Customer Reviews

Chrono Crusade, Vol. 1: A Plague of Demons

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Set in an alternate Brooklyn,New York in 1928, Chrono Crusade follows the adventures of Sister Rosette, destructive but well-meaning exorcist of the Magdalene Order, and her partner, a devil named Chrono, who fights on the side of good. This is the first volume of what promises to be an entertaining series.

The Magdalene Order came into being during the Protestant Reformation, a period of witch hunts and fears of devils and demons wreaking havoc on the Earth. The non-denominational organization is born to investigate these supernatural events, and if necessary, eliminate these manifestations of evil.

The first two episodes on this disk are mainly just introductions to the characters. Rosette is a young girl whose first instinct is to run blindly into a situation, guns blazing with blessed bullets known as Sacreds, even if the situation involves a demon that could suck her soul dry. Chrono is a devil who is held in the body of a young boy by a seal which Rosette controls. In times of trouble, Rosette can unlock the seal and restore his true form and powers, but the catch is that every time she does this, a little of her lifeforce is sucked away, shortening her life. The leader of the order, Sister Kate doesn't trust Chrono or Rosette. One reason is that Rosette usually destroys all in her wake trying to exorcise demons. The token pretty boy, Minister Remington, does believe in both our heroes and tries to encourage Kate to do so too. You also have your token lecher, Elder, who serves as the equivalent of Q in the James Bond series, developing new weapons and technology for the Order, but just happens to be insane and always wanting to look up Rosette's dress.

The third and fourth episodes introduce Azamaria, a young girl who witnessed a visitation by the Virgin Mary. While she has the power to heal others, she also suffers from a curse of bad luck. Her other drawback is that demons and devil worshippers can draw from the power of God through her. So at the moment she is being kept a prisoner by the evil Ricardo and his demon servant, Viscount Lerajie, and it's Rosette's and Chrono's mission to rescue her.

This was a good dvd. The animation and all-around look of the series is first rate. The Japanese voice acting is excellent while the English dub seems to feature the same kid voice actors you can find on most ADV disks. Frankly, I'm sick of the same voices all the time. I think some religious conservatives will find the series subject matter very offensive. I mean at one point, Rosette, who is the equivalent of a nun, is waving her butt in Chrono's face, and demon's heads are blown off etc. You've got to take into account that there are very few Christians in Japan, so they're not as uptight about it. Lighten up and enjoy the show!

There's a lot of extras on this disk. There's two installments of "Azamaria's Extra Classes" in which the character explains some of the back story. There are even more features about the background of the series, Producion Sketches, Clean Openings/Closings, Original Japanese Openings, and commentaries by the American voice actors that played Rosette and Chrono.

I rented the first disk of the series with trepidation, but my curiousity regarding a nun with a gun (to fight evil, of course) peaked my interest, and I was rewarded well! Definitely something to see, whether you are religious or not. Although less than 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, the creators certainly put a lot of research into the making of this, with several valid Biblical references (some legendary, some real). The characters are a hoot, with young nun Rosetta Christopher, who is 16, energetic, and slightly destructive in her enthusiasm, the more cautious (devil) Chrono, and Azmaria, the timid soprano who is a holy instrument of God. Along with Father Remington (handsome and good natured), the mysterious Joshua (Rosetta's sick younger brother, now involved with devils!), and another equally mysterious Gem Witch, the story and the characters will draw you along. Certainly a fascinating watch.

Chrono Crusade: Gospel (Volume) 1: A Plague of Demons is the first volume in the anime series. It contains episodes one through four: Pilot, The Covenant, Angel, and Sinners. If all religious persons in a convent were as good-looking as the characters in this series, everyone would rush to join up.

Sister Rosette Christopher is a cute, spunky nun in a secret Catholic order to rid the world of pesky demons. Her sidekick, friend, and constant companion is a boy named Chrono. Rosette is a thorn in the side of Sister Kate, who heads the order. Just as Chrono is a calming influence on hot-headed Rosette, the incredibly handsome Father Remington soothes Sister Kate's frazzled nerves when a Rosette-astrophe occurs.

The interpretation of Christianity is a bit off. I suppose the Japanese find Christianity as exotic as Westerners view Shinto and Buddhism.

In these episodes, we learn Rosette is haunted by the disappearance of her beloved brother, Joshua. In the last two episodes, Rosette and Chrono fight with their lives to rescue a young girl who is one of the "apostles," meaning she is one of seven people blessed with the power of God in the form of one of seven virtues. Devils want to catch the Apostles and harness the power of God to make themselves stronger.

You can't resist a hot gun-toting nun, and if you have reservations about Rosette wearing a non-revealing habit and long bloomers, fear not. There is some yummy fanservice in the third episode. In the fourth episode, Chrono's true identity is revealed.

This volume also has excellent extras - a great buy.

Chrono Crusade is a series that is definitley worth your time. Taking place in the 1920s in New York (and later San Fransisco), it is about a gun-wielding nun, her bond with a demon, and issues with their past that are haunting the present.

Although this series is not for everyone, the inclusion of religious aspects, drama, and a little comedy makes it a memorable series. It is also interesting to see New York portrayed in an anime! Personally, I think they underestimated the size of Grand Central.

Give Chrono Crusade a try- it's action-packed but makes you think as well.

On another note, it starts to become VERY different from the manga after the first few episodes. While the anime is good, the manga is better! I recommend that you give it a try as well.

Chrono Crusade is yet another GONZO anime series that chooses to takes it own path, no matter how risky that path can be. In this case, GONZO mixes guns with nuns in a world of rich devil worshippers at a time right before the Great Depression, ten years after the end of the First World War, in 1928 Manhattan. It follows the Order of Magdalene, a group of nuns and monks, in their attempt to rid the world of evil. Apart of the Order is Sister Rosette, one of the Order's best, at both exorcisms as well as destruction, and following her is her trusted companion Chrono, a benign devil who seems to only want to be accepted by the humans around him. Later in this volume, they pick up another team member, Azmaria, a young girl believed to be associated with the miracle at Fatima in 1917.

In this volume, a lot of what happens is introductory stuff. The cast of characters is large and each one is given just enough time for us to know what they are basically about. It shows the kind of action that we can expect, and lets us know also that this isn't a series that should never be taken seriously. This volume gives us a foreshadowing of the conflict to come as well, involving Sister Rosette's brother Joshua.

Still, there were a few moments that had me saying "Huh?" A lot of it came with the time period, and the fact that some of the technology they were using in this anime were historically impossible for that time; 1928 didn't have tiny walkie-talkies that could be placed in the ear. Another thing that the American writers did was attempt to avoid cliches by mixing the verbiage up. Instead of "Let's get a shake on it," which implies haste, the character says instead, "Let's get a wiggle on." Perhaps I'm being too critical here, but something like this calls out to my attention. I appreciate the gesture of mixing it up, but don't make it so obvious, is what I'm trying to say. Of course, the easy solution to this is to simply watch the subbed version.

Despite all that, this series does have a lot of promise. The comedy, though occasionally forced, is enough to laugh out loud at. The fan-service is minimal, despite a largely female cast (at least from what I saw). The action is solid and somewhat reminiscent of Hellsing. And the characters, especially Chrono, are intriguing; I can't wait to see Chrono in his full form. It appears to me that GONZO has yet another success under their considerably crammed belt.

Dont blame me for the major grammatical errors. This is a review written by my friend:

chrono crusade is one of THE best series that i have ever seen, the way that it is set in the 1920's and new york is awsome cause it gives it like a new style to anime series the way the characters are set up is really different and the way that it uses holy items is awsome and certainly different they way they develop takes some trime but it is still good an absolute MUST SEE for all fans of anime

I rented this not really sure of what it was, heard some bad reviews before it was picked up by ADV, but decided to try it anyways. Now I am hooked! The girly element I love is there w/ Rosette, who is a typical anime girl. She means well, but she has an independent streak and a temper. The missions she goes on w/ her partner Chrono to kill demons always end up in chaos- blown up buildings,etc. There is also comedy similar to The Slayers in a way, and of course there is a background story to be revealed as wel as the search for "apostles" to win the war against the demons. I definitly reccommend this and I can't WAIT for the next volume!

From the Studio Gonzo that brought us Full Metal Panic, comes Chrono Crusade.

A wild adventure set in 1928 New York, where Nuns are charged with going after really cranky evile creatures. The two characters Sister Rosetta and Chrono her devil sidekick pursue the creatures where ever they may find them, wheather it be in a rowhouse building or onboard a cargo vessel.

Packing 1911A1 .45 caliber Colt, Sister Rosetta uses specialized bullets to take out the not so friendly creatures.

Sister Rosetta carrying a specialized time piece which can control Chrono's powers does so with a price everytime she breaks the seal and you will soon find out just much it will cost her in the end.

Considerable violence and gunplay involved with this anime. You will however get more than a few laughs for the hilarity of Sister Rosetta's capability of demolishing everything around her, including ramming Ellis Island with the cargo vessel and of course there is the matter of her demolishing her 1928 Model A sedan in just about every episode.

Extreamly well drawn it will remind you of the earlier Sakura Wars and Sakura Taisen storylines, however no steambots in this. The music is excellant as well and the opening tune tends to stick in ones head like the Sakura War opening theme.

If you enjoyed Witch Hunter Robin, this is certainly something to look into.

I enjoyed watching this anime a lot. I especially liked Chrono's and Rosette's relationship. The thing is that I hated the ending. I mean, it was so tragic for my taste and it was a bit confusing even. I have to give it a credit for being one of the memorable endings, though. I admit that I cried at the end but it wasn't the ending I was looking for. My only solace is that Chrono and Rosette were together till the end.

The ending theme is so beautiful.

Saw the dub of this at an event last weekend... ADV did a perfect job on the color trasfers, and the dub cast is just perfect in this, especally Hilary Haag. Yup, its a buy all right, highly recommended.