Woo-hoo! I’m finally write my first anime and manga recommendation 🤩. I’ve been struggling to decide which one should be my first, since there are so many on my list. In the end, I chose a series that isn’t super mainstream. Hopefully, this post will help more people discover it and bring in more fellow fans.

Heavenly Delusion / 天国大魔境

What Is the Story About?

I won’t spoil too much, most of it is already shown in the trailer. The story follows two parallel storylines centered around two groups of teenagers.

Kiruko and Maru travel together across post-apocalyptic Japan. They’re searching for a place called “Heaven,” where they believe they can uncover the truth about Maru’s origins. Along the way, Kiruko also hopes to reconnect with her former refuge partners and figure out why they disbanded after she was seriously injured.

Meanwhile, Tokio lives in an isolated facility. Inside, many children grow up in a safe and resource-rich environment, surrounded by advanced technology and researchers, completely different from the harsh world beyond the walls. As time passes, Tokio and her friends begin to grow curious about what lies outside.

Why I Enjoy It?

I first got into this series through the anime. After watching the sixth episode, I couldn’t wait for the weekly updates and immediately switched to the manga. It’s still ongoing until now. I know some readers prefer to wait until a story is fully published so they can binge it at their own pace (usually much faster than average) and see whether the ending is satisfying. Okay, I’m getting a bit off track.

The adventurous journey

Kiruko and Maru’s storyline is especially enjoyable to watch. It’s heartwarming to see them find small moments of happiness during their journey (whether it’s better food or just a safer place to rest). They also face various threats, not only mysterious monsters but also terrible people with twisted desires in such a broken world. Step by step, they move closer to the truth.

Sometimes I wonder whether I could stay that mentally strong if I had to survive in the same environment. I’ve always liked road-trip-style stories: watching the main characters solve problems while encountering new people and new places along the way.

The mystery and unpredictable plot

Beyond the adventures of the two groups, both inside and outside the walls, the overall sense of suspense in the main storyline is incredibly captivating. Could there be brutal monsters or traps set by humans lurking around the corner? Does this newly met person have hidden awful intentions, only pretending to be kind?

As the chapters (or episodes) progress, we gradually uncover not only the cause of the apocalypse and the purpose of the institution that raised Tokio, but also the personal truths Kiruko and Maru care about: what happened to Kiruko’s former friends and who Maru’s real family is. Sometimes, as readers with an almost omniscient perspective, we feel frustrated when the characters misunderstand certain hints. But that tension is exactly what makes it so exciting.

Humanity

Another compelling aspect of this story, something commonly seen in dystopian works, is how people interact when they’re trying to survive. We see both the bright and dark sides of humanity: people helping each other through hopeless situations, powerful love that leads to sacrifice or compromise, revenge and forgiveness. In many stories, the main characters are portrayed as consistently kind and morally upright. I think that’s partly because if viewers strongly disagree with a protagonist’s values or decisions, it becomes easy to drop the series (unless you’re intentionally watching something bizarre or unsettling).

In Heavenly Delusion, the protagonists aren’t sanctified heroes or world saviors. They feel more like ordinary people, capable of making mistakes, showing weakness, feeling pain, and even crying. Sometimes they’re forced to make choices when there are no good alternatives. That’s what makes them relatable and makes the story even more touching.

Also on My List

There are a few other series I’d also love to recommend (they’re not as popular as I wish they were). One is March Comes In Like a Lion / 3月のライオン. The protagonist is a teenage professional shogi player who struggles not only in competitions, but also with loneliness and life itself. The story follows him and a warm, close-knit family who run a wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) shop. This piece is quiet, emotional, and deeply comforting.

Another one is Orb: On the Movements of the Earth / チ。-地球の運動について-. It tells the story of people across different generations who risk everything to prove that the geocentric model is wrong. Their pursuit of truth goes directly against the Church, the center of power at that time, and brings them devastating consequences. I really hope these two can become more widely appreciated as well.

Happy Lunar New Year!