Ahhh I can’t get this show out of my head. It was farrr better than what I was expecting and now I’m having trouble watching even a single episode from anything else cos this show’s quality is above and beyond almost everything out there. God, it’s post Gintama all over again.
It took only a single episode to know that this was my type of show. Iy had a similar feel to Edgerunners, one of my favourite shows, which heavily embraced a mature story with plenty of subtlety. Honestly, I never anticipated it to be as great as it turned out to be - all my expectations were surpassed. Like how I watch all of my shows, I only started this because the cover looked good and I remember reading the first manga chapter a few years ago. Even then, I stopped reading it because this was still releasing and it felt like it had hit gold. Now that I’ve watched the show, I’m pretty sure I’m never going to read the manga now, it looks that good!
Adjusting to the CGI took me a few episodes. I’m generally not a fan, but I’m open-minded if it’s executed well. This CGI? I’m all in. It quickly blended in and I didn’t even notice it after a while. though at first, I doubted if I would like the art style, it’s grown on me and I now think it’s one of the best things about the show. It looks beautiful.
Oftentimes, I find mystery shows to be boring because they often keep the mystery going for too long and I lose interest. This is why I’ve never watched more than three episodes of The Promised Neverland. Heavenly Delusions does a great job of balancing the mystery with good old action. The show never loses sight of its appeal, even when there’s a big mystery going on in the background.
I think Heavenly Delusions did something really special with its approach to storytelling. Show don’t tell. The show never spells out what’s unfolding; even key plot points remain subtle. You have to connect the dots yourself. Its especially great when you’re noticing a familiar name or world detail you’ve seen before or heard before and it finally clicks. Looking at you Hoshino.
Ngl, I fell apart into a crying mess in Hoshino and Dr Usami’s episode. It was so well executed and it really hit me hard. It beautifully showcased the humanity within the show. It felt real. It didn’t feel anime-esque. Because so many times shows fall into the trap of trying to say serious stories while still limiting themselves to the constraints of the anime formula. This is what made me furious with The Executioner and Her Way of Life. It tried telling a very real story but got tangled in the trappings of a clichéd isekai formula, a glaring inconsistency. If you’re going to tell a serious story, you need to pull it through till the end. Heavenly Delusions aced that.
Humans are always nuanced. No one is completely good nor bad. Trying to put them into a neat box will always kill certain parts of a character leaving out only the most exaggerated. The homeless guy in the van was one of a kind character. Hell, even the king of hotels, this show is filled to the brim with so many characters that all have problems. the world doesn’t just revolve around our two protagonists even if the story does.
There are only two OPs/EDs that have made me emotional. One is Edgerunner’s ED, the other is Steins; Gate 0’s ED. Now this. This show’s OP was absolutely fantastic. The ethereal visuals, the lyrics and the vocals, everything just mixed together so well.
All in all, this was a one-of-a-kind show. I really hope they keep up this same quality thought out its next seasons.