Story: Sho Fumimura
Art: Ryoichi Ikegami
Status: Completed
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Politics
Storyline [Spoiler free summary]: focuses on the journey of two young men (A Yakuza Don & a Politician) on a quest to reform Japan. The storyline flows well and the decisions made by the characters have major consequences on the outcome of the story, showing just how well thought out it was, it also has its fair share of suspense.
Does it get good fast: Yes, The first few chapters take you into the violent and corrupt world of both the Yakuza and the government, there are a couple of badass moments to enjoy along with some character introductions here and there. I think if it doesn’t win you over in the first 10 chapters it’s not for you.
Art: The art style is really impressive and classy which fits the plot perfectly in my opinion. It has a very smooth texture and feel to it, the facial expressions and fashion are illustrated brilliantly. The backgrounds and structures look crisp and highly detailed. There are several full page panels and double-page spreads throughout the series, it also has good volume covers.
Pacing: Sanctuary has great pacing and it manages to pull you in with suspense and high stake moments. Scenes never drag on and each event moves the story forward, there are very few unnecessary moments in the series and I think that helps the pacing.
Humor: As far as humor is concerned, Sanctuary has few instances of comedic relief. The series maintains a very serious tone but has a couple of light-hearted moments that will put a smile on your face.
Characters: There are several badass characters to watch out for in the series, I enjoyed the relationships & dialogue that went on between them. A couple of characters have great backstories and moments of development. My two favorite main characters are Akira Hojo and Mr. Tokai while Onishi is my favorite supporting character.
What I like most: The three things I like most about the series are the very smooth art style, awesome cast of characters, and the pacing and flow of the story.
Personal ranking: After completing Sanctuary, I think it’s up there among some of the best series I’ve read, I just completed it and it could be a recency bias thing but it makes its way into my top 20 favorites list.
Closing thoughts: Sanctuary is a very satisfying ride until the very last chapter, I consider this a masterpiece in my humble opinion. It slowly pulls you in and manages to keep things interesting by maintaining high stakes. I found it hard to stop reading many times during the most intense moments and I usually had to read multiple chapters in one sitting. I highly recommend it if you’re into stories revolving around crime and politics.
Thanks for stopping by.
KINGKIRA'S CASTLE 