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.
