Claymore

Claymore, like other shonens, is a battle of the underdogs against the ultimates. It is a story about the warriors who carry claymores and slay demons, and the organization that runs them. Claymore is above everything a wonderful approach to friendship, specifically female friendship.

The story is suspenseful and at times heartbreaking, dealing with loss and grief and self identity in an artful manner. It does however ramble a lot in the later chapters, something that I don't prefer in mangas I read.

The art however, though started as unimpressive, shortly became truly masterful, some panels snatching my breath away.

The cast is almost all female and not catered to the male gaze, something that is an anomaly in animanga. The cast is diverse and powerful, and makes you honestly root for them as they go on one life threatening mission to another. It made me care about the main cast so much that I had been praying they survive if nothing else. But perhaps a few deaths would have been more realistic considering the dire situations they were in in the later chapters, but then again they're claymores.

Claymore also has a message about desire and how it manifests differently in men and women, and how differently they are expected to deal with them. While men can succumb to pleasure, women are expected to always prioritise others, to always put others before their own desires.

Overall, truly enjoyed the manga because I love female friendship, but will probably take some time before I consider rereading it. I usually know if I'll be rereading something by the time I finish it, but claymore is heavy and the scanlation isn't really out of the park, which is why I'd rather it be a memory than reread it several times and find myself turned off from it.

Claymore made me stay up till 1 at night, desperate to see the ending and if my faves survive. It grips you into the story and does not let you go for a long time, not until the later chapters atleast.

Recommended if you're looking for a shonen with a way different premise than most of that genre (an almost all female cast) and if, like me, you're a sucker for female friendships, the underdog story and teamwork.

since i need to write more to legitimately meet the character limit I'll talk about my favourite characters. Obviously I love Clare and most of the main cast but for me Miria stood out so much. A very well written character, and a natural born leader I loved her so much. She was an amazing deuteragonist. She is strong, an amazing leader, a seasoned fighter- literally everything a claymore should be. I also really liked Helen and Deneve.

One of the things I disliked was the constant awakening of awakened beings and several abyssal ones which made the plot a bit confused I feel. I feel like focusing on a few awakened beings at a time could have been better.

My favourite panels include the ones with the Statue of the Twins and the ones with awakened beings in them because of how intricate and detailed they are. Also love the covers because Clare is gorgeous.