What do you think?
Rate this book
イノサン [Innocent] #4-6
Innocent Omnibus Volume 2
Unflinching poise in the face of mortal justice—a world free of execution will be sought at the cost of further death.
In this omnibus edition collecting volumes 4-6 of the original manga series, Shin’ichi Sakamoto masterfully fictionalizes the true life of Charles-Henri Sanson, the "Gentleman of Paris," who performed nearly three thousand executions in 18th century France.
What has begun, must be seen to an end. Despite the sorrows of a broken heart, Charles must carry out the execution of the condemned Damiens. Swearing to fulfill his duty mercifully, fate plays a cruel hand, and within the ranks of the Sanson family, one intervenes in a shocking display. With dreams of a future of mercy and flourishing equality, Charles faces the execution of the century.
Available in English for the first time and presented in a special omnibus edition collecting volumes 4-6 of the original Japanese manga series!
In this omnibus edition collecting volumes 4-6 of the original manga series, Shin’ichi Sakamoto masterfully fictionalizes the true life of Charles-Henri Sanson, the "Gentleman of Paris," who performed nearly three thousand executions in 18th century France.
What has begun, must be seen to an end. Despite the sorrows of a broken heart, Charles must carry out the execution of the condemned Damiens. Swearing to fulfill his duty mercifully, fate plays a cruel hand, and within the ranks of the Sanson family, one intervenes in a shocking display. With dreams of a future of mercy and flourishing equality, Charles faces the execution of the century.
Available in English for the first time and presented in a special omnibus edition collecting volumes 4-6 of the original Japanese manga series!
632 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2024
14 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Shin'ichi Sakamoto
77 books264 followersSakamoto Shin'ichi (坂本眞一) is a Japanese mangaka.
He is mostly famous for his series Innocent and Innocent Rouge.
He is currently working on #DRCL midnight children based on the classic by Bram Stoker.
He is mostly famous for his series Innocent and Innocent Rouge.
He is currently working on #DRCL midnight children based on the classic by Bram Stoker.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 2, 2024
Stunning. So beautiful. Even with the incredibly long and drawn out (heh) quartering. How does he make it so.... stunning?! And this volume has lots of extra histories and detail about the Sangson family at the end.
Marie is a fascinating character.
Marie is a fascinating character.
Read
February 17, 2025Things just get gorier, and excitingly, worse for the sibling relationship. There is something so literally disgusting about the way Charles-Henri utilizes his sexual power over his sister... awful! Not for the faint of heart. I love it.
July 14, 2024
The second omnibus edition of Innocent collects volumes 4-6 of Shin'ichi Sakamoto's sadomasochistic manga series which lays out a hyper-fictionalized account of the life of Charles-Henri Sanson, the royal executioner under Louis XVI and later the high executioner of the first French Republic. The first omnibus lays out the cast of characters which prominently features the entirety of the Sanson clan, a family that has served as royal executioners for multiple generations. Whether Charles-Henri wanted to be an executioner is irrelevant since that is the family trade, and by abuse and coercion, we see him rise up to the task of executing people who have been sentenced by the monarchy. To the Sansons, execution is an art form and which Sakamoto bases a lot of his effort towards rendering. In the opening 100 or so pages of this volume we get a graphic depiction on the execution of Robert-François Damiens, who was suffered the horrid fate of quartering. Charles-Henri trying to get the dismemberment done just right, which Sakamoto gleefully illustrates to the minute details of bones and cartilage. It's very graphic and disturbing stuff, but Sakamoto's illustrative style manages to retain a high degree of elegance.
Much of this volume continues the threads of Charles-Henri's reluctance to accept executioner as a trade, but the social clout the family has gained from their role is too much to set aside. Marie-Josèphe Sanson, the younger sister to Charles-Henri, serves as an up-and-comer with her taking leaps forward as an executioner. The transformation is rapid since we see her undergo great abuse at the hands of Sanson's grandmother before taking an even more sadistic jump forward in her career.
The drawback here continues to be that the story overindulges on the more lurid stuff. It's entertaining undoubtedly, but the narrative drags under the weight of prolonged depictions of all manner of horrifying stuff. Sakamoto's artwork is appealing in the same way Kentaro Miura's is for Berserk, but little else is offered as each arc takes too long to reach resolution in favor of graphic depictions of abuse, assault and death. Some restraint would help the story out a fair bit more, because otherwise Innocent will only appeal to those really into this kind of stuff. I do like that Sakamoto puts in some effort on the historical aspect of the story though, with a lot of the backup material in this omnibus highlighting the research that went into the setting, designs and characterization. The plot itself may carry a lot of historical liberties, but the set dressing is done really well.
Much of this volume continues the threads of Charles-Henri's reluctance to accept executioner as a trade, but the social clout the family has gained from their role is too much to set aside. Marie-Josèphe Sanson, the younger sister to Charles-Henri, serves as an up-and-comer with her taking leaps forward as an executioner. The transformation is rapid since we see her undergo great abuse at the hands of Sanson's grandmother before taking an even more sadistic jump forward in her career.
The drawback here continues to be that the story overindulges on the more lurid stuff. It's entertaining undoubtedly, but the narrative drags under the weight of prolonged depictions of all manner of horrifying stuff. Sakamoto's artwork is appealing in the same way Kentaro Miura's is for Berserk, but little else is offered as each arc takes too long to reach resolution in favor of graphic depictions of abuse, assault and death. Some restraint would help the story out a fair bit more, because otherwise Innocent will only appeal to those really into this kind of stuff. I do like that Sakamoto puts in some effort on the historical aspect of the story though, with a lot of the backup material in this omnibus highlighting the research that went into the setting, designs and characterization. The plot itself may carry a lot of historical liberties, but the set dressing is done really well.
Read
November 15, 2024Again, very hard to rate. The art is lovely and detailed, the set dressings and costumes are absolutely gorgeous.
The executions are very drawn out, as are the abuse scenes.
I don't think I'll be continuing, but the amount of research done is obvious in the afterward and I appreciate the way Charles is portrayed to want to end the death penalty and to balance that with his job as executioner.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
The executions are very drawn out, as are the abuse scenes.
I don't think I'll be continuing, but the amount of research done is obvious in the afterward and I appreciate the way Charles is portrayed to want to end the death penalty and to balance that with his job as executioner.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
August 18, 2024
Still don't quite know what to make of this manga. I will read the 3rd volume.
May 5, 2024
This novel was wonderful, I found myself pausing often to stare at the artwork, Marie Sanson’s character design is breathtaking. There was such majesty in the pages that it makes the gore palpably purposeful. I appreciate that the author made this shocking because that was how society was in pre-revolutionary France. If you are someone who enjoys historical drama mixed with gore, you will enjoy this.
January 3, 2025
I love the art,the characters and the bits of history at the end as well as the dramatization of historical events from 18th century France.Depictions like this of the French revolution and the events that lead to it got me in a chokehold
July 24, 2024
another volume of 5-star artwork telling a very muddled 3-star story. you might call it a tad... botched... in execution...?
November 27, 2024
Utterly beautiful but also kind of mess story-wise. It was difficult to tell what was going on sometimes.
Unlike the first omnibus, which felt more cohesive and had an easy to follow story, omnibus 2 is more like a series of vignettes that cover a few years of Charles' life. His younger sister (on the cover) is also introduced as a force to be reckoned with. I don't think her story in Innocent is any way faithful to reality.
Major TWs: implied CSA, major gore, explicit scenes of torture, multiple and graphic sexual encounters
I was squicked out by multiple male characters sexualizing and abusing a girl who is supposed to be 9-11 years old. Even the way she's drawn, she looks more like a saucy 19 yo than an adolescent. Also, somehow as a girl pampered to the sweet life in House Sanson, she has the upper body strength to decapitate a man and also fight some guys who are easily 5x as big as her. She also talks and acts like a modern teenager, and just gets away with it in 18th century France??
Sakamoto isn't much for realism, but it feels like he wanted Marie to be a different character and just kind of shoved her in there. Charles' moral struggles are pushed to the background for some action/rape scenes with Marie.
I'd just stick with the original volume if that was enough torture and misery for you. One bright point that saves this ominbus from 2 stars: There is a lengthy non fiction mini book at the end that talks about the Sanson family. I feel that Sakamoto could've taken less liberties with the story then he did and it still would've been compelling.
Unlike the first omnibus, which felt more cohesive and had an easy to follow story, omnibus 2 is more like a series of vignettes that cover a few years of Charles' life. His younger sister (on the cover) is also introduced as a force to be reckoned with. I don't think her story in Innocent is any way faithful to reality.
Major TWs: implied CSA, major gore, explicit scenes of torture, multiple and graphic sexual encounters
I was squicked out by multiple male characters sexualizing and abusing a girl who is supposed to be 9-11 years old. Even the way she's drawn, she looks more like a saucy 19 yo than an adolescent. Also, somehow as a girl pampered to the sweet life in House Sanson, she has the upper body strength to decapitate a man and also fight some guys who are easily 5x as big as her. She also talks and acts like a modern teenager, and just gets away with it in 18th century France??
Sakamoto isn't much for realism, but it feels like he wanted Marie to be a different character and just kind of shoved her in there. Charles' moral struggles are pushed to the background for some action/rape scenes with Marie.
I'd just stick with the original volume if that was enough torture and misery for you. One bright point that saves this ominbus from 2 stars: There is a lengthy non fiction mini book at the end that talks about the Sanson family. I feel that Sakamoto could've taken less liberties with the story then he did and it still would've been compelling.
January 12, 2024
i must be a masochist for dragging myself through a second volume of this torture porn ~ this one perhaps even more deranged and depraved than the last. but also wonderfully imaginative and, again, brilliantly drawn. ultimately i do think the journey was worth it even if i still strongly disliked Marie Joseph throughout the entire series (and maybe Zero even more!). the book genuinely has some emotionally affecting moments, you just have to wade through so much gore and horror to get to them (this volume goes into great detail about the Terror, and in addition to the expected torture and violence against men, women, and children, it goes full rapey/borderline incest/nasty ~ time and again).
part of me longs to own such beautiful art and then i remind myself that more than the balance of that beauty is a series of really twisted and uncomfortable explorations of the depravity of human beings.
so no thank you.
part of me longs to own such beautiful art and then i remind myself that more than the balance of that beauty is a series of really twisted and uncomfortable explorations of the depravity of human beings.
so no thank you.
October 31, 2024
The tale of the executioners of the French state, before the French Revolution.
I was reading along in this volume and the first, going, "This is INSANE, I can't believe this." Took me until the second volume to realize that yes, it was very strongly based on a real story, with lots of the more over the top details being...completely true? Mostly true? Documented elsewhere in historical sources, anyhow.
Recommended if you're a fan of the French revolution and manga.
I was reading along in this volume and the first, going, "This is INSANE, I can't believe this." Took me until the second volume to realize that yes, it was very strongly based on a real story, with lots of the more over the top details being...completely true? Mostly true? Documented elsewhere in historical sources, anyhow.
Recommended if you're a fan of the French revolution and manga.
May 21, 2025
rated slightly lower for the reason that the continuity of this story wasn’t great, i felt as if it flopped between different points and characters too quickly. however, it’s wonderful to witness further character development, and the art and symbolism never fails to astound me.
May 18, 2024
Marie Joseph’s character takes this story to another level, she’s amazing.
July 30, 2024
Really enjoying this series. Can’t wait to see where it goes next. I loved the development of Charles and the introduction of Marie.
April 12, 2025
it just gets better really
January 18, 2026
4.5 stars
March 10, 2025
Shin’ichi Sakamoto’s Innocent Omnibus 2 heightens the blood, mysticism, history, science, terror, and sensuality of the first volume.
The manga opens with the stomach-churning execution of Robert-François Damiens, condemned to die by dismemberment—a punishment believed to be the last of its kind in French history. This brutal scene sets the tone for the chapters that follow, immersing the reader in a pre-revolutionary France steeped in violence and the Third Estate’s growing thirst for upheaval.
Sakamoto continues to explore Charles-Henri Sanson’s dream of a France free from the death penalty. However, this volume introduces his younger sister, Marie-Josèphe Sanson. Marie-Josèphe contrasts sharply with her brother: where Charles despises his violent profession but endures it out of duty and honor, Marie-Josèphe revels in her power as Versailles’s “Angel of Death.” Her unflinching approach to violence and her confidence create a fascinating, dangerous counterpoint to her brother’s more restrained idealism.
As with the first omnibus, Innocent is not for the faint of heart. The violence remains central to the story’s exploration of morality and justice, but this volume also increases its focus on sexual themes. Unfortunately, much of the added sexual content feels unnecessary and contributes little to the plot beyond pushing the boundaries of its already mature tone.
Yet, Sakamoto once again grounds his heavily dramatized characters in a vividly rendered historical backdrop, featuring real figures like Mozart and Marie Antoinette. While the characters’ arcs take creative liberties, the attention to historical details strengthens the story’s connection to its time and place, making Innocent stand out as a unique retelling of pre-revolutionary France.
Despite its indulgences, Innocent Omnibus 2 continues to tell the emotional and haunting tale of the Sanson family and their bloody lives as a key part of French history.
The manga opens with the stomach-churning execution of Robert-François Damiens, condemned to die by dismemberment—a punishment believed to be the last of its kind in French history. This brutal scene sets the tone for the chapters that follow, immersing the reader in a pre-revolutionary France steeped in violence and the Third Estate’s growing thirst for upheaval.
Sakamoto continues to explore Charles-Henri Sanson’s dream of a France free from the death penalty. However, this volume introduces his younger sister, Marie-Josèphe Sanson. Marie-Josèphe contrasts sharply with her brother: where Charles despises his violent profession but endures it out of duty and honor, Marie-Josèphe revels in her power as Versailles’s “Angel of Death.” Her unflinching approach to violence and her confidence create a fascinating, dangerous counterpoint to her brother’s more restrained idealism.
As with the first omnibus, Innocent is not for the faint of heart. The violence remains central to the story’s exploration of morality and justice, but this volume also increases its focus on sexual themes. Unfortunately, much of the added sexual content feels unnecessary and contributes little to the plot beyond pushing the boundaries of its already mature tone.
Yet, Sakamoto once again grounds his heavily dramatized characters in a vividly rendered historical backdrop, featuring real figures like Mozart and Marie Antoinette. While the characters’ arcs take creative liberties, the attention to historical details strengthens the story’s connection to its time and place, making Innocent stand out as a unique retelling of pre-revolutionary France.
Despite its indulgences, Innocent Omnibus 2 continues to tell the emotional and haunting tale of the Sanson family and their bloody lives as a key part of French history.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews