So Claymore was 2007's #1 anime show? According to Japan anime poll, Claymore was better than the likes of "Seto no Hanayome", "Lovely Complex" and "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann"? This fact in itself was hard to digest and I had to wonder if Claymore really was deserving of this popularity.The Expression/Thoughts:
Animation: Overall, the animation was excellent. The backgrounds were nicely done, but nothing too special. The character designs were a bone of contention with some viewers, with some saying that all the claymores were too similar (LOL… naturally they are all blond and silver eyed!). I felt that the visual appearance of each claymore warrior was different enough so that each was distinguishable from the other. What really stood out were the gorgeous fight scenes. Intense, fluid and jammed packed with excitement. One thing I particularly enjoyed was the involvement of multiple claymores in despatching the tougher 'Awakened'. It was refreshing to see something slightly different than the usual one-on-one confrontations. Knowing that an entire claymore could slaughter with ease a brigade of well-trained humans was terrifying enough. Seeing that 4-5 claymores were needed against one 'Awakened' made you realise just how dangerous these enemies were.
Story: Much like it's ancient european style, the story of Claymore was a double-edged sword. If you have never seen "Bleach" or "Berserk", I would have agreed that Claymore deserved 2007"s #1 spot. The story of one warrior getting stronger with each confrontation and battling impossible odds along the way, until the protagonist can fulfil their destiny of gaining revenge is a story arc that has been done to death. I could not help but think that the creative minds of Claymore were close to "Berserk" that looked at Guts. The flashback for episode 8 was perhaps the turning point for the show. Without this insightful interlude into Clare's past and motivation, the entire story would have gone up in smoke. The ending was my biggest grievance. I felt like smashing my PC when I saw the ending of "Berserk" and I nearly ended up doing the exact same thing with Claymore. I am aware that the manga is still ongoing, but please don’t do a "Berserk" if you want to keep the fans happy. I’m still waiting for the next season of "Berserk" (after years of waiting) and at this rate, I’ll be a grandmother before I see anything similar from Claymore. No matter what type of anime fan you are, trust me… you too will hate Claymore's ending.
Characters: WARNING THIS SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS. Admittedly, I found the very strong female cast a godsend in a genre normally dominated by superhero male protagonists. All of them were serious, strong, able fighters with a painful history and back-story. Character development was generally good (even from Clare) and apart from Raki, I didn’t feel a sense of superficiality from any of the other characters. I’ll leave my criticism of Raki for later. There was a pleasant change of character when Priscilla made her entrance. My first impressions of her were of being the most immature and childish of ALL the claymores in the entire series. I honestly felt that she could have been the joker of the pack for the claymores and if that had been the case, it would have destroyed the dark and serious mood of the show. Luckily I learned long ago not to trust first impressions! Priscilla was the show’s antagonist-in-chief and to see the reason why Clare was so determined to exact her revenge was gruesomely visceral. However, like all the female 'Awakened', I did feel a sense of sorrow for Priscilla. Continuing my criticism of Raki, he was an absolutely despicable character. Why and how was he able to stop a rampant Clare from fulfilling her revenge with some truly horrendous lines right at the very end? It was just sheer stupidity on the part of the studio to have made a character as weak and useless as Raki. I was glad that he had disappeared for most of the second half of the series. Raki was perhaps the greatest disappointment of the entire show. He is my most hated character in 2007 for god sake.
Music: The songs and score were good. The OP was your typical J-Pop song with elements of rock thrown in. It had a very dark, gothic feel with an impendingly fast tempo that perfectly matched the mood of Claymore.
Summary: Claymore shared/ripped much of what made "Berserk" such an entertaining show, whilst combining the strength and power reminiscent of Ichigo from "Bleach". For example, when battling the super-powerful 'Awakened', how many times did Clare say out loud "MORE…MORE…MORE…MORE!" (episode 23 onwards). If that doesn’t sound like a "Bleach" episode, then I’m a Hollow! Overall, I found it entertaining and at times very exciting. Indeed it was a very good series and was one of the better releases of 2007. Whilst I can understand why Claymore was considered a good show by many, what I find difficult to stomach was its over-rated rank of #1. Perhaps with a second season and a continuing story, I would be willing to amend my review. However, there were just so many flaws that clouded an otherwise entertaining series that Claymore would have to settle for a 6/10 score.
Information to interested viewers:
* Anime series of episodes : 26
* Manga chapters : 1-93 ongoing
* Author : Yagi Norihiro
* Genre : Horror - Drama - Fantasy - Action
* Watch Online : Email to prishlc@hotmail.com for episode links
