Claymore was one of those very rare shounen series that I actually enjoyed on a higher basis than “I’m watching it because I’m bored”. It had all powerups and predictable fights that you can expect from a shounen show but yet it was somehow different from the usual fare. Despite the fights following the predictable three step pattern with the usual powerup at the last stage they were still exciting.
There was one large shadow looming over the whole series however, that would ruin every second of the show when it appeared. I’m talking about Raki of course. He was the most annoying character I’ve ever come across in anime hands down. I was seriously cringing through every single scene he appeared in and an episode that was completely enjoyable before could turn into a torture to watch. His whiny voice together with being completely useless made him a completely unsympathetic character for me.
It came as no surprise that he played a major part in the crappy ending Claymore had. The underlying story throughout the whole show was Clare’s search for revenge; it was the very reason why she struggled and strained to become faster, stronger and more powerful. Right at the end Raki enters her life again after being away for so long only to spit on her very raison d’être, trying to take away the glorious and sweet moment of victory from her, and for what? He pities the demon because it has had a sad past. I’m sure someone somewhere came up with a saying for this very way of acting. It’s a small victory that in the end he had little impact on Clare’s awakening, instead it was Jeane that stole the show.
Why must all good action series have these contrived happy endings. Was it too much to ask for some anger and some determination to finish that last chop of the sword, not only ridding the world of a great danger but also fulfilling her promise to herself and to Theresa. Instead her misplaced mercy will probably cost hundreds of lives in the future.
Despite my bitter tone I really did enjoy Claymore and the one screaming weakness it had, Raki, was absent for a large portion of the show letting me enjoy the nice animation and adrenaline pumping powerups to their fullest. The ending had all the makings of a second season, but people that read the manga say the anime deviates in the last few episodes, making the probabilities of a followup season smaller.
I didnt like the end.
I hope that there is a secong season,
and I found some exagarations during the last episodes.
Left by Erisabetsu on November 19th, 2007