Episode 8 of Heavenly Delusion, "Their Choices," has me feeling conflicted in spite of its better writing choices, mainly on account of an imbalanced tone combined with some inconsistent visuals. The main narrative itself is possibly one of the most beautiful of the series thus far, a wonderful mix of methodical setup and patient character drama that conveys a relationship in just a short time.
Last week, Kiruko and Maru met with a group of protestors in opposition to "The Immortal Order," a group that has been amputating people's limbs for unknown reasons. They took on a job to clear out the man-eaters beneath the Order's building but ended up meeting with Dr. Usami, who immediately propositioned them to help him.
A Stone's Throw
The whole subplot involving "Liviuman," the human rights group rallying against the Immortal Order, was a bit odd from the get-go, and never really was taken too seriously. It was a fairly forgettable plotline - not exactly funny or clever enough to stick out in the mind. At worst, it feels like a mean-spirited caricature of human rights activism, but there's a far simpler purpose.
Considering how the episode progresses, the point was to portray a group of mindless followers who just needed an excuse to get violent. This group which was mostly played for laughs suddenly becomes dangerous and willing to kill in the name of a lie fed to them. It's not quite earned enough to be disturbing or meaningfully effective.
It all seems to generally clash with the other story of the episode, which could be intentional. After an episode of hearing about the horrors going on inside the building, the reality is far less sinister than one would expect. In that way, the main plot works and if the rioters directly interrupted the other story, this could have easily been one of the worst episodes yet.
To Die As A Human
The main story revolves around Dr. Usami asking Maru to kill a woman, but that's an oversimplification. This episode reveals something quite massive but buries it beneath a more pressing and engaging plotline. It turns out the Man-eaters used to be humans who succumbed to disease - likely the one in the nursery plotline.
All the amputations were Usami's attempt to prevent these humans from becoming man-eaters, and Hoshio, the woman described last week who had several body parts removed, was a severe case. With so much of her body gone, her life is painful, but with Maru's power, Usami sees a chance to give her a peaceful death.
What follows is an extraordinarily patient sequence that tells the audience a lot about these new characters without flashbacks. Hoshio can only speak through a tablet wired to her brain, but her words carry a surprising amount of character and her interactions with Usami inform their relationship well. There's a lifetime conveyed in a very short time.
The episode is at its best when it's quiet, letting the character animation and performances speak for themselves. It's impressive that the story was about to imbue so much heart into a character who cannot move, cannot speak, and whose only distinguishing quality - her eye - is but a gift from the man looking after her.
If anything soured the emotional highs of this episode, it was the score, which almost felt like it was commanding emotion from its audience rather than letting the reaction hit more naturally. It's especially odd to hear such an unimpressive piece from Kensuke Ushio, whose music tends to have an ambient subtlety to it in moments such as these.
The ending, which might have been bittersweet, becomes a tragedy in the end and leaves the protagonists to wrestle with not just new information, but a new perspective on Maru's power. All this time, his power has been killing people - albeit people who have transformed into monsters. He has to grapple with what his power means and how he'll use it in recognition of that.
All in all, Heavenly Delusion's new episode told a beautiful story limited only by a fairly forgettable subplot within the background. It's too soon to tell if the group Liviuman will return in some capacity or if this was merely a bit part, but it might have been better left on the cutting room floor. Still, those that don't mind it will find much to appreciate from this episode.