Claymore

Non Spoiler

For an anime that was released in 2007, I believe this anime still holds up to standards in this day and age. It has a bit of everything that I've been looking for in an anime. For being a part of the shonen category, I was surprised by how relatable it was. A big bonus for me was how it was an almost full cast of females, yet it worked out perfectly. With this short anime of only 26 episodes, I hope you, the reader, may give it a try.

To start off, presentation wise, the animation quality looks outdated when compared to today’s. Although, it’s still enjoyable as it gives off the old school animation vibes. I believe the animation fits perfectly with the aesthetic of the whole show, and it sucks you into the atmosphere of dark fantasy, such as berserk. The character designs are original, in their own respective ways. The soundtrack, when combined with the scenes presented, are perfectly in sync to make a pleasant viewing of this anime.

On the surface level, Claymore is one of your typical shonens with good VS evil. In the introduction, we learn that there are monsters called Yoma, disguised as humans, who feed off humans. Then, there are the so-called Claymores, which hunt down these Yoma. The claymores are all females who are half human and half Yoma. We follow this story through the perspective of the main protagonist Clare, and get a deeper dive into this twisted world that’ll have the viewer filled with curiosity.

Spoiler

In only 26 episodes, Clare easily became one of my favorite females. In the beginning, she is going on with her normal life as a Claymore, going from town to town to complete jobs killing off the Yoma. Everything changed when she was met by a younger boy, named Raki. Clare had saved Raki from being slaughtered by a Yoma, disguised as Raki’s brother. With no family left, Raki decides to follow Clare on her journey. From this moment forward, we witness a beautiful relationship blossom.

Since Clare is a claymore, she is devoted to only following orders and hunting down the Yoma. She is introduced as this blunt and straightforward person, only following her duties, but once Raki is in the picture, only then do we get to see more of her human side. On the surface level, we only get to see this cold, strong half human and half monster. Although Raki, with his actions, is able to show us that there is more to Clare than we know.

We learn that Clare went through the same experience in the past, by following a Claymore that saved her as a child. She was accompanying a Claymore named Teresa, who was the strongest at the time. Teresa was a proud Claymore, but started to show more of her human nature because of Claire. Due to unfortunate events, Teresa was murdered in front of Clare by a Claymore-turnt-Yoma named Priscilla. From this day forward, it has been Clare’s goal to get revenge by killing Priscilla.

We get to witness just how similar the relationship between Clare and Raki is to that of Clare and Teresa. Raki, having nothing left, ultimately decides to stick with Clare no matter where she goes. Throughout the show, Raki is next to Clare , even during her toughest times. Raki is physically the weakest character presented, but mentally and emotionally his support is like none other. His ability to become a support pillar for Clare is very intriguing. For example, Clare, being a Claymore, almost became a Yoma by reaching her limits, but Raki was able to halt this transformation. It is very unusual for this to occur, which shows just how much of an impact Raki has on Clare’s humanity. At one point in the story, Clare is faced with stronger foes, which stops Raki from continuing his journey with her. But due to their bond, she kissed him and told him "I promise you... I won't die. I'll live...and I'll find you". At least for me, this relationship felt quite relatable to me , in the way it was represented. I wish I could fully explain, but I think this show does just that.

At first, I thought it would be a generic plot, but as the story progressed, it made my jaw drop more and more as the episodes progressed. The show tells us that Clare is supposed to be weak, and many side characters try to belittle her. But soon enough they realize how overcoming Clare can be when faced with tough situations. The characters can be snotty or sassy, but after experiencing true terror, they become hardened warriors ready to back up Clare in all their confrontations. At some times, it may appear as if all hope is lost, but when they work together, they are able to do damage. Throughout the plot, there is a heavy mysterious aura that surrounds the whole organization of the Claymores. In the anime, we are more focused on the journey of Clare. But this anime was able to create a strong world building that made me more curious into the whole idea of Claymores VS the Yomas. This anime definitely made me want to continue the story into the manga.

To summarize, this anime is packed with a bunch of gore, blood and fighting to have you on the edge of your seat. It has enough moments to make you pull out the tissues. Plus a convincing enough plot to make you want to say one more episode.