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Do you happen to be female? Yes? Do you like watching tons of bishies fight yet also have enough fluff moments to satisfy your inner fangirl? Really?
Then "Karneval" might be an anime for you.

Let me say that Karneval is not a masterpiece, it's not something that changes your view of life. Still, it's a rather nice series to watch on a boring afternoon. Maybe you've watched animes like "K" or "07-Ghost", they both deliver an equal amount of fighting and fanservice.
If you liked either of them, you'll probably like this one.

But let's get to a more detailed description:

Story 7/10

While there is ... a decent plot, you sometimes get the feeling that it's just too much at once. Karneval desperately tries to make its supernatural aspects seem logical, yet it kind of fails at that. The viewer is overwhelmed by the amount of information and confusing plot twists that simply shouldn't be put in a 13-episode-anime.
Nevertheless, the story is original and the circus-theme is something you don't encounter that often.
It's obvious that the author spent lots of time creating a smart plot and even though that wasn't a complete success, it's alright.

Art 9/10

As for the art, I personally think it was the best aspect of the show. The characters look very nice and detailed (everyone has his/her own hairstyle, eye shape, clothing style etc.), the surroundings are okay. What stands out are the well animated fighting scenes, the bright, happy atmosphere is able to turn into a dark battlefield with monsters and bloodshed - and it works out.

Sound 7/10

I really like the OP as it suits the show. Perfectly fitting seiyuus (especially for the main characters ) that did a great job are nothing to complain about, either. So why "only" 7 points? Well, there's just honestly not much else to praise when it comes to the sound. Nothing outstanding. But let's be honest, there are few animes with a truly great soundtrack, so this is forgivable.

Characters 6/10

The characters. Duh. Wouldn't even be half as bad, yet, there are just so freaking /many/ of them. It feels like they randomly introduced tons of new characters in every single episode just because the author felt like including every single kind of bishie she could think of. This makes Karneval unnecessarily confusing - who likes/hates who? Wait, who the hell is this guy? Why would he --
When it comes to the protagonists, they are quite likeable and even show kind of a character development throughout the show. We even get to know parts of their backstories. Unfortunately they don't get the amount of attention they deserve because Karneval is busier introducing new ones.


Enjoyment 7/10

When I watch airing animes, some make me eagerly wait for the next episode the second I finish watching the last one, watching them within an hour after their release and desperately updating the stream site.
Karneval wasn't one of them. It's something I watched when there wasn't anything else to do.
Despite its flaws, though, Karneval is a fairly enjoyable show. Nothing amazing, but an okay plot and attractive males make it an appealing watch for the female masses.

Overall 7/10

Yeah, Karneval gets a 7/10 from me. I completely understand when people rate it lower than this, though. Watching an anime and not being the target audience sucks, and makes the anime seem dull. With animes like "Karneval" it just isn't clear that the audience consists of young females with a liking for very mild shounen-ai. Have one of those girls watch a high-rated ecchi... and she won't like it either.

Anyway, I hope you found my review to be helpful and I would love to know whether you agree or disagree with me!