Karneval (TV)

The show must go on! No literally, the show should really keep going on. I only recently finished it and I'm already aching for more episodes.

At first, what may appeal to you and make you want to watch the show is the art. After all, it's very colorful, bright, and overall beautiful. It's enticing to say the least, and the first thing that hits you is probably how beautifully animated and drawn it is.

After the outstanding art settles in, the characters and plot may seem lacking. It centers around Nai and Gareki; a dynamic duo who met by chance and chance alone. They're soon ... intertwined into a world of action and danger via Circus, a protection agency whose sole mission is to protect the world from the Varuga and Kafta. (You'll find out more about them throughout the show.) The two soon begin building friendships with some of Circus's members, such as with Yogi and Tsukumo. The show itself is very well paced for such a small amount of episodes. However, the show itself ended leaving a lot to be asked for and desired. Many questions were left unanswered, and that usually doesn't leave a good taste in your mouth, particularly with no promises of a future season.

The music is good. The opening and ending are cute enough and catchy as well. Most of the music and sfx fit well in the show, so I really can't complain.

All in all, I would give this show a watching. With only thirteen episodes, it's a shame if you don't. It's creative, mysterious, and all in all a good time.

Happy Watching!

I'm very glad that I chose to watch this anime. It caught my attention at the first episode. The scenery, the animation, the style, the characters, the soundtrack, and everything else are all great parts of the series. I see no flaws. I loved every episode. The characters are well developed and the story seems to have set itself up for a sequel. Which would be great. I haven't read the manga yet, but I'm really looking forward to it. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any US English versions of the volumes (Scanlations not included). I think I will probably just buy them ... from Madman. I'm buying the Blu-rays, which have English subs from Amazon Japan and I look forward to their arrival. I can't wait to continue such a great story. The show captivates me. I really loved the soundtrack as well. It has a great opening and ending. I really can't praise the series enough. I give everything a 10/10. I hope everyone enjoys this show as much as I have.

This anime is a shoujo anime, so if you're looking for an anime about a cute boy this is basically it for you. In fact it's probably one of the best well drawn adorable boys anime out there.

I didn't notice the genre of the anime until the first few episodes when I decided to see where this anime was actually going. The anime's basically a common told story of a boy who has little memories, and his best friend Gareki tags along with him and they join a institution which fights evil.

Simply put, the story's for people who want to stare at an ... adorable boy. The art is absolutely stunning, very high quality.
Looking at this anime from a holistic view, I wouldn't say it's great as it is mostly an anime for physical appeal rather than anything else. Nevertheless, the anime does fill its role of a pretty story with an average plot.

On a side note, the anime has a great OP.

Where do I even start with Karneval. It's literally the most underrated anime in the world because it's so damn good, it could be Black Butler's brother from another mother. People always ask me "What's that anime you keep crying about, what's the story line?" And damn, that's my favorite question to answer.

Story: Cute little Nai is looking for Karoku, and throughout the anime you keep wondering who the hell Karoku is and what the connection between them is. Then enter Gareki, the flawless tsundere bastard with the worst past ever, who robs rich people to support himself. He sees Nai's bracelet, which is a ... Circus ID. Enter Circus, a government organization that fights supernatural creatures named Varuga. Gareki and Nai go abroad the Circus ship, where they meet Yogi, Tsukumo, Akari and Hirato. Then shit goes down.
The story line overall is amazing. At first I was a bit confused with all the supernatural going on, but as the anime goes on you get the hang of things and go along with the craziness of it all. It also follows very closely to the manga, so far from what I've read.

Art: The art differs from the manga because the characters are drawn a bit more blandly than the manga author drew them, which loses her personal touch to the art, but its in no way bad. The animation is great, the fight scenes are executed perfectly and the anime itself is so colorful it makes me very happy.

Characters: Jesus Christ, ok. The characters are what get me in this anime. First of all, the main characters seem like they'd be the basic definitions of tsundere and yandere but there's so much more to them. Nai seems like a shota, with how clueless he is about a lot of things, but he's determined and you're going to find yourself very endeared by him. Gareki is a little tsundere prince who keeps going back and forth between decisions and the entire time he's having thoughts alone in his room you'll be biting your first rooting for him. It's really easy to get attached to this character. Yogi is a bit of a yandere but God, he's flawless. He's adorable and caring and his personality clashes with Gareki's but they work so well together. Tsukumo is adorable and at first it's hard to figure her out, but I got a special place in my heart for her. I could go on and on, but many of the characters tend to disprove your initial impression and your heart warms up to them.

Overall enjoyment: I fell in love with this anime at the first episode. Literally. It sucks you in and you find yourself addicted. It is 100% worth watching or at least giving it a shot. If you like pretty animation, profound characters, a bit of supernatural along with good humour, you're going to love Karneval.

Karneval, I had high hopes seeing the logo and art style of the promotional banners, an interesting mix of cheery and gothic. I was sad that the art didn't continue very much into the actual show further than the costuming of the circus agents. The overall feel felt like a brighter version of D.Gray Man. The story was interesting but could have used a little more thought and the characters were decent, (despite Nai's lack of a back bone driving me nuts) but the downfall was the work put into the dub. I cringed every time the main cast entered the ... scene due to the poor casting of Nai and Gareki who both sounded forced and either below or above the actors' comfortable vocal range. The script writing for the dub at first sounded like they were trying to be off-beat and interesting but eventually just looked lazy. The maturity of language was inconsistent, ranging from Gareki saying b**** every other word one minute to awkward childish censorship the next. Lines like "Come on Buckaroo let's kick some tail!" or "Allergies, my left foot!" or just the general use of the word "whatevs," became more and more distracting and irritating as the show wore on. All things considered it was average and worth a watch (maybe not a rewatch) and I hope a second season is in the wings, however, I won't be waiting on the edge of my seat.

I was going to wait until the last episode aired before writing this, but...I can't help it. I just had to write one now. Please note that this is my first review, so please bear with me.

Story: 10/10

Without giving too much away, Karneval is about a young boy, Nai, who is looking for someone who was important to him—in doing so, he gets himself captured. Gareki, a thief, finds him during a robbery and decides to rescue him. Then a series of events occur, blablabla, and they meet a defense organization known by the name Circus.

I found the plot very original and interesting. Let ... me just say now that nearly every episode ended with a cliffhanger. A lot of people don't like cliffhangers, I know, but I personally love them. The point is to make you want to keep watching, right? Karneval certainly does the job with that. There are twists at every turn and I found myself rushing to the next episode. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Art: 10/10

The artwork and animation in this anime is simply beautiful. It's lovely. Amazing. Breathtaking. I need better words. Hang on, let me grab a dictionary...just kidding. But honestly, this is some of the best art I've ever seen in an anime. The character designs are very nice, the backgrounds always catch my eye, and the art in the OP especially was very enjoyable. I don't know what else to say about this other than it's fantastic.

Sound: 9/10

The music is also very good. I loved the OP. The ending didn't interest me as much, but that was okay. The soundtrack didn't stand out too much, but it did its job and added emotion to every scene. I approved of every voice actor—they fit the characters well. Nai's came off as innocent like he was supposed to, Gareki's had the edge it needed, Togi's was humorous, etcetera.

Characters: 10/10

This is one of the only animes I've watched where I love almost every single character. You watch how they are in the beginning, and then you watch them grow and change. You get a chance to see every side and emotion to them, which is huge. Not a lot of animes do that. I absolutely adore Nai—he's the sweetest and most honest little guy ever! I can't stand seeing him sad. Oh my gosh, I just want to hug him. Gareki is rough around the edges, but inside, he's a really caring person. Togi is absolutely hilarious; very lovable. I could go into detail, but I'd be giving spoilers. Basically, I just feel like I really know the characters. They really grow on you.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I wish I could rate this 1000000/10. Karneval is unmatched as my favorite anime. The combination of the incredible characters, the beautiful art, and the intense plot makes it impossible not to love. At first, I had my doubts about it (especially since you're kind of thrown into everything in the very beginning and you have no clue what's going on...but don't worry—all your initial questions will be answered), but this definitely proved worth the while.

Overall: 10/10

I highly, highly, highly recommend Karneval to anyone! It's very enjoyable and I am in love with it. Another aspect is how inspiring it is—the friendship, strength, and determination of the characters never cease to move me.

I Love Much Karneval..

The Story Is Make Me Happy,Fun, And Sad When Gareki Think He wasn't able doing anything to protect nai,yogi and others..

Best Anime in my life,,,

I Hope Season 2 will be soon.. :)

Karneval is an amazing series. Almost all the characters have good depth and a sad/interesting back story or feature. The art just blew me away, watching characters fight (Spoiler; especially between Uro and Tsukumo) was just mind lowing, very lean and elegant whilst also deadly.

Story; The storyline is very interesting but sometimes there will be a lot of space between action. the story has this sort of air of mystery surrounding it, and you can never really be to sure if a character is evil or good, which makes it even more compelling.

Art; The art is very happy, colourful and interesting. A ... lot of detail in every drawing and very clean. The characters were all drawn beautifully and having their clothes changed regularly was a welcome change. If anything, the art should definitely make you want to watch this, even if the characters are almost all "bishounen"

Sound; Thank god the main female characters don't have a high pitched cutesy voice! And Nai who is presented as a cute, young innocent male actually sounds like a boy. I was very impressed.

Characters; As aforementioned, each of the characters have depth and different personalities. The actual character development was very interesting to watch, whether it was Gareki struggling with where he fit into the picture, Nai learning about the world and growing up or Yogi getting stronger as he protects the people he lobes.

Enjoyment; I couldn't stop watching this series and with the last episode coming out on the 27th of June I am so pumped! Whether it was the character development, the stunning fights or the simple fun of Circus, I couldn't stop watching.

Overall i just want to say that this is fast becoming one of my favourite anime series. I can't wait to see how it finishes and I really hope there will be a second season. Fingers crossed!

This anime is not a Yaoi! It can contain little bits of Shounen-Ai. Mostly just friendship between characters.

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT -10
Fully enjoyed watching this series. So much so that I am currently reading the manga. There was not a single sigh or eye roll during my watching.

STORY -9
The story it's self I rate a 9, mainly because it leaves you wanting more at the end and that it's humorous yet it still has a sufficient and some-what serious at times plot to keep one entertained.

ART -10
I find that the characters themselves are animated beautifully and very close to the original manga. I find the backgrounds to ... be well done too.

SOUND -8
Voice actors did a fantastic job in Japanese (no dub yet) yet can be a little quiet at times. I found myself watching both the ending and the beginning music. The music through out the show gives off the right tone for that specific scene.

CHARACTER -9
Considering it is only 13 episodes of the main story in total the characters are pretty well done. There just isn't sufficient time to flesh every character like the manga is able to do. That is not to that they are left as empty shells so to speak but there may not be enough character development for the more picky viewer.

OVERALL -10
You should watch it if you like to see beautiful characters and a colourful story. I have no complaints except that its short.

This might actually be one of my favorite animes, and I doubt that that is the case for many others. But it was as if this anime was designed to appeal specifically to me. The look, characters, mythology, story, it all works wonders for me. The best things about this anime is twofold. First, the animation is absolutely stunning. The colors are bright without being garish, and help with the atmosphere wonderfully. The character designs are also very well done on all fronts. This show has a very, very distinct look to it, which I appreciate. Secondly, the cast of characters is very solid. The ... interactions among them and subplots that result are written realistically and executed well. The story is somewhat thin, but the story isn't what really matters. If Hayao Miyazaki directed an anime, it would be Karneval. I would highly recommend.

I'm so lucky to have been introduced to this manga and anime series by a friend, since it is not as well known to others. I will say now: This anime was completely amazing. The art was beautiful (the eyes, wow.), the characters were all so unique, the sound was just so realistic, and the plot was just too great. Now as I have seen many negative comments on how slow the story was in the episodes, I will say now: why base this wonderful anime off how they choose to advance the story?
This anime was mainly one of mystery and fantasy, so if ... you are a fan of Kuroshitsuji, D-Gray Man, or Arcana Famiglia, you will enjoy this story greatly. You will also enjoy every scene with the beautiful art. If you haven't watched it, then please do!

Karneval was one of the most vivd anime's I have ever watched and to be really honest this enticed me. I found myself loving the use of colours and also the contrast in colours when looking at characters. For example, Nai is blonde and usually dressed in light colours showing how pure he is, on the otherhand Gareki is always dressed in dark colours, creating this kind of mysterious air about him, we are constantly left thinking that Gareki is a pessimist, no matter the situation.

One thing that did displease me though was the fact that it was slightly predictable and Gareki, the character I ... fell in love with, seemed to be the only character who was not 'special' in some sense.

I suppose this created a more real feel to the anime as Gareki is constantly the normal and Nai is the strange.

I expecially loved the character development and how the relationship between certain characters such as Nai and Gareki seemed to blossom through out.

I would recommend this to anyone, including a younger audience. For example I suggested this to my nine year old sister because it is borderline childish and simplistic but also interesting as well.

A logical first impression when someone hears about “Karneval” and looks at the Cover Art:

• “Wow, Karneval! That’s a really cute name! And look at the cover art! It looks like a party! Look at the main character! He looks so cute! This is going to be a totally cute and not-violent anime with lots of fun and partying!”



That same person’s impression after they watch the first episode:

• “Wh-What? Rape? Huh? Where are the parties? Why is everything so creepy? Why is there a serious, black-haired, yet crazy handsome kid holding a gun? What is that monster, why is it very graphically eating that man?! Ah! ... Confliction!”

Needless to say, this anime is not what you think it is. If you want a cute little shoujo party anime, go to Shugo Chara. This anime gives off the impression of being cute, then you watch the first episode and you’re conflicted on whether or not you want to continue to support that first impression. I mean, there are SOME cute party scenes that last for a few seconds, but there’s a really dark thought behind these parties and it really has a darker plotline than one would expect. I’m glad that I was surprised, actually. I think that having a darker plotline underneath the cute expectation really worked for it and added a bunch of refreshing juxtaposed elements. This anime really isn’t for everybody, though.

Plot: 5

It’s an interesting plot: The story focuses on 2 boys. Gareki is a young, Lady-killing thief who steals money because he wants to (Insert Spoiler Here). He is really great with technology and has a hand for shooting. One day while he was robbing this rich house, he runs into Nai, our second protagonist. Nai is a really young boy, around 8, who claims to have no memory except for this one man named Karoku, who he claims was his caretaker, now missing. All he has left of Karoku now is a bracelet that is later identified as an identification band for a government sponsored combat organization that goes by the name of “Circus.” Somehow, both Gareki and Nai end up travelling together after almost being captured and killed by a monster. This monster is apparently one of the main targets of Circus and that leads to both Nai and Gareki getting held in custody of Circus for questioning and interrogation.

The anime revolves around their adventures with the people they meet and the events that happen while they are tied up with Circus, who are using them to help unlock the mystery of these monsters. The plot is a very fun idea and there are a lot of cute friendship themes that pop up often. I’m sorry to say this, because it was only a 13 episode anime, but everything seemed kind of rushed and there were a lot of scenes where nothing made any sense, eventually leading to an ending that just screwed with my entire mindset. There are a lot of holes in the anime; we never find out what happens to Karoku and the mystery behind the bracelet. The main goals of the characters are supposed to be what makes up the plot of this anime, but it fails in developing that and instead focuses on the development of the bonds b/w characters. It didn’t make for a BAD anime, but it kind of left me unsatisfied in the end with a lot of questions still unanswered. Also, a lot of elements and somewhat significant plot elements seemed to be added last minute and explained with only 2 minutes left to go in the last episode of the anime. I guess I would be satisfied if there was another OV that aired to follow up on the unanswered questions, but there wasn’t and in the end, everything ended up making fuck-all sense. I’m very disappointed because I was really anxious; I knew this plot had potential, but it just wasn’t put together well in the end.

Sound: 7

The music was, at best, mediocre. I wasn’t impressed with the opening or the OST, but there were times where the anime surprised me when pulling out a pretty solo during an emotional moment, which was satisfying. The ending was quite pretty and one of my favorite track in this anime. The voice acting was also good, but really, when isn’t it?

Art: 9

I have to say for myself, the art for this anime was really beautiful. From the designs of the characters to the settings for the anime and the beautiful exchanges b/w the characters, everything was really pretty. The character designs were definitely my favorite part, though. The eyes of the characters were really colorful and each design was 10x different than the next. The designs also fit the characters’ personalities very well. Nai was so fricking adorable and Gareki was really coolly designed. Everything that was supposed to be dark was dark; everything that was supposed to be fun was fun. I loved the contrast within the art styles too. The color and darkness was really interesting to look at. The only thing is, if you knew me at all, you’d know that I’m a sucker for good fight scenes in a shounen. This anime didn’t have the fight scenes that I longed for. They were just mediocre, and for that, I dock a point.

Characters: 8

The characters were my favorite part of this anime. I fell in love with a lot of them, I grew to hate a lot of them. Some characters were amazingly likeable, like Nai. Nai was a fricking angel and his innocence conflicted the darkness and seriousness that was supposed to surround this anime. Sometimes, when done right, a child’s innocent nature can really change the whole mood of the anime. Karneval did that really well. His design was adorable; his diction and attitude was even 10x more likeable, and that’s why I grew to like him. He contrasted with Gareki’s serious nature and that really helped with the whole reoccurring friendship thing. Opposites really do attract. Another character I really grew to love was Yogi. He was like an adult child and I loved it. He was a well-designed, well thought out comic relief that really relieved stress off of the constant depression that hitting me, wave after wave, in this anime. Those three characters were designed in genius. The one thing I didn’t like is that there were WAY TOO MANY CHARACTERS!!! I never learned all of their names. You know that when a watcher can’t learn all of the names, you added too many characters to count. Many of them added absolutely nothing to the anime. No comic relief, no added action, some of them sucked at fighting, it was ridiculous. There was very little character development in some serious protagonists, and even the antagonists had fuck all development. I never learned what happened to them! I never learned their secrets or their true intentions! That’s not good.

Enjoyment: 7

Okay, I’m not lying when I say I like this anime. Sure, it was cute and fun to watch. I liked the episodes that didn’t take themselves seriously; that was the show’s strong point. The episodes where there was actually supposed to be “plot development” died. Many of them bored me and I longed for more “unseriousness.” I get that they were trying, but their attempts were unsuccessful. The plot was developed horribly, what else can I say? The development of relationships and connections were done really well though and that was what I enjoyed.

Overall: 7

9.7/10

The story was pretty good, with the two main characters Gareki and Nai getting involved with Circus, as well as the Varuga and Kafka. The pacing was done well, but even though it was only a 13 episode anime, I personally feel that it wrapped up quite nicely. Even though you are still stuck with the question of "What happened to Uro? What about Palned?", the future for characters like Gareki are shown, and thus end the anime without too many loose ends. I liked the story line, and the humor they put in every once in a while was enjoyable. The main characters, Nai, ... Gareki, Yogi, and Tsukumo, spent a lot of time in the hospital, though. But when they go out on a mission, something very entertaining always happens.

The art was amazing. It was really colorful without being gaudy. The animation was fluid and not bothersome to watch at all. The way the characters were drawn, from the eyes to their outfits was outstanding. Even extra characters, like the nurses and children, were drawn meticulously and looked great. The way the Varuga were drawn was done very well. The fact that they are colored black makes it obvious when someone or something is a Varuga and it is a nice contrast to the constant colors.

The music and voices in this anime are on-point. The opening is Henai no Rondo by GRANRODEO, who also sang many openings for Kuroko's Basketball. The graphics are great in the opening. They immediately show all the characters, and show the relationship between Gareki and Nai. It was timed well and after they show the characters, they all get 2-4 seconds to show their abilities. The ending was nice, because it was a little Niji (you'll learn about them in the anime) running up as all the characters that showed up, even in only 2 episodes, are slowly scrolled down. It is a very pleasant song called Reason by KAmiYU. The soundtrack was great. I liked listening to it and some of the songs consisted of a piano or some string instruments. It did a good job of setting the mood and it was enjoyable to listen to it. The voices were on point. Gareki, being the cold person he was, was played by Hiroshi Kamiya (Noragami: Yato, Durarara: Izaya Orihara). Nai was played by Hiro Shimono (Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Katsuragi Keima) and had an innocent tone to his voice. Yogi was played by Mamoru Miyano (Death Note: Yagami Light) and he brought Yogi's character to life. Tsukumo was played by Aya Endou (Lucky Star: Miyuki Takara) and portrayed Tsukumo's character as a Kuudere very well.

The characters were very interesting. The design for each of them was unique and different. However, with so many characters, some of them were not developed as much as one may like. The character development for Gareki was done well as Gareki went from a cold person who thought of people as enemy, prey, or nothing, to someone who cared about his friends in Circus. Nai's soul became stronger while he was still kind to people around him, easily considering one he just met a friend. Yogi went through a sudden transformation in one of the episodes, resulting in a deeper character than one may think. Tsukumo became more social and more friendly towards people on the Second Ship.

I really enjoyed this anime. It is one of my favourites. I was first attracted to it by its art style, and I really enjoyed watching the characters go through many ordeals with the Varuga. I don't have a favourite character (because I love so many of them) but I do have a least favourite. The action scenes were well paced, and the animation was top notch. The story was interesting and had a small but shocking plot twist at the end, and the soundtrack was one of the nicest one person can hear, in my opinion.

After watching this anime, I can surely say that it is by far one of my favourites yet. This is one of the very few that I've enjoyed almost every, if not every single episode to the point that I had to absolutely binge it. I kept on putting myself off of the anime as I've been wanting to watch it for about a year or so, and I don't regret watching it at all... I kind of regret waiting this long, aha. Ironically, the reason that I decided to finally watch it was because I was looking for new inspiration to glisten up my ... account, and straight after the first episode, I loved it to pieces.

Story: 8/10
While the story may be confusing for some, I do admit that it can be, but to be fair, you have to have a very high- *coughs*
...sorry.
As confusing as the story may be, the depth that the anime goes into basically blinds the confusion and treats the manga well.
In the first minute of the first episode, you'll already question what you just discovered, but it'll sure get you hooked once you realise what happens.
The amount of depth that gets put into characters to develop their own or others' persona is quite unique, and it always has a way to make it feel fresh and new: to make you feel happy or sad.
The plot can simply be put into 5 words: Nai wants to find Karoku. But of course, it's much more complicated than that. Throughout the anime, new characters get introduced to develop mixed emotions towards the watcher and help the characters to grow in the present and to help us understand their past.

Art: 10/10
I'm not really that appealed into art styles as I focus on everything else and my own personal enjoyment, but there are always some things that make me cherish that specific art style. Detail.
By detail, I mean what makes the character look unique: accessories, outfits, hairstyle, body language... and the eyes.
Eyes are the main factor when it comes to anime because of the emotions expressed through them and how diverse they can be. For example, I love Ciel's dark blue eyes due to how perfectly shaped they are with those appealing bottom eyelashes; Karneval is no exception. The mixture of colours used with the eyes is mesmerising.
The outfits are absolutely beautiful and creative to the point that the outfits themselves serve as a substitute for the entire meals in Food Wars. I'm not even kidding. The outfits, especially Nai's, give me the same satisfaction of wanting to wear them. They are so diverse and are colour-coded absolutely perfectly, alongside the similarity of the eye and hair colour of many characters such as Karoku and Yogi to compliment the designs even further.

Sound: 9/10
To begin with, the mandala in the OP is beautiful and so are the rectangular lights that scatter across the screen behind the pretty animated characters. I really like how the song is rock as I'm quite a fan of that. It's a really catchy song once you've listened to it a couple of times. Plus, it's Granrodeo so what's not to love?
The ED is so colourful and bright that it sometimes doesn't even match with the ending of a few episodes, but regardless the song is calming and mesmeric.

Character: 9/10
I was very meticulous when it came to the characters, and they sure did something perfectly. Each character feels human, even the side characters that only get mentioned for a couple of episodes develop some sort of backstory for the main characters and bring sympathy to us watchers, such as the two twins developing Gareki's backstory even further. The small hints of Nai's abilities and persona really bring him out as a character that actually acts how they actually are to the point that it's smart yet absolutely adorable. With each character having some form of social weakness and a unique personality, plus the backstory of the characters and their reasoning, you could really make them feel special.

Enjoyment: 10/10
With some subtle areas of comedy and pureness, I just couldn't resist Nai. In every episode, I'd laugh at even the most minor things just because of how certain people reacted, such as Gareki talking all unenthusiastically in bright moments. And not to forget how cute Nai looks, I mean, just look at him.
I absolutely loved the plot, characters, and ideas. Almost everything unanswered was eventually answered throughout the anime. Every episode was a rollercoaster whether it be of joy, melancholy, or pure excitement.
The only thing that disappointed me was the cliffhanger at the end with the Karoku theory, but I swear that must continue with a sequel.
Since the manga is still ongoing I'll read that while hoping for a second season. I'd rewatch it anytime without a doubt.

Overall: 8/10

First of all, this anime isn't for everyone. It took me 2 months to finish just 13 episodes. I started it and it was interesting but then got really boring so i couldn't bring myself to watch any more, but started again today and was really captivated. I WANT MORE EPISODES.

The art is amazing, I'm inlove with Gareki and Hirato.
The opening and ending songs got me singing with them.

There's no real story. Just a boy that is looking for his friend. And you know the rest, people help out and blah.
oh, add in some random crap about Varuga (demon thingy's) and a animal turned ... human, with circus themed everything. You got Karneval.
The anime does have some really funny moments and some absolutely heart-wrenching ones.

If there's a season 2, I'll watch it.

Overall, I enjoyed it.

If you like interesting and creative fantasy worlds with handsome boys and some nice battles, welcome on board! You will sure have fun!

Story
What I liked the most about the story are the infinity possibilities the plot allows. It begins with Nai meeting Gareki and both of them getting involved with the Varuga and the organization which fights them -- the Circus --, and anything can happen from this moment on. The plot has a nice structure, with two main objectives presented in the beginning -- Nai wants to find Karoku; the Circus investigates the Varuga and think Nai can be useful for them --, a ... middle in which everyone tries to reach their objectives, and a conclusion at the end. As the manga isn't finished, there are still some threads dangling at the end, but they managed to show us a conclusion for the main objectives, even if partially and with new questions coming from that. It is an "open end" which calls for a continuation, but still feels like it had an end.

Characters
I must say I hate yaoi and Nai's uke appearance annoyed me at the beginning. But when I started thinking of him as a cute fantasy creature, I ended up laughing at some scenes that became cute (yes, just like Gareki did!). Now I actually like him a lot. He is a pure-hearted boy searching for Karoku, a misterious guy who is important to him.
Gareki, on the other hand, is a smart guy and a skilled shooter who distrusts people, but can actually be very gentle. It is easy to love his personality.
There is also Yogi, with a childish personality which provides lots of funny scenes with the serious Gareki, and there is Tsukumo, the only girl in the main cast, who is very quiet.
I wouldn't say they own very original personalities, but their past and the mystery behind them make them unique and interesting.

Voices
A strong point of this anime. At first, I wasn't sure about Kamiya Hiroshi doing Gareki's role, but no one should ever doubt HiroC. He is a pro. He made an amazing job, and his voice fits Gareki perfectly!
At the first episodes, I could feel Shimono Hiro was forcing his voice to sound younger than his usual characters, but he probably got used to it, so Nai's voice sounded much more natural in the second half of the anime. I feel glad it was Shimono-san, and not a girl doing Nai's voice.
Miyano Mamoru got Yogi's role. Do I need to say more? It was not a surprise after all, as Mamo-chan is one of the best at voicing this kind of character. I can imagine him having a lot of fun during the recording.
Endou Aya did a good job with Tsukumo's (few) lines. Also, Ono Daisuke was a nice choice for Hirato's role.

Music
Opening theme by GRANRODEO. Personally, I think this band fits shounen anime better, but I'm not complaining, because they are great and so is the song.
Ending theme by KAmiYU. Just perfect. It has a happy and colorful melody which fits the anime. But do you know it is Gareki (HiroC) who sings that? It's funny if you see things this way.
I will be honest and say I didn't pay much attention to the soundtrack, and it's not a bad thing. The soundtrack helped building the mood of each scene naturally, never deviating my attention or forcing feelings into me -- the sad scenes were actually sad and didn't need a sad music coming from nowhere to tell me how should I feel.

Art
Very beautiful, with a nice character design and vivid colors.

Overall
What I liked the most about this anime is that it's mostly for girls, but has nice battles and is settled in a very interesting fantasy world. The characters and the story captivated me, and I had a lot of fun!

(This is one of my first reviews so bear with me please)

So Karneval is mystery anime, with some tints of action and some shoujo for the fangirls. We meet the main character, "Nai", who by first glance isn't nothing special. His name literally means, 'Nothing'. By chance he meets Gareki, your typical 'bad-boy I don't need anyone' type of character. Those are our main characters we will be following throughout the series.

Story: 8/10
Nai is looking for someone special to him, Karoku, with only a bracelet as a clue. At the beginning of the first episode we find him in a difficult predicament, in which ... he meets Gareki. How did he get there? We will never know, and it will never be explained. Being of the mystery genre, there are some things that will obviously leave you clueless but there are some things that this anime can leave in blank. They meet the secret (yet flashy) organization "Circus", who fight against the organization "Kafka" and the monsters called "Varuga". These monsters are often mentioned in the series but we never go in depth with them.

So overall the plot is very interesting and enticing, but the anime left more than a few things to be asked for.

Art: 9/10
The animation for this series was very beautiful and well made. The colors they used were very soft, and for the most mysterious character they weren't so solemn or anyting of the sort. The animation was very smooth, taking well the flips, the turns, the explosions and the other movements. The drawing was very 'cute', what with Nai being your typical big eyed feminine meek character and Tsukumo your beautiful limber acrobat. The characters were distinguishable and I had no hard time in differentiating them. The only downside were some animation mistakes but those can be looked upon on and are hardly noticable.

Sound: 9/10
The opening was rock, with some 'carneval' touches. As a fan of GRANRODEO, it was good but not their best. But it was appropriate for the anime. The ending was a pop/catchy tune, and it caught me singing it every time I heard it. The soundtracks stuck to the moment, with the fighting scenes and the sad parts, but they weren't very noticable. The voice acting was fine, the seiyuus stuck to the character's personality and I had no problems with this.

Character: 8/9
There many characters in Karneval, all with a beautiful character design and their own personality. The main character Nai is extremely innocent and pure, knowing nothing from the real world, as he couldn't even distinguish blood. But once you find out what he really is, it's quite understandable. Gareki was probably one of the only characters we got a somewhat full backstory, explaining his attitude and why he does what he does. The supporting characters, the members of Circus, look like some of the most interesting but with no development at all. We get subtle hints of Yogi and Tsukumo, but nothing on their backstory. Including with Captain Hirato and the other members of Circus. There are also some members of Kafka mentioned in the series, but nothing explained on them whatsoever, and you will be scratching your head at the end with Karoku. But once again, it is understandable since you can only pack so much in 13 episodes.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Even if there were somethings that left me wondering with this anime, I enjoyed it. The character interaction was enjoyable and it reached it's cuteness factor and some humor.

Overall: 8/10
It was a nice anime, overall. It's great if you want to look at something cute and pretty while having some mystery and action at the same time. With so much left to ask for, it makes you want to search for more but there's the manga for that. It's an anime that needs focus and dedication, but if you can do that then I can assure you can enjoy its moments.

I just finished watching Karneval and I must say, I didn't expect I would enjoy the show this much. I've read reviews about it and most of it said it would just be a typical anime show with a boy who is a bit weak to stand on his own eventually meets a guy who's stronger and they become friends and all. THAT! Would be a Yes at first.

I gave it a 10 because it didn't turn out to be the TYPICAL anime show I was expecting it to be. It started with Nai, a helpless and innocent boy looking for someone, who accidentally ... meets Gareki, a mysterious wandering guy with a gun who wants nothing but money. Not so long after, they bumped into Circus, a Defense organization that works for the government, definitely NOT your typical Security force. I don't want to spoil anything so let's stop there :D I would say the beginning of the story is your usual type of story but after that, it's all bizarre. Turns out, Karneval is full of mysteries, and the mysteries don't get revealed overnight. This ain't a detective story or what, it's all about Nai, which makes Nai and his identity, a mystery as well. As the show goes on, you'll be discovering certain connections between the characters and it will all make sense. But, in the end, you'll still want more from this show.

I love the characters! My personal favorites, Gareki and Nai (love them). I think they all served their purpose. Nobody's annoying or unreasonable. Some are left mysterious which makes me want a Season 2. Kudos to the voice actors, once again, a job well done.

Aside from mystery, another thing you'll get attracted to this show is its cuteness. I so love the animals :D Watch it and you'll get why

Karneval (which I call "Carnival") is one of those shows for us viewers who don't care about what the slobbering otaku-base care about.

We're not here for "top quality seiyuu," "Godly animation," "opening and ending songs," or whatever shreds of hope keeping then from giving up and killing themselves. We're here for about 30 minutes of "following the rabbit down the hole," whatever adventures we'll have, and the people we'll meet on the way.

And in this case, instead of a rabbit we get whatever creature Nai "was."

For a while I couldn't stand the fact that the women herein are femdoming up on some of the male ... characters. Gareki's "not being able to fit in" -itis was hitting close to home. But the show itself is intriguing enough. It looked like it needed another season to respectably wrap up its main plot.