Heavenly Delusion was labeled as one of the most creative series action-wise in the spring 2023 season, and rightfully so: the production quality is high, the fighting feels impactful, but that's not the only thing that captures the viewer's interest.
Despite that, the first Blu-ray of the series, consisting of the first six episodes, sold only 645 copies in the first weeks of its release. And that seems too low for a show like that, but there are different reasons for that. The spring season was filled to the brim with interesting shows, with Demon Slayer topping the charts, followed by Oshi no Ko, KonoSuba, Dr. Stone, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Heavenly Delusion didn't even make it to the top 10 in Japanese charts, overshadowed by other shows, despite being a passion project with a high production quality made by Production I.G.
The low popularity of the BD release in the local market may be linked to poor marketing: its availability is not as wide as it usually is. But the release of the BD itself is a marketing campaign that may bring more attention to the original story: Heavenly Delusion is based on the manga series of the same name. This can lead to the creation of a lot of merchandising opportunities, and that would lead to higher profits. Generally, BD sales have been declining over the past decade due to the emergence of streaming, both overseas and in Japan. Also, we should mention that the first BD is quite pricey: the set with the first six episodes costs 19 800 yen (~135$).
Heavenly Delusion is a story set in a post-apocalyptic world full of mysteries and suspense. The art style and attention to detail resemble a modernized version of cyberpunk classics like Akira, and the character design feels fresh. The story is an interesting blend of horror elements, slice-of-life, action, and humor, and keeps you captivated. Granted, some elements presented in the manga have been cut in the anime adaptation, but it still touches upon some darker topics that sometimes get swiped away in shows like this to cater to a broader audience. But the series is focused on the seinen demographic from the beginning and not a shounen.
And maybe that is also one of the reasons why the show doesn’t seem to be very popular in the local market. But it's still worth checking out if you somehow missed it.
It's not what it seems.
Heavenly Delusion was labeled as one of the most creative series action-wise in the spring 2023 season, and rightfully so: the production quality is high, the fighting feels impactful, but that's not the only thing that captures the viewer's interest.
Despite that, the first Blu-ray of the series, consisting of the first six episodes, sold only 645 copies in the first weeks of its release. And that seems too low for a show like that, but there are different reasons for that. The spring season was filled to the brim with interesting shows, with Demon Slayer topping the charts, followed by Oshi no Ko, KonoSuba, Dr. Stone, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Heavenly Delusion didn't even make it to the top 10 in Japanese charts, overshadowed by other shows, despite being a passion project with a high production quality made by Production I.G.
The low popularity of the BD release in the local market may be linked to poor marketing: its availability is not as wide as it usually is. But the release of the BD itself is a marketing campaign that may bring more attention to the original story: Heavenly Delusion is based on the manga series of the same name. This can lead to the creation of a lot of merchandising opportunities, and that would lead to higher profits. Generally, BD sales have been declining over the past decade due to the emergence of streaming, both overseas and in Japan. Also, we should mention that the first BD is quite pricey: the set with the first six episodes costs 19 800 yen (~135$).
Heavenly Delusion is a story set in a post-apocalyptic world full of mysteries and suspense. The art style and attention to detail resemble a modernized version of cyberpunk classics like Akira, and the character design feels fresh. The story is an interesting blend of horror elements, slice-of-life, action, and humor, and keeps you captivated. Granted, some elements presented in the manga have been cut in the anime adaptation, but it still touches upon some darker topics that sometimes get swiped away in shows like this to cater to a broader audience. But the series is focused on the seinen demographic from the beginning and not a shounen.
And maybe that is also one of the reasons why the show doesn’t seem to be very popular in the local market. But it's still worth checking out if you somehow missed it.
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