Heaven's Design Team
A manga about God's design team creating animals.
Heaven's Design Team is a Japanese manga series by writers Hebi-zou and Tsuta Suzuki, with art by Tarako. It has run in Kodansha's seinen magazine Morning Two since February 2017, and as of December 2025, nine collected volumes have been released. Kodansha USA holds the North American license. An anime adaptation by Asahi Production aired from January to March 2021.
In the story, God created the Earth and its resources but outsourced the job of designing animals to a creative team. God sends vague descriptions or goals, and the team submits designs; approved ones become real animals, while rejected ones go back for revision. The team can also create freely based on their own tastes. The angel Shimoda oversees the crew and relays designs to God for approval. The series uses this setup to explain real animal biology and traits, as well as design-thinking concepts like testing and prototyping.
Shimoda, voiced by Junya Enoki, is a rookie angel who acts as the link between the team and God. He carries a notebook of design submissions and receives God's telepathic approvals or rejections. Though he looks like an adult, he is a newly created angel with poor handwriting and a skill for baking pastries for the team. Ueda, voiced by Yumi Hara, is Shimoda's supervisor and another communication point with God, also overseeing other departments like insects. God, voiced by Naoki Tatsuta, is the unseen deity who approves designs, often giving vague criteria and sometimes approving designs directly without submission.
The design team includes Tsuchiya (Saturn), voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue, the chief obsessed with horses, his greatest work. He frequently tries to adapt his horse design into God's requests, but submissions like Pegasus and Unicorn are often rejected due to biological issues. Kimura (Jupiter), voiced by Yūichirō Umehara, is carefree and a foodie, designing animals meant to be eaten and tasting teammates' creations even if poisonous. His masterpiece is the cow. Mizushima (Mercury), voiced by Junichi Suwabe, is aloof and stoic, focusing on efficient designs and often pointing out flaws. His greatest works are snakes, which puts him in conflict with Kanamori. Kanamori (Venus), voiced by Daisuke Kishio, is a fashion-focused designer who prioritizes beauty and style, mostly designing birds—her masterpiece. She changes attire often, is dramatic, and dislikes insect
- field
- Manga and anime series
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Comedic educational series about animal design
- serialization_started
- February 2017
- volumes_released
- 9 (as of December 2025)
- anime_air_dates
- January to March 2021
Lore & Background
The series is set in a world where God created the Earth and filled it with natural resources, but outsourced the creation of animals to a team of creative minds. God sends tasks to the team based on vague descriptions or design goals; approved designs become real animals, while rejected ones are revised. The team can also create designs on their own whims. An angel named Shimoda oversees the crew and communicates God's approvals or rejections telepathically. The series illustrates real animal biology and characteristics, as well as design thinking concepts like testing and prototyping.
The design team includes Tsuchiya, the chief obsessed with horses; Kimura, a foodie whose designs are often meant to be eaten; Mizushima, who focuses on efficient designs like snakes; Kanamori, a fashionista who designs birds; Meido, who creates morbid features like poison and parasitism; Unabara, who makes cute animals like kangaroos; and Higuchi, the engineer who runs a simulation island for testing. Other recurring characters include Yokota, a representative of Hell who tasks the team with creating hellish creatures, and the insect department, which provides inspiration for animal features.
Reader's Guide
Heaven's Design Team occupies a unique niche in manga and anime as an educational comedy that blends biology with workplace humor. Its significance lies in its ability to explain real animal adaptations—such as why certain features exist or fail—through a fictional design process. The series demonstrates design thinking principles, including prototyping, testing, and iteration, using the Galápagos Islands simulation. It also explores biological issues of mythical animals, like why pegasi or unicorns would be impractical. The manga's popularity led to an anime adaptation in 2021, expanding its reach. Its legacy is as a creative tool for teaching biology and problem-solving, appealing to both casual readers and educators. The series' focus on teamwork and diverse design philosophies—from efficiency to aesthetics—offers a lighthearted look at how real-world animals might have been 'designed.'
Did You Know?
- The series began serialization in Morning Two magazine on February 22, 2017.
- The anime adaptation aired from January 7 to March 25, 2021, on AT-X and other channels.
- The design team includes a character named Meido who previously worked in the plant department before being transferred after designing a carnivorous plant.
- The series uses a simulation island called the Galápagos Islands to test new animal submissions in various biomes.
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