| Kiruko | |
|---|---|
| Heavenly Delusion character | |
 Kiruko as drawn by Masakazu Ishiguro | |
| First appearance | Heavenly Delusion #2, "Maru" (2018) |
| Created by | Masakazu Ishiguro |
| Voiced by |
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Kiruko (Japanese: キルコ) is a fictional character the manga series Heavenly Delusion created by Masakazu Ishiguro. Kiruko is the protagonist of the series alongside their partner Maru as part of a bodyguard job around Japan to reach an area labeled as Heaven. The character's true identity is Haruki Takehaya (竹早 春希, Takehaya Haruki), an orphan raised by his sister Kiriko and had his brain transplanted to her body in order to survive after suffering severe wounds against a "man-eater" creature. Both Kiruko and Maru are able to defeat these creatures with Kiruko relying on her "Kiru-Beam" (キル光線, Kiru Kōsen), a super powered gun that was given by Maru's caretaker before the series begins. Kiruko's journey also involves meeting the doctor behind the brain transplant to learn the reason behind Kiriko's death and their survival.
Kiruko was created by Ishiguro inspired by stories of brother and sisters, aiming to write one where they swapped bodies. However, in contrast to previous stories he read, he wanted Kiruko's body change to be written in a more realistic manner. In the anime adaptation of Heavenly Delusion, Kiruko was voiced by Sayaka Senbongi in Japanese and Anjali Kunapaneni in English. Critical response to Kiruko was positive for the seriousness portrayal to their gender identity as well as bond with Maru as they form an appealing relationship that acts as a counterpart to parallel stories involving other students from Heaven.