Claymore: Volumes 3 & 4
Label: Manga Entertainment.
Certificate: 15
Discs: 2. (8 episodes)
Running time: 200 mins approx
Video: 16.9 anamorphic
Sound: English 5.1, Japanese 2.0
Subtitles: English.
Release date: 31st August 2009
RRP: £19.99 – Amazon – Play
Claymore: Volumes 5 & 6
Label: Manga Entertainment.
Certificate: 15
Discs: 2. (8 episodes)
Running time: 200 mins approx
Video: 16.9 anamorphic
Sound: English 5.1, Japanese 2.0
Subtitles: English.
Release date: 12th October 2009
RRP: £19.99 – Amazon – Play
Brief synopsis: Claymore: Volumes 3 & 4
Carrying on from Claymore: Vol 1 & 2 as reviewed here,
Their first run in with an Awakened Being may have ended with a victory for Clare and her comrades, but it’s opened their eye’s to a rather unsettling possibility, namely that the organisation may not have wanted them to survive the battle, preferring instead that what they consider to be their most troublesome warriors would perish at the hands of their enemies, never to return. Clare and her sisters in arms make a pact to return to their duties like good little warriors, keep their heads down & their noses clean whilst attempting to uncover the organisation’s true plans from within. Clare’s plan to lie low doesn’t last long however as she’s sent out on another mission, this time with the organisation’s number four warrior who’s less than happy to be teams with such a low ranking warrior, especially one with a reputation as a troublemaker. When faced with what looks to be Clare’s final battle, a battle truly of life and death, help arrives in the form of a warrior from her childhood, considered by all to be long dead.
Brief synopsis: Claymore: Volumes 5 & 6
The organisation has declared war on the Awakened Beings amassing in the north by sending more the half of their warriors on an offensive mission to the small snow swept northern town of Pieta. The Awakened Beings meet their challenge head on and so begins the biggest and bloodiest battle in history. In order to even stand a chance the remaining Claymores must push them selves to their limits but in doing so they run the risk of becoming Awakened beings themselves. Will Clare and her comrades be victorious or will they find themselves becoming the very monsters they’ve spent so long fighting to destroy?
Comments:
One of the points made very evident in this, the tail end of the Claymore series, is this: Appearances can be deceptive… very deceptive. What may appear to be a cute little girl or a softly spoken gentleman could quite easily be a hideous and unstoppable monster once the facade is dropped. Conversely, what seems to be at first glance to be a righteous and invincible warrior may be no more than a terrified child or a mentally unhinged psychopath in disguise or, in some cases, both at the same time. This is shown to be especially true when the organisation sends the majority of it’s fighting force on what basically amounts to a big ol’ suicide mission. Years of rigorous training and superhuman strength capable of carving slavering monsters apart like they were fresh fruit aside, deep inside most of these warrior women are still the scared little girls that the organisation spirited away from their hometowns so many years ago. As we move closer and closer to the climax of the series we’re left to wonder, what really is the difference between our heroes and our villains? Clare may be touted as our heroine but eventually you have to wonder “who’s the bigger monster?” as there’s really not much to separate many of the Claymores from the likes of our “Big Bads” such as Priscilla or Isley.
Speaking of the climax, while the original manga is still ongoing the anime starts to diverge away somewhat around ep 19 in order to create an decent “ending” point at ep 26. Luckily the deviation isn’t too heinous and should there ever be a second series of the anime then it would only take a half decent scriptwriter a few episodes to bring it back in line with the manga
Visually the anime manages to remain pretty close to the distinctive character designs and high level of intricacy and detail in the scenery and weather effects as seen in the original manga. The use of colour is impressive as the animators often restrict themselves to limited palates, which work well to reflect the ambient light in each particular battle field, be it in a fetid swamp, networks of dark caves or dank dungeons or even atop an active volcano. All the gory action and bloody swordplay we’ve come to expect from this show is still in full effect and there’s even some extra icky, squicky bits to enjoy when Clare comes up against Dauf and Riful, who’re not only Awakened Beings but also rather sadistic pervs as well.
For the ears, the original Japanese version has even more well known seiyuus joining this veritable party of voice actors, such as Misato and Maya from Evangelion and Haruihi’s Yuki Nagato. Dub wise the voice acting can still be somewhat hit or miss in places but for the most part the cast have settled nicely into their roles. Musically Claymore still boasts one of the most guitar heavy rock soundtracks since Geneshaft or Black Lagoon.
Extras:
Volumes 3 & 4 has interviews with Sound Director Yasunori Honda and Art Director Manabu Otsuzuki and Audio Commentaries for eps 11 & 16. Volumes 5 & 6 has an interview with Art Designer Nobuhito Sue; Audio Commentaries for eps 19 & 26; Original TV adverts and a Production art gallery. Each of the four discs also includes Textless versions of the opening & closing songs
Claymore: Volumes 3 & 4 is available from most high streets and online retailers now while Claymore: Volumes 5 & 6 will be available from 12th October 2009.
Reviewer: Penfold