Angel Sanctuary, Band 12

天使禁猟区 [Tenshi Kinryōku] #12

by Kaori Yuki

Mit Zaphikels Hilfe gelingt es Setsuna, alleine den Hohen Himmel Yetzirah zu erreichen.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Romance, Angels, Comics Manga

Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Jody Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this entire series. Kaori Yuki is a masterful storyteller and a talented artist.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lesedelfin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nach einem kleinen Cliffhanger im letzten Band, schafft es die Mangaka Kaori Yuki mich mit Band zwölf wieder völlig aus der Bahn zu werfen. Die Geschichte bleibt spannend, mit einem mysteriösen Touch und einem wahnsinnigen Kampf.

Die Grausamkeiten der Engel stehen natürlich wieder sehr im Mittelpunkt und Sevothtarte nimmt einen noch größeren Platz in der Geschichte ein. Für einen Engel, der sich selbst hinter einer Maske versteckt, ist sein Vorhaben alle missgestalteten, seelisch verkrüppelten und rebellischen Engel auszumerzen, schon ein ziemlich überheblicher Kriegsvorwand. Setsuna stellt sich ihm mit seinem jugendlichen Charme in den Weg, dass man gleichzeitig Gut gemacht und Du dummer Junge schreien möchte.

Auch Sara's Präsenz ist wieder sehr stark und als Leser erhofft man sich natürlich ein Wiedersehen zwischen ihr und Setsuna, der auf enorme Hilfe zurückgreifen kann. Die unterschiedlichen Engelcharaktere sind wieder sehr geheimnisvoll und teilweise gefährlich. Manchmal lässt es sich sehr schwer feststellen wer nun Freund und wer Feind ist.
Nach der großen Keule, die Yuki für Kira in den letzten beiden Bänden geschwungen hat, war es ein wenig schade, dass sein Charakter nicht in diesen Band reinpasste. Es gibt noch mehrere Handlungsstränge, die aktuell eingefroren sind. Ich vermisse auch Kurai und Kato - ohne sie ist der Humor nur wenig vorhanden, auch wenn Setsuna sein bestes versucht. Manchmal schafft er es, aber es ist eben nicht das selbe ohne Kato an seiner Seite ^^
Aber Rosiel lebt noch! Man was war ich platt ihn mal wieder zu sehen - hat ja auch lange genug gedauert! Leider nur zwei Seiten lang, aber die strotzen nur so vor feindlicher, verhöhnender Stimmung zwischen Rosiel und Sevothtarte. Es ist also noch genügend Feuer für einen Krieg da, auf den es zwangsläufig hinauslaufen wird. Ich glaube aber bis es soweit ist, werden noch ein paar Bände vergehen.

Das Ende diesen Bandes war ein richtiger Oh mein Gott Moment. Freud und Leid liegen einfach so extrem nah beieinander. Bisher hatte es kein Charakter richtig leicht und gewisse Andeutungen würzen die Story noch weiter, dass der ein oder andere noch sein blaues Wunder oder die große Überraschung erlebt.

Band zwölf war unter'm Strich wieder höchst impulsiv, düster und mit einer ordentlichen Portion Schwung. Die Story brennt sich einem ins Gedächtnis und mit ihr kann ich mich gerade mehr "identifizieren" als mit den Zeichnungen. Schon im letzten Band habe ich Setsuna kaum erkannt. Also nicht nur die Story ist im Umbruch, sondern auch die Zeichnungen, die deutlich kraftvoller rüberkommen. Der gesamte Eindruck wird stärker und intensiver - so langsam frage ich mich, wie Yuki das noch toppen will^^

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

H -- hey Setsuna

you haven't seen Sara in so long, and after ALL!! THIS!!! that you went through to be reunited

maybe when you're running back to your ship to FINALLY !!! escape together

maybe please make sure she, like, doesn't trip or something

make sure you're not accidentally running faster than her and make sure you're not accidentally leaving her behind.

you know, make sure she's actually keeping up with you please

--------------------------------------
Idk I like Sara's morally-gray actions here but I .....think they probably could have found a way to actually stay together AND come up with a plan to help Lil, you know, as a team

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot does not advance a whole lot here, but we do get a little character development. This is much better than the first 3 or so volumes had me hoping for. The art is good, if perhaps a bit dated.

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dieser Band hatte reichlich Action, aber die Wendung am Schluss kann ich absolut nicht nachvollziehen.
Das wirkt auf mich eher als müsse die Story einfach noch weiter aufgebläht werden um mehr Bände zu füllen.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the manga series "Angel Sanctuary"!!!

On to the next!!!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok.

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sestuna, back in his old body, is ready to storm the gates of Heaven and retrieve his star-crossed lover and sister, Sara, but brute force isn't going to cut it this time. Zaphikel recruits Setsuna into his organization of rebels that goes by the name 'Anima Mundi'. Zaphikel makes a deal with Setsuna, saying that if he poses as the head of Anima Mundi, and the Savior that they all desire, then he will help him rescue Sara. Meanwhile, Sara has already executed her planned escape in order to see the face of the one she loves most in all the realms... Setsuna! But is she really prepared to sacrifice and step on all those around her and in her way just to fulfill her selfish and sinful desires? Will she regret the choices she's made?


This volume made me like Sara more. What this book portrays to me is that she is not a selfish person, even though love will make you selfish. And I think I'm starting to become accustomed to the deaths of the characters in this series. I'm starting to feel more like it's just life... but just because they've died doesn't mean you'll never see them again, one way or another.

[Дени ★ Проданова · Rating 3 out of 5]

Направо е невероятно колко лицемерен може да те направи една нищо и никаква гледна точка. Говоря за това как гледаме да "добрите" и "лошите". Когато, в края на тома, Сара се отказва от бягството, пробождана от вина, за това, на което е подложила обкръжението си, само за да постигне целта си - да бъде със Сецуна, тогава се замислих. Севотрат е лошя, нали? Той е безкрупулен и зъл. Не се спира пред нищо за да постигне целите си, каквито и да са те. Сецуна, от своя страна - добрия, е решителен и всеотдаен... И не се спира пред нищо за да постигне целите си. Като се замисли човек, всъщност къде е разликата? В крайната цел, може би. Но пък принципа "целта оправдава средствата" си е еднакво егоистичен, независимо от целта. Всеки има право за себе си, "истината" е субективно понятие, а справедливостта не съществува в реалния свят. Дори и крайната ти цел да е любовта, ако оставиш след себе си диря от трупове, тогава с какво си по-добър от "лошия"?

[Michael Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endlich geht es ab in den Himmel und die Grausammkeit der Engel findet seinen Höhepunkt. Es geht dem Ende zu (auch wenn es noch 4 Bänder gibt) und es ist wirklich unglaublich spannend. Freu mich jetzt schon wieder auf Band 7. :D