It should be noted right away that the three-episode OAV for Kaori Yuki's long-running manga (comic book) "Angel Sanctuary" was created to entice new readers and treat her old fans. It ends on a cliffhanger despite there being almost no chance for a continuation, but fortunately VIZ is translating the manga into English so the complete story can be read at last by those who don't know a word of Japanese. "Angel Sanctuary" tells the story of Alexiel, a beautiful but rebellious angel who paid for her acts against God by having her body sealed in solid crystal while her soul was sent to be reincarnated again and again in the material world. When "Angel Sanctuary" begins the spirit of Alexiel lies dormant in the body of Setsuna Mudo, a mixed-up teenager tortured by his love for Sara, his own blood sister. Setsuna's life becomes even *more* complicated with the arrival of two demons who wish to awaken the angel inside him, and the resurrection of Rosiel, Alexiel's deranged twin brother. As supernatural forces gather around him, Setsuna must protect not only Sara, but all of Tokyo as well..."Angel Sanctuary" isn't for anyone with strong objections toward incest or a story where demons are sympathetic and angels are twisted. To anyone who isn't offended by such subjects, I suggest giving "Angel Sanctuary" a try, even if it's only a rental. The animation is strong if a little dated, and the many important characters and plot elements crammed into 90 minutes makes the story a little hard to follow. The English dub is below average and sometimes unintentionally funny, though that is the fault of the English scriptwriters.Nevertheless, the story is interesting and draws the viewer in. It was a bold move to give the war between heaven and hell shades of gray, and the love between Setsuna and Sara is truly touching despite being forbidden. "Angel Sanctuary" isn't perfect, but it certainly doesn't follow the cookie cutter plots that plague some anime, and that makes it stand out from the crowd.

This is the sad story of Setsuna Mudo, a 16 year old high school student who is in love with his younger sister, Sara. It turns out, a host of demons and angels are after his soul, as he is the reincarnation of Organic angel Alexiel, an angel who, disgusted with her fellow angels, declares a revolt against God. I'll stop there so I don't reveal anything, I hate it when people do that.I think that this is a truely epic story. Sure incest is wrong, and Setsuna and Sara both know that they will pay for their sins, but their love is less a desire of the flesh, and more of a soulmate sort of bond. You wind up rooting for them in the end, because they are really the innocents of the story.I loved the powerful relationships, especially that of Kira and his father. Kira is by far my favorite character, but all the characters are easy to relate to, Setsuna is denyed what he really wants, Sara is heartbroken, Kira, torn between what he was and what he is, and Kurai(sp?) searching for her hero.Try it, and try to put the incest out of you mind. Be open, and you may be surprised.

The plot is quite interesting,the characters are good.The only thing I don't like is the animation....it just gets on my nerves.It's look over-computerized(real term?)but besides that I recommend it.The dub ain't the worst.In fact the dub lines are exactly the same as the english subtitles,but the voices are rather annoying.Stick to the sub.I give it a 6/10

After I saw this film I tried to start a discussion of it on a manga board, only to find myself being branded as a 'sicko'. One of the central themes to Angel Sanctuary is the love affair between the hero and his sister, a theme that many are given to dismiss out of hand as perverted without actually having seen the film. It is therefore perhaps ironic that the exploration of a consensual incestous relationship is one of Angel Sanctuary's greatest strengths. The whole thing is handled with sensitivity, and one truly feels for the heros torment when he declares "I am weird, I am abnormal, I am condemned by my mother, by all of them". There is no graphic sex, and the couple's one carnel indulgence is implied rather than actually shown.As to the rest of the story, Angel Sanctuary has a cast of colourful characters, including the heros deranged angel brother and a pair of cross-dressing demons,all fighting to either eliminate him or recruit him to assist in their war against heaven. Some may find the idea of god being the enemy offensive, though I personally do not.I would go as far as to describe Angel Sanctuary as one of the best anime that I have ever seen.