Claymore (TV series): Difference between revisions
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* [http://www.ntv.co.jp/claymore NTV's Claymore site] |
* [http://www.ntv.co.jp/claymore NTV's Claymore site] |
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* [http://avexmovie.jp/lineup/claymore AVEX's Claymore site] |
* [http://avexmovie.jp/lineup/claymore AVEX's Claymore site] |
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===References=== |
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* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7028 Claymore (TV) at AnimeNewsNetwork] |
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Revision as of 10:55, 6 October 2007
| Claymore (TV series) | |
| File:Claymore logo.JPG Claymore | |
| Genre | Action, Horror, Fantasy |
|---|---|
| Anime | |
| Claymore | |
| Directed by | Hiroyuki Tanaka |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yagi Norihiro (art) |
| Published by |  Shueisha |
Claymore is a Japanese anime and manga series, its first season being released in 2007. It is composed by 26 episodes of approximately 23 minutes each. The show and manga deal with powerful warriors known as Claymores, who are hired to defeat powerful demonic creatures known as Yoma. It takes place sometime around the Medieval era, though it is questionable if the world is even our own.
The series are directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka and produced by Avex Mode, D.N. Dream Partners, Madhouse Studios, NTV and VAP.
Story
The story revolves around the character Clare, and her struggles as a member of the "Claymores", a powerful group of women gifted with incredible abilities due to being part-Yoma or demon. Their sole mission is the eradication of these Yoma, who feed on human guts. Clare is first introduced when a town comes under attack by one of these creatures, disguised as a human in an attempt to deceive her and the rest of the villagers. Though the people are intimidated by her presence and fear her (her constant stoicism doesn't help either), a young man named Raki decides to reach out to her. He even goes as far as following her throughout her patrol of the city, much to her displeasure.
Eventually, he decides to return home, knowing that he needs to cook for his family. It is then revealed in a plot twist that the Yoma is in fact his brother. Luckily, Clare followed him home, after smelling the stench of Yoma on him left by his brother (who is in fact a Yoma in disguise) and promptly slays the creature. She leaves the town and its payment for her collector, moving on to her next task. In their paranoia, the villagers throw Raki out of the village, believing he could turn into a Yoma after living with one for so long. Having nowhere else to go, he follows Clare, who saves him after he collapses in exhaustion. After rescuing him (yet again) from another Yoma attack, she decides it'll be alright for him to follow along as her cook, as he has nowhere else to go. From here, the anime and manga follow the two in their town-by-town tasks of exterminating Yoma, all the while concentrating upon the two characters' growing development. Clare is beginning to regain some of her humanity as she becomes accustomed to Raki's presence, and Raki is maturing and learning from their travels.
The series also diverges at one point to tell the tale of a very powerful Claymore whose ability and strength surpassed everyone else's in the organization. She was known as "Teresa of The Faint Smile", a mighty warrior who could swiftly kill very powerful Yoma using below 10% of her supernatural abilities. One day, after eliminating several Yoma, she comes across a little girl, Clare. Initially, Teresa believes she is latching onto her because she had no one else to depend on. Eventually, she realizes the truth, and warms up to the girl (Clare wanted to comfort Teresa while she saw her sad eyes). Trying to protect Clare from bandits, Teresa ends up killing humans thus violating "the organization's" ironclad rule: to never kill a human no matter the circumstance.
By violating the organization's rule Teresa is marked for execution. However, at execution site she doesn't accept the death sentence. After incapacitating her would-be executers, she leaves with Clare in tow. The organization then decides to send the strongest of the Claymores (#2-#5) to kill Teresa. However, they too, prove to be no match for her. During the course of the battle, the #2 Claymore loses control and gives in to the entirety of her Yoma powers, thus becoming an Awakened Being (a Claymore who has lost all of her humanity). She then tricks Teresa into believing that she wants to be killed to remain human. Teresa, in mercy, momentarily drops her guard and her powers, and promises to carry out the task. Unfortunately, the now sadistic #2 uses the opportunity to dismember her, and then behead her. She then goes on to defeat her comrades (#3-#5), leaving Clare the only survivor.
Clare looks for the man of the dark glasses and requests that she receives Teresa's flesh and blood to become a Claymore and seek revenge, thus revealing the girl's entire history.
Important Facts
- Claymores do not, in fact, call themselves Claymores. It is a name given to them by their populace for their liberal use of their massive claymores.
- Claymore Warriors turn into their awakened form (Awakened Beings) if they surpass their maximum level of yoki powers that they can release - about 80% - (That is when they fully turn into their yoma part). In their awakened form they usually become way more powerful than before, the level of power for the awakened beings is higher or lower as their Claymore rank.
- Each warrior is assigned a unique symbol that is present on their outfit and sword.
- Claymore's eyes are silver, they turn gold and have slit-like pupils when they release a small amount of their yoki (yoma power) or remain awakened.
- Claymore's control their yoma part when fighting mentally, that is why some of Claymores end up as awakened beings due to the wear of their mental ability to control the yoma part while fighting
- When a Claymore feels that her Yoma half is about to take control of herself, she sends a black card that's concealed within her sword with her symbol to the Claymore by whom she wants to be killed.
- All Claymore warriors use the same sword type (large two-handed claymore sword) and the same uniform no matter their rank.
- Claymore's swords become their grave markers when they die.
- Claymore's organization does not hunt for awakened beings unless there's a request for it. The hunting team usually is composed by 4 warriors led by a single-digit or by the highest ranked Claymore in the group.
- Awakened Beings and Yoma's blood is purple, while Claymore's is red.
- Once there were Male Claymores as well (and they were stronger then the female warriors) but the organization gave up on them because even if though they were powerful they would lose to their yoma side quickly and awaken, it seems the awakening process brought them something like sexual pleasure that they could not resist.
- By deserting the organization, a warrior is considered a traitor and is marked for death, normally the warrior's head is removed in a ritual by fellow Claymores or is hunted down.
- As an annoyance or "trouble child" to the Organization, a warrior may be assigned a very dangerous, almost suicidal mission.
- Depending on whether or not a Claymore Warrior is an Offensive or Defensive type, the warriors (and Awakened Beings) are able to heal themselves differently. All warriors can reconnect body parts that have been chopped off entirely, while only Defensive type warriors can regenerate a body part that is destroyed or chopped into multiple pieces.
- Claymores do grow up but they don't age, as soon as they reach maturity they remain like that until they die in battle or turn into Awakened Beings.
Special Techniques
- Flash (Quick) Sword - Technique primarily used by Irene and later by Clare (After learning from Irene and borrowing her right arm). Its a very fast swing movement which hits the opponent in several spots almost at the same time producing flash effects, this technique is the origin of Irene's nickname: "Flash Sword Irene".
- Phantom Illusion - Technique used by Miria which leaves an image of her behind while she already moved at light speed to another location, this technique is the origin of her nickname: "Phantom Miria".
- Rippling Sword - Technique used by Ophelia which performs a ripple movement into her sword making its position unpredictable in a determinate instant.
- Windcutter - Technique used by Flora, by drawing out her sword, slashing and putting her sword back so fast that it seems she never draws out her sword at all (reminiscent of iaido), this technique is the origin of her nickname: "Windcutter Flora"; the manga states that after a confrontation with Clare's Flash Sword, Flora comes to acknowledge her technique is more precise and powerful, while Clare's win in speed.
- Drill Blade - Technique used by Jeane, by twisting her arm maximum of 21 times and releasing its powerful rotation she can penetrate even the most rigid body.
- Yoki Control - Technique used by Claymores who excel at yoki manipulation such as Galatea which allows her to control opponent's moves by manipulating their yoki; Galatea seems to be particularly skilled also in using it as a very sensitive radar.
Offensive vs Defensive
- Offensive Claymore - This type of Claymore warrior cannot regenerate lost limbs. Their bodies only being able to heal or rejoin parts that are cut from the body. Therefore they specialize in their techniques and power to slash their adversaries. However, it is hinted that they may be able to regenerate destroyed parts of their body but takes longer than usual ie when Riful says Dauf ,who was an offensive type before he awakened, can regenerate his parts but it takes him a long time.
- Defensive Claymore - This type of Claymores can regenerate destroyed parts of their bodies but lack in offensive power, therefore their attacks are weak and they usually can't argue with high ranked Claymores or Awakened Beings.
Uniform And Weapons
File:Claymore TV Series Uniforms.gif
Claymore's uniform set includes a two-handed Claymore sword (Claymore's sole weapon). The whole set is gray scheme based and elegant, though Claymores have a lot of strength compared to humans their bodies are pretty normal. Usually Claymores receive a replacement clothes set after a mission from their handlers. Warrior's uniform also includes a type of belt that is actually a set of dangling knives that fits around the waist.
The uniform most characteristic details are:
- Claymore Sword - This large two-handed sword is a heavy type yet Claymore warriors can easily use it with only one hand (Something hard to achieve for a human). Its virtually indestructible (at least none has broke so far, no matter how strong they hit it).
- Shoulder set - This includes half body cloak, Double Sword holder and Shoulder protection.
- Upper/Lower Members armor - This includes armored boots(some boots differ from others), arm protection and waist armor.
- Body Suit - Under the armor Claymores use a pale gray full body suit (2 parts: Shirt and Pants).
- Symbol holder - It seems this is the only part Claymores keep when they change their clothes, it extends from neck to the chest with the Claymore symbol printed.
- Knife Belt - A set of knives resembling a type of belt that fits around their waist.
Characters / Cast
(See also List_of_Claymore_characters)
Main Character
Clare is the primary protagonist of both the anime and manga. She is #47 in the organization, and is therefore considered the weakest of Claymores. However, she is still a warrior of incredible prowess, and has superhuman abilities in comparison to the average person. She joined the organization by choice, hoping to avenge her only guardian by slaying the Yoma. Both her training and her assuming her slain guardian's powers left her rather unemotional, making her come off as cold and unfeeling. However, she does retain some of her humanity, most often expressed in subtlety and minute gestures. This is something only Raki has come to see, which leaves him to constantly refer to her as gentle and compassionate. Despite the fact she often remarks that she doesn't care for his safety, it is apparent that she has some attachment to him.
First Appearance: Episode 1.
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima
Supporting Characters
Raki is the other main character for the first 12 episodes of the series and returns in the final episodes. And he often serves as the highly emotional foil to Clare's stoicism. He lost his entire family to a Yoma attack, and believes that he owes a debt to Clare for avenging him. However, she makes it quite clear that such a thing wasn't her intention, and insists that he stop following her. Unfortunately, he is unwilling to stay in any town and wishes to go with her regardless; something that she eventually relents to. From there, Raki becomes her companion, cooking for her during the rare times that she must eat (where even then, she just takes one or two bites of whatever there is). Additionally, during the times that Clare overexerts herself and begins to lose herself to her Yoma half, Raki is the only person capable of bringing back her human conscious. In the last episode of the series, Raki voiced to Clare that he loves her. However it is not certain whether this is fraternal or romantic. This is further emphasised when he tells her he wishes to "stay by her side forever", and that if it comes down to killing her, he'd rather die with her than be alone.
First Appearance: Episode 1.
Voiced by: Motoki Takagi
Teresa Among her generation, she was considered the strongest of the Claymores and nicknamed "Teresa of the Faint Smile" for the soft smile she wore into combat.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: S, Agility: A, Strength: A, Mental: A, Sense: S, Leadership: B
Unlike other warriors, she rarely, if ever, used her yoma powers in combat. A stark contrast to Clare, who has been shown to use it rather frequently. Although she was considered the strongest of the organization, Irene (#3 before her disappearance) notes that it wasn't her power, speed, or swordsmanship that made her so. Rather, it was her godly ability at sensing yoki, even when it is coursing within a person's body. This allowed her to telegraph opponents and properly react against any sort of attack.
First Appearance: Episode 5.
Voiced by: Romi Paku
Miria is the current Number 6 of the organization. Known as "Phantom Miria" because of her incredible speed which is so great in battle she leaves only after-images of herself.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: B+, Agility: A+, Strength: C, Mental: B, Sense: C, Leadership: A+
Her movements are the fastest of Claymores, but has become "blacklisted", assigned to difficult missions, due to her single-mindedness and somewhat rebellious attitude towards the organization. Highly intelligent and observant she has come to question the true motives of the organization and secretly attempts to investigate it.
First Appearance: Episode 9.
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue
Deneve is the current Number 15 of the organization. She is obervant, a good tactician, but her main skill lies in the ability to heal devastating wounds quickly since she is primarily a defensive Claymore (as oppose to offense).
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: B+, Agility: B, Strength: C, Mental: C+, Sense: C, Leadership: C
Rarely demonstrating strong emotions and seemingly apathetic, Deneve actually cares deeply for her comrades and is particularly close to Helen.
First Appearance: Episode 9.
Voiced by: Hana Takeda
Helen is the current Number 22 of the organization. Helen has the ability to stretch out her sword arm and possibly legs to attack from long range.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: C+, Agility: C, Strength: B, Mental: C, Sense: C, Leadership: D
Her loud boisterous nature balances out her friend Deneve's stoicism.
First Appearance: Episode 9.
Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa
Jeane is the current Number 9. Saved by Clare, she tries to pay back that favor with equal magnitude. She decides to follow Clare and protect her even with the cost of her life. Jeane is able to twist her arm 21 times and then releasing its huge rotational power to penetrate through anything no matter how rigid it is. The shear power of this technique is considered perhaps the strongest among claymores.
First Appearance: Episode 15.
Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi
Rubel is a man who serves the organization, though not a Claymore himself. Often referred to as "the man in black," and he primarily collects money from from Claymores' clients, brings supplies and relays orders from the organization. He is a character shrouded in complete mystery, and warns Clare about getting too attached to Raki. Similarly, he has also appeared to Raki to warn him to not get too attached to Clare, as she would eventually turn into a Yoma and have to be slain. In a flashback, it is revealed that it was he who brought a younger Clare to the organization.
First Appearance: Episode 2.
Voiced by: Kenji Hamada
Irene was the Number 2 of the Claymores before Priscilla joined their ranks. She then became Number Three.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: A, Agility: A, Strength: B, Mental: A+, Sense: B, Leadership: A
Among her peers she was known as "Irene of the Flash Sword," and was well known for her proficiency with the blade. Her swordsmanship was so swift, even her fellow Claymores had a difficult time seeing that she had even drawn her blade at all. She was also incredibly intelligent and observant, able to surmise a person's ability by just looking at them. Irene is an example of discipline, self-control and obedience, but has expressed jealously towards Teresa having been witnessed to and confronting her strength. When she was given the assignment to slay Teresa along with three of her allies, she herself believed that they would all die trying to take her down. However, she changed her mind upon meeting Priscilla, seeing the unlimited potential within the new recruit.
First Appearance: Episode 7.
Voiced by: Minami Takayama
Galatea is the current Number 3, a high ranked Claymore that can sense and interpret yoki from long distance ranges, her yoki sense is the most accurate among all Claymores.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: A, Agility: B, Strength: B+, Mental: A, Sense: A+, Leadership: B
Galatea usually is called to hunt other Claymores and bring them back to the organization (dead or alive) or make reconnaissance missions without being noticed. Despite her strict behavior she isn't as cold as other high ranked Claymores.
First Appearance: Episode 10.
Voiced by: Ai Orikasa
Ophelia was the Number 4 of the Claymore organization that excels in many attributes, however she does not have teamwork and disregards others.
Character Attributes:
Yoki Energy: A, Agility: A, Strength: A, Mental: C, Sense: B+, Leadership: C
When Ophelia was a child, her beloved brother died protecting her from an awakened being. This caused Ophelia to deeply hate all Awakened Beings as she came to understand their existence differing from other Yoma. Though powerful, she was psychotic and revelled in killing. She murdered others indiscriminately for the sheer fun of it, and killed humans while slaughtering all witnesses to avoid punishment. She has even destroyed a fellow Claymore's Black Card. She also enjoyed torturing and played sadistic "games" with her opponents in battle. Even though many of her crimes were secret, other Claymores considered her a monster.
Her special fighting technique is "rippling" her sword by waving it back and forth at great speed. This technique is extremely difficult to dodge or block, even for an opponent who can predict her movements, such as Clare. Based on this technique, she gave herself the title Rippling Ophelia, believing she hadn't any other title. Miria had refered to her as the blood soaked evil warrior, but this may not have been an official title.
First Appearance: Episode 12.
Voiced by: Emi Shinohara
Rafaela is current Number 5, her job is to kill traitors (members who left the organization). Rafaela is the most talented at hiding her own yoki so others won't notice her presence, making her the best choice for secret missions. She's missing her left eye maybe due to the process of becoming a half-human/half-yoma or for an accident explained in the manga. Her participation in the TV Series is rather limited and many things about her remain a mystery.
First Appearance: Episode 14.
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino
- Flora (#8) - Miyu Matsuki
- Undine (#11) - Rie Ishizuka
- Veronica (#13) - Akeno Watanabe
- Cynthia (#14) - Miho Miyagawa
- Ermita (Miria and Galatea's handler) - Chou
- Orsay (Teresa's handler) - Houchu Ohtsuka
Antagonists
Priscilla is the primary antagonist of the series. Formerly, she was the second strongest person within the Claymores, earning her the spot of Number 2. Despite the fact that she was rather clumsy, she was prodigal in her fighting abilities and capable of repressing her Yoki to the point that not even Teresa could sense her. Both Teresa and Irene even acknowledge that had she stayed the path, she would've surpassed Teresa. Unfortunately, she lacked practical experience, and did not yet learn the limitations of her abilities. This was something Irene had overlooked when deciding to rely on her during the fight. Priscilla became increasingly erratic and unstable, constantly referring to her father and seeing Teresa as his killer. She eventually succumbs to her madness and uses all of her Yoma abilities, thus permanently transforming her into that which she hated. She is considered one of the strongest of the Awakened Beings, perhaps even as strong as the "Dwellers of the Deep" or the "Abysmal Ones".
First Appearance: Episode 7.
Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa
Easley (Isley) is one of the three former number 1 ranked Claymores who have awakened (also know as "Dwellers of the Deep"), with his power and strength he leads an army of powerful awakened beings and rules the Northern Lands, his awakened form is a giant Centaurus beast.
First Appearance: Episode 19.
Voiced by: Kouji Yusa
Riful "of the west" is other of the three former number one ranked Claymores who have awaken, she was also the first number 1 ranked female of Claymore organization and reached the top at a very young age, she controls the Western Lands. She usually tortures her victims forcing them to awake in order to test their strength, she looks for powerful awakened beings who can be her allies in the fight against Easley that she is no match for by herself.
First Appearance: Episode 15.
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki
Dauf is Riful's companion, he is a giant sasquatch like creature with a very rigid body who attacks by launching giant iron tubes from his mouth and body.
First Appearance: Episode 15.
Voiced by: Kenji Hamada
Rigardo - Hiro Yuuki
Symbology
File:Claymore anime rank symbols.gif
Anime vs Manga
- The anime series follows the manga story very strictly only deviating in the last episodes of the 'War of the North' arc.
- Episodes 24-26 are completely independent from manga storyline. The line of deviation in the manga is beginning of Chapter 60 (Volume 11).
- Some characters not introduced in the TV Series: Alicia, Beth (Alicia's twin), Miata (new #4), Luciela "of the south" (Rafaela's sister), Clarice (new #47), Audrey (new #3) and Rachel (new #5).