Karneval: Justice Has Never Been So Twisted
Nai searches for someone important to him, with only an abandoned bracelet as a clue. Gareki steals and pick-pockets to get by from day to day. The two meet in a strange mansion where they are set up, and soon become wanted criminals by military security operatives. When Nai and Gareki find themselves desperate in a hopeless predicament, they encounter none other than the country’s most powerful defense organization, “Circus”.
I am not exactly sure what to categorize this show as. It is from the same production studio that brought us Deadman Wonderland. If you have watched that, you know how twisted it was. Karneval can only be described as a twisted fantasy series. The characters of Nai and Gareki are polar opposites. Nai is an extremely naive and frankly annoying character. He has no real value to the team other than to be supportive. Gareki on the other hand while head strong, finds himself more than useful.
Circus is a powerful government agency dedicated to fighting Kafka. Kafka is a criminal organization creating monsters to gain power across the nation. After rescuing Nai from their grasp he, along with Gareki are swept up in the crime-fighting spectacle that is Circus. The series makes fun of itself on many occasions. However that doesn’t make up for the random magical things that occur without explanation.
This may be the one case where the villains abilities make more sense then the heroes do. We never really find out what the bracelet that Nai has means or how his friend is related to Circus. Gareki plans to make something of himself. And with a name like Circus you know their security guards have to be odd. They are odd because they are robotic bunnies. Yep you heard that right, robotic bunnies.
Despite the short fallings and the fact that the series ends without any answers, if you enjoy twisted fantasy tales, you may enjoy it. This series is being re-released by Funimation under the S.A.V.E. title (Super Amazing Value Edition). Shows that get this title are because they are slow sellers. I would give the series a B- overall. You can pickup the S.A.V.E. edition starting July 5th over on Amazon.com
