Sanctuary, Vol. 3

サンクチュアリ [Sanctuary] #3

by Ryōichi Ikegami, Shō Fumimura

As children, Akira Hojo and Chiaki Asami survived the horrors of the killing fields of Cambodia. Now young men, they vow to transform the destiny of Japan, by any means necessary. In this, the sixth volume of the erotically charged saga of political corruption, Asami and Hojo face life-threatening challenges in their respective rises to the top of the Japanese parliament and the yakuza crime syndicate. Meanwhile, a yakuza crime war is brewing and the police are hot on Hojo's trail.

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Comics, Crime, Fiction, Comics Manga, Japan

324 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 1991

About the author

Ryōichi Ikegami (池上遼一) is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005.

Ikegami has worked on several popular series, such as Mai, the Psychic Girl with writer Kazuya Kudo, Crying Freeman, with writer Kazuo Koike, as well as Sanctuary and Heat with writer Sho Fumimura. He also wrote and drew Spider-Man: The Manga, a manga version of Spider-Man and collaborated with Garon Tsuchiya for the manga BOX (BOX 暗い箱). His most recent work is Lord currently serialized in Big Comic Superior.

Reviews

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

We learn a bit more about Hojo and Asami’s terrible sufferings 15 years earlier, explaining the unbreakable bond that tie them together as well as their ultimate goal.

Creepy Isaoka reveals himself to be a master of political intrigue while Tokai goes to Hong Kong (not on vacations).

Ishihara has finally decided to use her brains but her infatuation with Hojo clearly deserves her. Her storyline, though better than previously, is the weakest point of the plot again.

So far still good though.

[Leonardo Etcheto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich nation and a strong people. That is the goal for the impatient politicians as well as Hojo. The problem is they are falli g into the ckassic the ends justify the means process and so lie, cheat, and kill. Not usually the most enduring solution.
Aoki as the dodgy wunderkind financier is a nice touch. Money is the means but not the end.
The war has started as Hojo tries to consolidate power but is being smart about it. Divide and conquer works. Oh and if he stops the violence and gains power he also gets the girl.
On to v4 to see how this tempest in Japan is resolved.

[Alexander Engel-Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5

Things are beginning to ramp up now. Jobs are on the line. Challenges are being issued. More hurdles are presented to be overcome in future chapters. While Hojo expands, Asami is backed into a tight corner. Very interesting to see how these two get themselves out of trouble. I also liked that we finally get some backstory on Hojo and Asami, depicted with the stark, almost grungy realism of Ikegami's consistently stellar artwork.

[Dan P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga is a real hidden gem of the 90's. It's a nasty, brutal crime thriller with the dramatic flair of a modern prestige tv show, all set against the bitter generational politics of the Japanese recession 🤌