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Despite Setsuna's efforts to deny his love for his sister, he can't allow her to leave the country without letting her know how he feels, but how can she feel about love that borders on incest? She may never live to find out, because an angel has been sent down from heaven just for her—just to make sure that she dies! The two demons from hell, Kurai and Arachne, are still trying to bring out the avenging angel in Setsuna, but first they must deal with the mysterious, seemingly immortal Kira. Even if a way is found to bring the angel Alexiel out of Setsuna, can Tokyo survive the transformation?

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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330 people want to read

About the author

Kaori Yuki

201 books675 followers
Kaori Yuki (由貴香織里) is a Japanese manga artist.

She debuted in 1987 with Natsufuku no Erii (Jap: 夏服のエリー) on the manga anthology Bessatsu Hana to Yume published by Hakusensha.
She is best known for her gothic manga works, such as the Earl Cain series (Jap: 伯爵カイン, Hakushaku Cain) and Angel Sanctuary (Jap: 天使禁猟区, Tenshi Kinryōku)

Her work is typically serialized in one of Hakusensha's two shōjo manga anthologies, Bessatsu Hana to Yume and Hana to Yume. In 2010, Kaori Yuki was one of many manga artists whose work would appear in the new shōjo manga anthology Aria by the publisher Kodansha on July 28, 2010.
Her doujinshi-ka name is MoonClock.

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5 stars
693 (43%)
4 stars
482 (30%)
3 stars
314 (19%)
2 stars
76 (4%)
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21 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Lynn.
202 reviews29 followers
March 30, 2016
So many plot twists and character development in this one! LOVED IT!! (Sara is also even more annoying but anyways...)
Profile Image for EmpressKoh.
75 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2019
I have yet to find any redeeming qualities for Sara and this book just makes her all the more worse for it. I heard that this series gets good after the events in this novel so that’s what I’m hoping happens as I enjoy really dark novels and series and this author has the talent to portray them very well to the point of taboos such as incest looked upon as a tragedy and not as a disgusting abomination; however, I find that in this particular series thus far Yuki has yet to invoke that feeling such as she did in the Earl Cain Saga. I sincerely hope it becomes less confusing and more plot oriented now that Sara is gone.
Profile Image for Jenny Clark.
3,225 reviews123 followers
March 23, 2019
I just can't with the incest plot. I could handle it as long as they fought it, but yea... At least now that Sara is gone that should not be an issue, though I feel like Alexial and Roseil may be the same... The art is pretty good, and the angel plot is pretty interesting as well, so I'll continue.
Profile Image for Chris.
1,987 reviews29 followers
March 6, 2020
Violent; a little sloppy; sometimes the settings get lost.
Profile Image for Bibliothecat.
1,748 reviews77 followers
October 13, 2025


Review for complete series



No matter how hard he tries, Setsuna always manages to run into trouble, and his love for his sister is just one of many things that seem to be going wrong. It is only when two demons appear and make his life an even bigger mess that Setsuna comes to realise all his misfortunes might be linked to the fallen angel Alexiel.

I would definitely consider Angel Sanctuary a great and classic manga. But for all that, I am sure it does not appeal to everyone. In addition to the incestuous relationship between Setsuna and his sister Sara, there are drugs and alcohol, gruesome murders and mutilations, rape, child murder, a twisted view on religion and god, suicide, characters whose minds turn grotesque and obsessive - the list goes on. These are subjects that might be very appealing to some, but also very problematic for others.

I belong to the latter - usually, these subjects would automatically cause me to stay clear from such a book. It is truly a macabre tale, and that's just the way Kaori Yuki's works go. Yet despite my reluctance to give such subjects a try, I can say that whether one likes it or not, there's no denying that this is a brilliantly crafted story with an impressive amount of meaningful characters.

Kaori Yuki's art and stories all suffer and gain from the same thing: the sheer mass of detail. Her art is absolutely gorgeous with all the fine hair and cloth and just all the immense details. But at times, it can make the pages overcrowded and confusing - it certainly takes a longer time to read than your average manga. The story is at times likewise confusing as anything - it can be hard to keep track of which panels come first. But it's the wonderfully interwoven plot that remains a solid point throughout. The smallest details from the first volume can become relevant in the later ones and there is one plot twist after the another. There's never a boring moment as we follow Setsuna unravelling all the intrigues that surround the large cast.

Although I would consider the plot a strong point of this work, it is yet the characters who seem to turn it into something special. I have rarely come across a manga with so many characters who all have diverse and deep personalities. You get to love and hate all of them as even the most villainous ones prove to have something very humane and rather pitiful about them. In the end, one wonders - who was the true villain, if there was one at all? But with all the variety, there's no denying that the majority of them are broken characters. Every one of them seems to be involved in one twisted mess or another.

Luckily, there are great bonds of love, friendship and family that stand strong throughout the story and every now and then offer a well deserved comic relief. Angel Sanctuary is most certainly worth a try for any who enjoy strong character-driven stories that'll leave you with a hard time picking out a favourite character.
Profile Image for Elyse.
1,358 reviews25 followers
April 16, 2018
I remember back when I first read Angel Sanctuary, Sakuya Kira was my favorite character. Well this is still the case now! We get more back story about him and find out he is not quite human.

Sarah is supposed to leave for London with her mother but escape with Setsuna. Seriously how can this be a good idea? Of course, things turn out badly. I thought that Sarah was quite naïve, even after what happen in the previous volume.

Rochel is still up to no good but is not really present in this one. Not sure what is the deal with Metatron & Sevy either. I also hat Kirieh, she is so annoying!

The story is all over the place (kinda like my review) and there is so many characters involve it a little bit confusing. I am pretty sure everything will connect somehow along the way.
Profile Image for Bryn.
2,185 reviews36 followers
August 22, 2017
These are not exactly very good, but the mangaka is just so GLEEFUL in her incredibly over-the-top stories that I end up really enjoying them while I read them, even if afterwards I'm a little bit like 'Wait, what was that?' It might pall at some point, but for the moment I have a few more queued up.
Profile Image for TheBookishHobbit.
674 reviews12 followers
August 9, 2023
I finished what I have of this series a few days ago. Anways, this volume really gets into the tick of the plot with Setsuna finally awakening his Alexiel soul. I'm really digging this series, part of it might be because VC Andrews has desensitized me from incest plots lol. I am really loving the mythology aspect of this manga. Can't wait to read more!
Profile Image for Julia.
387 reviews8 followers
March 2, 2022
Dog-dang-gone-it, this art is so beautiful, and, man, when talking about such taboo topics as the ones we see here, boy, do I feel my heart just breaking for these poor characters and I WANT them to be happy in their super-taboo-crazy lives. That's some effective storytelling!!!
Profile Image for Lesedelfin.
650 reviews4 followers
March 14, 2023
Die Mangareihe "Angel Sanctuary" von Kaori Yuki startete 1999, was man schon ein wenig an den Zeichnungen merkt. Trotzdem fand ich die ersten beiden Bände ziemlich spannend und nach ein paar Startschwierigkeiten, wo ich mich erstmal orintieren musste, wer wer ist (manche Charaktere sind sich schon recht ähnlich) kam ich ganz gut in die Geschichte rein. Jetzt geht es mit Band drei von zwanzig weiter und irgendwie wurde es noch verwirrender. Ich musste diesen Manga zweimal lesen um die Charaktere zuordnen zu können, da die Handlungssprünge manchmal recht schnell kamen und die Autorin erst am Ende des Flashbacks deutlich macht zu welchem Charakter diese Erinnerung gehört.
Bewaffnet mit Zettel und Stift konnte ich die Charaktere dann endlich einschätzen und die Geschichte komplett verstehen.

Im Mittelpunkt von Angel Sanctuary steht Setsuna Mudo, ein ganz normaler Junge, der die Reinkarnation eines gefallenen Engels namens Alexiel ist. Sobald Blut fließt, erwacht etwas unkontrollierbares in ihm, was wohl der Engel sein muss und auch wenn Setsuna mittlerweile weiß, wer in ihm schlummert, wird nicht so ganz klar, wieso Setsuna solche Wutausbrüche passieren. Alexiel ist ein weiblicher Engel und wurde im ersten Band als sehr hohes Wesen geschildert, die sich dem Himmel widersetzt hat und dafür auf die Erde verbannt wurde. Ein Oger namens Kurai ist sehr eng mit Alexiel verbunden und versucht Setsuna zu helfen, was er in Band drei auch weiterhin macht.
Auch Sakuya Kira ist ein Helfer Setsuna's, über den man in diesem Band mehr erfährt, z.B. wie er den Körper eines toten Jungen mit dessen Einverständnis annahm. Kira soll nur seinen Vater dazu bringen, dass er ihn hasst, damit er - wenn Kira irgendwann wirklich nicht mehr ist - nicht noch einmal trauern muss.
Das war eine sehr interessante und emotionale Geschichte, denn der Geist in Kira ist ziemlich cool und versucht Kiras Vater mit allen Mitteln endlich von sich zu stoßen. Man merkt aber auch, dass der echte Kira Schuldgefühle gegenüber seinem Vater hegt - was die Autorin wohl nur erzählt um deutlich zu machen, wieso Kira alle Zelte abbrechen muss.
Es sind also nicht alle Engel skrupellose Schweine.

Aber nicht nur die Geschehen auf der Erde - vorallem die verbotene Beziehung der Geschwister Setsuna und Sara - werden erzählt. Der Leser bekommt auch großartige Einblicke in den Himmel und lernt neue Charaktere kennen. Das kleine quengelige Kind Metatron mit seinen Todesvisionen, der in Gottes Abwesenheit den höchsten Rang bei den Seraphim innehat, kam mir schon ein wenig lustig rüber. Er hängt sich an Sevothtarte, der als Metatrons Minister und Mitglied der Großen Sieben laut Angaben eines anderen Charakters die wahre Macht besitzt. Unter seiner Führung hätten die Aufstände der Engel rapide nachgelassen.

Zitat:
"Metatron ist keinen Deut anders als Rosiel oder Alexiel... Ihre liebenswürdige Fassade ist nichts als Blendwerk. Sie sind eine widerwärtige Spezies! Bestien! Produkte ketzerischer Genexperimente! Von Gott erschaffen aus teuflischer Medizin."
Sevothtarte

Daraus kann man wohl schließen, dass der stahlharten Sevothtarte unter seiner Maske ein sehr denkwürdiger Charakter ist. Mir ist noch nicht so ganz schlüssig, was die einzelnden Engel wollen und ich denke das wird mit den nächsten Bänden noch genauer erklärt werden.
Rosiel's Charakter wird ein klein wenig mehr offenbart. Er plant und plant und kennt keine Skrupel. Für ihn zieht Kirie mit Freude in die Schlacht. Kirie ist eine sehr auskunftsfreudige Charakterin, deren handeln man sehr gut verstehen kann. Sie ist im Vergleich zu manch anderem Charakter eine wandelnde Leuchtreklame, die ihre Absichten nach außen präsentiert.

Die Story nimmt gegen Ende eine sehr dramatische Richtung und es öffnet sich ein Strudel, den man hoffentlich im nächsten Band besser verstehen kann.

Fazit:
Allgemein ist Angel Sanctuary eine nur mühselig nachvollziehbare Geschichte. Es empfiehlt sich auf jeden Fall noch mal von vorne zu beginnen um die Charaktere einordnen zu können. Ein Notizzettel ist vielleicht auch keine schlechte Idee ;)
Es lohnt sich wirklich, denn als ich einmal verstanden habe, was Kaori Yuki erzählt, war ich richtig geflashed und begeistert. Die Story ist fesselnd, elektrizierend, magisch, romantisch, tragisch, dramatisch und das ist erst der Anfang!
Der Cliffhanger zum Schluss ist richtig ergreifend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ray M..
342 reviews34 followers
October 29, 2024
Overall rating: 3.5

I won't comment on the strange romance, but I really enjoy what the author is trying to do with the fantasy. The angel and demon world is pretty cool, and I like the intro of new characters... I'm still not 100% sure if the author is trying to connect this story to Christianity as the MMC is an angel who rebelled from both other angels and demons but uhhhh ill stick with this series for now... especially since it seems I've made it to the climax of the story.
Profile Image for Carina.
1,898 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2015
So... finally we get some awesome plot along with some... ewwwwwww.

As a fan of anime and manga I know that they often go down what a lot of others would consider 'weird' routes - I think I touched upon this in my reviews of the Cardcaptor Sakura books but the inappropriateness there is very much a sub-plot that I can ignore, the eww in this book (aka the incest) is a major part of the plot and therefore not at all ignorable. If you ignore the fact the two leads are related (hard to do considering how often it is mentioned but go with me here) the actual 'scene' of their first time together is done well, the drawings are beautifully done (as if anything drawn in this book could be anything but!) and I like the scenes with the 'sister' of Alexiel that happen at the same time. As I said though - very hard to ignore what is actually happening here so... ewww!!!

Getting some backstory on Katan is nice, and seeing Kirie's motivation is also interesting but I think the best part of this is the ending - we understand some more about Setsuna's sempai (though this is an often done trope I guess) but the best bit is when . Putting this book down after that made me want to grab the next volume straight away - something neither volume 1 or 2 made me want to do.
Profile Image for A.R. McKenna.
Author 4 books24 followers
February 29, 2012
Even though the ending was super tragic (and sad), I really loved the third installment of Angel Sanctuary! It's one of my favorite mangas and I love it for being original and thought provoking. Kaori Yuki is so talented! I was amazed yet again by her beautiful and detailed illustrations and creative plot.

I like how she confronts the theme of morality and why we say certain things are right and wrong. There is also the issue of trust and how we put our trust into certain people only to be betrayed in the end. It's life, it's inevitable. It's happened to everyone. So is it worth it to trust in the first place? I thought of this during the last moments of the manga.

I can't wait for the next installment!
1,026 reviews10 followers
February 22, 2015
We learned a decent amount about Setsuna's sempai Kira in the last volume, but here we get to see a lot more about his complicated relationship with his father and understand better the endless, horrible cycle that he and Setsuna are a part of. But something's changed this time around, and it's hard to tell if it's for better or worse.

Also, Setsuna's new resolve means a big change for his life - but will fate allow Alexiel, in any form, happiness? This is only the third book out of 20 so I think it's fair to guess "no."

Also, we get to catch a peek into the workings of the angels' hierarchy, and what we see is weird and unsettling. The leadership are a powerful child and a man who will not bare his face. It doesn't take long to realize something is deeply rotten in their world.
Profile Image for kuristina- tabreez.
1,013 reviews
July 18, 2014
Sara's mother attempts to take her away to England to marry her off to a young, wealthy businessman. Kurai runs to tell Setsuna of this news while he is being interrogated by police officers for Kato's murder, and immediately Setsuna shakes them off and runs straight to the airport to declare his incestuous love for her.
Unable to leave the one she loves most, Sara abandons her mother and runs away with Setsuna to another country.
With Kira's help and blessing, they are now the happiest they could ever be. But with an angel sent from Heaven to exterminate Sara Mudo, how long will this happiness last?
Profile Image for Maria Belen.
35 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2015
Un tomo, en lo personal, difícil de leer ya que el incesto me incomoda un poco, lo siento Setsuna y Sara pero no logro conectar con ustedes. Menos mal que hay mas tramas y personajes (cof, cof, Kira, cof) que llaman mi atención, eso si, el final de este tomo no te deja indiferente.

Rating 3.9
Profile Image for Nikki Kelly.
251 reviews2 followers
August 30, 2007
Absolutely stellar. The art is amazing and so is the storyline. It's totally original. The manga is MUCH better than the time-crammed anime version.

WARNING: it's not for the faint of heart. It features lots of blood and a twinge of incest.
Profile Image for Nameh dah.
385 reviews8 followers
May 27, 2015
Este tomo es especialmente hermoso, sobretodo porque se aleja un poco del par protagonista. El enfoque está puesto sobre la espada, y la espada es muy grande... Su historia demasiado encantadora.
Se disfruta cada línea de las reflexiones. Y ese encuentro en sueños... uff, mucha emoción.
Profile Image for Aleina.
453 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2016
I just feel like the whole incest thing really holds me back from liking the book to its full extent. :( It's a great story though and even when it can be hard to follow it won't take long before you're saying, "Ohhhhh!! Now I get it!"
Profile Image for Michelle.
530 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2009
(haha, the cover picture of this book is a bit awkward). I love mostly everything Kaori Yuki writes, so I loved this manga!
Profile Image for Charity.
253 reviews16 followers
February 4, 2024
Omg, The sweetest character dies! It feels like the world should stand still when we lose someone close. Here the world is destroyed instead? Guess I'll see in the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cerys.
365 reviews
April 17, 2014
A really addicting fun, slightly disturbing but still highly enjoyable novel. I really want to read volume 4 but I'm not sure when I'm able to get my hands on it so it may be a while yet :(
Profile Image for Anja.
86 reviews
December 26, 2020
Puh, ich hab echt Schwierigkeiten die vielen Charaktere und Erzählstränge zu verfolgen.
Profile Image for Jody Mena.
449 reviews8 followers
June 1, 2015
I adore this entire series. Kaori Yuki is a masterful storyteller and a talented artist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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