Sequel Side Story of the Exorcist and a Demon
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Warning:
There will be spoilers for the manhua series Sanctify: Lost Paradise.
Content Warning: There may be references to religion, death, blood, gun violence, monsters, murder, mentions of ritualistic sacrifice, PTSD, cults, violence, demons, ghosts, possession, self-harm, mentions of police, mentions of orphans, suicidal ideation, curses, mentions of child abuse, mentions of domestic violence, missing children, manipulation, noncon, and BDSM (forced), as they appear in the manhua.
Synopsis:
This is a sequel short to Sanctify, and it is recommended that you read the original series first before reading this entry.
Lance knows in his line of work as an exorcist that he is destined to die, but after meeting the person he’s been waiting on all of this time, only to end up killing them, the prospect of death is a welcome one. Gilbert, the man whom he loved in a past life, reincarnated with Lance into this one, but their paths couldn’t have been more different, resulting in Lance ending up alone once more. He’s haunted by Gilbert, and the only way Lance knows to find peace is to meet his end. That should be easy enough on the job.
So, Lance becomes brasher and less careful. When he’s told by higher-ups for backup, he rushes right in. So far, he’s yet to meet his maker, but Lance is determined. But what Lance doesn’t realize is that someone is watching him again, and this someone is not going to let Lance take the easy way out.
Review:
If you read the original series, I think it goes without saying that this work is stunning. I was also happy to see a return of the uncensored smut, which is always a nice treat. However, I will say that the background and side characters look super goofy this time around. Maybe that was the case in the main series, and I just didn’t pay them any mind that time around, but I definitely noticed it this time. Still, the characters that matter the most look beautiful, and I think this is worth reading for the art alone.
I also think this really benefited from the constrained length. Unlike the original series, which was three volumes long, this is a single volume. That doesn’t give much wiggle room to explore the world and the mystery, at length, which I think worked in the story’s favor. While there was some level of info-dumping, Lance was much more active this time around. There were fewer interviews and less hunting around for answers, which means this is much less on the mystery side of things. So, if the mystery is what you loved in the original series, unfortunately, there is very little of that this time around. I am super biased on this front since I’m not typically a fan of mysteries. Regardless, I prefer the pace and tonal shift this had because we didn’t dwell so long on the mystery of it all.
But what really makes this so much better is that there is a tinge of romanticism. I wouldn’t call this a romance by any means, but because this starts off with Lance mourning Gilbert’s presumed death, there’s a level of longing that we didn’t have in the original. In the original, Lance knew he was waiting for someone, but he didn’t know who or why, so it felt much more hollow and distant, but in this, we, Lance included, are fully aware what the nature of Lance and Gilbert’s relationship in their past life. So his introspection is tinged with that longing someone has for a lost lover, giving this a much more romantic feel. However, this is still noncon-heavy. It does become more consensual, but that’s certainly not how it starts, so be warned.
It’s also worth mentioning that it ends as openly as the original series, which was super disappointing. Once again, there is no finality to their relationship. They have sex, then Gilbert disappears again, and Lance just walks away knowing they’ll see each other again. It has an open-endedness to it that felt entirely needless. I’m not necessarily a fan of open-ended stories, but I’m also not completely opposed to them, especially if it has a purpose. However, I didn’t see the purpose this time around. Lance seemed to accept Gilbert despite him being a demon, and if he’s just going to keep watching him until the end, why not be with him? It just didn’t make much sense to me.
Results:
I liked this. I actually think I liked it more than the main story, but it still had some pretty significant flaws. I was really hoping this would give Lance and Gilbert some finality to their relationship. While it was certainly more romantic, it ultimately ended in a similar fashion. If you’re looking for a smutty tragedy, look no further. However, if you are hoping for a more definitive end and romantic closure, this isn’t for you.
Have you read Sanctify: Lost Paradise? If so, what do you think? Do you agree with my assessment? Do you not? Let me know, and comment below!
I feel the same about this, especially that I liked it more than the main story. 💚