Western anime fans are used to looking to Crunchyroll for the majority of new season anime releases, as this is the platform with by far the biggest mainstream anime-specific catalog for most viewers outside of Japan. With over 1,300 anime titles, many of these available in multiple languages, Crunchyroll easily surpasses the likes of Netflix, which has roughly 200 anime titles, or Amazon Prime, which has about the same, in terms of sheer numbers.
Given that Crunchyroll tends to gain the licensing rights for the bulk of new shows released every season, it's perhaps surprising that the anime streaming giant seems to have missed the boat on two of the best titles of the Spring 2023 line-up: Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou) and Oshi no Ko, which ended up on Disney+/Hulu (depending on the viewer's country) and HIDIVE respectively. This is doubly the case for Oshi no Ko, which has quickly become the most popular new series of the season yet has found a home on a platform that tends to favor somewhat older or more niche franchises.
Heavenly Delusion/Tengoku Daimakyou Is Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Anime Done Right
It's been 15 years since an unspecified disaster struck, utterly destroying civilization as everyone once knew it. Two travelers -- a young man named Maru and his bodyguard Kiruko -- traverse Japan, seeking out a place called Heaven while attempting to survive both the harsh landscape and the supernatural monsters roaming the land known as Man-Eaters. Meanwhile, a group of children lives in an isolated school-like facility, raised in peace by their robotic guardians. However, one of them, a girl named Tokio with exactly the same facial features as Maru, is suddenly made aware of the existence of an outside world.
Based on an ongoing 2018 manga of the same name, parts of Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou) may sound somewhat similar on paper to the likes of other fantastical post-apocalyptic titles such as The Promised Neverland. However, Heavenly Delusion adeptly carves out its own identity as a sharply-produced, tightly-written narrative that blends aspects of mystery, adventure, dark fantasy, and survivalist sci-fi into a seamless and intriguing whole. It also avoids many of the common tropes and pitfalls of seinen series, skillfully weaving together a suspenseful, at times jarringly violent story that nonetheless manages to be thought-provoking rather than simply aiming for shock value.
Oshi no Ko Is a Grim Commentary on Japan's Idol and Entertainment Industries
Gorou Amemiya is a gynecologist who, thanks to an old patient, has become obsessed with a Japanese idol named Ai Hoshino. He is shocked when a pregnant Ai is admitted to the hospital but agrees to hide her identity and safely deliver her twins. However, on the night of her delivery, Amemiya is murdered by Ai's stalker -- only to be reincarnated as Aquamarine "Aqua" Hoshino, Ai's son. Meanwhile, Ai's daughter, Ruby Hoshino, is the reincarnation of Sarina, Amemiya's old idol-obsessed patient who died years ago from a terminal illness. Four years later, when Ai is murdered by a crazed fan -- likely one who had Aqua and Ruby's father as an accomplice -- Aqua vows to enter the entertainment world to enact his revenge.
Likewise based on an ongoing seinen manga, Oshi no Ko is a supernatural drama that functions in large part as a blistering take on Japan's idol and broader entertainment industry. Though it might initially present itself as a seemingly exaggerated melodrama, it quickly becomes clear that Oshi no Ko has something genuinely meaningful to say, and it pulls no punches in confronting some very dark topics head-on. Despite sometimes veering wildly between its comedic beats and more serious themes, the anime still pulls off a quality of writing that makes its story both compelling and emotionally impactful.
Crunchyroll may have become the de facto option for many anime fans wanting to stream new episodes of their favorite shows each week, and for good reason given the unrivaled size of its catalog. However, Heavenly Delusion and Oshi no Ko prove that other sites can and do gain streaming licenses in the West for not only comparatively old or obscure titles, but also for series with the capacity to make major waves in the anime industry.