Spoilers ahead for Heavenly Delusion!
Heavenly Delusion is one of those rare kinds of layered dramas where one can find such enjoyment in exploring just one of its aspects, that it can be easy to forget a whole other dimension of the story. The nursery/heaven storyline has been shrouded in complete mystery for the duration of the season, never letting scenes linger too long at the risk of spoiling the surprises.
Last week, viewers were treated to something of a special episode that felt as narratively isolated as it was visually distinct, which isn't to say that the main plot wasn't furthered to some extent. Nevertheless, Episode 11, "The Test Begins," pushes the plot forward in a direct and frightening, way, as nonchalant as it has always been.
Seeing What No One Else Sees
Mimihime has been something of a background character up until now, but that's all changed after this new episode. With Tokio separated from the rest of the children on account of her pregnancy, more characters are taking the spotlight, especially with the fifth-year students joining the cast. The school is more crowded than ever, and the new kids have some unique quirks.
Ever since episode four, the connection between the children and the man-eaters, and subsequently, the different timelines of the two stories, have been progressively hinted at. Mimihime's encounter with Ohma comes as a disturbing further confirmation that these children, or at least their powers, make up the monsters that appear in the other timeline.
Sometimes when it comes to misdirection, all that it takes to make it feel real - even for just a moment - is to commit fully to the lie. When Mimihime looks at Ohma's eyes, the walls opening up to attack her almost seemed like security measures built into the facility. By the time the horror ends, the audience has been shown just enough to conclude that Ohma's illusion ability is the same as the man-eater that tricked Kiruko in Episode 7.
Imagine your worst fear multiplied by a hundred, attacking you en masse, and that's almost more terrifying than the monsters that can kill you for real. This series continues to nail body horror without even having to show that much carnage, a testament to its visual direction, music, and performances.
It feels like Tokio and Kona have really stolen the show whenever the spotlight is on the Heaven storyline, so it's refreshing and satisfying to spotlight Mimihime and see more depth to her. It's also quite tragic, as it is heavily implied that Mimihime is Hoshio, the girl who died in Episode 8. This means that Shiro is Dr. Usami if it weren't already obvious from them having the same voice actor (quite impressive range might I add).
The First Test
The aforementioned connection between the children and the maneaters wasn't so much hinted at this week as it was outright confirmed, in a manner as nonchalant, vague, and haunting as the series is known for. The robots call the children. Hiruko, the same name Maru was told to call the man-eaters.
Over the last few weeks, there's been a growing implication of tensions between the Director and some of her subordinates, but no one seems to acknowledge the potential danger of the machines running the facility. Who has been wiping the camera feeds, unlocking doors, and otherwise helping the children get to places they aren't supposed to be?
It's become clear that it's the AI in charge of the facility, as not even the staff seem completely aware of what it's telling the students. Half of the staff seem to follow the machines' instructions without thought, which more than likely will come back to haunt them depending on where this is all leading. We've heard the theories about what caused the Great Disaster, but we haven't heard many suggestions that robots had a part to play.
Thanks to an often subtle, nonchalant approach, Heavenly Delusion is paying off weeks' worth of buildup in a way that can be shocking and thought-provoking, while ultimately respecting the viewer's intelligence. With only two episodes remaining, there are plenty of questions left unanswered, and likely to be plenty remaining when this season concludes, but given its track record, the answers will be well worth the wait.