Heavenly Delusion, Volume 1

天国大魔境 [Tengoku Daimakyō] #1

by Masakazu Ishiguro

Winner of the 2019 Kono Manga Sugoi Award for Best Comic of the Year as selected by artists and critics in Japan.English language debut Volume 1 sold more than 130,000 units in Japan Multiple award winning author - Winner of Kodansha's Four Seasons Award and the Seiun Award for Science Fiction in Manga Animated TV series to launch in 2020 Science fiction in the vein of AKIRA and Ghost in the Shell.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Science Fiction, Seinen, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Japan

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2018

About the author

Born in Fukui, Japan in 1977, Masakazu Ishiguro (Japanese name: 石黒正数) is an award-winning comic artist who made his debut in 2000 with the Afternoon Magazine Four Seasons Award winning short "HERO".

While Ishiguro initially cut his teeth within the science-fiction realm he is possibly best known for his comedies; particularly the Japan Media Arts Award winning And Yet the Town Moves (Shonen Gahosha). Whismical, stylish and often surreal, Ishiguro's works are often put into their own SF genre (slightly fantastical).

Reviews

[Starch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review up to chapter 55 (ongoing):

An interesting, strange story. Parts of it feel very creative and original, but others are too messy or too heavily inspired by other works.

We follow two narratives: the first is about two teenagers making their way across a post-apocalyptic Japan, fighting other people as well as monstrous creatures called "man-eaters". Both teenagers have mysterious backstories, which are revealed over time. The second narrative takes place in an isolated sci-fi school full of genetically engineered teenagers, and follows them as they discover more and more about what the school really is. Naturally, the two narratives eventually come together, and though their relation to each other is not the obvious it still wasn't original.

The story is full of all sorts of strangeness: from brain transplants to advanced technology to what comes close to magic. But its a bit too all over the place, with the different elements not always working well together. Too many times a plot point comes which seems to only be there because it's "weird", and not because it fits the story. some of the technology doesn't make sense, and similarly feels like it's there simply because it's strange or cool.

The character writing isn't good enough. Some character actions feel forced or make no sense. For example: two teenagers in the isolated school start having sex, and when the adults in change discover it they are all extremely shocked, because "how could they figure out sex if no one told them about it?"... Seriously?

It gets a bit too horny for my taste (meaning, the horniness feels like fanservice instead of a part of the story).

It borrows a bit too heavily from other works, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Still, it's one of the more creative worlds I've read about recently, and so far it's worth the read.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbled upon another intriguing sci-fi adventure! I’ve been meaning to read this for quite some time now. This was The Lorax if it was raw and brutal, without the environmental concept. It’s quite a scare of you think about the end of the world, considering what our world has come to now… Lately, I’ve been trying to look for some post-apocalyptic stories, so I’m really liking it here. It was raw and quite bold, scary even as you flip through pages but remains hungry for more.

[Monica ✧♬•* · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow.. biopunk!!

What a find we have here. I picked up the first chapter just to get a sense of the story... thirty minutes later I realized I had finished the whole volume. Tengoku daimakyo is promising.

I like to be immersed in questions when reading a post-apocalyptic story so It felt a little rushed for my taste, but that's okay cuz this manga got me trigged.. I have so many questions! 7 chapters in and I already have three different theories on what may have happened on earth, who's the protagonist, and wth is that monster that looks like Vandermeer's Borne!

what a find, indeed.

[Isla.whimsybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne
Das hat richtig viel Spaß gemacht. Und es gab auch schon ein paar überraschende Wendungen. 🤌🏼

[Kadi P · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very bizarrely uncanny yet comedic manga set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop. It hardly made sense, but it laid enough foundations to eventually make more sense later on in future vols. And to tide you over until then there’s some good chemistry between the two protagonists and the formation of an odd doppelgänger-type mystery in the background.

[Muffinsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai été un peu déstabilisée au début mais une fois que j’étais rentrée dans l’histoire, j’ai beaucoup aimé ! C’est original, on a pas beaucoup d’explications sur certaines choses mais j’ai bien accroché !

[Eressea · Rating 5 out of 5]

20230501 4th read
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20221128 3rd read
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20220105 2nd read
好像有許多伏筆在後面出現
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20220102 1st read

[Rafa Araujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Scythe Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich muss sagen, dass ich den Teil außerhalb des Himmels spannender fand als den anderen Teil. Irgendwie verbrachten Tokio und seine Freunde meiner Meinung nach etwas zu viel Zeit damit, im Garten herumzulungern und über die Außenwelt nachzudenken. Da fand ich die Reise von Maru und Kiruko schon spannender.

[Jalyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

could REALLY do without the inc*st but....i'm enjoying the rest of the story 🤡

[Litwithlove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to go outside of what's outside? Is the question that kicks off a really interesting post apocalyptic journey for our two protagonists , Maru a young teen boy , and Kiruko his hired guard. There are hints of incest here, but they aren't a story ending taboo for me. Their journey involves finding supplies and avoiding starving in a devastated wasteland, very reminiscent to me of Girls Last Tour. There are sweet hints of hope hidden within the people , although their surrounding seems determined to snuff them out. Settings and environments that have a recurring "big bad" creature , a multi creature killing machine composed of pure body horror that make me think of another GOAT , Parasyte. The killings seem to be quick and merciless, and although our heroes are forced to move on quickly, there are clearly lasting effects on their psyche and well being. They reflect to the best of their abilities and then once they have answered as many unanswerable questions as possible, it is time to move again.
I am so curious about the boy with Marus face.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very solid first volume. The two main plotlines of this manga are fairly generic, but the characters and worldbuilding are really well written. Ishiguro is quite good at sprinkling hints along with the mysteries and making the reader start theorizing where the story is going. I was also pleasantly surprised by the great non-binary representation.

[Chiara (booksandtravels_clem) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

Premesse molto interessanti: le due storyline mi sono piaciute (non sono un capolavoro di originalità ma le ho trovate interessanti e ben strutturate) e non vedo l'ora di sapere cosa succederà nei seguiti!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo he empezado a leer por la adaptación, y oye, está interesante y raro.

[María González Gil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relectura, esta vez en condiciones, de semejante maravilla de historia.

[Donatella Principi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prime impressioni su Chibiistheway

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well drawn, interesting world building. The man eaters are a cool enemy/monster. I don’t know what to think of the last few pages though. I’ll read another volume to see what the author means.

[Paulina ෂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un Japón post-apocalíptico con monstruos come humanos, lo cual me tiene dentro. Pero no tengo ni la menor idea de qué se trata la historia.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dystopian vibes a la The Promised Neverland but adult and queer??? Sign me tf up 👀

[Enairolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’avais plutôt hâte de découvrir et lire ce premier tome. Alors pour tout vous dire suite à ma lecture, je suis très perplexe suite à ce premier tome. Mais perplexe dans le bon sens on va dire. Je n’ai rien de négatif à dire sur ce premier opus mais c’est vraiment une histoire assez spéciale pour le coup!

J’ai tout de même vraiment beaucoup apprécié ce premier tome. L’histoire est tout de même très originale et comme ce n’est que le premier tome, on a évidemment pas toutes les réponses à nos questions. Il faut bien en garder pour la suite mais j’ai vraiment hâte d’avoir des réponses à mes questions parce que j’en ai un million en tête après ma lecture.

L’histoire se divise en deux « temps ». On alterne entre deux mondes. Dans le premier, on retrouve plusieurs personnages dans une sorte d’école, complètement coupé du monde. Il y a des murs si grand qu’on ne peut rien voir au dehors. Ils ont une vie plutôt paisible, ils sont dans un grand jardin où tout à l’air d’aller pour le mieux. Ils sont protégé par des scientifiques. Le monde extérieur est complétement inconnu pour eux mais certains personnages commencent fortement à se poser des questions… Le deuxième monde on découvre Maru et Kiruko dans un Japon dévasté par un cataclysme. On suit donc les deux adolescents dans un paysage apocalyptique où ils essayent tant bien que mal de survivre. Ils ont pour objectif d’atteindre le fameux « paradis ». Mais sur leur chemin, ils doivent parfois affronter des monstres dévoreurs d’humains…

L’univers est vraiment particulier et soulève tout un tas d’interrogations. Je me demande vraiment le secret qui se cache derrière ce jardin paradisiaque où les enfants semblent vivre leur meilleure vie. C’est vraiment la chose qui me turlupine le plus dans ce premier tome. Je me demande également quel paradis Maru et Kiruko recherche. Même si j’ai ma petite idée et que je pense qu’il s’agit du jardin coupé du monde. Plusieurs indices tout le long du manga nous laisse entendre que justement il s’agit de cet endroit. Mais je n’en dis pas plus!

J’ai trouvé que ce premier tome est finalement un tome assez introductif malgré tout. Mais au vue de l’univers et de l’intrigue, je pense que c’est terriblement nécessaire pour que l’on puisse bien tout comprendre par la suite. Mais c’est un premier tome vraiment très plaisant qui donne envie de découvrir la suite!

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about this title, I found it similar to "The Last of Us," which I recently watched. To be honest, I initially started with watching the anime, not reading the manga. The show is still airing, so after finishing one episode, I had to wait for the next week to get another one. I was literally craving for more, so I just bought a few volumes of the manga and started reading.

I have a great appreciation for this manga storyline; it truly stands out to me as one of the most unconventional post-apocalyptic tales. Typically, post-apocalyptic stories adhere to a familiar pattern: a world devastated by catastrophe, battles against monsters, encounters with some survivors, involvement in leadership or political matters, and conflicts among humans.

What bothers me the most about post-apocalyptic narratives is the emphasis on politics and constant human conflict, as if they are necessary components to drive the story forward. However, in this manga, those elements are not as prominent and don't weigh heavily on the plot. Instead, I hope the story continues to prioritize monster battles rather than delving into politics or leadership issues.

Since this manga is an adventure-focused series, I particularly enjoy how the characters encounter new individuals, face different types of enemies, utilize vehicles, manage resources, and engage in other exciting aspects. I am also really amazed by how the author shows us the backstory of all the characters and allows us to think and develop our own theories.

While the artwork of this manga may not be incredibly stunning, if you're seeking a breath of fresh air in the realm of post-apocalyptic manga stories, I highly recommend it. It deviates from the usual conventions of post-apocalyptic narratives by minimizing the presence of politics and interpersonal conflicts, allowing for a unique and refreshing experience.

[Fabio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originale, interessante, coinvolgente, intrigante. Un’ottima scoperta.

[Yoshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

POPKULTUROWY KOCIOŁEK: Złudne Niebo to manga autorstwa Masakazu Ishiguro, która zabiera nas w podróż po zniszczonej Japonii, gdzie po tajemniczym kataklizmie cywilizacja upadła, a na jej gruzach wyrosły nowe, niebezpieczne społeczności. W tym świecie spotykamy Kiruko, dziewczynę z nietypową bronią i tajemniczą przeszłością, oraz Maru, chłopca, który pragnie odnaleźć „Niebo”. Ich celem jest dotarcie do miejsca, które według plotek ma być rajem, bezpiecznym schronieniem dla ocalałych.

Nie jest to jedyny ważny wątek tytułu. Fabuła mangi rozwija się tutaj bowiem dwutorowo. Z jednej strony śledzimy podróż Kiruko i Maru, którzy przemierzają niebezpieczne tereny, napotykając na swojej drodze różnorodne zagrożenia i tajemnicze postacie. Z drugiej strony poznajemy grupę dzieci, które żyją w odizolowanym, luksusowym ośrodku, otoczonym wysokim murem. Ich życie wydaje się idylliczne, ale z czasem zaczynamy dostrzegać niepokojące sygnały, które sugerują, że to miejsce skrywa mroczne sekrety.

Tajemniczo i urzekająco. Są to słowa, które doskonale opisują wrażenia z lektury Złudne Niebo tom 1-2. Twórca stawia tu bowiem przed czytelnikiem wiele różnorakich pytań i tajemnic, które sukcesywnie będą powoli wyjaśniane. Z każdym kolejnym przeczytanym rozdziałem zaczynamy także dostrzegać pewne powiązania między wymienionymi głównymi wątkami.

Tajemniczy i intrygujący świat to tylko jeden z pozytywów tytułu. Ciekawie prezentują się tu także bohaterowie. Kiruko i Maru to postacie, które od razu przyciągają uwagę. Kiruko jest silną i niezależną dziewczyną, która doskonale radzi sobie w brutalnym świecie. Jej przeszłość jest owiana tajemnicą i naznaczona mocnymi emocjami. Maru z kolei jest chłopcem o niezwykłych zdolnościach, który posiada pewną moc. Jego naiwność i optymizm kontrastują z brutalnością otaczającego świata, co sprawia, że staje się on postacią niezwykle interesującą. Relacja między Kiruko a Maru jest pełna napięcia i niepewności, nie brakuje w niej jednak również odrobiny humoru.

Dzieci z ośrodka to kolejna grupa postaci, która intryguje. Ich życie w zamkniętym, luksusowym świecie wydaje się rajem, ale z czasem zaczynamy dostrzegać, że to miejsce skrywa mroczne sekrety. Dzieci są poddawane tajemniczym eksperymentom, a ich wychowawcy wydają się skrywać coś przed nimi...

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/podro...

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavenly Delusion is an interesting post-apocalyptic story told in two parts. The first is actually the one we see the least of: A high-tech orphanage seemingly designed to keep the children it houses safe from the horrors lurking outside. The second takes place in that wasteland, centered around Maru, and his bodyguard Hiruko, who's trying to escort him to "Heaven." The only problem is, neither of them knows where--or what--Heaven even is. Or exactly what will happen when Maru gets there.

There's a lot of mystery in Heavenly Delusion already, and ultimately the quality of the series will hinge on how well the questions it raises get answered. What happened to the world 15 years ago? How is the orphanage keeping all its super-tech running when the electrical grid seems all but wiped out? Where did the man-eaters come from? What connection do Maru and Hiruko have to the orphanage? I have no idea about most of this, but the world is engaging enough that I'm on board to find out.

One other thing I feel I should mention, because of how well it's done: I've read a lot of manga in my time, but I think Heavenly Delusion is the first series I've seen that includes an actual transgender character in anything but a joke role. And they don't feel like they exist in the story just to mark off a box on a checklist, either. Their story so far feels believable, and it raises a lot of thought-provoking questions about what life in an apocalyptic setting would be like for someone whose brain is at odds with their body. But unlike what you'd likely see in an American comic, their story isn't the story; they're important to the plot, but they're just one of a variety of people struggling to survive in a harsh world, and they feel more like a real person than some sort of showpiece (i.e. Look how inclusive we are!), because of it.

All in all, this volume is a great introduction to a mysterious world full of danger, both human and otherwise, with some interesting characters and real potential. I don't quite know where the story is going from here, but I look forward to finding out.

[Solara300 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auf der Suche nach dem Paradies …

Genau auf dieser Suche befinden sich Marun und Kiruko, die durch das zerstörte Japan streifen.
Kiruko, ist der Bodyguard von Maru und soll ihn unbeschadet ins Paradies bringen, denn der Junge hat eine wichtige Aufgabe. Um was es sich dabei handelt wissen beide nicht so genau und machen sich auf die Suche.
Dabei ist der tägliche Feind ums Überleben, die Menschenfresser, der Hunger und Durst der sie begleitet.
Szenewechsel ins Paradies, wie Tokio mit anderen Kindern in die Schule geht und ein friedliches Leben lebt, ohne Hunger oder Durst zu vermissen.
Alle Annehmlichkeiten scheinen hier die Schüler zu umsorgen.
Nur was ist hinter der Mauer und gibt es wirklich ein dahinter?
Zwei Welten, die unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten.

Meine Meinung

Sehr cooler Auftakt dieser Endzeit- Reihe.
Hier lernt man zwei Welten kennen.
Eine, die völlig zerstört ist und die Menschen wenn sie überlebt haben, ums nackte Überleben kämpfen, oder vor den Menschenfressern auf der Flucht sind.
Dann eine Welt, die friedvoll vor sich hin existiert und keiner von der Apokalypse der anderen Welt weiß.

Ich liebe diese verschiedenen Sichtweisen und das die friedvolle Welt so langsam ahnt, dass mehr hinter den Mauern schlummern könnte als sie wissen.

Dann das Geheimnis das mich neugierig macht.
Wer war die Frau, die Maru in die Hände des Bodyguards Kiruko gab und vor allem weshalb soll er zum Paradies?
Nicht zur Sicherheit .. oder!?
Und dann der Cliffhanger beim Ende Band eins.
Ich bin sowas von gespannt wie es weitergeht und liebe die bildhaften Zeichnungen und die Umsetztung und freu mich das Rätsel Stück für Stück, in dem Fall Band für Band, näher zu kommen.

[Lada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the first two episodes of the anime and then decided I want to read the manga first. I liked the vibe of this (tho it changes as the story goes on, and I would say for the worse). The dystopian setting, the threat of the weird creatures always looming over, their mission to find what they are both looking for... it all felt intriguing.
The artstyle is fine I guess, but my eyes get tired looking over crumbled cities over and over and I quickly move on, but I do like the design of the two main characters.

I liked Maru and Kiruko right away. Their teamwork felt very natural, and there was just something about their personalities that simply clicked and endeared them to me quickly. I like watching them work together so much, seeing they had each other's backs.
Tho the confession at the end of this volume felt like it came out of nowhere, idk. Also I get Maru is only 15 and nobody tought him much about romance, but I really do not get why he would not stop immediately trying to kiss Kiruko after she screams for him to stop and is pushing him away. Idk about all that, it felt icky.

Also about Kiruko boiling the weeds for their meal: if they are scavenging things why would they/people not try to get their hands on books about herbology etc.? There is plenty of food in the nature if you only know what to look for. It would be more practical than always rely on finding some canned food.

[Sharese Suriel-Kabigting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a weird and cool story. Heavenly Delusion volume 1 starts off with a tomato garden in an enclosed nursery where robots care for these children. Something is up with them, for sure. On the flip side, there's the outside world - Japan in the future. Dystopian and sci-fi vibes all around. Two of the main characters, Kiruko and Maru, walk the desolated streets searching for a place called "heaven". Kiruko is in charge of getting Maru there; she's his bodyguard. On their search, they encounter dangerous creatures called Hiruko or Man-Eaters, which they can kill. How does Maru have the power to kill them? Who are these mysterious children? I'm gonna find out when I read the whole series!

This was such a fun read!! I started the anime and after the first episode, I realized I needed to read the manga lol this story is full of all the weird sci-fi and fantasy elements I love. I really love that throughout this vol. 1, there's a double story. We follow Tokio in the nursery setting, and Kiruko/Maru in the outside world. I know that somehow their paths cross. I'm so excited to find out how lol I would say genre-wise it's got a little bit of everything - sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, horror/thriller, adventure, etc. It's definitely for ages 16+ as there are themes more suited for an older demographic (sex, gore, etc.) Glad I started off the 2025 with a fantastic manga, now onto volume 2! Happy reading, guys!

[Yue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the story, it is engaging and makes me wonder what is going to happen next. The manga style is also different... most of the faces are child-like but everything else is much mature. The "inside" is like The Promise Neverland: children locked in a kind of orphanage/school, with some dubious adults supervising them. But we also get to live the "outside": the clones (?) of the children inside.

Both sides are very interesting: the inside shows us that these children are special, every one of them seem to have some kind of talent/power? The outside is more apocalyptic and dystopian, trying to survive alone in the world, there are monsters, etc (when that innkeeper died, wow, call me surprise O_O)

BUT, there is no doubt this manga is written by a man. There are tons of fanservice: naked FEMALE bodies not once, not twice, but several times; there is a scene where 2 girls (literally, little girls) are kissing; tight suit body or barely there clothes for the main female lead, while the ML is dressed with big clothes, etc.

So yeah, I am fed up with the DISservice for female characters. Not the 1st good manga that gets ruined (for me) for this kind of fetish most male mangaka have.

[Martin R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm intrigued and that is the most important job (as far as I'm concerned) when it comes to a first volume.

What is Heavenly Delusion then?
It is a dystopian sci-fi set in a post-apocalyptic Japan told from two perspectives: A group of kids and teenagers living in a walled-off so called "heaven", kept by secretive teachers of exploring the mysterious "outside" - whatever that is. And the second group is a duo of late teenagers searching for "heaven" and facing a myriad of challenges on their way.
We actually get to kinds of stories here: First something reminding me of early "The Promised Neverlands". Second a survival trip through a destroyed world, with a focus on dealing with the people and the monsters in it. That creates plenty of situations to explore from an almost slice of life-ish school day to a brutal fight against a crostesque bird monster. And a lot in-between.

The first volume lets us get a glimpse of its hand towards the end, dropping some hints and clues that are meant to intrigue the reader into grabbing the second volume. I'd say it works.

[Vilma Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is really interesting. And kind of weird. I saw the first (and only) season on Hulu. When I realized there wasn't a season 2 out yet, I was kind of bummed. Then I figured I would try to read the manga, and see if some of my questions get answered there.

I feel like we got through a good chunk of the story I know in just this first volume. The contrast of the world Maru and Sis live in, compared to the school the large group of kids live in is still pretty jarring. There's quite a bit of foreshadowing that I missed when I initially watched the anime, so that's been fun.

I know things are going to get much darker going forward, but I'm still looking forward to this story. I'm also hopeful that the manga is far enough ahead of the anime that some of my questions are answered. But even if that is not the case, it'll be an interesting ride.