"Claymore" is a pretty gruesome and gory Japanese anime series that had started airing in Japan and is still in running as there are supposed to be twenty-six episodes. Twenty-four episodes have already aired as the final two should be airing soon. Like other anime series, Claymore is adapted from its manga counterpart that has still been running since 2001 with seventy three chapters. The story seems to take place during the Middle Ages and somewhere within Europe. Claymore revolves around the conflict between humans and sentient monsters known as Yoma. Yoma are cannibalistic monsters that feed on human flesh.
Yoma mainly feed on human innards or internal organs. In short, these creatures will kill humans and feast on their organs: heart, lungs, liver, intestines, pancreas, eyeballs, bladder, uterus, and all sorts of other organs. There is mass paranoia amongst the humans when there are Yoma attacks. Yoma can easily assume the form of human beings as shape-shifting or morphing is the main ability. Their ability to morph tends to make many humans paranoid and anxious which is understandable. If you were a Yoma and assumed human form, they won’t know if you’re human or not. The same goes if someone else was a Yoma taking the form of a human. A mere thought like that could make anybody jumpy and paranoid.
They seem to be indistinguishable as they can assume the form perfectly. To absorb the memories, a Yoma merely has to consume the brains of its victims. This concept isn’t new to many movies and anime that deal with the supernatural.
It was implemented in "The 6th Day" with Arnold Schwarzenegger but without brain consumption. But mapping out the memories was very important in terms of cloning people.
The same could be said for Heroes as it was implied that Sylar consumed the brain of his victims to acquire their powers. That would explain the victims with their heads cut open along with their brains missing.
Claymore is merely another title that uses the concept. But Claymore has its own solid storyline as brain consumption is a very important part as it’s hard to track down the Yoma. However, mere humans cannot take on Yoma in most cases. But they introduce human/Yoma hybrids known as "Claymores" as they are superhuman warriors that do brandish immense claymores that are heavy and strong which is enough to take out any Yoma.
An organization without a name is responsible for creation of these Claymores by implanting pieces of Yoma flesh and blood into the humans. They tend to be much more powerful than regular Yoma. Because they were once human, Claymores retain their greater intelligence along with their intense weapons training. As a result of the transformation, Claymores have silver colored hairs and eyes.
Claymores are hired by towns due to Yoma problems. Depending on the difficulty, the organization will dispatch a certain number of Claymores. However, their services are not cheap at all. But being a Claymore happens to be a thankless job as they are feared by humans just as much as the Yoma. They are deemed as "witches" and "monsters" due to their cold personalities as a process of the transformation.
Family members of those impersonated by Yoma are often expelled from their respective villages due to fear that they too would become those same vile creatures. Claymore presents the interesting concept of persecution by association. When applied to modern times without all of the fantasy, it’s very apparent.
Claymore revolves around two characters Clare and Raki. Clare is a Claymore that has been doing this type of work for numerous years. Personality wise, Clare looks to be very cold and distant for good reason. She receives no thanks for the Yoma killing jobs that she undergoes. The only person that is thankful is her young companion Raki.
Raki is a young boy whose family was murdered by a Yoma that impersonated his older brother. Because of that tragic event, Raki was exiled from his village. His past is similar to Clare’s as it forms an attraction to each other.
Asides from the obvious which is taking on jobs that require the slaying of the Yoma, Claymore explores the social concept of Claymores and humans related to people impersonated by Yoma. Asides from the mass bloodshed and gore, Claymore presents a tragic story of loneliness.
Claymore is one series with plenty of substance with a deep storyline with a good depth of drama. Due to the graphic violence, it’s not recommended that children watch such a series. If you’re into mythology and world history, you may be able to appreciate Claymore.
Since it’s still airing in Japan, it’s unlikely that they will be selling North American licensing rights anytime soon. It may take a good year at least before a company acquires the necessary license for it to be officially released to North America.
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