Chrono (Chrno) Crusade...
Years ago, I picked up Chrono (Chrno) Crusade...
I picked up Chrono Crusade a while ago. I wasn't sure that it was for me when I pulled it off the store shelf, but, it came home with me reluctantly and sat for a good long while. Eventually, I dusted it off and watched it and to my surprise, it was actually really good.
There are no naughty bits to speak of, but, there is a great deal of gun play and violence. Surprisingly, there is not a whole lot of gore or bloodshed. The series has some humor, mostly concerning Sister Rosette's overly destructive tendencies. The animation quality was quite good and includes some very nice creature effects. My favorite episode is actually the first episode. The series shares some common elements with Sakura Wars.
For those of you who are fans of the manga, you'll find some similarities in the story at first, but, as the series progresses, the anime version will diverge somewhat from the manga. According to Wikipedia:
Volume 1
A Plague Of Demons
The year is 1928. Jazz is hot, bootleg liquor is king and the idle rich of a nation have discovered a horrifying new past time: summoning demons! To combat this growing threat, a new order of Holy Warriors has arisen.
This is the story of Sister Rosette, an elite Exorcist in the Order of Magdalene, whose soul has been bound by alchemy to that of the devil Chrono. Armed with Sacred ammo, Rosette and Chrono form an unstoppable team, ready to wage war at a moments notice... because when the gates of hell are opened, someone has to put the devils back!
Volume 2
Holy War
Chrono and Rosette are back, and there's a whole new legion of the damned out to get them! But this time they've got a little help in giving the devils hell, as Azmaria and a new demon hunter join the fight.
Unfortunately, there are bigger, badder demons yet to come, and when the devil who kidnapped Rosette's brother resurfaces, it looks like the Magdalene Order may have met its match. Can our heroes cheat the devil out of his bargain?
Volume 3
The World, The Flesh And The Devil
As the forces of darkness continue their war against mankind, the depth to which the human soul can be corrupted becomes the catalyst for a nightmarish series of events. The horns of a devil take root in a child of God, a Devil's bargain is joined and Aion's monstrous plot to conquer Heaven itself advances one step closer to fruition.
Volume 4
The Devil To Pay
The quest team's journey to find Joshua has begun, but all hell literally breaks loose when a certain well endowed Fraulein and an old enemy both show up on the train. As the jaws of a nightmarish trap snap shut only the Magdalene Order's elite training will keep them alive, but is even that enough? The forces of good may be hopelessly outmatched!
Volume 5
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
As Rosette and her companions get closer to locating Joshua, Aion and his demon cohorts launch a new offensive, forcing the Magdalene Order and their allies to fight a battle on multiple fronts, attacked from every angle. But something is wrong with Rosette herself, and the life bond she shares with Chrono may be threatened.
Will Rosette survive to dance with the devil, or will she succumb to the temptations of the flesh? Long smoldering desires erupt into an inferno in the fifth stunning volume of Chrono Crusade!
Volume 6
Devil's Advocate
A new evil has surfaced to wreak havoc on mankind! Only the Order of the Magdalene and its band of elite exorcists stands a chance of stopping this horrendous demonic force. Can the world be saved from the clutches of evil? Demons, devils and wrong doers don't stand a chance when Rosette and Chrono are on the job.
Volume 7
Hellfire
Aion's plans have reached fulfillment and the thin blue line of the Magdalene Order is powerless to stop him. Will the ultimate plan of the Master of the Sinners reach fruition? All that remains to complete the overthrow of Heaven itself it is one final act of betrayal... a betrayal carried out by a Devil in a blue dress!
I picked up Chrono Crusade a while ago. I wasn't sure that it was for me when I pulled it off the store shelf, but, it came home with me reluctantly and sat for a good long while. Eventually, I dusted it off and watched it and to my surprise, it was actually really good.There are no naughty bits to speak of, but, there is a great deal of gun play and violence. Surprisingly, there is not a whole lot of gore or bloodshed. The series has some humor, mostly concerning Sister Rosette's overly destructive tendencies. The animation quality was quite good and includes some very nice creature effects. My favorite episode is actually the first episode. The series shares some common elements with Sakura Wars.
For those of you who are fans of the manga, you'll find some similarities in the story at first, but, as the series progresses, the anime version will diverge somewhat from the manga. According to Wikipedia:
The anime follows the manga through the events of Volume IV, but it diverges during a crucial plot event, creating different courses of events and endings. The characterization of some the characters, including Rosette and Aion, and their roles in the story were changed drastically in the adaptation of the manga. Much of the story is driven by the individual pasts of the main characters and the complex relationships between them...Even with the changes in the story as compared to the manga, overall, I still liked what I saw. Since I didn't read the manga version first, the changes didn't really have any significance for my casual viewing experience. It's just something I feel fans of the manga should be aware of before purchasing the anime. I gave Chrono Crusade a 3 out of 5.
In an interview with ADV Manga, Daisuke Moriyama expressed his own opinion about the differences and similarities of the anime and manga, with one of them being the theme of the story. Although the bond between Chrono and Rosette and the idea of time running out were the same, Moriyama felt that the anime and manga showed this theme in different ways. While the anime centered more on the currents of time, fate and trust, Moriyama believed that the manga focused more on the Rosette's individual ideology and how the potential strength of her will can change her current situation.
In producing the English language version, ADV did extensive research in keeping the slang words within 1920s canon. One word, "bimbo", is explained to mean a tough man in 1920s slang, while the modern version refers to a stupid female. The English voice actors for Rosette and Chrono (Hilary Haag and Greg Ayres) nearly lost their voices on numerous occasions due to the fast-paced voice work demanded by the anime.
