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Old 2007-08-16, 16:25   Link #11
xVxObliVioNxVx
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Orlando, FL.
Age: 38
You made some great points there PGilis! But allow me to further clarify how much developed Raki is.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twisted Reality View Post
Even minor Claymore characters get way more development. The author lavishes so much attention on each Claymore. He even sometimes even goes lengths emphasizing how their "special ability" is result of their personality and attitudes. Theresa achieves a catharsis. Irene achieves a catharsis. Ophelia was around for one episode and achieved a resolution in conflict. Priscilla winds up driving the conflict of both the Theresa arc and creates more conflict as one of Clare's antagonists.

Raki is just cook who isn't really all that able to defend Clare that well. He never had to doubt why he's protecting Clare, so we never get to see his motivations in-depth. And there's no conflict so far that I've seen that really forces him to grow. And if the author really wanted to go into detail about Raki, he'd spend more time focusing on the human world instead of the Claymore one.
I have to respectfully disagree. Allow me to point out how Raki has been developing through out the anime:

Ep. 1
- Raki starts off as an ignorant character. He pretty much knows nothing of the world outside his village and much less of Claymores.
- We learn of his past, of how his family was murdered by a Yoma. And we learn of his current occupation, a cook.
- We learn that Raki is fearless during his confrontation with a Claymore and during his confrontation with the Yoma.
- However, we learn that he is weak minded, considering the mental break down he went through right after Clare killed his brother in a rather monsterous state, and the even larger mental break down he went through when witnessing his parents being eaten by a Yoma.
- His ignorants of the world outside his village is further shown as he fails survive on his own after being thrown out of the village.
- Lastly, we witness his attachment to Clare. He has lost everything, and the only thing left is this Claymore, the only person in the world that gives a damn about him, hence why he calls her sister, and fallows her like a little brother would fallow an older sister.

Ep. 2
- In this episode Raki learns more about Claymores, and becomes one of the few humans who can accept what Claymores are: half monsters.
- We further witness how Raki is emotionally a weak minded person, when he breaks down and cries after Clare kills her best friend.

Ep. 3
- In this episode, we witness for the first time Raki's desire to protect Clare. When the soldier started talking smack about Clare, he punched him in the face, despite knowing that the guy was stronger them.
- Clare is only thing he has left, the only person who cares for him, hence why he has a desire to protect her, and why he cared for her so much when she was at brink of dying.

Ep. 4
- In this episode we witness how he was willing to die with Clare. When Clare asked to be killed for going over her limit, Raki threw himself onto her and was willing to die along with Clare. From this we see that Raki has NOTHING worth living for but for Clare.
- Lastly we learn about Raki's purpose in life. At the end of the episode, Raki decides that he wants to become stronger inorder to protect Clare. Clare is the only thing he has left, the only thing worth living for. Teresa had a similar purpose, which was to live for Clare, as PGilis pointed out. Now Raki has taken her place and is the one who is living for Clare.

Ep. 9-11
- Through out this episode we witness Raki's continously worried about Clare. Nothing is on his mind, but Clare. All he does is look at the montain Clare went to. Then at the end we witness him being overjoyed as Clare returns and runs straight to her.

Ep. 12
- Once again we witness Raki protecting Clare. Only this time, he witness that he is willing to jump into a blazing fire for her.
- Furthermore, we once again witness that Raki is fearless in the face of a dangerous Claymore, and a monsterous Awakened being. He fights to his lest breath. He may be weak minded, but he has a strong heart.

Ep. 19
- Here we finally witness Raki further developing. At first he was ignorant and weak. But the fact that he is capable of surviving on his own in the north shows just how strong he has become and how much he knows of the world around him.
- In fact, he has grown so strong, that he managed to save a girl, and in a way becomming more of a adventures hero, then simple little village cook.

None of the characters in Claymore show this much development with the exception of Clare. We witness his purpose in life, his desires, his strengths, his weaknesses, his concerns, his knowledge, and his past. And on top of that we witness how he is growing through out the anime. Not even Miria gets that much development, which is the 3rd most developed character in the anime right now. In this episode we witness that Miria has grown much stronger, but we never see how she has grown. But we do see how Clare and Raki grow stronger. We don't even witnessed Miria's purpose in life, nor her past, nor her desires. We witness her strengths, her weakness, her knowlegde, but that is about it. Compared to Raki, she is very much underdeveloped, and the other characters even more so.
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