| Chrono Crusade Complete Collection [US] |
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| Tuesday, 08 August 2006 | |
 Here's a complete collection that annoyed many a fan, as it came out barely 3 months after the final single volume of Chrono Crusade for something like a third of the price. The trade-off is that there are no extras with the complete collection - but on the plus side, you get a thinpacked set in a rather nice, solid box, and a damned good show to boot...If you want the full episode summaries, check the reviews of the individual discs, linked below. The complete collection comes on five discs as opposed to the original release's seven, but there are no other changes to the sow itself. Chrono Crusade follows the adventures of a nun of the Magdalene Order, Rosette Christopher, and her rather unusual sidekick, Chrono. The setting is an alternate version of 1920's America, where the idle rich have gone one step beyond bootleg liquor and are now dabbling in demon summoning and worship. Where does the Magdalene Order come into this? With the approval of the authorities, they're the ones responsible for banishing or exorcising any demons who manage to break free of the control of their summoners - and we're not talking prayer circles here, we're talking heavy weaponry. Yes, it's nuns with guns - and with demons for a sidekick, in the form of "fallen" demon Chrono.     It's very much a show of two parts. The earlier portion of the series is an action-comedy, with mostly standalone episodes as Rosette and Chrono deal with demons large and small, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. One the the basic pillars of the story - Rosette's search for her missing brother, Joshua - is also introduced here, but not paid a great deal of attention. It's all pretty light-hearted, and just the thing to draw you into the series in an unthreatening way, while making sure that all the major characters get a decent introduction. So far, so good.     The first appearance of demon-amongst-demons Aion, however, marks the beginning of a change into something altogether darker and more emotional. Aion's the demon behind Joshua's disappearance, and he's got grand plans to unleash hell upon Earth - or at least, that's what we're led to believe. With an army of willing minions he's got no real need to get involved in dealing with Rosette himself initially, but as the story progresses he begins to play more and more of a part in events, and the more you see of him the more death and destruction our good guys have to deal with. As a complication, Chrono used to be Aion's partner-in-crime, and would have a score to settle with him even if it weren't for his burning desire to protect Rosette.     By the final third of the series, the show has completed its transition into what's almost a love story - especially as far as Rosette's concerned, but also for some of the other characters who each have their own special someone to be fighting for. The comedy almost disappears, and by the final episodes even Aion's presence is less of a direct threat and more something to facilitate what Rosette and Chrono are going through. It's certainly not what I expected to see when starting the series off, but the change is done so well that you barely notice it until it's already happened.   The end result is a series that really is a must-see, despite its fairly low-brow beginnings. It just gets better and better as it goes on, with plenty of background material given for each of the characters making sure you get a good feel for them and some sort of attachment to them. It's very well-presented as well - no surprise, given it's a GONZO series - with some great action scenes and a decent soundtrack. I can see where fans who bought the original release could be more than a little miffed, but this el-cheapo release really does give the opportunity to get hold of a genuinely good series for a real bargain price. Go get. » Volume 1: A Plague of Demons » Volume 2: Holy War » Volume 3: The World, the Flesh and the Devil » Volume 4: The Devil to Pay » Volume 5: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea » Volume 6: Devil's Advocate » Volume 7: Hellfire  |
