Heavenly Delusion

Episode 12

Content Warning: The episode discussed in this review contains themes of sexual assault and abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

A goofy nightmare from Tokyo portends a chapter full of profound sea changes on both sides of Heavenly Delusion's plot. Quite frankly, this is a tough episode to watch and write about. It leaves the audience on a deliberately disgusting note, with the sour taste of an especially cruel rape scene lingering against the closing credits. I had heard that this was a divisive moment for manga readers, and I have no doubt it will prove the same for anime watchers. Some people will drop the series here, and I understand why. I'm still rolling these events around in my head, so I can't promise my most coherent or consistent review. But I hope that taking the time to write about them will help me—and some readers—unpack what this episode accomplishes and where it falls short.

Let me begin with the parts that don't have to do with sexual assault because, as per usual, there's plenty to admire about Heavenly Delusion as an adaptation. The highly esteemed Toshimasa Ishii (of 86 fame) directs the episode and grounds these dramatic upheavals with his deft control of symbolism and visual language. For instance: the skin of an overripe tomato split, mirroring the walls of the Takahara institution opening to the outside world. A cracked mirror serves as a reminder of Kiruko's fractured sense of identity. Additionally, the scene cuts from Robin to a bright red siren, in the center of the screen, twice. There is often nobility in how good people take charge of a crisis, but the fundamental fragility of our lives and bodies is always one step behind, waiting to take over and drag us down. Like Ishii's best work, the storytelling here understands these aspects and the struggle between them.

I like seeing Mimihime take the lead again. She has enough wit to direct the younger students to safety, but she also has no intention of ignoring the opportunity provided by this mysterious explosion. To that point, I also appreciate that this "prison break" does not come immediately packaged with answers about the Takahara facility. We still don't know the nature of this attack, or what, if anything, it has to do with the kids' final test. Unsurprisingly, it's the adult characters whom we see flailing about while the students play it cool—evil and buffoonery often go hand-in-hand, after all. This episode especially benefits from these brief comedic respites. Sawatari mixing up the twins is the stuff of lame sitcoms, yet the circle he draws on one infant's feet suggests this may be one of the most consequential mistakes of the whole story (note that the Japanese word for circle is "maru"). Meanwhile, Mimihime's first brush with the boundless sky provides us with our most hopeful note of the week. By now, we know better than to expect a happy ending for any of these children, but that doesn't detract from the magnitude of this moment. For at least a few minutes, Mimihime isn't distracted by specters of the past or monsters from the future. All she can see is her hand reaching towards an endless blue expanse of possibility.

While Mimihime seeks the sky, Kiruko looks for grounding. That's really what their pursuit of Robin has been about all this time. He was their anchor to a past when Haruki walked the streets while his sister Kiriko raced through them. Like all memories, these were idealized and incomplete, but Kiruko needed something to hold onto in the aftermath of all their brain-swapping trauma. As most children would, they relied on the adults they trusted. Even if Robin provided no answers or solutions, reuniting with him would, at the very least, recreate a fragment of that idyllic past they shared. In other words, this pursuit served as escapism for Kiruko, accompanied by all the hollowness that comes with it. We can hear it nervously and incessantly Kiruko speaks to themselves before the meeting. Maru also picks up on this. This reunion signifies the death of that dream, and the reality that follows will be unavoidably harsh in comparison.

That is to say, I understand the significance of this moment for Kiruko's character development. They have to accept themselves not as they were, but as they are now, and more importantly, they have to reconcile with who they are now. We see them try to fill out a form like Haruki, but they leave their gender unselected, and they end up crumpling the paper in frustration. They're confused—of course, they would be! I don't need to remind you of the cluster of incestuous gender complexities that form their backstory. However, Heavenly Delusion thrives on being off-kilter, and I love Kiruko because, details aside, I feel like I can relate to them and their struggles, uncertainties, and weaknesses—and their persistence despite all that. Moreover, I appreciate the episode goes to immerse the audience in Kiruko's perspective. Along with those POV shots, there are repeated close-ups of their eyes as their emotions become overwhelming, and when mirrors are used, their reflection stares right back into the camera. Kiruko's pain is the priority, and that prevents the rape scene from feeling any more unsettling than necessary. The assault unfolds like a horror movie, emphasizing that Robin's attack is as much psychological as it is physical. It's a complete and utter violation.

Naturally, the big question is whether rape is necessary for this plot development. After all, there are numerous ways to convey that Robin is a despicable character whom Kiruko must stop idolizing. Nevertheless, I will acknowledge that this scene is not incongruous with Heavenly Delusion as we have witnessed it thus far. Juichi and his fellow breeding pigs were victims of rape, and issues of bodily autonomy and control have been central to the Takahara facility's storyline. However, what stands out to me is the specific, targeted, gendered, and blunt cruelty of Robin's actions toward Kiruko. It feels unnecessarily cruel, and Robin, with his sinister grin and vile taunts, appears as a villain from a different narrative. Even in its most tragic moments, Heavenly Delusion has maintained a level of wryness and oddity that distinguishes it from its peers and influences. I do not sense much of that spirit in this scene. While Ishii's storyboards and cross-cuts tactfully frame the rape scene, it primarily comes across as elongated and intensified for shock value rather than dramatic impact. I believe Heavenly Delusion could have been more imaginative and less cruel without diminishing the poignancy of Kiruko's arc.

I cannot finalize my judgment of this scene without seeing the aftermath. I've already outlined how I believe this should tie into Kiruko's development, and given the quality of the character writing in the show so far, I'd say Heavenly Delusion can follow through respectfully and meaningfully. There is also any number of ways for the series to screw everything up royally. Time will tell! For now, I'll be sitting with mixed feelings about this episode's content, my admiration of Ishii's craft, and the genuine pain I feel for Kiruko. I want them to come out of this arc a stronger and more confident person. I also haven't stopped liking this series overall. It's still one of my spring season favorites, and I'm going to miss writing about it after the season finale next week. This story has approached a lot of sensitive and weighty topics in irreverent and orthogonal ways, and it can't help but stumble when stepping onto ground that is both nastier and more rote.

Rating:

Heavenly Delusion is currently streaming on Hulu as Tengoku-Daimakyo.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. He wants to try Kiruko's cooking. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.