‘Heavenly Delusion’ is one of the newest anime being produced by Production I.G. for the spring anime season and displays just how beautiful their animation quality can be. Adapted from a manga written and illustrated by Masakazu Ishiguro, the show beautifully adapts the style and energy of the original panels. Overall, the first episode intrigues with a mysterious post-apocalyptic setting and expressive animation.

The first episode revolves around the two main characters Maru and Kiruko who are implied to be children in this dangerous world. Kiruko, a skilled handyman, has been hired to be Maru’s bodyguard and the anime teases with peeks of both characters’ backstories. As the world is post-apocalyptic, the anime seems to be within the sci-fi mystery genre and have darker tones.

The largest factor in the anime’s favor so far is the gorgeous animation. Production I.G., who have previously worked on ‘Evangelion’, ‘Attack on Titan’, and ‘Haikyuu’ to name a few, display their versatility in styles once again. The first episode was largely storyboarded by Hirotaka Mori who previously has worked on ‘Erased,’ ‘Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,’ and ‘Haikyuu.’.One thing that especially stands out about the animation is the character acting as small additions to characters’ movement adds subtle subtext about the characters. Along with the animation, the music also makes an impact on audiences. The opening theme by the band ‘BiSH’ called ‘Innocent Arrogance’ stands out for its electric guitars and intense drums which once again affirms the more serious and dark tone of the anime.

Overall, the first episode of ‘Heavenly Delusion’ stands out amongst the vast volume of anime coming out this spring with its suspenseful setup and gorgeous animation. In some senses it seems to fall into negative tropes with the possible sexualization of child characters and eventual handling of rape and sexual assault, but so far it is too early to make any accusations against the anime on those topics. For any fans of animation, it is definitely an anime to keep your eyes on and offers a unique story unlike any other airing currently. Similarly, its deep mysteries and diverse characterization makes it an anime that can appeal to almost any fan of science fiction.