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Heaven's Design Team #1
天地創造設計部 1
地表上有著形形色色的動物，牠們的外型與生態究竟是怎麼來的呢？
其實，天上有個負責設計生物的部門叫做「設計部」，他們煞費苦心發揮創意，就為了完成客戶（神）提出的種種匪夷所思的難題。
「為什麼獨角獸實際上不存在？」「好吃的生物具備什麼條件？」「海中最強的動物是誰？」大自然的種種奧妙，全部來自「天地創造設計部」！
其實，天上有個負責設計生物的部門叫做「設計部」，他們煞費苦心發揮創意，就為了完成客戶（神）提出的種種匪夷所思的難題。
「為什麼獨角獸實際上不存在？」「好吃的生物具備什麼條件？」「海中最強的動物是誰？」大自然的種種奧妙，全部來自「天地創造設計部」！
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First published November 22, 2017
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About the author
Hebi-Zou
18 books10 followersIs a part-time lecturer in the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
October 20, 2020
So here's my issue, I read for pleasure and manga is a particular favorite of mine due to the frivolity, outrageousness, and fun. This should have been labeled as mainly an educational book rather than manga. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it a lot more. In the description there was just one mention that you could also learn something. That is an incorrect statement as it seems the main focus is educating people about animals.
The characters are not developed, there is no plot other than make new creatures in some sort of contest with no consequences. Nothing comes of the any of the activity other than an excuse to go into detail about an animal. This is literally a manga styled encyclopedia. Which would be fine if I had known that going in. I was waiting for the hilarity to unfold, but that never happened.
The art was good and there were a couple zingers in there, but I was still irritated. I feel like I did when my parents tried to hide veggies in other foods to try and trick me into eating it. Don’t hide that it’s entirely educational with a little humor thrown in. This would have been better for me had I known what I was getting into. It would be more aptly named Heaven’s Design Encyclopedia. I’m sure many other people will dig this, I just couldn’t get into it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kondasha Comics for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
The characters are not developed, there is no plot other than make new creatures in some sort of contest with no consequences. Nothing comes of the any of the activity other than an excuse to go into detail about an animal. This is literally a manga styled encyclopedia. Which would be fine if I had known that going in. I was waiting for the hilarity to unfold, but that never happened.
The art was good and there were a couple zingers in there, but I was still irritated. I feel like I did when my parents tried to hide veggies in other foods to try and trick me into eating it. Don’t hide that it’s entirely educational with a little humor thrown in. This would have been better for me had I known what I was getting into. It would be more aptly named Heaven’s Design Encyclopedia. I’m sure many other people will dig this, I just couldn’t get into it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kondasha Comics for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.
July 7, 2023
This is one of those titles that seemed so odd and unusual that I couldn't resist. The Design Department are in charge of the creatures of the earth. Obviously, God (the client) gets the final "Yea" or "Nay." But it's the Design team who come up each animal's appearance and biology and so on. We see them through the eyes of Shimoda, a new angel serving as a liaison between God and the Design Department. Each chapter, the team is given a new challenge (e.g. "an animal that can eat leaves that are high off the ground.") and they go through several revisions to find a solution. Mars, from the engineering department, is in charge of testing their concepts before final approval.
It's a fun title. The members of the Design Department are diverse enough for some great character interactions to take place. I'm reminded a bit of Cells At Work in the way that scientific theories and observations are presented in an entertaining fashion. The chapter on unicorns alone is worth the price of the manga. Each chapter ends with a few paragraphs and photos about the actual animals featured in the chapter. It's really cool!
I enjoyed this very much. Highly recommended!
It's a fun title. The members of the Design Department are diverse enough for some great character interactions to take place. I'm reminded a bit of Cells At Work in the way that scientific theories and observations are presented in an entertaining fashion. The chapter on unicorns alone is worth the price of the manga. Each chapter ends with a few paragraphs and photos about the actual animals featured in the chapter. It's really cool!
I enjoyed this very much. Highly recommended!
September 12, 2020
Fun and educational - treats animal biology and evolution as if it were a series of heavenly design challenges. The designer and angel characters were interesting (although veered into "quirk as personality" a bit much), the art was both cute and realistic, and the educational bits about the animals at the end of each chapter were nicely done. Learn a bit with some escapist manga.
**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the artist, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2021
Overall I did enjoy this manga.
However, I am not sure if I would want to read this as a series unless there was potential for an overarching storyline. Though the concept is fun and the execution was well done, it started to become a bit redundant and took me much longer to read than normal. Usually I can finish a manga volume in one sitting but this took me days to finish because I would lose interest.
I liked learning more about the animals and I learned some pretty interesting factoids that may come in handy some day if I ever do a Trivia Night but it felt like that's all it really had going for it. Specifically I really loved the koala facts because I am a huge koala lover and had no idea about some of the things they talked about in here. The angel's and animal designer's personalities and stories get lost in the oversaturation of animal creating. I just wish that there was a little more substance to the characters themselves. Though they have unique characteristics as well as likes/dislikes I wanted more of that.
I will say that the art is absolutely stunning and that's what really drew my interest to begin with. But, unless this series has more story mixed in, I think I will pass on it.
However, I am not sure if I would want to read this as a series unless there was potential for an overarching storyline. Though the concept is fun and the execution was well done, it started to become a bit redundant and took me much longer to read than normal. Usually I can finish a manga volume in one sitting but this took me days to finish because I would lose interest.
I liked learning more about the animals and I learned some pretty interesting factoids that may come in handy some day if I ever do a Trivia Night but it felt like that's all it really had going for it. Specifically I really loved the koala facts because I am a huge koala lover and had no idea about some of the things they talked about in here. The angel's and animal designer's personalities and stories get lost in the oversaturation of animal creating. I just wish that there was a little more substance to the characters themselves. Though they have unique characteristics as well as likes/dislikes I wanted more of that.
I will say that the art is absolutely stunning and that's what really drew my interest to begin with. But, unless this series has more story mixed in, I think I will pass on it.
September 13, 2020
ARC was provided by NetGalley and Kodansha Comics in exchange for an honest review.
This review is being published before the release date (October 13th, 2020)
This truly was an adorable manga! This is one of those manga series that’s unique and hasn’t really been dabbled with before (at least to my knowledge). I loved the the different personalities of the teams and how some of the characters are named after the planets of the solar system. And I think this is a great way to spread information about animals many people might not know about. Just a really enjoyable manga for a rainy day! A side note; this series has already been printed (back in 2017, I think), but I do believe this is going through a reprint because of the new anime series. You can watch the trailer HERE !
Our story follows the design team of Heaven who have been tasked with one major project, create creatures to populate the Earth. However, things are easier said than done. With their reject pile climbing higher and higher, the team fears they’ll never be able to fill all the request flying into their inbox. But even in times of doubt, inspiration can strike the most. We join Heaven’s design team on this wild adventure, literally!
I really do love the cast of characters we’re given in this book. Our cast of characters has such a diverse personality range and even though it’s never specified, a plethora of ages. I also really enjoyed each character’s interests. For example, I love how Mr. Saturn is an older gentleman who’s pride and joy project is the horse and has an obsession with all this horses (including unicorns and pegasus). There’s also Neptune who’s a gentle giant and creates some of the cutest animals. Neptune is such a cinnamon roll character and might be my favorite thus far.
I also really liked how this is more on the educational side of manga. While the design team crafts these animals, at the end of each chapter we receive a paragraph of information and facts about the animals that were created in that chapter. For those who don’t have zoology in their background or never had interests in animals in their life, this is was a unique way to provide that information to that reader base. I also think this is going to be a manga series perfect for those who are younger and just starting to discover manga.
My biggest struggle with this manga was the humor in this book. It’s not that the humor is bad or anything, it just didn’t translate on page well for me. I know there’s an anime out and I think the anime will be able to better convey the humor that this manga is trying to portray. I think for other manga lovers, this will be perfect for them to get some chuckles, but I’m very much a “slapstick” humor kind of person and to hear how the humor is trying to be expressed.
My other thing about this manga is the plot and story-line. There really isn’t any end goal or objective to this manga. I think for many manga reader, they might not like this aspect because this book really relies on the educational elements in this manga. The sole purpose of each chapter is to educate the reader on the animals the design team is creating. For me, the banter was fun and so were the conversations, but in the end, I would’ve liked to have seen more at stake (like a time limit) to make things a little more exciting or make me more invested in the story.
Overall, this was a fun little read. I think this is really going to be a manga for those who are just now discovering manga and dipping their toes into the vast pool that is manga. As I said, this is the first manga I’ve encounter that has an educational element to it. I do come from a background of zoology, so a lot of the animals and facts mentioned in this book weren’t anything new for me. However, for those who aren’t from that background, I think it’s going to intrigue those readers especially those of a younger audience. It’s just an easy going book and I think many readers will enjoy this manga. I’m definitely interested in seeing the anime and seeing how the manga compares. I think if you’re looking for a unique manga or you’re just starting out, then I definitely recommend checking this series out.
Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi
This review is being published before the release date (October 13th, 2020)
This truly was an adorable manga! This is one of those manga series that’s unique and hasn’t really been dabbled with before (at least to my knowledge). I loved the the different personalities of the teams and how some of the characters are named after the planets of the solar system. And I think this is a great way to spread information about animals many people might not know about. Just a really enjoyable manga for a rainy day! A side note; this series has already been printed (back in 2017, I think), but I do believe this is going through a reprint because of the new anime series. You can watch the trailer HERE !
Our story follows the design team of Heaven who have been tasked with one major project, create creatures to populate the Earth. However, things are easier said than done. With their reject pile climbing higher and higher, the team fears they’ll never be able to fill all the request flying into their inbox. But even in times of doubt, inspiration can strike the most. We join Heaven’s design team on this wild adventure, literally!
I really do love the cast of characters we’re given in this book. Our cast of characters has such a diverse personality range and even though it’s never specified, a plethora of ages. I also really enjoyed each character’s interests. For example, I love how Mr. Saturn is an older gentleman who’s pride and joy project is the horse and has an obsession with all this horses (including unicorns and pegasus). There’s also Neptune who’s a gentle giant and creates some of the cutest animals. Neptune is such a cinnamon roll character and might be my favorite thus far.
I also really liked how this is more on the educational side of manga. While the design team crafts these animals, at the end of each chapter we receive a paragraph of information and facts about the animals that were created in that chapter. For those who don’t have zoology in their background or never had interests in animals in their life, this is was a unique way to provide that information to that reader base. I also think this is going to be a manga series perfect for those who are younger and just starting to discover manga.
My biggest struggle with this manga was the humor in this book. It’s not that the humor is bad or anything, it just didn’t translate on page well for me. I know there’s an anime out and I think the anime will be able to better convey the humor that this manga is trying to portray. I think for other manga lovers, this will be perfect for them to get some chuckles, but I’m very much a “slapstick” humor kind of person and to hear how the humor is trying to be expressed.
My other thing about this manga is the plot and story-line. There really isn’t any end goal or objective to this manga. I think for many manga reader, they might not like this aspect because this book really relies on the educational elements in this manga. The sole purpose of each chapter is to educate the reader on the animals the design team is creating. For me, the banter was fun and so were the conversations, but in the end, I would’ve liked to have seen more at stake (like a time limit) to make things a little more exciting or make me more invested in the story.
Overall, this was a fun little read. I think this is really going to be a manga for those who are just now discovering manga and dipping their toes into the vast pool that is manga. As I said, this is the first manga I’ve encounter that has an educational element to it. I do come from a background of zoology, so a lot of the animals and facts mentioned in this book weren’t anything new for me. However, for those who aren’t from that background, I think it’s going to intrigue those readers especially those of a younger audience. It’s just an easy going book and I think many readers will enjoy this manga. I’m definitely interested in seeing the anime and seeing how the manga compares. I think if you’re looking for a unique manga or you’re just starting out, then I definitely recommend checking this series out.
Blog|Instagram|YouTube|Ko-fi
January 30, 2021
Animal lessons with quirky angels. It's all right.
August 2, 2023
This was very funny, but also very educational. I never knew that giant squids can be up to 47 feet long, or that there are some kinds of squid that can project themselves out of the water and fly at 25 miles per hour.......... I almost wish I still didn't know these things, but oh well.
May 16, 2019
Edu-tainment just isn’t my manga style. There’s no real character development or even a story. Superb if you want a fun way to learn about various animals, though.
January 5, 2021
There truly is a manga for every topic. In this quirky manga, God contracts a design team to create His animals. Cool! I think this story will appeal mainly to animal lovers. There are a few (animal) penis and poop jokes, so it’s a little childish and adult at the same time.
There’s not a lot going on here, but the animal facts and analysis are charming. Even though I’m an artist, and I’m all too familiar with tweaking designs to make them work, I found this story boring. I’m still waiting on volumes 2 and 3 from the library, so we’ll see if my opinion changes.
[rating from enjoyment]
There’s not a lot going on here, but the animal facts and analysis are charming. Even though I’m an artist, and I’m all too familiar with tweaking designs to make them work, I found this story boring. I’m still waiting on volumes 2 and 3 from the library, so we’ll see if my opinion changes.
[rating from enjoyment]
September 16, 2020
Unicorns! Armadillos! Narwhals!
🦄
I started reading this manga because I needed a break after two difficult days at work and it did not disappoint.
First, I was surprised that the beginning was in full color. Not something I usually expect from a manga. When the colored pages ended, I was a bit disappointed 😂
🦄
Before I started reading, I was a bit unsure, because it's been a while since I read something Christianity-related, but this manga had as much to do with religion as Saint Young Men. Instead, what it talks about is biology and the physical aspects of different species. I didn't expect a manga to explain to my why birds can fly or how baby seahorses are made, but I found all that in this one. The blurb suggested that it was educational and in this regard, it certainly was. But it was definitely not for children.
🦄
It's funny, it's ridiculous, and somehow, all the animal facts included are also true, however unbelievable.
🦄
Thanks to this manga I finally found out the scientific explanation to why there are no unicorns (what a bummer) while elks and moose are perfectly possible.
🦄
My favorite character was obviously Pluto—the cute little girl-angel obsessed with making cute things poisonous and/or giving them weird genitals. Basically me if I were a celestial being.
🦄
My final thoughts: it was super cute.
🦄
I started reading this manga because I needed a break after two difficult days at work and it did not disappoint.
First, I was surprised that the beginning was in full color. Not something I usually expect from a manga. When the colored pages ended, I was a bit disappointed 😂
🦄
Before I started reading, I was a bit unsure, because it's been a while since I read something Christianity-related, but this manga had as much to do with religion as Saint Young Men. Instead, what it talks about is biology and the physical aspects of different species. I didn't expect a manga to explain to my why birds can fly or how baby seahorses are made, but I found all that in this one. The blurb suggested that it was educational and in this regard, it certainly was. But it was definitely not for children.
🦄
It's funny, it's ridiculous, and somehow, all the animal facts included are also true, however unbelievable.
🦄
Thanks to this manga I finally found out the scientific explanation to why there are no unicorns (what a bummer) while elks and moose are perfectly possible.
🦄
My favorite character was obviously Pluto—the cute little girl-angel obsessed with making cute things poisonous and/or giving them weird genitals. Basically me if I were a celestial being.
🦄
My final thoughts: it was super cute.
October 1, 2020
I was absolutely clueless going into this manga, and wow was I pleasantly surprised! It had everything I love in one place: animals, satire, and classic manga art. Not to mention the added bonus that the satirization is focused on religious concepts which makes this story even more fun.
Heaven’s Design Team is about a group of angelic beings that have been hired by (a generic, Abrahamic) god to come up with designs for creatures on earth. Essentially, god has outsourced this task to a merry band of inventors and biologists and we, as readers, are given a front row seat to their petty squabbling. Let me tell you though, this squabbling is both hilarious and informative.
As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time reading about biology and anatomy, this entire manga concept really took the cake for me with originality and fun.
Overall, this was a light-hearted storyline that I will enthusiastically recommend to anyone interested in a fun fantasy read. I keep coming back to the word ‘fun’ to describe this manga because comedic, sweet, and witty are not sufficient.
Heaven’s Design Team is about a group of angelic beings that have been hired by (a generic, Abrahamic) god to come up with designs for creatures on earth. Essentially, god has outsourced this task to a merry band of inventors and biologists and we, as readers, are given a front row seat to their petty squabbling. Let me tell you though, this squabbling is both hilarious and informative.
As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time reading about biology and anatomy, this entire manga concept really took the cake for me with originality and fun.
Overall, this was a light-hearted storyline that I will enthusiastically recommend to anyone interested in a fun fantasy read. I keep coming back to the word ‘fun’ to describe this manga because comedic, sweet, and witty are not sufficient.
February 18, 2021
Not a lot of plot but it’s so entertaining and so buoyant that you won’t even notice. This is the kind of manga that makes readers love manga.
A must for anyone who liked Cells at Work! or Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture. Worth adding to any collection.
A must for anyone who liked Cells at Work! or Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture. Worth adding to any collection.
May 20, 2018
I can't wait until they explain the platypus.
December 18, 2020
2020 Read #320
2.5 stars
This is generally a really clever manga with its concept, but the technical details of the animals bog down what is otherwise a pretty fun and unique idea for a series.
2.5 stars
This is generally a really clever manga with its concept, but the technical details of the animals bog down what is otherwise a pretty fun and unique idea for a series.
October 11, 2021
I've read up to volume 4, but as this is a slice of life manga, there's really nothing I could spoil for anyone.
It's cute, it's zany, the art is nice. Literal three stars; I like it!
It's cute, it's zany, the art is nice. Literal three stars; I like it!
October 24, 2020
'Heaven's Design Team 1' by Hebi-zou and Tsuta Suzuki with art by Tarako is a manga about the people that design animals.
There is a team in heaven responsible for designing all the weird animals in the world. Design specs are given and the team has to answer questions like 'why can't a unicorn exist?' or 'who wins in a fight between a bird and a snake?' Animal physiology comes in to play and each chapter ends with nice writeups on the featured animals.
Animals can be really weird, so this is a great premise for a series. It's also a sneaky way to learn while reading. The art is fun as are the fun design challenges.
I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.
There is a team in heaven responsible for designing all the weird animals in the world. Design specs are given and the team has to answer questions like 'why can't a unicorn exist?' or 'who wins in a fight between a bird and a snake?' Animal physiology comes in to play and each chapter ends with nice writeups on the featured animals.
Animals can be really weird, so this is a great premise for a series. It's also a sneaky way to learn while reading. The art is fun as are the fun design challenges.
I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.
September 29, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
More than telling a storyline it is more like a parody of how God decided to create certain animals. So in this manga we follow a group of Angels and designers who create different animals and God decides to aprrove them or not. We see why kelpies, unicorns and pegasus can't exist because some of their anatomical characteristics would not be safe for them if they were real.
It's a funny manga that anyone can read (recommended for 12+,), full of interesting and weird facts about some animals. I've learned a lot. So it also serves as a fictional educational story.
More than telling a storyline it is more like a parody of how God decided to create certain animals. So in this manga we follow a group of Angels and designers who create different animals and God decides to aprrove them or not. We see why kelpies, unicorns and pegasus can't exist because some of their anatomical characteristics would not be safe for them if they were real.
It's a funny manga that anyone can read (recommended for 12+,), full of interesting and weird facts about some animals. I've learned a lot. So it also serves as a fictional educational story.
July 18, 2025
As my coworker put it so eloquently, it's like a kid's nonfiction zoology book disguised as a manga. He also said the bottom right of the cover is where you can find the plot. I swear that was not a consideration when adding this to my tbr. I hadn't even seen the cover when I added this to my list. But I mean, now that I'm here...
May 15, 2022
I'm not an animal person, but learning about animals through the framing device of a design agency God outsourced was pretty fun. Seeing discussions of evolutionary progressions based on things like environments and predators is dense but entertaining when framed as a heated office meeting.
January 18, 2026
Really enjoyed this book, it was surprisingly right up my alley. Just a very fun cute little "why were animals made like this" story with some real basis for what they say. I love the characters too, just a thoroughly enjoyable book.
March 28, 2019
This was an interesting way to learn about animals.
October 12, 2020
The storyline is different. It is educational and funny, but it was not really my type of manga. And biology isn't really my favorite so...
August 14, 2022
This is a pretty good manga series about the designer team hired by God to create the animals. It's fun and very educational (animals can be very weird and disgusting... Even the ones you wouldn't expect like the koalas...)
February 17, 2023
Amusing little episodes of angels helping God create animals for earth with real facts about actual strange earth animals.
September 30, 2025
Silly shenanigans and lots of fun animal facts! A light, charming read that continuously surprises me with the genuine weirdness of the animal kingdom.
December 22, 2025
needed this series when I was studying evolution
October 31, 2020
This was so good. I loved all of the characters but especially Pluto and Neptune. I cannot wait to read the next volume of this as soon as it comes out!
July 29, 2021
Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
God has a team of designers at his disposal who will make all manner of creatures based on a very limited scope - things like a mammal able to eat leaves off tall trees (which results in a giraffe), or something “adorably uncute” (which results in the koala). The designers, all sharing a name with one of the planets, each have their quirks when designing animals: Mr. Saturn’s greatest invention was the horse, something he tries to reinvent for everyone challenge to limited success; Pluto makes terrifying animals but is also very fixated on how her creations will reproduce; Neptune makes all kinds of amphibious animals; and Jupiter has become the official taste-tester, making sure delicious animals have extra protection or defense mechanisms. At the end of each chapter is a note on the main, real, animals that were designed, providing some educational content for readers.
One of the endorsement text on the back from Anime News Network likens this to Cells at Work!, and that is a great comparison. This story fits on the vein of explanation manga that has loads of scientific content and approaches a topic with lots of brevity but accurate dialogue. Most of these chapters are presented in more of a slice-of-life way than Cells as the stories don’t really build on or influence the next chapter, until we get to the last one, where there’s a mighty cliffhanger to encourage readers to reach for that next volume.
Kodansha rates this for Teens (13+), and that’s likely due to the amount of space dedicated to discussing reproduction within the animal kingdom. Pluto is not shy about using the words “penis,” “testes,” “ovaries,” etc., so some basic knowledge of reproductive organs and function might be helpful.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12
God has a team of designers at his disposal who will make all manner of creatures based on a very limited scope - things like a mammal able to eat leaves off tall trees (which results in a giraffe), or something “adorably uncute” (which results in the koala). The designers, all sharing a name with one of the planets, each have their quirks when designing animals: Mr. Saturn’s greatest invention was the horse, something he tries to reinvent for everyone challenge to limited success; Pluto makes terrifying animals but is also very fixated on how her creations will reproduce; Neptune makes all kinds of amphibious animals; and Jupiter has become the official taste-tester, making sure delicious animals have extra protection or defense mechanisms. At the end of each chapter is a note on the main, real, animals that were designed, providing some educational content for readers.
One of the endorsement text on the back from Anime News Network likens this to Cells at Work!, and that is a great comparison. This story fits on the vein of explanation manga that has loads of scientific content and approaches a topic with lots of brevity but accurate dialogue. Most of these chapters are presented in more of a slice-of-life way than Cells as the stories don’t really build on or influence the next chapter, until we get to the last one, where there’s a mighty cliffhanger to encourage readers to reach for that next volume.
Kodansha rates this for Teens (13+), and that’s likely due to the amount of space dedicated to discussing reproduction within the animal kingdom. Pluto is not shy about using the words “penis,” “testes,” “ovaries,” etc., so some basic knowledge of reproductive organs and function might be helpful.
Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 8-12
July 22, 2021
I liked it! I think I need to read more to decide if I wanna stick with it, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews