Best Sci-Fi Anime of 2023 Has Only 13 Episodes & I Think Everyone Should Watch It
A criminally overlooked project that will have you hooked from the first episode.
2023 proved to be a generous year for outstanding anime series. Among them were the long-awaited finale of Attack on Titan, the heartfelt journey of Frieren – and dozens of other worthy titles. Japanese shows have touched on a variety of topics, but only one title has been 100% dedicated to science fiction.
What is Heavenly Delusion About?
The Japan of the future looks very different from what we imagined. Banditry thrives on the remnants of civilization, and mysterious monsters constantly attack the survivors, killing everyone on their way.
A young man, Maru, and his bodyguard, Kiruko, travel through the post-apocalyptic world. Their destination is Heaven that Maru must reach in order to find a person who looks like him – although it is not quite clear why.
And somewhere in this Heaven lives a group of children: they know no troubles and are provided with everything, although they have to live surrounded by huge walls. Here, a girl named Tokio keeps wondering what lies beyond the shelter. And she looks just like Maru.
Heavenly Delusion's Numerous Secrets Captivate the Viewer Right Away
From the very first episode, Heavenly Delusion bombards us with facts about the world created by the authors, but is not in a hurry to explain terms and conventions. The technique works great: at least one of the unsolved mysteries is sure to become a reason to continue watching the anime.
Someone will quickly get hooked on the mysterious monsters, someone will be attracted by the equally mysterious shelter, and someone will be intrigued by the fate of people surviving in post-apocalyptic Japan. And that is far from all the series has to offer.
Heavenly Delusion differs from other anime in that the narrative is not only based on the dialog of the characters. A lot is conveyed by the visuals – sometimes entire storylines are revealed to those who notice the little things.
The viewer quickly gets enough clues that the two parallel plots are indeed connected. And yet the fates of Tokio and Maru exist as if independently of each other, and are even played out in different genres.
The journey of Maru and Kiruko is almost a full-fledged road movie, in which the narrative about the winding path of the teenagers is interspersed with short stories of survivors.
The everyday life of Tokio shows us that the children inside the walls are happy, but the more time passes, the more questions the viewer, like the children, has. Tokio tries its best to find out the truth.
Season 2 Has Not Yet Been Announced
The first season is not the end of the story, but only the beginning. Barely half of the declared secrets are revealed, and after the finale, the viewer is left with some new questions.
However, the cliffhanger does not irritate at all, on the contrary, it arouses curiosity. It remains to be seen whether this curiosity will be satisfied – the second season has not yet been announced.