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Claymore (TV series)

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Claymore (TV series)
File:Claymore logo.JPG
Claymore
GenreAction, Horror, Fantasy
Anime
Claymore
Directed byHiroyuki Tanaka
StudioMadhouse (company)
Manga
Written byYagi Norihiro (art)
Published byJapan Shueisha

Claymore is a new 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 female warriors known as Claymores, whom are hired to defeat powerful demonic creatures known as the 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, whom require human flesh to survive. Clare if first introduced when a town comes under attack by one of these creatures, who uses a human disguise 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 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 had nowhere else to go. From here, the anime and manga follows 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 organization. She was known as "Theresa of The Faint Smile", and a mighty warrior that could kill Yoma with using just below 10% of her supernatural abilities. One day, after eliminating several Yoma, she comes across a little girl (Clare) who wanted to comfort her sad eyes. Clare even goes as far as following her straight off a cliff face. Initially, Theresa believes she is latching onto her because she had no one else to depend on. Eventually, she realizes the truth on her own, and warms up the girl's presence. After trying to protect Clare from bandits, Theresa ends up killing humans thus violating the organization's only rule: to never kill a human no matter the circumstance.

By violating the organization rule Theresa is called for execution. However, at execution site she doesn't accept the death sentence as she now has a reason to live. 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 Theresa. However, they too, prove to be no match for her. During the course of the battle, the #2 Claymore loses her mind and gives in to the entirety of her Yoma powers, thus becoming an Awakened Being (a Claymore who has lost all of their humanity). She then tricks Theresa into believing that she wants to be killed to remain human. Theresa, in mercy, momentarily drops her guard and her powers, and promises to carry out the task. Unfortuantely, 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 Theresa'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 when they release their yoki (yoma power) or remain awaken.
  • Claymore's control their yoma part when fighting mentally, that is why all 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 they are about to be lost to their yoma half, they send out a Black Card with their emblem to the person whom they want to kill them.
  • All Claymore warriors use the same sword type (2 hands large claymore sword) and the same uniform no matter their rank.
  • Claymore's swords become their grave markers when they die.

Characters / Cast

Claymore has two main characters, and a relatively small cast of supporting characters (whom are almost entirely made up of other Claymores).

Main Characters

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 nigh unemotional, making her come off as cold and unfeeling. However, she retains 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.

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima

Raki is the other main character in the series, and 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. Though he hasn't expressly stated it, he seems to have some feelings for Clare (platonic or otherwise). This is evident 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.

Voiced by: Motoki Takagi

Supporting Characters

Theresa was Clare's mentor and former guardian. In life, she was the strongest of the Claymores and nicknamed "Theresa of the Faint Smile" for the soft smile she wore into combat. Unlike other warriors, she rarely, if ever, used her yoma powers in combat. A stark contrast to Clare, whom has been shown to use it rather frequently. When Clare was a child, Theresa saved her from a Yoma who was using her as a shield and "toy". From then on, the girl followed her wherever she went, much to her annoyance. Though she attempted to lose her, Theresa eventually decided to bring her along, as she might die from being left alone in the wilderness. Though the stalwart warrior believed the child was clinging to her because she saw her as her savior, she eventually realizes that her persistence is due to the fact that the two share similar experiences and feelings of isolation and sadness. Theresa, from thereon out, warms to Clare considerably, and finds her to be the sole reason for her to live.

Unfortunately, the happy moments the two shared would be shattered when Theresa decides to leave Clare alone in a mountain village to live life as an ordinary human. Bandits attack the town, and wipe out almost the entirety of the population. The Claymore returns to the town to rescue her, and in the struggle, kills nearly all the bandits. In doing so, she broke the organization's prime rule to never kill a human, no matter the circumstance. As retribution, she becomes hunted from then on out by the organization. Eventually, they realize Theresa is too powerful for any one operative, so they send #2-#5 to defeat her. However, even then, the four prove to be no match for her. Still, she eventually meets her end in a brief moment of mercy, when she chooses not to kill an increasingly erratic #2 (or Priscilla). Priscilla, succumbing to her Yoma half, beheads her, and then kills her comrades. This serves as Clare's primary reason to join the Claymores, as she wants to find the awakened Priscilla and slay her herself.

Though she is consistently considered the strongest of the organization, Irene (#3 before her death) notes that it isn't her power, speed, or swordsmanship that makes her so. Rather, it is her godly ability at sensing yoki, even when it is coursing within a person's body. This allows her to know her opponent's next movement, and therefore, be able to properly react against any sort of attack.

Voiced by: Romi Paku

Rubel is a member of the organization, though is not a Claymore himself. He's often referred to as the "Man in black," and has the primary assignment of collecting the money from from Claymores' missions and giving them further tasts. He is a character shrouded in complete mystery, and there to often warn 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.

Voiced by: Kenji Hamada

Irene was the Number 2 of the Claymores before Priscilla joined their ranks. She then became Number Three. 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. When she was given the assignment to slay Theresa along with four 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. With Numbers 2, 4, and 5, Irene assaulted Theresa while she and Clare were resting in an Inn. Despite their numbers, she was defeated along with her allies. She later attempted to stop Priscilla after the girl went mad, but was easily slain along with her peers. Her greatest regret was not seeing that Priscilla was still a child, and could not handle the stress of the battle.

Voiced by: Minami Takayama

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 Theresa could sense her. Both Theresa and Irene even acknowledge that had she stayed the path, she would've surpassed Theresa. 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 Theresa 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. In this form, she tricks Theresa into believing she wanted to be killed, thus allowing her to slay her while her guard was down. She then proceeds to kill the other Claymores present, before leaving to feed and terrorize humans in the years to come.

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa

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.

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