Karneval

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I was hesitating to start this manga, still for the beautiful art i decided to try it and got addicted to the intriguing plot and mostly to the characters. It became one of my favorites. And it has originality (starting by the name, Karneval), all the universe of Karneval its quite charming.

Story- Karneval is about a kid named Nai who seems to be searching for his lost "brother" Karoku. In his journey he eventually finds a teenage named Gareki and they end up in the Organization Circus, where they develop a friendship with two young Circus agents. The four start living together as a group ... and they form a bond. As the story goes, we get to find out more about the past of the characters, but some mysteries remain and the key to solve them seems to be Karoku. The story might seem cliché, but its not, its a breath of fresh air.

Art- The art is absolutely adorable. An eye candy. The sceneries are great and the characters designs whether in looks or costumes, fits them perfectly.

Character- Its impossible not to love every character on Karneval. You have 3 main boys and 1 girl, but they all have an unique personality and each one of them is different from another. Nai, the cute and kind kid, Gareki the rebel antisocial with some past issues, Yogi the funny, childish and optimistic and Tsukumo, a quiet, skilled beautiful girl. Together they make an outstanding group.Other good point is that the supporting characters are really good and needed for the plot, they are not just to fill the spaces.

Enjoyment- You will smile and you will get sad on some scenes. Although this manga is exquisite precisely because it doesn't overreact in drama neither in comedy, there´s a perfect balance between the two genres. Also it adds fights, mystery and fantasy.

Overall- Awesome! if you´re looking for romance, this is not one. You might find some hints of it, but this is mostly a shounen/fantasy with a touch of shoujo.
If you´re a BL fan you will like it, although let me say this clearly, this is not Shounen-ai. But it has a lot of bishies and lets you imagination flow, so you might want to give it a try ;D

This is probably one of the greatest mangas I've ever read. Just thought I should start with that. The art work is done beautifully, something that's pretty hard to come across. Not just because the characters are beautiful (Gareki, Yogi, Karoku, Hirato...need I go on?) but detailing and the effects are powerful.
I gave it all a ten because I truly feel it deserves that. As an ongoing, monthly manga, I find myself checking it each and every day in hopes that some miracle happened and the internet set another juicy chapter in my lap. Too much? IT'S JUST THAT GOOD!!! I promise no disappointments ... in this. The storyline is pretty unique, I think. And the cute factor is almost too much to handle. I really can't get enough of this manga, and fingers remain crosseed for an anime adaptation!

Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Character: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

While this is a relatively unknown series, Its definitely worth checking out for its fun characters, interesting story with lots of unexpected twists and one of the most unique shounen-style manga out there (imo). It took me a while to really get into it, but its ABSOLUTELY worth sticking with and finishing. Its a shounen/seinen at the genre's best and most niche. It has action, comedy, a bit of science, magic and the craziest twists to the plot direction that surprisingly kept me hooked. Its a shounen to its core, from the action to the characters, but that isn't necessarily ... a bad thing. However, I put this into mixed feelings due to my thoughts on how this might appeal to other readers (my biased rating is that this is wholeheartedly reccomended)


pros:
One of the many pros of this series is the cast of characters. In short, some might like the characters and find their 2010's shounen charm enjoyable, but others might not due to how initially reliant they are on character tropes. But the characters (at least the main three/four) grow into their own story arcs the more that is revealed about them. Their interactions in the main story and in the omake comics are very fun. And their involvement with the story grows in very unexpected directions which are constantly fun to read as the overarching story unravels.
As for the story, Karneval is one of the most unpredictable in its direction. The plot seems simple in the beginning, but it fleshes out into so much more than what it initially started out as. I won't mention specifics due to spoilers, but little details or bits of knowledge that are revealed grow into decisions the characters must make that affect the world they live in.

Pro or con:
The art can either be a pro or a con for some people, as its very mid 2010's in the character designs/clothing, but to others it might just be another unique and interesting thing about the series. Another thing that depends on the reader is the amount of fanservice. Surprisingly, fanservice from female characters is as minimal as you can get from a shounen-style manga. The fanservice is mostly from male characters after each volume or in colored art.

Cons:
Like stated, before, some people might not like this on account of how trope-heavy the characterization is in the beginning. Nai, for example, is pretty annoying at first, thinking about nothing but Karoku, saying his name enough times to ensure the reader won't forget it. But something else that might turn people away from the series is how slow the plot is to start. The interesting worldbuilding and character development doesn't start until about where the anime ends (about 3-4 volumes in) which is too slow for some. Another thing that might be a con for some is the pacing. It feels very jarring when the amount of lore and information suddenly increases a LOT, resulting in quite a few semi-wordy pages.

In conclusion, while those who have read Karneval love it, it might not be for everyone. But it is extremely unique with its story, its characters are entertaining, and the art is perfectly 2000's-2010's. If any of that sounds appealing, I fully encourage giving Karneval a try.