After watching Chrno Crusade about ten years ago, I promised myself I'd never watch it again.
For inspiration's sake, I broke that promise and watched it once again over the course of the last two weeks.
If you've seen this anime, you know how it ends, and perhaps understand why I never wanted to watch it again.
Where it took me by surprise ten years ago and broke my heart, this time around, I'm left with the bitter aftertaste that the ending for the anime was botched. The characters deserved better. And as I've read the manga has a completely different ending, it's what I'll be reading after I'm done with Rurouni Kenshin.
Attention: Spoilers Ahead. You have been warned.
Chrno and Rosette are, in my opinion, fantastic characters. Especially Rosette, though I'll admit I'm majoritarily a Chrno fan. After watching the anime again, I'm left thinking that his personality could have been further expanded upon.
Because the ending, when you think about it, doesn't feel right.
Being a writer of emotion, and spending a lot of time analyzing people and dissecting psychology in everything I watch, I feel as though the anime makers forgot some character growth in their decision to end the anime on such tragic notes.
Fact is, I started watching it again after Rurouni Kenshin because the characters made me think of my own; I'm currently writing the life story of two pretty opposite characters - one being a nice Vampire, the other a swordfighter from a peaceful race - with certain traits reminiscent of the characters in Chrno Crusade, namely: the female swordfighter seeks justice above all, and the male Vampire seeks only to protect her from harm.
One thing's for certain: he wouldn't throw his life away like Chrno did. Furthermore: if he had to make a choice to his detriment in order to save her, he would. Even should he throw his dreams and ideals away. That's just how much he cared - and, judging by Chrno's global personality, that's what I'd expect from him.
Yet, he selfishly chose to pursue his dream into death, even though he must have known it'd cost Rosette her life. And that's where I feel he was misportrayed.
In the last episodes, at some point we find Chrno sitting under a tree, apparently contemplating suicide so that Rosette's time may stop ticking. He takes all the blame of the situation on his shoulders (with admittedly good reason). He blames himself, and Aion, for pursuing the dream of being free. Then Azmaria convinces him to go save Rosette (I unfortunately forget what exactly she said).
If truly Chrno felt guilt-ridden for pursuing his dream, that he wanted to save Rosette no matter what, then he would've picked up his horns and become a true demon again.
My reasoning is simple: demons only need human lives in order to live when they are hornless (which, by the way, makes Aion not have much sense unless the Aion we've seen throughout the anime was just a shadow). The horns, which grew on Joshua's head when given to him, would logically grow back on their true owner's head. Had Chrno taken up demonhood again, then he could have broken the contract with Rosette and allowed her to live longer.
Furthermore: living would be penance for all the hurt he knows he's caused. But, instead, he dies free. Selfishly so, with Rosette by his side. In the manga it seems they both keep living for a while, with Chrno actually not dying at the end of it. That, in my opinion, is what makes sense.
If really he loved Rosette as much as he claimed, he would've sacrificed his freedom for her sake.
Relatedly, we don't hear anything about the demon world after Dufo gets killed - as though those were the only demons in existence. Shouldn't Chrno have known better? Shouldn't he have chosen to be a force of good in the demon world? Didn't he realize he could help the world, considering he knew about the prophecies of Fatima? Or did his childish appearance make him stupid?
I feel like so much is ignored. Like, a silly detail: at the end of one episode, we see Chrno laying his jacket on Satella's body; in the next episode, he's wearing it again. If he gives someone his coat, especially as a mark of respect, he's not going to pick it back up. His character seems to be broken at several points in the story, which makes me far more sad than the anime's eventual ending.
I hope never to do that with my characters. ... but then, they'll kill me if I do << XD;
And with this I close the Chrno Crusade chapter. That anime had broken my heart, and now it just leaves me bitter. I feel as though they forced these tragic endings, ignoring character growth. In my mind, Chrno's still alive, because that's what makes sense.
And I really like him. But that's beside the point. Or is it?
Anyway. If you've seen the anime/read the manga, what do you think yourself? I'm honestly curious.
No comments:
Post a Comment