Random Musings - Claymore Edition June 24
With all the clamor over Claymore I’ve been hearing and reading about in these past few weeks, I finally got enough free time to pick up the manga again and see why everyone seemed to like it so much. I had watched the first episode of the anime a while back, and at the time, it didn’t seem good enough to warrant me dropping D.Gray-man or DEATH NOTE. After blazing through the first 7 volumes of the manga in a few hours, I think I’ve finally started to understand what everyone is talking about. I felt that the beginning of the story wasn’t great, but it really got good once the Teresa arc started, and the rest of it just kept me reading. It also, of course, got me very interested in the anime.
In many ways, I think Claymore is the quintessential shounen-style show based on the principles of friendship, effort, and victory that series from Weekly Shounen Jump are known for (before anyone asks, yes, I do realize that Claymore originally started in Monthly Shounen Jump). Jaalin likes to think of it as a supercharged version of Bleach. Now that’s in no way a bad thing since these types of series are very entertaining to read and watch, and Claymore adds a distinctively darker and more violent feel. In fact, I was quite surprised at how freely limbs get chopped off and people lose their heads - it makes the violence in Bleach look quite tame in comparison.
For those of you who don’t care about anything I just said and want me to get to the point: Yes, this does mean I am going to be blogging Claymore. I’ll be replacing D.Gray-man in the schedule with it on Tuesdays for all of summer season until Claymore ends. Truthfully, if D.Gray-man hadn’t become a chore to watch and blog due it being stuck in anime-original mode while the manga had such an awesome story going, then I wouldn’t have even considered doing this. But the fact is that it did become like that for me, so this wasn’t too hard a decision to make once I got hooked on the Claymore story. I’ll be starting on Tuesday with episode 13, and I look forward to Ophelia’s upcoming battle with Clare.
sealouse at 11:05 pm on June 24th, 2007
Yes yes yes. Thank you.
Slade at 11:08 pm on June 24th, 2007
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Yhamm at 11:09 pm on June 24th, 2007
Good choice!
I’ll gladly read you review on claymore, and also a good choice to “drop” d.gray man :p
GStrike- at 11:13 pm on June 24th, 2007
…
Slade at 11:14 pm on June 24th, 2007
actually a thought came after the victory dance…
I kinda lost sight of claymore in the first few episodes, just thought it wasn’t really going anywhere story wise. Then perchance I picked up again in the middle of the Teresa arc and my jaw dropped. I think I and many others had the same reaction if they refound Claymore in which where the hell did this “interesting” story come from…?
After the slashers, I got really intrigued and dived into the manga in one night. It’s what Bleach and Naruto have been lacking as far as shounen’s go: an interesting and cohesive story.
The manga thus far makes me feel like even if the lead character’s “goal” is solved, the world and all it’s problems are far from over. I’m loving how refreshing the road blocks and detours they face, unlike Bleach where it’s like deja vu again. Even Naruto has fallen into that spiral where the end doesn’t feel close. At least with this, it seems like there is an end in sight, it’s just it’s complicated but progressing.
Sand at 11:17 pm on June 24th, 2007
finally.yahhhhh=)=)=)
Is good to hear that you are blogging Claymore.
Ringtails at 11:20 pm on June 24th, 2007
42 thumbs up!
Naakay at 11:29 pm on June 24th, 2007
Looking forward to seeing your reactions to the future part of this rather awesome series =).
monkey sanchez at 11:29 pm on June 24th, 2007
I’m sooooo happy that you enjoy Claymore and very glad that you will be taking your time to post it. because i will take my time to read it…
but about D.Gray-man I guess I can’t say anything seens whatever I say is not going
to change your mind….
Can’t wait to read your review on Claymore
pokkai at 11:37 pm on June 24th, 2007
yay.. thats good.. i started reading the manga (up to vol. 11) after ep. 9 cause it was so entertaining. now it’ll be easy for me to return to the anime since youre blogging it.
yeah at 11:42 pm on June 24th, 2007
this is great news to me
Batt!tz at 11:43 pm on June 24th, 2007
yayyyyyyy omni
Allen Walker at 11:43 pm on June 24th, 2007
Please Don’t “drop” D.Gray Man =(
pokkai at 11:44 pm on June 24th, 2007
yay… thats good… i was watching the anime and it was soo addicitive i had to read the manga. now im at vol. 11 and dont feel like reading anymore cause studying for exams made me lose interest so it’ll be easy for me to get back into the anime since youre blogging it! thanks.
Mantis at 11:48 pm on June 24th, 2007
Ahh right when DGM started to get back onto the manga storyline too… Oh well.
Name goes here at 11:53 pm on June 24th, 2007
I went through the same thing you did. I heard good things about both the anime and manga so I breeze through few volumes to see what’s the hype about. Lo and behold, I was hooked and pounded through the manga and now on to the anime just to see if it is as good as the manga. I stopped watching D-Grayman a while back so no loss there if there’s no blog for it.
keith at 11:54 pm on June 24th, 2007
yeah, really…DGM sucked with the fillers, but it is returning to its original manga storyline. You should ATLEAST blog it for 2 more weeks ( til ep. 39) because thats the end of the 3rd season. Really…
But i am glad claymore is coming on RC. I wish you blogged from Ep. 1 though
Karasuhebi at 11:59 pm on June 24th, 2007
Glad you’re picking up CLAYMORE, but I’m kind of sad you’re dropping D.Gray-man. Now am I going to know when D.G goes back to the manga story so I can watch it? =(
-Karasuhebi
P.S: Weekly Shounen Jump Wikipedia link is wrong. You added an extra quotation mark at the end of it.
Saviour at 12:03 am on June 25th, 2007
+5 for announcing to blog Claymore. +3 for dropping D.Grayman. -23 for the current rankings of Claymore and Nagasarete Airantou. +1 for the new poll of Gurren Lagann. GL is an acquired taste, definitely not mine.
Iori at 12:07 am on June 25th, 2007
You’re choice is right, Omni.
I was really expecting to read your reviews about Claymore and finally we’ll get to see them.
See you next Tuesday!