Claymore: The Complete Series Blu-ray features mediocre video and solid audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Clare is a young member of the Claymores, a class of creature who is half human and half Yoma monster, and whose quest in life is to fight against the full-breed Yomas -- hideous fiends who feed ruthlessly on humanity. Fueled by an upbringing filled with violence and abandonment, Clare sets out to attain justice against the evil Yomas, risking her life to hold the monsters responsible for her painful and plentiful woes.
Produced in 2007, Claymore is a 26-episode anime adaptation of the long-running manga series by Norihiro Yagi. Adapted for the screen by anime studio Madhouse, the series depicts the sequence of events that occur in the first eleven volumes of the manga, and eventually concludes with an element of creative license that strays from the original story. This Blu-ray release marks my initial exposure to the world of Claymore, but given the positive assessments I've heard over the past year, the show has always remained at the top of my list.
The dreary setting enhances the tragic conflict within each Claymore.
Set in a medieval era where humans live in constant fear of demons known as Yoma, an organization has emerged with the sole purpose of hunting the elusive predators. Through the successful creation of a half-human, half-Yoma species, a new breed of female warriors known as Claymore emerged with incredible strength, agility, and the ability to self-heal. Unfortunately, the deadly bi-product of this union results in the eventual "awakening" of each huntress, as she draws on the increasing power of the Yoma spirit inside her. The transformation eventually leaves the human host powerless against the demon within, and necessitates the execution of any Claymore that begins to lose control. In the early episodes of the series, we're introduced to a Claymore named Clare, who unknowingly became the by-product of a tragic youth. She quickly strikes up a relationship with a young boy named Raki, and discovers emotions she'd all but given up on. As their friendship continues to grow, Clare struggles to find balance between her desire to seek revenge on the Yoma throughout the world (one in particular), and the necessity of containing the Yoma spirit within her body. She knows each encounter with a demon draws her closer to the edge of madness, but remains unwilling to sacrifice vengeance in the pursuit of personal happiness.
In evaluating Claymore, I found myself wavering back and forth between the positive and negative aspects of the production. On the one hand, I enjoyed the atmosphere and initial set-up of the plot, which dispenses with a long drawn-out introduction to the world of Claymore. Within the first few episodes, I had a good handle on the role Yoma play in the strength of the Claymore warriors, and understood the manner in which the demons co-exist with their human prey. The only thing lacking in the first four episodes is the establishment of a strong story arch to tie everything together and give the series an epic feel. Episodes 5-8 finally deliver the goods, providing extensive background on Clare's tragic childhood, and the relationship each Claymore has with the mysterious organization they work for. The events of those four episodes lay the groundwork for everything that occurs later in the series, and easily held my undivided attention. Unfortunately, following the beginning of Episode 9, the series began to show some cracks in the armor, and never quite recovered.
My main complaint with the latter two-thirds of Claymore is the problematic pacing that creeps in. It almost feels as if the material would have been more fitting for a 13-episode production, rather than a full 26-episode season. Fight sequences are drawn out over multiple episodes as hero and villain undergo various transformations to become something nobody thought possible. As a result, the story often takes a backseat to the overwhelming action, creating a propensity for style over substance. There are still fleeting moments of dense storytelling, and the emotional stakes remain intact through the duration of the series, but I admittedly grew somewhat bored with the extensive three-episode boss battles.
Beyond my complaints with the pacing, I was also disappointed with the manner in which the series ends. I know this is merely the first chapter in a long-running manga publication, and the writers attempted to conclude the series with a degree of closure, but instead of a triumphant finish to the ten hour production, we're presented with almost zero resolution. I'd hate to give away the events that transpire in the final episodes, but I'll be willing to wager most anime enthusiasts will be let down in the closing ten minutes of the final episode, and come away with a tainted view of the entire series as a result.
Digging into the animation style on display, I was entirely impressed with the series. I've always held a soft spot in my heart for productions from Madhouse Studios, and Claymore simply adds to my preconceptions. There's something profoundly beautiful about the character designs of the Claymore women, which seem even more striking against the contrasting characteristics of the demonic transformations. Adding to the appealing nature of the visuals, character movement demonstrates fluid motion, limbs are drawn in a realistic fashion, and backgrounds contain adequate artistic style (without pulling our attention away from the action in the foreground). Later on in the series, the production incorporates a thick layer of blizzard-like snow, but the effect is used sparingly enough to enhance the atmosphere without detracting from the animation. All in all, the animation stands as one of the high points in the series, moving my opinion one step closer to recommended territory.
Before I move into a discussion of the visual presentation on the disc, I'd like bring your attention to the screenshots included with this review. One of the unfortunate side-effects of a 1080i (interlaced) image is a tendency for data lines to reveal themselves in screen captures that include any level of movement. I attempted to generate captures that offer a true representation of the image, but despite my best efforts I was still unable to erase the effect in every shot. If you're concerned with the presence of horizontal lines in several of the screenshots, let me put your fears to rest by mentioning the effect won't be noticeable with the fluid frame-rate on your HD display.
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), Claymore exhibits the same level of weakness we've witnessed in the most recent Funimation releases. The primary deficiency is a lack of precise detail and fine texturing, which rarely seems much better than a standard definition offering. The artistic style of the animation is still perfectly intact, but anyone hoping for extreme clarity will surely come away disappointed. From a color standpoint, the series remains awash in monochromatic hues, demonstrating a push toward blues, grays, and blacks. The palette is occasionally offset by the appearance of deep crimson blood, or the bright orange glow of Yoma eyes, but you should expect at least 80 percent of the feature to remain almost entirely devoid of color. As expected, the lack of a bright color spectrum creates a risky scenario for the reproduction of blacks, but I was never disappointed by the depth of the image, and contrast revealed exceptional shade variance throughout. Further advancing the proficiency of the transfer, I rarely noticed stair-stepping lines, aliasing is almost non-existent, and the artifacting that plagued several of Funimation's titles is kept to an absolute minimum.
In the end, the benefits of less compression remove many of the deficiencies found on most standard definition offerings, but the lack of a tremendous boost in detail prevents the visual presentation from delivering a profound upgrade. Current owners of the DVD should exercise caution when evaluating the benefits of trading up.
Mirroring Funimation's DVD release from the past year, the Blu-ray contains the original Japanese language track in Dolby Digital 2.0, while offering a new lossless upgrade for the 5.1 English dubbed track. In a perfect world, I'd hope for a lossless surround option in the native language of the series, but considering the limitations of the original recording, my only disappointment with this effort lies in the decision to stick with a lossy 2.0 track, rather than providing a lossless 2-channel option. As always, I prefer the native language on any foreign-produced series, so I was somewhat disappointed in the diminished quality of the Dolby Digital 2.0 track. The front-heavy mix lacks the depth of finely tuned surround separation, leaving us with an experience that's merely adequate at getting the job done (but not what I'd consider a value-added audio experience). The English dub on the other hand, demonstrates an excellent sense of immersion, separating nuances in the audio effects to create a wildly entertaining experience. To gain a full understanding of the strengths in the track, I'd suggest you stick with the series up through the stretch where Claymore warriors travel to the snow-covered mountains of the north. During the battle between Rigardo and Claire, we're treated to whiteout weather conditions that incorporate heavy winds and abundant snowfall. Every speaker throughout your home theater is used to the fullest extent, transporting viewers into the onscreen environment. From the standpoint of volume balance, each element is afforded appropriate weight in the collective mix, allowing abundant clarity in the overall presentation.
If I had the option of scoring the audio offerings separately, I'd give the English track a 4/5, and the Japanese track a 2.5/5. The differences between the two tracks are certainly noticeable, but the lack of surround separation on the Japanese mix never downgraded my overall enjoyment of the show.
The three-disc set includes two cast commentary tracks on each disc (episodes 1, 8, 11, 16, 19, and 26), which feature different members of the English voice cast (two actors per episode). If you've heard a commentary track on other Funimation titles, you have a pretty good idea what to expect. For any newcomers, the discussions between each pair focus heavily on the sound design of the show, and the challenges they faced when bringing the characters to life.
Cast Auditions (1080p Dolby Digital 2.0): These brief sound clips run under a minute in length, and introduce viewers to the voice actors that fill four of the main roles.
Interview with Director Hiroyuki Tanaka (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:01 min): Various questions are presented to the series director, who offers an analysis of what he hoped to convey in the anime series.
Interview with Sound Director Yasunori Honda (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 8:37 min): Following the same format as the prior interview, this supplement delves into the sound design of the show (voice actors, effects, and music).
Interview with Art Director Manabu Otsuzuki (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 6:26 min): Topics of this interview focus on the coloring and visual concepts in the series.
Interview with Art Settings Nobuhito Sue (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 4:17 min): The storyboards for the show are the subject of this supplement. During the interview, we're shown drawings for various settings used in series.
Rounding out the on-disc extras, we have multiple television commercials for Claymore (running a total of seven minutes in length), textless opening/closing songs, and a collection of trailers for other Funimation releases.
Included within the storage box that houses the two Blu-ray cases is a wonderful 48-page booklet with interviews, sketches, profiles, and artwork.
Claymore is the type of series that should fit nicely within my preference for serious-themed anime, but ultimately failed at generating enough entertainment value to offer a recommendation. Given the initial set-up of the series, I expected the plot to take us on an extensive journey, and eventually end with the satisfaction of something profound. Instead, I felt as if I'd gone on a stroll to the local butcher shop, asked for their finest steak, and returned home to find a pound of ground beef. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it mirrors the disappointment I felt as the closing credits of the final episode hit the screen. Consider this a worthy rental, but test the waters before you leap into a purchase.
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