I feel like I should have written this review a long, long time ago because Claymore is my favorite manga of all time. I keep coming across amazing titles and there are some I consider outstanding masterpieces, but this manga will always be important and special to me no matter what. It doesn't mean other titles cannot stand a chance against it, I just love it very much.

The first volume of Claymore was one of my few spontaneous purchases. It didn't look like something I could find interesting, I was approximately 12 or 13 at the time, kind of a weaboo that was just starting to understand the value of certain titles... but I bought it, driven by what I could describe as my own intuition that was telling me I'd regret it if I put it back. Needless to say, my intuition was right.

Story: 10/10.
Claymore is just as dark and angsty as it should be without being a heavy story to comprehend. There are three major sides in this story: humans, Yoma (monsters that feed on human flesh and blood) and Claymores, half-human, half-Yoma warriors that are created and trained to eliminate those dangerous creatures. Yet they are not seen as some knights in shining armor, neither they are knights. It's their job and they do it well, asking for nothing in return. And the more you learn about this world, the more you start to wonder if you were right about nice guys and villains or if there's more to it than it seems to be.

Art: 8/10.
Norihiro Yagi's art style is rather peculiar and it's not for everyone. Given that this manga has been published for 13 years, improvement is to be expected. I like the semi-realistic style of Claymore and how well it fits the nature of the story, creating a fitting atmosphere. Yagi is very good at coming up with very interesting and grotesque designs for Awakened beings (Claymores that crossed their power limit), capable of creating terrifying creatures, creatures that most definitely will scare you.

Characters: 9/10.
Poor Raki, everyone seems to hate him for no real reason at all. I like this guy. I like him because he knows exactly what he has gotten himself into, he's loyal, determined and his growth as a character is very impressive. Small spoiler here, please excuse me: he grows up and turns into a handsome, strong young man who is fully capable of standing up for himself, so there is absolutely no need to hate on this particular character. If he went through zero character development, I wouldn't bother paying so much attention to him, but I will always defend this guy because he is an example of a well-written character.
Clare, the protagonist of the Claymores' side, might seem like a cold and emotionless, somewhat boring woman at first. But she is the character you are going to stick with for most of the manga, you see how much she changes as she meets new people, makes friends (as trivial as it sounds, friendship is one of the most important themes in shounen after all) and demonstrates many different sides of her personality.
I'd love to talk about every single character and their role in the story, but it will take forever. What I love about Claymore is how different the characters are, they have different personalities, their own flaws and problems and even villains are not just evil for no particular reason at all (several examples: Ophelia, Riful and Isley).

Enjoyment: 10/10.
It's my favorite manga for a reason. It is very easy to read, it is intriguing, entertaining and epic. Each arc brings you closer to answers to your questions and reveals secrets and details you might have not even thought about. I love how realistic and grotesque at the same time this manga is. I dropped the anime somewhere in the middle because I had to catch up with the manga, so I cannot say anything about the adaptation, but if I could, I'd add a few extra points for the soundtrack as well. It's outstanding, don't forget to listen to it when you read the manga.

If I were you, I would try to avoid comparing Claymore to Berserk. Berserk is darker and heavier and there's really no story that could stand on the same level, at least in the dark fantasy segment. Claymore is amazing the way it is and deserves to be more popular.