▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		650 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/27/2009
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		12/02/2009
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Thus begins the twisting tale of Clare, on such sister of the sword driven by pain in both victory and defeat. A child silent and suffering hidden in her past, Clare’s march toward vengeance unfolds along a path marked by violence, solitude and scorn. In a land where even the predator is prey, the hunted hearts of hunter and hunted alike wear the scars of age.

Contains the entire 26 episode series on 6 discs in one slim box set in three double-sided thinpack cases.

REVIEW:
Claymore is an unrelentingly violent and grim fantasy epic. Adapted from the manga by Norihiro Yagi, the animation will plunge viewers into the world of Clare, a Claymore who marches not to the tune of destroying Yoma, but a far more personal, more specific target in her quest for vengeance.

The anime opens with the eviscerating by Yoma terrorizing a village. The young Raki is saved by a Claymore, the quiet yet effective with a sword Clare. After her deed is done, Raki follows her, a fact she appears indifferent to. She travels the wandering road of all the Claymores, drifting from village to village, area to area, destroying any Yoma she comes across as is her duty through the Organization which turned her into a Yoma/Human hybrid. Or so it seems. As the multi-episode arcs evolve, discerning flashbacks reveal Clare’s true motivation. Her meeting and rescue by the beautiful and graceful Teresa changed Clare’s world for the better. When she watched what happened to Teresa, it set Calre on the path of revenge and shaped her every step since then.

Her road is soaked in blood. That is not unusual for a Claymore yet what is increasingly of concern is the appearance of Abyssal Ones, those Awakened Beings far stronger than any Yoma. They are nearly impossible to defeat and they seem to have a plan. The Organization has a plan too, but it might not be as noble as the Claymores first believed.  When Clare is sent on a mission by the Organization with a group of other Claymores, they realize they might have been set up by the very same organization that robbed them of their humanity. It provokes serious questions by the various Claymores shown throughout the series and adds to the conflict in the astonishing climatic finale where the remaining Claymores must go up against an army to defeat Abyssal One Isley and his right hand Priscilla, a former Claymore that shares a significant past with Clare. The two enter into a fierce battle with the added threat that with each use of her increased Yoki power, a Claymore risks becoming the very monsters they are fighting!

The series goes for the gut in both drama and graphic violence. It immerses the viewer is a fascinating world where in one sense or another, nearly everyone in it is a monster. It also boasts an amazing cast of female antagonists and protagonists. Nearly the entire main and secondary cast is female because all the Claymores are women. It’s rare to find a fantasy that holds so many female characters in pivotal roles and rarer still to see so many of them as warriors with incredible battle skills and sword fighting. It is not only Clare’s journey that we are privy too, but to a lesser, but no less interesting extent, many of the other Claymores that cross Clare’s path as well. Their story is a bleak one with every episode fascinating in its scope and merciless tale.

The animation which often borders if not dives into horror content, was done by Madhouse that has worked on a number of darker anime such as Texhnolyze, Batman: Gotham Knight, Ninja Scroll the movie, Black Lagoon, Gunslinger Girl, and Death Note. They stay true to the grim and extreme violence of the manga, showing the brutality and bloodshed on a nearly overwhelming scale. The opening sequence alone shows evisceration and impalement. As the story progresses, so too does the violence, becoming a crescendo of atrocities in the finale and one that is thick, not only with body parts and lives lost, but also a dramatic opera of convictions, grief, and long held vengeance unleashed.

The animation also contains one of the most diverse scores I have ever heard. It ranges from dramatic orchestral pieces, Middle-Eastern music, to bagpipes. The opening theme song “raison d’être” sung by Nightmare shows off beautifully fitting lyrics, while the ending theme song “Danzai no Hana – Guilty Sky” sung by Kosaka holds a striking visual entry into the ending song.

EXTRAS:
The box set holds all 6 discs in a slim box set that includes reverse cover art and two booklets that are 24 pages each. The booklets include profiles of the Claymores and their nemeses, the weapons and equipment, character concept art, full color art, and section that include art and settings. The booklets also include interviews with Japanese cast and crew.

The DVD set itself holds a number of bonus features that include trailers, original Japanese commercials, clean opening and ending animation, and interviews with the Japanese staff that include interviews with Hiroyuki Tanaka (Director), Yasunori Honda (Sound Director), Manabu Otsukzuki (Art Director), and Nobuhito Sue (Art Settings). There are also the English cast auditions and a variety of audio commentary by the English cast: episode 1 with Todd Haberkorn (ADR Director/Raki) and Stephanie Young (Clare); episode 8 with Brina Palencia (Priscilla) and Wendy Powell (Elena); episode 11 with Colleen Clinkenbeard (Line Producer/Galatea) and Monica Rial (Mira); episode 16 with Laura Bailey (Jean) and Leslie Patrick (ADR Director); episode 19 with Caitlinn Glass (Deneve) and Jamie Marchi (Helen); and episode 26 with Brian Palencia (Priscilla) and Stephanie Young (Clare).

IN SUMMARY:
Claymore is an enthralling and violent horror fantasy.