Claymore

Title: Claymore
Original Title: CLAYMORE 1 銀眼の斬殺者 - Claymore 1: Silver-Eyed Slayer
Author: Norihiro Yagi
Publisher: Shueisha
ISBN: 4088732200
Pages: 208
Original Published Date: May 2001
Status: On going - 23 Tankubon so far




First of all, I must say that I was a little bit suprised by the graphic view of this series. It was shockingly raw and vivid, but in accordance to its dark fantasy story, well... it goes rather perfectly together. I like the story's background and premises, the mystery and where the story would go, some of the battle artworks was amazing, love the characters, but not so fond of the story line. Like I said before, too many killing-slashing-blood flowing-beserk kind of types.

Notes: this review was not limited to the first volume. Actually, this is a review of Vol. 1 Silver Eyed Slayer up to Vol. 11 Kindred of Paradise. Just so you know. But I try to keep the spoiler into minimum. 



What is Claymore exactly? According to the book synopsis, a claymore is:

The name Claymore itself is taken from Gaelic-Scottish
claidheamh mòr, "great sword" refers to the Scottish
variant of the late medieval two-handed long sword 

a female warrior named for the sword she carries - travels from medieval village to village to destroy Yoma, monsters who disguise themselves as humans and who are almost impossible to kill. Claymores are half-humans, half-demons who willingly transformed themselves by mixing their blood with monster's blood.

So when someone was choosen -or choose, in Clare's case- to be a claymore, part of her blood was drained then mixed with Yoma's blood then tranfussed back into her body, made her half monster. Clare was quite another story. She was indebted to her saviour, Theresa the Faint Smile, once the best Claymore there was. But when Theresa forced to kill some of human bandits, she broke the Claymore code, and therefore had to die. After a menacing fight, Theresa did die, but not before pushed Priscilla -the second best Claymore- into beserk awakening mode and lost her humanity, turned her into a Yoma herself. Clare now left alone once more, take Theresa head to a Claymore's handler and asked to be turned into a Claymore using Theresa's remains. So, she's not half monster, she's more like a quarter of a monster. That's way she was only ranked 47 of 47 Claymores.

Eventhough she's not even near the best Claymore, Clare had one thing in her mind, find the awakened Priscilla to avanged Theresa death. Unfortunately, in one of her fight walloping Yomas, she was forcing herself to the edge, almost going beserk. But with the help of Raki -a little boy that she saved in her previous journey- she could contain her monster-self and turned back into human. Later she knew that, contrary with her long believed, a beserk claymore could retain herself and changed back to human shape again. There are other Claymore beside her that have done it, but it was a big no no secret from the organisation. When Ophelia -one of the top 5 Claymores- found out of her secret, she tried to kill Clare. Luckily she was saved by a former Claymore that then give her owned hand(!) (literally speaking, she cut her hand and give it to Clare, who lost one of hers) and taught Clare the secret of her sword style. She then used this new and improved skill to killed awakened Ophelia.

While Clare gone missing, presumed death, some Claymore were sent to dealt with Creature of the Abyss, a super awakened being. Clare somehow caught in this act, along with Galatea, another top 5 Claymores. Galatea taught Clare how to supressed her energy and released it just when it needed which made her moved more subtle to her opponents. With that trick, she impressed the Abyss being and it revealed the whereabout of Priscilla. More over it also hinted that the Organisation had their own agenda, a cladestine secret bigger that just Yomas and Claymores.

Clare then join the mission on the North with the other 23 Claymores to stop invasion from Isley, another Crature of the Abyss. She wanted to go because the north land was where she believed Priscilla was hiding and also she wanted to find and saved Raki that she was told that had been taken to slavery. But this battle of the north was just a reason for the Organization to put off their troublesome Claymores and to buy them time to whatever schemes they were brewing. To Clare and her friends, the battle had proven to be the nastiest thing ever happened to all of them.

***

Like I said above, I've already on tankubon 11-Kindred of Paradise now, where sooooo many Claymores had died on the North Battle, and feel sad, hoping it's not true (hey even FMA or Kekkaishi have some kind of a pitty towards the characters, they were not so easily burned during ugly fights scene). It feels like worthless attempt to introduce so many great characters, then slain them all in few pages. *not cool* *not cool* *not cool* *not cool*

So, I'm not going to continue reading this series anytime soon. It's waaayy too exhausting.Maybe I'll read them more after I catch my breath and have more energy to waste. Just not now....

Ppssstt.... but then again, I've been told that so many twisted and turned were waiting ahead. Now, I'm tempted... really really tempted...... T_____T

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/512722238