Jump to content

Heavenly Delusion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SamuelLovesFilms (talk | contribs) at 14:17, 11 March 2024 (Reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Heavenly Delusion
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Kiruko (back) and Maru (front)
天国大魔境
(Tengoku Daimakyō)
Genre
Manga
Written byMasakazu Ishiguro
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintAfternoon KC
MagazineMonthly Afternoon
DemographicSeinen
Original runJanuary 25, 2018 – present
Volumes10
Anime television series
Directed byHirotaka Mori
Written byMakoto Fukami
Music byKensuke Ushio
StudioProduction I.G
Licensed byDisney Platform Distribution
Original networkTokyo MX, HTB, RKB, TVA, MBS, BS11
Original run April 1, 2023 June 24, 2023
Episodes13 (List of episodes)
icon Anime and manga portal

Heavenly Delusion (Japanese: 天国大魔境, Hepburn: Tengoku Daimakyō, lit.'Heaven Grand Makyō') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Ishiguro. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since January 2018, with its chapters collected in ten tankōbon volumes as of February 2024. An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G aired from April to June 2023.

The story is divided in two storylines with one involving the characters Maru and Kiruko as they travel across a post-apocalyptic world, while another story focuses on a group of children who live in a school. The series was inspired by a manga Ishiguro read in university with the intention of making it different from his previous work, And Yet the Town Moves, and portray a proper dynamic between the two leads as well as the evil they face.

The manga has been received positively, with praise given to its sense of mystery and character relationships. The anime adaptation has received a similar response for its focus on relationships and gender issues.

Plot

In the outside world, 15 years have passed since an unprecedented disaster completely destroyed modern civilization. A group of children live in a facility isolated from the outside world. One day, one of them, a girl named Tokio, receives a message that says "Do you want to go outside of the outside?" Mimihime, another girl who lives in the same facility, has a prediction and tells the upset Tokio that two people will come from the outside to save her, one of whom has the same face as her, while the director of the school tells her that the outside world is Hell. Meanwhile, a boy named Maru, who looks just like Tokio, is traveling through this devastated Japan with a girl named Kiruko, in search of Heaven.

Characters

Main

Maru (マル)
Voiced by: Gen Satō[2] (Japanese); Jonathan Leon[3] (English)
A 15-year-old boy who is traveling together with Kiruko. He is skilled in martial arts.
Kiruko (キルコ) / Haruki (春希)
A young woman around 18 to 20 years old who travels with Maru. She is searching for both the doctor who performed an operation on her and a friend she knew.
  • Kiriko Takehaya (竹早 桐子, Takehaya Kiriko)
Voiced by: Sayaka Senbongi[2] (Japanese); Anjali Kunapaneni[3] (English)
Haruki's older sister who raced electric cars in Tokyo.
  • Haruki Takehaya (竹早 春希, Takehaya Haruki)
Voiced by: Mariya Ise[4] (Japanese); McKenzie Atwood[5] (English)
The younger brother of Kiriko Takehaya who looks up to Robin Inazaki.

Takahara Academy

Tokio (トキオ)
Voiced by: Hibiku Yamamura[2] (Japanese); Brittany Lauda[3] (English)
A young girl who lives in a facility isolated from the outside world. She has a similar appearance as Maru.
Kona (コナ)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga[2] (Japanese); AJ Beckles[3] (English)
The oldest of the facility children who is a talented artist, although his drawings seem peculiar.
Mimihime (ミミヒメ)
Voiced by: Misato Fukuen[2] (Japanese); Tia Ballard[3] (English)
A socially inept girl from the facility who seems to be clairvoyant.
Shiro (シロ)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi[2] (Japanese); Hao Feng[3] (English)
An observant, tech-savvy boy who seems to be attracted to Mimihime.
Kuku (クク)
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa[2] (Japanese); Madeleine Morris[3] (English)
The youngest of the children, she is very agile and curious.
Taka (タカ)
Voiced by: Yūki Shin[2] (Japanese); John Choi[3] (English)
A very athletic and energetic child.
Anzu (アンズ)
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka[2] (Japanese); Courtney Lin[6] (English)
A young girl in the facility who loves to dance and swim.
Tarao (タラオ)
Voiced by: Kei ShindōEp. 1 credits (Japanese); Xanthe Huynh[7] (English)
A young boy close to Tokio who is suffering from a debilitating disease.
Iwa (イワ)
Voiced by: Satomi Kobashi[8] (Japanese); Felecia Angelle[7] (English)
A young girl who is attracted to her classmate Nanaki. They are often seen kissing each other.
Nanaki (ナナキ)
Voiced by: Ayano Shibuya[9] (Japanese); Risa Mei[7] (English)
A young girl who is attracted to her classmate Iwa. They are often seen kissing each other.
Asura (アスラ)
Voiced by: Mamiko Noto[10] (Japanese); Ell[7] (English)
One of the children with an unsettling appearance, with healing and telekinetic capabilities, who was close to Kona when they were younger.
Ohma (オーマ, Ōma)
Voiced by: Hina Kino[11] (Japanese); Madeline Dorroh[7] (English)
A young timid girl who avoids the other children due to her power causing intense hallucinations upon eye contact.
Nata (ナタ)
Voiced by: Riho Sugiyama[12] (Japanese); Jennifer Losi[7] (English)
One of the new girls at the academy, who gets tangled up in the adults' scheme.
Shino Kaminaka (上仲 詩乃, Kaminaka Shino)
Voiced by: Masako Isobe[12] (Japanese); Anzu Lawson[7] (English)
The elderly paraplegic director of the facility.
Mina (ミーナ)
Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa[2] (Japanese); Lisa Ortiz[7] (English)
The artificial intelligence running the facility.
Yuuko Aoshima (青島 裕子, Aoshima Yūko)
Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki[12] (Japanese); Jennifer Sun Bell[7] (English)
A nurse and interpreter in the facility who gets promoted to assistant director.
Sawatari (猿渡)
Voiced by: Tadashi Mutou[12] (Japanese); Nick Martineau[7] (English)
A doctor working in the facility.

The Outside

Robin Inazaki (稲崎 露敏, Inazaki Robin)
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai[12] (Japanese); Eric Vale[3] (English)
Kiruko's childhood friend and a sort of mentor who went missing years ago.
Totori (トトリ)
Voiced by: Misato Matsuoka[13] (Japanese); Deneen Melody[7] (English)
Totori is a young girl who works with bandits in trapping and robbing people.
Mizuhashi (水橋)
Voiced by: Seiko Tamura[12] (Japanese); Marcy Edwards[3] (English)
Mizuhashi is the leader of the Liviumen cult, who are disgruntled by technology replacing their body, supposedly in the name of human experiments.
Kuwata (桑田)
Voiced by: Yutaka Aoyama[12] (Japanese); Brook Chalmers[3] (English)
Kuwata is Mizuhashi's right-hand man, who has an agenda of his own.
Juichi (ジューイチ, Jūichi)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya[14] (Japanese); Jonah Scott[7] (English)
A scavenger and con artist with a dark past who encounters Maru and Kiruko during their travels.

Production

Development

Yumeno Kyūsaku was a major influence to Ishiguro's work in the manga

After leaving the manga magazine Young King OURs due to a writer's block, Masakazu Ishiguro started drawing Heavenly Delusion with unintentional similarities to his favorite work, Akira, such as the postapocalyptic setting and the dynamic of Maru and Kiruko. Ishiguro aims to write "evil" properly with his manga in contrast to his previous work, And Yet the Town Moves. In this case, humans who no longer feel like actual people. Heavenly Delusion is a collapsed world, so social constructs like laws and rights groups no longer function. Since the goal is to make Heavenly Delusion different from his prior works, Ishiguro hopes to gain a new audience.[15] Once coming up with sketches of young characters suitable for the shonen demographic, editorial members from Afternoon offered Ishiguro to write for their seinen magazine again.[16]

Ishiguro came up with the manga when he was a university student. The story is based on the story of a race on a circuit, where the Earth is destroyed in the middle of the race, and the main character is about to die. For the title, he wanted to use wordplay to create ambiguity. Since character "heaven" will appear, he uses "heaven", but he also wanted to use "dai" in the middle and then added "hell". The artwork became more detailed, most notably Kiruko's facial expression.[17] Once reaching its ending, Ishiguro plans whether or not make the title explicit. The original concept came up in 2013 as a concept art for the cover of the Monthly Comic Ryū magazine.[18]

Ishiguro thought about the manga for years. Since he enjoyed walking, he often fantasized about a world destroyed by a catastrophe and found himself inspired by an anime where the main character wandered alone, like Chirico from Armored Trooper Votoms. He liked the idea of a hero traveling alone in combat armor through the desert, which inspired the leads. At the initial stage, he planned to depict a world that would look more like a desert. When the first volume came out, the company Minami Kamakura Film Commission provided a video promotion, and as it turned out, they had previously released a video with music by Kenshi Yonezu, with the same image: Miku in a jacket against the desert. He decided to change the plot and returned to a more urban setting, though it was difficult to draw backgrounds with a large number of buildings. The concept of the academy was modeled after Yumeno Kyusaku's novel Dogra Magra. The original length of the manga was extended due to Ishiguro finding the ending weak. In the process of working on the series, Ishiguro sometimes has to completely rewrite panels or correct an incorrectly written script to turn it into the best version.[16]

The sibling-like dynamic of the duo of Maru and Miruko was based on Ishiguro's personal life. He was inspired by an event when he noticed a person who was interested in his sister. Another aspect of the protagonists' dynamic was inspired by buddy films. Maru's design was inspired by Kon Senpai. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure's eighth part, JoJolion, was another influence to the work.[17] In the beginning, Maru has feelings for Kiruko without knowing that his bodyguard is a man inside a girl's body. Ishiguro called this premise as "transsexual sci-fi", alluding to the possibility of Maru still loving Kiruko despite knowing the truth.[19]

In contrast to And Yet the Town Moves, Heavenly Delusion employs a darker tone, most specifically the delusions children have. One of the children, Tokio, lives in a mysterious facility. She likes fantasy paintings drawn by her friend Kona and collects them. Kona can imagine things that he had never seen before. It overlaps with Ishiguro's statement that he is drawing delusions. At the end of the first volume, many of the plot threads have been laid out but in order to maintain the mystery theme, a few events are directly foreshadowed.[20]

Themes

When he started writing the series, Ishiguro felt a certain discomfort about what was happening in Japan. It seemed to be around 2017–2018 when Japan was looking for flaws in its governance in the run-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics. He experienced déjà vu because of the scandal with the empty New Year's food. At that time, there were earthquakes and tsunamis that stripped people of all their habits. Sensing an ominous similarity between that time and present, he wanted to convey the sense of threat that society increasingly felt. The credo of the series is to be cautious, or else they may encounter something truly terrible. The character of Totori was also written to prove that people who can easily be seen as villains are important to others, making her sad knowing of the gang leader's death.[16]

Ishiguro does not remember exactly when the idea came to that a girl's body contained the brain of her younger brother, but it was a series of sound considerations from which he understood that this is the story he wanted to tell. He has always been inspired by stories of brothers and sisters, so he wanted to create his own story about a brother and sister swapping places, where the brother takes care of the sister. He rejected coincidences related to magic and wanted to create a more realistic and accurate world to show what happens during a brain transplant. He was also against the idea of a man turning into a woman leading to perverted jokes about cleavage and lacking a penis. Instead, with Kiruko, he wanted the scenario to be more realistic. Another theme involves how relationships would change if somebody's sex changed. He often writes metaphorical situations with Kiruko's menstrual cycle being caused by clashing with Maru's lips when awakening from an hallucination from a Hiruko's attack.[16] Kiruko a represents a gradation of spiritual sexuality. The school is depicted as a kind of thought experiment in a world where sexual elements are abolished. The Hiruko in general were based on diseases as well as Cambrian-period organisms.[18]

Adaptation

Director Hirotaka Mori was worried about whether or not he would be able to handle it. However, he had known the animation producer Masashi Ohira for a long time since he started directing, who motivated him to work on it. He felt like he was going to have a good time. As much as the expectations have been raised, Mori felt stronger that he had to make a proper product, and meet everyone's expectations. He was particularly attracted by the premise of the two storylines and how it would change in the future.[21] Writer Makoto Fukami had previously read And Yet the Town Moves which made him interested in Heavenly Delusion. The offer to make the anime happened before the fourth volume was going to be released, so the staff had doubts how to end it. The narrative of the first chapters were trimmed in order to tell a more direct story. Fukami noted the constant banters between Kiruko and Maru important for the plot setting so they avoided trimming them.[22]

For Mori, the most challenging parts are the action scenes. He thinks it would look better with sound and movement, and that is why he thinks there is a significance to doing it in animation, which led to more effort on it. Also, since manga is black and white, he was conscious of adding color to the world in which they live, such as the landscape of ruins and the school, to make it look more attractive. As for Maru, he thinks he is very pure and does not know anything yet. Mori finds him attractive for how he does not strangely rubbed and it is bright. The director got the impression that Maru meets Kiruko from a place where he does not know his own past, and gradually gains an ego. On the other hand, Kiruko is in a complicated situation with Maru, and has a past that is too heavy for her to handle alone. As a result, he enjoys the two and thinks it is a mutually complementary relationship.[21] Tokio is seen as a pure adolescent-like character. She has a different kind of purity than Maru, and he gets the impression that Maru has managed to maintain his innocence even though he has been through a lot of hardships, but Tokio has lived without being exposed to external pressure. Mori think he is a character that symbolizes the interest and disgust of various things that are born in adolescence.[21]

Mori believes that the original work already contains the message that Ishiguro wants to convey, so the production side does not add anything else as a plus, but this work really has many elements, such as disasters, technology, and so on. He also thinks it would be nice if the viewers could choose what to pick up among the scattered elements and how to enjoy it, and feels that it is a work that has the bosom to be able to do that. increase. That is why Mori think it is his responsibility in making anime to properly convey that in a way that does not distort it too much. The hints are drawn from the first episode, so Mori is glad if the audience could see it from various perspectives, such as being curious about the mystery or liking the world view of Maru and Kiruko traveling through the ruins. As a production side, the production of the first episode was the most difficult. It is an introductory part, so the animators wanted the audience to like the world view and characters, look forward to the future.[21]

Gen Satō, Maru's Japanese voice actor, found that while Maru expresses several emotions, not much about him is known so it got difficult for him to voice the character,[23] while Hibiku Yamamura, Tokio's Japanese voice actress, regards her as a delicate character, which made her hard to properly approach.[23] Regarding the anime adaptation, the director and production side had to think about the overall structure, so Ishiguro had to tell them the story to the end. Because of this, he asked the editorial department to appoint a separate editor, specifically for the anime. The first season is meant to adapt the first six volumes of the manga.[16]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Masakazu Ishiguro, Heavenly Delusion started in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon on January 25, 2018.[24] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on July 23, 2018;[25] a promotional video, directed by Tasuku Watanabe, for the first volume was released on the same date.[26] As of February 22, 2024, ten volumes have been released.[27]

In North America, the series is licensed in English by Denpa.[28] The first volume was released on December 31, 2019.[1]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 July 23, 2018[25]978-4-06-511976-1December 30, 2019[1]978-1-63442-940-5
  1. "Tokio" (トキオ)
  2. "Maru" (マル)
  3. "Kiruko" (キルコ)
  4. "'Hiruko' 1" ("ヒルコ" ①, Hiruko ①)
  5. "'Hiruko' 2" ("ヒルコ" ②, Hiruko ②)
  6. "Taka" (タカ)
  7. "Tomato Heaven" (トマト天国, Tomato tengoku)
In a school, several young students are being observed by their teachers. One student, Tokio, is attracted to the artist Kona and keeps several drawings he makes which are found unreal by another one. The story then moves to young boy similar to Tokio named Maru who is travelling alongside his bodyguard Kiruko to find a place known as Heaven to inject a similar person with a drug. During their journey, they are allowed to rest into a woman's house. However, in the night they are attacked by monster labeled as Hiruko who kills the woman. Maru manages to kill the Hiruko with a supernatural ability he possesses. The duo continue their journey to Heaven until they are welcome by a family of farmers from the Kusanabe Plantation. As they rest, Maru tells Kiruko he likes her but the latter claims she is actually a man with a female body.
2 March 22, 2019[29]978-4-06-514744-3September 25, 2021[30]978-1-63442-944-3
  1. "Kiriko Takehaya" (竹早桐子, Takehaya Kiriko)
  2. "Haruki Takehaya" (竹早春希, Takehaya Haruki)
  3. "Kuku 1" (クク①, Kuku ①)
  4. "Kuku 2" (クク ②, Kuku ②)
  5. "Mina" (ミーナ)
  6. "Tarao 1" (タラオ①, Tarao ①)
Kiriko Takehaya was a famous racer who lived with her brother, the rebellious Haruki, and a group of orphans assisted by Robin Inazaki. During the attack of a Hiruko, Haruki suffered severe wounds, losing all his limbs. His brain was then transplanted into Kiriko's body. Now known as Kiruko, she started searching for her missing friends. After telling Maru this, the duo finds themselves attacked by a fish-like Hiruko. With Kiruko out of firepower, she and Maru are chased by the monster until it is altered by the marijuana hidden inside, leaving Maru to perform the finishing move on the creature. Meanwhile at the school, Tokio sees a group of faceless babies. Shortly after that, a fellow student named Tarao suffers a disease and tries to kiss Tokio. After leaving the ship, Maru and Kiruko continue their journey on foot where the former gets into a fight with delinquents.
3 October 23, 2019[31]978-4-06-517266-7April 5, 2022[32]978-1-63442-962-7
  1. "Tarao 2" (タラオ②, Tarao ②)
  2. "Tarao 3" (タラオ③, Tarao ③)
  3. "100% Safe Water" (100%安全水, Hyaku pāsento anzen sui)
  4. "Totori" (トトリ)
  5. "The Immortal Order 1" (不滅教団①, Fumetsu kyōdan ①)
  6. "The Immortal Order 2" (不滅教団②, Fumetsu kyōdan ②)
Fearing another fight, Kiruko hides Maru in a room while she sells items she has found. Meanwhile, Tarao passes away due to his terminal disease much to the shock of the students with Kona remembering another late student, Asura. As they comfort each other, Kona and Tokio start a relationship. Back during their search for Heaven, Maru and Kiruko hunt a Hiruko only to be shocked by the fact it is a wild bear. Nevertheless, they kill it through teamwork. As they rest in an inn, the young owner named Totori tries to seduce Maru who instead discovers she has the heart of a Hiruko. The next day, Maru and Kiruko leave the city and meet a man who wants to hire him to take to the Immortal Order which is doing experiments with human lives to create immortal creatures. Though the man gives up, the duo decides to investigate it to search for Kiruko's doctor, Sawatari. They meet the Liviuman who oppose the Order's methods and accept the job of investigating. As they enter the building, two are approached by small Hirukos.
4 May 22, 2020[33]978-4-06-519470-6October 19, 2022[34]978-1-63442-923-8
  1. "The Immortal Order 3" (不滅教団③, Fumetsu kyōdan ③)
  2. "The Immortal Order 4" (不滅教団④, Fumetsu kyōdan ④)
  3. "The Immortal Order 5" (不滅教団⑤, Fumetsu kyōdan ⑤)
  4. "Asura" (アスラ)
  5. "A-mk3"
  6. "The Wall Town 1" (壁の町①, Kabe no machi ①)
Kiruko is trapped in a hallucination by the enemies until Maru wakes her up with a kiss and eliminates all the creatures. They are then met by a man wearing an eye patch who says he is Dr. Usami and he asks for their help. One of the human experiments wishes for a mercy kill by eliminating the Hiruko inside her body that has left her alive. Maru agrees but is shocked when Usami kills himself afterwards. Before leaving, Kiruko learns that Robin is still alive and she goes on a search to find him. Meanwhile in Heaven, Tokio fears something bad is going to happen to her body while Kona remembers Asura's suicide. The adults develop a gun identical to Kiruko's as she and Maru meet a man named Juichi. He gives them multiple theories to what caused the tragedy in the world and that there was a sect that advocated female supremacy, which they believe is Takahara Academy due to it having the same logo seen on Kiruko's gun. The Heaven leaders are in a commotion when learning Tokio is pregnant and wish to know the father's identity.
5 December 23, 2020[35]978-4-06-521725-2May 2, 2023[36]978-1-63442-817-0
  1. "The Wall Town 2" (壁の町②, Kabe no machi ②)
  2. "The Wall Town 3" (壁の町③, Kabe no machi ③)
  3. "The Wall Town 4" (壁の町④, Kabe no machi ④)
  4. "The Wall Town 5" (壁の町⑤, Kabe no machi ⑤)
  5. "Director" (園長, Enchō)
  6. "Ohma" (オーマ, Ōma)
Kiruko and Maru investigate one empty Takahara Academy facility as they believe it is connected to Heaven. The two are interrupted by Juichi who is investigating it too to find a child in the facility. However, they reach another empty building where they attacked by a Hiruko able to freeze the area. After Kiruko takes it down, one of Juichi's allies reveal they found the missing child, his son. Kiruko and Maru are later attacked by the Hiruko again, whom they realize is actually Juichi's son and manage to calm him down. The next day, Kiruko and Maru are offered a vehicle by Juichi and continue their journey, though the man kills one of his allies. Meanwhile in Heaven, after Tokio gives birth to a child, the Director aims to transplant her brain in order to increase her lifespan. Mimihime interacts with the new students but one of them gives her hallucinations. Kiruko and Maru find information of Robin in another city and split up so that the former can talk with her old friend.
6 July 21, 2021[37]978-4-06-524049-6September 26, 2023[38]978-1-63442-848-4
  1. "Robin Inazaki 1" (稲崎露敏①, Inazaki Robin ①)
  2. "Robin Inazaki 2" (稲崎露敏②, Inazaki Robin ②)
  3. "Robin Inazaki 3" (稲崎露敏③, Inazaki Robin ③)
  4. "Takahara Academy 1" (高原学園①, Takahara Gakuen ①)
  5. "Takahara Academy 2" (高原学園②, Takahara Gakuen ②)
  6. "Takahara Academy 3" (高原学園③, Takahara Gakuen ③)
7 March 23, 2022[39]978-4-06-527299-2April 16, 2024[40]978-1-6344-2858-3
  1. Jigoku no yume ① (地獄の夢①)
  2. Jigoku no yume ② (地獄の夢②)
  3. Jigoku no yume ③ (地獄の夢③)
  4. Omukae no hi (お迎えの日)
  5. Mikura ① (ミクラ①)
  6. Mikura ② (ミクラ②)
8 November 22, 2022[41]978-4-06-529589-2
  1. Chi no kodoku ① (地の孤独①)
  2. Chi no kodoku ② (地の孤独②)
  3. Sawatari Teruhiko (猿渡照彦)
  4. Kaminaka Shino (上仲詩乃)
  5. Fukkōshō (復興省)
  6. Michika ① (ミチカ①)
9 June 22, 2023[42]978-4-06-531944-4
  1. Michika ② (ミチカ②)
  2. Michika ③ (ミチカ③)
  3. Michika ④ (ミチカ④)
  4. Sakota Teruhiko (さこてるひこ)
  5. Anjurasu ① (アンジュラス①)
  6. Anjurasu ② (アンジュラス②)
10 February 22, 2024[27]978-4-06-534205-3
  1. Aoshima Yūko (あおしまゆう)
  2. "Hito-kui" ("人食い")
  3. Inazaki Marin (いなざきりん)
  4. Ame no Nuboko (あめのぬぼこ)
  5. Mangamichi ① (まんがみち)
  6. Mangamichi ② (まんがみち)

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G was announced on October 18, 2022.[43][44] The series was directed by Hirotaka Mori, with scripts written by Makoto Fukami, character designs handled by Utsushita of Minakata Laboratory, and music composed by Kensuke Ushio.[45] It aired from April 1 to June 24, 2023, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "innocent arrogance", performed by Bish, while the ending theme song is "Daremo Karemo Dokomo Nanimo Shiranai" (誰も彼も何処も何も知らない, "I Don't Know Anyone Anywhere Anything"), performed by ASOBI Alliance [jp].[12] Disney Platform Distribution acquired the distribution license of the anime and streamed the series worldwide on Disney+ and in the United States on Hulu.[2] Avex Pictures released the series on two Blu-ray box sets on August 30 and September 27, 2023.[46]

Other media

An official guidebook was released on November 22, 2022. It includes detailed information about the series' setting, story, characters, and features an interview with Ishiguro.[47]

Reception

Manga

By December 2018, the manga had over 130,000 copies in circulation.[48]

Heavenly Delusion ranked first on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2019 ranking of Top 20 manga series for male readers.[49] Heavenly Delusion was one of the Jury Recommended Works at the 24th and 25th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2021 and 2022, respectively.[50][51] The manga was awarded the French Daruma Award for the Best Screenplay category at the Japan Expo Awards in 2023.[52][53]

Critical reception

Reviewing the first volume, Anime News Network praised the narrative of Heavenly Delusion for its focus on Kiruko and Maru's appealing relationship and Ishiguro's character designs. Furthermore, they felt that while the volume explores the mysteries behind Kiruko, there were still too many mysteries the plot would explore in the future.[54] The French website Manga News found the premise captivating due to the mysteries it shows.[55] Sigue en Serie also commented on the mysteries of the series, which would motivate readers to move quickly to the next volumes in order to understand more the plot through the two parallel storylines.[56] By the third volume, Manga News noted that the events from the both storylines have been connected especially from Tokio's point of view while the duo's journey was noted to be more comical than tragic in contrast as a result of how Ishiguro writes the chapters. They still felt both plots offer interesting mysteries whose connections are not given away that easily.[57] Brutus magazine listed Heavenly Delusion on their "Most Dangerous Manga" list, which included works with the most "stimulating" and thought-provoking themes.[58]

Vinland Saga's author Makoto Yukimura expressed interest in the themes of Heavenly Delusion due to the idea of a heaven as well as how Ishiguro tells two stories at the same time that are connected as the narrative continues.[59]

Anime

Critical reception

The first episode earned a positive response by Anime News Network due to the dystopian premise and amount of character, while being compared to Blame!, and the animation produced for both human and monster designs.[60] They noticed that the series appears to heavily focus on the gender, not on Kiruko's "experience of trans men, but rather as means of interrogating and playing with rigid gender constructs in a more generalized sense. Gender affects all of us, across the entire spectrum of identity and presentation, so thinking about gender critically and flexibly is an important thing to do." They further praised the relationship between Maru and Kiruko for how caring they are with one another and noted that the flashback's incestuous "angle might just be sensationalism for the sake of it, but I don't mind that extra splash of taboo when the full picture is this interesting."[61] Anime Feminist enjoyed the handling of the animation as well as the dynamic between the two leads with Maru looking suspiciously similar to another person featured in the parallel story. Nevertheless, they mentioned the amount of gender violence when people try to attack Maru and Kiruko.[62] With the eventual revelation that Kiruko is a young man who had his brain transplanted to his sister's body, the website was optimistic about the handling of the main duo; for Maru still coming across as likable when confessing his feelings to Kiruko and not sounding homophobic in response to the twist. They were troubled by the repercussions this twist has in regards to Kiruko's feelings, however, as her early scenes from the first episode now made her look incestuous.[63] Comic Book Resources also noted the series gender norms due to how "complex" they found Maru and Kiruko's relationship as Maru still seems to retain his affection towards Kiruko despite knowing she is actually male while Kiruko was compared to a transgender character who is trying to accept the idea of having a female body.[64]

Before the series' release, Polygon stated that despite the absence of talented creators in the staff of the production aside the studio and the composer Kensuke Ushio, they noted that the series looks intriguing, and the animation is impressive.[65] Clarin and Meristation compared the anime to the video game The Last of Us for the post-apocalypse setting it provides with the main duo exploring areas like its two protagonists, Ellie and Joel.[66][67] NME enjoyed the mystery and lack of exposition dumps, positively comparing the premise to The Leftovers and Station Eleven.[68] IGN praised both the animation and the dynamic of the leads as the best pars of the anime.[69] The Philippine Star praised the series for focusing on gender dysphoria through the relationship between Maru and Kiruko without queerbaiting audiences similar to "switcheroos" like Ranma ½ and Sailor Moon.[70]

While voicing the character Kiruko, Sayaka Senbongi was excited to voice her since she knew of the manga before being cast and liked the character.[23] Ishiguro praised Senbongi's work in the fifth episode when delivering Kiruko's mental breakdown, having interfered with the script to add new lines to the anime.[71] Moreover, Ishiguro believes Production I.G made Kiruko more sexually appealing than his own take.[72] The scene where Totori tries to seduce Maru also received Ishiguro's attention as he found it more erotic than in the manga.[73] Furthermore, Ishiguro claimed that he cried when watching episode 8, much to his surprise as he originally wrote it himself.[74]

Accolades

In the Anime Trending Spring 2023 awards, Heavenly Delusion won the overall "Spring 2023 Anime Awards". With this award, the series became worthy of being of nominated Anime of the Year.[75] Ishiguro was glad with this award, considering himself as a fan of the anime adaptation created by Production I.G.[76] It also won the Spring 2023 Genre awards for "Favorite Supernatural" and "Favorite Mystery or Psychological".[77] At the 10th Anime Trending Awards, Heavenly Delusion won Anime of the Year, Best in Episode Directing and Storyboard, Best in Sceneries and Visuals, Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year, and Supernatural Anime of the Year.[78][79] At the 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2024, the series was nominated for Best New Series, Best Drama, Best Director (Hirotaka Mori), Best Cinematography (Kentaro Waki), and Best Opening Sequence ("innocent arrogance" by Bish).[80]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2023 13th Newtype Anime Awards Best Work (TV) Heavenly Delusion 10th place [81]
Best Director Hirotaka Mori 6th place
Best Screenplay Makoto Fukami 2nd place
Best Studio Production I.G Won
2024 8th Crunchyroll Anime Awards Best New Series Heavenly Delusion Nominated [80]
Best Drama Nominated
Best Director Hirotaka Mori Nominated
Best Cinematography Kentaro Waki Nominated
Best Opening Sequence "innocent arrogance" by Bish Nominated
10th Anime Trending Awards Anime of the Year Heavenly Delusion Won [78][79]
Best in Adapted Screenplay Makoto Fukami Nominated
Best in Animation Heavenly Delusion Nominated
Best in Episode Directing and Storyboard Episode 8: "Their Choices" Won
Best in Sceneries and Visuals Heavenly Delusion Won
Opening Theme Song of the Year "innocent arrogance" by Bish Nominated
Action or Adventure Anime of the Year Heavenly Delusion Nominated
Mystery or Psychological Anime of the Year Won
Sci-Fi or Mecha Anime of the Year Nominated
Supernatural Anime of the Year Won

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Heavenly Delusion, Volume 1". Denpa. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 3, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Anime Reveals Main Cast, April Debut, Exclusive Streaming on Disney+ Worldwide". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mateo, Alex (April 13, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Anime Reveals English Dub Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Haruki Takehaya – Heavenly Delusion (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Angelle, Felecia [@FeleciaAngelle] (May 13, 2023). "Episodes 3 & 4 of #TengokuDaimakyo (Heavenly Delusion) are up now on Hulu in the US! Haruki @MKatwood Robin @ericvale Doc @Seitz_Unseen Ran @CristinaVee Ken @Harrison_Xu Episodic/Additional Voices: @MickWingert @zekealton @KaggyFilms @MattShipmanVO @JohnOmohundro" (Tweet). Retrieved June 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Angelle, Felecia [@FeleciaAngelle] (April 12, 2023). "Hopefully this too-tired-to-tag Meemaw hasn't left anyone out from eps 1&2! Sound off, team! 💖" (Tweet). Retrieved May 21, 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Heavenly Delusion (2023)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Kobashi, Satomi [@5843103] (April 16, 2023). 現在放送中のアニメ「#天国大魔境」【イワ】役で出演させていただいております。配信最新話まで見終えましたが、先が分かっていても展開にドキドキで惹き込まれました...!続きも一緒にドキドキしましょう!! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Shibuya, Ayano [@shibuya_ayanono] (April 8, 2023). #天国大魔境 ナナキ役で出演しております!! 原作めっちゃワクワクしながら読んでるので、出演できて嬉しいです🥹 アニメもよろしくお願いします!! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "Asura Voice – Heavenly Delusion (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Kino, Hina [@hinappp8] (June 15, 2023). *お知らせ* TVアニメ「天国大魔境」第11話にて オーマを演じさせて頂きました...!✨ ご視聴頂いた皆様 ありがとうございました!!!#天国大魔境 (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 27, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Anime's Main Promo Video Reveals April 1 Premiere, More Cast, Theme Song Artists". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Totori – Heavenly Delusion (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  14. ^ "Juuichi – Heavenly Delusion (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  15. ^ 「天国大魔境」特集 石黒正数インタビュー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e Ishiguro, Masakazu (2022). 天国大魔境公式コミックガイド. Kodansha. pp. 108–119. ISBN 978-4-06-528578-7.
  17. ^ a b 「天国大魔境」特集 石黒正数インタビュー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 23, 2018. p. 2. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Lynzee, Loveridge (September 25, 2023). "Crafting a Hell in Heaven with Heavenly Delusion Creator Masakazu Ishiguro". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  19. ^ 「このマンガがすごい!2019」オトコ編第1位!『天国大魔境』誕生秘話 (in Japanese). Kodansha. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  20. ^ 「天国大魔境」特集 石黒正数インタビュー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d <天国大魔境>森大貴監督、"アニメの責任"は原作の魅力を生かし ゆがめずに伝えること. The Television [ja] via Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese). April 1, 2023. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  22. ^ Ota, Saki (September 25, 2023). "Confronting Life and Death in Heavenly Delusion". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  23. ^ a b c TVアニメ『天国大魔境』Wビジュアル公開! 声優・佐藤元さん、千本木彩花さん、山村響さん、豊永利行さんら出演決定・コメント到着! 2023年4月よりTOKYO MXにて放送!. Animate Times (in Japanese). February 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Ressler, Karen (November 24, 2017). "Mushishi, And Yet the Town Moves, Genshiken Creators Each Launch New Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.

    アフタヌーン 2018年3月号. Monthly Afternoon. Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.

    石黒正数が18年ぶりにアフタに帰還、少年少女の冒険譚「天国大魔境」始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 25, 2018. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.

  25. ^ a b 天国大魔境(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  26. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 23, 2018). "Masakazu Ishiguro's Tengoku Dai Makyō Manga Gets 30-Second Animated Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  27. ^ a b 天国大魔境(10) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  28. ^ Ressler, Karen (November 17, 2018). "Denpa Licenses Masakazu Ishiguro's Heavenly Delusion, You Someya's Pleasure & Corruption Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  29. ^ 天国大魔境(2) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  30. ^ "Heavenly Delusion, Volume 2". Denpa. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  31. ^ 天国大魔境(3) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  32. ^ "Heavenly Delusion, Volume 3". Denpa. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  33. ^ 天国大魔境(4) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  34. ^ "Heavenly Delusion, Volume 4". Denpa. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  35. ^ 天国大魔境(5) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  36. ^ Heavenly Delusion, Volume 5. Denpa. March 28, 2023. ISBN 978-1-63442-817-0.
  37. ^ 天国大魔境(6) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  38. ^ Heavenly Delusion, Volume 6. Denpa. May 30, 2023. ISBN 978-1-63442-848-4.
  39. ^ 天国大魔境(7) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on March 23, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  40. ^ Heavenly Delusion, Volume 7. Denpa. October 17, 2023. ISBN 978-1-6344-2858-3.
  41. ^ 天国大魔境(8) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  42. ^ 天国大魔境(9) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  43. ^ 石黒正数「天国大魔境」2023年にTVアニメ化、アニメーション制作はProduction I.G. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 18, 2022. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  44. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 18, 2022). "Masakazu Ishiguro's Heavenly Delusion Manga Gets TV Anime in 2023 by Production I.G". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  45. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 25, 2022). "Heavenly Delusion Anime's Teaser Promo Video Reveals Full Staff". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  46. ^ Beveridge, Chris (April 25, 2023). "Avex Pictures Schedules 'Heavenly Delusion' TV Anime Blu-ray Box Sets". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  47. ^ 「天国大魔境」公式ガイドブックが8巻と同時発売、ちりばめられた作品の謎を解説. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 22, 2022. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  48. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 1, 2019). "Roundup of Newly Revealed Print Counts for Manga, Light Novel Series - December 2018". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  49. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 10, 2018). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Reveals 2019's Series Ranking for Male Readers". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  50. ^ "Manga Division – 2021 [24th] Japan Media Arts Festival Archive". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  51. ^ "Manga Division – 2022 [25th] Japan Media Arts Festival Archive". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  52. ^ "Les vainqueurs des Daruma 2023". Japan Expo (in French). July 14, 2023. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  53. ^ Ishiguro, Masakazu [@masakazuishi] (July 16, 2023). 私、大体把握しました。フランスで行われているJapan Expoで、Japan Expo award(DARUMA賞)漫画部門 脚本賞に拙作「天国大魔境」が選ばれたとの事です。全く別件の仕事でJapan Expoを訪れていた担当Tさんは、受賞の知らせを受け急遽壇上に招かれたそうです。ありがとうございます!!!! (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved July 17, 2023 – via Twitter.
  54. ^ Moore, Caitlin (July 17, 2020). "Heavenly Delusion GN 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  55. ^ "A Journey beyond Heaven Vol.1". Manga News (in French). November 20, 2020. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  56. ^ Llamas, Patricia (November 30, 2021). "Reseña: 'Heavenly Delusion 1 y 2', un manga lleno de secretos". Sigue En Serie (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  57. ^ "A Journey beyond Heaven Vol.3". Manga News (in French). April 13, 2021. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  58. ^ Morrissy, Kim (December 18, 2019). "Spy×Family Included in Brutus Magazine's 'Most Dangerous Manga' of 2019 List". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  59. ^ Yukimura, Makoto [@makotoyukimura] (March 31, 2023). あぶねぇ今日から天国大魔境のアニメじゃん!録画予約してなかった。しよ。 てゆうか四月の新番組ラッシュだ。天国大魔境面白いよね。こう、読んでて「そことそこが繋がるんだ!」ていう瞬間があるじゃない。 あれたぶんなんか脳によい作用がある。頭よくなる。おはようございます。 (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved June 5, 2023 – via Twitter.
  60. ^ "The Spring 2023 Anime Preview Guide Heavenly Delusion". Anime News Network. April 1, 2023. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  61. ^ Jones, Steve (April 23, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Episodes 1-4". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  62. ^ Prickett, Toni Sun (April 3, 2023). "Tengoku Daimakyou (Heavenly Delusion) – Episode 1". Anime Feminist. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  63. ^ "2023 Spring Three-Episode Check-In". Anime Feminist. April 28, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  64. ^ Gallo, Alice (April 18, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion & Skip and Loafer Bravely Defy Anime's Gender Norms". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  65. ^ Toussaint, Egan; Radulovic, Petrana; Lee, Julia (March 9, 2023). "The must-watch anime to look out for in spring 2023". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  66. ^ "Serie Distopica Anime Estilo The Last of Us". Clarin (in Spanish). April 15, 2023. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  67. ^ Barragán, Roberto (April 6, 2023). "Así es Tengoku Daimakyou, el nuevo anime al estilo The Last of Us que triunfa en Disney+". Meristation (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  68. ^ Junaini, Hidzir (March 31, 2023). "'Tengoku Daimakyo' review: believe in this anime's heavenly delusions". NME. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  69. ^ Sayyed, Rayan (April 1, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Premiere - Review". IGN. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  70. ^ Uy, Jerald (April 5, 2023). "REVIEW: Atmospheric post-apocalyptic anime 'Tengoku Daimakyou' explores gender dysmorphia". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  71. ^ Ishiguro, Masakazu [@masakazuishi] (May 2, 2023). 基本yes、good、excellentしか言ってなかったですが、珍しくアニメの脚本に口出しした所です。なぜ取り乱し、いかに心配したかを追加のセリフで説明しようとしていたので「せっかく絵が動くし声も音楽もあるのだから春希の内心は演技で見せてほしい」とお願いしました。数少ない僕の仕事です。 (Tweet). Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  72. ^ Ishiguro, Masakazu [@masakazuishi] (May 12, 2023). 人間の動きが上手過ぎるのをどう説明していいかわからないので、キルコの表情の変遷が色っぽくて良いなぁという俗な感想を述べます。 (Tweet). Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
  73. ^ Ishiguro, Masakazu [@masakazuishi] (May 10, 2023). うーむ。確実に漫画に描いた時よりエロですね。 (Tweet). Retrieved May 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
  74. ^ Jones, Steve (May 22, 2023). "Heavenly Delusion Episode 8". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  75. ^ @AniTrendz (July 16, 2023). "Spring 2023 Anime Awards 🏆ANIME OF THE SEASON: Tengoku-Daimakyo Studio: Production I.G (1st title win) The anime that placed 17th place in the Pre-Spring 2023 Anime Rankings just WON ANIME OF THE SEASON to score the biggest comeback win of an anime in Anime Trending history! By winning this season, Tengoku-Daimakyo has also secured a nomination for the Anime of the Year Title in #10thATA!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
  76. ^ Ishiguro, Masakazu [@masakazuishi] (July 16, 2023). 僕は原作者なのですが、もはや「プロダクションI.Gオリジナルアニメ天国大魔境のシナリオ担当者」みたいな気分でいるので、アニメが評価さるという事は、それはそれは嬉しいです。いやむしろ、アニメ天国大魔境の1ファンと思っていただいて結構。 (Tweet). Retrieved July 16, 2023 – via Twitter.
  77. ^ "Spring 2023 Anime Awards". Anitrendz. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  78. ^ a b "10th Anime Trending Awards". Anime Trending. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  79. ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (March 9, 2024). "Heavenly Delusion Wins 10th Anime Trending Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  80. ^ a b Hazra, Adriana (March 2, 2024). "All the Winners of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  81. ^ ニュータイプアニメアワード2021-2022結果発表、作品賞は「ぼっち・ざ・ろっく!」&「劇場版ソードアート・オンライン」. GIGAZINE (in Japanese). October 28, 2023. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.