Heavenly Delusion emerged as one of the darkest and most intriguing anime adaptations of 2023. The series follows young travelers Maru and Kiruko as they journey through a dangerous countryside filled with eerie creatures.
Despite its success, the Production I.G. anime has not yet been confirmed for a second season. Nonetheless, new insights reveal how early the director was interested in adapting the story.
The manga, which began in 2018, continues to release new chapters. Production I.G. has been quite busy in 2024 with projects like Haikyu: The Dumpster Battle and Kaiju No. 8, as well as the upcoming Terminator Zero anime for Netflix.
Director Hirotaka Mori recently shared in an interview that his desire to adapt Heavenly Delusion started when the first volume of the manga was released.
Mori, a longtime fan of manga artist Masakazu Ishiguro, initially read the series when it began but was sidetracked by other work. Upon reading the first volume, he immediately pitched the project for an anime adaptation.
For those who haven’t seen the first season, Heavenly Delusion is available exclusively on Hulu in North America. Hulu describes the series as follows: “Within the safety of the walls, youths are raised in a nursery-style setting by robots. While life there may appear mundane, the children are full of potential and curiosity.
It’s a slice of heaven. Outside, the reality is a hellscape, almost entirely devoid of machinery and inhabited by bizarre, powerful supernatural beings. Maru, aided by Kiruko, is searching for heaven in what was once Tokyo. After such a long search, perhaps heaven is an elusive dream rather than a tangible reality.”
