The SeriesNote: This series description is identical to the one used in my Vol. 1 review as my opinion of the show hasn't changed since then. Feel free to skip this if you read it in the previous review.
Claymore is a 26 episode Anime series that covers the first 11 volumes of the still in-progress Manga of the same name. The Manga is written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi, whose previous works include Angel Densetsu and the award-winning Undeadman.
The show takes place in a medieval-like world in which humans are often attacked by shape-shifting creatures called Yoma. Not only are these creatures extremely strong, but they can take the form of humans, thus being able to live amongst their victims without fear of discovery. In order to counter this threat, a secret organization was formed. By implanting Yoma flesh into humans, this organization was able to create hybrids which can not only stand up to Yoma, but can also detect them even when they are in human form. These hybrids are called Claymores by the people they protect because of the huge swords that they wield. Unfortunately, it is the fate of all Claymores to lose their humanity as their Yoma powers increase. The more they use their abilities, the closer they inch toward becoming full Yomas. The Anime and Manga focus on one particular Claymore named Clare. During one of her missions she befriends a boy who reminds her of herself before she joined the organization. We follow her as she struggles to hold on to her humanity while protecting both herself and her new companion.
Throughout most of the show, the source material is followed very closely. It is only towards the end where changes had to be made due to the fact that it was produced while the Manga was still in progress. Essentially, the studio in charge had to make things up since the real story hadn't been fleshed out yet. Instead of going for an ending that allowed for OVAs down the line ala Hunter X Hunter, the studio completely changed what was supposed to happen in order to force a pre-mature ending. Because of the changes, we'll never get to see all the cool things that happen after the events in Pieta, at least in animated form. No look into the shady organization, no epic fights with the Dwellers of the Deep, no further dealings with Riful of the West, and no closure between Clare and the person she hates the most. Now, I'm not saying that the end of the series is horrible; it is actually decent and provides a somewhat satisfactory conclusion for those who have no intention of ever reading the Manga. Some of the powering up is a little Dragon Ball Zish, and it's painfully obvious that something is amiss, but it isn't that bad.
Show Rating: 7.0 if you include the final episodes where the show deviates from the Manga (episode 21 and above) / 9.0 otherwise
The EpisodesIn the last episode we were introduced to Teresa, the most powerful warrior in the history of the organization. After dispatching some Yoma during one of her missions, she finds herself being followed by a young girl who we eventually find out is Clare before she became a Claymore. Though Teresa tries her best to lose her, Clare's persistence pays off and she is allowed to tag along until they reach the next village.
Teresa and Clare "Live as a human. Grow as human. Die a human death. This is the greatest gift that I can possibly give to you."
Though she would very much like to take Clare with her, Teresa knows that as someone who spends her life hunting Yoma, she puts anyone she travels with in harms way. She also knows that she would not be able to provide Clare with the family that she needs. However, she soon finds that leaving a person that one has become attached to is not as easy as it seems.
Up until this point, we are not sure why Clare was trying so desperately to follow Teresa. After she finds out the real reason, Teresa's outlook on life and on what is most important to her begins to change. The actions that she takes as a result have profound consequences for the remainder of this arc as well as the rest of the series.
Marked for Death "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think I'm ready to die just yet."
Teresa has a new purpose in life - one that is far greater than any she has ever known. However, in order to pursue it, she is forced to desert the organization. Betrayal means only one thing - death. Knowing that it cannot take Teresa's strength lightly, the organization sends an execution squad consisting of numbers two through five, including one whose powers will some day surpass even those of Teresa.
Here, we get a glimpse of the life of freedom that Teresa is enjoying before it is interrupted by her former colleagues, after which we find out why she truly deserves her ranking as the organization's number one.
Awakening
Most of the time, those who join the organization and become Claymores have no choice in the matter, so their reason for being is not something that they decide for themselves. Clare, on the other hand, voluntarily gave up her life as a human because she knew that accomplishing her purpose in life required more power than any mere human can muster. This episode shows us why Clare gave up the one thing that Teresa wanted her to have above all else.
As I said in my review for the first DVD, Teresa's story arc is what elevates Claymore from being just an Anime about girls with swords to one that is truly unforgettable. Most, myself included, will cite what happens during the last few minutes of this episode as being the main reason. I am confident that if you've followed what has been happening since the beginning of this story arc, you will experience one of the biggest WTF moments in Anime ever. The buildup is that good.
Those Who Rend Asunder I & II "Of course, every era does have its heroes, you know. Unfortunately, no matter what you think, you aren't one of them."
Awakened Beings, Claymores who have lost control and allowed their Yoma side to take over, have power levels that are well beyond those of regular Yoma. Because of this, teams are needed to take them down. Clare has been added to one such team so that she can guage how good she really is.
In the previous episodes, we were shown how Teresa compared to her contemporaries. This time around, we get to see where Clare stands as she fights alongside others to take on an enemy that is much stronger than anything she has encountered as a Claymore.
Episodes Rating: 9.5 - As good as the first set of episodes were, the producers really turned things up a notch when they put these together. There's a lot of action, drama, and supsense to go around, so those who enjoy a good helping of each will not be disappointed.
The Video
As with the first DVD, there isn't much to complain about in this department. It's clear that a lot of time and effort was spent making sure that this was a good looking Anime.
The fight scenes are, for the most part, also well done and varied. The only exception is when the camera goes into a fixed position and the fighters trade hits while standing in place (picture those fights in Dragon Ball Z where the characters are trading blows and the only movement you see is their blurry arms). This only happens a few times, but when it does, it's pretty noticeable because of how elegantly choreographed everything else is.
Overall, the visuals and presentation are either as good as or better than what we got in the previous episodes, which were themselves already impressive.
The DVD is presented in widescreen with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio.
Video Rating: 9.0
The Audio
The DVD features your standard English and Japanese audio tracks as well as an English subtitle option. The voicework is once again excellent and the talent that was chosen for the new Claymores, Ilena, Miria, Helen, Deneve, and Priscilla in particular, is a perfect fit. Unfortunately, as good as the voices and sound effects are, some of the music selection oddities that were present in the earlier episodes can still be found here. While there are quite a few very bright spots during some of the more dramatic moments, the scattered use of music that does not mesh with what is happening on the screen helps to unravel what is an otherwise decent soundtrack.
Audio Rating: 8.5 - The English dub and Japanese tracks are excellent as usual, and the use of background music has improved, but there are a few moments where I wish that I could mute the soundtrack.
The Packaging Claymore is distributed in a regular black DVD case along with an insert that contains info on some of Funimation's other shows. The cover art is actually worse than the one for the previous volume, so I again chose to display the Starter Set's cover up above in order to avoid scaring away potential readers.
Packaging Rating: 5.0 - It's that bad!
The Extras Interview with Director Hiroyuki Tanaka
Tanaka begins by talking about what he originally thought about the series and how his perception was changed after taking a closer look at the source material. He also discusses, among other things, some of the problems that they ran into during production, the process they had to go through to get the coloring right, and the work that was necessary to make the world of Claymore believable. Those who are fascinated by the development process will find this interview interesting.
Episode 08 Commentary
This time around, the commentary features Brina Palencia, the voice of Priscilla, and Wendy Powell, the voice of Ilena. Some of the things that they talk about include casting difficulties, the layering that was done for Priscilla's voice, the troubles that they had with matching lip movement, and the use of music. Of course, they also talk about the all-important scene and their reaction when they first saw it. I was a little apprehensive when I learned that the commentary for such an important episode was not going to be handled by the writer or the director, but Brina and Wendy were able to pull off an informative discussion that is both lively and entertaining.
Trailers and Textless Opening and Ending Sequence
This is standard fare for most Anime DVDs. There are eight trailers in all, including one for Claymore Vol. 3. It's a little spoileriffic, so you might want to avoid it for now.
Extras Rating: 8.5
The 411
The 411: Claymore: Chapter 2 takes everything that was great about the first few episodes and turns it up a notch. The animation is just as impressive as ever, and the various lighting and shading effects that are used is a nice touch. For the most part, the fight choreography is well done. Again, there isn't anything that's too over-the-top - the fighters move the way one would expect given how the world has been presented so far. I have no complaints about the voicework, as all of the characters showcase voices that sound appropriate for their looks and personalities. There are still some minor issues with the poor use of music in some scenes, but it isn't as bad as it was in the earlier episodes. But the centerpiece of this volume is the continuation and conclusion of Teresa's story arc, and that alone puts this in the "must buy" category.
Who the heck watches anime besides Japan? Is there a basement in people's mom's houses below the basement where wrestling smarks watch their programming?
Posted By: Zorro (Guest) on December 19, 2008 at 06:15 PM
http://www.viz.com/news/newsroom/?id=176
I cringe at the fact that I had to use a link to prove a point, but this should be something that even you can understand... maybe...
Posted By: Tommy Coloma (Registered) on December 19, 2008 at 07:58 PM
Looks like a show to check out.
Good review.
Posted By: Travis (Guest) on December 21, 2008 at 11:16 AM
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