Claymore (Collector’s Edition Blu-ray) Unboxing Redux

Back in December 2017, I finally had the opportunity to receive this old anime series from the Anime Limited 12 Days of Christmas sale and as a Christmas present. Here’s an unboxing redux look at Anime Limited & Funimation UK’s now out of print release of Claymore.

Claymore is a 2007 television anime series from studio Madhouse and directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka. The anime is based on the Weekly Shonen Jump manga series of the same name written by Norihiro Yagi.

The series has often been compared by fans of anime and manga to the iconic Berserk franchise and I can see why. Claymore is a dark fantasy series with a female protagonist and the concept is pretty good. The anime does fall under the unfortunate category of anime-original endings due to catching up to the original source material, but for the content that was canon, it was really good.

Claymore is one of the many titles Manga Entertainment used to distribute as part of their sub-licensing partnership with Funimation. When Funimation decided to team up with Anime Limited the partnership with Manga eventually concluded and a majority of the titles went out of print including Claymore. Anime Limited rescued the series and released it as a Blu-ray only title. This is also one of the few Funimation titles to be upscaled in-house rather than handled by Japan and the results are doable but not the greatest.

Before the UK & Ireland license had expired (again), Anime Limited offered a really nice collector’s edition set for the whole series. Funimation released the series in its classic two slim Blu-ray cases in a cardboard box and a booklet before it moved into the Essentials Blu-ray range. While the license is technically filed under Funimation UK, the packaging is with Anime Limited so you could argue it’s more of an Anime Limited title than Funimation UK.

Claymore from Anime Limited contains episodes 1-26 across 3 Blu-ray discs using the Funimation master in this collector’s edition set. The audio options include both the Funimation English dub and the original Japanese with English subtitles. The disc is region compatible for A & B and the white subtitles are unlockable during playback. Due to the age of the production, the presentation is at 4:3 with black bars.

The collector’s edition Blu-ray is out of print, but the Region A & B Funimation release is available to order through Amazon US.

Blu-ray Specs:

Languages: English, Japanese
Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0
Video: 1080i Standard Definition Remaster/Upscaled format with 16:9 ratio
Region: A B
Subtitles: English
Locked Subtitles: No
Discs: 3

Plot Synopsis (via Anime Limited & Funimation UK):

“A brutal scourge stalks the land. Yoma, monsters driven by a hunger satisfied by only one quarry – Humanity. The dark breed knows but a singular foe: Claymore. Human-Yoma hybrids of extraordinary strength and cunning, the Claymores roam from skirmish to skirmish delivering salvation by the edge of a blade.

Thus begins the twisting tale of Clare, one such sister of the sword driven by pain in both victory and defeat. A child silent and suffering hidden in her past, Clare’s march toward vengeance unfolds along a path marked by violence, solitude and scorn. In a land where even the predator is prey, the haunted hearts of hunter and hunted alike wear the scars of the age.”

Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:

English Dub Commentary for Episodes 1, 8, 11, 16, 19 & 26
Cast Auditions
Interview with Director Hiroyuki Tanaka
Interview with Sound Director Yasunori Honda
Interview with Art Director Manabu Otsuzuki (Kusanagi)
Interview with Art Settings Nobuhito Sue (Kusanagi)
Original TV Commercials
Textless Opening Song
Textless Closing Song
Funimation Trailers

Collector’s Edition Extras:

Rigid Box with Clean artwork, Title on Spine, Digipack for Discs, Info on Paper Sheet
100-page Booklet
4 Artcards

Claymore was licensed for home video by Anime Limited & Funimation UK. As of 2019, the license has reverted back to Funimation with no word on a re-release in the UK & Ireland.