"Love, which in gentle hearts flares rapidly, seized this one for my lovely body-how it was violently stripped away still injures me
Love which when one is loved does not allow that it be refused, seized me with joy in him, which as you see, is with me even now
Love led us to a single death"
Dante's Inferno
Angel Sanctuary.
This manga defies all aspects of morality and puts a spin on the inner workings of the celestial world we know as Heaven. Heaven is in chaos, God has disappeared, someone is trying to awaken the Inorganic Angel Roshiel, and Hell is in search of his powerful sister, Organic Angel Alexiel. A war is brewing, and the apocolypse is looming on the horizon. In the center stands a one young man, Setsuna Mudo.
Setsuna seems like your ordinary troubled 16 year old. His parents are divorced. His mother hates his guts because he's "strange". His dad spends more time with his misteress than with his children. And Setsuna is an outspoken young punk, constantly speaking his mind, which is frowned upon in Japan's social structure, so the poor boy is always in trouble and has very few friends.
Oh, did I mention he's also in love with his sister and he's the reincarnation of Organic Angel Alexiel? Yup, his mom knows something's up with him, and she's well aware of his affections to his sister Sara. She purposly split the siblings up after the divorce in order to protect her daughter from being dragged into hell with her brother. Setsuna knows his feelings are wrong, and he desperatley tries to push Sara away, and lying to himself that his love for her is nothing but raging adolecent hormones.
But what happens when she confesses her own true feelings? What if she tells him what he's feeling isn't a lie?
What if she tells him her love for him is so strong, she's willing to go to Hell with him and burn in their sin?
If it's true love, then why is it so wrong?
Because God says so....
...but God is missing. He's disappeared from Heaven and is nowhere to be found. Heaven is in a turmoil, wracked with deceit and treachery. Angels fight amongst each other, and are killing innocents to further their plans for rejuvinating their dying paridise. Hell is on the move too, searching for the fallen angel Alexiel to aide them in the war they know is coming.
Demons search the cities of the world and find themselves in Japan. Strange things have been happing as of late in Tokyo. Children are mysteriously dying left and right, and a young boy as caught their attention. It's soon revealed, to everyone's surprise, that Setsuna is indeed the reincarnation of Alexiel. Alexiel was one of the most powerful angels in Heaven, along with her twin brother, Rashiel. However, God favored Rashiel and spurned Alexiel, not even allowing her to live in the House of Creation. Alexiel began to harbor resentment to God, and turned away from him as she began to realize the hypocrisy what is Heaven. She led a revolt against Heaven and lost, finding herself sealed inside an angel crystal to await for the day she could atone for her sins. However, Alexiel didn't fall alone. She took her narcissitic brother, Rashiel with her, sealing him away as well.
Now, Rashiel is awake, searching for his fallen sister and his hell bent on making her respect him. He doesn't understand why she hates him, as everyone "loves" him, so should she. Rashiel is a dangerous angel, caring nothing about anyone other than himself. He uses the souls of mortals to feed his energy, creates slaves from the bodies of "lost" and "hopless" people by decieving them into a sense of worthiness. Not even fellow celestials are immune to his festering infatuation with his sister's scorn, and he uses them as well, as his disposable tool to flush Alexiel out of hiding.
Of course, this makes Setsuna's life even more miserable once Rashiel notices that his body is housing Alexiel's soul. Setsuna finds his latent powers are forced free as Rashiel attacks him and the people he cares about with relentless abandon. Setsuna wants nothing to do with the coming war or Rashiel's obessions, he just wants to make it through his miserable life, but once Sara becomes a prime target, he can't deny who or what he is any longer.
Angel Sanctuary is a fantastic series, but incredibly complicated. Kaori Yuki has created a version of Heaven and Hell, with Earth falling smack in the center of the brewing battle. In her world, not all angels are good, but many are evil, imperfect beings who are capable of even the worst of sins. Demons also range from good and bad, some fighting for the right to just exist in the realm of Hell, and confused to why God has turned them away. The hatred between angels and demons runs far deeper than just the age old story of Heaven vs Hell or good vs evil. Why do demons exist? Why does Hell exist? God created all, then why does he allow such things to remain and why where some damned to Hell, when many of the angels in Heaven are worse than demons?
So, as the story goes, our cursed hero Setsuna finds himself in the middle of a war and charged with preventing the apocolypse. A tall order for a boy who can barely handle is own problems, let alone that of all Heaven, Earth, and Hell.
Posted by Zoso at June 15, 2004 09:41 PM