Ranked #388

Claymore

Claymore is a Shounen, Action, Adventure anime in a Fantasy, Medieval setting. The story basically revolves around a specific Claymore "Clare" and her companion "Raki" as she goes from town to town, slaying monsters known as Yoma.

From the beginning the story is very easy to follow. You have Claymores (strong female warriors) and it is the job of these Claymores to slay the Yoma. The story basically follows Clare as she travels to slay these Yoma, which get increasingly difficult to defeat as the story goes on. As a character Clare is developed so well that your opinion of her will change constantly throughout the series. Knowing her past before she became a Claymore and her current self makes it hard to believe that those two are the same person. What's disappointing is that some of the other main characters are not as developed as Clare but at least they produced good enough results. Raki being the main supporting character is really the only annoying character and doesn't really bring much to the story. As the story goes on it changes completely from the original hunt and kill Yoma, onto a more interesting and compelling storyline with amazing battles.

The fight sequences are just amazing and what helps it is the superb animation quality, thanks to "Madhouse" (also producer of "Death Note"). A lot of detail is put into every aspect of animation, with amazing lighting effects, detailed backgrounds and realistic character models. It is great to see all this kept during the bloody fight sequences however I do feel some corners are cut which just loses some of its essence (e.g. when the arms move so fast it does the typical DBZ speed attacking effect).

The music is fantastic with a magnificent orchestral score mixed in with some wicked bass and rockin' tunes. It's perfect in setting the right atmosphere; drama or action, it does well in both however there are times, mostly during fights, that the music can get a little messy.

Overall this ends up becoming an interesting anime that actually brings something new to the saturated shounen anime market. It manages to stay true to the manga storyline throughout however the story ends up moving at a very fast pace but the benefit of this is that every episode counts and there isn't any screen time wasted by: pointless flashback, training episodes, prolong deaths, etc. It's a shame that the anime deviated from the manga slightly near the end, which is bad news to manga fans and it means there's less chance for it continuing.

^_^ read more

Claymore is one of the most intelligent shonen anime that has come out in recent years. It has a pretty good, though rather classic plot of revenge. For a story synopsis go to animenfo.com. In any case, here's my review up to eps 14.

We see that the main character, Clare, does grow throughout the series so far, which means in each episode something happens and she is changed by it, and through out the story arcs, she is either benefited by the events or suffers the consequences whether she wants or not. I can talk about this character as if she were a real life person precisely because the balance of things that happen to her - I don't mean that she gets exactly half good and half bad as she journeys, but I mean she has her good days; she has her awesome days; she has her awful days, and she has her almost dying days. She grows through it all.

She has suffered a ton in her life time, and as a woman, she's seen a lot of dark side in men. Yet she's still on the job, partially because she doesn't want to quit. There are rules bounding her but we can assume that she can leave and go in hiding if she desired. But she doesn't quit her job. Why is that?

I think she has a sense that the rules of the game are to be followed, maybe not completely to the T, as sometimes she goes out and bend some of them, but not breaking them. There are priorities over organizational rules, after all, especially when it comes to saving a life and nurturing it. She learns that from her previous experience when she was in the position of being nurtured. However, at the same time, she nurtured the person who was supposedly the strong one (this happen when she was young and wasn't a Claymore). Something within Clare made her a strong person even before she grew up to become a Claymore - she recognized pain and suffering similar to hers.

Despite all the things happened to her, she's still going strong. She risks her life and being discovered (she's currently hiding) when she sees her comrades desperately need help; even though she's not quite powerful yet and her opponents-would-be are extremely powerful - a classic component of shonen anime. Here, I'll go into the shonen stereotypes.

Claymore is a shonen show with its classic plots - revenge, skilling up/powering up, mentors who train, and someone that comes out and help during the most desperate-to-the-urgency-of-death situation (hopefully only one). The biggest and the most obvious twist here is that all the strong characters are women - all the roles that would've been filled by men in the classic shonen (Saint Seiya comes to mind) are filled by women in this case. What marks it apart from a lot of other shonen is the fact that it doesn't drag on and on and give out mindless battles or tournaments. That means everyone that the main character has to fight has a good reason to be there, and some of them do indeed come back later, like many shonen shows, but not because they just do, or they have some simple reason like they just want to come back for another round, but these characters all have their reasons, some forced, some by choices, and some by both.

What happens earlier definitely affects what happens later. Friends and enemies are made later because of earlier events and encounters (this anime would make a great RPG).

Because the plot doesn't drag - the anime came out when the manga is already on vol. 13 or 14 (I can't remember), which means they have a wealth of materials to work with, the arcs are well developed and I don't see any unnecessary fillers (at least not yet, I can't remember if this is slated to be a 26 eps series), each episode does something to move the story forward. That's what a good storyteller should do. In addition to that, the important characters are distinctive and form deep impressions, the unimportant characters mark their short impression and then they're forgotten and don't take too much of the viewer's attention for too long. All these are important to a good storytelling.

This show only suffers a little bit of cliches from shonen anime - one occurrence of ex deus machina. It also has other classic shonen characters like mentor that takes the disciple for training when the disciple has been badly defeated, sociopath characters, sidekicks, and a couple other smaller ones. But these traits get developed the right way, pile those with good character developments and an intriguing overall plot with good small arcs and you've got an awesome storying that retells the classic revenge in its own way.

As for the other elements such as Art, animation, sound - it's production I.G. and I'll leave those for others to review, because...

this review is too freakin' long! I commend you for reading this far. Good job! =D

P.S. I obviously like it. For the reason see above! =D
read more

For me, Claymore has been an anime that has given so much mixed emotion over the past days that I have watched it. Emotions both surprisingly positive and unsurprisingly negative, to a point that I just had to write a review about it, both because of sheer enjoyment of how I experienced the show but mostly because of how much I was disappointed in its presentation.

To start off in the notion of why I enjoyed it, it was because not of its theme (humans< monsters< half-human half-monster< protagonist) but because somewhere down the line when I was watching the show, it gets interestingly good. Not to spoil the content for the readers but, there are certain times where the show hooks you pretty well because the series of events in the show actually was getting good.

But with that been said, let us go to the bad side of the case. I was mostly disappointed that it, most of the time, leaves the viewers wanting for more than what we came for. The story progression in Claymore is like a roller coaster to begin with, slows start, progressing high during the middle but when you reach the top of the roller coaster to see the climax of the story, so that you can enjoy the ending, it just stops. And that’s the problem I have with the show. It’s like a fisherman catching the interest of the little fish viewers, patiently waiting for us to bite the bait so he can reel us in for the epic kill, but disappointingly pulls up the fishing line before we even got a chance to take a bite.

And to top it all off, it happens in every arc, up until the ending.
But enough of that for now, let’s talk about the character design and development. I’m going to make a point that the character design in Claymore had a similar feel to it with being in a comic book or a particular show where every hero wears a motorcycle helmet for a mask. The good guys have same bland costume and body structure, but different voices and hair style (with the great exception of the protagonist and some supporting characters), while the bad guys, well, they were a bit too similar to begin with, but the design gets progressively good as the story goes on, but they do have this issue that they never seem to run out of, as the saying goes, ‘this is not my final form’, only to get hacked to chunky bits in the end because the story wants the good guys to always win. The personality of the different characters of the story was at least a giver of ways for the same looking characters to shine, so I’m no longer going to point out the fact that there were at least certain elements of moe (personality speaking to be the very least).

Character development in Claymore has been a 50-50 battle of whether or not it’s good or bad because it did well to develop the main characters and the main supporting characters in the story (If you’re wondering, yes, there is such a thing as main supporting character in this story), but it’s a double-edged sword for the other characters because they tried to make every character that way, but ended up failing in that aspect, so the minor support characters ended up looking half-baked. And to top it all off, there was one point in the story, somewhere in the middle, where one of the main protagonist (Claire’s pet human boy), who was supposedly a main character, suddenly became a main supporting character down the line. It was like, Claire, who was once just a main supporting character in the story, became progressively the main character in the end, and her pet human boy, who was once the main character of the story, became a cameo in the middle and made an unsatisfying appearance in the end. The fact that he was there just to drive the protagonist forward and no longer appeal to the viewers, was just irritating when he made his grand appearance in the end. I’m no longer going to mention the other main support characters in the story because, it’s either they were good enough to understand in such a short span of only one arc or that they were too minor to begin with, but the story seemed to revolve around them for some time anyway, so it would be wrong to call them just a supporting character [SPOILER WARNING] (given that most of the supporting characters in the story all end up dead anyway) [END OF SPOILER].

Also, just to let out a bit of frustration out of watching the show, [SPOILER WARNING] CLIFF-HANGGERS EVERYWHERE!!![END OF SPOILER] I mean it’s redonculous to a point that there’s so much more things left unanswered. I mean not to spoil the show in any way but, there is still so much questions that is still hanging. I am no longer going to mention all of it for the fear I might spoil the show to the readers, but you’ll know what I’m talking about when you’re done with the show.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to fly back to another planet before I change into my final fantasy form and fight the most bad ass boss that’ll probably have his own final form as well. KAI!!! read more

Story: 9
The plot is great, even if it follows the outline of a typical Shonen: a greater enemy to defeat as final objective. The storyline however is enough original and rich of inusual particulars, for example the presence only of women as main characters to part Raki and Isley, the control of the enormous power, the awakenings, and the Organization that is incumbent every minute.

Art: 8
The design of the characters is enough anticonventional and inusual: some physical features, like lips or the face seen of profile, well, not everybody will like how they're done. However they are enough pleasant to see, and the design in general terms, as of personages as of scenes and of movements is coherent with the type of anime: raw, dry and connoted in the colors.

Sound: 8
Door-bells and other sounds similiar to old rhythm can often be felt as a mysterious prefeeling, thus resembles epic scenes. Battles sometimes also have a rock rhythm. Masanori Takumi did a good job on the OST, especially on some songs like Bishou no Teresa (Teresa's Theme), Ginme no Majo, Hateshinaki Tabiji and Fukaki Mori no Naka. The choice of the rhythms is guessed and coherent with the scenes. Other sounds instead are ostensible, for example the sounds heard during the battle: squeaking of blades, cuts, footsteps and blood that exits from wounds. Also the chosen of dubbers have been good, in my opinion.

Characters: 10
Splendid characterization of every character! Even if in the first moment nearly every character can seem cold and calculating (Claire for example in the first episode gives so much this feeling), when you learn to know them, to know their feelings and their past, will born an endured empathy, an example is the story of Teresa and Claire, or the Ofelia's one. Every personage has its fundamental characteristics that distinguish she from all the others Claymores (physically, every claymore is similar to the others, therefore is for their qualities you'll love every single character): there is who, like Jean, has one strongly will, who learns to love, like Teresa, who simply loves, as Raki, and who cannot more survive to the pain like Elena.

Enjoyment: 10
Every time that I am watching an episode, I always hope that it does not end that way and I hope that it continues not leaving things as they are, I want more and I'm disappointed to have to wait for one week in order to see the continuation. Every minute of the show very is calculated as in converses as in the amazing, never-boring scenes of action, where the spilling of blood is not fine to himself.

Overall: 9
There aren't means ways, you love it or hate it. It's a great shonen, similiar to others but also a lot different. I love it, more the story goes ahead the more it becomes interesting... what else? Can't wait to see the showdown! read more

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
I will begin with saying that this is particularly true for Claymore. On the second hand i must note that this was the first of all anime I ever watched - my boat to the new unexplored horizons that awaited me...so this review might tend to be emotional, irrational, illogical, subjective and biased :) This is of course because it holds a special place for me among anime world.

Story (7): Revenge, conspiracy, redemption, comradeship, existence and purpose are the key motives of this story. Story of finding something that keeps you going on, something worth fighting for and ultimately give your life, one thing that is truly your own. It can be said bluntly that it's about hunting demons with big swords and shady organizations with evil intents but I observe it from another perspective-trough motivation, exposed and subtle meaning. This kind of stories tend to be vessels for character growth so light shifts to characters as the most prominent and strongest aspect of the show. This is by no means bad thing as Claymore is first and foremost story about Claymores themselves - beautiful silver eyed witches.

Characters (9): There are truly many memorable characters from Claymore. Clare is our main character and the "media" which links other protagonist, the future and the past. As a monster/demon huntress which are by the common folk simply called Claymores, she is on a path of self exploration, of finding something she lost. She is of unbreakable spirit, and as the twirl of events unfolds, she dares to hope, to hope that there is more to existence than staining her sword with demon blood. Raki, young boy who lost his family to Yoma (demons) accompanies Claire on her travels. As time passes he eventually finds way to Claire's inner-self and the feelings she thought lost long time ago being always a cold huntress! Bond of love, trust and friendship is forged between them but events get them separated and both of them struggle to unify with each other once again. Other characters also contribute to this great anime: Teresa, Irene, Jean, Miria...their motivations lead the story onwards. Character interactions, their intervened relations, conceive emotionally moving and warm moments thus for me are surely highlight of Claymore.

Art (9): Madhouse - there is no need, I believe, to specially introduce this studio. Their work speaks for themselves (Black Lagoon, Death Note, Devil May Cry, Hellsing Ultimate...) and Claymore is of course no different. Madhouse style is clearly present and so is the quality. There could be some nitpicking about consistency but overall nothing short of great. Must note that I watched also blu-ray edition whose clarity of picture and sound is excellent and pure enjoyment that really gives due credit to beautiful artwork and animation of studio Madhouse, same time giving anime new dimension.

Music (10): Excellent and memorable. Soundtrack for Claymore is one of the best of all times combining strong dark bassy tunes and then some soothing guitar ones, beautiful bagpipes sounds, folkloric flute melodies...rarely you will find soundtrack of such caliber. I deeply enjoyed every moment of it. Powerful opening and ending songs (Raison d'etre by Nightmare and Guilty sky by Riyu Kosaka) just add up to this awesome piece, also making one of mine favorite openings of all time.


Overall/Enjoyment (9):
I'm quite sure that i didn't cover all of the aspects of Claymore and as such this review is to be faulty in that manner. I humbly tried to present my view on enjoyment this anime provided to me and reasons for doing so, therefore I believe this could also serve as my tribute to Claymore - the first anime I ever watched and than after quite some time decided to write a review. Now I'm glad that this was my first venture in the world of anime because it sucked me in and presented me in best manner what that world has to offer: great artwork and style, beautiful strong music, emotional connection with characters, sense of immersion, tense and awesome battles...
As the whole is greater then sum of its parts so is Claymore as a whole more then just its artwork, characters, music... combined they make Claymore shine! As for me, on my anime sky, Claymore will always, like the Sirius, shine brightest.



Thank you for reading! read more

When you first start watching the show you're greeted by a strange looking creature feasting on a dead human corpse. Unknowingly, a tall slender figure appears right behind him. He senses this new danger and turns to fight this opponent. But hidden behind this slender gorgeous figure is a sword just as tall as her. She unsheathes her massive weapon and a vicious fight ensues...

That is the backdrop of what you are going to be experiencing. Fortunately (or unfortunately), that should leave you wanting for more. This story is set in a fantasy land set in medieval times where creatures called Yoma hide within human civilization.

Many (but not all) of the normal humans fear the claymores because they are made of half of what they are afraid of: the Yoma. But they are a necessary evil since they are the only ones strong enough to combat these horrible beasts. Not many people know much about Claymores. Just as mysterious as they sound, you will know very little about the inner workings of their organization, except for a few important rules. This story surrounds one character only known as Clare and basically shows how one becomes a claymore. From human life, to selection, to training, to assignments, and then to tougher assignments... typical shonen anime right? They way they tell Claire's exploits is a pretty good idea. They pretty much Tarantino That is a great way to explain how this universe works, well I enjoy moves told in this fashion too (some folks wont). This shows how emotion plays an important role in the show how their human half creates many internal conflicts with themselves.

Theres mainly one main character and like 40 supporting characters. Unlike most anime out there that keeps EVERY character alive. This one actually does the dirty deed of killing off characters. Which i enjoy very much. Not the killing part but more of the reality of it. Friends live and die just as willingly as the enemies. And that is very refreshing in the sea of Naruto's and Bleach's. You'll actually get a good amount of face time with all the claymores they present to the viewers. You'll still remember who favorite ones are. This is one of the very few anime that i actually remember most of the characters name. Not only does each one have a unique look and attitude, but they also have specific powers that separates them from them all. Half way through the anime, im sure you will find a handful of favorite blond warriors. My personal favorites are Clare and

You cant mention anything about the artwork without talking about the character design. I think this is one of the best character designs I've ever seen in an anime. Not just because it mostly consists of beautiful slender blond haired sxytime warriors but, in the variety of how different each warrior is from each other. From hair style to warrior insignias, to even the swords they carry all have subtle details that u can easily remember or recognize. Even their "alter-ego's" are unique to each warrior. And you cant have medieval fighting giant monsters without great backdrops and this show has those in spades. As many fight scenes there are in this show, the backdrops are just awesome. From abandoned towns, to forest fights at dusk, to even fights in dark dreary caves, they're all situated in different places. Sure they sound very typical but with as many variations in the villains they fight, they all feel very fresh when watching them. The background animations like the random civilians, breaking objects, sparks, and fire embers are all here. They don't look anything impressive but they do add wonders tot he fighting. Most notably the blood... and this anime shows them by the bucket load. It never stays away from violence and thats what makes this show great. Not many current anime shows this much gratuitous violence and its very refreshing after watching a few dozen slice of life school comedies.


If there was anything to complain about the show, it would have to be the sound effects. You can tell most of the stock sound effects were from other shows and movies. Most notably would be the Star Wars laser fire sound when a Claymore "transforms." When i first heard it i was laughing so hard. On top of that other sound effects are just very normal like growling and sword clanging etc. The music is also a little on the weak side. They could have done better with some of the 'theme' songs like when clare 'gets angry' or when she 'learns a new skill' the songs appear pretty weak. But they do break out in some serious guitar riffs and rock instrumentals, which are pretty impressive compared to the other music in here. But the opening songs and closing songs are one of my favorite parts of this show. J Rock is really catchy and seems very fitting for this show throughout. Hell i have it playing in my car as we speak :)

The story was very interesting through the first 20 episodes. Representing a little shonen with Clare's development cycle. But the end sorta feels like they're selling the series a little short. At this ending i felt kind of cheated just like what i felt on the ending of Code Geass. If u want to watch a good story driven show this is a good one to watch, but be wary of Raki and the ending.

oh btw please try to watch the entire show before you go and give it 10's or whatnot. The last 4-6 episodes will disappoint i guarantee. read more

This show is really cool.

There are these women, Claymores. They are feared across the country, for they are half-monsters. And what do they fight? Monsters. Yes, they save the people from monsters, but are regarded as ones themselves. Irony, huh?

The story follows one of these women. She meets a normal human kid who isn't afraid of her, and they end up as traveling partners. At first, it starts as a standard "good-guys-killing-monsters" show, but it goes deeper. I've always felt that the organization for whom the Claymores are working isn't quite good, but let's just leave it at that. The story, as I said, develops as time passes, and we get to know more characters, maybe a bit about their background, and it all culminates with a real neat final fight.

The animation in this series is simply... just.-... unique. I haven't seen anything like it, and I don't think I will. It gives me this really weird feeling, but that's good. It's really nice, and definitely one of a kind.

I really enjoy the music in this series. It's really, really nice, and it fits perfectly with the current scene.

The characters are also, um... well, not that much, really. They're kind of okay, but I find the male lead to be veery annoying.

Oh and this anime has a realistic power growth and difference. That's something I really like. Kudos to that!

Final thing: This anime seems very unfinished. After watching it, I thought: "Isn't there a season 2?" Well, one has to come. The end was just too open. read more

I wasn't going to write a review for this, but I felt something less Bias than the over reviews were necisary.

Claymore... simply is an anime about blond haired chicks with bigs swords cutting up demons... or other women with big swords. Lots of decapitations and blood and action. The protagonist Clare is a "Claymore" or a 1/2 demon 1/2 human demon hunter. If these claymore use too much of their demon power they themselves will be engulfed by their dark side never to return.

This anime began as a potential masterpiece, but my expectations were crushed half way. What had started as a unique story line and an awsome character was Infected by stereotypical MAIN STREAM elements that nearly destroyed this anime.

Story:
I already gave the Main Plot~ As already said its starts off great and goes downhill in the end. It also has an even pace in the beggining, a perfect blend of plot of battles~ But in the end plot is thrown out the window just for constant battling, Cliche plot twists and complete disregard for story.

Art:
I was rather happy with the animation^.^
Mostly darker earthy hues~ but it makes a good contrast with the Claymore shiny swords and armor. The character animation was ok till you find out 90% of them look the same, it becomes hard to tell alot of them apart towards the end.

Sound:
Both the opening and ending were good, especially the ending "Danzai no Hana" which is perhaps one of the best ending themes of 2007. It completely matched the feeling of the entire anime.
The OST itself is rather good, but it didn't stick out very much when I watched it myself.

Character: As already said, the series starts off with very good characterizations, but in the end throws out their development and makes most of them into stereotype roles that were completely without motive. Besides the protagonist there was hardly any attempt at character development to begin with and they messed that up.

Enjoyment: I can honestly say I did enjoy 3/5 of the series. It had me on the edge of my seat, engrossed in the action and plot twists. The ending 2/5 were a total let down and nearly destroyed the entire anime~ but perhaps someone less picky than me could enjoy it? If all you like is battles and fireworks you will enjoy this anime~

Overall~ I've said all that needs to be said~
This anime is acceptable... but far from a 10/10...



read more

Story:
In a world that is rife with deadly creatures called "Yoma", a young silver eyed woman, Clare, works on behalf of an organization that trains female warriors called Claymores, Half Human Half Yoma warriors with the ability to destroy these creatures to protect humans, while struggling to hold on to their own humanity.


Story: 9/10
The story is great, plenty of plot and plot twists, character development, background and good story in it, it also keeps on track and never loses it's thread and keeps really close to the original Manga storyline, though it isn't the most original plot line, the way it is done makes more fresh and original than many others.


Art: 9//10
The animation is great, Set in a medieval time most likely in European setting, the characters look good, the backgrounds were good, good detail and layout, the fight animations were amazing very fluid motions, it didn't seem choppy or stiff as it can in other anime battle scenes. The character motions and movement seemed to flow very well in general.


Characters: 10/10
I liked the character's in this story, they were well done with good character art and development shown to grow a lot during the short season, change their attitudes towards others and develop friendships, We follow the main protagonist Clare and see her development most and her relationship towards her companion Raki a human boy. Varied looks and personality kept it fresh, the only major drawback, is the main cast is predominately seen in the main uniform all the way through, it can be a little boring, but considering the effect it has in the plot and story, i would overlook it.

Sound: 9/10
the sounds were great in the anime, excellent character voice's even the english dub wasn't so bad, general sound effects and battle sound effects, the music was pretty good too, and i liked the opening/ending themes in it.

Enjoyment:
For enjoyment i rate it at 10, the story was engaging and quite gripping and the fight scenes were a great watch, i could happily watch the season over again a couple of times, and not get bored of it.

Overall Score: 9/10
Overall a great anime, definitely one for keeps, the animation, sound, characters, etc in this were great and well thought out, the story was gripping and it did the manga justice. My only major problem with this is the length of it, it's only 26 episodes , it's a bit of a shame and a waste of it's potential, if it was kept exactly (or really close enough) to the manga at the end, another season and at least an OAV or two could have been brought out of this, the last episode's ruined that though, completely diverged from the Manga and rounded off the anime so for that i couldn't give it a perfect 10 though i would have loved too, overall i rate it at 9.

regardless of the end, it's definitely a great anime on it's own and certainly worth a watch.

i recommend you read the manga as well, since it goes a lot deeper than the anime does.
read more

Claymore is a rare case of a show where countless faults fail to deter audiences from enjoying it. This makes for a somewhat interesting review, however to put in a sentence, Claymore is action-packed to its teeth and keeps you devouring one episode after another. Claymore never really strays too far from the stereotypical shounen show – even less so then the original manga – and consequently suffers from the faults which plague others of its kind. Not to say it’s bad in any way, the anime simply doesn’t set its sights very high but rather becomes a very good, gory dark fantasy which doesn’t break any new ground.

The premise and plot are initially as insipid as vanilla, but soon the show utilizes this blandness to weave a very humane story when its characters aren’t too busy beating the hell out of monsters. Don’t mistake the blandness of the first third of the show as something which persists throughout; it’s not. The past of many characters start haunting them, and every word they say begin to become meaningful as a clue to their motives. Even then, the plot and premise stay astonishing simple, which has a unique charm of its own. I’ll skip the premise as a simple poke around the web should give a general idea without giving too many spoilers. What I will focus on is the only real twist in an otherwise mundane show: a genius of an idea termed yoma power.

Yoma power, or the power of monsters, is drawn upon by women warriors named claymores to become several times stronger than they were previously. However judicious use is needed, as use too much of this power and these beautiful claymore gals start exhibiting characteristics of monsters, and transform eventually into monstrosities themselves. Almost the entirety of the plot plays with this idea, and indeed it’s an intriguing idea and a great tension builder. The sole dislike I have for the idea is how a few claymores can change back from monsters to their previous beautiful selves, aka an easy way to introduce the always handy deus ex machina, or frustratingly, even sometimes dei ex machina *hint.

The delightfully easy to follow plot inevitably becomes an Achilles' heel in an otherwise well-built story. The problem with simple and linear plots is it becomes easier and easier to predict as the show goes on, especially with a story which unfolds like a textbook shounen plot. On the other hand, simple plots allow details to be presented in other facets of the show, and Claymore takes advantage to present a humane side to these ostensibly cold-blooded warriors as well as to initiate a secondary story dealing with the idea of freedom. Unfortunately, this secondary story is initiated and never ended, for the arcs central to that plot begin immediately subsequent to the ending of the anime. Not to mention these thoughts are somewhat bluntly forced into the anime. However this addition does add a degree of freshness from typical hack-and-slash shows, and playing a more sentimental second fiddle to a fast-paced primary plot creates a nice balance.

Conceivably, Madhouse chose one of the harder manga to animate. Sword slashes are often represented by dozens of flashing lines, motion lines are used excessively, and more often than not the sword being used to slash isn’t visible in the action at all. All of this meaning you might feel jaded by the middle to late battles. Altogether, the battles aren’t as spectacular as they could be, particularly combined with the traditional faults of shounen anime. For example, Claymore frequently uses static images and long monologues right in the middle of battles, both common traits in shounen media but is ridiculous for the audience. Character and background designs, however, more than make up for these failings. In a show such as Claymore, with so many recurring and almost duplicative figures, it’s hard to draw and animate unique characters audiences can identify with. Yet Madhouse flourishes at doing so. Background designs are similarly impressive, and almost impossible to either criticize or find mistakes within them. Interestingly, rather than the quality of animation digressing, the quality improves as the show goes along.

Despite the show managing to put forth great characters, there’s one exception to the rule: the male protagonist, if he can even be called a protagonist, is utterly, thoroughly, useless. If you think you’ve seen meaningless characters from other anime, prepare yourself. Much of this again can be attributed to the manga, as the arcs within the manga which developed him as a character happen after the anime ends. Nonetheless, it’s an even greater pain to see him in animated form, and he should have been relegated to a minor role. Again, for all my nitpicks, most of the characters are impressively unique and interesting, and you’re bound to find one you love. There is a case of lack of development among the characters, but given the nature of Claymore, this is understandable and not an item of concern.

For a dark fantasy such as Claymore, the audio surprisingly doesn’t stand out. The music is above average, but never truly makes an impression as scenes aren’t as moody as they could be and battles could be much more enhanced by powerful music. A few scenes noticeably stood out because of the background music, but overall there were only slightly more hits then misses for me. Nevertheless, good audio is hard to find in anime, and average music is literally expected. Voice acting is one commendable area, putting a genuine feeling on each of the characters. Note that there are perhaps fifteen role-playing characters, with possibly a dozen and a half more with a presence in the show. To not just find a suitable seiyu but to make the voices sound natural to their characters is something many anime with much smaller cast fail to do, but Claymore manages to accomplish.

Faults in Claymore may be numerous, yet one pro belittles everything else: Claymore is enthralling. The true goal of entertainment is to entertain and it’s rather disparaging to see many anime in recent years, whether intentionally or not, lose sight of this goal. Claymore is one of those rare anime which never loses track of this objective and is undeniably one of the best dark fantasies for the first decade of the 21st century. While I can go ahead and summarize both pros and cons of Claymore, I won’t do so, for in a case such as Claymore, it would be meaningless and perhaps may even belittle the anime itself. Here’s a show where I can push towards anyone and say with confidence, clear up your schedule. Whether you like or dislike it, you’re going to watch it to the end. Is it great? No, not in the conventional sense, but what it will do is entertain, and that’s a greatness in itself. read more

Don't let the creepy designs and macabre setup fool you, despite its appearance Claymore is a shonen anime at its core, which means lots of weird powers and grand-scale fight scenes, speeches about honor and friendship, a conga line of weird villains, and a whole lot of swinging swords and screaming. I know that the word "shonen" makes some anime fans cringe on sight, but it is not automatically a bad thing. There are many shone titles that have stood out positively over the years, whether through captivating heroes and villains (Rurouni Kenshin, Yu Yu Hakusho), a polished and distinctive style (Soul Eater) or some surprisingly mature themes thrown into the mix (Fullmetal Alchemist). While Claymore doesn't really excel in any of these categories, it is at least competent and often above-average in many of them, placing it a red and purple bloodstained cut above most shows of its ilk.

The name Madhouse usually promises at least above-average production values, and this is no exception. The backgrounds are expansive and nicely detailed, and Yagi's unusual, distinctive character designs are generally well-maintained throughout the many fighting scenes, not to mention some of the monster designs are just plain wicked. The action itself is half-and half. On one hand, this was definitely adapted from a manga, and during some of the less inspired battles you can practically see the seams from the panels being stitched together: speed lines, quick motions that look more like teleporting, all the shortcuts normally associated with shonen fighter series are here. Thankfully, the strong animation budget softens the blow considerably, with a fairly consistent level of detail, and when it's time to show off during a pivotal battle, the choreography and design work can get really impressive. In a nutshell, this show looks a lot like Naruto and Bleach, only a little more grizzled and much better.

Claymore boasts a rich and diverse music score that mixes folksy strings and winds with modern electric noise, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to have any idea what to do with it. The music direction is so incredibly hit-and-miss that I honestly have to wonder what the show's creators were thinking for some of the choices they made. It will start too late and overstay its welcome, rarely playing loudly enough to make a noticeable impression and often completely failing to match the beat of whatever is happening on-screen. The end result is consistently either forgettable or distracting and only occasionally manages to hit the right beat. I half-suspect that they just went to a composer, asked for an appropriate soundtrack, and then put it on shuffle over the show and called it a day; if someone told me that was the case, I might actually believe it because some of the pieces would have been perfect if they weren't playing over the wrong scene. I should clarify, it's not that bad all the time, and sometimes it actually works really well, but it only takes a few slip-ups to sour the experience and there are more than enough to make this shortcoming noticeable.

Voice-wise, this series is a bit atypical for shonen in that it lends itself to low, threatening intonations instead of the overwrought screaming you usually hear. The Japanese track is a lot of fun to listen to in this regard from start to finish. By contrast, the English dub starts off a little on the dull side, but after awhile the voice actors really grow into their roles so that by the end, both tracks are solid listens. I do have one bone to pick with the dub, and that is Todd Haberkorn's portrayal of Raki. Haberkorn is a very good actor, don't get me wrong, but his voice is a little too snide and snarky to play innocence convincingly, resulting in Raki sounding overly whiny at all the wrong moments, whereas Motoki Takagi was able to carry the character more naturally. On the plus side, Brina Palencia turns out a fantastic performance as Priscilla, able to capture all her childlike purity and twist it into something hideous. Priscilla is a more interesting character than Raki, so I'll take it.

Setting aside its shonen trappings for a moment, Claymore is not an entirely brainless story. This series is at its very best when it is portraying the most basic, carnal side of humanity: fear of the unknown. Humans don't know or understand the Claymores that protect them any better than the Yoma that hunt them, and they're understandably afraid to get close enough to find out. The Claymores do nothing to discourage this attitude toward them, they're cold and often intimidating toward their charges, and as we find out more about them it becomes clearer and clearer that even if they tried to be accepted among humans, what they are would make that more or less impossible. Priscilla's origin story (which also covers Clare's backstory) is a definite high point of the show, clearly showing just how dangerous being "too human" can be when you're constantly battling monsters both within and without. Unfortunately, said flashback takes place from episodes five to nine out of twenty-six, and it's generally not a good sign when a series reaches its high point so early on.

Not that the rest of the show is in complete nowhere land, there are still some good bits here and there, but after unloading its guns far too early the show has to keep its audience entertained almost purely on action sequences, so it's a good thing the action is still fun to watch. This is how a shonen action title needs to be done: lots of cool heroes and scary villains with weird and memorable powers, a simple (rather stupid) plot, maybe a little conspiracy thrown in somewhere, and none of that waxing philosophical nonsense. Most of the characters can be boiled down to "how they fight" and "why they fight", but who cares as long as they're still entertaining? It's a little darker and bloodier than its classmates from the school of Jump, which lends it a distinct flavor and a bit more of an edge. The darker and more twisted this show gets, the more wicked the villains and the more intense the battles, the better. Seriously, forget the heroes, forget the ordinary rank-and-file Yoma, the major villains like Ophelia, Riful and of course Priscilla are the real reason to watch this show. That, and all the creative ways the show finds to cut its characters to tiny bits.

The low point of the show is undoubtedly Raki, and not just because of the voice acting. Make no mistake, he could have been a very important character to help Clare rediscover what it means to be human and given her the companionship she needed to let her past go, but for the most part his role borders on that of her pet (she even gets called out on this at one point). As the first human to ever view her as a person rather than a monster I get why he's so important to her, but throughout the series he constantly needs to be protected by Clare while offering very little in return. He tries to learn how to fight, but he's only human and never really gets a chance to be useful, and as far as good company goes his relationship with her is underdeveloped. If they spent more time talking to one another and had more of a natural chemistry things might be different, but most of their conversations are just generic fare along the lines of: "I'll definitely protect you, you're really important to me, blah, blah, blah", which is a shame. He's a tag-along character done wrong.

Even so, the show remains consistently entertaining from start to... well, not quite to finish. Continuing to rub salt on the wounds, Claymore ends with a "read the manga" conclusion, and a pretty poor one at that. The final arc of the TV series concludes a little too easily while ignoring all the hanging plot threads you could've sworn were leading to something much bigger and signing off with a hokey declaration that "the adventure continues" (okay, they don't actually say that). The possibility of a second season covering subsequent events is looking a little slimmer with every passing year, so you'll have to read the manga if you want answers.

For what it is, Claymore offers a slightly atypical, fairly engaging take on the tired Shonen Jump formula. It doesn't really live up to its potential of being a dark and mature fantasy, but it's still fun to watch and as far as shonen goes that's really all that matters. It doesn't have much to offer anyone aside from the usual action fans, but if you want to see badass ladies fighting monsters with swords, give this the time of day and see if it sates your craving. read more

The first that one will notice about Claymore is that it is a heavily thematic anime: women with swords and armor, humans versus monsters/demons and the internal battles of strong, sacrificial yet feared and misunderstood warriors.


I'll begin with what I believe to be the aspects of Claymore that are both its best asset and weakness; this anime offers an awesome blend of beautifully crafted women that possesses awesome fighting qualities. "Claymores" is what they are called, and they represent a mysterious organization that fight demons or human devouring "Youma."

The story is revealed by a certain "Claymore" named Clare and her meeting with an ill-fated boy, Raki. Their endeavors will reveal little by little the mysteries surrounding these female warriors or what people call "silver eyed witches." Those women each have special abilities, personal conflicts and pasts- especially Clare, who has a certain resolve to achieve her goal: vengeance.

This backdrop offers us plenty of exciting and suspenseful action (with a certain degree of violence); Claymore offers one of the best. The interaction of those characters, and the clashes of their persona deserves praise, and also many criticisms:

To my dismay, the themes of Claymore are differently emphasized, emotion and desire are the ones that are prevalent in the story. The plot progresses with vengeance, hatred , curiosity, strength and of course, love. However, because Claymore's story is like a rope with many threads (its characters affecting the series overall), the story is weakened very much by few necessary significant, yet mediocre characters.

Also, the presence of obviously evil, inhumane antagonists offers a one sided war. And if ever they have the reason or motivation for their actions, it is explained/emphasized in an unimpressive way-with many of the characters. Too many deaths of certain beloved people for dramatic effect already became cliches. The set of characters are is also limited to those who share the same fates or point of views, so the clashes of varieties of individuals are hardly seen.

Also note the overuse of lines such as "I want to be with you no matter what!" or "She is a human, even though..." which are based plainly on emotional reasons, yet they advance the story.

Yet I can also say that Claymore is enjoyable and its art is worth to be appreciated. Its animation is very beautifully realistic and appropriate, setting a perfect mood for the series. The medieval inspired setting, is well designed and the characters can be individually identified though they share certain characteristics. The Claymores are certainly memorable and its hard not to love them.

The music is very dramatic and epic. The opening and ending music are very well-suited to the themes. But in my opinion, they could have been better, for they failed to stir emotions at certain scenes; some music are also used inappropriately- like a heroic music at a haunting scene.

Though I believe that Claymore wasted a lot of its potential (such as female psychology and the issue of humanity), I really had fun watching it. The suspense is awesome that you'll be glued in your seat or bed.

read more

I found this anime to be among the most disappointed ones. It started very good, and followed the manga, which is very good, too. Then... it went horribly wrong.
Story: As I mentioned, the story started very good. It was simple yet have some depth in it; love, hatred, revenge ... it had all. And slaying demons are never boring, in a good show. But all the potential in the world does not guarantee anything; from episode 20, the series branched off from the manga, and had one of the most disappointed ending ever. It made people feel incomplete. What is going to happen to them, who were the leader of the Claymores ...? The manga is still far from end, and making an anime based on a good yet to end was a bad idea. And the result? A disappointed storyline.
Art, and sound: not much to complain, they are good. Sweet animation; perfectly fit in the classic shonen hack n' slash action. It was just good. The music, awesome. 9 for both Art and Sound.
Characters: amazing and unique characters. All the Claymores were unique; and I loved that. The only thing that held the character point from getting any higher was Raki. He was supposed to be a key main character, but he turned out to be a weak boy who always got into the middle of the battle and Claire had to get him out. And for a long time, he had nothing to do with everything happening in the show. Didin't he supposed to be cool and important? So lame!
Enjoyment: I enjoyed this series from the beginning till' it was 10 minutes before the final episode ended. As I mentioned, the ending left me an overwhelming disappointment. What's the point of such ending? I had the felling that the show had just started, even it was the last episode. Then I decided to burned this anime to DVD and locked it up forever, unless they made a sequel. Rewatch value: 0. Enjoyment before you hit the final: 10/10. Disappointment after you hit the stop button: 100/10. So, 5/10.
Overall: Claymore was supposed to be an extrememly good anime. But the story made a horrible turn at episode 20 and hit disaster at the last episode. I want a sequel or a remake! If it is a remeke, let just forget episode 20 and onward, and make it the way the manga is. 6/10 read more

The first half of Claymore was fantastic. But as the series went on it became more and more action oriented. Not that there's anything wrong with that but after a while the fights became repetitive and lacked any real intensity. As the show progress's we are introduced to more and more Claymores and other characters but I only found Clare and Teresa to be interesting. We also never really learn anything about the Organization thats behind the scenes who control the Claymores. I thought that would be an interseting aspect for the show to explore but it never panned out.

I feel I'm being very generous when I rate this show an 8 overall. But the first half was so fantastic that I feel it makes up for the weaker second half of the show. Fans seemed to really have wanted a second season but I feel they did everything they needed to do with one full season. A season two would probably have been overkill for a show like this. I believe it said all it needed to say. read more

Story (9): Its simply amazing, however the ending is not so great, i dont know why i say this, i just think it started really amazing and finished in just a good ending. However, now i´m curious, i want to read claymore manga as well..

Art (8): Art is fine, the characters are well designed, the rest is also good, but nothing special. However, for me is more than enough to be one of the best anime ive seen.

Sound (7) : Sometimes great, sometimes not really good. The fact i dont like it at all doesnt mean its bad.

Character (8): This aspect is very good, but could be better.. the fact that there are a lot of claymores doesnt help i know, not every one of them appear in the anime...but the ones that are in the anime, some i still know almost nothing about them..I know, its hard to tell something about every one of them, so i consider the way characters are develloped very good, but could be a little better...

Enjoyment (9): A fine anime to watch. Lots of fights, action, blood, killing...and also peaceful moments. I liked...i recommend to everyone who likes action, its a nice choice.

Overall (8) : Well, a fine job.. i give an overall 8, but this one is 8.4-8.45, very close to 9..In my opinion, it focus all aspects (not only 1 or 2 like some others) and the story is atractive. read more

Claymore is not a groundbreaking series. While it's great fun to watch, it does not feel like it's doing anything particularly new. The story is fairly standard, but does the job, excluding the inconclusive and, frankly, disappointing ending, the art style takes some getting used to (before I got used to it, I found that faces looked very odd, but the backgrounds and the Claymores were always excellent), the characters are fairly shallow and, in Raki's case, very annoying in parts (he just won't stop whining and blubbing - even if you don't mind him at first, you'll see what I mean later on).

Despite this, Claymore is well worth a watch. It is certainly one of the more compelling anime I have watched, and I got through it in three days (this pace of watching is very rare for me). It never drags, with the possible exception of the three epiosdes or so that flesh out Clare's backstory, and this only slightly drags because I always find flashback sequences a tad boring - this was about as good as they come, and it's nice to see a few episodes devoted to fleshing out the characters, instead of the usual token episode per character.

Claymore's animation is variable. While it sometimes seems jerky (I found that after a few episodes I no longer noticed this), the fights feel very lovingly done, with nice animation. The series avoids excessive repetition of animations, and it happens a lot less than it normally does in anime of this type, especially the classic head-on view of multiple, identical, repeated swordstrokes and constant parrying. Not saying it doesn't happen, just it doesn't happen nearly as often as it does in other sword-heavy anime. Towards the end, the flashbacks of scenes from earlier episodes begins to grate.

The Japanese voice acting neither stood out for nor disappointed me. It does the job. Where Claymore's sound really excels is in its moments of rousing orchestral score. Had it had a bit more variation and slightly better voice acting, I would have given Claymore a 10 for sound.

One of my major gripes, before which I was considering giving Claymore a 9, was the ending. Not only was it inconclusive, but the final fight couldn't hold a candle to the penultimate one. It's hard to describe without spoiling anything, so suffice to say it felt rather formulaic and dull. The ending left me wondering whether there was a second series, of which there is currently no sign.

If you like this sort of series, you should definitely have a look at Claymore, as its faults do not stop it from being a highly enjoyable watch. read more

Set in a medieval environment, Claymore takes an interesting take on the girls with guns genre swapping the guns with a broadsword (or Claymore).

Starting off, the first few episodes set the foundations of who the Claymore are, and how they are tasked to battle the the Yoma (demons that have crossed into this world whom have a taste for human flesh - guts especially!). Although a tad boring but a necessary set up, the series really doesnt become addictive until episode 4 when we see the backstory of the lead character Clare and the entrance of fan fave Teresa (I love her!).

Although action heavy, as the series progresses the question of "what does it mean to be human" does come into play, as does the concept of fighting for people who fear/dislike you. Clare is a likeable lead, with striking beauty and you can feel the emotions she goes through. Which was a difficult feat to represent given that the Claymore are emotionless killers. Some of the higher level Yoma have interesting designs and you can sense the fear in the characters when they are in battle.

The supporting characters are just as fascinating to watch if not more due to their differing personalities, and if this is show doesnt inspire the ladies for a new hairstyle i dont know what will! ;) This was in my opinion one of the series' strengths, the development and focus on the supporting characters. The sense of camaraderie between the Claymore is apparent and their actions are worth your attention. Also it is refreshing to see the Claymore as intelligent, tough, skilled female warriors without the ecchi factor thrown in which would've made the series a joke. The last 6 episodes do have an epic feeling to them which makes you want to keep watching.

The series is not perfect however. Some of action sequences become generic and slightly boring. I also felt that the fights couldve been a bit more "cooler" for a better choice of words. There is also a tendancy that in a middle of a battle, a long speech or story is given that does ruin the pace, and couldve been handled better - i think this is where the manga is superior and somehow works better when reading. The supporting character of Raki is so annoying and nearly ruined the whole series for me. He is important in Clares development however, but did he really have to be such a whiny, annoying t*t??!! The conclusion to the series was a bit of a let down and didnt make much sense, however the ride getting there was worth the investment, if anything a good introduction to the manga.

The opening and closing themes will grow on you, and the soundtrack - although the guitar riffs sound okay, i think this series wouldve been suited to a more natural orchestral sound track given the lush environments and medieval settings. The rock just didnt seem right, but nothing too distracting to the overall enjoyment, and that what this series is, entertaining.

An overall 8/10.







read more

Welcome to my first review.

A friend of mine recommended this anime to me, and I told him when the series ended that it was a nice catch. Claymore is one of the best anime's that I had seen this year. It's medieval theme and kick-ass female characters is what this anime is payed for. Claymore made a stand through the masses with it's compelling and brilliant story.

The story goes as the protagonist, Clare, fights for her humanity and seeks revenge to the Claymore named Priscilla who miserably ended the life of her most precious person, Teresa. As Clare struggles to fight and finds out the reason of her existence, the whole story revolves on another person named Raki and as the two of them shared the same fate, they found themselves driven to the organization's darkest secrets.
The story is indeed stunning and I congratulate Norihiro Yagi for making it possible.

The Animation is made by Madhouse, which is by far my most favorite animation company. They did well on the animation as expected from them. Even though the animation were sometimes "off". The characters, background and the animation effects were good and the battle scenes are worth dying for.

The one who's responsible for this Anime's industrial-inspired music is Masunori Takumi, the BGM's were used very cleverly and the composition for each and every one of them was awesome, from the heavy guitar riffs and even to the Orchestral scores, it's very intelligent. The Jrock band Nightmare performed Raison D'etre and I'd say that it fits the anime very well and so it is indeed true that the rumors i've heard about them being the band whos currently having a large fanbase all over in Japan, they're a band that is worth following for. As for the Ending theme which Kosaka Riyu made, her voice is powerful and the composition of her song Danzai no Hana is a true fit for the "Medieval" theme that Claymore has.

Overall, Claymore is indeed, Worth watching and I pity those who won't. :P Just kidding. Seriously it's worth a watch, and one proof to materialize that is I recommended this in my friends and none of them missed it and said that "It was a nice ride". read more

I know many anime fans, who don`t like Claymore. Their argumentation is something like " What a nonsense! "You`ve lost you hand, take mine, and I`ll grow one more". Can`t stand such a crap". And I always ask: "WHAT were you watchng? Fights and breasts? (Yes, Teresa`s ones are great, hehe) Or this serial, maybe, requires a bit of thinkning and brain using?"

Howewer, that`s not easy - make people like it.

Which of you ever wanted to live in Middle ages? I think, everebody. Just look into Claymore world... there are not too much differences between guts-hungered yoma and nomad hordes. And great-looking Claymores... girls, who lost their destinies through sacrificing themselves for the mankind serving? (Yes, I know that real knights were a bit off that, but... their romantic shapes sometimes remain in our mind) So come and live here... be a simple peasant and live in a fear to be eaten everyday. Claymore easily ripes illusions.

Well, I`ll return to anime. It`s much spoken about Clare and Teresa already. I want only to say: don`t you think that everyone can find similiarities in his and Claymore`s lives? Each of us had tragedies, losses... same like they. Each of us found ourselves in filthy situations... same like they. But go on fighting - and you will go through them with honour. That is what Claymores teach us.
P.S. Special thanks to Riyu Kosaki and others. read more

--Spoiler Free Review--

First english subbed Japanese anime I watched, and I'm glad I did.


Story: 10
A very compelling and well thought out story. A few surprises and twists here and there. Government vs People type of plot.

Art: 9
Each character has a great amount of detail and the action sequences are crisp and choreographed nicely. It is rated R+ for a reason, with plenty of unexpected gore, but it does not detract from the fluidity of the animation.

Sound: 9
I have to admit, the opening credits had be hooked on anime and the series. The music matches the mood completely. The ending theme rounds out the tone. sound effects are spot on and the japanese voice acting, a first for me, was a refreshing change and, in my opinion, the only way to fully enjoy anime.

Character: 9
The anime wouldn't be without the excellent characters. The main heroine alongside the supporting cast make up a great collection of personalities, making it easy to relate to at least one person. There is the right amount of expositional episopdes without turning into a soap opera.

Enjoyment: 10
Seeing as I watched all 26 episodes in less than two days, I consider it extremely enjoyable. I have been meaning to rewatch it, but my current list makes it hard to fit in the time.

Overall: 9.5
This anime has been, and likely still is, one of my personal favourites. Each episodes builds on the next. It is unfortunate there are no plans for a continuation as I could go for at least an OVA. read more