Twelve Reasons You Should Be Reading Claymore

[meganbmoore]

*I posted this last night before bed, then realized most of you wouldn't see it because I forgot to backdate a private entry.*

I rarely do posts purely to say "Look!  New icon!" but this is a special icon.  And so:

Twelve Reasons You Should Be Reading Claymore:

1.  A large cast of female characters who are made badass for the reasons shounen manga usually uses to say "she can fight...but not as well."  Reflexes, an analytical mind, speed, a specialization in a certain field, etc. etc.  Instead of being excuses for not being "as good," these things are used to their maximum potential.  And if they have a shortcoming, they overcome it.

2.  A variety of strong and important female friendships(and other relationships.)  That pass the Bechdel Test in every way.

3.  Female characters who take on stereotypically male roles (badass loner with wee cute thing, analytical mastermind, noble warrior, one-eyed warrior with a mysterious past, vengeance driven youth, etc.) without coding as male or giving up any of their femininity.

4.  The most amazingly angsty and awesome shounen origin known to man.

5.  Female characters with fully developed back stories and motivations who are not remotely defined or identified by their relationships with male characters.  Any of them.  In fact, the opposite is true.

6.  Did I mention all the stoic warrior women with swords?

7.  A mangaka who is not afraid to kill off characters in situations where characters should die, and who does not play favorites.  A character who has been fully developed and fleshed out is just as likely to die as a Red Shirt, and a seeming Red Shirt is just as likely to live as an established character.  In addition, the deaths, even the minor ones, mean something.

8.  A complex (if initially slow to develop) plot where you think you know what the Big Reveal is and you're just waiting for one of them to come out and state it, but when they do, they reveal that what you think is the big secret is really just a minor thing in it.

9.  A manga kid in a primarily adult cast who isn't sickeningly sweet, abrasive, hyper-active, or any of the things most 10-12 year old boys in most shounen action are.

10.  One of the most impressive cases of  arm loss (and aftermath) I've ever seen.

11.  Breast feeding as a legitimate plot point.

12.  At one point, you will see a blind nun rip her habit to the waist and go off to rescue the Big Strong Guardsmen from the huge, rampaging monster.

ETA: magicnoirepointed out a grave error on my part.  I forgot to mention that, in an amazing case of gender reversal, the huge, rampaging monster is a huge, rampaging tentacle monster.  A huge, rampaging female tentacle monster.

Why 12 reasons?  Because that's how many licensed volumes have been released.  And yes, I did make this post just to mention the blind warrior nun.  

Comments

[havocthecat]

Ooh! *adds to Amazon wishlist*

[woodburner.livejournal.com]

"Did I mention all the stoic warrior women with swords?"

"At one point, you will see a blind nun rip her habit to the waist and go off to rescue the Big Strong Guardsmen from the huge, rampaging monster."

THOSE ALONE ARE ENOUGH

If those can't convince people, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN

a;lksdjf;alskdjf;askdfj:LKDJF:LSDKJFNNNnnnggghhh stoic warrior women with swords ♥♥♥

(Not that all the other points aren't all excellent reasons to read Claymore, of course. But I mean. Stoic warrior women! BLIND BAD-ASS NUNS.)

[bellzooks.livejournal.com]

This list is so much win, although number 12 might be my favorite.
Claymore is epic. I think thats the only word for it.

Also, excellent icon.

[joketsu.livejournal.com]

As much as recent developments displease my picky, picky self... it's still one of my favorites. It got so strong in the middle and didn't let up. It's also the most metal comic I've ever read. =B

[shadawyn.livejournal.com]

It's been on my list once I get caught up with my uber-pile :D

I'm quite excited about it.

[melengro.livejournal.com]

THIS SOUNDS EVEN MORE EPIC THAN IT DID BEFORE.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I watched the first episode or two of this anime, and really didn't care for it. But, based on this post, I requested volume 1 of the manga from the library. Perhaps I will enjoy things more this time around!

For the last couple of months, I'm realizing that I'm a lot more tolerant of certain things in manga than I am in anime, and might even prefer manga to anime. I wonder if this is weird!

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

#12 is the best reason ever!

Although you forgot to mention that the huge, rampaging monster was a huge, rampaging TENTACLE monster. A huge, rampaging FEMALE tentacle monster. Best gender reversal!

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I have the first volume here. I should really read it, because it sounds great.

[jessicamee.livejournal.com]

wooo Claymore!! :D

[the-sun-is-up.livejournal.com]

A+ summary. Would definitely read it if I hadn't already read it. ;-D

At one point, you will see a blind nun rip her habit to the waist and go off to rescue the Big Strong Guardsmen from the huge, rampaging monster.

OMG YES. *FLAILS*

[artillie.livejournal.com]

Teresa, why are you so cool? And awesome? And fantastic? The scene with her and wee!Clare where wee!Clare talks for the first time was amazing. I'm reading the Priscilla-Teresa fight right now. The other three are Epic.

Disappearing Mouth Syndrome (whereby all characters lose their mouths before moments of supreme badassitude) is disturbing me, though.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I've been hearing good things about this one from multiple people for at least a year or so now. Finally grabbed a couple of the earlier volumes in the big manga sale Borders has been having all month, now I just need to make a little more progress through the TBR pile to get to them...

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Claymore's been on the "to check out once I finish up/get caught up on some of the series I'm currently reading" list for a while.

[southerndave.livejournal.com]

This still sounds like fun and is still on my (comparatively extensive) mental "pick it up if I ever manage to find it" list...

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Oh, man . . . Neeeeeed.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I love Alison Bechdel, but had not heard of her test before now!

[swanjun.livejournal.com]

I've been sitting (not literally) on six volumes of this. Number 7 is what sold me on your list, I think. I need to priotize this somehow.