Yoma... they are existences of a race which humans have feared the most. They are demons who feed on their flesh and guts but worst of all, Yoma can disguse themselves as a human so its impossible to point them out with the mere human eye. But then, a mysterious organization was formulated to defeat the Yoma. They have no name, but everyone calls them Claymore. The organization consists of women warriors who were integrated with the flesh and blood of Yoma in their bodies. With these half human/half Yoma senses, they can depict the demons from the hidden crowd and destroy them. But of course, with every action, comes a consequence to follow along with it. The Claymore can use the powers of the Yoma to inrease their abilities but if they exceed a certain limit, they will eventually become Yoma themselves, which is what is referred to as an "Awakened Being". This was a reason why only female warriors were created. Male Claymore were established in the passed but they easily exceeded their powers and awakened too quickly. Now, the story follows with a certain Claymore by the name of Clare and her human compainion, Raki. They travel together to face many adventures and battles.
Yoki: The aura which reveals the presence and power of the Claymore. If the amount of Yoki is exceeded through Yoma powers, the Claymore will awaken. However, there are some Claymore who are able to supress their Yoki and maintain a human form, regardless of how passed the limit they are. At 10% release, the Claymore's silver eyes turn yellow (the same color as the Yoma's); at 30% release, their face deteriorates and they grow fangs; at 50% release, their bodies deteriorate and build up muscles; at 80% release, that is the limit of Yoki that a Claymore can exceed... Any further and they will begin to awaken.
Black Card: All the Claymore have black cards stashed in their swords. Unless if they already became a Yoma, they want to die with a human concious so they can live on as a human in the afterlife. They would send their card, which marks the symbol they bear, to the person they want to kill them the most.
Offensive Warrior: These type of warriors cannot regenerate a lost body part/organ. They require the detached piece in order to release their Yoki to begin the healing process.
Defensive Warrior: These type of warriors can regenerate a lost body part/organ. They don't require any detached pieces and can easily regrow a new arm, leg, etc. wherever they are.
Raki: A human boy who was picked up along the way by Clare. His family members were all Yoma without his knowing and almost tried to kill him. After being saved by Clare, Raki travels with her, for after the annihlation of his brother, his village began to suspect him as a Yoma too. Raki wants to grow stronger so that he can return the favor of Clare saving him in almost every battle.
Clare: Ranked 47 in the organization. She is the weakest of all Claymore but possesses the most unusual level range of powers. Unlike the other Claymore, she wasn't fused with the blood and flesh of Yoma, but of another warrior... Clare became a Claymore to get revenge on an Awakened Being for killing one of her greatest companions.
Teresa: "Teresa of the Faint Smile", Previously Ranked 1 in the organization. Teresa is the most powerful Claymore who hardly ever releases her Yoma powers. (She did only once but it was amazingly released at 10%, just to change her eye color.) She was known as a traitor to the organization because she forbiddingly killed humans (bandits and rapers). However she did that in order to protect Clare, a human who she befriended. Because of Clare, Teresa was able to show more emotion than before.
Irene: "Irene of the Flash Sword", Previously Ranked 2 in the organization. Irene has incredible agility in her dominant right arm. After an incident with powerful "Awakened Being", Irene quitted the organization, went into hiding, and trained on her own to become stronger.
Helen: Ranked 22 in the organization. Helen, as you can say, has a bad mouth that tends to say things with a bad attitude. She is part of the hunting expedition of "Awakened Beings". Helen can detach her arm and use it as a weapon when hunting down Yoma.
Deneve: Ranked 15 in the organization. Deneve is also part of the hunting expedition and one of Helen's closest friends. She is a defensive type warrior with an incredible regeneration ability. Even if her whole shoulder and arm were to be devoured she could easily reproduce another one within short time. Deneve has deep respect for Undine, where she follows her footsteps into weilding two swords later on.
Miria: "Phantom Miria", Ranked 6 in the organization. Miria has a hidden grudge against the orgnization due to their unusual planning and providance of information. She is a fast Claymore who can disappear and telaport once an attack penetrates her. Miria was one of the captains of the hunting expedition and is great friends with Clare, Helen, and Deneve.
Priscilla: Previously Ranked 2 in the organization. When Priscilla was a Claymore, her dislike towards Yoma was greater than anyone else. Her heart is constantly filled with tragedy by the deaths of her family, for she watched them being eaten in front of her. Priscilla even took the chance of killing her father when he became a Yoma. However, she awakened when assigned as one of the members to pursue Teresa for killing humans. Her obsession of saving humans was so great that she easily surpassed the limit of her powers. When she awakened, Priscilla successfully slayed Teresa's head off and that triggered Clare's revenge. (Even as an awakened being, she's still confused of who she is.)
Ophelia: Ranked 4 in the organization. Ophelia is one Claymore that everyone must beware. Not only is she powerful, but she will easily slaughter her comrades and humans without a care. Ophelia easily defies the rules of the organization and even when someone reports it, their head will be sliced off right before they know it. The sight and news of an "Awakened Being" excites Ophelia since she loves to face off with a good battle.
Galetea: Ranked 3 in the organization. Galetea is the only Claymore who can sense the presence of others from a far distance. She can be described as a combination of Miria and Irene, where her movements are quick and her attacks are like the flash sword as well. She shows great interset in Clare's unusual range of power. Her original mission was to take Clare back to the organization but lied in order for her escape. No punishment was applied.
Jeanne: Ranked 9 in the organization. Jeanne's attack is the strongest of all the Claymore; it can penetrate through the toughest surface anyone could imagine. It is applied by twisting her right arm 21 times and after releasing it, her arm will spin like a drill and allow her sword to shred through anything in its way. Jeanne has great respect for Clare since she was saved by her when about to awaken. Due to this honor, she would follow Clare anywhere with the sacrifice of her life on line.
Rubel: A mysterious man dressed in black who is the leader of the organization. Nothing much can be said about him except he watches after the Claymore at a distance with Galetea reporting the battles and situations from far away.
Anime Rating: 9.5/10
Manga Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
It's been a very long time since I've managed to watch a good series with fighting. I admit that it's pretty bloody and gorey but I managed to handle it well without twitching (probably because there was regenration to keep in mind). The art style for Claymore was different from any other anime I've seen but it captures a midieval setting well with the use of claymore swords and villages. It ended decently, with some cliffhangers of course, but it's all the more to make me want to read the manga. In fact, I am reading the manga and it reveals many surprsing adventures yet to await! Excellent story!
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