Claymore: Manga Thread
 

Plot Summary:
Running time: 23 minutes
Number of episodes: 26 ( =( )
Number of Volumes Released: 12 (11 translated)
VIZ Number of Volumes: 7
Production: MADHOUSE
Genre: Action

Opening Theme:
"Raison D’être" by Nightmare

Ending Theme:
"Danzai no Hana~Guilty Sky" by Riyu Kosaka


Official Sites:
MANGA - http://annex.s-manga.net/claymore/main.html
ANIME - http://www.j-claymore.com/top.html

I've seen this series referred to as Berserk for lesbians. I don't really know about the lesbian part, but I get the same 'feel' from this show as I did watching Guts in his own show. While Berserk got me hooked from the beginning (moreso in the manga than the anime series), Claymore took more than a year for me. It premiered in Shonen Jump a long time ago and didn't seem like anything special at all. However, after taking a peek at one of the latest volumes at work the other day, I was convinced that this was one of those things I shouldn't pass up.

The series starts off slowly, but quickly picks up the pace halfway through volume two. Most fans agree that the 'kick-off' for the series begins with the Teresa of the Faint Smile Arc, which provides a good back story for the protagonist while also showing off a high-ranked battle involving the most powerful Claymores at the time. For a flashback arc, things that typically produce more yawns than cheers, this one is good and doesn't linger for to long.

The fight scenes seem to have made the conversion from manga to anime well. I haven't noticed anything significantly altered and every bit of gore appears to be intact. MADHOUSE has done another fantastic job, as the animation is relatively smooth and well choreographed. There are a few episodes where the quality takes a dive, but it's really not by much. By comparison, I'd say that Death Note is still superior in the consistent 'quality,' but that's probably because they had a far larger budget for that series than Claymore.

One other thing to note is that the author isn't afraid to kill characters off. While this series has 'shonen-esque' concepts like power levels and special moves, the tables can be turned at any moment. It's actually kind of depressing to see characters go that were otherwise fun and interesting, but it's clear, from a writer's position, that their personal arcs were over or ending.

The artwork might take some getting used to, especially in an anime season filled with 'moe,' but it's worth it. I highly recommend the manga, but the anime's not a bad entryway into the series either.

Screencaps
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/9...0670330fc8.png
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7...ymore04sr7.jpg
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8...ymore06bx5.jpg

- Just a flesh wound (Manga)


- Me after working out (Manga)


Sub-Groups
- Eclipse

i love this anime. Its did sort of remind me of berserk except I didn't think it sucked. Thats right, I hate Berserk ~_~
It has a somewhat feeling of vampire hunter d as well which is why i liked it so much. I didn't read the manga so I wouldn't know of any changes made but to me it matters not, so I have nothing to complain about from the differences.

I was skeptical to pick up this manga, because the prims sounded too stereotypical. but i figured i would get the anime a shoot. So far i have enjoyed it. Its not the most funonimal anime i have seen in my life but deffently holds it own to whats airing right now.
One question, how does it match up to the manga, is it sticking almost 100% true?

It appears to be sticking to the manga very closely. I'd say about 98%. Some stuff is removed or shortened due to the length of the series (26 episodes). However, the opening has characters that show up around volume 9 and up, meaning that it'll probably cover a good chunk of material from the manga.

I imagine that includes the Battle of Pieta, which is all kinds of unprecedented WIN.

I like Claymore and was intrigued ever since I saw a preview page of it under "manga explorer" within my very first issue of Shonen Jump. After a couple of years, looks like it's now an anime and doing pretty well. Other than the half-yoma fact, there's something about the girls that I don't find pretty at all, but I think that's actually moreso a product of the art style in general for me.

Iunno, I think Clare is hawt :tpg:.
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Overall I'm really hooked on this show right now. I've never read the manga, so I don't know what to expect, but it's been a long time since I've enjoyed an anime this much though, thanks for bringing it to light :D.

I have one possible beef about it though:

Not so much a spoiler at all, but:


All Claymores lose their original hair colors after being 'converted,' by the way. After conversion, their hair color is a light blonde.

Yeah, after seen the opening i figured that. It would make since, but i am glad to hear that the last few episodes with young Clare do lead back into her adult life as a claymore, and this isn't just some random child by the name of Clare.
I'm going to go on the assumption that they expect people to know some things, it took me abit to figure out that it was flash back due to the fact that i have never read the manga.
Now after seeing this anime it makes me want to go pick up the manga some time and read it.

Ya, I thought so about the hair, it was a guess, but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything about it. The main reason I was lead to believe that the story of Teresa is in present time because you see Clare and Teresa clash blades in the intro, that threw me off >_>. Well, mystery solved lol.

Aaaah spoilers! I only saw up to episode five :(
Wouldn't have expected that at all, but I guess that's really interesting. I thought also that it was taking place at the same time, and that it was just a coincidence.
Now Teresa, I find much hotter and deadlier than Clare ;)

I hope they eventually explain that event which happened right before Raki and Clare leave the Church town, while they were still inside the church.

Wow, episode 8 was a shocker.



Gah, so very eager to see episode 9 now, and so on lol.

The different levels and signs of releasing yoma powers kinda remind me of the super saiyan lvls in DBZ >_>.

and another thing I noticed:

I finally saw 08 today and I loved all the insta-gore flying about but it was very sad indeed. Looks like 09 is out today and we get to see Clare's past wrapped up from what the preview indicates. I still wonder how Raki ultimately fits in due to the last event seen with him and Clare together.

Mmmm, that was a good episode. My only confusing was those small metal rods that Clare hands over to Raki before she leaves, I had to ask my friend what those were >_>.

Just finished reading the manga up to volume 12. I still want mroe and the anime and manga isn't coming out fast enough!

Well, last I heard the anime's only going up to episode 26. While I don't know how accurate that is, I can see that happening, considering the pace it's moving at. But yeah, the manga takes forever for new ones to show up. I did, however, find a site with a chapter 73 preview. Lost the link, though.

I'm surprised there's folks who've been following the manga, as most Claymore discussion I've seen has been about the anime.

Edit: If anyone's interested, I have volumes 1-12 along with the released chapters from volume 13.

Do you happen to have a link to those volumes you have?

If not, would you be able to share the volumes via uploading websites such as Megaupload.com? etc

Sure thing, I just made a Megaupload account yesterday too. I'll post the links to the volumes here once I upload them.

Claymore Volume 1

Claymore Volume 2

Claymore Volume 3

Claymore Volume 4

Claymore Volume 5

Claymore Volume 6

Claymore Volume 7

Claymore Volume 8

Claymore Volume 9

Claymore Volume 10

Claymore Volume 11

Claymore Volume 12

The one below is only 3 chapters so far, and there's a preview for Chapter 73 on the website.
Claymore Volume 13

Gah, my brain is like, fried after reading all that manga, it was so good I couldn't stop @_@.

Do you have a link of where these scanlations came from? I plan on buying the manga since they're so good, but I'm not patient enough to wait for the books to come out since they're behind D: .

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Oh, I also have a question...

From what I know, the earlier chapters were done by [M-S] and the later ones are being done by 10sigh. As a matter of fact, Chapter 73 was just scanlated. I'll put that one up in a few.

Heh, you're not the only one. I did the same thing too, and so did another person that I sent the volumes to. :tpg:




Edit: Alright, just finished uploading chapter 73. Good stuff in there.

Claymore Chapter 73

Wow, thanks a lot for hosting those, I really appreciate it :D.

I'd just like to share some of my favorite moments so far in the manga, not in any order:

Heh, yeah. The Battle of Pieta should be pretty epic animated, especially considering how that might be where the anime ends. Most of the rest of the budget might be pumped into those episodes.

Is it true that the manga will only be released monthly from here on out?

From the conversation I gathered it was used in place of money but could just be golden rods for all I know... /shrugs.

No problem. I offered to do so, and someone took me up on it (sup Yume). Uploading stuff isn't all that difficult, heh.

Heh, those are definitely high points.



They're definitely going to sink most of their budget into those last few episodes, don't know how they'll end it. Either immediately after the battle (BAD END) or later on (TRUE END). I think those gold rods are money, by the way.

actually i like claymore more than Berserk to be honest
first episode in i notice it was a like berserk but just better quality overall

i was following the froth-bite releases but now i'm following the Eclipse releases since they quicker and i like their fronts.

Hmm...with episode 11, it seems they're starting to take the anime in a different direction than the manga, since We're almost halfway through the series now, and there seems to be a trend with mini-series animes that won't see the manga to the end to diverge around the halfway point (think Full Metal Alchemist). I really hope they can follow the manga fairly closely still, and wrap it up at a point that doesn't seem suspicious, instead of changing the story entirely and making an ending for themselves.

no one following this anymore?
the recent Extra Chapters are interesting.
the various stories on how Clare became the claymore she is now and stuff ^^

can't wait till next month when the extras are finally over, not that they're not good, I just want more out of the main plot...

Has anyone been keeping up with this? Chapter 78 was so freaking badass.

Galatea was already awesome before, but

Really, how is the Claymore manga? I keep kinda wanting it, and then not. I'm reading stuff like Chun Rhang Yhur Jhun and Kami-Kaze (links provided).

It's your typical shonen manga, but with it's own thing going for it. Try reading the first few chapters and find out yourself, it's the easiest way.

I enjoy reading it alongside Bleach, good entertainment value in both.

I've read the first few volumes of the series -- up to Chapter 41. Typical shonen manga? Maybe I misinterpret shonen as being something entirely different, but damn there are limbs flying everywhere at this point.

It's a surprisingly engaging read. Found a scanslation of it and I'm hooked.

This is late, but by "typical shounen" I mean the whole power level thing that runs throught most in said genre. BTW, anyone read up to the latest chapters?

I was skeptical to pick up this manga, because the prims sounded too stereotypical. but i figured i would get the anime a shoot. So far i have enjoyed it. Its not the most funonimal anime i have seen in my life but deffently holds it own to whats airing right now.

I've watched 5 episodes of the anime version so far, and while I can't say it's bad, exactly, I'm not sure why anyone would compare it to Berserk in the first place except that they both have swords. It seems more a match for Vampire Hunter D and a little Blood+, to me.

Honestly, I was about to give up on it, but if people think it gets better after the warmup, I'll stick with it. I think what irks me is that they try so hard to make everything neat and tidy at the end of 20 or 40 minutes. I can watch something and figure out on my own when it's about prejudice without being bashed over the head with you saved my life so you're a good silver-eyed witch!

Okay, so, first 5 episodes weren't a great gauge for the series. After watching up to episode 16, I can definitely see where the comparisons to Berserk come from, and I really underestimated the character side of the show. I thought it was going to be a new town, new yoma kind of thing for 26 episodes, but the flashbacks and different kinds of skills that each Claymore has helped spruce it up quite a bit for me.

There's still things that bother me, like the the fact that they use purple flames for power levels I mean yoki. I actually like that they put the stipulation in there about using your powers responsibly, but I could have done without so much of the "I'm injured, so better power up even more now" thing.

Bottom line, though, a lot better than I expected it to be when I started out.