Originally running from 2001 to 2014, the Shonen Jump manga Claymore is a dark fantasy tale. Known for its powerful representation of women in a genre that's historically iffy in that regard, Claymore's story is one that stands toe-to-toe with many of the shonen greats. Despite its 15-year publication run and 24 episode anime, Claymore's success is one that's flown under many manga and anime fans' radars, making it criminally underrated.
The series' 20th anniversary has just passed, making now the perfect time to jump into this battle shonen hidden gem. Here's everything curious fans need to know about Claymore, including where to read and watch the manga and its anime adaptation.
The Story of Claymore
Claymore follows a young woman named Clare, who is a warrior known as a Claymore, one of an all-female legion sent out to protect (paying) settlements from the monstrous, shapeshifting Yoma. To defeat them, the silver-eyed, silver-haired Claymores wield powerful swords and Yoma powers gained by fusing their bodies with the monsters. The Claymores fight to contain their reserves of demonic energy that also powers the Yoma, lest they turn into an immensely powerful, out-of-control Awakened Being.
Seeking revenge on the Awakened Being who killed her mentor Teresa, Clare travels from town to town hoping to encounter her while performing her Claymore duties. From there, she saves a boy named Raki and becomes to him what Teresa was to her.
Where to Read Claymore
The series was created by Norihiro Yagi, running in Monthly Shonen Jump from 2001 before being moved to Jump Square and finishing 7 years later. Its over 150 chapters were collected into 27 volumes, all available in English and fairly easily accessible.
The series is licensed in North America by Viz Media and it can be read on the Viz Media website, where physical versions can also be purchased. The manga is available through the Shonen Jump app, Kindle & Comixology in digital format. The Manga Plus website/app is also currently publishing "re-editions" of the chapters in an ongoing format. Book retailers such as Books-a-Million also carry or can order the physical versions.
Where to Watch Claymore
The anime adaptation of the series was produced by studio Madhouse, along with Nippon Television, D.N. Dream Partners and Avex Entertainment. Running for a single season from April to September of 2007, the series had to conclude with an original ending given that half of the manga had yet to even be published. This saw the initial half of the manga's volumes be truncated into just over 20 episodes.
The anime's English release was handled by Funimation, where it can also be streamed. Though the series has been removed from Netflix, it is currently available to stream on Hulu. The physical box set collection of the anime can also be purchased through Amazon and other sources on either DVD or Blu-ray. Sadly, there's yet to be a second anime that adapts the entire manga, which makes the anime more of a supplement than a replacement.
