People say that it's not about the destination but the journey, though when a show is riding this heavily on what lies at the end of the road, the destination better be worth the ride. With a story as elusive with its mysteries as Heavenly Delusion, it never feels like the end of the puzzle is ever quite in sight, but each new piece is as thrilling and joyous as it is cold and haunting.
Last week, the final pieces were set in motion for Season 1's climax as Mina, the AI running the nursery, told the children to be prepared for a "test," unbeknownst to the facility staff. This week, all hell breaks loose, seemingly beginning this test, as the story cuts back between the chaos in the nursery and Kiruko and Maru's arrival at the end of their road.
Is This A Dream?
Episode 12, "Outside of the Outside," is - in a word - dreamlike. It opens with Tokio having a dream that is very much a premonition only slightly different from the reality that follows. This introduction is crucial, as it reinforces in the viewer's mind that moments of seeming normalcy are - like a dream - temporary.
From there, Kiruko and Maru discover a bustling community at the end of the road that almost seems too good to be true. They question whether they are dreaming and go through a rigorous application process to be instated as visitors to this town. But the whole time the editing is cutting back and forward to events that haven't happened yet.
Kiruko is running along a river bank toward an unknown destination, while Maru waits alone, looking sad, or at least deep in thought. As she has done numerous times, Kiruko asks about Robin, except this time she gets an answer she's grown to not expect. They don't just recognize him - they know he's in the town.
Conveying Reunion
The most impressive thing about this new episode is the way in which it builds up to the reunion between Kiruko and Robin. The audience hasn't gotten to know this character besides Episode 3 and a few minor appearances, like flashbacks or his cameo last week. But because of how Kiruko is acted, and how her performance is consequently animated, it's hard not to share in her nervousness and anticipation.
In the modern world, it's easier than ever to stay in touch with people and find those we've lost track of, but for Kiruko, in a world destroyed, all she has is her memories and a photo. Because she is closer than ever to the person she's been seeking, every slight barrier is given that much more weight. And these barriers aren't even dangers, but functions of a relatively normal society.
She has to fill out paperwork, answer questions about her identity and her relation to Robin, then wait two hours for her appointment with a man she's been thinking about for years. There's no real threat, but somehow the tension has never been higher. After all, Kiruko and the audience are no strangers to how expectations can lead to disappointments.
Scenes like these are where Kensuke Ushio thrives as a composer. The ambiance of his tracks can bring out the nigh indescribable emotions that lie beneath the most subtly powerful moments. And tragically, his music can just as easily convey the dread upon realizing that someone that we've waited so long to see isn't who we thought them to be.
Where Will It End?
This is one of the best episodes of the season yet and one of the most unsettling to watch by far, if only at the very end. We've barely even touched on the chaos in the nursery, between the staff scrambling to make sense of things, the two babies getting mixed up, or the kids finally finding the "outside of the outside."
In the end, the two timelines have never felt more intertwined, and the biggest question will be how they will thematically converge in the finale. What will happen to the characters in the past, who will survive, and how will they play into the future timeline? The concluding montage emphasizes this convergence, showing where the characters are, and in the case of Shiro and Mimihime, reminding us where they will eventually end up.
Episode director Jun Shinohara did a fantastic job setting up what is sure to be a thrilling finale, which is reported to be directed by legendary animator Tetsuya Takeuchi. No matter how Heavenly Delusion's first season is going to end, it's certain to look dazzling and bizarre until the credits roll.