39 reviews
Could have been one of the most amazing things I've ever seen
Claymore depicts a dark, cold, cruel, depressing and creepy world where happiness seems to be as rare and brief as the light of a shooting star. We follow the story of seemingly cold and distant but secretly burningly passionate beautiful characters who defy all difficulties and struggle to resist the monsters who could destroy everything good and pretty in existence at any moment. As the story develops, everything that we get attached to are instantly torn away from us again, and yet we are left with hope that it might all work out in the end. And to me, all of this is just magical.
Once I stop to think about it, I'm not really sure why I love Claymore so much. In fact, I'm pretty damn embarrassed by it. While I would objectively still rate it as good, there's a decent amount of cheese and cheap stuff in it which should prevent me from being utterly amazed by it. But it doesn't. I guess I just happen to have a soft spot for this kind of cold and depressing but beautiful atmosphere and Claymore has randomly found that soft spot and squeezed it to oblivion. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that both times I watched it I had a high fever. Whatever it is, Claymore could have turned out to be one of the most wonderful screen experiences I've ever had.
That's right, *could've*. There is exactly one very big and obvious flaw with Claymore. As it is based on a portion of slowly advancing, still ongoing manga, staying faithful to manga would require the anime to have an abrupt ending. Because of this, the producers of the anime (apparently never intending to continue the anime series) have changed the last portion of the anime storyline in order to give it some feeling of closure. And... they have utterly, miserably failed at it. Not only is the ending just as abrupt, on top of that the last few episodes are now filled with nonsensical hysteria. It is so horrible it just makes me cry. It is not even my personal opinion, everyone else say the exact same thing.
I would have been more than happy to see the anime series remain faithful to manga all the way, even if it meant just leaving it hanging in the end. Were it to be continued in similar quality after several years, it would have been a perfect 10/10 and hands down my favourite anime and just one of my favourite things, ever. Even with those fatal flaws, I am still loving it. If everything was the way it should have been, it would have simply blown me away.
In the end, I have to call Claymore on its flaws and can't recommend it as a genuinely brilliant anime, only as a decent one. But if my rant about cold and depressing but beautiful atmosphere rung a bell, I suggest you give it maximum chances as maybe, just maybe it will find your soft spot just like it did mine.
Once I stop to think about it, I'm not really sure why I love Claymore so much. In fact, I'm pretty damn embarrassed by it. While I would objectively still rate it as good, there's a decent amount of cheese and cheap stuff in it which should prevent me from being utterly amazed by it. But it doesn't. I guess I just happen to have a soft spot for this kind of cold and depressing but beautiful atmosphere and Claymore has randomly found that soft spot and squeezed it to oblivion. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that both times I watched it I had a high fever. Whatever it is, Claymore could have turned out to be one of the most wonderful screen experiences I've ever had.
That's right, *could've*. There is exactly one very big and obvious flaw with Claymore. As it is based on a portion of slowly advancing, still ongoing manga, staying faithful to manga would require the anime to have an abrupt ending. Because of this, the producers of the anime (apparently never intending to continue the anime series) have changed the last portion of the anime storyline in order to give it some feeling of closure. And... they have utterly, miserably failed at it. Not only is the ending just as abrupt, on top of that the last few episodes are now filled with nonsensical hysteria. It is so horrible it just makes me cry. It is not even my personal opinion, everyone else say the exact same thing.
I would have been more than happy to see the anime series remain faithful to manga all the way, even if it meant just leaving it hanging in the end. Were it to be continued in similar quality after several years, it would have been a perfect 10/10 and hands down my favourite anime and just one of my favourite things, ever. Even with those fatal flaws, I am still loving it. If everything was the way it should have been, it would have simply blown me away.
In the end, I have to call Claymore on its flaws and can't recommend it as a genuinely brilliant anime, only as a decent one. But if my rant about cold and depressing but beautiful atmosphere rung a bell, I suggest you give it maximum chances as maybe, just maybe it will find your soft spot just like it did mine.
Tops on My List
This TV show, Claymore in English, is a great show that many should watch for its entertaining and compelling content. It is set in a medieval world where humans co-exist with bloodthirsty yoma (demons). The only way to stop these monsters is to call upon the fearful half-yoma/half-human women warriors named after their main weapon: the Claymore. This show follows the story of one Claymore, Clare, as she slays demons with a young human boy, Raki, that lost his family to the yoma. This is not just any "monster of the week" type of show: character development is a key part of the story and it gets more and more interesting with every episode. This is still a good show to watch for those not that familiar with the Japanese Anime genre. Even though I am not an anime fan, I can still say that it is one of my favorite TV series if not the best. This anime series is definitely not fun and fuzzy like Pokemon or Inuyasha, nor is it full of filler episodes like Dragonball Z where its takes a whole day to watch somebody go super quadruple invincible God Mode. There is action in every episode and you will not be disappointed. Be careful, there is a lot of blood and gore present in the series: it is not a show for the faint-hearted.
- Ace_Blazer
- Aug 8, 2007
- Permalink
Damn I'm hooked. It's that good
I rarely give any movies an excellent rating but this one did it. One day I was bored and decided to give Claymore (English dubbed) a try via Netflix. Oddly enough the plot and poster art were average at best. Almost instantly your hooked into a world of demons and female warriors (aka Claymores). But its not your typical anime with female sword wielding half human warriors.
Gone and are the zany/kid type humor and instead you get adult story lines and characters. I was soo hooked I watched 12 episodes straight. My only complaint is that sometimes its hard to distinguish the different Claymores since they all look alike. Its been a long time since I've been shocked by a film (or TV series) with such good quality. Only after a day of watching I can confidently say this is my #2 anime show/series of all time which was formally held by Robotech. Claymore is right below Transfomers G1 1980's stuff(not that Bay crap). In an odd way I'm nervous about watching the remaining episodes because at this pace its possible that Claymore could become #1 for me. Which is an odd feeling considering I've only watched half the season in one day and TF G1 I watched my entire childhood.
Update. Finally finished the series. Suffice to say it stayed at #2 of my list of all time best anime. The final couple of episodes kind of got repetitive and the final scene / resolution could've been better.
Gone and are the zany/kid type humor and instead you get adult story lines and characters. I was soo hooked I watched 12 episodes straight. My only complaint is that sometimes its hard to distinguish the different Claymores since they all look alike. Its been a long time since I've been shocked by a film (or TV series) with such good quality. Only after a day of watching I can confidently say this is my #2 anime show/series of all time which was formally held by Robotech. Claymore is right below Transfomers G1 1980's stuff(not that Bay crap). In an odd way I'm nervous about watching the remaining episodes because at this pace its possible that Claymore could become #1 for me. Which is an odd feeling considering I've only watched half the season in one day and TF G1 I watched my entire childhood.
Update. Finally finished the series. Suffice to say it stayed at #2 of my list of all time best anime. The final couple of episodes kind of got repetitive and the final scene / resolution could've been better.
- dvigilante1
- Jan 11, 2011
- Permalink
Intoxicating and sobering
It's hard to make a unique and emotionally involving story with monsters and swords. It's almost impossible to make fantasy look real, because most of it has a predictable plot line, while life doesn't. But Claymore manages the impossible - it's intoxicating fiction, but at the same time it's even more sobering than real life.
Here's the secret.
Unlike other tales about battle and struggle in which the main character has great potential and strength as his birthright, Claymore is all about strength despite weakness. Even through perseverance, you can't really become the strongest, this is one of life's truths. But you still can aspire. It's what makes Claymore so true to life.
The main characters in Claymore were helpless in their childhood, but despite tremendous suffering they've managed to stand up and move forward.
Claymore will be remembered as an example of great anime, not just for its beautiful animation, but for the way it makes you experience the journey. It even has a great and satisfying ending.
I know it's a tired phrase, but I really envy those who haven't seen it yet.
Here's the secret.
Unlike other tales about battle and struggle in which the main character has great potential and strength as his birthright, Claymore is all about strength despite weakness. Even through perseverance, you can't really become the strongest, this is one of life's truths. But you still can aspire. It's what makes Claymore so true to life.
The main characters in Claymore were helpless in their childhood, but despite tremendous suffering they've managed to stand up and move forward.
Claymore will be remembered as an example of great anime, not just for its beautiful animation, but for the way it makes you experience the journey. It even has a great and satisfying ending.
I know it's a tired phrase, but I really envy those who haven't seen it yet.
- juujuuuujj
- Nov 26, 2008
- Permalink
Incredibly paced and straight-down entertaining, but too sentimental for it's own good
I've always been a fan of anime series, my favourite being Berserk. I tend to focus a lot on the pacing and the built tension when I watch anime, and Berserk is The master of pacing. Another thing I tend to focus on is character development and overall sentimentality of the show. Many anime characters are quite over-the-top, a major let-down for me. As are many scenes in anime. Claymore succeeds on most levels. The pacing is some of the greatest I've ever seen, and the inclusion of ranked characters just adds to the excitement. It's always interesting to see who's got the higher rank. Furthermore, you really start caring for the characters and picking out your favorites (mine being no. 6, Miria). The show only fails on a few levels. You're in for a lot of melodramatic scenes, and the protagonist's male friend, Rocky, is just another annoying brat who cries more than good is. It's no worse than so many other animes and gets better halfway through. The second, and final, major letdown is the anti-climatic ending. There is an epic battle, but the way it ends after the battle is simply not good enough. It feels unfinished, ill and way too sentimental and moral for a show of this kind (it might have something to do with the continuing issues of the manga).
However, you're in for a treat. And you're not going to want to put this show down, before it's ended.
However, you're in for a treat. And you're not going to want to put this show down, before it's ended.
A Must Watch from Start to Finish
I started watching 'Claymore' just out of curiosity. I never expected to be so hooked onto a show in my life. It's fair to say that I am addicted. Normally that doesn't happen with me but this one is too good to pass up. From the very first episode all the way to the climatic battle in the final one there is great action scenes, lots of dismemberment and decapitation, and lots of blood. But what really made the show were the characters. There are so many antagonists in the show it's almost impossible to count. But despite the countless antagonists, there are other great characters that make the show what it is. The only flaw in this show was the fact that shortly into the first season the episodes jump into the past, kind of like a flashback, but without exactly telling you what happened. It's sort of like something you have to find out on your own just simply by watching and thinking. But despite these flaws and the fact that many episodes drag out (especially the flashback ones) it doesn't even slightly make it a worse television series.
- MoffatLPTVreviews
- Apr 5, 2012
- Permalink
Superb, Action Adventure Fantasy---Claymore
What a great anime series. I've watched it at least 4 times since first viewing it 6 months ago. I guess I'm still expecting what would have happened if the show was continued for another season.I agree with most other reviewers as far as the character development in this story,and that this is definitely more mature material than many other anime series. Mr. Norihiru Yagi and the other writers did an excellent job, in that the heroines in this story, while far superior to normal humans were not infallible, and the yoma monsters themselves were quite perceptive and sometimes full of surprises. In fact I rate it right along with "Lord of the Rings" trilogy as far as action,adventure,fantasy genre goes. But I think it's hard for animation to get the same level of respect as regular motion pictures. Would love it if they ever made a feature length sequel to this series.
Dark Fantasy at its peak
- soloriamagic08
- Nov 5, 2009
- Permalink
Claymore (2007)
Claymore is a complex and action packed anime. Claymore are a series of warriors that are half human/half yoma (demons) that must protect humanity from yoma, even though humans are very wary and fear the Claymore. Run by a mysterious organisation, the subject of the series is Clare, the lowest ranked Claymore of all. Over the course of the series we find out why she became a Claymore, her troubled past, and look at the relationship she develops with a young boy that wishes to stay with her. Throughout the series we meet a number of different characters and the events lead to a dramatic conclusion.
The animation is gorgeous, focusing on darker and paler colours. The whites, silvers and greys create an unforgiving world where these monsters and warriors could easily exist. Clare is a fascinating character, as are most of the Claymores as they must avoid using too much power lest they turn into the very demons they fight. The world that Claymore is set in becomes very complex, and a lot of the rules seem to be made up just in the nick of time to save our protagonists.
The biggest problem for me is something I find in a lot of animes, and that is constant dialogue that explains everything. We hear about character motivations, characters' interpretations of other people's motivations, why they are doing certain things etc. etc. Even when in the middle of a huge battle, characters will prattle on.
Luckily the characters do keep ones attention, even if it was hard to tell the difference between the Claymore as they all have the same colour hair, costumes, and eyes. The action hits at a blistering pace, with some really painful gore.
I did find it hard to concentrate on the last few episodes, because it just kept flashing back and after everything it just seemed as though people wussed out in order to push forward a second season that never happened. But if you like monsters, big swords, and large mythical tales, Claymore could be for you.
The animation is gorgeous, focusing on darker and paler colours. The whites, silvers and greys create an unforgiving world where these monsters and warriors could easily exist. Clare is a fascinating character, as are most of the Claymores as they must avoid using too much power lest they turn into the very demons they fight. The world that Claymore is set in becomes very complex, and a lot of the rules seem to be made up just in the nick of time to save our protagonists.
The biggest problem for me is something I find in a lot of animes, and that is constant dialogue that explains everything. We hear about character motivations, characters' interpretations of other people's motivations, why they are doing certain things etc. etc. Even when in the middle of a huge battle, characters will prattle on.
Luckily the characters do keep ones attention, even if it was hard to tell the difference between the Claymore as they all have the same colour hair, costumes, and eyes. The action hits at a blistering pace, with some really painful gore.
I did find it hard to concentrate on the last few episodes, because it just kept flashing back and after everything it just seemed as though people wussed out in order to push forward a second season that never happened. But if you like monsters, big swords, and large mythical tales, Claymore could be for you.
- SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain
- Sep 15, 2012
- Permalink
when season 2 ??????????
Claymore is the very best fantasy anime i;ve ever saw , very original in ideas and story , so pls season 2, thxxxxx
Mixed bag but very solid for an anime
"Claymore" is a dark fantasy anime set in medieval world in which specialized group of female characters (called claymores) fights with monsters. There is also some sort of conspiracy going on. It is in many ways similar to popular "Attack on Titan" and the general atmosphere of the series resembles "Berserk" to some extent.
I have ambivalent feelings about this anime, because it has both some significant strengths and very apparent weaknesses.
PROS
CONS
SUMMARY
This show has many flaws, but in the end I really enjoyed it, to be honest, much more than my rating (6/10) suggests. It is that low, because I have the impression that anime didn't live up to the potential it promised in its first half. Btw - in that aspect manga isn't even the slightest bit better. But it doesn't mean anime wasn't good, on the contrary it was definitely entertaining and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes duels set in fantasy worlds.
I have ambivalent feelings about this anime, because it has both some significant strengths and very apparent weaknesses.
PROS
- the story starts off really well. The world itself may not be very original (it looks like a gender-inverted Witcher rip-off), but nevertheless it's interesting and climatic, claymores as monster-slaying beings with certain, significant limitations are well-constructed, viewers are smoothly introduced to them and hinted at secrets hidden inside the world
- the main character is really interesting, her back-story captivating, and the narrative does a good job in gradually revealing information about her with some minor, but unexpected twists.
- anime has almost all-female cast, yet it's virtually devoid of any gratuitous nudity and sexual objectification of women. They are presented in almost asexual fashion. Sometimes their sexuality is subtly played with but is essentially avoided. Why it is a significant pro? Because as it is originally Japanese TV series for teenage boys, one could expect absolute worst, including some teen ultra cheap erotic fantasy. Note that manga avoids it to a significantly lower extent (although it's still not as bad as most from its genre)
- there is absolutely no typical Japanese manga humor. Some people, including me, really appreciate it.
- animation is really good, and it has its own distinct toned down color palette, which I find appealing and fitting the atmosphere of the anime well
- fight scenes are vivid, spectacular, action-packed and entertaining.
- soundtrack is acceptable
- contrary to many viewers' criticism I find the depiction of relationship of the protagonist with certain boy an engaging one
CONS
- around half of the show the quality of the story begins to deteriorate and the show degrades itself into mediocre stereotypical over-the-top duel-driven anime.
- it's even worse than that. The biggest problem with the anime emerges when it gradually changes perspective - from fights of one claymore with single monster to full-fledged epic battles between multiple mega strong enemies. It isn't the problem per se, but in this case the narrative loses sight of virtually everything other than intensifying epicness of the numerous duels. OK, the show was supposed be action packed, but it ends up consisting almost only of battles.
- as a result the other appalling flaw is multiplied, namely typical for anime "talking while fighting", i. e. characters providing detailed combat commentary, live coverage of mental states of battle-participants and all sorts of annoying exclamations, emotional outbursts, trash talking, special move explaining and random philosophizing.
- the series has unsatisfying and rushed ending. As a result too many things are left unexplained. For example the hinted secrets about the world stay secret, they are unveiled later only in manga
- there are too many too similar secondary characters
- typical Japanese (or should I say comic book?) obsession with ranks and comparing different characters in relative strength is overused and annoying as hell. Another problem which started to be apparent just in second half of the series
SUMMARY
This show has many flaws, but in the end I really enjoyed it, to be honest, much more than my rating (6/10) suggests. It is that low, because I have the impression that anime didn't live up to the potential it promised in its first half. Btw - in that aspect manga isn't even the slightest bit better. But it doesn't mean anime wasn't good, on the contrary it was definitely entertaining and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes duels set in fantasy worlds.
- nazwa-ekranowa
- Mar 17, 2015
- Permalink
Yes it's a little sentimentale BUT
The last Anime I've really enjoyed must have been Death Note which impressed my with it's overall genius plot and the character development. Although Claymore clearly cannot reach this (well actually it's kinda cruel comparing 2 Animes of different categories), it sure has some really good moments as well. The main focus of this series lies, obviously, on good old sword combat mixed with some really impressive ideas on how to swing, slash and bash a Claymore-sword in almost every way possible. While the story seems to start slow, there is definitely a certain appeal, which I've missed on several other Anime series I've tried for the last two years. If you manage to stay with the story until the first twists and turns you start to get into the characters and what first seems to be another bad half-Hentai porn (just by judging the fact that the title is presented by full-laden blonde "girls" on the cover) turns out to be less sexistic and more action-laden like any other Anime you've watched for quite a long time.
GREAT at some moments. But so REPITIVE and PREDICTABLE at most.
- josephellis
- May 25, 2022
- Permalink
Could have been great but fell short in the end
- dussaultjulien
- Aug 14, 2019
- Permalink
Very nice
I would like to see a Season 2. I enjoyed this. It had to grow on me for a few episodes. But Claymore tells a great story. The concept and plot are unique and well put together. Some great emotion storytelling. Good action. Not predictable. There are plot hole moments at times. Its almost a combination between Witcher and Ergo Proxy.
One hell of a Show
- indiamrinal
- May 27, 2013
- Permalink
Hastily ended
For those who know nothing about anime it should better be on your list of firsts.Except in the last 2 episodes and some scene in third last episode and hardly in some scenes of other previous ones the anime story follows the main story.but the real -2 on the anime is that it is hastily ended on following the manga it ends in a total wreck.besides that the main characters are excellent ; well connected to the story , the story-line is strong and the animation is good.what makes this anime good are the characters of the story line,they are complex as well as fairly simple to understand and feel for.the story line since is a monthly shonen so,doesn't suffer much stretching as for most of the weekly ones and has a sense of flow to it.It has everything you'd expect from a sword,dark fantasy tragedy anime and much more.
so if you are anime fan and like to watch it i think you should skip last two episodes and continue the story-line with manga.
so if you are anime fan and like to watch it i think you should skip last two episodes and continue the story-line with manga.
- blackamateratsu
- Mar 27, 2014
- Permalink
Beautiful tale of revenge, loss, friendship and hope in a bleak dark fantasy world
This review was made after watching the entire show of 26 episodes. I have never been interested in anime, to be honest, until about a year ago (I'm 32 years old), when I decided to give a chance to one of the most famous ones (in the form of Attack on Titan). Suffice to say, i realized what I had been missing over the last couple of decades so I treated myself with Berserk, Vinland Saga and Tokyo Ghoul so far. But this review isn't really about any of those. It's about another anime that seems a bit like an underdog when compared to those heavy hitters. And this anime is none other than Claymore, which by far impressed and touched me the most out of everything I've seen so far.
In a nutshell, Claymore is about a a group of superhuman female warriors which fight monsters known in-universe as Yoma. These young women bear the same name as the show itself...Claymores, mostly because of the gigantic swords they use to do their fighting with. In a way, you can think about Claymore as a mix of Berserk and The Witcher. At first glance, the premise of the show sounds very simple and straightforward, right? In a way, it is and in other ways it isn't. Without spoiling anything, this is a tale of revenge, betrayal, friendship, comradeship, despair and hope. And not necessarilly in that order.
In any one aspect taken individually, I'd say Claymore is inferior to the anime I mentioned earlier. Attack on Titan has a more epic story with many characters that get enough screen time. Vinland Saga is more cohesive and has tighter storytelling, while Berserk has more in-depth character reflection and a dichotomy between the leads which is legendary among anime fans at this point. So why did I love Claymore more than anything else?
Short answer, the characters. The main character, Clare, is one of the best protagonists in a series I've ever seen. She doesn't even have a huge amount of dialogue, but what is there is usually well written. As you learn more about her and her story, you can't help but empathize and connect. I gotta say the show has some moments where it pulls on your heart-strings like nothing else. The supporting cast is is also full of interesting characters, both on the good and bad side. Some of them have very short presences in the show, but they are very memorable nevertheless.
The world of Claymore is quite a bleak one but at the same time beautiful. Despair and fear is as pervasive as it was in Berserk, for example. But, even so, one of the things that impresse me most in this world and story is the were the pervasive themes of hope and perseverance. Now matter how dark things got, and they do get really dark, you still feel the character's holding a bit of hope that they will prevail. And that bit of hope passes onto you, the viewer, as some scenes keep you on the edge of your seat and you tell yourself that there's no way to win but still hope that they will. And while these warrior women have superhuman abilities that wouldn't be out of place in a Marvel or DC comic, they never feel overpowered, as the horrors they have to face are an order of magnitude higher even than that.
Animation-wise, the show might feel a bit dated, but it is in no way bad. Combat is extremely fast and stylish. It is very violent but I never found it gory or disgusting. Despite having a lot of it, I never really thought the show offered its violence in a gratuitous manner. The Claymores, at least the more important characters among them, all have unique features that set them apart from one another. Even in a setting where all Claymores are blonde, athletic women with silver eyes. I read in another review that the Claymores looked all the same and that is simply not true. Clare, Teresa, Irene, Galateea, etc all look unique. Here I would also like to give praise to the creators/animators for not spamming you with fan service or the over-sexualization of the female characters. They treat the female body with more respect than other series I've watched.
Another great asset of the series is its soundtrack. In the first few episodes I actually found the music bizzare, but as I got sucked more into the story and setting, I realized most songs fit perfectly. Also, one of the best intro and outro songs I've ever heard in a series. The voice acting is also top notch.
While i've been thinking of Claymore ever since I finished watching it a few days ago, and as I'm rating it a 9 here, it still has some flaws, which I'll mention next. The most glaring that fans were upset about was the ending. A lot of reviews might tell you the ending is horrible and you should just read the manga and avoid the anime entirely. For what its worth, I'd advise you to do the opposite. As a non-manga reader myself, I found the ending to be decent, if not great. That's mostly because it left a lot of unanswered questions and was not entirely definitive. But to me, it just felt like an ending to a chapter, if not the whole story. Ironically, it was this ending that got me to read the actual Claymore manga. Some of the dialogue can also feel a bit basic, with characters stating the obvious when its not required.
It can be over dramatic at times and too sentimental for its own good, but that particular aspect is very subjective.
I might have rambled a bit here, but all in all, I highly recommend Claymore if you want to see a touching, if quite violent story, featuring some badass but still vulnerable ladies.
In a nutshell, Claymore is about a a group of superhuman female warriors which fight monsters known in-universe as Yoma. These young women bear the same name as the show itself...Claymores, mostly because of the gigantic swords they use to do their fighting with. In a way, you can think about Claymore as a mix of Berserk and The Witcher. At first glance, the premise of the show sounds very simple and straightforward, right? In a way, it is and in other ways it isn't. Without spoiling anything, this is a tale of revenge, betrayal, friendship, comradeship, despair and hope. And not necessarilly in that order.
In any one aspect taken individually, I'd say Claymore is inferior to the anime I mentioned earlier. Attack on Titan has a more epic story with many characters that get enough screen time. Vinland Saga is more cohesive and has tighter storytelling, while Berserk has more in-depth character reflection and a dichotomy between the leads which is legendary among anime fans at this point. So why did I love Claymore more than anything else?
Short answer, the characters. The main character, Clare, is one of the best protagonists in a series I've ever seen. She doesn't even have a huge amount of dialogue, but what is there is usually well written. As you learn more about her and her story, you can't help but empathize and connect. I gotta say the show has some moments where it pulls on your heart-strings like nothing else. The supporting cast is is also full of interesting characters, both on the good and bad side. Some of them have very short presences in the show, but they are very memorable nevertheless.
The world of Claymore is quite a bleak one but at the same time beautiful. Despair and fear is as pervasive as it was in Berserk, for example. But, even so, one of the things that impresse me most in this world and story is the were the pervasive themes of hope and perseverance. Now matter how dark things got, and they do get really dark, you still feel the character's holding a bit of hope that they will prevail. And that bit of hope passes onto you, the viewer, as some scenes keep you on the edge of your seat and you tell yourself that there's no way to win but still hope that they will. And while these warrior women have superhuman abilities that wouldn't be out of place in a Marvel or DC comic, they never feel overpowered, as the horrors they have to face are an order of magnitude higher even than that.
Animation-wise, the show might feel a bit dated, but it is in no way bad. Combat is extremely fast and stylish. It is very violent but I never found it gory or disgusting. Despite having a lot of it, I never really thought the show offered its violence in a gratuitous manner. The Claymores, at least the more important characters among them, all have unique features that set them apart from one another. Even in a setting where all Claymores are blonde, athletic women with silver eyes. I read in another review that the Claymores looked all the same and that is simply not true. Clare, Teresa, Irene, Galateea, etc all look unique. Here I would also like to give praise to the creators/animators for not spamming you with fan service or the over-sexualization of the female characters. They treat the female body with more respect than other series I've watched.
Another great asset of the series is its soundtrack. In the first few episodes I actually found the music bizzare, but as I got sucked more into the story and setting, I realized most songs fit perfectly. Also, one of the best intro and outro songs I've ever heard in a series. The voice acting is also top notch.
While i've been thinking of Claymore ever since I finished watching it a few days ago, and as I'm rating it a 9 here, it still has some flaws, which I'll mention next. The most glaring that fans were upset about was the ending. A lot of reviews might tell you the ending is horrible and you should just read the manga and avoid the anime entirely. For what its worth, I'd advise you to do the opposite. As a non-manga reader myself, I found the ending to be decent, if not great. That's mostly because it left a lot of unanswered questions and was not entirely definitive. But to me, it just felt like an ending to a chapter, if not the whole story. Ironically, it was this ending that got me to read the actual Claymore manga. Some of the dialogue can also feel a bit basic, with characters stating the obvious when its not required.
It can be over dramatic at times and too sentimental for its own good, but that particular aspect is very subjective.
I might have rambled a bit here, but all in all, I highly recommend Claymore if you want to see a touching, if quite violent story, featuring some badass but still vulnerable ladies.
- disciple_of_sauron
- Jun 24, 2020
- Permalink
Good storytelling held back by sub-par animation and lack of a proper conclusion
This is the kind of show that can be over in one sitting. There's a really nice flow that has a natural progression you can get lost in. Hook, intro, motivation, background, rising stakes, confrontation etc. One after the other and just very smooth. It's done so well that it largely overshadows weaker points, such as the animation. Much of it feels like the artists took shortcuts to save on time and effort. The way your field of vision pans in a certain way, or how a lot of the combat isn't exactly shown, only suggested. Bits like that are consistently present. You'll see a big dust cloud at the point of an impact, but not much detail of the impact itself/what caused it. Or the ever-present blur of weapons clash supposedly too fast for your eyes to follow, but nothing specific whatsoever simply because it's easier to draw it that way. Once you notice it's hard not to, and this also diminishes some really cool signature abilities. Like Illena's quicksword, or Flora's wind cutter. Visually sidestepping corners like this makes those skills far less impressive. Considering how well done the rest of the show is, I think it deserved better.
There's also the issue of fillers for the last three episodes. I don't know why anybody thought this was a good idea. If the source material wasn't finished they should have waited for a more conclusive stopping point. Instead, the last canon episode was in the middle of a fight-- what the hell? While the ending wraps things up well enough and left it open-ended for future possibilities, it still felt abrupt and unfinished. Had we gotten more seasons this wouldn't have mattered but that obviously never happened. Aside from that, there's some exaggerated melodrama. Pretty typical as anime tropes go and not egregious enough to stand out if you're a regular.
Definitely worth watching, just curb your expectations.
There's also the issue of fillers for the last three episodes. I don't know why anybody thought this was a good idea. If the source material wasn't finished they should have waited for a more conclusive stopping point. Instead, the last canon episode was in the middle of a fight-- what the hell? While the ending wraps things up well enough and left it open-ended for future possibilities, it still felt abrupt and unfinished. Had we gotten more seasons this wouldn't have mattered but that obviously never happened. Aside from that, there's some exaggerated melodrama. Pretty typical as anime tropes go and not egregious enough to stand out if you're a regular.
Definitely worth watching, just curb your expectations.
- jochang-30856
- Jun 11, 2024
- Permalink
Only watched this recently on a recommendation.
The recommendation came from a Discord chat which was not even related to anime or manga. Needless to say, thought the affair wouldn't last long.
I binged it in 2 nights.
Animation is as you might expect from a budget anime produced in 2007 but it still makes it on my list as one of the best anime I have ever watched. Grippingly intense without going too much overboard. There were some weakness in parts of Clare's character development towards the last few episodes but all in all, a very good story line.
It is a pity there hasn't been enough interest in making a reboot, improving upon the story line or continuing on with a season 2 finale.
Highly recommended.
I binged it in 2 nights.
Animation is as you might expect from a budget anime produced in 2007 but it still makes it on my list as one of the best anime I have ever watched. Grippingly intense without going too much overboard. There were some weakness in parts of Clare's character development towards the last few episodes but all in all, a very good story line.
It is a pity there hasn't been enough interest in making a reboot, improving upon the story line or continuing on with a season 2 finale.
Highly recommended.
claymore its amazing
- amitshmueli
- Jun 30, 2023
- Permalink
Claymore one of the BEST forgotten anime
Action packed, but balance&diversity needed
Years ago, this series immediately turned me off when i noticed that all the lead female characters were unneccessarily-blonde, perhaps there was a reason in the plot/setting, but that-was-that, a superficial annoyance turning me off,
i chose something else to watch, and moved on - anime being the smorgasboard it is,
---
Now that i've actually watched it, as the series has progressed, some of the effort put into the methods particularly, of the monsters versus the rather stale & near-homogenous heroines, kept me interested,
when i might've otherwise got sick of the repetitous competitive-aggression vs. Disciple theme amongst the heroines , which although parallel to the conflict, limits how diverse the 'good-guys' ARE,
which indirectly makes them LESS-interesting than the monsters (plus a few other more diverse characters like the shadowy leader/liason of the org that's constantly giving orders),
And-then, because the monsters are usually / mostly disposable characters, the lack of diversity remains and the limited culture if that's not too much of a word for it, amongst the org. Doesn't change or adapt all that much, and there seems to be an obvious abscence of non-Claymore powers of the (100%)humans themselves, aiding, working parallel, or even at times, competing-with the Claymores, in their OWN defence.
That simplification of the 'settled'-balance of relied-upon power in the setting, limits what-happens in each episode, as-well-as who gets involved in the ending,
so while there isn't too much to have to think about, if intrigue bores you, especially if still-frame + opening&closing mouths visuals bore you, and the series DOES do a reasonable job of making sure there's enough action and visuals progression for an anime, to keep you interested most of the time, i can't help but feel that there's a a niggling few missing-realism-pieces to a more complete setting, so i had to shave a star off for that.
Aside from the setting/writing/breadth,
the deliberativly limited weapons/armour consistencies of the Claymores also seemed un-neccessarily homogenous/limited, even-if you're to believe they're an order with rules/reg.s,
surely the grumpy/cynical/better-survivors amongst them, would have a crossbow or two with good penetration, or grenades, or poison, or something - instead, the constant 'big-sword' perhaps-even peeny-envy/imitation ... :D ... got a bit... mmm ... difficult-to-swallow?
Surely axes-with-spikes / picks/hand-scythes / spears , would've made better piercing weapons, for the persistently tough-skinned monsters, but instead they all go for long-blade slashing, which just doesn't seem to match up.
---
On personality, many of the Claymores are far too limited by relative similarities with-few-differences amongst-the-disciplied,
and of the a-little-but-not-enough cynical +more aggressive , too limited by their org.s rules/reg.s, despite being cynical-enough to've ended up higher-up amongst the org., even-if they had to stick with the same armour/weapons.
Some of the side-characters or non-Claymore characters are more diverse and realistic, but considering how much TIME we spend with only-Claymores, the more we hear of their stories, the more reluctant they seemed to me, to be likely to have contingencies that break the rules - there were some exceptions, i have to admit, but the 'established-balance' (of the order ) still seemed too unrealistically inflexible, if more flexibility would've meant it could keep greater numbers, as-well-as be able to rely on more ranges of capacities.
The simple acceptance of the hidden/secretive leadership, without a more realistic range of DIStrust, considering that the upper leadership protects itself by sacrificing the lower members is just too much as a balance - it seems more like an abscence-of a balance.
Although that's perhaps an OK realism in the context of the internal-doubt in EACH Claymore, in terms of losing-control, the by-product of that chosen-constricted-realism, should've created more cynical / mixed-loyalties / conditional-service ANYway - as in, although you can set-aside how much wider-society could-not trust and rely on something that limited, INdiverse, and constrcited, for example, none of them even seem to ride a horse, for instance, for faster arrival times?.. you can still RE-criticise the abscence of more RANGES of capacities of an org. That's supposed to be USED TO protecting against different threats - surely the humans would at least have other mercenaries or something, that can fill a gap / meet a challenge that the Claymores cannot - a wave of FLYING ones, say - Claymores standing around with 2-handed swords would be useless - surely humans would've fostered / supported similiar orders / mercenaries,.. something,.. with more ranges of readiness-FOR different threats.
Had to drop a star for that, too - the setting seems to have quite advanced building and metalworking crafts, but i barely remember ANY missle weapons, and there was a near-total abscence of magic weilding BY humans also, which is also too-unrealistic.
Especially considering that the more powerful of the monsters, amongst the awakenedBs, start to RELY on psychic / mind-control / soul/aura capacities, and humans willingness to sacrifice themselves when we/they have SHORTER lives. I.e. With a short(er) life, there is less sacrificed compared to lost, with each Claymore lost - at one point the dialogue contained that they don't AGE - yet both the order AND the humans, are happy to have them constantly losing their experience, by this limited gear/weapons rule?
Why. Couldn't give it 7, when just too many plot-conveneiences to have the two opposing sides going at each other constantly withOUT human resistences/help, forced a limit on the entire setting's goodly-types versus the force-of-evil - althoug the terrain/scene-by-scene settings change a little, the persistence of the useless-humans-in-contrast-to-neccessary-evil within EACH Claymore, was an interesting limit on their powers UNlike many series where the heroes are too over-powered, the various LANDS and powers they travel THROUGH ... all have the same policies!
There's never any monster-hunters, never any mercenaries, never any standing-armies elite forces,.. nothing!
---
Has a well suited stop-start rythmn intro tune eliciting altenation between blocking & swinging a weapon / running & stopping, etc,
time-management / storyboarding/scene-sequencing is good, and the art itself, is a suitably dreary mostly-greys & blacks, which indisputably maintains a consistent 'north' / winter setting, but then, humans seem to go around in temperate clothing! :D
so yeah, a little more double-checking in the realisms in the plot-balances / fleshing out the world/setting would've made for a more complete plot/setting, and then a few more sub-plots / additional antagonists / changing-style as the Claymores moved-throughout various lands, would've made for more of a ... we're-a-responsive-emergent-order-that-responds-to-monsters-emerging-to-ADD-TO-what-you've-got-for-defences-locally ... mmm ... arrival, in a theatrical sense.
Instead, it felt like more like repetitive games of chess / lined-up ... select-your-team to fight the repetitous monsters, and on-that, those that they fought MOST of the time, were visually pretty-plain, rather than more cunning / a hidden-monster-or-two-amongst a population, like there was in the first episode.
Yes, Claire's own adventure is meant to be SCALING up, else she might've been just continually doing similar scale work, but as the conflict, well-beyond her own direction/control, clashes with what SHOULD be more cunning/better-surviving monsters, most of them simply start to get larger / stronger / in greater numbers - that got repetitious too - more creativity in HOW stronger ones were supposed to've ALREADY learnt to survive weaker Claymores, SHOULD've meant more moderately strong, but intelligent ones - instead the few intelligent ones, kept leading plain, lizard-like / golem-like muscle-mass target-practice styles, and that really didn't make for much of a challenge. I'm exaggerating a little, maybe the balance was 40%/60% ... i wanted to see 80/20 ... not-many, would be simple/armour+strength ones, if they're exactly the kind easily chopped-up by the supernaturally-strong Claymores - there's a who would've survived question there left un-addressed - over-time, the monsters would've become LESS crude&chunky.
---
Some of the word usage, at least in the English-translation, is too-modern, too - unsuited for a medieval setting - swearing, concepts of divinity/prayer are all christian ... is it meant to be a christian setting?... etc.
If they were meant to NOT be in a christian setting, then why do some of the characters, again at least in the english version, call out to / pray to "god" ?
Yaaaawnn...
---
Now that i've actually watched it, as the series has progressed, some of the effort put into the methods particularly, of the monsters versus the rather stale & near-homogenous heroines, kept me interested,
when i might've otherwise got sick of the repetitous competitive-aggression vs. Disciple theme amongst the heroines , which although parallel to the conflict, limits how diverse the 'good-guys' ARE,
which indirectly makes them LESS-interesting than the monsters (plus a few other more diverse characters like the shadowy leader/liason of the org that's constantly giving orders),
And-then, because the monsters are usually / mostly disposable characters, the lack of diversity remains and the limited culture if that's not too much of a word for it, amongst the org. Doesn't change or adapt all that much, and there seems to be an obvious abscence of non-Claymore powers of the (100%)humans themselves, aiding, working parallel, or even at times, competing-with the Claymores, in their OWN defence.
That simplification of the 'settled'-balance of relied-upon power in the setting, limits what-happens in each episode, as-well-as who gets involved in the ending,
so while there isn't too much to have to think about, if intrigue bores you, especially if still-frame + opening&closing mouths visuals bore you, and the series DOES do a reasonable job of making sure there's enough action and visuals progression for an anime, to keep you interested most of the time, i can't help but feel that there's a a niggling few missing-realism-pieces to a more complete setting, so i had to shave a star off for that.
Aside from the setting/writing/breadth,
the deliberativly limited weapons/armour consistencies of the Claymores also seemed un-neccessarily homogenous/limited, even-if you're to believe they're an order with rules/reg.s,
surely the grumpy/cynical/better-survivors amongst them, would have a crossbow or two with good penetration, or grenades, or poison, or something - instead, the constant 'big-sword' perhaps-even peeny-envy/imitation ... :D ... got a bit... mmm ... difficult-to-swallow?
Surely axes-with-spikes / picks/hand-scythes / spears , would've made better piercing weapons, for the persistently tough-skinned monsters, but instead they all go for long-blade slashing, which just doesn't seem to match up.
---
On personality, many of the Claymores are far too limited by relative similarities with-few-differences amongst-the-disciplied,
and of the a-little-but-not-enough cynical +more aggressive , too limited by their org.s rules/reg.s, despite being cynical-enough to've ended up higher-up amongst the org., even-if they had to stick with the same armour/weapons.
Some of the side-characters or non-Claymore characters are more diverse and realistic, but considering how much TIME we spend with only-Claymores, the more we hear of their stories, the more reluctant they seemed to me, to be likely to have contingencies that break the rules - there were some exceptions, i have to admit, but the 'established-balance' (of the order ) still seemed too unrealistically inflexible, if more flexibility would've meant it could keep greater numbers, as-well-as be able to rely on more ranges of capacities.
The simple acceptance of the hidden/secretive leadership, without a more realistic range of DIStrust, considering that the upper leadership protects itself by sacrificing the lower members is just too much as a balance - it seems more like an abscence-of a balance.
Although that's perhaps an OK realism in the context of the internal-doubt in EACH Claymore, in terms of losing-control, the by-product of that chosen-constricted-realism, should've created more cynical / mixed-loyalties / conditional-service ANYway - as in, although you can set-aside how much wider-society could-not trust and rely on something that limited, INdiverse, and constrcited, for example, none of them even seem to ride a horse, for instance, for faster arrival times?.. you can still RE-criticise the abscence of more RANGES of capacities of an org. That's supposed to be USED TO protecting against different threats - surely the humans would at least have other mercenaries or something, that can fill a gap / meet a challenge that the Claymores cannot - a wave of FLYING ones, say - Claymores standing around with 2-handed swords would be useless - surely humans would've fostered / supported similiar orders / mercenaries,.. something,.. with more ranges of readiness-FOR different threats.
Had to drop a star for that, too - the setting seems to have quite advanced building and metalworking crafts, but i barely remember ANY missle weapons, and there was a near-total abscence of magic weilding BY humans also, which is also too-unrealistic.
Especially considering that the more powerful of the monsters, amongst the awakenedBs, start to RELY on psychic / mind-control / soul/aura capacities, and humans willingness to sacrifice themselves when we/they have SHORTER lives. I.e. With a short(er) life, there is less sacrificed compared to lost, with each Claymore lost - at one point the dialogue contained that they don't AGE - yet both the order AND the humans, are happy to have them constantly losing their experience, by this limited gear/weapons rule?
Why. Couldn't give it 7, when just too many plot-conveneiences to have the two opposing sides going at each other constantly withOUT human resistences/help, forced a limit on the entire setting's goodly-types versus the force-of-evil - althoug the terrain/scene-by-scene settings change a little, the persistence of the useless-humans-in-contrast-to-neccessary-evil within EACH Claymore, was an interesting limit on their powers UNlike many series where the heroes are too over-powered, the various LANDS and powers they travel THROUGH ... all have the same policies!
There's never any monster-hunters, never any mercenaries, never any standing-armies elite forces,.. nothing!
---
Has a well suited stop-start rythmn intro tune eliciting altenation between blocking & swinging a weapon / running & stopping, etc,
time-management / storyboarding/scene-sequencing is good, and the art itself, is a suitably dreary mostly-greys & blacks, which indisputably maintains a consistent 'north' / winter setting, but then, humans seem to go around in temperate clothing! :D
so yeah, a little more double-checking in the realisms in the plot-balances / fleshing out the world/setting would've made for a more complete plot/setting, and then a few more sub-plots / additional antagonists / changing-style as the Claymores moved-throughout various lands, would've made for more of a ... we're-a-responsive-emergent-order-that-responds-to-monsters-emerging-to-ADD-TO-what-you've-got-for-defences-locally ... mmm ... arrival, in a theatrical sense.
Instead, it felt like more like repetitive games of chess / lined-up ... select-your-team to fight the repetitous monsters, and on-that, those that they fought MOST of the time, were visually pretty-plain, rather than more cunning / a hidden-monster-or-two-amongst a population, like there was in the first episode.
Yes, Claire's own adventure is meant to be SCALING up, else she might've been just continually doing similar scale work, but as the conflict, well-beyond her own direction/control, clashes with what SHOULD be more cunning/better-surviving monsters, most of them simply start to get larger / stronger / in greater numbers - that got repetitious too - more creativity in HOW stronger ones were supposed to've ALREADY learnt to survive weaker Claymores, SHOULD've meant more moderately strong, but intelligent ones - instead the few intelligent ones, kept leading plain, lizard-like / golem-like muscle-mass target-practice styles, and that really didn't make for much of a challenge. I'm exaggerating a little, maybe the balance was 40%/60% ... i wanted to see 80/20 ... not-many, would be simple/armour+strength ones, if they're exactly the kind easily chopped-up by the supernaturally-strong Claymores - there's a who would've survived question there left un-addressed - over-time, the monsters would've become LESS crude&chunky.
---
Some of the word usage, at least in the English-translation, is too-modern, too - unsuited for a medieval setting - swearing, concepts of divinity/prayer are all christian ... is it meant to be a christian setting?... etc.
If they were meant to NOT be in a christian setting, then why do some of the characters, again at least in the english version, call out to / pray to "god" ?
Yaaaawnn...
- welshnew50
- Aug 15, 2022
- Permalink
An exciting action series with some great characters
Worth watching
- JosephPorta2000
- Feb 23, 2021
- Permalink