Customer Reviews

Angel Sanctuary, Vol. 5

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kaori Yuki is the greatest storyteller in the world.

My friend once exclaimed, 'She's like Shakespeare with pictures!'

Angel Sanctuary is arguably her masterwork. There are so many fine points of its beauty that I cannot possibly expound on them here. Every nuance, every symbol, every character in it serves a purpose. The opening and ending of every existing arc is run through with a thread of incalculable poetry.

That said, the delicate-minded and morally-bound should stay far away. Kaori is not afraid of anything - themes explored in her stories include incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, rape, ressurection, multiple personalities, child abuse, suicide, forbidden love, prostitution, serial murders, the nature of sin, the nature of God, and the nature of humanity. Angel Sanctuary boasts lustful angels, androgynous demons, astral drugs, divine tattoos, a psychotic God, apocalyptic battles, nuns with uzis... and an aborted baby with tentacles who resides in a stuffed bunny rabbit. [No, I am not kidding.] And yet, somehow, it all works.

As for everyone with an open mind - run, do not walk, to the closest bookstore and stuff your pockets with volumes of this comic. You can thank me later.

If you've never read this manga before, get it now. I picked it up one day, looking for a manga to read and was immeditely hooked. I got my friends into it as well and now we always eagerly await the next volume coming out.

The characters are ingenious. You love every single one of them. Even the bad guys and full three-deminsional characters and very well rounded. Kaori Yuki is the master at playing with emotions. The mangas will make you laugh, cry, and just think about the meaning of them. True, it does start out a little weird but by the time you get to the fourth or fifth book (there are twenty volumes altogether - ten out in english so far), you will truly be hooked. There are many background stories on characters which come out through the books, surprizing you and making you understand why they act as they do.

The story cycles around Setsuna Mudo, a trouble-making teen, who is, despite fighting it, in love with his sister, Sara. When to "evils" (Kurai and Arachne) show up, telling him that he is the reincarnation of a great rebellious angel, Alexiel, and a mysterious long-haired man named Rosiel is causing trouble, Setsuna is pulled into things on a whole different level which may end in full out war between heaven and hell. Kaori really brings up controversial issues. Is hell all bad and is heaven all good? There are corrupted angels, good demons, and just weird humans. The story jumps into many different settings in heaven, hell, and earth.

This is my favorite manga ever and so worth the money (even though I will admit that $10 a volume is a little pricey - especially if you get all of them at once.) But you won't regret buying them. I've read most of them four times and still don't get bored reading them again.

Angel Sanctuary has to be one of the best Mangas of all time. Kaori Yuki has delivered a gothic master piece containing some of the most beautiful and horrific scenes ever to be seen in a Manga. Really, to think of this as simply a "comic" book would under-value it. Kaori has created a complex, involving, and addictive storyline. Please someone make the whole series into an anime (and not just the first three books like the movie)!

This is an epic story, as Setsuna Mudo, a normal high school boy, discovers that he is the reincarnation of the angel Lady Alexiel. He then finds himself caught in events beyond his control and forced into a war between heaven and hell. Angel Sanctuary does not shy away from showing the horror with the beauty, with images of child killings and torture performed by angels. However at the heart of the book is a love story and it is Setsuna's love for his sister that drives his actions as angels and demons use him for their own plans.

The first two volumes, set on earth - introducing us to Setsuna's forbidden love affair with his sister Sara & a computer disc that is causing teenagers to kill themselves, are the weakest of the whole series. After I read these I was not sure if I would carry on reading the series as I was confused by the people and the whole concept of the computer game. However, I did carry on and found that the first volumes were only touching the tip of the iceberg and that the story got better and clearer the longer I read. Kaori's drawings and images became more enthralling and the people became easier to identify. For me, book 4 and the introduction to Hades was the turning point and now I am completely addicted. Some of the best characters are also introduced in later volumes, such as the Mad Hatter and Lord Sevothtarte, and other characters such as Lord Zaphikel and Kira take on greater significance.

One of the best things about Angel Sanctuary, apart from the gorgeous guys, is that nothing is what it seems. Kaori keeps the plot line twisting and moving at a rapid pace. Friends and enemies are constantly changing, as many of the angels are wicked and many the demons are the real good guys. The plotline is therefore complex and not one that you can join halfway through.

Please buy this now and keep going! - you will truly be well rewarded.

I remember being completely awstruck and speechless after finishing the end of this series at volume 20. No detail is irrelevant to Kaori Yuki as she manages to draw on all the loose strings to tie together a well supported argument which isn't completely unveiled until volume 20. Following in her trend of using biblical references (her previous work Count Cain revolved around many interesting biblical images as well), Angel Sanctuary takes it another step to actually make a statement on not only our current society, but a contemporary take on morality as well. If you're in search for manga that's actually intellectually stimulating, I would definitely recommend Angel Sanctuary. It reads like a well-written novel with the additional plus of gorgeous artwork and character design. Although necessarily bloody at parts, I would even recommend it if you're simply looking for a interesting storyline. After volume 4 or so, I found myself completely addicted to the complexity of the storyline to the point of being completely stunned. Despite not feeling a particularly strong attachment to either main character, I did grow to care for a number of the side characters. There is no manga I would recomment more than Angel Sanctuary!

many reviews say angel sanctuary is not for beginers. to many plot lines, is the major complaint. however, if youve ever read series of novels such as 'a song of ice and fire' or 'wheel of time', then i think you could pick this up easy. as long as you start from the begining.
that said, on to the actuall review.

first of all, the artwork. in a word, brilliant. kaori yuki is one of my favorite manga artists for this work alone. stylish without being to over the top, angel sanctuary is beautiful. also, pick up the art book that goes with the series.

the story of angel sanctuary is one of the best ive ever read. the main charactar, setsuna, is a 15 year old kid who has a few problems. his parents are divorced, he gets beat up, and apparently he is the reincarnation of a (female) angel who, a long time ago, rebelled against god. as if that werent enough, he is in love with his sister sara. some might say, "oh, thats disgusting!", but really, thats one of the parts that makes this story so interesting. its a true love story.
later on in the series, it gets very violent, and the incest theme is intensified, so the strictly religios or weak of heart, stay far away. as for age limits, i read it last year when i was 14, and i was hooked. (it was also my first manga.) still, i dont know to many 14 year olds who read as much as i do.

for my closing, this (along with the demon ororon) is the best manga i have ever read. the artwork is bliss, the story is (at 20 volumes) extremly well done. with tons of violence, exteremly good charactars, and a love story at the core, you cant get much better then angel sanctuary.

Angel Sanctuary has got to be the most lush, gothic, complex - and confusing - manga I've ever read. The cover art for the American release is a garish travesty of what Kaori Yuki is truly capable of, especially in the later volumes when she gets to go all out on the gloriously hellish characters who reside in both hell and heaven.

But be warned: this series is not going to make you happy. It may start out with a light at the end of the tunnel, but the simplest aspect to Setsuna's quest - by far - is getting back the sister he's fallen in love with. It all just goes downwards from there. In fact, the art will probably be the driving force to keep you reading - it's too beautiful to toss away.

The complexities of "heaven" and "hell" truly play havoc on the reader's ability to stay on top of the story and have hope for the ending. There are numerous - numerous! - side characters central to the plot, who all have their own agendas and sidestories. Setsuna seems to be in the center of attention, yet almost none of his... admirers have pure intentions.

It's very likely that the characters who have become more important to you than Setsuna and company will come to an end. And coming to an end doesn't have to mean that they've died...

This series will hurt you. A lot.

Turn back unless you want your heart ripped out and trampled on, then when you think the worst is over, acid is poured over the remains with a few drops of sugar water added into the mix, an attempt to give you some sort of contentment at the end of the series.

And at the end of the ride, I'm not sure whether I *liked* Angel Sanctuary. But it sure made an impact.

This book is mainly focused around Setsuna Mudo and his forbidden love with his little sister Sara. Things get complicated almost immediatly (as it has a plot, a subplot and lots of extras), angels, evils, monsters, evil cd-roms that kill you and craziness insue.

Basically Setsuna is the reincarnation of the Organic Fallen angel Alexial, who has three wings, incredible power and a physchotic twin brother, Rosiel who she 'failed' to kill in the great battle. His best friend is Kira, who seems to be guiding Setsuna, and has been following Alexial through her multiple rebirths. Sara, Setsuna's sister and lover seems like just a normal girl, but is she? Many other seemingly 'background' characters come into role and the whole story starts rolling.

The drawing is so beautiful, I've been turned into a complete Kaori Yuki worshipper. I own her artbook and have read lots of her other works (I recommend Godchild). The characters are so gorgeous, you'll fall in love with them.

The plot is very very twisted and intricate. You have to read the volumes in order, otherwise it will make no sense. I have reread the first few volumes many times to understand (the first volume especially, as the first few pages don't focus on Setsuna) I first read this when I was about 12, so it was desperatly confusing, but it gets easier to read as thigns start falling into place. It's one of those things where all of a sudden a lightbulb lights up and you totally understand everything that happened.

It's such a great manga, it's so gorgeous and has a gorgeous story to go a long with it, what more could you want?

This is the most complex and intricate storyline I have ever read. That is saying a lot because I am quite the avid reader, but this story takes relationships and character histories to a new level. At first it may not seem so thick in this first volume, but trust me, in the 19 that come after it, this story blossoms, twists, and moves forward and backward in every imaginable way. It becomes so big and deep that explaining any one character or plot point to somebody else takes ten minutes of explaining five other important related plot points. It is simply amazing because this complex nature brings intricate twists to the story and characters that are exciting and endearing. I have been reading the series as a learning tool here in Heidelberg while studying abroad in Germany, but I have to admit, this series immediately became like a drug to me. I am so addicted to it! I look forward to finding out what will happen in the next one, but at the same time, I have read through each one I have several times to enjoy all of the plot again over and over. I can't say that I have ever felt this connected with a story and characters before!

This story is involved with angels, demons, the heirarchy of heaven and hell, the appocalypse, and other supernatural concepts. I personally think that is great, but I should say as a con for many people is that the story doesn't accurately go along with the bible. Others have taken this as anti-Christian, and I suppose that all depends on how sensitive one is about these things. As long as one has an open mind about things, one will not be offended about Yuki's interpretation of heaven and hell.

One point that might bother many readers is the forbidden love between the main character Setsuna and his sister Sara. However, even though it bothered me that they romantically have feelings for one another, the way that it is presented is so powerful that my feelings grew into sadness for the two characters because they CAN'T be together even though they know that they will never be as happy with anyone else. Even this taboo love is transformed into something that people can understand through the storytelling skills of Yuki.

Anyway, I highly recommend this gem of a story. I hope that many of you fall in love with it and read it several times as I have.

Yes, this book is for mature audiences (incest, sex, death) but it is without question one of the best manga that I have ever read. No joke. I read this one and was sucked in, and have since then collected the rest of the series. It's rather exciting and thought-provoking, with a creative plot and some rather startling ideas as well as exploration into religion, mythology, and morality. It's not for everyone, but it's still good.

Okay, I adore this series. I've watched all 3 eps of the OAV, have bought this series up to book 8 and am despertly awaiting the chance to get my hands on volume 9, and have read all 20 books.
I have to say, you can't possibly judge the whole series on the first volume [one of the earlier reviews i read stated that this series was confusing but if you leave your mind open to unthinkable possibilities, everything works itself out in the magnificent ending]. This series is a intricate weaving of astounding ideas drawn in Kaori Yuki-sensei's amazing art style.
She is by far one of my favorite manga-kas [up there with Sanami Matoh(FAKE,Tenryuu,Yo-u,Until the Full Moon), Rumiko Takahashi(InuYasha,Ranma1/2), & Kaori Ozaki(Immortal Rain)] and I have read many of her mangas thanks to scanlation sites.
Oh, and if you like/love her style in the first book, you'll be amazed a few books later since her style continues to grow into something even more beautiful [which usually happens to art styles for a series streched out over longer periods of time (FAKE,Gravitation,InuYasha,etc.)] than it starts out to be, as hard to believe as that is...
My only problem with th english release is how Viz handled the sound effects..(angry face).
[slight spoilers in THIS paragraph]And also, one reviewer mentioned there being sex in this series and definately being for adults but... no. That's why this series is rated, I think, 16+, not 18+. The only sexual things i can remember are, of course, the Set/Sara scene in book 3 [which is mostly heavily-implied stuff and non-detailed outlines of them embracing each other], the fact that Alexial's reincarnation prior to Setsuna was a prostitute, and that the Mad Hatter is kinda loose, to say the least. Well, those are the biggest things of that nature I can remember.
And does the cover of this book look a little different than when it first came out? Is this a second print? ..Yeah, IT IS! Damn, I wish I had this one, the fonts are kind of prettier...
OK, I think I'm through, but remember to keep in mind that this series pulls a lot of surprises and can go from heartbreaking, funny, romantic, dark, or controversial all within the span of a few chapters - but it is all remarkably well-placed. Kaori Yuki-sensei is a genius, what else can I say?

Oh, and, I need say to that I love the possibilities of the Set/Kira relationship and the relationship between Rociel and Katan, <3 even though its so sad for the two of them in the end T_T.

Signed,
A die-hard anime/manga fan