Moriyama’s manga continues with the third volume and another dangerous mission for Rosette, Chrono, and Azmaria. The trio meet the German Jewel Summoner and bounty hunter Satella Harvenheit, who is on a search for a demon without horns that killed her parents ten years prior. Stella mistakes Chrono for that demon; however, her suspicions are settled by Chrono’s selflessness and Rosette, who clarifies that Chrono had only been awakened four years prior. Stella becomes an unlikely friend when she learns of Rosette’s own search for her missing brother.
Later in the volume, the four make a journey to San Francisco, CA, but are viciously attacked by a spider demon called the Puppet Master, or Rizelle, the somber woman who cares for Joshua. This battle tests Rosette’s trust in her friends and her morals as she nearly kills innocent people in desperation. However, the volume concludes with the four safe, Rizelle’s warning of Pandemonium and Joshua’s instability, and then Rizelle’s demise.
About the Manga
Chrono Crusade, Volume 3 (2000)
Chapters: 15 to 21
Series: Chrono Crusade (1999-2004)
Volumes: 8
Author(s): Daisuke Moriyama
Demographic: Shōnen
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Supernatural
Theme(s): Friendship, Limited Time, Loneliness, Love, Power, Sacrifice, Siblinghood
Status: Complete
Trigger(s): None
Review
I give this volume 5 out of 5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chrono Crusade continues to surprise me. I think that Moriyama’s art is great, though messy at times. What stands out to me the most is the writing consistency; the characters never stray far from their principles and are often challenged by their internalized struggles. Sometimes the characters’ morals and capabilities are challenged by their enemies, which is what Rosette encountered in this volume. After reading Rizelle’s warning of Pandemonium, the demon world, I’m interested in seeing what the characters are capable of doing to reach their goals.
Characters
Rosette Christopher is very likable as a heroine; she’s selfless, witty, charismatic, and never takes herself too seriously. I like that in this volume, Moriyama pushes her to her limits. Joshua is a touchy topic for her, and when he’s brought up by a demon who she believes is doing him harm, Rosette snaps. Rosette gives in to Rizelle’s taunts and nearly kills innocent people who are under her control. It’s not often when mangaka depict their heroines in such a morally-gray way. I should also mention that going further into the story, Rosette is becoming more desperate. Moriyama depicts her desperation through her actions and the other characters’ reactions.
Satella Harvenheit is an interesting character who seems to serve as a parallel to Rosette. They have similar goals, though Satella’s cause is geared towards avenging her family. Satella’s personality is similar to Rosette’s; she’s blunt and isn’t careful about the things she says. However, Satella is more careful about how she presents herself.
Rizelle is a mysterious demon, or Sinner, and it’s a shame that we don’t see any more of her. Although Rizelle appeared indifferent towards Joshua, she was protective of him because of Aion. Before her death, she thinks of Aion and questions if she had been useful to him. It makes me think that Rizelle might have been in love with Aion. Seeing how human Chrono and Rizelle were made, it makes me wish that there were more scenes with Rizelle. I’m curious about her past and what her time with Joshua were like.
The Themes
As the series progresses, Moriyama continues to explore the themes that I mentioned above (friendship, limited time, love, power, sacrifice, and siblinghood). I’d say that limited time is the most obvious theme as Rosette is given a motif, or symbol (the pocket watch) that’s exploited when she and Chrono face a powerful foe. The most interesting themes to me is sacrifice, or selflessness, as it’s a trait that nearly all characters have. However, Rosette must sacrifice her personal feelings for a greater cause. This is more apparent in the volume as she struggles to contain her emotions to defeat Rizelle. Rosette sacrifices her emotions and her time for her cause and the Magdalene Order.
One theme that surprised me in this volume is loneliness. Rosette is separated from her friends and has become Aion’s new target. Again, Moriyama pushes Rosette into a darker mindset as she becomes more desperate to save her brother, who has been revealed to be completely uncaring of the situation. Rosette’s isolation is weighed down by her inability to save her brother and the fact that no one has really been in her place. Sure, Satella somewhat understands what Rosette is going through, but the lengths that Rosette is willing to reach and the things that she’s willing to sacrifice is what makes her situation so different from other characters. I like that she finds some clarity of her feelings when she reunites with Chrono and the others, but the somber undertones makes it hard to believe that Rosette feels relief even with her friends’ help.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but I’m loving the series. I’m looking forward to the fourth volume and to learn more about Pandemonium.
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