How have I not commented or even rated this before!?
I'm kinda sleep-deprived so this will be short. Either that, or I'll keep typing and forget to stop.
First, allow me to raeg at the anime adaptation. They went with a crappy (I mean REALLY crappy) original ending even though there was a PERFECT spot in the manga for the anime to end.

This series starts quite cliche (I mean, how annoying is Raki/Lucky amirite?) but as soon as the first awakened being mission is given, it goes awesome-tier. Later in the series, Clare is much less of a lead character, her friends playing as large or larger roles in the story. But they're such awesome characters I really don't mind this.

I am amazed that the mangaka of Angel Densetsu made another awesome series that is in a completely different genre.
Of course, angel densestsu is better as that's just god-tier comedy but this is still awesome.

What really sets this series apart is the time skip (which is how the anime should've ended). It was executed PERFECTLY. I've never seen a timeskip done this well, that I can remember. Everyone's just so badass. Even though that character is still not that important.

The series has been kinda less awesome lately, possibly due to having too many ridiculously powerful adversaries. Also, I didn't like how story ended up. She seemed really interesting and I get the feeling her story had more potential in length and depth. Same thing with too. Who seemed like a great character to explore more of. I guess that's an appeal of the series, though. The chaos. Complete and utter chaos (not at first, but later beginning with the arc before the time-skip. And I guess there's a hint of this in Teresa's story's resolution).
Also, I'm divided over the twist and big reveal of what the larger picture is. Divided because ont he one hand it does seem kinda cool and original, on the other it seems like exactly soemthing I would come up with, which always annoys me :/
Oh! And a reveal in ch137-ish about the , that they were all Not only doesn't really make sense (if the experiment was discontinued how can the other three [four if you include the character from before the time-skip] have it?), it also very much reduces the awesomeness of those Claymores' accomplishment in achieving the state. And seems like a major coincidence that Clare just so happened to run into another one for the process to work.

Would have formerly rated this a 10 or 9.5, but 9 is the highest I'll go now.

... Last updated on November 11th, 2013, 9:55pm

Claymore is the best manga I've ever read. There has been no other manga that has captivated my heart and attention quite like this one. This story follows a young girl who be becomes a warrior out of her guardian's flesh in order to take vengeance upon the monster that had slain her. On her personal mission for revenge, she comes across many interesting and badass people on the way as she continues to become stronger in order to defeat her target. Claymore is a dark fantasy that will be enjoyed over and over. While the story progresses, feelings of boredom and repetitiveness may arise and it may feel like the author is just pulling things out of his butt, but Norihiro Yagi always manages to cleverly connect events in the story together. I love Claymore and I don't think I could ever stop loving it (unless he kills off a favorite character). This manga just keeps continuing to be more badass and exciting. Claymore is what defines a shounen manga. Highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful and badass babes carrying and slaying more than they can handle. Readers will fall in love with the story and characters when they read this delight.

one of my favorite mangas out there. Great plot, great character development, great art. Just one thought (always had this one), why is this a shounen? i would categorize it as seinen but hey. kick ass manga

Art is amazing, but i wished i read this when i was a little older, when i first started reading this manga i got scared (lol..). But anyways, this manga is a masterpiece and it creates a change of pace when there was a strong female protagonist. It surprises me at every turn and the plot is incredible. Just waiting for the ending with clare and Raki~ wooo

Claymore began quite strong. Amazing and erie art, captivating enough plot and some of the characters were great. The underlining journey of everyone was interesting.


Unfortuntely, it starts to get a tad repetitive and stretched out. First they fight against badies. But then there is a new even worse baddie around the corner. Then those worse baddies dies. But then there is supposedly an even much worser baddies that are even stronger and bigger. Then those baddies dies. And now...there are even WORSE and even stronger baddies...and all in between some of the baddies are fighting each other too.

It builds you up on these antagonists, but then the antogonist quickly goes down, with a new one afterward. It makes things a bit anticlimatic, with interupted buildup.

The new character intros -particularly the 'bad' Claymores- are becoming common are getting a bit much, and might feel like too much like fillers. And, gets confusing on who is who sometimes.

Overall, it is a good series. I like how unconventional it is, and it's always nice to see primary dominant female warriors (That aren't constantly half naked sources of fanservice or anything either). I just wished I would have showed more variety, something that had promise doing. I read up to the recent chapters, but I am losing my interest and am not as interested continuing anymore. Hopefully it will change for the better at some point.

I fell that the first 90 or so chapters were AMAZING!!! 10/10

Then I feel that after about chapter 90 the author has lost his touch and started adding filler crap that IMO is just to make more chapters no real importance in any of the fight or plot really.

They keep killing off characters and bringing in new ones which pisses me off so much. Reading new chapters after months of waiting for release, I find that I can't remember who is who anymore and the series has too many characters and names to make me care about any of them except the main three characters.

This series is awesome. It just keeps getting better. The action is just spectacular. And for once in a shounen manga the main character doesn't have a super incredible power and rather relies on skill and tactic. All the fights have something special to offer. Awesome series and might very well be my favourite shounen series.

I think this is the best manga I've ever read. No manga out there made my heart palpitate as much as this one. I read the whole chapters in one go, and if you do that you'll understand what i'm saying.

A great dark fantasy series, no not quite as dark as Berserk but still what do you call taking children and turning them into 1/2 monsters to battle other monsters. Then there is the destiny of a Claymore which is to die on the battlefield or eventually turn into a monster and be hunted in turn. That is some dark tragic stuff man.

The art is great and it gets better and more detailed as it goes along. Some of the Claymores in the beginning look a bit like one another, but they get a little bit more differentiated later on. My only complaint is that sometimes it turns a little bit into a battle manga, but nowhere near as bad as some other manga that has one battle going on for what feels like 100chapters. Like another reviewer said its one of the few manga that keeps me interested and coming back for more.

The anime is also pretty good.

... Last updated on August 10th, 2011, 3:34pm

I think what the mangaka, Yagi Norihiro accomplished in this story (where alot of MALE mangaka in the same genre fail) is establish clearly strong lead female characters. Take for example mangas in like Naruto, One Peace, Bleach, D.Grayman, and Kurohime. Time and again the female characters in that manga are always shown in a weak submissive stereotypical fashion to their male counter parts. Even in Kurohime where the main character is a woman, as the story progressed her character devolved from being a strong female heroine to a hapless lovestruck teenage girl.

In contrast, the female characters in Claymore indicate that the mangaka seems to have a far more down to earth and respectful view of women. Then other artist in his field.

edit: an exception would be with Full Metal Alchemist, although the mangaka there is a woman