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REVIEW: Claymore GN 15




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maaya



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 976
PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:13 am Reply with quote
I'm happy they got Renee's name right. The scanlators were really incapable of looking that one up, eventhough it's so common -_-
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nechronius



Joined: 23 Nov 2005
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Location: So Cal, USA
PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 3:25 am Reply with quote
On the one hand I am glad about the reveal of the "big picture" since it was one of those issues I always wondered about. Everything always felt somewhat closed off and isolated and this certainly does wonders to answer some questions.

However on the other hand the glacial pace at which the story progresses just kills me, and the big reveal is akin to tacking on another half a dozen graphic novels to the story which now feels could be ten or so years away until completion for something that would take around three or four hours to finish reading in one sitting.

I guess it's just a typical complaint about following an epic manga. I certainly hope Mr. Yagi and Mr. Miura stay very healthy

For that matter, myself so I can see these to their conclusion.
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Kalessin



Joined: 15 Aug 2007
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:27 am Reply with quote
I actually really liked the battle, but it was quite short. So, it was arguably a bit of a downer in that regard. On the other hand, it just helps to show how powerful they've become.

I thought that the reveal was definitely cool, and I'm not sure that I find it as unoriginal as Key does, but it works well here even if it's not totally original.

The characters definitely shine in this episode with good, quality time for many of them. The story is definitely moving forward, but the long wait between volumes certainly doesn't help. Of course, with a chapter produced a month in Japan, it's not like we really could get it much faster than we already are. It takes time to produce, and unfortunately that means long waits for us.

Claymore continues to be interesting and has great characters. I think that it's an excellent sign when the worst thing you can say about a volume of manga is that it's frustrating how long you'll have to wait for the next one.
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DFBTG



Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:55 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Who that has read this series (or watched the anime version) has not wondered at some point how these massive swords never break or even chip despite the tremendous force applied to and against them?


...me. Honestly, I never gave it much thought...so little then when I first read the chapter that revealed this I thought it was terribly stupid evidence. I've since changed my opinion. I do think that this is one of the weaker volumes overall (I think the ball was dropped), but it has grown greatly on me. What I'm really ticked about though is how Viz increased the MSRP on this one.
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Key
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 2:09 pm Reply with quote
DFBTG wrote:
What I'm really ticked about though is how Viz increased the MSRP on this one.


Yes, I had meant to say something about that in the review but completely forgot. That was, what, a $2 jump in the price? Granted, Claymore had always been one of the cheapest top titles out there, but still.
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Kalessin



Joined: 15 Aug 2007
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:02 pm Reply with quote
DFBTG wrote:
Quote:
Who that has read this series (or watched the anime version) has not wondered at some point how these massive swords never break or even chip despite the tremendous force applied to and against them?


...me. Honestly, I never gave it much thought...so little then when I first read the chapter that revealed this I thought it was terribly stupid evidence. I've since changed my opinion. I do think that this is one of the weaker volumes overall (I think the ball was dropped), but it has grown greatly on me. What I'm really ticked about though is how Viz increased the MSRP on this one.


Actually, I never thought about it either and I thought that it was really weird when that was the evidence given. It definitely seemed quite weak to me. Still, I suppose that she has a point. It's probably just that we're so used to seeing weapons take on monsters without them breaking since so few shows actually have weapons getting damaged or broken. And as for Key noticing it, well he's a Claymore fan through and through, so he's that much more likely to notice such details.
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nechronius



Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 275
Location: So Cal, USA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:11 am Reply with quote
I never gave the swords much thought as well. Just figured them for being specially made for turning Youma into tasty slices of deli ham (on rye with dijon mustard, thank you very much).

The question that comes to mind with GN 15 is whether the Claymores will eventually venture forth into said territory and to what end. What will they gain by going there, spoiler[end the war and end the experiments?]

If so, then it seems like the whole motivation for the story in the first place loses meaning if focus is shifted instead on that action, even if the revenge trope has been used since a caveman carved pictures into a wall. Or maybe that will be the launching point for a new series once the current major plot engine has been resolved, if ever.

I really hope it gets resolved.
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Mz



Joined: 05 Aug 2005
Posts: 4
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:12 pm Reply with quote
Hello!

Does anyone know why the manga takes SO long to print?
Is it the publisher or the author?

I almost forgot about this series due to the long wait!

Waiting half a year for each volume now is really ridiculous esp. with the price increase!

Thanks!
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Dorcas_Aurelia



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5344
Location: Philly
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:29 pm Reply with quote
Mz wrote:
Hello!

Does anyone know why the manga takes SO long to print?
Is it the publisher or the author?

I almost forgot about this series due to the long wait!

Waiting half a year for each volume now is really ridiculous esp. with the price increase!

Thanks!

Because new chapters are published in a monthly magazine in Japan, so it takes half a year to produce a volume's worth of material.
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nechronius



Joined: 23 Nov 2005
Posts: 275
Location: So Cal, USA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 8:25 pm Reply with quote
Compared to many other titles it does indeed take longer. Aside from the publication that it's in is a monthly one, the level of artwork is considerably higher than the art found in many other places. Quality over quantity, so to speak. Sadly the drawback as already noted to death is a very slow moving story.

Sadly mostly me complaining about it. Truly sad.
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maaya



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 976
PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:38 am Reply with quote
btw

Quote:
Even the long-neglected secondary members of the Pieta Seven get a fair amount of their own panel time here.


could somebody confirm how they are called in this edition? still Tabitha, Cynthia, Uma?
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Mad_Scientist
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Joined: 08 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:41 pm Reply with quote
Kalessin wrote:
DFBTG wrote:
Quote:
Who that has read this series (or watched the anime version) has not wondered at some point how these massive swords never break or even chip despite the tremendous force applied to and against them?


...me. Honestly, I never gave it much thought...so little then when I first read the chapter that revealed this I thought it was terribly stupid evidence. I've since changed my opinion. I do think that this is one of the weaker volumes overall (I think the ball was dropped), but it has grown greatly on me. What I'm really ticked about though is how Viz increased the MSRP on this one.


Actually, I never thought about it either and I thought that it was really weird when that was the evidence given. It definitely seemed quite weak to me. Still, I suppose that she has a point. It's probably just that we're so used to seeing weapons take on monsters without them breaking since so few shows actually have weapons getting damaged or broken. And as for Key noticing it, well he's a Claymore fan through and through, so he's that much more likely to notice such details.


I noticed it because of the contrast that occured during the arc in the holy city of Rabona... one of the swords used during the big fight with the Yoma is easily shattered by it. At that point, I did wonder why he couldn't do the same to the Claymores' swords.

I agree it would be easy to miss otherwise, but when we see one sword get destroyed easily and another sword never show the slightest sign of wear, it becomes more apparant that something is odd.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:38 am Reply with quote
Quote:
In almost every sense this is the Big Reveal volume, so much so that the opening battle against Bloody Agatha, while involving plenty of cool moves, is pretty much an afterthought.


Yeah, I didn't like that he fast-forwarded it...

Quote:
On the downside, the answers that Yagi came up with are hardly novel ones; any veteran sci fi or fantasy anime fan has seen a scheme something like this before, and this version does not put any fresh twist on it.


I agree. It felt fairly lazy.

Quote:
The new Claymore introduced here, Renée, also has some potential, and the final scene is a suitably satisfying cliffhanger.


While I was impressed at the effort it must have taken to get her corn-rows right, the Uziga-inspired torture porn with her in it did not go down well with me. It felt really forced and tasteless, rather than dramatic.

Quote:
Raki's adult appearance is also satisfyingly aged, as there is no question that it is him when he first appears but also there is no question that he has grown up, too.


Too bad he's gotten more dense since he was younger.

Quote:
Yagi had seemed like he was stretching in the previous two volumes, but this one gets the story more firmly back on track.


I actually feel as if the story's as scattered as when he worked on it a few volumes earlier. So I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep going, because it's a pain keeping track of supporting characters at this point. Yagi's just too in over his head.

nechro: Miura's at least good at building up his side characters, so that they don't drag down the lead.
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