Chrono Crusade (Volume 1).
March 10th 2008 02:23
Category: Videos, Television
Original manga by: Daisuke Moriyama.
Director: Yuu Kou.
Screenplay by: Atushiro Tomioka & Natsuko Takahashi.
Producers: Atsuya Takase, Juu Katou, Shigeaki Tomioka, Tsuneo Takechi & Tsuyoshi Wakamatsu.
Starring: Akira Ishida (Chrono), Tomoko Kawakami (Sister Rosette), Saeko Chiba (Azamaria), Michiko Neva (Satella), Kuzuhiko Inoue (Aion), Sho Havami (Remington).
Produced by: Fuji TV & Gonzo Digimation.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 100 minutes. Rating: PG.
The Roaring Twenties, a time of speakeasies and illegal booze, of flappers and dances called the Charleston, of jazz and gangsters, Prohibition and apparently an era of prosperity within the United States. You certainly wouldn’t expect anything to do with Nuns wielding Colt 45s and Thompson sub machine guns or demons and devil worshippers running amok in downtown New York, at least not in any of the history books I had ever come across on the period. Still in the context of this particular anime series this is precisely what is going on, its America in the Roaring Twenties, though far different from that found in any factual textbook, here demons, devils and what not are running amok and an order of holy warriors exists to try and combat these menaces to the mundane world, the Order of Magdalene.
One such member of the Order is Sister Rosette Christopher, a young Nun, who along with her partner Chrono seems to have a distinct knack for getting into trouble. In essence Sister Rosette is the Roaring Twenties equivalent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a young girl who goes out and kicks the living daylights out of any monsters or demons that are rampaging around the city of New York. Naturally as part of an order of exorcists and holy warriors she isn’t the only one doing this kind of duty, there others who also have this holy calling and try to attempt to put the devils and demons back from whence they came. Sister Rosette though is a lot livelier than most of her fellow Order members and she is constantly accompanied by her sidekick Chrono, who despite having the appearance of a friendly and handsome young boy is a lot more than what he seems. But that’s what you’d expect from the title character in a series like this, something out of the ordinary.
Chrono is a devil, one who has been cast out from the hierarchy of his kind for killing others of his own ranking and he has been marked by them as a ‘sinner’ which is a rather unusual term for devils and demons to use. He is bound to his contractor who is Sister Rosette and can only draw upon his demonic powers through the use of a seal, a seal that takes the form of a large pocket watch and when activated draws upon the life force of the contractor. For some reason Chrono is very reluctant to use this measure, devil he may be but he is not prone to wanting to draw needlessly on the life of someone that he regards as his friend and companion despite the contract. It’s an interesting character depiction, an almost subversive characterisation in having a character who is the Christian personification of ‘evil’ as someone who has virtue and compassion. But then again before Lucifer’s revolt in heaven most of the hosts that followed his banner were angels and not outside of the possibility of returning back into the fold.
Despite the carnage, the terror and the general impending sense of doom there are a few moments of slapstick in this volume, Sister Rosette and Chrono make a good team and there is plenty of entertainment to be found in their various antics. We first meet this eclectic duo taking a breather in Brooklyn after having completed a difficult assignment, both are taking a nap then suddenly the phone in the back of the car starts to ring. Rosette answers it only to discover that it’s the superior of her order; Sister Kate, with another mission for them to undertake. There is a restaurant in Manhattan that has experienced some serious trouble of a demonic kind, grumbling about having to pull an all nighter Sister Rosette complies with her superiors and departs post haste.
The two swiftly arrive on the scene, crashing their car in the process and having a bit of trouble getting out, it seems Rosette’s driving skills need some improvements, although she doesn’t like being reminded of this. Once out she presents herself to the local police officer in charge of the scene and informs him of her jurisdiction and that she and Chrono will be taking over from this point onwards. Much wackiness and action unfolds as Sister and Demon deal with the danger lurking inside the restaurant, unfortunately when the dust has settled and the demon dispatched the two have to beat a hasty retreat with the upshot being that the entire building in which the restaurant was located crumbles into dust and rubble. Apparently this is the norm for Sister Rosette, something that her superior is never exactly pleased about.
From battling demons in various locales in the New York area the action moves on to something far more serious and world threatening. Ever here of a place called Fatima? Strangely with a name like that it’s not a location in the Middle East but a place in Portugal where a vision of the Virgin Mary made three prophecies to three farm children in that locale. According to popular belief the Fatima prophecies were sealed by the Vatican from common knowledge as it was felt that they were not something that should be known lest panic and terror engulf the world and plunge things into a new dark age. Apparently the first of these prophecies was the foretelling of the end of the Great War, which occurred two years after the prophecy was uttered. The next prophecy concerned the appearance on Earth of beings called Apostles – these are not the thirteen who followed the Saviour Jesus Christ, put physical personifications of the Seven Virtues.
It seems that the Seven Apostles are already active in the world, though they themselves are completely unaware of their precise nature. Other forces, namely demons and their worshippers, are not so ignorant. Sister Rosette and her trusty sidekick are entrusted with rescuing one of these apostles from the clutches of multi-millionaire devil worshipper and his demonic minion. If they can tap into the power of this particular apostle, who is a young girl named Azamaria, then can literally tap into the very fount of all creation itself – the Astral Line.
Packing plenty of firepower as well as her own indomitable nature and faith Sister Rosette takes up the gauntlet of rescuing this innocent young girl from the clutches of evil men and demons, her opponents have no real idea of the gravity of the world of hurt that they are about to find themselves in taking on this particular nun. And Sister Rosette in the beginning when she initially accepts this mission has no idea of the notions it will awake in herself concerning her past and that of her brother Joshua who vanished four years ago. Taking on the task of rescuing Azamaria fills in some of the blanks that she had never realised existed up until this point.
Chrono Crusade Volume 1 certainly casts the whole concept of the Roaring Twenties into a different light and is very much an enjoyable viewing experience. Filled with humour, action, drama and mystery you would have to be real curmudgeon to not enjoy it.
Director: Yuu Kou.
Screenplay by: Atushiro Tomioka & Natsuko Takahashi.
Producers: Atsuya Takase, Juu Katou, Shigeaki Tomioka, Tsuneo Takechi & Tsuyoshi Wakamatsu.
Starring: Akira Ishida (Chrono), Tomoko Kawakami (Sister Rosette), Saeko Chiba (Azamaria), Michiko Neva (Satella), Kuzuhiko Inoue (Aion), Sho Havami (Remington).
Produced by: Fuji TV & Gonzo Digimation.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 100 minutes. Rating: PG.
The Roaring Twenties, a time of speakeasies and illegal booze, of flappers and dances called the Charleston, of jazz and gangsters, Prohibition and apparently an era of prosperity within the United States. You certainly wouldn’t expect anything to do with Nuns wielding Colt 45s and Thompson sub machine guns or demons and devil worshippers running amok in downtown New York, at least not in any of the history books I had ever come across on the period. Still in the context of this particular anime series this is precisely what is going on, its America in the Roaring Twenties, though far different from that found in any factual textbook, here demons, devils and what not are running amok and an order of holy warriors exists to try and combat these menaces to the mundane world, the Order of Magdalene.
Despite the carnage, the terror and the general impending sense of doom there are a few moments of slapstick in this volume, Sister Rosette and Chrono make a good team and there is plenty of entertainment to be found in their various antics. We first meet this eclectic duo taking a breather in Brooklyn after having completed a difficult assignment, both are taking a nap then suddenly the phone in the back of the car starts to ring. Rosette answers it only to discover that it’s the superior of her order; Sister Kate, with another mission for them to undertake. There is a restaurant in Manhattan that has experienced some serious trouble of a demonic kind, grumbling about having to pull an all nighter Sister Rosette complies with her superiors and departs post haste.
The two swiftly arrive on the scene, crashing their car in the process and having a bit of trouble getting out, it seems Rosette’s driving skills need some improvements, although she doesn’t like being reminded of this. Once out she presents herself to the local police officer in charge of the scene and informs him of her jurisdiction and that she and Chrono will be taking over from this point onwards. Much wackiness and action unfolds as Sister and Demon deal with the danger lurking inside the restaurant, unfortunately when the dust has settled and the demon dispatched the two have to beat a hasty retreat with the upshot being that the entire building in which the restaurant was located crumbles into dust and rubble. Apparently this is the norm for Sister Rosette, something that her superior is never exactly pleased about.
From battling demons in various locales in the New York area the action moves on to something far more serious and world threatening. Ever here of a place called Fatima? Strangely with a name like that it’s not a location in the Middle East but a place in Portugal where a vision of the Virgin Mary made three prophecies to three farm children in that locale. According to popular belief the Fatima prophecies were sealed by the Vatican from common knowledge as it was felt that they were not something that should be known lest panic and terror engulf the world and plunge things into a new dark age. Apparently the first of these prophecies was the foretelling of the end of the Great War, which occurred two years after the prophecy was uttered. The next prophecy concerned the appearance on Earth of beings called Apostles – these are not the thirteen who followed the Saviour Jesus Christ, put physical personifications of the Seven Virtues.
It seems that the Seven Apostles are already active in the world, though they themselves are completely unaware of their precise nature. Other forces, namely demons and their worshippers, are not so ignorant. Sister Rosette and her trusty sidekick are entrusted with rescuing one of these apostles from the clutches of multi-millionaire devil worshipper and his demonic minion. If they can tap into the power of this particular apostle, who is a young girl named Azamaria, then can literally tap into the very fount of all creation itself – the Astral Line.
Packing plenty of firepower as well as her own indomitable nature and faith Sister Rosette takes up the gauntlet of rescuing this innocent young girl from the clutches of evil men and demons, her opponents have no real idea of the gravity of the world of hurt that they are about to find themselves in taking on this particular nun. And Sister Rosette in the beginning when she initially accepts this mission has no idea of the notions it will awake in herself concerning her past and that of her brother Joshua who vanished four years ago. Taking on the task of rescuing Azamaria fills in some of the blanks that she had never realised existed up until this point.
Chrono Crusade Volume 1 certainly casts the whole concept of the Roaring Twenties into a different light and is very much an enjoyable viewing experience. Filled with humour, action, drama and mystery you would have to be real curmudgeon to not enjoy it.
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