Story by Kaori Yuki
Serialized in HANA TO YUME (Hakusensha) from #15, 1994
11 volumes to date; still running

The fate of the world lies in the hands of a young man, the reincarnation of one of the most powerful angels to ever grace the universe. Except that there is one little problem... and that is the fact that he could care less about the world. All he cares about is being with his sister.
One could say that ANGEL SANCTUARY is basically a pair of siblings taking the meaning of incest one step too far. But fans of this series, currently running in HANA TO YUME, would argue that such a comment does not do the series justice, especially because that description neglects the forces that are forcing the Mudou siblings into such turmoil.
As the story begins, two demons (Evils) named Kurai and Arakune break into a prison for angels and steal a crystallized angel. The scene changes to Tokyo, where the news reports a series of suicides among teenagers who play a computer game called ANGEL SANCTUARY. As it turns out, the one responsible for distributing the software was using the game players as a means to collect enough energy to revive Rosiel, an angel that was sealed away in the past. Meanwhile, Mudou Setsuna hears from Kurai and Arakune that he is the person they seek: the reincarnation of Alexiel, Rosiel's sister who sealed him away long ago and the one that was crystallized in the prison. Setsuna shows no interest in finding his past; he spends more of his time thinking of how he could forget his romantic feelings for his sister Sara.
The main focus of the story is what Setsuna does and is willing to go through to be together with Sara. However, he soon finds out that it's not as easy—he has to go through the afterlife, heaven, and hell (literally) to reach his goal, and people are either hunting him or worshipping him as Alexiel, the Messiah that will save the universe as we know it. He slowly learns that what impulsive actions he does all have consequences, both on him and the ones he gets to know during the journey. Whether it be just mass destruction or taking over the entire universe, every character seems to have a purpose in "life".
The art is comparable to what Yuki usually puts out: intricate and detailed art with a touch of a gothic feel, and amazing color shots. Readers who do not enjoy occult or violent manga (a la KISEIJU/PARASYTE), will probably not enjoy this title, because there is a lot of blood, destruction, and carnage, with a splash of flesh-eating monsters here and there. There are a few scenes that could use some improvement (especially in eye placement) but the overall quality is superb compared to others who draw in the horror/occult genre.
Readers should be ready for a fast-paced, solid piece of dense storytelling with intricate plots and beatutiful characters. Since the story moves relatively quickly, have your dictionary ready, or seek help from the AS Mailing List.