Claymore DVD Volume 4 Now hunted by the Organization Claire searches in disguise for Rocky while pretending to be a man. She is successful as she suppresses her yoma power and moves from town to town. She encounters more Claymore in one particular town who just happen to be hunting a awakened being. The fight goes wrong and Claire gets involved leading to the defeat of the awakened but also an encounter with a Beast of the Abyss. This creature is not looking to kill Claymore but rather turn them for her army. As number 9 Jean and number 3 Galatea get involved the stakes escalate leading to a look at the three Beast of the Abyss, their history and how these three creatures divided up the map as their territory. Seems there are scarier things than yoma in the land. As the battle rages the assembled Claymore learn to push past their limits but still come back. A pact is formed between these lambs offered up to slaughter and they are soon reunited in a town to the North in a battle they can’t hope to win.
Volume 4 of Claymore does not change in look or feel from the first three volumes. The overall style follows the manga but does not keep the same level of detail found in the penned page. The settings and mood is dark and bleak as is the manga but this is one of Claymore’s charms. By volume 4 the stage is set for any DVD collection and in this volume that is the case. The main revelations are three fold. First is the revelation that one can past their limit and come back. Second is the Organization being involved with awakened ones, using them to ‘clean up’ not so loyal Claymore. Third is the history of the Creatures of the Abyss, how there are worse things than Yoma and the Organization has a loose agreement with them. Until now the story has been about Claire and her journey but now with the trip north and reveal of monsters such as Silver King Isley, well there are bigger, nastier things to worry about going forward.
Claymore DVD Volume 5The battle in the northern town of Pieta continues as the Claymore must take on aggressive awakened looking to score a quick kill. Slowly the larger invasion begins and as the Claymore proves they are more than capable of taking down awakened ones a new threat takes to the field, the Silver Eyed Lion King Rigaldo. Rocky continues his journey and learns that Pricilla is indeed a Yoma and is taught by Isley the history of the Claymore and their organization. Claire also reflects on how she gained her new, more powerful arm, an arm needed to keep Rigaldo from slowly eliminating every high level Claymore on the field. Can Claire hope to hold off Rigaldo or will she suffer the fate of so many of Rigaldo’s victims.
Bleak, the town of Pieta, colors, mood is all bleak. Only the action and flashbacks show any color. So a bit more background is revealed but the fight with Rigaldo is the main aspect of this volume. The battle feels like it’s in the final stages, which in a sense it is. So a volume all about the fight, good times but it means nothing without the first four volumes of background and buildup.
Overall both volumes keep the action going but its volume 5 that really shows what Claymore is all about with over the top Yoma fighting large groups of Claymore with death the only outcome. Things are coming to a head, hey its volume 5, so it will be very interesting to see how volume 6 brings it home.
