I only know of Claymore from watching some episodes of the anime with my offspring - but that "feelings under the surface" thing you mention definitely came across even in the little but I saw.
My two recs to add to your "C" are very very different.
Ayane Yamano's Crimson Spell is, by definition, a fairly hard yaoi manga ... but it's not exactly what most might expect. Set in a lush fantasy setting, for one, it's the story of Prince Valdrigr, who, after taking up a magical sword to defend his kingdom from a demon army finds himself cursed to turn into a demon at night. ~ Seeking to have the curse broken, he goes to Halvir, a reclusive, somewhat mercenary magician. ~ Halvir soon discovers that the demon - like the prince in appearance, except for fangs and tribal tattoos -- can be "calmed" in a certain way. A way that the Prince has no memory of in the morning. (grins). ~ Yes, the story - 6 volumes and ongoing - has sex, but is mostly action-adventure-romance, as Halvir and the Prince slowly traverse the kingdom as well as a rocky road to love. ~ Aside from the gorgeous, gorgeous art, this title has humor and a refreshing lack of the usual cold seme/weepy uke trope found in so many yaoi titles (i.e., Vald is not feminized; he's a kickass Prince 90% of the time.) ~ The cast has expanded to include Rulca, a magical rabbit who can transform into a pink-haired bishonen as needed; Halrein, a dour ex-classmate of Halvir's; Marse, a jovial thief with a sketchy past; and Rimris, a magically-inclined scholar with secrets of his own. ~ Don't let the sex in early chapters make you think it's just a skinfest - this series has definitely developed a complex, intriguing plot that lifts it far above the initial classification as eye-candy.
The other "C" title I recommend is Cromartie High School, a quirky, at times surrealistic high school with robot students, gorillas, and recurring cameos by "Freddie" ( as in Freddie Mercury). Note that the anime for this is quite faithful, and the English dub is surprisingly good.
no subject
My two recs to add to your "C" are very very different.
Ayane Yamano's Crimson Spell is, by definition, a fairly hard yaoi manga ... but it's not exactly what most might expect. Set in a lush fantasy setting, for one, it's the story of Prince Valdrigr, who, after taking up a magical sword to defend his kingdom from a demon army finds himself cursed to turn into a demon at night. ~ Seeking to have the curse broken, he goes to Halvir, a reclusive, somewhat mercenary magician. ~ Halvir soon discovers that the demon - like the prince in appearance, except for fangs and tribal tattoos -- can be "calmed" in a certain way. A way that the Prince has no memory of in the morning. (grins). ~ Yes, the story - 6 volumes and ongoing - has sex, but is mostly action-adventure-romance, as Halvir and the Prince slowly traverse the kingdom as well as a rocky road to love. ~ Aside from the gorgeous, gorgeous art, this title has humor and a refreshing lack of the usual cold seme/weepy uke trope found in so many yaoi titles (i.e., Vald is not feminized; he's a kickass Prince 90% of the time.) ~ The cast has expanded to include Rulca, a magical rabbit who can transform into a pink-haired bishonen as needed; Halrein, a dour ex-classmate of Halvir's; Marse, a jovial thief with a sketchy past; and Rimris, a magically-inclined scholar with secrets of his own. ~ Don't let the sex in early chapters make you think it's just a skinfest - this series has definitely developed a complex, intriguing plot that lifts it far above the initial classification as eye-candy.
The other "C" title I recommend is Cromartie High School, a quirky, at times surrealistic high school with robot students, gorillas, and recurring cameos by "Freddie" ( as in Freddie Mercury). Note that the anime for this is quite faithful, and the English dub is surprisingly good.