A short but sweet installment of Anime Talk this time around. We have reviews of the Love Hina movie collection as well as our take on the latest volume of Baki the Grappler. There's also a table of anime titles coming out in the next couple of weeks, Holly's Anime Bargains, and Todd gives us the low down on the last two volumes of the Chrono Crusade manga.

Fans of the Love Hina series that missed out on the three OVA released in 2003 have something to be thankful for; Bandai has released them again. This collection is comprised entirely of reissued discs containing the Christmas, Spring, and Again specials. As far as episode content is concerned these are mostly fine and dandy though to be honest they each feel a little <i>too</i> similar to the series for their own good. The real treat is the fact that the unaired Episode 25 is featured as extra content on the Christmas special. This set is only for fans of the series that are looking for more. If you haven't seen the show yet then you should skip these and start there.

The tournament continues in Baki the Grappler and there are only a few volumes left until the big finale. For fans of the OVA this is the portion that we've been waiting for. Unfortunately the show has spent most of its time at this point focusing on the other combatants instead of the titular character and the main players. Baki has gotten lost in the shuffle but he pops in every now and then to get into the ring. He still hasn't been able to stand up to his father though that confrontation has constantly been dangled in front of us like a carrot on a stick. I get the impression that the show is going somewhere but for right now it feels like it's merely running in the same spot.

Be sure to take a look at recommendations by DVDTalk's twisted cast of reviewers in their Best Of Anime 2003,  Best Of Anime 2004, and Top Ten Anime discs of 2005 articles.

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The Chrono Crusade manga has been out for some time and the same can be said for the anime for that matter. Both concepts are published by different facets of ADV and by now there is no doubt you have heard of the series. After all, it's a franchise based upon nuns with guns who fight demons. What more could an otaku want?

Chrono Crusade takes place in 1928 and focuses on a young member of the Magdalene Order named Rosette Christopher. She's a teenage sister with a nose for trouble and a knack for getting in over her head. Wherever she goes she leaves behind a wake of destruction and needless to say her boss doesn't particularly enjoy having to pay for the damages. Then again, Rosette wouldn't have that bad of a time if those pesky demons would stop attacking people. Luckily for her she's not alone in her adventure and the Order has her partnered up with a kid called Chrono.

If you read my recap of the first two volumes then you know that I use the term "kid" loosely. Chrono is actually a powerful demon who has taken the form of a child. So you may be asking yourself "What is a nun doing teaming up with a demon?" Well, when Rosette was a little younger she came upon Chrono and the two formed a pact of sorts. Rosette's soul and life force now resides in a watch that hangs around her neck, and each time Chrono uses his powers she takes one step closer to death. Sadly there are many instances where the seal must be broken and the power unleashed, so it's a great foreshadowing of things to come and really adds to the drama of the series.

The first six volumes were fantastic and to be frank, they offer everything that I look for in a manga. The action, humor, emotion and artwork are to such a point that I'd call this series a classic. It may not hit as many high notes as, say, Fullmetal Alchemist, but the series is much better than most of what's on the market. As things come to a close for Rosette and company, parting is such sweet sorrow and tragedy takes the center stage.

In the last two volumes Rosette finally encountered her long lost brother Joshua but the meeting wasn't exactly how she planned. He appeared to be a servant of Aion and Chrono's horns are adorned on his skull. Let's just say that brother and sister have it out with each other and the ensuing conflict grows larger and leaves lives hanging in the balance.

The calm after the storm doesn't keep things quiet for long. A demonic war erupts that draws everyone in and when I say everyone, I do mean everyone. Pandemonium (the demon world) comes to town and many characters, both good and bad, bite the dust. These aren't meaningless deaths but they are kind of surprising. Few shows kill off main characters (I won't say who though) and keep them dead. I guess that's one of the reasons that Chrono Crusade sucked me in; especially at the end.

This series (both anime and manga) made an impression on me with the way they both end. There are some variances between the two but the message is still essentially the same. Filled with emotion and all of the bits that make up an epic this manga was impressively strong from start to finish. All eight volumes were a real treat and it's safe to say that this series enjoys more mainstream attention.

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