I was watching and reading Claymore and Ooku: The Inner Chambers, at the same time. I rated the Claymore anime higher than the Ooku anime, and I don't regret those scores. Claymore did have an interesting concept and some interesting characters. It had Teresa, her backstory, Riful, Isley, and a handful of other characters. It was giving us lore and world building. Meanwhile, Ooku was giving us a rather slow start with a centered point of view. As of now, the Ooku manga is a masterpiece that addressed all of the issues from the anime, and then some. Claymore started to get progressively worse. Their scores switched.
The issue with Claymore is that the main character is boring and has mostly boring people around her. They all look similar and have similar personalities. It's hard to even tell or remember who is who. It'd be okay if it was just a group of 5 or something, but it's like 40+ women who look and act similar.
Of course, there are some characters that are interesting and have different personalities from the edgy and revenge seeking one. The nun Claymore, the mother and daughter Claymore, and Theresa. Two of the awakened beings have nice characters as well. Those characters single handedly carry this score. Without them, this score would be a 4/10.
Do I recommend it? Eh, mixed feelings. It has some strokes of genius within the work. Riful and Isley are great villains with interesting personalities. There are some great characters and heartbreaking moments within Claymore. Though once again, it's bogged down by Raki (garbage character) and the 40+ claymores who all look and act the same. Bonus points for girl power, I guess. Though like... You're better off reading a girl power manga with women who have different looks and personalities, and each display a different type of strength and resolve.
