[Jap-Manga] Claymore Statistics, Power Levels, and Theories

[chibamonster]

Even Raki had to do something redeeming to earn a place in the story; like help Clare partially awaken (and cook delicious BBQ southern cuisine). Once he had achieved his role the mangaka got rid of him until he could reintroduce him in a way that would make a difference. In his absence he gave Clare some motivation to survive and search for him but now that he is back he has a fairly important role of twisting Clare's goals around by being with Priscilla. Being a pacifier for the most powerful creature in the world might turn to be fairly useful.

As of yet Clarice hasn't done much to stake her claim on the story. She reported that there may have been survivors from the North but that hasn't done much yet. Although I think Helen, Deneve, and Miria knowing Clarice even though she doesn't know them will probably play a role in the future. She does owe her life to them even if she doesn't know it.

[Claymore_Obsessed]

Originally Posted by Zsych

As for the chapter turn out rate... I really wish that the Claymore mangaka would just hire more assistants and turn out 20 page chapters weekly. Its not like the story writer has to do the drawing himself(look at Stan Lee)

I'm inclined to disagree with that.
I'm happy to wait a few months as long as Yagi-sensei continues providing us with marvelous story & art ^^
If he were to draw 20 pages a week of fillers/bad drawings/boring stuff I would be really disappointed...

Imho, assistants are here to help the mangaka with scenery etc, not to fully take his/her place.
American comics is a different approach, there are characters from the 60s who have changed appearence, storyline etc etc a zillion times in a zillion parallel universes.
I don't want our Claymores to have different faces every week or so

[Anima]

Originally Posted by Claymore_Obsessed

I'm inclined to disagree with that.
I'm happy to wait a few months as long as Yagi-sensei continues providing us with marvelous story & art ^^
If he were to draw 20 pages a week of fillers/bad drawings/boring stuff I would be really disappointed...

Imho, assistants are here to help the mangaka with scenery etc, not to fully take his/her place.
American comics is a different approach, there are characters from the 60s who have changed appearence, storyline etc etc a zillion times in a zillion parallel universes.
I don't want our Claymores to have different faces every week or so

Why do you think that assistants will be used to aid story-wise? Yagi gives them the events, they draw them. That's all. It's not like he will let them work on fillers while he continues his story normally and that's what Zsych wrote: "Its not like the story writer has to do the drawing himself"

if Claymore ever made it to become a weekly manga, this means we will see the end of this story by only having to wait less than 50% of the time we are supposed to wait currently. :3

I'd even love to have it released bi-weekly since we usually have around 30-40 pages which can be split into 2 parts. Although recently the number of pages is getting fewer :x

[stormy001_M1A2]

No way, I want artistic quality from the man himself not some 2nd hand assistant stuff. If it is monthly, it has to be good since it is done with passion and care, no need to go into the crass commercial weekly crap like Naruto.

Patience is best when comes to good stuff that is meant to be like a fine wine, not fatty fast food burger.

[Claymore_Obsessed]

Originally Posted by Anima

Why do you think that assistants will be used to aid story-wise? Yagi gives them the events, they draw them. That's all. It's not like he will let them work on fillers while he continues his story normally and that's what Zsych wrote: "Its not like the story writer has to do the drawing himself"

Well, imho a chapter a week is really demanding... to keep that rythm with a great plot he should have already planned it in full detail until the end at tankobon 25 (? don't remember the exact number).

Of course it's just my speculation, but I guess he has a general plot idea, but he needs to take his time and consider plot twists, character development and/or death, and how will be accepted by the readers...
consider how Claymore plot has developed from the beginning... imho he thought of all that great stuff little by little, he didn't have all clear right from the start.

If he runs out of ideas, to keep that rythm he would probably have fillers made by assistants while he thinks of new ideas, with an obvious quality drop...

As for the drawings... of course I don't demand that every mangaka has to draw everything by himself like Kentaro Miura, but I think drawings made (mainly) by the sensei are a great thing.
Getting the assistants to draw totally in place of the sensei would be wrong, imho.

[Anima]

I don't have the least of doubt that Yagi already knows how his story will finish since he decided the number of volumes/chapter to be released. Indeed some of the details might change over time but I am sure a broad idea of what will happen and even intermediate details are already planned and set.

Harry Potter's plot was in the planning process for about 3 years, IIRC, before the author even started writing the books! Indeed she admitted that she has killed few more characters on the go but the major outline is there. Given that we have already seen the quality of Yagi's story in Claymore I am sure he has given it some long time of thinking before he even started.

I didn't say that Yagi should stop drawing altogether but assistants are used to "assist" ;P

Either way, this is going off topic so I had another thing to discuss.

It made me wonder how Irene could tell how powerful Rafaela was given that Rafaela is suppressing her yoki all the time. She even asked why Rafaela was stuck in number 5 and not higher and Irene isn't your sensitive aura detector anyway. So how did she find out?

[chibamonster]

Anima, you know that when we get off topic we are supposed to rant and rave in the monthly thread . (I think off topic a little bit is fine as long as there are new posts. Nothing is worse than nothing.)

Irene was a pimp daddy at analyzing things. She also figured out Priscilla's power as well somehow when Noel needed to see a street full of dead youma to figure it out. It doesn't seem that Irene gained her information from just youki sensing but from thinking things through very thoroughly and quickly. Maybe Irene could hear Raphaela's sword being squeezed and figured out her strength or something. Really I have no idea. Irene was just too smart.

[Anima]

Originally Posted by chibamonster

Anima, you know that when we get off topic we are supposed to rant and rave in the monthly thread . (I think off topic a little bit is fine as long as there are new posts. Nothing is worse than nothing.)

Oh but NSW is waiting there while holding his moderating stick!
I already got my first warning for posting a manga spoiler (inside SPOILER TAGS) in an anime thread (look at my profile) so I don't want to risk a ban, really

I know going off topic is hardly an "infraction" but I wanna play nice

Originally Posted by chibamonster

Irene was a pimp daddy at analyzing things. She also figured out Priscilla's power as well somehow when Noel needed to see a street full of dead youma to figure it out. It doesn't seem that Irene gained her information from just youki sensing but from thinking things through very thoroughly and quickly. Maybe Irene could hear Raphaela's sword being squeezed and figured out her strength or something. Really I have no idea. Irene was just too smart.

That had me laughing.
But as for knowing about Priscilla, Irene did say that she saw her fighting so it wasn't just by rumors spreading. And I think what impressed Noel and Sophia mainly was that they couldn't sense any yoki from that fight altho it was very near. seeing the yoma chopped into small pieces in that small allay was a secondary factor IMO since they agreed that taking care of the whole town by one of them was possible.

P.S. Where is your colored Teresa avatar?

[chibamonster]

Oh, I got one of those infractions too. Someone asked a question (probably in the wrong thread) and I answered it and then BAM half the page was deleted and warnings everywhere.

I presume that Irene came from a family of traveling gypsies (Like Teresa) and learned to read people's power by palmastry or crystal ball. She's a fortune teller. It kind of explains her clothes.

As for my avatar, I kept getting confused at which avatar was mine, which was yours and which was Valduran's so I thought I would make it easier on myself. I have the same issue with first person shooters, I can't use my peripheral vision to tell if I fragged someone unless my name stays the same and taking my eyes off the center of the screen means less time for pwnage.

[Twisted Reality]

Originally Posted by Anima

Why do you think that assistants will be used to aid story-wise? Yagi gives them the events, they draw them. That's all. It's not like he will let them work on fillers while he continues his story normally and that's what Zsych wrote: "Its not like the story writer has to do the drawing himself"

if Claymore ever made it to become a weekly manga, this means we will see the end of this story by only having to wait less than 50% of the time we are supposed to wait currently. :3

I'd even love to have it released bi-weekly since we usually have around 30-40 pages which can be split into 2 parts. Although recently the number of pages is getting fewer :x

I'm under the impression that having "assistants" works best for animation. You still need the creative mastermind to draw the key frames to get a basic sense of the action that he's trying to convey. This is why Japanese studios can occassionally send their key frames out to a Korean studio to finish up. (I suspect this is largely why Claymore looked so awful in animation.)

Manga, or comics, are essentially nothing *but* key frames that you don't even really have to go back and color. Assistants are redundant.

Originally Posted by chibamonster

Anima, you know that when we get off topic we are supposed to rant and rave in the monthly thread . (I think off topic a little bit is fine as long as there are new posts. Nothing is worse than nothing.)

Irene was a pimp daddy at analyzing things. She also figured out Priscilla's power as well somehow when Noel needed to see a street full of dead youma to figure it out. It doesn't seem that Irene gained her information from just youki sensing but from thinking things through very thoroughly and quickly. Maybe Irene could hear Raphaela's sword being squeezed and figured out her strength or something. Really I have no idea. Irene was just too smart.

As for Irene's powers of observation: She's the wise monk upon the mountain, living a life of contemplation and silence. She's what we'd call the "common sense" person, a cautious and pragmatic person by nature. This is pretty much why she's a favorite of mine. Her powers reflect her meditative and focused nature.

Storywise, I'd explain her ability to size-up-people the way you'd size up prize-fighting cock or race horse. Subtle body cues, emotional maturity, overall confidence of body movement, whatever pings off of her Yoki radar, etc. Of course, thinking things through quickly and analytically is one of the things you'd have to develop if having flawless concentration is your shtick.

[Tempest35]

Well, out of everyone out of that time currently, she knew Teresa the best (despite Teresa's hiding of her awesome powah). Her analytical mind was her greatest asset along with her Quicksword technique. And Irene was already close to power to Raphaela in terms of overall power (stats) so if anyone could tell that Raphaela was hiding her true power, it would be Irene. If we look at it this way, the only time she was really fooled was in Teresa's case and that's saying a lot in defense of our dear elven-eared, bondage outfit wearing mistress .

[Zsych]

Teresa was probably levels of awesomeness too high for Irene to even recognize the indicators :P

As for drawing, other people using a drawing style isn't impossible, there are a lot of people who can copy other people's styles(especially when the characters are already defined). Even in American comics, other artists have maintained a previous artist's work when necessary(and moved to their own style later if possible). If Yagi weren't drawing all the time it would give him more time to think about the story.

Regarding the anime... they don't pay animators enough to do a really good job most of the time. I did like the look of some characters like Miria better in the anime version though.

[chibamonster]

I still hold that Teresa had a deep dark secret to hide from the organization. I'm standing on it and no one is changing my mind until the manga says different (or unless someone has some reavelation about the story I completely missed).

Whatever Yagi is doing is obviously working so I wouldn't want to upset his balance too much. He already puts out far more material than most American artists and he does keep a schedule. Not to mention that he writes it himself as well.

[Zsych]

Its the expected 6 years till the story ends that bothers me.
I'm reminded of the annoying 2 year waits between novels in the Wheel of Time series.

Yagi had turned enough material for a 26 ep anime, in the period of 6 years....

Besides, I doubt you can use your complete imagination and do all that you want to do when you can only turn out so much material a month. In a series intended to last 12 years, that ran weekly, stories could be exponentially more complex or details if the writer so desired.

I also think that the lack of material and the slowly moving story due to the month delays, is part of why Claymore doesn't have much more of a presence. I like it more than the likes of Naruto for example, but it really isn't anywhere near as popular... though the anime probably brought in some more viewers(like me :P ) I'm almost amazed really that a comic that I love had actually been around for more than 6 years without me even having heard about it.

[aurr]

It again me with the simple question what co,es up my simple mind.
Would you want to be a Claymore in Claymoreverse? With all the pluses and minuses.

[chibamonster]

I'd awaken. It wouldn't be the danger so much as the job; I'd just get tired of someone else controlling every aspect of my life. As an AB you can do whatever you want and no one tells you anything. Hopefully I'd be powerful enough not to be killed by the organization or smart enough to avoid them all together.

Sure it's cute to have Galatea as a nun, and Teresa with Clare but what if an AB wanted a family? Youma have been smart enough to live in one town and eat in another so hey, it could happen .

[Anima]

Originally Posted by chibamonster

I'd awaken. It wouldn't be the danger so much as the job; I'd just get tired of someone else controlling every aspect of my life. As an AB you can do whatever you want and no one tells you anything. Hopefully I'd be powerful enough not to be killed by the organization or smart enough to avoid them all together.

Sure it's cute to have Galatea as a nun, and Teresa with Clare but what if an AB wanted a family? Youma have been smart enough to live in one town and eat in another so hey, it could happen .

Hah! so chibamonster was really intentional!

Personally, I'd go with the claymore life. Who doesn't want to have a super body with great endurance and even regenerative powers? Walking for days with no sleeping and food is really appealing to me Calling forth powers on demand and having an aura around you is awesome.
Although the idea of immortality makes me shiver. I think immortality is hideous.

But I am glad there others who think the manga should also be given more love

[Zsych]

I'd take being a Claymore.... a male one preferably(I'll manage to handle the Awakening issue), but what the hell, even being a female one would be okay.

... and I for one would appreciate immortality. Endless years to learn and grow(and surpass everyone and everything in existence)

[irvinethearcher]

It's not so easy to surpass your own potential even if you have eternity as an allie.

[Zsych]

Who says my potential is limited?
In any case I'd want personal growth more than physical growth.

btw, are there new stats or some such available for the post 7 years, Clare, Miria, etc.