Heavenly Delusion

Aired: 2023

An anime adaptation of Masakazu Ishiguro's near-future sci-fi adventure serialized in Monthly Afternoon. Many years have passed since an unprecedented catastrophe struck Japan. The devastated landscape is overrun by grotesque creatures known as 'man-eaters,' and the surviving humans scrape by in small communities. Kiruko, a handyman, takes on a job and sets out on a journey with a boy named Maru to find a place called 'Heaven.' Meanwhile, behind tall walls, children live peaceful days in a beautiful facility, unaware of the outside world. The ruined 'outside' and the paradise-like 'inside' are depicted in alternating chapters, and as their connection gradually comes to light, the story converges on a shocking truth. The series is a masterpiece that grips viewers with its meticulous foreshadowing and mysteries. The opening theme, 'innocent arrogance' by BiSH, powerfully captures the decadent world, while the ending theme, 'Daremo Karemo Dokomo Nanimo Shiranai' by ASOBI Doumei, lends a mystical atmosphere to the enigma-laden narrative.