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Reviewed by Michael Aronson For one reason or another, my review of Claymore’s seventh volume turned up on Manga Life’s stats page as one of the most popular reviews on the site. No, I don’t understand it either, but if it’s Claymore reviews they want, it’s Claymore reviews they’ll get. As implied above, my first exposure to Claymore was with the seventh volume, so it was a pretty pleasant opportunity to start on the ground floor with numero uno. It was also entirely what I’d expected, given the trend of big-name manga series to start small and build a slow-moving plot across an ever-bulking cast. Don’t think that I’m wagging my finger at a series for beginning in a way that leads logically into its middle chapters, however. If anything, volume one is perfectly consistent with the rest of the series. That is, it aspires to little and executes it beautiful. If it sounds like I’m damning Claymore with faint praise, that’s not really my intention. There’s something to admire about a series that sets reasonable goals for itself and obtains them rather effortlessly. Claymore has no illusions about being a fantasy action book with plenty of gore, and knows how to hit those beats at all the right times. Volume one establishes main character Clare, supporting character Raki, the nature of the Claymores and the nature of their hideous enemies, the Yoma. A bit heavy on exposition, but better to spell it out clearly than gloss over the necessary stuff in hopes that the readers will catch up anyway. And yet, introductions don’t really need to be this cut-and-dried, this formulaic. Granted, it’s a unique formula – monster-fighting warrior women, because the men can’t cut it – and thankfully, it doesn’t rely on fan service to prop up its heroine. It does, however, rely on a bit of bloody slicing and dicing, but that’s the nature of the story, and it’s perfectly fine to deliver on the promise of dire violence. It’s also all-too beautifully rendered. Given the extremely unique and refined art style used for this action manga, Claymore remains one of the few series that boast far stronger art than story content. The story isn’t poor by any stretch, but it can just as well be glossed over for the sake of admiring the pretty pictures. The disappointment stems from the fact that Claymore gets all the basics right – so why can’t it aspire to entertain on anything more than a basic level? Give us internal conflict. Give us wit. Romance. Politics. Philosophy. Something else. Well, it hints at themes of friendship and sacrifice, but it’s just a taste so far. Thankfully, one taste is satisfying enough to merit a second. Comment on this review of Claymore v1 [II] on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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