Tengoku Daimakyou

For me, this is the best show in this season, maybe even in this year.
Honestly, in a lot of anime seasons there is usually a deep, philosophical story, and there are a lot of people who talk about those shows as "bullshit,", "nonsense", illogical, or "trying to be smart", and I think thats all right. Because the people who know that they like deep, metaphorical stories will know, when they see those comments, that this show is for them.

If you like to think and feel when you watch something, if you like it when a story is brave, asks controversial questions, makes you ask a ... lot of questions, and does not give you straight answers, than this is for you.
Those animes are never going to be that popular, like the other headliners, they can annoy some people, and this is okay too. There is a lot of taste and a lot of anime to watch instead.

Animes like this have a smaller audience, and this group will always be there for stories like this.

The theme of finding hope in a seemingly hopeless or dark world has been done before, in a slice of life way in Girls’ Last Tour, in a lovecraftian horror form in Made in Abyss, or in many other ways of which I haven’t seen before. Tengoku Daimakyo takes this theme, but has a sci-fi mystery backdrop to it, making it quite a unique experience, and one I haven’t really experienced personally.

What do we want from a sci-fi mystery show? Do we want twists and turns, dark reveals, or unpredictability? Tengoku Daimakyo has all of that, but it also has the one narrative technique I ... appreciate the most in media, which is “show, don’t tell”. This anime masterfully handles that by giving us virtually no real direction on the surface, but encourages the viewer to ponder on the events of each episode, pay attention to how the characters act, and recall past events to make a scene or reveal hit that much harder. It’s an anime that can generate a lot of discourse because it is just so mind-bending at times, and confusing, in the most wonderful of ways. It’s not exactly “unpredictable” either, but in order to get the full picture, some thinking must be done — I really appreciate that, as it makes for another level of engagement to the events of the anime. In many media, it’s the author who seems to be the one dumping the information, but in this show, it’s instead the viewers who might try to put two and two together, like a puzzle, to figure out what exactly is going on in the story. There’s no better feeling than when you put two and two together and find out your theory was indeed correct. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air from the constant info dumps in other anime, though there are still some info dumps in this show as well.

To give a gist of the setting and story, it’s set in a post apocalyptic world where human civilization was destroyed, man-eating monsters are all over, laying waste to the remains of the land, and threatening the lives of the survivors. Meanwhile, there is a facility that is isolated from the rest of the world, which nurtures children in a very peaceful setting. It reminded me of The Promised Neverland in a way, with the Grace Field house. The two protagonists, Kiruko and Maru are seemingly looking for this place, which they call “Heaven”, and along the way they encounter many intriguing things, as tales on the inside of the nursery and outside get told. Themes around human nature, companionship, and the search for meaning can be seen in both settings, which made for great parallels and comparisons between both the children and the protagonists of the outside world. It was quite interesting seeing the stories of both the nursery and the outside world being told side by side with one another, not relying on info dumps or conventional flashback sequences to understand the lore of the world.

Not only is it very thought-provoking, it also looks and sounds incredible, with an audiovisual experience that always had me paying attention and sometimes on the edge of my seat. The directing is phenomenal in really setting the atmosphere and the eerie tone in the more important scenes, but also can change into a very light tone in more comedic scenes. The backgrounds show us the backdrop of urban decay, rather than just flat out telling us. The soundtrack contributes to the atmosphere a lot too, as Kensuke Ushio, who composed music for anime like Chainsaw Man, A Silent Voice, and The Dangers in My Heart, did a great job yet again here to convey the occasional emotional gut punch, or to get us even more uncomfortable in a horrifying sequence. Everything about the production overall was at a very high level, and after seeing the staff behind it, I can see why. It was truly a legendary team of people producing a passion project from start to finish, with the art director Yuji Kaneko, numerous elite episode directors and storyboarders in Haruka Fujita, in which it’s her first work outside of Kyoto Animation, Kai Ikarashi, who worked on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as well as the Turning Point episode of Mushoku Tensei, and also Toshimasa Ishii, who directed 86: Eighty-Six. I would also love to shout out Hirotaka Mori, since it was his directorial debut in the anime sphere.

The characters were quite a strong part of the series as well, with Kiruko and Maru’s relationship and chemistry being quite the highlight of the show. The dialogue between them felt quite natural and organic, like bros just having a great time together, rather than forcing romance into the dynamic in a contrived manner.. That said, as this show has quite a focus on human nature, there is an element of romance there, but it’s more that the show tries to explore human emotions, sexuality, and gender, so how the relationship is handled is quite natural and interesting to watch. They both have past traumas, and I have stated in my past reviews about my disdain for “sob story backstories”— but when an anime can build upon the traumatic past with developments in the present time, it can work well. In this case, it was handled quite well in this anime to create a coming of age narrative for the protagonists, as they tried to find meaning in this mess of a world they found themselves in. The children in the nursery admittedly were quite abundant and difficult to follow along at times, but with some thought, some of them still ended up being very endearing in their own ways along with the protagonists of the outside world.

Among the popular hitters like Oshi no Ko, Hell’s Paradise, and Demon Slayer, Tengoku Daimakyo has gone a bit under the radar, but I’m glad many people gave it a shot. It’s something a bit different, very thought-provoking, emotional, and something that will be quite memorable to me for quite a while. That said, while it’s one of the best anime of this season in my opinion, it’s nowhere near finished, so as the kids say, let it cook, and we may be in for another masterclass when the time comes for a sequel, which I hope we’ll get, even if it takes a while. With time, this may become a modern classic, who knows?

Till next time, see you, bye bye!

This show honestly surprises me, and more for the good kind. As you start watching, you feel a sense of mystery. A mystery that draws you in to keep watching, and experiencing it.With the early beginnings coming across a mixture of Sonny Boy and The Promise Neverland. While coming into more of it's own as the show goes on.

Story and characters: 9
As I've said, the show really does an amazing job of making you want to watch more with it's direction and pacing. Getting to know the characters for who they are, and see them progress. What helps also, is that these characters aren't a ... blank canvas, that more likely you will forget about. As if they've been written with care and thought, and do stand out. The dynamic pairing of Kiruko and Maru shows a perfect example of this. But what it also does, is showcase a want to know more, you feel there is MORE to the characters, despite what we are given within these three episodes. That's good writing. To already know more, and crave even more from it.

If you've played Last of us, you can get a genuine sense of what the show can be like, in terms of it coming across as if a mass event has happened, that has caused such a scene. While at same time,people still try to live, still try to survive despite this. To even the point that one location, has given Promise Neverland vibes, with how it looks and seems. Which you can only see, getting more interesting as the show carries on, in both fields.

Art and sound: 9
I really have to give high praise for this, from the movement alone, the stella OP, the wonderful art direction and overall atmosphere. It all stands out super well, and flows so nicely. They really captured everything perfectly, and made you want to watch more for this alone. It's well done in both fields, and deserves more props than one may give it. Credit to both teams who are behind such.

This show has really made such an impact, and deserves your viewing pleasure. Go and watch it.

Captivating beginning, disappointing ending.

I am the last person advocating for less mystery or less predictability (at least with the plot in the case of this anime, as the result of encounters with the monsters of this world were clear). However, I felt as though there was a bit too much "new" mystery and not enough building on the "old", or the mysterious reveals already in place. This leaves the viewer with a lot of questions and the worry that the majority may never be answered.

The show really does well in creating a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, and it was very fun to watch our two ... main characters journey in such an environment. Had it been just that, this might've been an enjoyable, lighthearted at times, heartfelt in others, ecchi-at-times show. However, the last two episodes come out of nowhere and taint the pleasant feelings with unpleasant ones to say the least. To make it worse, the unpleasantness goes on too long, the characters move on too quickly for such an experience, and the ending scene with our protagonists seems to act like what happened in the past two episodes were as important as a filler arc, making the characters feel unreal and not human.

The art, shot composition, and audio were all amazing and really caught and kept the viewers attention. The OP and ED were really good, but I have to say that it was really hard to feel the same way about a clearly happy and lighthearted ED after watching episodes 10-12. Things really weren't the same after that. I really wanted to like this show - I really DID like this show - and I was willing to overlook the suboptimal writing if not for the greatly disappointing final episodes.

Sometimes many shining moments can be undermined by a terrible few. I believe that to be the case for Tengoku Daimakyou. As much as I enjoyed nearly every aspect about the show up until that point, I cannot ignore the ending.

Trigger warning: sexual assault

It is a testament to how stale anime has become if Tengoku Daimakyou is considered great. It is not quite awful, with strong production values throughout and clear artistic effort put into it. The major issues with the pacing, coupled with the poor story and characters that we are shown, land it as a high 3 out of 10.

The short TV anime squanders so much of its limited runtime on boring and pointless scenes. Not the side stories; such diversions are welcome in this kind of show. However, the scenes showing the children in 'heaven' were excessively long and dull. None ... of it mattered whatsoever until the final few episodes, and still it didn't tie back to the main characters. These parts took up a large portion of the show and were unecessary.

This might only be a problem because the show is unfinished. The entire pacing is built towards a climax that is being saved for some future second season. It can't stand on its own as a single season without that second part. The entire show is unwatchable because of how it was structured. Unless you're watching it for the above average art and animation, there's no point in seeing this until they release the rest because the only interesting part of the show is the mystery, which is built up through the whole season and never resolved.

Of course, if it had good characters and individual stories it would still hold up. Unfortunately neither are quite the case. The creators were good at writing a mystery, not so much interesting characters. None had complex personalities. The only real character trait an important character had was the main boy who's trait is that he is horny. Main girl, heaven girl etc., are all completely forgetable but for their designs (the designs clearly came before the characters). The side quests are really forgettable as well, all just exploring very basic and surface level themes. They were all just incredibly mediocre and poorly written.

The climax of this season is about the main girl's character. Her character arc is the real point of this season. But this main pillar crumbles only a few episodes after we hear her backstory (which does look to be interesting at first). The whole thing is handled so poorly and the writers clearly can't make anything complex or believable. This character's story is just such an insane planewreck that crashes into heathrow, leveling several terminals and killing thousands. The quasi-normal anime sexual assault that the main boy does to her is just even less forgivable because in the last two episodes the show actually brings up sexual assault and its just so awful. And its like mainly about gender but only the wierdest conception of it. There's nothing wrong with touching these subjects as long as you treat it with respect (the show doesn't). It's also fine to have boobs and fanservice, and the show isn't bad because it has those things. It's bad because of how the fanservice is presented and how it ties to the character themes. It could have still been a good show despite this depiction...

Tengoku Daimakyou would have been less talked about than Aico: Incarnation if this had come out in 2018 (not the highest point in anime). But today it is somehow praised to the moon and given an ultra-high ranking when it is fundementally, detatched from its poor handling of the main character and themes related to her, a 4 out of 10 show, or 5 out of 10 at a stretch. Don't watch until the second season comes out. Even when it does, only watch it if you like the character and monster designs.

As the brainchild of this franchise, Masakazu Ishiguro created this piece of work that I can easily say is a creative story. Rather than following the recent endless trend of fantasy isekai or romantic comedies, he had a vision for Heavenly Delusions. That vision is to create a postapocalyptic world where we see a dystopia-like environment and how mankind adapts to survive. With two colorful story plot within one setting, Heavenly Delusion is one of the most ambitious shows I've seen in 2023, and that's not an unerstatement.

Unlike his previous work And Yet The Town Moves, this show adapts a much darker tone in storytelling ... and setting. To me, this was an experimental type of anime that focuses on the 'what ifs' and how people can survive in a world without laws and being in ruins. The postapocalyptic setting of this anime is never shy to show the cruelty of reality. Not only do we meet monsters known as 'Man-Eaters' but our characters must deal with everyday environments too. It's a setting that depicts how humanity can live without modern technology and being part of something that's far from heavenly.

As mentioned before, the show follows two storylines. One of them focuses on the pair of Maru and Kiruko as they travel through the desolate lands with their personal goals. The other storyline involves a facility for children with special abilities. This place in the show is dubbed as 'Heaven', a name contrasting sharply with the outside word. Both storylines contains a similar tone with a sense of mystery and dark themes. Masakazu wanted us to experience the story as if we were there ourselves. His creative vision leads to many elements found in other postapocalyptic settings and most noticably, we realize how he wanted to create a society where our worst nightmares can come to life. Maru and Kiruko's journey throughout the anime shows how dangerous their environments can be. With cities in ruins, Man-Eaters are a constant threat to humanity. Their encounters with them leads to vicious fights as these monsters show no mercy against their prey. However, I would also like to mention that despite all the dangers, Maru and Kiruko make an effective pair. Their skills and talents along with resourcefulness allowed the duo to survive.

Maru and Kiruko also has an unique chemistry among the cast. Let me just say that as we follow their journey, we see how the duo cares for one another beyond just survivng. Maru's goal for searching for Heaven inspires himself to not give up no matter what obstacles are ahead. With Kiruko's resourcefulness, she helps him during their journey while also making jokes and and humor to lighten up the mood. In fact, having Kiruko's companionship gives Maru's a sense of relief and her tomboyish personality brings out the best of the two. For herself, Kiruko feels more comfortable when not alone with Maru by her side. The chemistry of these two characters brings out not just the lighter side of the anime but perhaps also show that there's hope for humanity after all.

The other more darker and mysterious story plot involves characters at a nursery type of facility that we come to know as Heaven. Under a controlled environment, the characters are clueless about the outside world. They are not being held as prisoners but something always felt off and ominous. It is also under mysterious circumstances that some of the characters have special abilities that transcends above logic. Watching these segments brings a lot of questions, and unfortunately, this season alone doesn't have enough answers for them all. Yet, I find this side of the story intrguing because it ties in with a theme of the show about facing the unknown. Heavenly Delusions' mysterious world is created based on a postapocalyptic setting and we really have to ask ourselves what truly exist out there and if there's a bright future for humanity. Characters at Heaven often feels a sense of danger as if something is out to get them but also fears about the outside world. Behind the scenes, we don't know a whole lot about the endgame goals of higher ups. Some brief glances gives us a disturbing picture related to experimentation. But again, being a 1-cour (13 episodes) anime does hold this anime back from answering our questions.

Thankfully, the plot doesn't carry itself around loosely between the two plots. We have the characters with personalities that makes us curious about the anime altogether. This is especially true for characters within that mysterious facility such as Tokio, Shiro, among others. One especially interesting episode details background events about Heaven that takes place years ago. A particular child named Asura begs a lot of question about her true origins and why she existed in the first place. She even exists in the main timeline and we must ask ourselves how much she affects the world. On the more disturbing matters, we also learn about Tokio's fate at the end of episode 9. In fact, I would say Heavenly Delusions contain dark and somewhat controversial elements throughout its duration. From experimentations, psychological violence, and postapocalyptic elements, you need to brace yourself as this anime is not light to the heart.

Production IG is an interesting choice for this show, as they adapt a world in ruins. From the fictional world setting to its characters, the studio wanted to give us a real look at how it's different from our modern society. In fact, the world is crafted with care and precision to show how much the world lies in ruins. On the other hand, Heaven is built on a foundation that sounds out more than any other place in the world. Finally, expect graphic violence from the show. Man-eaters in this anime are designed with grotesque elements. Make no mistake, the man eaters show no human traits and their presence inspires fear among humanity. Combined with its eerie soundtrack, Heavenly Delusions truly is Masakazu Ishiguro's darkest work to date.

Ultimately, Heavenly Delusions may not be aimed at everyone but certainly is a special anime on its own. Using ideas from postapocalyptic themes and tying together two storylines together always kept me at the edge of my seat. With every episode, I felt like the anime continues to build more and more into its mystique. And to be honest, Masakazu Ishiguro truly gave us a worthy anime to talk about this year.

If a works' value was in it's detail, this show would be a mountain of diamond.

There is so much that can be said about this show's production value alone, but most of you have eyes and ears, and when something is this god damn polished, you don't really need someone else to tell you it looks and sounds really fucking good.

no, the thing that I'm going to talk about, is a thing that for some Haruhi forsaken reason, I am one of the 12 people who cares about, and that's the mystery writing!

mystery is my favourite genre for a lot of different reasons, the ... biggest one is, I love the feeling of not knowing. To me something that I don't know is a lot more intriguing, than something that I do know.

but here's the fucked up part about mystery, it's pretty hard to write it well.

you NEED to create a balance between, intrigue and answers, build up and pay off, deception and telling the truth. there are so many elements that go into creating a good mystery, and this show nails EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEM!

so let's start by pissing of the AOT fandom, cause a new king of foreshadowing is upon us. if you think attack on titan building up to it's biggest plot twist from the start is impressive, then you have seen NOTHING.

from the very first episode: we have throw away joke of the main character saying "I'm also a boy" which to everyone's surprise, is more than a joke. I don't want to spoil the show here by naming all the foreshadowing bits, but trust me, there is a lot of them....

for those of you who have seen the show, Imma give you one that you probably didn't notice, did you know maru means circle?.... yeah imma leave that one at that.


but what would be the point of foreshadowing if the answers weren't good, except that they are really god damn good, and the show is so smart with how it gives them, it starts by giving you vague hints on an answer, but then it slowly makes them more ands more obvious. it's designed so that sooner or later you will reach the answers yourself. which is how it manages to convey countless twists, without ever outright saying any of them. you feel smart, but you aren't. the show has just brilliantly placed it's answers in a way that you feel like Sherlock Holmes for figuring it out, while it was part of the plan all along.

It's some Joseph Joestar shit I tell you, I can just imagine the author sitting in their room yelling "next you're going to say, oh so this is how that happened" after every chapter.

now, I said I wasn't going to talk about the visuals, and I won't, but I can not, not describe how good the visual story telling is.

you hear one line get cut short, and then a faint smile met by another character getting shocked, and boom that's somehow a whole ass character arc.

in that same episode, you see a keychain, and then you see it again, and boom that's a twist.

every background, every expression, every setting is filled with information so seamlessly that you don't even know you're learning about the characters and the world as you're watching it. it's fucking brilliant, and extremely rewarding if you pay attention.

and at the end of it all, after so many answers, so many hints, so many things that we learn through the visuals, it still feels like we are barely scratching the surface of the overall mystery.

there is a lot more that I can gosh about, but for a mystery fan like me, this alone was more than enough to make it my personal favourite anime this year. plus I don't want to write a novel for a mal review, so I decided to focus on one strong element, instead of barely touching on everything.

*Heavenly Delusion* is a world that is more lived in rather than explained, a story in which its earliest images of urban decay and the clean pristineness of the nursery contrast like night and day, telling us everything we need to know within seconds. The former is subjected to the ravages of catastrophe and left humankind to their own devices, buildings left to rot in the overgrow of greenery and decrepit highways. The latter is so clean and saccharine with children running and playing that it feels mystifyingly sheltered, if not outright false. As far as these two places’ geography and ideology is concerned, they ... could not be further apart. But even so, the stories of these two locations weave together to make a fine science-fiction tapestry, visually and acoustically beautiful while delving into the darker remnants of what its world means as a breathing space and to the people within it.

In both settings, its characters are constantly chasing their own metaphorical rainbow. For Kiruko and Maru, they are bound together by job contract to find “Heaven,” someone who looks exactly like Maru, and two people that Kiruko knows from their past, though it becomes rather apparent that the duo’s relationship is more than merely a professional commitment. In the midst of their foraging and scavenging, they can only wonder at times of life before the catastrophe. The children in the nursery begin exhibiting behaviors foreign to their cloistered place. They indulge their new, curiosity-laden impulses either with the setting directly or with each other. Even at times where one narrative appears to be left behind and the other takes centerstage, they are constantly bound together by mysteries that thematically complement the seemingly-separate threads. In that spirit, the two stories are always moving in parallel, even if the actual number of minutes spent in each place is unequal.

*Heavenly Delusion* piles mysteries on top of one another in a mesmerizingly organic and multifaceted fashion; much like its characters, it rewards its curious viewer with an answer to a burning question every once in a while, before managing to pull the wool back over the eyes and have several other mysteries crop up. By allowing their curious impulses to take over, the characters are, in essence, knocking on Heaven’s Door to see what lies beyond. It provides just enough give to whet the immediate appetite, all while having several cards still up its sleeve and ready to slam on the table with telegraphed finesse. Each new piece of information learned brings some knowledge about the world, but in order to get it, slaying the vicious Man-Eaters or trying to reconcile one’s unfamiliar feelings is a consequence or payment that needs to be made.
With all the forces pressing down upon the characters in *Heavenly Delusion,* there is an inherent interplay between freedom and imprisonment involving body, mind, and soul that is constantly and amorphously shifting. Adjusting to each new situation or truth, and the characters striving for their own sense of self-signification despite them, pervades the show’s glimmers of triumph and its imposing melancholia.

But glimmers are worth holding onto, and solace is often found in the company of the few people who really matter. As Kiruko and Maru forage through old buildings, the practical reason is obvious – they need supplies. Underlying all of that though is the desire to see just what lies waiting to be understood or uncovered, both of the world and of the other. As children actively living in the aftermath of the catastrophe that struck the world, their own curiosity fuels their relationship. They do not have all the answers (no one in their world has them, apparently), yet even so, it does not stop some of the adults they encounter from making disparaging remarks about them living the bulk of their lives long after the catastrophe initially struck. However, in the midst of all that jadedness and cynicism hurled their way, they allow themselves to wonder. That wonderment provides its own kind of spiritual and emotional refuge.

It is a kind of familiarity that is born when you have been with someone for a long time, or understand someone well enough to know what they are more or less thinking to the point where you inherently trust them without necessarily saying anything. It moves beyond trust, though – it allows you to laugh and maintain your spirits in a world that seems like it is always trying crushing it, and with someone else there there with you, things don’t have to be so bad. In a sea of empty houses that have creaked floors, broken windows, and cars that stopped working long ago, actual danger does rear its ugly head from time to time. All that scavenging and foraging may have been to find supplies, but the shelter each one seeks is walking right alongside them. It will keep them safe from whatever travail or horror comes their way, giving each action-oriented encounter a smoothly-choreographed zeal, and a sincere laugh when they comedically find unused toilet paper. And when they find others who have established their own small communities in the apocalyptic wasteland willing to help, they see in them what they see in each other, just in another form.

And for the children in the nursery, they begin to taste the “forbidden fruits” of the literal and figurative boundaries of their imaginations. You can only keep someone inside a sphere for so long before they long to wonder whether there is more than the limit of what they know. In their youthful and hormonal naivety, allowed to foster unfettered(?) and undeterred(?) by the powers that be, they likewise find solace and meaning that transcends the self and moves into something more intangibly fragile and flickering. As one of their own says, it’s a love that you’ll know is different than anything else. All the while, the viewer acknowledges the suspenseful knell that’s ready to sound, but there’s an assuredness in knowing that they, too, have found refuge and will survive with one another.

Whether through Kiruko and Maru, the children in the nursery, or the many peoples and places that are seen and heard, *Heavenly Delusion* is thus a grimly communal series where the setting can be vicious and choking, violent without remorse, and difficult to stomach. And at the same time, it is capable of producing tender mercies, sincerity that stands against the specters of death waiting in the wings. Every day, the characters see and learn a little more, grow a little closer, and attempt to find what they need to find. Not every truth, person, or monster beyond Heaven’s Door is pleasant, but the feeling that they can, and will, carry on is always there.

One tip for the weary – if your gun isn’t charged, run like hell.

Okay, so Heavenly Delusion. What a deceptive show indeed.

You see, one thing that gets quite noticeable as the show goes on is a constant effort to subvert viewer's expectations. It happens everytime. Characters that seem like ducks become pigeons for a brief moment only to reveal themselves as some kind of turkey. A side-story might become so deep and twisted you forget where it started.

The world of show itself seems like delusion. It starts as a pretty doomed place to live in, atleast it presented this way in the first couple of episodes. There're berserk-like creatures huntin for human brains, the society and progress got ... rolled back for a few centuries. But then you see a womens dominant fetishist community, a tomato paradise, a nympho-host and stuff. People do some crazy bs in this show, but it doesnt fit the post-apocaliptic setting not for a bit.

And then there is gore. Not much, but it is there and it never feels in place in this show. One character in particural goes through so much psychological and physical horror that you might wonder if he still resumes his sense of sanity, but nope hes chillin like no tommorow. Like, everyone is so upbeat here no matter what. The huge amount of fanservice doesn't help either.

There is an entire parallel subplot which takes place somewhere in "neverland". It takes a decent runtime and tries to play the themes of complex relations between teenagers in a weird setting like Shinsekai yori did back in the day. Its not bad and the suspense is there, but we have to wait for the 2nd season to see the outcome if its all worthy or not. The main story exists only to make sure the main protagonist won't just stop and grow some tomatoes instead of constantly moving forward.

The one strong aspect is animation for sure. It starts high and keeps a steady pace (aside from one weird episode). The opening is, probably, the best one this year so far. The song is a banger and animation is stylish, creative and pretty unique. I'd say it sets the bar so high its almost distracting to watch the show for how inconsistent it is. Another delusion indeed.

So in the end, should you watch the show? I'd say, wait for a 2nd season. It has some potential to strike as a world-premiere meta drama accompanied by a twisted plot or it may burn as a pretentious garbage, who knows. So far, its mixed, incosistant and unresolved.

For ~95% of this show's runtime it is a very solid, 7/10 sci-fi mystery series that I would genuinely recommend.
The problem is the other 5%; so bad that it makes me a) wish I hadn't watched the show and b) feel forced to write this review in order to warn others as I wish I had been warned myself.

Anytime the show has to deal with gender, sex and sexuality, all the subtly and decent writing goes straight out the window and the scenes with such included get increasingly uncomfortable to watch. That is not taking into account the last episode and a bit which - ... though I will not spoil - was disgusting, completely unnecessary, gratuitous and left me genuinely upset.

In a moment I will discuss around the ending and while I'll try to minimise spoilers, if you're the sort who (like me) likes to go into media blind, check out content warnings for this show and thanks for reading.

My description of the last episode (and a bit) may seem like hyperbole, but I genuinely think the sexual violence portrayed in this anime is worse than that included in the first episode of Goblin Hunter. While you could argue that Goblin Hunter's sexual violence being fetishised makes it inarguably worse, I would level the same criticism at the scenes in this show; if you want to have sexual violence in your anime (I mean, why would you?), use of audio, dialogue and discretionary shots can get the point across to the audience without having to actually depict the sexual violence in question. The dialogue by itself is more than explicit enough. So if you choose not to do that, if you choose explicitly depict the sexual violence in question, what other conclusion can I draw other than a desire to fetishise that sexual violence for a portion of your audience to enjoy?

Let's address the second of my criticism, that those scenes were unnecessary. I am not a manga reader so what does the inclusion of this sexual violence subplot add to the anime's story? Genuine question. The victim brushes it off afterwards with a 'can't stay depressed forever' that is just, incredibly insulting to actual victims of sexual violence and the ending of the anime gave the impression that it was returning to the episodic adventure formula afterwards so...what was the goddamn point? I get that the anime ends near immediately after; there is no time to deal with the fallout but a) why act like the second season (if it gets one) is going to just pick up on the normal adventures of the two characters, thereby robbing this event of the weight and discussion it deserves? And b) why include it at the very end of your first season, giving you no room to treat the sexual violence as anything other than a 'well, that just happened'?!

I'm sorry but I cannot understand, excuse or forgive the sexual violence as it was depicted at the end of this show and it has reduced my rating to a 1/10; I genuinely wish I had not watched this show and I will be recommending others not to watch it.

Heavenly Delusion is compelling for its atmosphere and setting, and the world building is delivered in a slow, mysterious fashion, with two contrasting storylines eventually converging. Kiruko and Maru roam a devastated Japan, both searching for clues about their past and looking for the elusive "Heaven." Along the way, they have to scrounge for resources, like canned food, clean water, items to sell, etc. The world is filled with roaming bandits and a grotesque array of maneaters, sporting fish-like designs that Junji Ito would appreciate. But they still manage to find time to bond during their downtime, giving the work a kind of grounded slice ... of life appeal. At first, it's hard to decipher whether this is a world influenced primarily by sci-fi or if there's a fantasy overlap, and the enigmatic nature reminded me of speculative sci-fi works such as Stalker/Roadside Picnic but combined with a more adventurous post-apocalyptic film like Mad Max.

The other storyline of HD is a little sparser, but the group of children being cloistered in a sterile lab setting with a fake outside that functions as a garden is reminiscent of Shinsekai Yori and Promised Neverland, though more so the former in the way the coming of age elements are handled, balanced with the simultaneous awakening of their unusual powers. Although these segments are important in the way they connect to the overall storyline, the proceedings are more detached, for we follow numerous characters who don't have much of an established personality, and I came to look at the group as a kind of "organism." There are a lot of ways in which the two storylines connect that are not immediately obvious, so it helps to pay close attention, but a second viewing will also prove more rewarding than numerous other series.

Information is slowly revealed about the devastated and dysfunctional world. However, with two co-occurring storylines that are equally vague and slow to reveal information, it can feel aimless at times. For Kiruko's group, they wander around in search of "Heaven," and they have no clues to go on other than hunches like, "Oh, wow, the water in this area is supposed to be 100% safe (derp) to drink, so they'd surely establish 'Heaven' there, right?" "Look at this bird symbol on my gun. Whoa, it's on the boxes, too!" Needless to say, it's more of a journey than a tightly plotted story, but the ambiguity makes the unraveling all the more enticing.

Only Kiruko and Maru are given the time to feel like full-fledged characters. Due to backstory reasons and the thematic focus of the author, Kiruko is the much more intriguing of the two. Maru is blander, and he's kind of your typical runt-like badass shonen main (FATAL DRIVU!!!) who can beat the hell out of everyone (except for bears). However, it's okay. There's a lot of chemistry to be found in their banter, and they sort of function as a comedy duo, for better or worse... On one hand, the two playing off of each other can be fun, but it depends on what draws you to the series.

If it's the enigmatic story and the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, then you may find the couple to be a bit abrasive at times. You know, the typical scenarios like Kiruko barging in on Maru while he's looking at stained porno mags that he found under someone else's bed. "Noooooooooo! It's not what it looks like, mommy. I'm not looking at porn. I don't even know what porn is. You didn't see this." Maru stuffs the porn under the mattress. "What porn are you talking about? I don't see any." Luckily, the humor is sporadic and never saturates the scenes for too long. There's even a plot-relevant "sexy time" humor bit, which is a more layered spin on a cliche scene common to harem, but for every time I get immersed into the world, I get buried neck-deep into a horny coming of age scenario all of a sudden.

The humor becomes more forceful once Juichi is introduced in ep 9; he delivers (alleged) backstory in a way that's infodumpy and obtrusive, then by episode 10 we're treated to a lot of exaggerated animation to mine humor; at one point, Kiruko's face looks like a Shin-chan character, the mains likewise fall into childish caricatures in a more limited animation style, and there are slapstick head conks and all that stuff. I honestly enjoyed the animation and humor in the episode, but even though HD dabbles a good bit in humor, the exaggeration here is perhaps too much of a tonal shift. It would have worked great as a dynamic guest director episode in a pure comedy series, but considering HD fluctuates between humorous banter and a darker atmosphere, it's a bit heavy here.

Similarly, the sadder emotions are sometimes forced, such as the hamfisted scene where a character cries after another character's death and there's sappy music playing. We hadn't even followed the characters for long, and it struck me with the force of a laugh track in a bad sitcom. I know it may seem petty to single moments like this out, but they can do a lot of damage to the work, and it's obvious that this scene was stronger in the manga; the edgy twist of episode 10 is also not doing the series any favors. On the other hand, the lighter moment between Mimihime and Ohma is much more impactful, without any music.

It's probably helpful to point to the Japanese folklore lightly woven into the tapestry of the surroundings to provide context, as most Japanese watching the series will be aware of the references going in. Izanagi and Izanami are a brother-and-sister pair (which is also important in light of how the author explores brother-sister relationships) of deities who engage in an incestuous union to give birth to the deformed Hiruko, whom they abandon. Not only does Hiruko have fish-like characteristics, but he also grew extra appendages and other unnatural features. Hiruko is a name the maneaters are often referred to as, and most of the designs appear inspired by oceanic creatures. Additionally, creation myths, including that of Japanese folklore, involve heaven and earth separating.

The art and animation are solid compared to most seasonals. The polish often expected of Production IG is here, and HD is not a pan-tastic slog like so many other seasonals. There's a mixture of character acting and effects with smoothly rendered animation, but most of the budget goes into chase sequences, beat-downs of thugs, or the elaborate monstrosities that are the man-eaters. The backdrops are solid for the wasteland and help consolidate the atmosphere a bit, but the lab scenes are admittedly flat in comparison, looking like your generic lab in any other series like this, and more dramatic lighting or framing might have helped for such a monotonous and sterile setting. The choice of "alt-idol" music in the OP fits the kind of impassioned (in the lustful and non-lustful sense of the word) teenybopper post-apocalyptic tone the series has. Both the OP and ED have a lot of impressive work put into them, and the ED seems to purposively add its male and female vocal duo to reinforce the themes of the series.

I think my main problem with the show is how it appears to thrive on atmosphere, yet the assumption is somewhat illusory (or maybe I should say delusory). Weird animeisms, awkward teenage character dynamics, out of place humor, and Maru going chop socky on everyone all the time, can kind of suck the life out of the atmosphere sometimes. The environments and slower moments are sufficient enough to maintain a partial atmosphere but not to sculpt a great one.

I am astonished that Tengoku Daimakyou (or Heavenly Delusion) isn't getting more attention right now, it really goes to show how absolutely packed with high-quality anime this season has been. We've got My Star, Hell's Paradise, Mashle, lots of other great new shows, and then a ton of sequels for amazing anime like Vinland Saga and Demon Slayer, to name a few. It's no surprise that some shows got overshadowed in the wake of anime like these, and this is one of them.

The best way I can describe this anime so far, is that it's Promised Neverland S1 in the style of a Studio Gibli ... film, specifically the artstyle. The art and animation for this show is absolutely breathtaking. Action scenes often change framerates and feature interesting camera movements, which gives a great sense of impact to certain motions. Outside of the action, slower scenes with characters talking feature lots of really detailed animation for simple movements, such as a character laying down or shuffling around. Not to mention it (mostly) takes place in post-apocalyptic Japan, my absolute favorite visual aesthetic. Visuals are a 10/10 for sure.

The story is great so far, and that's largely due to the strong deliberate pacing of each episode. It's important that the world has a sense of mystery, but at the same time you don't want to give too much away, or leave the audience too confused by not revealing enough. Tengoku Daimakyou does a fantastic job of pacing the story just right and in a way that feels just right for the viewer. It carries the same sense of mystery that Promised Neverland does, great story-telling so far. It also helps tremendously that the two main characters we spend most of our time with have fantastic chemistry and feature great vocal performances.

The only reason I'm hesitant to give this anime a 10 is because I haven't read the manga and I don't know where the story is going. 3 episodes in, I consider what we've got here a total masterpiece, but much like how Promised Neverland was completely ruined by a bad ending/adaptation, I really don't want the same thing to happen to this series. I'm optimistic for the future of this show, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm giving this show a HARD recommendation, definitely keep an eye on this one.

Interestingly enough, the anime's title describes my feelings about the show. Heavenly Delusion...the biggest delusion is that it deserves the 8.2/10 rating

It's a shame. I had high hopes for this one because I usually like post-apocalyptic settings.

It's not a bad anime per se, but there are so much better works out that deserved to get animated. This anime tries to be deep and edgy with its small plot twists and art style and the characters' speech tics. It tries to pull at your heart strings at a few points, but with characters you really don't care much for.

The soundtrack was completely forgettable except ... for the opening by BiSH. What a waste of their talent, right before they disbanded...

I kept watching it, expecting things to build up to... something. In the end, barely anything happened. The "facility" scenes were kind of interesting, and a few characters in that setting were actually interesting, but the two main characters on the "outside" have no likeable qualities, especially the white-haired one. He pissed me off in every episode.

Do you like anime where characters land in different areas and explore them? Well, this anime has the first part of that. Let's not use the chance to do any world-building. No, let's just keep everything the same and have the characters move on. It feels like things happen to the characters, but the characters aren't really part of the world. I don't know. Does that make sense?

But the biggest complaint I had was the anime's increasingly frequent sexual depiction of its characters. There's a tasteful way to do it, and a way that just screams "written by a man" and is disrespectful to SA victims. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. Anyone who rates this anime really highly... chances are they're a man. It was really frustrating to watch. Definitely not a feminist anime. If you want a good post-apocalyptic anime written by a man with powerful female leads, watch/read Coppelion.

This is the kind of anime where I would just read a synopsis of what happened after the anime ended, because no way in hell am I forcing myself to read through the manga and pretend to like the 2 MCs.

I am writing this review after watching all the episodes (13 episodes) and have come to warn people from wasting their time watching this series.

There is such a thing as "Too much mystery", this anime proves it. You start the series and get all these questions about the world and how it came to be and brings a lot of curiosity (which is a good thing), but then you start to advance the plot and more questions get added and no answers are revealed!
There are different plotlines and we don't know where each takes place, is it the distant past? is it the distant future? ... is it the current timeline? what year is it when this\that happens?? Too many questions and too many mysteries that ruin the narrative.

Great VA, Great art, Great animation.
Decent character designs.
Terrible narrative.

04/10

Heavenly Delusion....what a weird name but seriously ,this show is ...........................ok

So this is my first review and I'm not gonna try to appeal to the manga readers wishes or give an overwhelmingly bad score just because of the "nothing personal " grindset mal reviewers are used to having.I'm just going to dump my personal opinion and you just make what you want of it...
So what can I say about this show....

Eh.....5 episodes so far ,and while i am invested in the world building,it kinda sucks how much tension this show DOESNT have.
Like seriously the main characters can fight a bunch of bandits, man eaters,everything....which ... kinda takes all the danger out of this show.Now to be fair one of the main characters has kinda of a power which actually helps him while fighting these mosnters,so i guess it kinda makes sense,but idk, I just feel i would be way more invested if he was in a situation where he really doesnt know anything about this power and the whole point would be about how dangerous it could be for his close ones,but unfortunelly that's not what happens.The guy ,as of now ,has a good grip of his power ,i guess.
Regardless a post apocalypse show without any tension really isnt a good thing.At least the lab scenes are good at setting up a mystery and I'm sure when these two storys converge it will be worth it ,but as of now the show really isnt doing it to me all that much.
I also dont feel attached to any character whatsoever.Sure Kiruko situation with her sister was sad but i barely knew her sister and the way he got himself caught was kinda stupid( he really just went and fight the man eater by himself ) so its kinda hard to care...
This show also is mostly abstained from the "show not tell" way of storytelling,which again really makes it hard to apprecciate the world is trying to set up.
The music isnt all that memorable as well,but the animation is really , really good.They definetly captured the feel these scenarios have and the fight scenes ,again are really memorable.The comedy is a miss tho,like it's horrible,i don't think there shouldnt have been any comedy in here but the bits where there is,it's awfull,really breaks the mood it's going for.
I also see some people complain about the pacing but i honestly disagree with these takes.Sure ,the pacing is slow but considering it's setting up a world, i appreciate it for taking its time at building all its set pieces.
The OP is ok,has some good visuals but the music isnt anything all that memorable.Same for the ending as well

FINAL SCORE:
Anyways ,for my score, as of now ,i would give a 6/10 maybe 7 even . It's definetly a good set up but i dont know if i can reccomend it .I honestly just wished I was more invested in these characters. I normally hate to compare shows,but I think the reason why everyone likes Joel from The Last of Us(look,im using LoU as an example because it's the only recent show with a similar world that I can think of right now) is because we see him lose someone close to him right away and since we were following her daughter for most of the first episode we knew her a little more.we also see him lose other people as the series goes and him being powerless about it and even having doubts about his worth as a human being. Really wish i could say the same about our protagonists.

I can say with certainty that I'm officially obsessed with this anime.
WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT?

I binged watched the first 6 episodes this afternoon and I was immediately hooked by the chemistry between the main protagonists and the wrecked post-apocalyptic world they live in.
although we're given a good background for Kiruko and Maru, the show also focuses on a parallel story with different characters that we know very little of.
the two plotlines are perfectly balanced and they're equally interesting, especially thanks to the hint of mystery that suggests that more unexpected details will be revealed sooner or ... later.
the animation is very good but not outstanding, which is why I hope I will see this anime getting more seasons so they will improve this aspect.
the interactions between the characters feel very natural and the relationships evolve step by step without being boring or too obvious.

in conclusion, this anime is absolutely recommended!!!

This show is an absolute masterpiece. Everything from the art to the story is truly top notch. all of the characters are well rounded and multifaceted with driven and concise goals that make sense, the trans/gay inclusivity is also greatly appreciated and is also shown in a way that will really make you think and turns everything on its head. The mystery and world building of the show is also incredibly intriguing, they feed you just enough information to keep you hooked, while laying out even bigger mysteries at the same time keeping you constantly at the edge of your seat. The animation and art ... style is amazing and is MOVIE QUALITY! The fight scenes are truly amazing and are done in mostly one shot not switching between a million angles which I love.

The show truly is a masterclass in animation, storytelling, world building, voice acting, and writing. This show is incredibly underrated and needs more attention. I think is has the potential to be one of the best anime of all time and I truly think there is something here for everybody.

There are a great many vegetables that we consume. Some we fry, some we boil, some we eat raw, some work well with others, and some, not so much. But there rarely has been one such green that goes with anything we may happen to mingle it with, any way we may try to employ it, or anywhere we may it incorporate, not to mention making everything better in the process.

One such exception will be an onion. It mixes and matches and fills the patches, to make a meal of all we can make. Such is an onion that though it is a strange ... thing in itself, and seems like a puzzle, it puzzles even more with it's searing affair with hungry taste buds.

However, once it's dry peel is peeled off, baring it's sap filled layer, one will be surprised just many more layers are carefully concealed within. The more one peels away, the more strange and strong a substance it shapes into, compelling either to rally or retreat. Though at the heart of it remains a balanced blend of taste catering to any that takes a bold step.

Tengoku Daimakyou is also one such strange puzzle. Similiar to a fine onion, it is patiently waiting for the audience to peel away it's layers to reveal a strong and strange meal of mesmerizing flavour. Let's not get too carried away however, and try to impartially judge whether it is any good.

Plot: From the initial three episodes, it is difficult to predict what is coming. There are significant amount of things waiting to happen, which if done right could make this one of the most intriguing Animes to air in a long time. Thuss far, merely the dry peel has been torn off, it's exciting to think what may be coming.

The way things are set up, the post apocalyptic Japan setting, the eerie world of creepy beings, terrifying and mysterious, the anomaly of an institution, if there are none others like it that is, that nurses the oblivious young children, it all suggest real effort and thought. On top of that is the personal mysteries surrounding the characters themselves. The events that led them here, what and who they are, revealed one by one.

Praise to the mangaka for such a compelling narrative. It is bloody, bleak, dark and mysterious, it is unforgiving, yet also hopeful and at times even cheerful. However, it is merely the beginning. Let's wait and watch for now, before we either praise too high or curse too low, lest we make any ill-begotten judgements.

Characters: The cast we have been introduced so far is quite rich. Each with their own little story and nuances. For instance the short interactions between the kids at the institution subtly reveal their relationships and the status quos. Each has something going on which separates him or her from others. It is not easy to achieve that within such a short time.

Then there are the two main characters, Maru and Kiruko, both weirdly compelling and complex, in quest of a place called heaven. Such is the level of intricacy that upon one revelation about them, two more layers pop up about something entirely alien. The people they come across, whether it is a lodge owner, or the honest folk of tomato heaven, are equally as interesting as them.

Animation: There are only a handful of studios that can be trusted when it comes to delivering consistently great visuals, and Production IG, without a shadow of doubt is one of them. And, it shows. Right from the first episode itself, it is evident just how smooth the animation feels.

For starters, the fight scene on the first episode is downright one of the best choreographed hand to hand combat scenes in a while. What's even more annoyingly amazing is how they casually dropped another even better fight scene in the second episode. Not to mention the crisp and clear backgrounds that accompany every shot look downright gorgeous, along with the masterful lighting.

Tengoku Daimakyou, probably has been the best animated Anime of Spring 2023 so far, which says a lot considering what it is up against. The only ones that can probably give it a run for it's money are Ousama Ranking and Oshi no Ko. Since neither Kimetsu No Yaiba, nor Jigokuraku has shown anything too elaborate yet.

Music: Tengoku Daimakyou has hands down the best score of this season. It is no surprise that it comes from the impeccable Kensuke Ushio himself. Not to mention, the Opening by Bish is clearly a serious contender for Opening of the year already, both musically and visually. When the music compliments the story like this, it only makes both more rich and refined. It lightly brews the mood, and coupled with the visuals produces a rare charming eerie magic.

Voice Acting: Decent and consistent. The voices fit the profile of the characters, and mesh well with eachother making their interplay rather satisfying. There has been nothing too extravagant thus far from this department, it has been steady.

Enjoyment: Personally I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far. So much so that a week's wait seems too much, and an episode feels like only 10 minutes. The world is engrossing, characters are interesting, the plot is interesting, excellent production values both in terms of Animation and Music, paired with a decent voice cast, and excellent direction, couldn't have asked for more.

Absolutely stunning, I was completely blown away by every aspect of this anime.

From beginning to end, the series managed to captivate me in an extraordinary way. The plot, although not entirely innovative, unfolds masterfully. While the initial episodes may be somewhat confusing, as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly clear and captivating. The dual narrative, presented from two perspectives, adds an additional charm to the plot.

Undoubtedly, the characters are one of the standout points. Both the main characters and the supporting ones are meticulously crafted, with fascinating backgrounds and well-defined personalities. Their interactions flow organically, creating a captivating atmosphere. Additionally, the "mysterious" characters fulfill their ... purpose brilliantly, keeping the viewer in suspense and challenging them to decipher their true intentions.

The world-building in this series is of exceptional quality. It is surprising how effectively they managed to portray it in just 13 episodes. Furthermore, the decision to not reveal more information than necessary immerses the viewer in the story. The revelations and key moments pack a strong punch, creating a truly immersive experience.

The animation is simply breathtaking. I was amazed by the visual quality and level of detail in each frame. There is no denying that a great deal of effort and dedication has been put into the animation and production of this anime. Every scene is a visual delight, and the judicious use of CGI adds a captivating aesthetic without overusing its presence.

The musical aspect is another standout feature of this masterpiece. Both the opening and ending are excellent, perfectly complementing the overall atmosphere of the series. Likewise, the musical pieces used in moments of tension, sadness, happiness, or calmness more than fulfill their purpose, establishing an emotional connection with the viewer.

In summary, I can't do anything else but highly recommend this series. While there may be some situations that might be uncomfortable or not to everyone's liking, they in no way overshadow the overall brilliance of the work. A less successful episode should not detract from the overall quality of the series.

Uhhh I don't even know where to start this anime is very disappointing to say the least. I found the plot really interesting but the over sexualization of these kids got reaallllly weird. I wouldn't even compare it to your average anime fan service it made me feel very uncomfortable and extremely weird. this is actually my first time publishing a review on here despite being a member for years but that also speaks volumes to how uncomfortable this anime made me. Episode 6 specifically was insane and it made me take in that they are a lot of sick freaks in this world.