CLAYMORE 8 魔女の顎門 [CLAYMORE 8: Majo no Agito]

Claymore [クレイモア] #8

by Norihiro Yagi

Clare's battle with the awakened Ophelia ends with a surprising request from Ophelia. Ominous signs begin to emerge as Clare searches for Raki. Not only are the usually solitary Yoma joining forces, they appear to be preparing for battle. More mysteriously, Clare is taken captive by a male Awakened Being and held in a dungeon with other Claymores. Who are her captors, and what do they want?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Horror, Comics, Graphic Novels, Action, Comics Manga

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2005

About the author

Norihiro Yagi (八木教広 Yagi Norihiro) is a Japanese manga writer and artist from Okinawa Prefecture. He started making manga in 1990.

Norihiro Yagi is a successful manga artist, having won the 32nd Akatsuka Award for his very first work, Undeadman. Undeadman appeared in Monthly Shōnen Jump and has had two sequels. Yagi's first serialized manga was his comedy-genre Angel Densetsu, which appeared in Monthly Shōnen Jump from 1992 to 2000. His most recent work, Claymore, has been running in the magazine since 2001.

Reviews

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think we're finally getting closer to the place where the series ended. I'm so intrigued. Too bad I need sleep.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an epic volume. As Clare defeats Ophelia and goes forward she is looking for Rika and she has to disguise herself. Meanwhile in the Claymore organization things are not well after these revelations. She arrives in the town of Zakol but when she sees her sister being targeted by some monsters she has to go and save them and then enter Galatea. And we learn of Creatures of the Abyss and Riful of the west and all the tales and mysteries and legends and the big fight starts now! Great motivation for Clare now.

This volume is becoming more epic as there are so many revelations here and new enemies and powerful ones at that and increasing Clare's motivation and I am loving how the author is harping on that fact and unleashing mysteries slowly and increasing curiosity. The design of the villains are impressive again and different too. Plus showing how the 3 creatures are building their own armies hint at big things to come in the future. Great chapter again.

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ Re-read in 2023. ]

3.5/5
Clare finally kills Ophelia with the help of Ilena’s right arm and her great skill: Quick sword. Later on, Clare disguises herself as a young man so she can look for Raki, but months go by without knowing a word from him, that is until she comes into a place where apparently, 4 Claymores are staying in order to kill an Awakened.

Unfortunately, they get captured by the powerful monster and even though she has the lowest rank of them all, she provides the help they need.

Now, in this volume we find out that the yoma are somehow working together, as if they were an army. Truth is, there are 3 powerful Awakened who were previously ranked #1: two females (Riful and Priscilla) and a male (whose name remains unknown).

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4 | Volume 5 | Volume 6 | Volume 7

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claymore 8

Interesante, con un Yokai especial “Engendro del Abismo”
Lo que si eso de que a Claire con ese rostro la confunden con un hombre, no se lo cree nadie.

SPOILERS


Buen combate con Ophelia Rencaida, para aprender a usar el nuevo brazo.
Como ya dije, lo de la llegada al pueblo y que todo mundo cree que Claire es hombre, de pena ajena.
Y el final cuando intenta rescatar, y aparece Galatea, buena pelea con el Yokai baron, y lo que les dice la chica Yokai, una antigua no1 renacida. Esto empieza a ponerse interesante.


4.4 stars

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seem like I just repeat myself but this series is really good! Awesome! And in this issue we get to learn a bit more about the organization and the awakened. Love it!

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly just action scenes in this volume with some interesting discoveries about a war brewing between the three most powerful creatures in the land.

And I prefer the action scenes in the animated version. I find it difficult to keep track of who's hitting who and where in the manga. Also, every Claymore has her own special power and it really comes to life in the anime.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 In volume 8 we have Clare finishing her fight with Ophelia. Then while looking to regroup with Raki she comes upon another group of Claymore's hunting another Awakened Being. As usual things go to shit and Clare winds up trying to help them.

We are then introduced to Riful and we are told of the Creature's of the Abyss the strongest of the Yoma ranks of which there are 3 Riful is one of them. She travels with Dauf a giant humanoid yoma as well.

Another fast paced over before you know it volume with some good action.

Clare and Dauf on the cover of volume 8.

Read 8/8/2022

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claymore is a manga about Yoma who pretend to be human in order to kill and eat the humans. The Claymore are the hybrid of the two stronger faster but still human with the ability to slay the Yoma which they do for a price. They travel from village to village slaying Yoma with nothing but the sword on their back using the Yoma abilities but slowly turning into a monster that they hunt. When the time comes a Claymore will send a black card to another claymore to be slain before the Yoma takes over and so they die as a human.

In the eighth installment Clare has come up against Ophelia again this time as an awakened being but with Ilena’s quick blade arm she has what it takes to defeat her. She learns that Ophelia also hunts for the one who destroyed her family the single horn Awakened who killed Teresa. After slaying Ophelia Clare begins her search for Raki encountering a powerful Yoma along the way when she attempts to save her fellow claymores. Little did she know when she entered the cave that she would be encountering one of the most powerful Awakened in the area an Abyssal. With the help of her fellow Claymore's they may just survive the encounter and figure out why the Awakened are teaming up.

I like Clare she’s a sword carrying slayer who isn’t afraid to die charging in risking her life. She may not survive every encounter but that doesn’t stop her from doing what has to be done protecting the humans. While most Claymore’s wouldn’t allow Raki to tag along she accepts him and maybe it’s partly because they are kindred but he needs her and she him to keep her humanity. I find Clare to be an intriguing character and can’t wait to see more about her back story as well as what’s going to happen next. We are given a little back story on Clare which introduces us to Teresa a Claymore whose life was changed by Clare.

I’ve seen all of the episodes on Netflix a few years ago actually binge watched them over a long weekend. I love the concept for the Claymore the hybrids created using parts from the monsters that they have been created to fight. While I am familiar with the story it’s interesting to see it play out as I read it. The art is great it gives me just enough to create the story in my head as I read each detailed page. This is only my 2nd manga so I don’t have a lot to go on but so far I’m super exited to read the series. Claymore is a fast paced loaded with action series that is captivating right from the start hard to put down till the last page. Can’t wait to start the next one in the series they just keep getting better. I feel like a voracious Reader because I can’t get enough.

[Dorin Lazăr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's nice to see that Clare is not wiping everything in her way, and she continues to be powerful, yet fragile.

Second reading: still strong story telling, but it feels like the stakes became global too fast. There's an escalation that wasn't necessary, and I think that there's many ways this could've been kept interesting without going that high, that fast.

It feels like the creators stop having patience with the story, and it starts to show. But there's still an interesting story, with Clare looking for Raki and ending up again with the Organization. Galatea comes to rescue? sequester? Clare. And while I complain about escalation too fast, I think that the image of Jean being torture will stick with me for a bit of time.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy these, but they're mostly just okay. This one took an intriguing direction.

[~ Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le cose cominciano a farsi seriamente interessanti.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

End of the Ophelia arc and the beginning of another good one.

World: The art is just stunning, the detail is fantastic. The world building is okay, there are bits and pieces that we get which is new but there is still a lack of a fully fleshed out idea of the powers and the organization, but it's fine, I don't think we're ever gonna get it.

Story: The story is unrelenting in it's pace and it's a ride for sure. The emotions are strong but basic but it's still pretty good. The end of the Ophelia arc was well done and that battle...wow. The next arc with the mysterious organization is interesting but nothing concrete on who they are yet but the fights are amazing and the idea of the three original is interesting.

Characters: Clare is well done and it's interesting her interaction with the other Claymores. The new characters are good also with ties to the past and the world building as a whole, it's solid.

A solid read.

Onward to the next book!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this volume was epic! The story is getting really meaty now, and I love the world building and new revelations here. Dauf is super interesting, with his look and powers reminding me of something out of Vampire Hunter D, and his partner in crime, an ancient evil that looks like a 10 year old, is devilishly cute and spunky. And too bad one of the Claymore's that awakens here doesn't last very long, talk about an awesome character design! Oh, and Galatea just exudes cool. Yeah, this volume was simply awesome, probably my favorite thus far.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Ay! Este tomo me gustó mucho más que los anteriores, aunque sigue sin enteramente enamorarme el estilo ni el dibujo, la historia si me mantiene expectante.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange games.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

[Odo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

[MarinaLawliett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wo wo wo wo wo... Let's pump it up!

[nina♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super smash Galatea

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[matty! · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY GOD. Jean....the woman you are....

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ilena es muy genial, lástima que salió tan poco, pero se agradece el regalo que le hace a Clare. Me gusta que poco a poco ella va aprendiendo técnicas que de seguro le serán útiles cuando enfrente a Priscilla.

Que resulta y acontece que hay tres grandes Awakened, cada uno en un lugar específico y gracias al poder del guion Clare y Galatea se encuentran con la primera Awakened mujer, la más joven, la más talentosa. Wow.

Además, acá dejan más en claro por qué Clare tiene el lugar que tiene y por qué la Organización tiene el ojo en ella a pesar de que, en esencia, es débil.

Por otro lado, Clare y Raki se separaron hace unos meses, espero que esté bien, entrenando o algo.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eighth volume in the Claymore manga series. This continues to be a really excellent series, full of action and the mysteries behind the Claymore organization.

This book wraps up the epic battle that started between Clare and Ophelia in the last book. Things end up being different then you would expect, as Ophelia has an interesting request for Clare. Clare thens goes undercover from the Organization in an attempt to find Raki. However, while Clare is searching for Raki she stumbles upon a sorely injured Claymore who begs Clare to help her friends. Clare ends up captured, along with two other Claymore, by a truly terrifying young girl who has plans for the Claymore.

Clare’s battle with Ophelia was pretty darn awesome. In the end you actually begin to feel some sympathy for the treacherous Ophelia.

Clare then begins a desperate search for Raki in the nearby town. This starts a whole new storyline when Clare meets a Claymore that is near death. Clare goes to face off with this new Awakened threat and meets a little girl who is trying to form an army of Awakened Beings.

As with all the previous books the illustration is really well done and easy to follow. The story line is progressing wonderfully. It’s full of tons of action and we meet some interesting new characters.

Overall another wonderful installment in this series. I continue to really really enjoy this series. I highly recommend this manga series to all fans of dark fantasy manga, it is a very engaging read and really well done.

[machinaheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four to five stars for Claymore in general because ... SO MUCH! I guess individual volumes range from three to five, but at the moment I can't properly rate them individually because I ploughed through the manga re-reading a lot and just inhaling the newer volumes. I couldn't stop.
Super intriguing dystopia, mysteries over mysteries without getting less interesting, extremely creative body horror (ranging from beautifully other to horribly disgusting), carving your own path (sometimes, most often, with a sword) and meaningful personal relationships that do not centre around romance at all. Oh, yeah, and 95% of the characters are female.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aparecen puntas de lo que puede ser la trama general, ya no son más batallas aisladas si no que plantean un mapa con tres dominantes y una de las partes que opta por expandir sus territorios. El dibujo ya a años luz de los primeros tomos, como si ahora le dedicara el triple de tiempo en dibujarlo.
Las páginas ya no se ven vacías y cada detalle es exquisito.
La crítica que observo es la similitud entre las Claymore que apenas se diferencian por el peinado.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

One more chapter finishing off Ophelia.

Clare now has the powers of Teresa and Ilena, so, as expected, the fight is no challenge for her. However, we do get some backstory/redemption for Ophelia, who briefly reverts to her human state and enters the afterlife at peace. (A similar thing usually happens in demon slayer after Tanjiro slays a demon)

A brief viewpoint from the organization. 4 months later, they’re still hunting for Clare, and have dispatched an elite claymore but we don’t know who.

Back to Clare. She is searching for Raki and finally seems to have a lead. But a half-dead claymore wanders in, begging for help, and Clare heads out to try to save her comrades.

A villain viewpoint, in some kind of dungeon. A little girl on a chair is directing the torture of two shackled claymores. A third is dead in the corner. The girl is attempting to get them to awaken and is searching for powerful claymores to make better warriors.

This is a brilliant bit of world building which escalates the tension. And it makes perfect sense that awakened ones would do this.

Clare makes her way there, obliterating some low level yoma before encountering a powerful awakened being, the torturer and consort of the girl, Riful. Clare duels him in a tunnel and ends up on the brink of death.

She is rescued by Galatea, the 3rd ranked Claymore who is especially good as sensing auras. She is the one who has been tracking Clare, but it seems she may not be totally loyal to the organization. In any case, she saves Clare.

The battle is far from over. And the real enemy is Riful, one of three immensely powerful awakened beings called abyssal ones, all former number ones. Riful explains a lot of backstory here, most notably the appearance of a powerful new awakened one who has upset the balance of power and teamed up with the male abyssal who rules the north. This is why Riful is raising an army.

This new player is Priscilla. Clare recognizes her by her habit of leaving female children unscathed when she attacks, as if she cannot see them. The same way she ignored Clare so many years ago after the deaths of Teresa and the other claymores.

The volume ends with Clare swearing vengeance, even as she and Galatea are still locked in their battle against Riful and her unnamed subordinate.

The writing is focused and brilliant, always building methodically and escalating conflict. Very easy to follow and the established elements are used to their maximum potential.

The combat scenes are clear, dynamic, and have plenty of space to breathe. These are some of the best drawn battle scenes in manga, along with one punch man and berserk.

The backgrounds are also exceptional — locations are clean and simple, but highly evocative. The forest lake where Clare ends Ophelia and Riful’s dungeon are standouts.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previous volumes have started to show different Claymores and explore the structure of their mysterious Organization more. This volume starts to turn that towards questions around the Yoma and whether they have anything more to them than what we've seen. The volume starts by finishing off Clare's battle with the awakened Ophelia, before moving on to her hunting for Raki. She's pulled away from this by a group of Claymores hunting an Awakened Being who get in trouble. It turns out there's a male and female Awakened Being working together, along with some Yoma exhibiting actual tactics. Over the course of the story, it turns out that there are three incredibly powerful Awakened Beings, each born from a 1st ranked Claymore, that are preparing to go to war with each other. Since the threat for the past few volumes has mostly come from the Organization, it's nice to pivot back into the Yoma and see how scary they can be when working together.

The volume also continues to do interesting things with Yoma powers. Clare is still working to adjust to her new arm and gain mastery of the Quick Sword technique, but the really cool idea comes with the reintroduction of Claymore #3, Galatea. She showed up a few volumes ago using a longer range version of Clare's ability to sense the flow of Yoma energy, but now it's revealed that she can actually make her aura resonate with somebody else's aura and use that to nudge the flow of energy just enough to cause an opponent's attack to miss. It's cool seeing the series continue to come up with new ways for Claymores to use their monster halves, as just having super speed and super strength was clearly getting old pretty quickly. The volume ends on a high note, with Clare having a strong lead to finding Priscilla and vowing once again to kill her. Interestingly, this volume actually ends where the named story arc ends, though I'm sure the next one will start pretty much immediately from where The Witch's Maw ends. I'm continuing to enjoy this series as it starts to flesh out the world and characters more, and I'm excited to see where things go next.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's post is on Claymore volume 8: The Witch's Maw by Norihiro Yagi. It is the eighth in the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first seven volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare looking up at some unseen monster as it leaps upon her. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.



From the back of the book- Clare's battle with the awakened Ophelia ends with a surprising request from Ophelia. Ominous signs begin to emerge as Clare searches for Raki. Not only are the usually solitary Yoma joining forces, they appear to be preparing for battle. More mysteriously, Clare is taken captive by a male Awakened Being and held in a dungeon with other Claymores. Who are her captors, and what do they want?



Review- Most of this volume is Clare getting pulled into a battle with a mysterious monster that is killing other Claymores but it does start with her battle with Ophelia. Her final battle with Ophelia is interesting because it make Ophelia more human than she had been when she was a Claymore. She does not want to live as an Awakened Being but she is not going to just die, Ophelia wants Clare to prove that Clare as what it will take to get to Priscilla and kill the One Horned Monster. The rest of the manga is a big mystery about what is going on with the Awakened Being who is trying to make Claymore become Awakened Beings. I like where the series is going with more Claymores and Clare interacted and growing in character and power. A solid volume that promises more of all the things I am enjoying in this series.



I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
Finally, finally, Finally this series is starting to build into something decent. It's only taken 8 volumes to build into a story where the world building characters and lore are fleshed out to a degree befitting of a series of this size and scope. Still far from perfect, although in the past, I was reading each issue, pushing through with little interest in what was occurring. This volume was the first to have me sitting up and paying attention on multiple occasions. Whether that was at the art, which has bene continually improving and is now at a consistently high standard. The story, where interesting lore and a reasonable amount of dialogue has coalesced into something at least mildly engrossing, or the monsters, which are some of the most original and jaw dropping looking creatures I've seen in quite some time. Reading on standard paper and tonkabon size is certainly not the way I would like to be reading this art, although these types of complaints are getting fewer, and the smiles this series is offering is starting to grow. I'm grateful we are now actually getting somewhere. If it continues to build upon this solid foundation from here on out, then I'll stop reading this just to push through it, and will really start to fall for this series. 3.5/5


OmniBen.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though she had the upper hand, Clare's new Quicksword ability uses up too much of her Yoma power. Ophelia regains the advantage, but also surprises herself when she gives Clare the way to victory. Meanwhile she remembers her brother's death. She has always found his sacrifice annoying and senseless, but in her final moments she understands that he did everything to keep her safe.

While searching for Raki, Clare finds a squad of Claymores hunting an Awakened One. They are defeated and captured alive. One of them escapes and begs Clare with her last breath to save her comrades. The captured Claymores are tortured into Awakening, but then are killed by their torturer named Dauf for not being strong enough.

Clare tries to free her comrades, but Dauf is too strong for her. Galatea joins the fight on Clare's side. Her fight with Dauf is one-sided thanks to her ability to manipulate all her opponent's attacks. That is until Dauf's partner arrives, Riful of the West, one of the three most powerful Awakened Ones. They are building armies for a coming major conflict. Galatea and Clare are invited to join.