Alexander Engel-Hodgkinson's Reviews > Sanctuary, Tome 12

4.4/5

Sanctuary is a political thriller that draws to a satisfying conclusion after many trials and tribulations on both the 'light' and 'dark' sides of Japan's society. Hojo and Asami are a great duo with many complexities that pursue their mutual goal with an air of understated coolness and near unwavering confidence. They're extremely intelligent and likable, but a story like this is only as good as its antagonists.

Unfortunately, most of the antagonists (especially on the yakuza side of things) are rather underwhelming, with the exception of Sorokov (maybe). But every antagonist pales in comparison to Isaoka, the man whose hands reside in every pot. He's by far Hojo and Asami's greatest foil, and one that doesn't give up without a fight. He's the kinda guy who's definitely got a lot of dirt on his hands, but you can't help but respect the old bastard. He's a man who sticks to his guns through and through.

A greater foil could have existed within the police force in the form of Kyoko Ishihara, but unfortunately she's written with significantly less intelligence and nuance than any other character in the manga. The police are often waiting for Hojo to make the wrong move so they can arrest him, but the character who's given that responsibility is some other guy whose name escapes me.
It could have been Ishihara, pursuing justice in spite of her feelings for Hojo, but Buronson (Fumimura) didn't wanna do that, I guess. Half the time it seems like she's completely forgotten until she needs to motivate Hojo, whom despite her position as an anti-organized crime cop, she has fallen hopelessly in love with. That's her arc. That's it. She contributes almost nothing to the story by the middle portion and it is never really addressed again. A shame, really, because she had a lot of potential for similar character development and exploration as Isaoka. The handling of Ishihara's character has by far been my biggest criticism of this series as a whole.

Ikegami's artwork has been consistently amazing throughout Sanctuary's five-year run and I cannot praise his skills enough. His photorealistic rendering and noir sensibilities make every single panel an absolute joy to look over. I've sung praises for Ikegami's work on another of his collaborations with Buronson, Strain, and despite my disappointment with that series as a whole, Ikegami's work certainly didn't factor into why I didn't like how Strain turned out.

Overall, I don't want to get into further details or spoiler territory regarding the plot. It's immense, with a cast of about a hundred or so characters all vying for their own goals stemming from a desire for power or loyalty. Aside from a small few hiccups and outlandish twists here and there (nothing story-breaking or anything there), Sanctuary is an extremely solid series that I definitely recommend for any fans of mature manga and political intrigue.