Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Although the story is interesting, due to the length of the anime viewers can't seem to understand it or get into it. The anime is not even finished - it was left with a cliffhanger which is really annoying. The artwork is pretty average. It's not bad, some of the characters are well drawn but overall it is not good enough considering all the other anime out there. Characters were not fully developed or should I say not developed at all. I know little can be done in 3 episodes, but some characters from 1 episode anime are better developed then those in this one. I can't recommend this anime although the idea behind it is really good and unusual it's not executed well.

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.

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.

Angel Sanctuary is quite a complicated anime. It is not meant for young viewers or ones that get weirded out by certain love interests. Kaori Yuki has a very unigue style of art that is both mysterious and beautifull. This anime is probably one of her best works. It is about an angel that rebelled against God and lost, thus being reborn as a human boy. However now, Angels and Demons alike flock towards his awaking, thirsting for battle that only Alexiel can bring.