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Does Claymore Have Fan service?

Claymore, Vol. 23 (23)

Claymore is very unique because of how the anime presents female warriors. When you see an anime or a manga with female leads, A lot of “Otakus” immediately start to speculate on what role these women will play in the entire series, and what might be in it for them! 

Women in anime and manga often have sexual roles – not necessarily overtly but through an objectification or through various effections with other characters. 

Often these women can be presented as having extremely idealised body types. Think slender bodies with big chests and other body cliches. 

There are so many variations on the them of women in anime and manga being sexually objectified. 

I don’t want to necessarily critisize these male desires themselves, but I think it is hard to dendy that many authors tend to exaggerate this objectification of women. It’s hard to find anime out there with very little “fan service”. 

What do we mean by fan service?

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In manga and anime, “fan service” is a term used to describe scenes or elements that are added solely for the purpose of pleasing the audience. These scenes often involve gratuitous sexual content or fan service-y dialogue, but can also include things like fan-favorite character cameos or over-the-top action sequences. Some people see fan service as a necessary evil, while others believe that it’s an essential part of the experience.

At its most basic level, fan service is any element that exists solely to please the audience. This can take the form of gratuitous violence, sex, or anything else that the creators know will get a reaction out of viewers.

Does Claymore have “Fan service”?

Claymore, Vol. 1: Silver-eyed Slayer

Fan service can mean differently for many people. It depends on the type of “service” you are looking for in an anime or manga. The most common type of fan service is nudity or revealing depiction of women’s bodies. They often include lewd acts and lustful scenarios. But not everyone cares for such a type of “service” to fans. 

If you are looking for scenes that have sexual contact – that verges onto the world that gets called “Hentai” as misnomer in English, then you won’t find that in Claymore. 

In fact, the closest thing you can get to sexual contact between opposite sexes in Claymore is probably the goodbye kiss between Clare and Raki which only lasts for a second. 

But this doesn’t mean that Claymore doesn’t have any “fan service”. There are several scenes in Claymore that depict topless women, for example. 

Naked women as Fan service in Claymore

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In episode 14, Clare is trained by Ilena in the technique called “Quicksword”. During the training, Clare is instructed by Ilena to take a rest and bathe. This part shows Clare naked and showing her entire back side as she takes a bath in the river.

In the same episode, Ophelia transforms into an awakened being and tries to kill Clare. In the later part of the fight scene, Ophelia pulls every ounce of her humanity into the tip of her tail, showing her human form. Ophelia then challenges Clare to use her newly acquired skill “Quicksword” and chop off all of Ophelia’s awakened parts. All the while, Ophelia is completely naked from her waist up showing her breasts uncensored. 

There is also “lolita” style fetishism that comes into Claymore. Episode 5 shows a young Clare – say around 10 years old— taking a bath in the river with only her underwear on. There are actually several points where the young Clare takes off her clothes in the Claymore anime. Although, I think seeing the young Clare with all the scars and bruises, even naked, is probably too off-putting to really be considered an example of “fan service” per se. 

In the last 2 episodes (episodes 25 and 26), there is also a clear depiction of human female breasts during the fight scenes. This time, Priscilla takes on her awakened form. Her awakened form is a single-horned humanoid monster with several wings on the back. In this form, Priscilla’s large breasts are very conspicuous, nipples and all. 

Unlimited battle scenes

Claymore, Vol. 11: Kindred of Paradise

If we look at fan service as including fight scenes, Claymore has got it in spades. You’ll never run out of fight scenes with Claymore! There is no episode in Claymore that doesn’t include at least one sword fight. The manga version is also jam packed with gore and violence. 

And really, some fans prefer to see action more than anything else.  

The very reason why many major anime titles are so well-loved is inextricably tied up with the toe-curlingly superb fight scenes. Many shonen fans crave the depiction of a good fight that goes well beyond some random punching and slicing with swords.

What makes the fights in Claymore such a “fan service” is that they really never fail to keep you on the edge of your seat. The way the scenes unfold is very engaging and detailed. Unlike other fights in other manga and anime, the characters don’t just blurt information out of nowhere, like they are explaining every detail one by one. 

In Claymore, the information needed to understand the whole scenario is naturally presented through a dialogue WHILE FIGHTING! It’s not some crazy nonsense where the characters pause for a bit to explain the details to some imaginary audience.  

One great example of a fight scene in Claymore that leaves a mark on the audience is the fight between Teressa and Four other Claymores hunting Teresa’s head. 

The battle takes place in a city where Clare and Teressa have taken refuge. Ilena and 2 other Claymores barge into the inn where Clare and Teressa are staying. Ilena is the first to attack using her Quicksword. While Ilena swooshes her sword and Teressa fends against every attack, Ilena and Teressa are throwing sarcastic remarks at each other. 

It’s very unique to see such a fight. You don’t often see a scenario where the characters are talking in the middle of a fight without ever stopping. 

Not only that! The fight scenes are absolutely amazing. If it’s a good fight you are looking for, you can find it all in Claymore! Claymore doesn’t disappoint.

Dialogue and Voices

One more thing that makes watching Claymore a fan service experience is the quality of the dialogue and voices.  Both the Japanese and English dub versions have great voice actors. They really match the characters and the mood of the entire anime.

It’s rare to find an anime with a good English dub. A lot of Otakus dread English dubs because they feel awkward to watch and the voices normally don’t match the characters. Claymore is one of the exemptions.

If you ask me, the top 3 characters with the best English dub in Claymore are Teressa, Ilena, and Miria respectively. Their English voices leave a mark and they match the type of beauty they have. I can’t help but enjoy every conversation these characters have because of how beautiful they sound. They sound tough and cold, but also seductive. 

Their feisty dialogue is also something to behold. They know how to throw insults without even trying. Lines like Teressa’s “Don’t stop now. That fancy sword of yours doesn’t work unless it’s moving” really hit home. In my opinion, there is no better “fan service” than a good dialogue sequence! 

A well-rounded look at Female characters?

Claymore, Vol. 3: Teresa of the Faint Smile

Claymore is great at making the female characters “stand out”. The author made sure that the female characters are treated how they should be – as warriors and as humans who have gone through many struggles. 

The way these characters are depicted is well-rounded and full of respect. This is one of the reasons why Claymore is loved by fans of all kinds.

There’s barely a hint of sexualization and objectification of these female warriors. Even their uniforms are well thought out, in spite of showing every shape of the character’s bodies.

The way the Claymore uniform is designed focuses more on agility and mobility than anything else. While I’m all up for cladding female warriors with full armor rather than bikini-type outfits during battle, that wouldn’t make sense in Claymore. 

Claymore warriors rely on their agility and hyper-regeneration to avoid fatal wounds. This is why the Claymore uniforms are like a jumpsuit covering all parts of the body including the arms and the legs. The only metal armor the Claymores wear are those on the shoulders, waist, and wrists. These spots are vital for wielding their weapon and for agile mobility. 

While their uniforms are tight, they act like a second skin that protects them from any substance that can cause hindrance in each of their fighting styles. 

Also, despite having scenes where some characters are shown nude, these scenes don’t feel sexual at all. They all make sense, especially with those characters who turn into awakened beings. It wouldn’t make sense to still have clothes on in spite of being transformed into giant monsters. So, it’s understandable that we see naked parts. Besides, the mood and the action of the scenes should be enough to get most people’s minds out the gutter while watching the naked ladies fighting! 

The author made sure that the Claymore characters are given the respect they deserve. It shows very well in the workmanship of the art that Claymore portrays. I believe this is something truly worth commending. 

Claymore Fan Service in Conclusion

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Claymore uses well-rounded art that shows a level of respect to its female characters. It doesn’t intentionally objectify the characters as a target of sexual affection. 

While Claymore doesn’t have the fan service that otakus commonly look for, it has plenty of other parts that can be considered as “fan service” in their own areas. After all, these things that make Claymore such a great anime and manga are made solely for the fans. In a way, Claymore serves as a ready-made offering of fan service to not just the world of Otaku, but to the world more generally.

Contributor

Article by John Salinas.

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