Let me just be clear though, as much as I know a lot about Type-Moon, all these are secondhand information coming from an otaku friend I had (or "have", well I prefer had) back in 2007-2008. Back in those years and I got my first exposure of Type-Moon's Fate/Stay Night; gave in to otaku-pressure and began listening to the hordes of them (okay it was for the ulterior motive of dating a cosplayer,you gotta be with her friends, but still) who would discuss and repel and argue and debate about Archer and Saber's identity, and how much feels they have on Arcueid from Tsukihime, all in all it all burned in my head that despite I don't have much "otaku feels" on Type-Moon, but I remember much of its elements.
Honestly enough, Type-Moon for me remains one of the best master-storytellers in the anime/manga industry (and visual novel I know, which I lack much of that aspect).
Here, Carnival Phantasm gave me that spin-off like I never seen before.
STORY = 7
Solely devoted for Type-Moon fans (or Fate fans for that matter); those who know nothing about Type-Moon, should go watch Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night first (and no, don't jump to Fate/Zero unless you wanna isolate yourself from the frenzy Carnival Phantasm delivers). Optionally, you may need to know a li'l bit (just a little bit) of the manga "Melty Blood". This is entirely a spin-off, every character here have gone OOC (Out of Character---still remains the basic personality but nothing they have been back on their original storylines).
The story goes like 65% F/SN and 30% Tsukihime, with an additional 5% for Melty Blood elements--turn it into this parodized "Take Moon" manga, and here's you get: Carnival Phantasm.
ART = 10
This is Type-Moon we're talking about, with the animation staffs who worked on F/SN and F/Zero. Only very few studios get to rival this art quality.
SOUND = 10
I always get amazed by both Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night's musical score, just one of the very fewest anime to pay attention with their background music, rather than just throw whatever musical notes out there. Despite the parody-ness of Carnival Phantasm, they still introduced the potential aura and feel which you can definitely say it is Type-Moon's work altogether, no matter the parody or spinoff this comes up to be.
CHARACTER = 7
As said, it's all "out of character". Parodized, and spin-off, yet it still is understandable and comprehensible as what every character (Saber, Arcueid, Rin, Shiki, Shirou, etc. even Lancer) acts and plays on this Carnival. Not meant to be taken seriously, but this is all intended for the "fun" or the lightness of the nature, the total opposite of what Type-Moon usually does.
ENJOYMENT = 6
A lot of fans will enjoy this, anime-fans who don't care much of the plot will enjoy this. For me though, I have some say on it but overall, it's still enjoyable. In my case, it's just something that gave away: I always like Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night's darkly vibe; putting them in this light, I find that actually quite uneasy. Watching Saber's ahoge-parody (yes I get this one thanks to that otaku friend's help) and Lancer, and Arcueid's smiles; yet retaining Taiga and Illya, and Rin's tsundereness 2.0, all in all, it's still enjoyable on the notion that something that we don't need to delve deeper into it and just enjoy this ride.
OVERALL = 6
Carnival Phantasm is just like a "breaktime" from every Type-Moon anime's dark and suffering storyline, it's like a merry-go-round ride. It's definitely something that can be watched after finishing Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, and including the Fate/Zero (and Kara no Kyoukai if you still insist, plot-wise it's still made by Type-Moon).
For the maiden at heart, this anime is something you can watch after finishing all of them, then letting yourself be consoled that "in the end of it all", all the characters were smiling and having fun and just being in the amusement park and happy faces.
For the hardcore Type-Moon fans, this may be disturbing, a blasphemy of their fandomness.
For me, it's just a bit weird seeing all those characters I've been bombarded with info by an otaku friend from their identities to their seiyuus, and then I see these characters smiliing and all goofy and wacky, but that's just me. My attachment to Type-Moon is just rigid, inflexible, and I like them better as being sincere, bloody, suffering, and yearning.
Those who definitely enjoy Type-Moon's Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime, and still goes to watch them on a bright atmosphere, then certainly go for Carnival Phantasm. It's a laugh after the cry, the rainbow after the storm, the~~well, whatever else allegory you can put it here, that's that.
And ofc, for Illya fans out there, get "Fate/Kaleid Prisma Illya" as next on your list.
