Episode 2

**Idea 2** is the 2nd episode of the Heaven's Design Team anime.

## Synopsis

### Part 1

Kanamori is walking down the hall when she hears a buzzing noise from behind her. She turns to look and then lets out a scream. Kimura and Shimoda appear as she runs towards them while being chased by a giant insect. Thankfully, Ueda comes to the rescue by catching the insect with her bare hands.

Since the insect likely came from the Insect Department, Ueda offers to show Shimoda since he has not been there yet. Inside the Insect Department, Shimoda is introduced to the team in charge, which consists of seven guys who all look the same (but wear different shirts). After returning the insect, Ueda and Shimoda head back to the Animal Department when Kanamori yells out another cry. They turn around to see her on the floor in a state of shock next to a poison dart frog, which she touched.

Kanamori goes on about how she wished she could have died differently. Luckily, Meido comes into the room and calms her nerves claiming that the frog she touched doesn’t have any poison yet. Shimoda and Kanamori are both relieved. Meido then shares more info on the frog with Shimoda, explaining how its offspring survives in small ponds using cannibalism. Shimoda is shocked by this, whereas Meido thinks it is cute. Ueda then explains to Shimoda that Meido is responsible for designing all the cute animals that come through the department.

Ueda then remembers a new order came in from God for a creature that is “cute, but not cute." Kanamori is angry that God sent them another vague request. Meido volunteers to take on the project. A few days later, Shimoda asks the team about the status of the project. Meido explains that the creature she designed will be a parasite that thrives in water. She then goes on to explain its morbid features, which leaves Shimoda at a loss for words. Kanamori, who had been listening in, suggests improving the design by making the creature smaller, to play on the cute factor. Shimoda then remembers how the insect department shrinks their designs down to a smaller scale and suggests that Meido collaborate with their team. As they head over to the insect department, they get divine approval from God for their new animal, the Horsehair Worm.

A few days later, Shimoda walks into the Animal Department and finds Meido at the table hard at work, while the others watch. Meido is on the verge of creating a new “adorably uncute” animal that would be better than her previous design. She mutters a list of its morbid features as she goes, shocking both Shimoda and Kanamori (who drops her teacup on the floor). After she is done, she thanks Unabara for offering her some advice earlier. She then presents her new design to the rest of the team, the Koala. Shimoda is pleased that the animal turned out cute in the end, and receives God’s stamp of approval. Ueda claims that a lot of cute animals got made that day.

### Part 2

Inside the Animal Department, Tsuchiya and Shimoda are gazing in awe at Mr. Saturn’s new animal, a Unicorn. Tsuchiya is hopeful that his animal will meet God’s latest order for “an animal that bears an impressive weapon.” His enthusiasm is cut short when the unicorn suddenly faints, getting a stamp of rejection.

Higuchi determines that the unicorn collapsed due to osteoporosis, or lack of calcium. Tsuchiya wonders why his animal failed, while Kimura’s new animal, the Elk, was a success. Higuchi and Kimura explain that the elk also has the same disease. However, because the elk is equipped with three stomachs instead of one, it can extract more nutrients to maintain itself.

Higuchi suggests putting the horn on a cow instead of a horse. But Tsuchiya turns the idea down, stating that it only works on a horse. Desperate to keep his design the way it is, he begs Higuchi to help him find a solution. With some encouragement from Mizushima, the team starts brainstorming ideas. First, they try making the horn hollow so that it requires less calcium. After Higuchi creates a new prototype, everything seems to be going well. But then the new prototype faints like its predecessor, this time due to malnutrition.

Next, Mizushima suggests decreasing the unicorn’s brain functionality to reduce the amount of energy used up. Another prototype is created. But as a result, the prototype becomes too stupid to avoid obstacles and ends up piercing a door with its horn, and then breaking it. As a last resort, Mizushima and Tsuchiya try modifying the horn by adding nerves and making it more springy to avoid breaking. The team then heads to Trial Island to see if their modifications have made any difference.

On the island, the team watches as three new unicorn prototypes gallop across the beach. Both Tsuchiya and Mizushima are pleased, while Higuchi and Kimura are still doubtful. Just when everything looks like it is going in the right direction, two of the prototypes start picking a fight with each other. After engaging one another, they both collapse to the ground, while the third one gets its horn lodged into a tree. The unicorn is ultimately rejected by God. Despite Mizshima’s efforts to encourage him, Tsuchiya is at a loss for words.

Unabara suddenly appears carrying  a new marine animal he is working on. He notices the broken unicorn horn on the ground.  After asking if he could try it on his new animal, he gets a stamp of approval from God, and the Narwhal is born, much to Tsuchiya’s shock.

### Part 3

Shimoda walks into the department and is surprised to see everyone dressed for a day at the beach. The team explains that they are heading down to Trial Island to observe some new marine animals that Unabara created in action, as well as have a barbeque.

On the island, Shimoda is amazed by how many Dolphin and Whale species there were. Kanamori explains how God liked the design, so the team got together and came up with different varieties. All the designs got approved, except for Tsuchiya’s Kelpie, which he tried to sneak in.

Unabara explains to Shimoda how he came up with the idea by basing his design on a previous design, a Hippopotamus. As he is explaining all its features, Kimura bumps in asking what it eats. Unabara answers by saying it eats Squid, which upsets Meido, as the squid is one of her creations.

Not wanting to see her squid end up as lunch, Meido upgrades her previous design to include color-changing features for camouflage and communicating with one another. Unabara compliments Meido’s upgrade, but Meido shouts him down stating that she won’t be intimidated by his dolphin. She then gives her squid 3 hearts and more mobility to escape. Unabara then responds by equipping his dolphin with echolocation. The scene quickly turns into an aminal battle, with both designers trying to one-up each other. As a last resort, Meido upgrades her squid to colossal size. Suddenly, Shimoda receives a message from God approving the new creature, the Giant Squid.

Unabara, who has also upgraded his dolphin into a giant whale, acknowledges Meido for her creativity. He then ends the battle with his latest weapon, the sonic blast. This also earns a stamp of approval from God, and the Sperm Whale is born. Upset with her loss, Meido proclaims that next time she won’t lose.

While everyone congratulates the two for putting on a good show, God approves another animal, the Seahorse. While everyone was focused on watching the battle, Tsuchiya had been making some tweaks to his kelpie design. Ueda compliments his work as he celebrates.

## Characters

* Shimoda
* Ueda
* Tsuchiya (Mr. Saturn)
* Kanamori (Venus or "Ven")
* Kimura (Jupiter)
* Meido (Pluto)
* Mizushima (Mercury)
* Unabara (Neptune)
* Higuchi (Mars)

## Featured Animals

* Yellow-banded poison dart frog (*Dendrobates leucomelas*)
* Koala (*Phascolarctos cinereus*)
* Horsehair worm *(Paragordius tricuspidatus)*
* Elk *(Cervus canadensis)*
* Narwhal *(Monodon monoceros)*
* Bottlenose dolphin *(Tursiops truncatus)*
* Pacific white-sided dolphin *(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)*
* Arnoux’s beaked whale *(Berardius)*
* Burmeister’s porpoise *(Phocoena spinipinnis)*
* Short finned pilot whale *(Globicephala macrorhynchus)*
* Striped dolphin *(Stenella coeruleoalba)*
* Spectacled porpoise *(Phocoena dioptrica)*
* Giant squid *(Architeuthis)*
* Sperm whale *(Physeter macrocephalus)*
* Seahorse *(Hippocampus)*

## Trivia

* This episode features chapters 3, 5, and 6 of the manga series.
* In chapter 3 of the manga series, Meido makes a suggestion to Venus on making one of her bird designs poisonous. Later on it gets approved by God and the Pitohui is born. This did not appear in the anime.
* In chapter 5 of the manga series, Tsuchiya and Unabara were in the design department when Unabra uses the unicorn horn. This was changed in the anime version.