Chrono Crusade

Chrono Crusade (クロノ クルセイド), also known as Chrno Crusade, is an eight volume manga series authored by the Japanese mangaka Daisuke Moriyama. It was originally published by Kadokawa Shoten in Monthly Dragon Magazine which began serialization in November 1998. A 24-episode anime television series based on the manga ran from 2003 to 2004 on Fuji TV. The animation work was done by Gonzo. The series was released in North America by ADV Manga and ADV Films, titled Chrono Crusade.

Set in the United States during the 1920s, Chrono Crusade follows the story of Rosette Christopher, and her demon partner Chrono. As members of the Magdalene Order, they travel around the country eliminating demonic threats to society, while Rosette searches for her lost brother Joshua.

Plot
Chrono Crusade is set in the height of the Roaring Twenties, where jazz is king, bootleg liquor flows freely, and the mob rules the streets. It is a time of prosperity, luxury and decadence, and the division between rich and poor grows even wider in the wake of the First World War. It is at such times of great change and upheaval that the dark things that lurk below the world of man can come to the surface. In the world of Chrono Crusade, a fictional organization known as the Order of Magdalene (or more specifically, the characters of Sister Rosette Christopher and her soul-bound demon partner, Chrono) exists to fight the demonic threats that appear with increasing regularity across America. Both Rosette and Chrono are revealed during the course of the story to be driven by a shadowy past, centered around a search for Rosette's lost brother, Joshua. Joshua is shown to have been taken from her by the sinner, Aion, a demon who shares a dark and bloody history with Chrono. He seeks nothing less than to overthrow the delicate balance between Heaven, Earth, and Hell...though he's driven by far more than his inherent demonic need to destroy.

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.

Setting
The Order of Magdalene is an organization of the Catholic Church that banishes devils and demons to Hell. The Order has many branches around the country (some that are mentioned/visited include the Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle branches); each one is presided over by the Council of the Catholic Church. The New York branch of the Order is headed by Kate Valentine, assisted by Ewan Remington, who lead the fight against the forces of darkness. The Order has many members; however, in times of great crisis, other less generally accepted individuals may be introduced into the Order to help fight the forces of darkness.

They use various weapons, mainly guns, swords, and melee weapons, many of which are developed by the New York branch's own Edward "Elder" Hamilton. The Order's preferred handgun is the Colt 1911, often loaded with Sacred, standard bullets containing holy water, and Gospel, bullets with alchemized silver. The bullet Spirit was also developed, but upon test-fire it was found to be too dangerous, using a repressed lower-class demon for its explosive power. Tetragrammaton, a gun with high power against demons with low backlash, is given to Rosette and later used by Chrono. Besides using guns, there are members of Order with special powers as well, using devices like tomes, violins, or dolls. They also use Angel Capture Fields, specialized barriers that can repel demons, their powers, and other astral based substances, and are set up by creating a rectangular array of cross-shaped stakes in the ground and activating them. The Order also developed Soul Dive, an experimental system used to dive into souls for direct exorcism. The Order also unveils its flagship, the Metatron, in the final showdown with Pandaemonium.

Main

 * Rosette Christopher (ロゼット·クリストファ)
 * The impulsive, 16-year-old, protagonist of Chrono Crusade. Rosette is an elite exorcist of the Order of Magdalene and goes out on missions to destroy deadly spirits and devils. Her primary motivation is to save her brother Joshua, who has been captured by Aion. Because of a contract she formed with Chrono when she was 12, her life is slowly ticking away. Despite this, she continues to run toward her goals, confronting every challenge with a headstrong attitude. This conviction inspires others like Chrono and Azmaria to push forward, as well. She is almost ideally unfazed by the future she chose when she made her contract with Chrono, claiming she's still going to be "kicking and screaming 'til the very end". Despite knowing exactly who and what Chrono is, she doesn't seem the least bit afraid of him and trusts him indefinitely as her partner, and quite literally soulmate. Rosette is somewhat simple and prone to impulsive behavior that gets her in trouble later, but usually claims it's because she knows she's short on time and can't afford to hesitate on things she may never live to do again. Rosette's character is significantly changed in the events of the anime, to the effect of losing many of her headstrong, optimistic qualities.
 * The impulsive, 16-year-old, protagonist of Chrono Crusade. Rosette is an elite exorcist of the Order of Magdalene and goes out on missions to destroy deadly spirits and devils. Her primary motivation is to save her brother Joshua, who has been captured by Aion. Because of a contract she formed with Chrono when she was 12, her life is slowly ticking away. Despite this, she continues to run toward her goals, confronting every challenge with a headstrong attitude. This conviction inspires others like Chrono and Azmaria to push forward, as well. She is almost ideally unfazed by the future she chose when she made her contract with Chrono, claiming she's still going to be "kicking and screaming 'til the very end". Despite knowing exactly who and what Chrono is, she doesn't seem the least bit afraid of him and trusts him indefinitely as her partner, and quite literally soulmate. Rosette is somewhat simple and prone to impulsive behavior that gets her in trouble later, but usually claims it's because she knows she's short on time and can't afford to hesitate on things she may never live to do again. Rosette's character is significantly changed in the events of the anime, to the effect of losing many of her headstrong, optimistic qualities.


 * Chrono (クロノ)
 * Rosette's contractor, partner, and closest friend. Chrono is stoic, loyal, kind, and somewhat quiet, although his mild facade of a young boy belies a fierce, full-grown demon of somewhat infamous power. His contract with Rosette allows him to be "unsealed" into his true form, which is impossible for him to remain in permanently due to being without his demonic horns, his source of astral power. He usually fights tooth-and-nail with Rosette for any other alternative before he allows her to open the seal on the pocketwatch which links her soul with his powers, as he is extremely unwilling to drain her life away. In the form of a young boy, he is extremely docile and rather charming, often surprising the humans he is familiar with. Although considered a "reformed" demon, Chrono has quite the temper, and if provoked will go into a terrifying rage that blinds him from most everything around him, including the people he cares about. Despite this, Chrono is deathly afraid of hurting others, or of being unable to protect those most important to him. His shadowy past with Aion and the series' namesake Mary Magdalene is what motivates him to join forces with humans, although even Rosette has a hard time getting the whole, true story out of him. In the manga, Rosette has unsealed Chrono significantly more times than in the anime.
 * Rosette's contractor, partner, and closest friend. Chrono is stoic, loyal, kind, and somewhat quiet, although his mild facade of a young boy belies a fierce, full-grown demon of somewhat infamous power. His contract with Rosette allows him to be "unsealed" into his true form, which is impossible for him to remain in permanently due to being without his demonic horns, his source of astral power. He usually fights tooth-and-nail with Rosette for any other alternative before he allows her to open the seal on the pocketwatch which links her soul with his powers, as he is extremely unwilling to drain her life away. In the form of a young boy, he is extremely docile and rather charming, often surprising the humans he is familiar with. Although considered a "reformed" demon, Chrono has quite the temper, and if provoked will go into a terrifying rage that blinds him from most everything around him, including the people he cares about. Despite this, Chrono is deathly afraid of hurting others, or of being unable to protect those most important to him. His shadowy past with Aion and the series' namesake Mary Magdalene is what motivates him to join forces with humans, although even Rosette has a hard time getting the whole, true story out of him. In the manga, Rosette has unsealed Chrono significantly more times than in the anime.


 * Azmaria Hendrich (アズマリア·ヘンドリック)
 * The Apostle of Charity and Songstress of Vegas. Azmaria is a 12-year-old girl with the gift of healing with song. Sensitive and fearful, at times Azmaria is more of a liability to Rosette and Chrono than she is an asset. She has been traded among families like a trophy for most of her life, so her self-confidence and feeling of self-worth is extremely low. She has a spectacular soprano singing voice, and as such began her young life singing with a Portuguese orchestra, but when it was discovered that her singing voice had healing powers and marked her as an Apostle, she became an object of pursuit. After rescuing her as part of the Order's roundup of the Apostles, Rosette and Chrono soon make it their personal mission to help Azmaria to value herself just as much as she does others. She is hardworking, diligent, and very eager, and idolizes Rosette as an older sister and mentor.
 * The Apostle of Charity and Songstress of Vegas. Azmaria is a 12-year-old girl with the gift of healing with song. Sensitive and fearful, at times Azmaria is more of a liability to Rosette and Chrono than she is an asset. She has been traded among families like a trophy for most of her life, so her self-confidence and feeling of self-worth is extremely low. She has a spectacular soprano singing voice, and as such began her young life singing with a Portuguese orchestra, but when it was discovered that her singing voice had healing powers and marked her as an Apostle, she became an object of pursuit. After rescuing her as part of the Order's roundup of the Apostles, Rosette and Chrono soon make it their personal mission to help Azmaria to value herself just as much as she does others. She is hardworking, diligent, and very eager, and idolizes Rosette as an older sister and mentor.


 * Satella Harvenheit (サテラ·ハーベンハイト)
 * A jewel summoner and bounty hunter specializing in demons. Her entire family was wiped out by a "hornless demon", save for her and her older sister Florette (AKA Fiore). She is now on the search for her sister, who was taken from the massacre by the monster. At first she feels uncomfortable around Rosette and the others due to their trust with Chrono, a hornless devil she thought was Aion, but after spending time with them, she recognizes them as her friends. In the Manga, she is significanty friendlier with the others, and even flirts around with Chrono, much to the annoyance of Rosette.
 * A jewel summoner and bounty hunter specializing in demons. Her entire family was wiped out by a "hornless demon", save for her and her older sister Florette (AKA Fiore). She is now on the search for her sister, who was taken from the massacre by the monster. At first she feels uncomfortable around Rosette and the others due to their trust with Chrono, a hornless devil she thought was Aion, but after spending time with them, she recognizes them as her friends. In the Manga, she is significanty friendlier with the others, and even flirts around with Chrono, much to the annoyance of Rosette.

Magdalene Order

 * Sister Kate Valentine (ケイト·ヴァレンタイン)
 * Head of the New York Branch of the Magdalene Order. She is a strong willed woman who often seems out of place fighting demons and devils. She leads the order with an iron resolve, making sure the New York Branch Office runs as smooth as clockwork. She also distrusts Chrono despite his gentle nature due to his status as a demon.
 * Head of the New York Branch of the Magdalene Order. She is a strong willed woman who often seems out of place fighting demons and devils. She leads the order with an iron resolve, making sure the New York Branch Office runs as smooth as clockwork. She also distrusts Chrono despite his gentle nature due to his status as a demon.


 * Father Ewan Remington (ユアン·レミントン)
 * The minister of the Magdalene Order. He also serves as a field agent and second in command to Sister Kate. In the Anime, towards the end he leaves the Order. He is seen quite a while later, looking about the same age but unshaven, when the third Prophecy of Fatima happens, just before, seeing someone who appears similar, if not the same, to Aion. He also has the apparent ability to warp, moving from the Magdalene NY HQ to a carnival in San Francisco instantly without anyone's notice. Immediately afterward, during the phone conversation with Sister Kate, he states that he is an Angel. He later states "I am A Sinner", after he severs ties with God, declaring "I have no regrets about my torn wings". In the manga, it is revealed that he had initial history with Chrono as he was the boy who failed to save Mary Magdaline from being kidnapped by Chrono. It is also revealed that he suffered an injury that would have ended his duty in the order and volunteered to be infused with Legion (a devil's equivalent to cells) in order to continue his work. After the events of the story, he retires but continues his duty as a father of the Catholic Church.
 * The minister of the Magdalene Order. He also serves as a field agent and second in command to Sister Kate. In the Anime, towards the end he leaves the Order. He is seen quite a while later, looking about the same age but unshaven, when the third Prophecy of Fatima happens, just before, seeing someone who appears similar, if not the same, to Aion. He also has the apparent ability to warp, moving from the Magdalene NY HQ to a carnival in San Francisco instantly without anyone's notice. Immediately afterward, during the phone conversation with Sister Kate, he states that he is an Angel. He later states "I am A Sinner", after he severs ties with God, declaring "I have no regrets about my torn wings". In the manga, it is revealed that he had initial history with Chrono as he was the boy who failed to save Mary Magdaline from being kidnapped by Chrono. It is also revealed that he suffered an injury that would have ended his duty in the order and volunteered to be infused with Legion (a devil's equivalent to cells) in order to continue his work. After the events of the story, he retires but continues his duty as a father of the Catholic Church.


 * Edward Hamilton (エドワード·ハミルトン)
 * Elder is the person who makes the weapons used by the exorcists. He also has a great love for women which is why he may appear perverted, though he greatly cares for all the girls.
 * Elder is the person who makes the weapons used by the exorcists. He also has a great love for women which is why he may appear perverted, though he greatly cares for all the girls.


 * Sister Anna (アンナ)
 * voiced by: Yuki Masuda (Japanese), Mandy Clark : Ep. 01 – 15 / Brittney Karbowski : Ep. 16 – 24 (English)

Devils

 * Duke Duffau
 * The leader of his own army. He allied with the Magdalene Order to fight against the Sinners and manage to eliminate Genai. He led his troops on an attack on Aion but was slain along with the rest.
 * The leader of his own army. He allied with the Magdalene Order to fight against the Sinners and manage to eliminate Genai. He led his troops on an attack on Aion but was slain along with the rest.


 * Carv
 * One of the members of Duke Duffau's army. He was killed along with his enemy Viede (one of Aion's Sinners).
 * One of the members of Duke Duffau's army. He was killed along with his enemy Viede (one of Aion's Sinners).


 * Gurio
 * One of the members of Duke Duffau's army. He followed Duffau on the attack against Aion but was wounded by Rosette's holy blood. He managed to escape and went back to Chrono to warn him about Rosette, but died of wounds soon after.
 * One of the members of Duke Duffau's army. He followed Duffau on the attack against Aion but was wounded by Rosette's holy blood. He managed to escape and went back to Chrono to warn him about Rosette, but died of wounds soon after.

Sinners

 * Aion (アイオーン)
 * The antagonist of the anime/manga series. He is a Sinner and a demon. He is also Chrono's twin brother. He is after all of the Apostles, including Azmaria, for reasons that are unknown until Chrono reveals them. In the Manga, his goal is to rebuild the world out of the "system" that binds everyone to their respective roles.
 * The antagonist of the anime/manga series. He is a Sinner and a demon. He is also Chrono's twin brother. He is after all of the Apostles, including Azmaria, for reasons that are unknown until Chrono reveals them. In the Manga, his goal is to rebuild the world out of the "system" that binds everyone to their respective roles.


 * Joshua Christopher (ヨシュア·クリストファ)
 * He holds allegiance to Aion's Sinners, and is also the Apostle of Hope and Rosette's little brother. He is able to freeze people's time with the use of Chrono's devil horns, given to him by Aion. He was tricked into taking Chrono's horns and following Aion because he didn't want Rosette to have to take care of him all the time. He wanted to be strong enough to take care of her and be her support instead of the other way around.
 * He holds allegiance to Aion's Sinners, and is also the Apostle of Hope and Rosette's little brother. He is able to freeze people's time with the use of Chrono's devil horns, given to him by Aion. He was tricked into taking Chrono's horns and following Aion because he didn't want Rosette to have to take care of him all the time. He wanted to be strong enough to take care of her and be her support instead of the other way around.


 * Florette/Fiore Harvenheit (フィオレ/フロレット·ハーベンハイト)
 * Fiore is a very powerful jewel summoner who is Joshua's caretaker/maid (whom he refers to as "older sister"). When she was younger she was taken by Aion, who erased her memory. Aion replaced her memories of Satella with memories of Joshua, which in turns makes her think that Joshua is her brother. She is completely devoted to Aion and Joshua, vowing to always protect Joshua no matter what. Later when she encountered her sister Satella she had no idea who she was. However, in the manga, she retained her memories and insisted that her existence as "Florette" ceased the day she died.
 * Fiore is a very powerful jewel summoner who is Joshua's caretaker/maid (whom he refers to as "older sister"). When she was younger she was taken by Aion, who erased her memory. Aion replaced her memories of Satella with memories of Joshua, which in turns makes her think that Joshua is her brother. She is completely devoted to Aion and Joshua, vowing to always protect Joshua no matter what. Later when she encountered her sister Satella she had no idea who she was. However, in the manga, she retained her memories and insisted that her existence as "Florette" ceased the day she died.


 * Rizelle (リゼール)
 * A Spider-like sinner who can cast a spell that paralyzes its victims which thus can be controlled like puppets. All she desires is to be helpful to Aion. Rizelle knew Chrono before Chrono left the sinners. She is one of the six members of Aion's team and the first one to be killed.
 * A Spider-like sinner who can cast a spell that paralyzes its victims which thus can be controlled like puppets. All she desires is to be helpful to Aion. Rizelle knew Chrono before Chrono left the sinners. She is one of the six members of Aion's team and the first one to be killed.


 * Shader
 * She is one of the six members of Aion's team. She is the one that invented the devices Chrono and Aion have to absorb "astral" since they no longer have horns to absorb energy from the Astral Line. She's the fourth to be killed by Remington. In the manga she survives the events of the main story and continues to live in modern America.
 * She is one of the six members of Aion's team. She is the one that invented the devices Chrono and Aion have to absorb "astral" since they no longer have horns to absorb energy from the Astral Line. She's the fourth to be killed by Remington. In the manga she survives the events of the main story and continues to live in modern America.


 * Viede
 * He is one of the six members of Aion's team and also the second to be killed along with his enemy Carv.
 * He is one of the six members of Aion's team and also the second to be killed along with his enemy Carv.


 * Genai
 * He is one of the six members of Aion's team. He wanted to avenge Rizelle after learning that she had been killed. He's the third to be killed by Duke Duffau.
 * He is one of the six members of Aion's team. He wanted to avenge Rizelle after learning that she had been killed. He's the third to be killed by Duke Duffau.

Production
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.

Manga
Written and illustrated by Daisuke Moriyama, Chrono Crusade has 59 chapters, called "Acts". It premiered in the November 1998 issue Dragon Age and ran until its conclusion in the June 2004 issue. The individual chapters were published in eight tankōbon volumes by Kadokawa Shoten from December 1999 to September 2004.

The series was licensed for English language release in North America by ADV Manga in 2004. In addition to releasing all eight volumes of the series, ADV Manga published some of the series chapters in its anime and manga magazine NewType USA. The series was released in English in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. It was also licensed for regional language releases in France by Asuka, in Mexico by Grupo Editorial Vid, in Italy by Planet Manga, in Germany by Carlsen Comics, in Hungary by Mangafan and in Denmark and Sweden by Mangismo.

Most recently, a reprint of Chrono Crusade was released in Japan, beginning in January 2010 and releasing two volumes per month. These featured brand-new book design and artwork. Of note is the crucial spelling correction from "Chrno" to "Chrono", following the statement made by Moriyama's publishers during the original serialization apologizing for the typo. The series logo itself underwent a massive change, perhaps as a disambiguation from the logos of the video games Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, which also incorporated a clock within the first C in the title and was cause for some confusion among fans. The reprint features brand-new artwork on each volume with minimal ornamentation, featuring one character each (in order, Rosette, Chrono, Satella, Azmaria, Aion, Mary, Fiore) until the last volume, which featured a collage of the main cast, including Joshua, Sister Kate, and Father Remington.

Anime
Chrono Crusade was first aired on Fuji TV in Japan on November 23, 2003 and ran for 24 episodes until its conclusion on June 10, 2004. The series is licensed for an English language release in North America by ADV Films, which aired its English dubbed version of the series on Showtime Beyond in the United States from February 17, 2006 to July 28, 2006. On June 25, 2010, anime distributor Funimation Entertainment announced on their online panel FuniCon 4.0, that they have acquired the series along with 3 other former ADV titles, after ADV's shutdown in 2009.

CD
Original Soundtrack, Volume 1 and 2 were composed by Masumi Itō, under her pseudonym, Hikaru Nanase.

Novel
A light novel adaptation, Chrono Crusade: Wings, They are the Light of the Soul (クロノクルセイド: 翼よ、あれが魂の灯だ), was published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten on April 20, 2004. Written by Tominaga Hiroshi and illustrated by Miyazawa Hiroshi, the novel is an original side story for the series, in which Sister Rosette and Chrono investigate strange events in St. Louis.