I don’t quite recall properly how and when I stumbled upon Angel Sanctuary but what I do recall quite clearly is that this three part OVA got me hooked to anime and manga. The anime is based on a 6 arcs, 200 chapters manga by the fabulous Kaori Yuki. The anime was meant to serve as an introduction to the manga rather as a stand-alone series and thus covers the first arc.

The story begins with a high school delinquent by the name of Setsuna Mudo who has a very serious problem – he is in love with his sister, Sara Mudo. Not to mention the little fact that he is in fact a reincarnation of the fallen angel Alexiel who rebelled against God a millennia ago. The end result of the latter being that he gets pulled unwillingly into a battle between Hell and Heaven. The background story is that way before the beginning of the series, God goes to sleep to ‘gather his power’ and in his absence, Heaven begins to weaken as politics take over. During this time, Heaven’s angels decide to finish off the demons living in Gehenna (Hell) and during the fight, many of the angels are corrupted. Disgusted at the level to which the angels have fallen, Alexiel declares a rebellion against God and sides with the demons. The war comes to a end after a battle between Alexiel and her twin brother Rosiel, who she ends up sealing in Earth rather than killing him off (As he earlier requested). The end result is that Alexiel gets captured, her body and soul separated – her body kept frozen in angel crystal and her soul is sentenced to be reincarnated as a human, doomed to die a brutal death in every cycle.

As can be expected from a Kaori Yuki work, we’ve got a taboo topic being dealt with and the moral overtones at some times are just overwhelming. At first glance, you would say that this is the story of Setsuna and Sara’s relationship but to me, its not just their story. Angel Sanctuary is the telling of many stories which make up the big picture. Regardless of the fact that the three part OVA only covers the first arc, it does a fair job of introducing the viewer into the world of Angel Sanctuary. One can argue that not enough about the characters is told but given that the series serves as an introduction, this little point can be ignored. The story is gripping and very well told – it wont exactly keep you on the edge of your seat but it does leave you scrambling for more. Especially the ending which is especially abrupt and leaves you wailing at your screen, “What happens next?!” (Not that I yelled that….*coughs*) And the start is especially….i would like to say gripping but its not quite the word. It does capture your attention in any case.

Coming over to the characters, the character designs are quite nicely done staying true to the manga designs (Alexiel in particularly looks totally bombastic, if this reviewer may be allowed to say). Though both Rosiel and Kira have broader shoulders than I imagined, which makes them look slightly odd in some scenes. Other than that, the best part is the characters are nice and detailed as well – especially their hair. The animation is very nice in some places and then in others it warrants a raised eyebrow. Yet again I will point out that the hair is animated very nicely in every shot. I have a slight hair fetish when it comes to this series so please forgive me for that. You can’t help but like some of the characters immediately such as Kurai, Sara or Kira. What is truly interesting about the characters is that they all are struggling in their own ways with their different problems, both emotional and mental. And the interaction between the characters is just superb, there is no other word for it.

It is very sad that some of the manga characters didn’t make it into the anime and that a lot of the character histories have not been delved into. The exact relationship between Katan and Rosiel, Kira and Alexiel, to find out more about them you’ll have to go and read the manga. Though do put some cushion around your chair and a box of tissues next to you, because you’ll need both.

As previously mentioned, the art is quite nicely done – If I were Kaori Yuki, I’d be more than satisfied that justice has been done to my work. An interesting thing to be noted about the shading is that very dark tones are used to shade clothes, skin etc which adds a more darker mood to the scenes – nice touch by the animators! As this anime is definitely not for the younger audience – not only according to the story but also due to some violence (read: blood) and reference to sex. The backgrounds are fairly decent, one cant really say they’re bad however they don’t exactly deserve an award either. An animation that simply must be pointed by this reviewer is in the second OVA in which Kira’s katana materializes from his blood. One thing to be noted, do not miss out a few extra minutes at the very end of every OVA. After the credits roll, there is about a minute’s worth of extra scenes which tell a little bit more about the story. Don’t miss out on it!

The music of Angel Sanctuary is simply put, beautiful. Some of the tracks are so peaceful and soft that they can become a lullaby and some leave you holding your breath as they are playing. Though if you are tempted to download the OST, be sure that you download the OVA OST and not the plain OST. The latter is the soundtrack for the drama cd’s. Honorable mentions from this soundtrack include the tracks “Your name is Messiah”, infinitely soft, contemplative and haunting, “Setsuna’s Theme”, I cannot properly explain it but the music simply reflects Setsuna and his ordeals, “Setsuna’s Determination”, while it is soft, it has an undercurrent strength in it and its end has one feeling a sense of hope and that a happy ending is not far. The ending song “Knife of Romance” is not exactly one of the best songs that I’ve listened to but it definitely has some good lyrics and its start is especially captivating – though I wish someone else would have sung it.

This might be just me but the characters, music and the story, they suck you in. When I had first read the summary of this show, I had been slightly interested as the whole Heaven Vs. Hell thing interested me. The first few minutes into the show, I was sitting there leaning into the computer screen, taking in every thing and not wanting to miss a single thing. The revelations leave you gasping and flailing your arms in bewilderment (again, not that I did that *clears throat*). One death sequence left me in a right mess of tears and I wont say more on the matter for the fear of spoiling you any more. Its definitely a keeper this anime and if you’re interest is perked up after reading this summary, I would say “Go for it!” and watch this anime and then go for the manga.

This series gets a B+ for the great story line, amazing characters and lovely soundtrack. And that being said, I wish all 6 arc’s had been covered…there are some characters I would have loved to see…*sighs sadly and goes to re-read the manga*




~Reviewed By Sumeiia