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Update: I screwed up big time in writing this post. It contains a lot of mistakes, has misleading phrases and is left hanging at the end. To atone for my mistakes I've added sentences and corrected my wrongs. Sentences in red are corrections and sentences in blue are additions.



This anime caught my attention while I was surfing forums searching for new animes to download. Claymore is a manga-turned-anime. The anime is produced by MADHOUSE Ltd. while the manga was created by Norihiro Yagi. Being very new, Claymore has only three aired episodes so far.

Claymore is set in a medieval land with scattered, apparently independent, towns and villages. People here coexist with man-eating monsters called Youmas. Youmas are much stronger than humans easily killing a man in one blow.

A youma


An organisation of superhuman warriors battle the youmas armed with immense claymore swords for an atrocious price. These warriors called Claymores by ordinary people harbour a dark secret. They are hanjinhanyou (half-human, half youma) and people are very wary of them. Some even call the claymores silver-eyed witches (all claymores are female) for their silver irises. But, the people in " claymore="" grudgingly="" realise="" that="" only="" the="" claymores="" can="" save="" them="" from="" being="" eaten="" alive="" by=""> "Claymore" grudgingly realise that only the claymores can save them from being eaten alive by youmas. The story begins in a village where we have a crowd gathering around disemboweled bodies; the victims of a youma attack. It's then heard that six people have already been eaten by a youma. The scene the switches to the headman's house where the villages were told that he had sought the services of a Claymore. Many disagreed but finally unwillingly agreed that without a Claymore killing the youma they may be destroyed.

The main male protagonist of the story, a boy named Raki is then introduced. He runs up to his brother asking about the outcome of the village meeting. Raki is told then about the Claymores. When the Claymore arrives he leaves his brother running towards the Claymore who we'll later know as Clare at the end of the episode, at the village entrance.

Clare and Raki meet for the first time.

As the show continues Raki talks to the Claymore who is surprised that he isn't afraid of her. After talking till dusk while wandering through the village Raki leaves the Claymore. He heads home finding his uncle murdered by a youma who was taking on his dead brother's form. This youma almost eats Raki before Clare saves him. She severs the youmas arms with her claymore sword and kills it by a clean slice from its head to groin.

The armless youma begs for mercy.


The youma is sliced cleanly in two.

She leaves the village afterwards leaving the shocked Raki. Raki was left shaking in terror after his traumatic experience.

In ensuing events Raki is thrown into desert by the villagers who fear he may turn into a youma. Before dying of thirst he's saved by Clare who places him in an inn and paying the innkeeper to take care of him. After a day Raki wakes up. He immediately looks for Clare upon eating up his meal. Someone tells Raki that a Claymore in the forest was looking for him. Thinking she's Clare he rushes of to the forest.

It turns out the Claymore is a youma in disguise and Raki is captured. When the real Clare shows up the youma takes Raki hostage. Clare is forced to throw her sword down the cliff in order to prevent Raki from being killed. The youma sensing weakness lunges at Clare and manages to plunge its arm all the way through Clare's abdomen.

Clare is viciously stabbed.


Clare however, manages to push both her body and the youma down the cliff where her sword lies. Here she grabs her sword, chops off one of the youmas arm and partially decapitates it.

Clare grabs her sword.


The youma gets partially decapitated.


After healing herself Clare decides to take Raki as her cook when she discovers that the villagers abandoned him. She had a traumatic experience of being abandoned in the past. As the anime episode ends, Clare introduces herself to Raki. In the next episode it's told that Claymores will eventually become a youma as the cost of using their powers. Clare is that episode is forced to kill her only friend, the Claymore Elena out of love (not lesbian love) before Elena turns into a youmas the tearful Raki watches. As the anime progresses it will tell of the journey of Clare and Raki as they go on killing youma. There's also an upcoming conspiracy.

Later

Clare heals herself.


What I like about this anime is its dark and gloomy setting. The whole show has this dark atmosphere that suits the dark world it's set in along with characters with dark pasts and secrets. The storyline is also pretty good where we learn quite a lot about the characters. This anime is one of the best in my honest opinion. It has already become my second favourite show after Heroes. The show also kinds off reminds you of survival-horror movies especially the vampire ones. Give this anime a try. I assure that you would not regret it. "Claymore" has 26 planned episodes at present time. Download it here through your browser (just click on the desired episode) or here via the BitTorrent protocol.



P.S:

Clare using her youma powers.

This is my first anime review ever. Give me your feedback about it especially you gungrave1988. This review may be really bad.*smile* Thank you so much Brian for sucking me into anime.*laugh*

~multum in parvo~

5 mad rant(s):



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  1. gungrave1988 said...

    Nice!!! I just watched this anime a couple of weeks ago! I can't believe I actually influenced you into anime. If that is true, then welcome to my world, Comrade. (^__^)I going to review an anime soon. Now that the wireless in UTP is down, I can't download a single anime...(T__T)  

  2. Anonymous said...

    Of that thou hath witnessed thy eastern brethrens posting, Thy voice now rightly declares "Claymore is quite amazing"! XD  

  3. Albert said...

    [Brian]: The animes on AXN a few years ago started my interest in anime. Animax made me even more interested although I had to watch horribly dubbed animes. When you introduced me to the anime sites that was when I got converted to your world. So looks like the Comrade has changed.*laugh* I'll be coming up with more anime reviews soon.

    [juggernaut]: One day I'll make you watch "Claymore".

    Long live RANDTS!

    ~multum in parvo~  

  4. Anonymous said...

    hey man. nice post bout dis anime... makes me wan2 watch it.  

  5. Anonymous said...

    Welcome to the anime world, please leave your sanity at the door, you probably won't be needing it =D

    Claymore is a great anime, and I've heard the manga is even better. Nice review.

    And,

    >> ...kills it by a clean slice from its head to groin.

    Made me lol XD  


 

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