

I certainly worry about the next two on the lower levels, that's for sure.

[@ronanrimpot3343]

@@TheDoomerDen the next three because someone name " the Annihilator " doesn't feel like someone you wanna cross paths on the 7th layer

[@TheDoomerDen]

@@ronanrimpot3343 oh of course, you're right! "The annhilator" isn't exactly a nickname you get for your gardening skills

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

What's considered "evil" anyway?

[@sadomi6657]

@@nurlindafsihotang49i would consider sacrificing children for your scientific discoveries pretty evil

[@guyver6622]

Child may your journey overflow with curses and blessing. Bondrewd

[@emmanuelcortez9361]

He's the definition of how a real mad scientist really is

[@RailwayScholar]

He’s not real, nor was there ever anyone similar to him.

[@rafaelperalta1676]

Hououin Kyouma: "I am mad scientist!"

[@fallensnipa]

@@RailwayScholar Think again. In 2018, a Chinese scientist was imprisoned for trying to cure HIV through genetic engineering using a technology called CRISPR/Cas9 experimenting on newborns.

[@RailwayScholar]

@@fallensnipa did he deform the infants into guacamole?

[@fallensnipa]

@@RailwayScholar probably, as mutated embryos would have been discarded. Sometimes reality is more scary than sci fi.

[@Chuck_Shurley]

I would add that Bondrewd's nature is beyond human understanding. He's a bit like one of Lovecraftian cosmic gods. But he's even more interesting than them. He's balancing between the copletely inhuman monster and… the most humane person (his human side is warmer than Ozen's, for example). This makes him a very interesting character. (Japanese voicing emphasise it, that's why I don't like the english dub, his voice is completely different in there, and it's contradicting his character.)

[@chickentends4321]

Ngl Bondrewd is very inspirational , if it weren’t for his twisted moral or sense of love he will be a good role model to look up too

[@TheDoomerDen]

Yeah you have to admit even despite the whole cartridge thing, Prushka still was totally, genuinely loving of him to the point where it's shocking how true their relationship was.

[@chickentends4321]

@@TheDoomerDen indeed, even I was falling for his charm, I hope I get to see more of him in the manga and anime in the future

[@SrLupinotuum]

@@TheDoomerDen I mean, It's not like Prushka had many other options, she only had him to look up to him and the girl was a saint, she would love any person that would had treated her remotely decently

[@vladcrow4225]

Actually, he is, considering the circumstances. It's just like IRL, where basically anyone, who undergone any serious medical intervention nowadays, owe Mengele with their lives.

[@hotto5150]

@@TheDoomerDen Yeah that's because he groomed her so that he could use the bond he so calculatingly created as a means to his end. He had to love her for his experiment to work not because he is a loving person. Even horrible people can have people who love them doesn't make them any less of a monster.

[@kitenkaiba6684]

Bondrewd has a very very simple logic line "I never ask of others what I would not do myself" and surprisingly he takes responsibility in a way most 'good guys' don't. He has near perfect empathy and understanding of others. This makes him terrifying to the audience but when held to the morality of the world as we have seen it, that may be the lesser of many other evils. The society is built around the collection of artifacts from the abyss, not just Oarth every other country pulls materials and power from the abyss. Reko’s mother was sent down while late term pregnant at the order of the ruling class. We all are assuming he’s acting on his own desire but this, much like a woman descending knowing it could kill her unborn child. Maybe it was something Bondrewd was ordered to do and people are not turning a blind eye but actively encouraging his activities. Bondrewd is in my mind the perfect beating heart of a very very corrupted world. His compassion and love looked horrific because for some reason no one is seeing the direct parallel line to the orphanage Reko was in at the start of the story. Bondrewd did nothing wrong because the moral president of putting forsaken orphans to work in a manner that will destroy their bodies and minds for the profit of others was literally the opening thesis of the story.

[@erased-one]

Damn, another detail that highligths his very complex, paradojical being. What an amazing Character indeed. Truly Marvelous

[@wulf768]

He genuinely loved them, gave them purpose, and used them to help the entire future of humanity on what otherwise would've been another orphan that probably would've rotted on the street and died with no one to remember their name. Truly a cruel world, and that's what makes this series so marvelous.

[@co7769]

Holy crap you are right. The orphanage where Riko lived teaches kids how to be cave raiders. The orphanage is doing the same thing Bondrewd is doing by sending kids to their deaths.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

@@co7769 except their is love with bondrewd and none with the orphanage

[@seaweather]

Kids in the orphanage are limited to work in close to surface levels. They don't do such a dangerous job, most of the times they are not even facing any danger. On the other hand kids who are in the "care" of Bondrewd are determined to die. So kids in orphanage are being exploited, kids in Bondrewd's care are getting sacrificed. Bondrewd can be changed considered "less evil" than higher-ups of this world only if judged by motives, but if judged by actions - he's evilest person introduced so far

[@YaburuRunyaru]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that he loses a bit of himself and his sanity whenever he switches to a new body. Who knows what the original Bondrewd would exactly be like. Most likely very similar to the one we know, but I just wonder what differences there would be too.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

Perhaps the first bits that went were the last of his humanity

[@exr555]

I truly believe that Prushka becoming a life reverberating stone for Riko was Bon's plan. He was insistent on Prushka interreacting with them for a reason. Also, you have to think, what possible future did a fragile, kind hearted girl like Prushka have at Ido Front? Everyone's wish was granted, Riko's dream was made true, Bon got to do his experiment and now Prushka can live on, adventure with her friends and never again taste the suffering that marked so much of her life (you might think that she would be able to join Riko in her human form, but let's be real, she would not survive out there). Also you can see it as Bon remaking Prushka into his own image, his true daughter, because his own soul is in a whistle too.

[@Athkore]

Honestly, I believe it is an insult to the nuance of his character to call him a cold-blooded machine, true he makes decisions like one, however, he feels genuine love for those around him twisted though it may be, otherwise, he wouldn't bother to remember names of all the children he experimented on nor would he congratulate those who interfere with his plans. He's a complete paradox that loves those around him but won't hesitate to sacrifice them in the name of progress.

[@Raiethstar]

Bondrewd treats the kids like lab mice. Cute, entertaining and infinitely lovable. Still getting cut open at the end of the month, to see if the experiment worked or not. It’s a very common kind of cognitive dissonance. Also, Professor membrane goes from vaguely concerning to actually terrifying with bondrewd as his face.

[@Fallen2014]

I have to agree with you, there is also the additional fact that he doesn't choose favorites or ever has any latency nor does he ever becomes a hypocrite (in the sense that he would never do something he wouldn't do to himself) when it comes to a decision, and even though his actions and methods to reach them are what we would consider disgusting, they are all completely humanitarian, he seems to be the pure embodiment of the phrase “kill one to save a million”, and if we look into this further the use of the orphans is also very much humanitarian in nature as well because until they arrive at his facility, to begin with, the orphans are pretty much all destined to be abused, starved, killed or worse and if that doesn't happen then like how many others already had done they'll go down to the abyss trying to make a living and just end up either dead or worse as they explore the abyss, so by choosing to use these children to potentially further the progression and survival chances of others he basically gives their lives far greater meaning than anyone else ever could he doesn't just spew doctrine or ideals for others to follow he lives by his words wholeheartedly

[@co7769]

Would you rather live free with the risk of starving, being abused, or killed? Or would you rather give up yourself to painful procedures that will inevitably kill you or take your humanity away for the chance of advancing science? In the last option you are guaranteed to die and suffer. In the first one it is only one of the many possible outcomes.

[@Fallen2014]

@@co7769 you would think the choice is obvious but freedom doesn't guarantee survival, happiness, and safety and we know for a fact that going into the abyss is one of the only real ways to make a profit in their world especially if you have no guaranteed income, we also know for a fact that children dive into the abyss regularly we see it with our protagonist as well as the corpse of a child being consumed as they descend, so your options are starving and fight for survival on the surface or dive into the abyss and hope to God you find something that can make you a profit. What bondrewd offers however is something that very few people who “have to” enter the abyss will ever get, purpose and the knowledge that their sacrifice will matter and go to the greater good. and purpose for those who have never had one is something they would desperately claw for if given especially if it could mean something greater

[@sunlocked5838]

One of the other ways that Bondrewd works so well is that he is a dark reflection of Riko. What are some of the things we see as inspirational are her curiosity, drive to see the bottom of the abyss, and love for those close to her. Bondrewd checks all those boxes too, his experimentation is driven by his own curiosity and he certainly is driven to breach the 6th layer. And as you went in detail, he really did love Prushka, Nanachi, and all the other children. Hell, both he and Riko were heavily reliant on a tool that Nanachi made for them.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Do you want to see more of these types of videos?

[@minismallists]

Yessirrrr

[@andreasjensen6617]

Yes please good video by the way

[@TheDoomerDen]

@@andreasjensen6617 thank you!

[@l0rd_breeigo-sama954]

Yes very much, you have earned my sub with this vid

[@dareokoski8158]

He reminds me of stein from soul eater

[@Dollsofgod]

Bondrewd is definitely an interesting character. He almost brings to mind the quote by T.S. Eliot “Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.” although I think his intentions might not necessarily be good they aren't evil. I think he's also slightly reminiscent of Thanos of Avengers where his motives are what he considers greater than himself since his current position really did cost him everything. I'm not sure if the curse of the abyss twisted him to become what he is but he seems to have become the embodiment of the desire for knowledge. I really think the movie did a good job of giving off that he's a ghost of a person now, but you can still feel that human presence lingering in his character.

[@RothusTemplar]

Cute avatar, a voice that's easy to listen to, AND an eloquent vocal essay with memes sprinkled in? I think I can subscribe to this channel.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Super glad you enjoyed it! I'll try to deliver on more

[@RothusTemplar]

@@TheDoomerDen You just keep doing your thing.

[@Blizz3112]

Bondrewd: "I sacrificed myself to become a whistle... its not such a big thing, honestly..." Prishka: "..."

[@kingofthedepths3513]

NOT SUCH A BIG THING!

[@makoUnderground]

First Phos, now BoneDaddy. Sir, are you going through my manga library? Great content. Subbed

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thank you so much! Glad to put out content others are enjoying. :)

[@amabiwasabi902]

When i saw the title, Im like WHAT DID U JUST SAY?? and upon watching it, im convinced. Ye, youre totally making sense.

[@featherfiend9095]

IMO, the key dilemma is *who* gets to decide whether the sacrifice of others is worth it or not. Is it determined by a majority? A monarch? A deity? While it's clear Bondrewd does his research in secret, he does it (in part at least) for the benefit of the majority of people on the surface (which excludes the hungry orphans). In a society it is intuitive to think it should be the majority, in which case Bondrewd did the "Right" thing. Furthermore, those orphans were already viewed essentially as disposable, based off they are allowed to live in wretched misery. So is it really Bondrewd who should be blamed (the most)? In terms of results, he isn't doing anything different than their society. It's just people in society don't want to admit their hypocrisy. In real terms look at what is going on in China with Uyghur concentration camps. What about the recent Myanmar genocide (which the UN was aware of)? What about the poverty in Africa? It's easy to point a finger at one person and say they are to blame, but at the end of the day Bondrewd's experimentation was thanks to the open, willful negligence (and secret approval) of society. In a paradoxical way, Bondrewd was more loving (which makes it all the more appalling when you look in the mirror).

[@ikengaspirit3063]

Bondrewd is definately more loving than most.

[@meh7608]

so if some random scientist or person decides to get people that are homeless and experiment on torture and kill them would you just go society something something on the situation?

[@featherfiend9095]

​@@meh7608 You are oversimplifying. In Made in Abyss the Delver's Guild *knew* what Bondrewd was doing. The scenario you present is more general. So in some cases "society something something on the situation" yes, in other cases "society something something on the situation" no. For example, you don't mention if this random scientist is working for the government. A) If he is, then "society something something on the situation" makes some sense. B) If instead this random scientist works alone without anyone else knowing of his involvement, then "society something something on the situation" is ridiculous. Bondrewd much more closely resembles A) so "society something something on the situation" argument has some merit.

[@demiviral95]

​@@meh7608 The society in this manga is very different from ours(at least the society of the city around the abyss) Human life is very much viewed as disposable in some aspects, don't morn the loss of that life, celebrate that it's lose is allowing us to progress. Riko more or less said this about eating the corpse weeper early on in the series in response to Reg's concern that they were eating a creature that had in turn eaten other delvers. Essentially don't mix reality and fiction, what is being discussed is the potential of this being a moral grey area in the context of the story, not our own world. (At least I would hope)

[@pillarmenn1936]

@@demiviral95 Things like this do exist IRL though. One I can think of is a nuclear physicist (I think) who took the bodies of the workers who died in an event similar to a miniature chernobyl. His experimentations on the bodies and such were considered appaling but the knowledge he gained from it was used to further understand radiation and society has a whole has accepted it while "condemning" his practice.

[@cursed-cat9126]

The scenes where Bondrewd and Prushka bond are really heartwarming. Not to mention the fact he remembers EVERY name of each kid turned to mush, he loves them but it does not stop him in his goals. It makes me so mad but what else can you do when faced with The Curse?

[@DahRahzor]

Bondrewd is one of the best written characters ever, in my opinion

[@pumpkinhead69]

Yeah he's very complex I'd like to see how he was before being like that

[@penmaker2525]

When bondrewd used those little packs to survive the curse he named every child he used and I'm like surprised he even remembered them

[@minismallists]

No cap, I didn’t expect to find a video like this uploaded a mere day ago

[@TheDoomerDen]

Hope it delivered for ya!

[@minismallists]

@@TheDoomerDen oh it definitely did, I truly enjoyed watching it

[@TheDoomerDen]

@@minismallists Glad to here it! Definitely more to come, thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@TamRamPam]

Bondrewd reminds me of the lad who made the first vaccine. The Small Pox vaccine was tested on orphans as well, and it brought many benefits for humanity. I'm not saying that this is good, but that in the end the sacrifice was more than just worth it.

[@co7769]

You just contradicted yourself. You said it wasn’t good but it was worth the sacrifice. Well how can something that is worth the sacrifice not be good?

[@Lavender-Skiess]

Then it wouldn't be a sacrifice if you don't give up something of value. A lot of the advances we have today are because awful things were done to innocent people.

[@kingofthedepths3513]

Bondrewd is more like Ozwell Spencer from resident evil

[@Phoenixthebest]

Dude, hearing this review makes me want to watch the show. You need more fans, I love seeing Villians with a complex reason for why they're doing it, especially if it's meant for the right thing. I've seen clips of the show, and it has peaked my interest, and hearing your summary and review of the villian, makes me want to watch it more. So glad I saw your vid

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thanks so much for watching, glad you enjoyed it! I just really enjoy talking about villains. 😄

[@Phoenixthebest]

@@TheDoomerDen You have just showed me that this is the most complex villan that I had ever met. Like I wanna hate him, but I wanna love him

[@TheDoomerDen]

@@Phoenixthebest He's definitely really twisted, I think what makes him stand our is he's not selfish, angry, or smug. With minor story tweaks he really could be a genuine mentor/father figure, and yet, you have his crimes against humanity, and the main cast is totally justified in hating him. These are my favorite villains, the ones you can look at from multiple perspectives. No wonder he was able to convince bounty hunters to join him.

[@Phoenixthebest]

@@TheDoomerDen YEA, This shall be my inspiration for one of the best villians

[@enjoe3837]

So, how’d you like the show?

[@ulrichbrodowsky5016]

I really love Bondrewd as villain, because, on the one hand he's so clearly evil, no question, but on the other hand he's not evil at all. That means I have to think about him, each time he comes up somewhere

[@lightyagami3492]

He is quite literally a walking paradox if you try to frame him into some kind of human construct. I think his personality is more akin to a god than it is to man.

[@florkiler6242]

I guess thats probably one of the best ways to remind yourself that context is super important

[@the_tired_one977]

I'm not even 30 seconds into the video yet. Just wanted to say I highly appreciate the usage of Nier:Automata music. I loved that game to bits! :)

[@aureuix4674]

About 13:00, he not only sacrificed his humanity but he also sacrificed his original body to form his white whistle iirc

[@Jam_Jon07]

Just for anyone watching this now, Bondrewd did not create the passageway down to the 6th Level, he just build his base around it.

[@Null_Experis]

Bondrewd is amoral, but he's still done immeasurable good. Elevator that goes straight to the 2nd layer? He made that. Donated it to the cave raiders guild. Medicine that alleviated the symptoms of ascent from the 2nd layer? Made that too. Gave the recipe away. Is he a monster? Yes. But he's a monster with standards who is largely doing what he does for a greater good and actually has stuff to show for it. He's the Trolley Problem in human form. On one hand, you have an orphanage full of children, on the other, every single person who was saved by his inventions and discoveries.

[@yurkdawg]

Thanks for this. I'm still emotionally (and intellectually) reeling after watching the movie. But this (the best review/analysis I've seen on YT btw) legitimately made me laugh a few times. I *really* needed that, thank you!

[@Gizmomaster]

At the end of the movie he’s still alive and I am totally happy with as he’s an awesome character to have around. His last talk with Nanachi was oddly enough touching. Somehow after everything he still had love for Nanachi and offered some actual kind words wishing her the best on her journey. He’s not a simple character. He’s selfless in his own way and at moments despite him abandoning his humanity he shows genuine human kindness like his last words to Nanachi. It was something I had to rewatch over and over again.

[@Team_ghost9503]

He is science without the morality, only the progression, gaining knowledge no matter what. I’m not sure about the love aspect, I think it’s a means to the end it’s genuine but only because it’s required for progress.

[@Scarshadow666]

Lol, I love that Professor Membrane's voice works so well over Bondrewd! XD

[@lehanniehaus9889]

The dubbing you have for the clips is AMAZING

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thanks!

[@wolfleader17]

I like how you touched on how terrifying he an be. He demonstrated clearly the first time they tried to kill him that not only was he willing to give them opportunity to, but that he wanted to learn from the experience. There's nothing that holds him back, he certainly feels pain and emotion, but while those can be insurmountable obstacles for most people, his need to learn, to move forward, makes him a force to be reckoned with. One of the worst antagonists a child may have to be faced with are parents, a father, in this case. And yet, even after losing his humanity, he is still able to love all the children he brings down, despite, or perhaps, in spite of his clinical nature. It's difficult to describe, yet at the same time, incredibly poetic that there is a place for everyone in Bondrewd's heart. That ordinarily, we might consider love to be defined by it's special nature to one or a few people in our lives, but Bondrewd turns that on it's head, just as he turns morals and humanity, and sanity on it's head to remind us that some of the most SUBARASHI things we can accomplish as human beings are done so through love.

[@Stothehighest]

Well, the algorithm is picking up what's going out and you've earned my sub and this sacrifice for the monstrous system we toil under. Excellent stuff, keep it up, I'm hoping you'll take off!

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thank you so much!!

[@iconsumelead]

I remember hearing somebody say: "You can love me, but that doesn't mean you're a good person."

[@StuHol-jb1hh]

I always want to point out something, that bondrewd knew that the abyss was growing, that it operated in cycles of 2000 years, and the next growth cycle was going to happen very soon, and that everyone's lives were forfeit when it does. This paints his obsession, madness, and willingness to sacrafice others in a new light, as in a way he wanted to make their lives have a purpose, to not get swallowed up just to feed the abyss, to not let their inevitable deaths and impossible, unobtainable dreams be pointless. In my mind he is a realist, he knows what tragedy is, and he holds onto hope, no matter how twisted it becomes. Even if he is a monster of a person, he does not want that to be all he is, he is willing to step aside and let them carry out their journey, his dream, not just because they bested him in a fight, but because they can do it with more kindness and hope than he can himself. I think the core concept of his character is that he represents the inevitable cruelty that science must dabble in for the pursuit of knowledge, that sometimes you inevitably must do harm in order to do even more good. Right now he has just solved one of the most difficult hurdles of the abyss: the inability to reliably confer knowledge from any point beyond the 5th layer. With nanachi as a remote eye and ear he can use, he can properly and accurately relay information about everything beyond the 5th layer in perfect analytical detail, and for the first time humanity stands a chance at fully understanding what is going on with the abyss, and why. Thr number of lives this information will inevitably save is impossible to tell, and the sacrafices made to open up this possibility are horrific, but what's the alternative?

[@lordwoods8631]

Don’t commit horrific scientific experiments on people?!? Oh, unless I get results. Good, good, I get many results. I think we need more Bondrewds around here.

[@torb_b]

This video gave me some very solid closure on why despite his appalling actions at first glance I couldn't help but love Bondrewd's character. So much nuance you could write a book about his character and still not cover the entire scope of his depth as an antagonist. Really good video and such an awesome character

[@baitposter]

The trope _well-intentioned extremist_ comes to mind. _"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."_ He's a hyper-pragmatic, sociopathic monster who genuinely furthers scientific progress. Definitely a complex character. He did _a lot_ wrong, but for many of the right reasons. He's an embodiment of _"the ends justify the means."_

[@RandomVex]

Bruh, ur vids are truly glamorous! Surely keep it up and watch your subcount go higher and higher!

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thank you!! Just doing what I enjoy?

[@PasteldeRebaja]

"A prayer cannot be born from one who only knows joy" "Prushka, i see that you have found something that you like, from this moment forward, your world will begin to change. From now on, you will grow with each and every step you take, today is they day of your birth, this is the start of your adventure" This two lines is what i got for myself in my own journey as a father to my child, and boy, how it did help. (Experiment with your children tho, not in them)

[@Antithesismanifest]

Good one

[@gp-1542]

Dude is so lost to madness that he doesn’t even register the pain he’s causing

[@skooptywooop1030]

I love how we are explicitly told that bondrewd feels pain over this situation.

[@ShadowKueken]

In the eyes of Bondrewd the orphans he recruited (they all came willingly) are true pioneers of the Abyss, literal Martyrs for the cause. Just another thing which makes it difficult for me to actually hate the mind that he became.

[@megugu2155]

>he is grateful for the sacrifices, seeing them as pioneers and such thus he never forgets them Its just like how his quote "As long as I have your love, I am immortal." can work both ways. For the children and his Umbra Hands, as long as Bondrewd loves them, they are immortal in his memory and in his spirit. We can even use that quote as some sort of advice in life. That even if you lost people to the Abyss of life, do not forget that as long as you love them, they are immortal and their spirits are resting in your heart and memory. They will follow and help you in your journey. Just like how Bondrewd remembers his sacrifices and how his sacrifices help him understand the Abyss. God, why does this asshat have to be so beautiful?

[@idknemore525]

Beyond the morality debate, Bondrewd is an extreme caricature of a person and a parent with narcissistic personality disorder. He only loves people insomuch as he sees them as useful extensions of himself. I mean, he literally turns his henchmen into mental extensions of himself and children into technological extensions of himself. It's still love, but it's a different kind of love from how most experience and conceptualize it.

[@dropmelon]

The abyss recognising this as an expression of Bondrewd’s deep love would indicate he’s not narcissistic as much as he had become a complete utilitarian. Unlike how people don’t see slaughtering animals the same as slaughtering humans, Bondrewd don’t follow the societal morality as he had move past humanity and see the urgency in making sure humanity survive the next 2000 year cycle. He even credits the kids for the progression of humanity and remembers all their hopes and dreams. There’s also the fact that the blessing as far as we know is created from the love between two people. It’s unlikely he’s confusing his narcissism with love.

[@mikaeleulrichzagetapoc2022]

it doesn't seem like it from what I've seen, in my opinion he's the embodiment of sacrificing for the greater good, in the sense that he won't hesitate to sacrifice anyone, even himself to further progress, plus from what I've heard narcissists can't admit that they're wrong or defeat which is exactly what bondrewd does when he was defeated

[@AkyXf]

The Umbra Hands also volunteer for that process and are willing participants because they know the urgency and importance of what Bondrewd is trying to do for humanity before the abyss enters the next 2000 years apocalyptic cycle. They also revert back to their personality if bondrewed retreats back from their consciousness with zoaholic.

[@ceoofthen-word8849]

@@AkyXf where did you get this info?

[@AkyXf]

@@ceoofthen-word8849 I don't remember exactly, a combination of the manga, wikis and author interviews, not exactly sure which, it's been a while.

[@HittingBandy]

So the manga is already hinting of the next white whistle encounter as it's next arc, and I'm really excited for that to come out, good work on this video

[@guardianofchaos1775]

[*SPOILER*] The last arc addressed a point that reinforces Bondrewd's twisted love for the children he sacrificed for his research. At the beginning of the Narehate village arc, Nanachi questions Majikaja about the concept of value, and he mentions that the only truth that matters for the village to judge is the one that lies deep in his soul. It is obvious that this form of judgment, despite being seen used by Irumyuui, follows the laws of the netherworld itself. That's why Bondrewd was able to receive the blessing of the abyss, something that can only be obtained through a ritual where those involved must share the truest love for each other. Love, even though it can be described, cannot be manufactured, interpreted, it is created by each individual, and by him alone, which can be conquered, shared, but never taken.

[@TheDoomerDen]

Thanks for the input! Yes, it definitely confirmed that Bondrewd wasn't merely imitating those feelings or mimicking them, making it all the more twisted

[@thisguy9733]

@@TheDoomerDen I have a spoiler question does reg get his arm reattached?

[@everforward5561]

How does the abyss recognize love, though?

[@thisguy9733]

@@everforward5561 are you asking why a magic hole in the ground can magically detect love

[@guardianofchaos1775]

@@thisguy9733 not until now, but I would love to see him receive some kind of "upgrade"

[@rubiaragagon7722]

He knows the names of each victim and knows their past. It’s both endearing and creepy at the same time.

[@kingofthedepths3513]

It's just creepy

[@sassy_sasarai4090]

"Did Bondrewd do anything wrong?" Yes.

[@JAXi9321]

GOD, I love your channel. Under 2 minutes into my first video & already vibing with the "atmosphere". Voice, editing, style that you speak in, character. What else mmm... bg music! Messy comment. Glad I found y.

[@TheDoomerDen]

That really makes me happy to hear, thank you so much!

[@DragoonsCrackedOutAccount]

see, Bondrewd is the exact definition of “you are bad guy, but this does not mean you are a bad guy” meanwhile tucker is the whole embodiment of selfishness and evil

[@HEHElo-w1e]

I love the the fact you talk about made in abyss and transformers prime and speaking in such deep depth of the characters giving closed minds to open Glad to see the mind of anime shockwave the Lord of Dawn

[@stellacepttekai]

The children he took were also gonna die anyways due the poor condition of the orphan, so he them have meaning to them instead being unknown orphan child. He didn't even lie them because he said they would part of something great in the abyss and kids just followed him without question. (this why you ask questions first lol) Also, relic that allows him to split his mind into Umbra hands may have been cause his mind to go on the im moral side since it side effects eventually destroys and twist the mind. You see in the manga he had fail umbra hands with a broken mind only capable doing same simple task over and over again. Though he already was wanted criminal in other countries, I believe the abyss really shape him in way who he really is today. H̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶u̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶i̶s̶m̶a̶t̶i̶c̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶g̶n̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶e̶.̶ (Fun question, how long would u think survive in the abyss and to what level?)

[@TheDoomerDen]

I think there's no way I'd make it past level 4 or 5, even without the white whistle only entrance to 6, there are too many dangers on those levels

[@MahouShoujo-Studios]

I mean, dying is much better than suffering eternally/temporarily as a mindless blob. That, and why would they think to ask questions? They're orphan children whose only focus is survival, that and Bondrewd chose the orphan children specifically because children are easy to mold, and because they're orphans, no one would miss them or think to look for them. When you're a child, you're not going to be thinking about extra details, you're only worried that they're on the edge of death. Lol, you answered your own question, they didn't ask questions because they were vulnerable kids who are just looking to survive, logic isn't going to even be a consideration. If I was an young orphan child and someone offered me warmth and a home, I'd probably not ask questions either. That, and regardless of what type of meaning he gave them, he still caused them to suffer. I agreed that he is twisted to some degree because of his past experience, but he fully understands that what he's doing would be considered immoral as he clearly regrets what he has to do to Mitty and Nanachi and the other children.

[@saarkoene2761]

I would definitely trip over a rock or somthing on the first level and plummet to my death.

[@jexiagalleta876]

i would not last longer than 30 minutes

[@artblock3539]

I'd rather die meaningless than suffer one of his expeiriments.

[@giovibrunogb]

I really enjoyed this video. Great job, here in Italy we didn't have any video about this

[@Sammy-S]

This was top notch. Definitely looking forward to seeing more from this series.

[@kurosilverfang3895]

All right I have to add this, the fact that this man remembered each and every child that he used for his experiment and even remembered all of their dreams and desires, showed that this man cared a whole lot for them. Which was pretty touching in a twisted kinda way but still shockingly heartwarming.

[@maxkat9694]

He's basically like those toxic parents who actually did care and love you but also hurt you

[@googygum]

I laughed out loud when I heard Membrane's voice come from Bondrewd

[@MegaRad666]

Based and sadpilled. subbed. I can't wait for season 2. It's thanksgiving so I'm thankful that anime can present narratives beyond those that are cut & dry shounen protag arcs that we see so much in Western entertainment. Sometimes I like to see an MC lose.

[@MegaRad666]

@Lord of Dawn edgy slang for 'good' or 'cool' or 'awesome', mostly used in the context of something that is politically or morally controversial - like farming children for science

[@fotis9493]

perfect video!! i realy liked it and i hope you had fun making it!! best character analysis of him so far!!

[@SirIsaacNooton]

I would love to see more made in abyss content from your channel. Have you done any other ones?

[@TheDoomerDen]

This is my first one, but considering it's popularity I certainly will do more down the pipeline!

[@cryptorun6610]

You should do more made in abyss content. This was a great video

[@xtaniwhax9655]

MIA fandom: He DiD NoThInGe WrOnG HEs JuSt MiSunDerStoOd! Mitti and all the other children he horrifically mutilated with no easy road to the sweet release of death: *Am I a joke to you?*

[@norvinosorio22]

Looks like someone didn't watch the video...

[@xtaniwhax9655]

@@norvinosorio22 I did watch it but I still don't think I'm convinced. If it convinced you GREAT I'm glad to you can enjoy something I can't

[@vyckygy6626]

@@xtaniwhax9655 No one is trying to convince you, it's just an open discussion.

[@RoseluckSerendipity-x2h]

you're missing a few things on tucker.. His first success was his wife, who died shortly after. He was then pushed into his second success trough being HOUNDED to replicate his previous success. Bondrewd didn't do experiments without care, His were definitely of calculations to further his own, or humanity's ambition as a whole. He is a kindhearted doctor. Who can step over his morals.

[@masterzoroark6664]

Knowing about Bondrewd and his motivation I start to see quite intriguing hints in his design- like his white whistle for example. From some angles it does look like two hands holding together, but from other it looks far more like one hand grasping over something.

[@Spectra651]

The Professor Membrane voiceovers were not only hilarious but much appreciated by this die-hard 'Invader ZIM' fan XD