With live-action anime adaptations slowly becoming more popular, one of the best and bloodiest Shonen Jump series is being given the live-action treatment, with a beloved actor and bona fide manga fan developing the series. The manga in question is none other than Norihiro Yagi’s seminal Claymore. While many popular manga and anime are adapted into live-action movies, fans are getting a whole lot more of Yagi’s hyper-violent dark fantasy world, as Claymore is getting its own TV series.
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Claymore was first published in Shueisha’s Monthly Shonen Jump in 2001 and ran in the magazine until 2007, before moving to Jump Square until its completion in 2014. MyAnimeList describes the series, “When a shapeshifting demon with a thirst for human flesh, known as ‘youma,’ arrives in Raki’s village, a lone woman with silver eyes walks into town with only a sword upon her back. She is a ‘Claymore,’ a being manufactured as half-human and half-youma, for the express purpose of exterminating these monsters. After Raki’s family is killed, the Claymore saves his life, but he is subsequently banished from his home. With nowhere else to go, Raki finds the Claymore, known as Clare, and decides to follow her on her journeys.”
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Claymore Gets a Live-Action TV Adaptation
The news comes via Deadline, which revealed a lot of details about Claymore‘s new TV adaptation. Heroes star, Masi Oka, is the aforementioned manga fan who is developing and executive producing the new series. Oka previously co-produced Netflix’s live-action Death Note movie. The series is being produced by CBS Studios and Propagate Content, in partnership with Shueisha. While the series has found its executive producers, which include Ben Silberman, Howard T. Owens, and Rodney Ferrell, Claymore is currently searching for a writer.
Claymore already received an anime adaptation in 2007. The anime, produced by Madhouse, has a devoted fan base, although most agree that it doesn’t live up to the quality of Norihiro Yagi’s manga. Claymore‘s anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Claymore‘s Live-Action Adaptation Will “Preserve” The Essence of the Manga
Every manga fan knows the pain of their favorite series being distorted and changed when being adapted into an anime or, even more so, into a live-action movie or show. While CBS will undoubtedly make some changes to Yagi’s manga, the report suggests that Masi Oka aims to “preserve the action and complex moral dilemmas of the original manga and the anime TV series.”
No release date for Claymore‘s live-action adaptation has been announced yet. Given that the show is still in early development and has yet to land a writer, it will likely be some time before the show is given a release window.
H/T: Deadline
