Claymore 22 – the movement VS the contemplation and add some shonen convention to the mix.

After watching this episode, honestly, I felt a little disappointed.

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After reading various comments, some spoilers, additional info, and the manga, I wasn’t impressed with this episode as I was with 20 or 21. That being said, this episode definitely isn’t bad by a long stretch; it’s just a little bit…cliched?

Things that I felt were consistent with regular shonen convention that appear during this episode:

1. Clare keeps on muttering how slow she is, and how she has to get faster – Check. I think Goku says that while fighting Freeza. Or just fighting just about anyone in DBZ for that matter.

2. Powering up beyond your previous limit after the enemy is too super strong and he beats the crap out of ya for the gadzillionth time – Check. I think Seiya did that against one of the 12 Golden Constellation Saint Fighters. Or against all his powerful opponents.

3. Ultra strong god-like enemy that doesn’t suspect a thing whatsoever that our hero (in this case heroine) could do any damage at all, and when he (she) does, the enemy looks briefly surprised but not much reaction (like, I don’t know, pain) beyond that – check. I think Cell did that when Vegeta blows half of his body off, and that’s more damage than what Clare gives to Ligardes.

4. Keeps on switching back and forth between the action scenes and talking scenes – A definite check. Not that it’s pointlessly abused in this episode like they do in Initial D and Dragon Ball Z. What happens in the non-action scene here actually serves a purpose. But the switching here happened so often that it got a little distracting for me.

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So, let’s dissect this episode.

Ligardes proves to be impossible to beat. Nothing’s new here. This episode constantly switches back and forth between action and contemplation. The music helps in that regard by being urgent in the fighting scenes but not too terribly fast paced, and slower and more thoughtful in the non-action scenes. It’s the “move” VS the “still” that gives us the contrast here. To what end? I’m not sure.

What I’m sure here are two things: 1. Raki finally decides that he has to do something. His resolves becomes firmer after he sees Priscilla having her full course dinner minus the dessert, and after a push from Isley.

2. To show the audience how his decision is made under urgent conditions, though he’s not quite aware of that, and to let him lead us into the next phase of the battle.

(Also to make his hesitations and indecisiveness less boring to watch.)

I think what Madhouse does here is successfully making a not so popular character having enough weight and making enough impression on all of us. Some people hate him, some don’t. I’m rather touched by his determination, his bravery and guts after he begin to travel with Clare. I mean, dare I say it? He is MAN! Hear him ROAR! Among a bunch of super strong women!

Or hear him scream like a boy, but a brave boy nonetheless.

However, once again I question the plot involving him. Why is Isley helping him out with sword techniques? Why is it Isley telling him things that he finds helpful in living? When Isley says: “Being weak is a sin.” Raki strengthens his resolve and rides toward Pieta. So I guess in this case, what Isley says is helpful? Perhaps he wants Raki to see the cruel truth for himself and then laugh at him? But Isley doesn’t seem like that kind of character.

What I do know is that so far, whatever Raki can do and does do, doesn’t matter at this point.

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Few reviews ago I talked about how similar this show is with some elements of LotR. Now I’m not so sure anymore. One of the things LotR emphasize is companionship; another is what seems small and weak can actually affect the greater whole. However, in the case of Claymore, there aren’t too much displays of companionship until recent episodes. In LotR, each companion contributes to something; in Claymore, Raki is pretty useless. As for “what seems small and weak can actually affect the greater whole”, well, Raki is small and weak, but here, I don’t see he has a real chance helping anyone. Clare, on the other hand, is seeming small and weak, but she may have a chance.

I finally figured out why in the manga, Clare and Flore actually fought without Jean coming out to stop them – It’s to tell the readers that Clare’s power is now as good as some people in the single digits, maybe not as good as people from 6 and above, but at least as good as number 8 Flora. In the manga, during the time Miria led Clare, Deneve, and Helene fought against that male awakened, Miria had already stated that the group including Clare but other than herself has the capability of single digit Claymores, save the top 4. This time, after Flora and Clare fought, Flora told Clare flat out that Clare’s skills are comparable with her own. However, in the anime, we never get to see that. What we do see is Clare keep on getting frustrated that she’s not strong enough, or she hasn’t grown enough, and in this episode, she mutters about not being fast enough.

What happens to Clare in the anime seems to build up her frustration about lack of strength, and it seems to build her frustration up to the end of this episode, where she finally snaps. Clare looks like she just broke through another level during an impossible battle.

This part definitely falls into the stereotypical shonen trope. This even happens in Sailor Moon – Sailor Stars.

Had I not read the manga, I’d be sitting here wondering how exactly Clare’s power raised so much that she can actually deal a significant damage to Ligardes.

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But you know, if Ligardes grows his arm back like Cell does, or losing an arm doesn’t matter to him at all, and everyone looks stupefied with their mouths open and trembling while he flexes his new arm, then I could complete the “regular shonen convention” list I have above with entry number 5 – Our hero/heros perform a seemingly devastating attack that should work against the opponent, or at least works agains the scenery/surroundings (see DBZ), but besides some dust and scratches on the opponent’s body (and no need to photoshop that one out), the opponent is unscathed.

Even with my sarcasm, I’m still giving Claymore more points than other shonen shows, because it doesn’t fall helplessly into the mud puddle that we know as “typical shonen conventions”, and when it does fall near the puddle, it uses the mud to make something, and then get itself away from the puddle – I’m talking about the anime. As for the manga, I don’t have too much problem with it on using the typical shonen conventions, because it’s so tight and gritty that whatever happens just make so much sense to me. The anime does that well enough but it cuts out bits and piece of information that would make some perhaps minor things make more sense to the more discretionary viewers.

I’m currently wondering about one thing, will they be able to end the Northern Campaign conclusively on episode 26? In any case,

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94% recommended for your daily anime diet. I’m not quite sure if the switching back and forth is a smart way of doing this episode or is simply being too conventional, and I did find this episode just a tiny bit flat for me.

Author: Ray

I'm a hardcore Anime Fan and I'm proud of it. I know so many things and I've acquired so much knowledge you wouldn't believe. But my love is anime. I've been drifting in this world for so long that I don't even know what an anchor means. I've seen so many shows that I've lost count. The only thing I'm sure of myself is that I care for the lowly and disenfranchised. I hate the rich and powerful and I love what I do, or what I can do. I like anime and I don't mind watching different types of shows. I have experience in different types of Japanese animation. I would be called an "expert" in a bizzaro world. One day, I'd like to start a revolution. I love the US, pizza, beer, sashimi, Chinese food, and steak. But I love freshly baked bread more than a well-aged steak. In reality, if I were born Japanese I'd be a real, hardcore Otaku. I love to love and I can hate strongly. I'm passionate in nature and I don't mind shedding tears. I can be reached at rayyhum777 at animediet. My Twitter is rayyhum777 at twitter.

9 thoughts on “Claymore 22 – the movement VS the contemplation and add some shonen convention to the mix.

  1. Either you mistyped the episode number, or you have strong connections with some japanese companies to watch the episodes before they even air in Japan 😉

  2. It seems flat because they dragged this scene out incredibly so. In the beginning, they were going through the manga at a blistering pace but now that they are almost caught up, putting on the brakes is hard work. 😀

    As for the ‘small and weak’ bit, if my assumptions about Madhouse’s direction is correct, then Raki will end up saving the girls in an indirect manner from being mauled by Isley himself. If they go that route, then they can easily tie in the relationship between Isley and Priscilla when she steps between them on behalf of Raki.

    Raki right now is in the safest spot he can be – next to Priscilla. Unfortunately, it’s a deal with a demon so he’s gonna have to be careful. ^^;;;

  3. I swear I’ve never looked at Claymore that way, also because no shounen hero I can recall, with the exception of Kenshin’s “Battousai Awakening” (lol) and Naruto’s Fox Chakra was so self-destructive or consuming. While Kenshin manages to retain his human side and Naruto’s learned to bring it under control, Claymores in general face a threat in the form of their dark side whenever they tap into their powers.

    There will be a price to pay for all that power Clare’s tapped into, and it isn’t at all shounen-sque. “With great power comes great responsibility”, etc. Applies rather well in the case of Claymore, so do look forward to the next episode or so. (:

  4. The battle between Flora and Clare (i think) was also to point out “your responsibility to others”…When Clare told Flora (in the manga) that strength/superiority of technique between CLaymores are small things, Flora responded back by saying “Whether they want to or not, those who are stronger command those below them…that is the responsibility that befalls them”. Responsibility is also shown when Deneve starts crying because her words to Undine seemed to just be a load of bull in their situation and Clare’s responsibility to Jean. However, even though the fight between Flora and Clare was important (like you said), they had to take it out because of what Clare said about strength/superiority of technique being small things (in the anime, she curses herself for not being strong enough so her words would not agree).

    I think Isley helps out Raki because I remember him saying that Raki reminds him of himself when he was younger.

    Umm I think “what’s small and weak can affect the greater whole” was pointed out when Raki looks out Priscilla and says “Wow, if I hadn’t saved Clare that time, she would’ve ended up like Priscilla” so Raki was helpful…just not now. Companionship (i think) is still present here because the Claymores want to protect Miria because they felt like they could not protect the others who died.

    Oh and I didn’t like this episode either…especially since Flora and Jean died last episode and I was expecting at least this episode to be good enough to cheer me up =( grrr

    How much of the manga did you read so far anyway?

  5. Hmm I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this episode. I was expcting Clare to snap and beserk earlier on but then again I believe they want to wrap up at least this season (if there’s an other one to be (oh good lord I hope there is, I wanna see Teresa as a godess (heh I’m hopless I know))) before the SPOILER WARNING :

    7 year time skip (I think it was 7).

    Spoiler ends HERE
    So like it’s been said earlier, they want to put the breaks as much as possible… However I’m still insulted that Clare kissed Raki (I’d forgotten that but now I remembered it T_T) and still stumped by his mostly useless existance. The reason why Priscilla and Isley don’t do anything to Raki is that a)Priscilla dominates Isley and would surely rip his head off if he did anything to Raki or b)Isley has plans of turning him in to an awakened being therfore he teache him how to fight a minimum. Theories. Anyways, To conclude, compared to all the other episodes Claymore has given us, this one disappointed me the most (aside from Teresa’s downfall, but the episode in it’self was super good and well made and everything I just didn’t like the fact she was dead ;_;)

  6. Amaya – “Isley has plans of turning him in to an awakened being therfore he teache him how to fight a minimum.”
    Now I haven’t thought of that at all. But I think it’s doable since Isley probably know the process well.

    Owen S – I’m thinking, awakening with a great mental struggle as to how to deal with her comrades.

    Arakan 7 – I also think Raki will somehow save the girls, it’s just that so far, what he does seems to be useless. But he still does whatever he can. I think that’s very important.

  7. As I mention before I believe the anime has and still is being faithful to the manga. The ones that have die in the manga are dead the ones that have not died in the manga are still alive in the anime. The score at the end will be the same. I still think that the anime is trying to polish the story from the manga for good or bad. “Spoiler, Now I am happy to know that Rigardo was the one that got Miria out of the fight, just the thought that a regular awaken being beat Miria did not register very well with me, I guess that is why the manga never showed it.”

    It is true that the anime has also cut some “get real stuff” and added some parts we just did not want to be added. The manga did not mention what happened to Stupid (Raki) while the battle of Pieta was happening nor after (that does not mean it will not J) and the anime decided to show us before, like it or not most of the post here have the word Raki and stupid more than Clare. Definitely the one that decided to add Raki has gotten one on us by getting our attention with stupid kid. Therefore I still have the same opinion from my last post. I will not let the director boggle my mind just from some faints in the story; this anime is NOT Perfect Blue. So definitely I do not see an end created just to finish the anime that will go away from the manga.

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