Overall Review: Karneval

Aww, no more tea parties and animals?

Karneval is a series that’s much more difficult for me to talk about than a series like Hataraku Maou-sama!; I’ve mentioned this before, but where the latter is a work of great execution, the former is a work that revels in its own curious and fabulous world-building. The series is never willing to address its plot if it isn’t directly related to some atmospheric wonder or fun aside, and even when things get dark, this isn’t the type of show to ignore any dramatic advantages it is liable to take. I get the feeling that Karneval doesn’t always take itself seriously, and that it does it as flamboyantly as possible, but that’s never really a bad thing. It's what sets it apart as itself.

This is a show that loves flair and drama, the way a real carnival or circus might, and it places that exotic and whimsical atmosphere as its priority no matter what sort of story it tries to tell. Without that style, I don’t think the series would do as well as it does; there’s too much mystery and not enough answers, though that’s only in the perspective of a non-manga reader. However, because I don’t follow the manga, I find it a lot more difficult to invest myself in a series that doesn’t really try to let me get at the bigger picture. Since I can’t be fully certain that this end merits a second season, I have to take it as a standalone work, and that makes this finale and the general pacing of the show feel a lot less wise than, say, a more concise plot over the last few episodes may have been. The characters too tended to feel a little flat, with the exception of those like Yogi who were always a treat to watch in the spotlight.

Nonetheless, barring the less than satisfying finale, I’m still more than a little sad to see the series go. Perhaps it’s all the adorable animals getting under my skin, or the melancholy truth that there will be no more random tea parties to liven up my week, but though I’m aware there’s probably a good deal of adaptation decay at work here, I think I’ll really miss Karneval and it’s zany, strange ways very soon.