Ranked #23

Sanctuary (Manga)

Written by Sho Fumimura (aka Buronson) and drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami, Sanctuary is an engrossing epic that validates manga as a medium, it defines it; transcends it. In short it deserves the title of masterpiece.

Hojo and Asami seek to change Japan, to rock it to its very core. They share a dark past, and both have vowed to stick to the path they chose together, to keep rising up the ranks of society in order to make the changes needed to create a new Japan. One lives the life of a yakuza; the other the life of politics. What this manga follows is the path of these two extraordinary men as they machinate and manoeuvre their way up to the top of their respective fields, and it’s magnificent.

The story reads like a Takashi Miike or Takeshi Kitano film put on page. It’s a political thriller, a yakuza crime flick; it’s ambitious in every way. Its a rare breed, a mature manga. Mature for its depiction of adults making realistic choices amid difficult situations. Mature is relatable characteristics and personalities in a familiar-looking world. Mature doesn’t mean swords slicing limbs, it doesn’t mean aliens raping humans; it doesn’t mean super powers destroying puppies. Mature is dealing with topics and themes in a realistic manner, it means restraint, subtlety. Yes there is violence and nudity in this manga, but they are the result of adults with real motives, real conflicts; real human reactions to actions. Every single character in this story has a real consistent personality and reason for why they do the things they do.

The story twists and turns unpredictably as the two characters navigate their way through their respective worlds, continually coming across roadblocks and blindsides, whether it’s in the form of political scheming or yakuza thugs with attitude. Hojo and Asami continually have to figure out inspired solutions to ever-increasingly difficult problems, and their separate journeys are regularly mirrored with each other, and sometimes interweaved dramatically. Fumimura's saga is so full of depth its mind boggling. With dozens and dozens of storylines and hundreds of characters all plotting against each other, Sanctuary is addictive and compelling stuff that stays in your mind long after you've finished the last satisfying chapter.

The political issues at stake and focused on in this manga can also be of great interest to non-Japanese readers. Americans, for example, know all too well that unless you're a democrat or republican you have no chance at gaining power of the White House. More recently in the 21st century we've seen crusty old Japanese Prime Ministers resign one after another. The two main characters of Sanctuary seek to usurp the current system of Japan; that of politics being controlled by old men who oversee a system that will never allow anyone under 40 to gain any real power, and to even clean up the yakuza gangs constantly at war with each other, and their ambition is as great as everything else within these 105 chapters.

The quality of writing is at the level of novelist James Clavell in terms of handling a great number of characters and conflicts. The quality of the art is like a defiant middle finger at the state of mainstream manga plagued by cutesy crap and unending Super Deformed faces ruining every chapter. Women in this manga are actually drawn like women. Every set-up has a pay-off. Every chapter ends with you wanting more.

Sanctuary is a sanctuary from mainstream manga. If you want to be entertained from a work that never speaks down to you and demands you keep up with its pace while dealing with topics and themes that are relevant; then find this manga, read it, and spread the word. Turns out there’s a sanctuary out there for all of us. read more

Sanctuary is a manga written by Buronson and drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami. You might know Buronson from his work on Hokuto no Ken. Ryoichi Ikegami is a Japanese artist whose beautiful style in no way resembles the style Japanese manga is drawn in. If you want a smart political/Yakuza drama with interesting characters that breaks the mold, these are probably the two best people in all of Japan to create it. And that’s exactly what this manga is.

The plot: two men, Hojo and Asami, through their brilliance and intestinal fortitude, resolve to rebuild the nation of Japan. Their plan is complex, but it breaks down to this: one of them will journey underground, working through the Yakuza and ascending its ranks until he controls all of it. The other will similarly infiltrate the Diet of Japan, and fashion it into the political organization of his choosing. The final goal? Create a “sanctuary,” a country that they’re proud to call their own.

Does that sound absurd? Good, because it is. You’d have to be nuts to try and do something like this. But this pair possesses the exact combination of brilliance and insanity to have a chance in hell of getting it done. One of the testaments of this manga is that you see (and even feel) the weight of this enormous task. No one could do it alone, and as they move forward new obstacles appear, so their plans must warp and change as reality dictates. However, they do run into people with similar vision, people who sense that something’s deeply wrong with society’s uncommitted attitude in the face of relative financial prosperity. When these likeminded individuals find themselves admiring the strength and willpower in Hojo and Asami, they become allies. When it makes them angry or jealous, well… things get complicated.

This story is blessed with fantastic characters. Buronson does a fantastic job of creating a varied cast of interesting and believable people. You always understand people’s motivation, even if you don’t agree with them. (Okay, except for one or two of the female characters. There are strong women in this manga, though.)

I’m not a fan of politics or nationalism, but reading this was an engrossing experience. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys well-written crime fiction, or political drama.

This manga made me cry. Only once, mind you. But it did. I spent the majority of my time either in stunned silence or laughing at how awesome the twists/turns/characters were. At the end of the day I find myself wondering not how good it was, but how soon before I read it again. And that, my friends, is the mark of a truly great piece of fiction. read more