Claymore is a gritty and dark story that follows Clare and Raki in a journey to kill man-eating demons called the "Yoma". At first glance this series appears mediocre and average. I assure you it is anything but. It is Not a masterpiece by any means, but it is above average in every aspect with the exception of a poorly written ending. The story is left hanging as the anime was made when the manga was still being written until it finished in 2014 way after the ending of the original anime.
Story: 30% / 40%
The story itself is not as original as it might appear to be. It is an above average story, I stand with what I said, but it has more than common tropes that are in other manga. It is unfair to call it episodic in nature but it is somewhat episodic so the story telling might be lacking. The plot is mainly driven by the characters and their decisions which leads to these actions and decisions having consequences. If you are looking for a story that does not shy away from consequences and characters have virtually no plot armor you have found your anime. So don't expect any kind of miraculous event to bail out characters from their predicament.
Claymore sadly lacks in the ending department. Like many anime series, Claymore is based on a serialized manga series. And like many such anime series, the anime version of Claymore began production while the manga was still unfinished.Suffice it to say, Claymore ends on a cliffhanger, leaving major plot threads hanging. I recommend reading the manga afterwards as the anime itself is a good experience.
I am not by any means saying the ending is bad. In fact, for a series that is dedicated to following the manga's plot so in essence the ending of Claymore was well made. It ends at a rational point, at the climax of a major story arc and not in the middle of an arc like other series I could name. It does tie up a number (but not all) of the major and minor plot threads. Still, it was a disappointment to see the otherwise excellent series end without a true conclusion.
This is a seinen anime which means it won't shy away from dark themes, gruesome fights, and horrible fates.
Characters: 24% / 30%
Since the story's plot is mainly character driven you will probably find yourself enjoying more interaction between the characters than actual investment in the story. We have two main characters Clare and Raki. Both receive a fair amount of development, enough to say they changed a lot throughout the series.
When first introduced, Clare was a very cold warrior who prioritized her duties over everything else. At first clare seems to care more about killing the Yoma than saving lives. Despite this, she was still willing to take Raki with her until they found a new village for him to settle in, largely because he reminded her of herself when she was a child. She insisted to Raki that she was not a kind person and that, if he tried to find kindness in her, he would only find disappointment. However, he refused to believe that due to what she had done for him and, in time, she defrosted due to his influence. Ironically, she had previously done the same thing to her mother figure, Teresa.
Raki is easily trusting, as shown in his friendship with Clare who was feared by the rest of the villagers. In his own words, Raki expected Claymores like Clare to be scary (as he had never met one before her), but found Clare to be no different than a normal girl. He is capable of forming strong attachments with people. He is generally a hothead but can be cunning when it comes down to it. He is also overprotective of the people he loves, namely, Clare as is shown various times throughout the series.
Music/Sound: 5% / 10%
The music for Claymore is pretty standard and does a solid job overall, although it sometimes feels intrusive. The dub for Claymore was done by Funimation and is generally very good. The soundtrack really didn't leave a big impression on me but overall it was "ok".
Art/Animation: 15% / 20%
Visually, the series is outstanding, with fluid fight scenes and crisp animation. There is a slight inconvenience for some people though: every Claymore has blond hair, silver eyes, and wears an identical outfit. Now think about the amount of facial detail you tend to get with the typical anime art-style and you can begin to see why this could be a problem. It doesn't really rear its head for most of the series, but there are scenes where you might be drawn into a guessing game.
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All in all,
despite its shortcomings, Claymore was an intriguing and entertaining show that held my interest all the way through. Dark themes, unique and well developed characters, and a gripping story combine to create something that is far more than your average action series.
So if you're looking for a more mature and sophisticated anime that is still at its heart an action series, Claymore is definitely worth a look.
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Overall: 74% / 100% or 7.4/10 rounded to 7/10
