Claymore

Claymore is an Anime series that takes place in a medieval world. It is a world that is terrorized by man-eating demons called Yoma. Humans have almost no hope of defeating a Yoma. One Yoma could slaughter many humans with little trouble. However, a Claymore is something else. The story follow a particular Claymore named Clare. When first encountered, Clare explains that her kind do not call themselves 'Claymores,' but humans do. Though it is not stated, one supposes the name derived from the massive two-handed broad sword that all Claymores carry. Clare never mentions what her kind call themselves. In any case, a Claymore is a being with both human and Yoma blood, essentially a half-demon. In this setting, they are differentiated by having silver eyes (thus being called silver-eyed witches) and blond or white hair.

Clare travels the lands in search of Yoma to kill. It is explained that Claymores combine the self-control of a human with the physical power of a Yoma, allowing them to be more than a match for the typical Yoma. Of course, Clare doesn't meet the typical Yoma too often or the series would be a bit boring. Clare is joined on her quest by Raki, an annoying boy whose family was slaughtered in the opening episode. He is a lachrymose boy who constantly demands solutions that don't involve killing and fighting.

What makes the show worthwhile is Claymore character class. They are a paladin-like class, positively forbidden (on pain of death) from harming a human, regardless of the provocation. Yet, humans widely fear them. Claymores get their strength by calling upon their Yoma blood but doing so slowly transforms them into a Yoma; it is a balancing act. Claymores are universally women. At some point in the past, men were used but they became Yoma very quickly. Though Claymores appear not to age, they can expect a violent death. Those who have pushed to the point where they are losing control and at risk of becoming Yoma, call upon another Claymore to kill them, which is about the best death a Claymore can expect.

The end of the series is clearly not the end of the story. It demands another 5 disk set though such has yet to be made. I grow impatient.

 

My impatience has not been rewarded.  I wrote this review on August 24, 2010 and there is still no sequel.  The series ended with an army of giant Yoma headed south to cause havoc and destruction.  One funny thing about the show is that its title in Japanese was Kureimoa, which is how a Japanese person would pronounce Claymore (Koo Ray Moh Ah).  Having tinkered with Japanese, I have discovered many of these comic pronunciations of English words.  Ice cream is pronounced Eye Soo Koo Ree Moo in Japanese.  It is a language where virtually every syllable ends with a vowel, making English a challenge.