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

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

If you aren't sold immediately, you will be by the time you get through vol 6. I've never met anyone, even if they didn't care for vol 1, make it through vol 5 or so and not be sold.

[swanjun.livejournal.com]

Do you know how close it is to being finished in Japan? Or is it still churning along? It seems Viz is about caught up to it, which'll mean long waits for volumes past 14.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The Viz translations are still about 15 chapters and 3-4 important side stories behind, which should be at least 3 volumes. No idea how long it'll be in the long run, though.