Karneval, Vol. 1

Karneval #1

by Touya Mikanagi

When innocent country boy Nai sets foot into the sordid cutthroat realm of the city, he might as well have painted a target on his own back. Kidnappers, murderers and desperados abound, waiting to take advantage of a boy guileless enough to believe blood is merely "red water". When he is framed for a murder, it is the bandit Gareki who bails him out. Being a shrewd and sharp-eyed thief, however, Gareki's motives are less than pure. Nai is looking for a friend who has disappeared and left behind something particularly intriguing - an I.D bracelet from the organisation named "Circus", the country's supreme defense agency. While Gareki has his sights set firmly on the bracelet, "Circus" in turn, has shifted its eye onto the duo as well...

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Mystery, Comics, Science Fiction, Josei, Graphic Novels

194 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2008

About the author

Native name: 御巫桃也 (Mikanagi Touya)

Reviews

[Lois Bujold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read, so far, from the beginning to the end of combo volume 8, all my library had, which puts me at about Chapter 95 translated out of, according to Wikipedia, 124 chapters and still ongoing serialized in Japan.

OK, that was... odd. I can't figure out quite what age bracket this thing is aimed at. Obligatory 15-year-old street-kid hero Gareki with a complicated life and still-mysterious backstory suggests the usual junior-high crowd, but with a maybe 10-year-old sidekick/co-main-character/not-quite-human Nai that suggests something younger in mind, plus an unusually large array of active older characters (in the manga sense of "over 25"), some quite eye-able, who get quite a bit of page-time as well. Tone yo-yos between saccharine floof and serious bio-horror. Art style is maybe-shojo (I did say eye-able) but with fight scenes and intrigue, no romance to speak of. The magic all has science-y explanations, so maybe call it science fantasy rather than fantasy outright. Modern and magical tech in a made-up set of countries, not our world.

There is a 13-episode one-season anime that covers the first several volumes, and follows the manga pretty closely as far as it goes.

Hard to describe briefly, as it wanders through a lot of trope-salad along the way. Try Wikipedia, which at least lays it out logically, or the official blurb above. It has a bit of a Pandora Hearts vibe to it, but not as emotionally gripping or mystically mind-bending/time-twisting, thankfully. With a large cast, it took quite a lot of time for any character in particular to grow on me. I will say I was delighted to see our 15-year-old protag Gareki not just wasted on bigger and stupider power-up fight scenes, but actually develop in different and more sensible, and interesting, directions. The story in general seems to value smarts over muscles, though there are plenty of acrobatic fighters. Frequently doubling as acrobatic acrobats.

Ta, L.

[Rain Misoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So when this last season of anime debuts happened, I saw that Karneval was among them... and right away I took to the interesting character designs and animation. It was bright, vivid, colorful, and the characters looked amazing. Well, naturally, I had to go and watch it... and I was NOT disappointed. It was such a fun and cute anime with the occasional FEELS-fest that I just enjoyed myself tremendously. However, the anime left a lot of small details out... a lot of questions left unanswered so, of course, I had to check out the manga. I did... AND I FREAKING LOVE IT! There's so much information that you get from the manga that you don't get in the anime and it makes SENSE! The characters were brilliant as always, the plot kept moving, it was slightly darker than the anime, and I adore the artwork! It was such a good read.

I've never read anything by Touya Mikanagi before but I am glad that I did now. The artwork is so detailed and cute; it looks smooth when it needs to be but also rugged when it wants to show something grotesque! The artwork is beautiful and just very pleasing to the eyes. The story itself is just slowly unfolding. I like how it is telling it better than the anime did. When watching the anime, I was slightly confused, but now, I'm getting it... even though not much of the story has been told yet. Still, I like the pacing of the manga. It has the right balance between action, comedy, and silliness.

The characters are brilliant! Gareki is a "lone" character but he quickly becomes attached to Nai, and although he's kind of an asshole (seriously, being mean is the way he shows he cares~ I understand that better than anyone), it's not because he's doing it to hurt others. It's just his personality. Nai is such a cutie. He starts off so innocent and naive but he quickly starts picking up on things from the world surrounding him. You can tell he's a lot more intelligent than one notices at first glance. I can't wait to see more of his development. Hirato is sexy as hell... okay I need to talk more about who he is... not just his looks. He's a rather serious character, however, he does have a quirky side. I enjoy him as a character because he is a "father-figure" to the others in Circus; always looking about for them and giving them praise! It's so cute! Tsukumo is a badass, cute girl with a kind heart! She knows how to read people, how to get certain things out of people. AND! She has more strength than most men put together! I adore this girl. On to Yogi! Can you say adorably cute? Because that's what he is! Cute and strong and just AJAKSJLKGBJFLBHJ I am fangirling... *Inhales/exhales* ...okay. I don't know how I can put this eloquently... I can't. I just adore all the characters in this manga and Yogi is no exception. He goes from being completely cute to badass in a second. He has a huge heart and worries constantly about the others. Nai and Gareki especially. (If you wondered, I totally ship Yogi and Gareki together... you know they have a thing for each other.) I just can't continue with this review anymore. It's turning into me raving instead of reviewing...

...this happens sometimes with the things I like... I fail to review and commence with "YOU MUST READ THIS BECAUSE FEEELS!"

On a serious note, I don't think this manga is for everyone. I know most people will find some of its content disturbing. If you like a slowly-develop plot that doesn't make a lot of sense at first but totally does towards the end, read this. If you like characters that are fun and entertaining, read this. If you like pretty boys that happen to be perfect in every way and make shipping a lot more complicated than it needs to be, read this. I am sure you will enjoy this. I know I did and I will continue to enjoy this the more I read it! <3333

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a few minor things that bugged me a bit with this manga. The main character is setting new standards for naivety, the plot was a little hard to follow at one point and the art, though not unpretty, is something I have to get used to after reading pretty series like Kuroshitsuji, Pandora Hearts or Gate 7. If I had to compare it, it reminds me more of Nabari no Ou, just edgier and their faces are rather long, idk.

But - and this is a really big but - for the first Volume in a series, Karneval is doing extremely well. The reader gets thrown right into the action and it was a fast paced read which, despite being incredibly funny, manages to give you these dark vibes. It is the contrast between the shrill Circus-y theme and the violence and gore that makes this manga so interesting.
I especially liked the idea that Circus is a special Security Force and that the shows are just a post-raid apology to make up for inconveniences.

Also... the sheep. Oh my god, the SHEEP.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this manga! It's a steampunk, freakshow, distopia, and comedy manga, all rolled into one!
I loved the character of Yogi especially, he's like a big little kid, dumb blonde kinda guy and I just wanted to give him a hug (just saying).

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Kenapa gak ada yang mengunggah sampul versi Jepangna di sini???? *padahal dirina sendiri males, meski punya raw-nya :p *

2. Ini tipe manga yang mampu membuat cewek menjerit-jerit dalam sekejap OHMYGAREKIWHYAREYOUSOTSUNTSUNFROMYOURFIRSTCHAPTER!!! :v :v :v
Karakterna loveable semuaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Mau nyari karakter tipe gimana? Shota ada, tsundere ada, om-om hotseksibersuaraberatbikinmimisan(?) ada, abang-abang cutepenyukaboneka tapi tayorareru (dan berkepribadian ganda) ada, loli manis ada, nee-chan berdada besar ada, yandere ada, tipe ojou-sama manis pun ada.
Nah, mau yang mana? Tinggal dipiliiiiiiiiiiih (buat di-fangirl atau di-fanboy)

Saya gak berani bilang kalo cowok bakal suka sama seri ini sih (meski banyak cewek seksi dan manis juga). Kenapa? Karena menurut saya karakter-karakter cewek yang ada di Karneval tuh tipe karakter yang MEMANG DISEDIAKAN untuk disukain sesama cewek (bukan... maksud saya bukan yuri yee =w=). Maksud saya, karakter macem Tsukumo-chan, Iva-neechan, dan Kiichi-chan tuh disediain sama pengarang supaya komikna gak keliatan kebanyakan cowok dan nanti dijauhin atau bahkan dicap "maho" sama konsumen cowok (nanti jatohna malah kayak Free :p )

Yang saya sukain, meski karakter-karakter cewekna (seolah) disediakan buat mengurangi efek terlalu-banyak-karakter-cowok, mereka dibuat sedemikian rupa sampai-sampai pembaca cewek tuh sama sekali gak bisa ngebenci mereka (sama sekali, lho!!!)
Mungkin karena, pertama, karakter cewekna -meski seksi- dibuat bukan untuk fanservice. Mereka punya peran kuat, masing-masingna juga punya karakteristik yang berbeda dan khas.
Kedua, karena sifat "hubungan" para karakter cewek dengan para karakter cowok enggak "mengganggu" pembaca (cewek) yang mau ber-fangirl akut :v
Jadi, gak ada tokoh-tokoh cewek nyebelin yang nempel-nempel gaje ke karakter cowok. (mungkin, sih)
*ah, saya BENCI si Elyscha sih*

3. Saya nge-pairing Yogi x Gareki.
Gak ada pairing-an lain yang cocok deh. Pokona Gareki tuh milik Yogi!!!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~~~ mereka tuh couple yang manis meski konyoooooooool~~~ *terbang dengan imajinasi liar*

4. Sejujurna, saya rada gak suka sama Nai, tokoh utama seri ini.
Dia tipe shota, banget. Tapiiiiiii naifna tuh gak ketulungaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan >_________________<
Bikin geregetan rasana!!!Apalagi pas denger seiyuu Nai versi anime, suarana terlalu dewasa ;___________; Gak cocok! Gak cocok!!!
Pokona saya gak rela(?) kalo Gareki sama Nai!
Pokona Gareki HARUS sama Yogi!!! *maksa* *gak ada hubunganna, Gie*
Padahal saya lumayan penyuka shota (kayak Lag Seeing di Tegami Bachi), tapi saya gak bisa suka sama Nai. Nande darou? :?

5. Terahir, tapi bukan hal sepele.
Artwork-na bagus~~~!!!


=====================================
Tambahan.
Saya lupa(?) nge-review cerita :v

1. Saya suka ide penamaan "Circus" sebagai nama organisasi pertahanan nasional. Dan saya juga suka ide bahwa orang-orang Circus pun melakukan pertunjukan sirkus~ (selain nangkepin penjahat)

2. Saya masih bingung soal konsep "energi" yang dipakai anggota Circus. Mereka kan jadi punya kemampuan super (bisa terbang, bisa memunculkan senjata dari entah-apa, bisa men-summon makhluk gaib, dll dsb) berkat energi yang diambil dari makhluk hidup langka di sebuah ekosistem kecil di sebuah daratan tersembunyi.
Gimana carana mereka bisa memproses "energi" dari makhluk itu?
Kok bisa gak banyak orang yang menginginkan kekuatan tersebut? (habis, gak ada cerita soal orang-orang yang berusah mencuri pengetahuan mengenai energi itu dari mereka, kecuali si Gareki)
Sebenerna, ini plothole banget. Tapi berhubung saya belum banyak baca manga-na (karena di anime sama sekali gak ada dibahas soal energi ini), mungkin sayana aja yang belum tau.

3. Terus, valga itu apa? Indukna valga... (apa namana? Kafka??) itu makhluk apa?
Kalau misalna Kafka itu sekedar manusia super macem anggota Circus yang memakai "energi" dari suatu makhluk hidup, berarti si Circus tinggal ngancurin sumber energi Kafka kan?
Kalau misalna si Kafka bukan manusia, berarti mereka semacam makhluk langka kayak sumber energi mereka?
Duh, bagian gini-ginianna bikin bingung deh.
Apa sayana aja yang dodol dan kebanyakan ber-fangirl pas baca, jadi gak ngerti? :p

4. Saya harap si pengarang udah punya konsep worldbuilding yang kuat, berhubung konsep "energi"-na aja udah ribet.
Kalo konsep worldbuilding-na belum manteb, bisa-bisa nih manga bakalan hiatus gegara konflikna gak jelas memperebutkan apa :v :v :v

[Nanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Menceritakan tentang seorang bocah laki-laki bernama Nai berkelana mencari orang. Dengan petunjuk sebuah gelang yang ternyata merupakan suatu identitas anggota Circus, Nai bertemu dengan Gareki, laki-laki yag hidup dari mencuri, dan juga bertemu dengan para anggota Circus.

Awalnya sedikit membingungkan, hubungan antar panelnya masih kurang pas. Tapi makin kebelakang sudah makin membaik. Untuk karakternya ada yang menarik ada yang menyebalkan. Cowok-cowoknya super cakep ♥♥
Untuk tokoh utama sedikit menyebalkan, dia itu kelewat polos soalnya.
Untuk humornya lumayan, paling suka adegan di dalem pesawat, ada penjaga khusus yaitu domba.. pas Gareki mau masuk area terlarang, lucu banget reaksi si domba "pelanggar mbeek"

Ps: tadinya mau kasih 3 bintang, tapi gara-gara domba itu.. makanya menambahkan 1 bintang lagi XD

[Pip (Bookish_Pip) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw that this was going to become an anime in April and the art that was shown on MAL looked pretty so I wanted to try the manga first to see what it was about (and to also see who this Gareki is *u*).

I think I've started to slip down the 'Toga Inu' road again so I'll probably end up liking it at the same magnitude but this series seems to have plot and quite an interesting one at that. I can't wait to read vol.2!

(I'll either end up reading it again or buying it. I will also be starting the series on the 3rd of April. =w= Regrets? Nope! Can't wait for it to air! XD)

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Some parts of it surprised me quite a bit, especially regarding Nai. I thought the plot was very interesting and I have many questions regarding what will happen in upcoming events and the characters' pasts. I liked all of the characters, although Nai could be a bit too dimwitted and naive for my tastes, but I think that overall he was a very endearing (and funny) character.

[78sunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich hatte so viel gutes von der Reihe gehört und der Zeichenstil hat mich sofort angesprochen. Daher war ich bereit den relativ hohen Preis für einen gebrauchten Manga zu zahlen.
Leider wurde ich sehr enttäuscht. Die Story war wirr, die einzelnen Szenen wirkten abgehakt oder aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen. Nichts wurde richtig erklärt.
Dann kamen noch die schrecklich unsympathischen Charaktere dazu, die alle sehr eigennützig handeln, extrem gefühlskalt sind und auch sonst nichts gutes an sich haben. Die Hauptperson, Nai, wurde mir auch nicht sympathisch, obwohl er nicht böse oder eigennützig war. Er war nur leider schrecklich dumm und naiv und das sind Eigenschaften, die ich gar nicht leiden mag und sie auch nicht in meiner Lektüre brauche.
Eigentlich hat mich alles an dem Manga genervt, bis auf er Zeichenstil. Der war wirklich sehr gut. Vor allem die Gesichter waren toll gezeichnet und die Panels waren abwechslungsreich gestaltet.
Leider konnte das auch nichts mehr retten.

Story 2,0/5
(wirr; abgehakt; uninteressant)
Zeichenstil 4,6/5
(abwechslungsreich; schöne Gesichter)
Charaktere 2/5
(unsympathisch oder extrem naiv)
Gesamt 2,0/5
(das war nichts für mich; werde die Reihe nicht weiterverfolgen)

[Cintia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in volume 3 as I write this and... It's been a while since I read a manga with a complex plot like this, it's great. I'm not sure what brought me here though, because the synopsis tells you absolutely nothing.

[N.T. Embeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I recently finished watching the Karneval anime, and since it was a short release of about 13 episodes, once the last volume aired last week, I figured the natural thing to do was to combat its ending after having gotten so involved with it and its characters by reading the manga series. And boy am I glad that I decided to do so. The manga goes into far more depth than the anime does, for obvious reasons of time constraint and so forth. But I really enjoyed getting to see a lot more to the storyline.

The introduction gave us a lot more to go off of, and really brought home that far darker element that was still brought up in the anime but didn't really hit full impact until around mid-point in my opinion. The manga version made it clear to show you the darker side of things a lot quicker and fleshed it out very well. The examples were brilliantly highlighted and I enjoyed them thoroughly, even when they were grotesque or made me want to murder someone. And if you can get me lusting for blood this soon into a new series, you know you're doing something right.

In addition, I love how we're able to see a lot more of the different sides to the characters that we were introduced to in the anime. Every single one of them has such unique facets of their character that have already begun to be explored in subtle ways. And for someone who has a decent grasp of them thanks to the anime, you can pick up on those interesting little features prettily easily if you're looking to learn more about our cast's characters.

And like in the anime, they did a nice job of blending the deeper tones with the lighter humorous tidbits, or even the sweeter parts, and then some crack comedy. It's a delightful and even natural blend that balances things well enough that I didn't even notice it until I focused on speaking about it.

I also really appreciated how a lot more explanations were given us for plot points that were covered a lot more briefly, as needed, in the anime. Various facts that were just dropped on us in the anime were finally given some grounding and we get a much fuller sense of the story from the manga's side of things since we have the time and space now to explore them in more depth. There were several parts that unraveled in this first volume that were never even hinted at in the anime, which made for a far more satisfying feeling when reading this. And we got particular gems just for fans of certain characters as well, to which I was very happy.

Overall, the manga was really enjoyable. The cast of characters has just been introduced to us, but already they're a crew that I'm happy to tag along with. Their various personalities are developing at their own pace, and I'm loving the journey that reading this manga is giving us as existing fans and first-time readers. It's definitely a series anyone can get into and have no problem with understanding whether you've seen the anime or not. (Which is the point, since the manga came before the anime in the first place~)

Definitely a manga to recommend for you people looking for a mix of shounen and shoujo, action and fun, crack and cute, and some serious levels of gorgeous and grotesque from all our cast of characters and their enemies. (Though seriously; some of those enemies are so ridiculously good-looking I can't even.)

I give it a big thumbs up! Read it if you can, and check out the anime as well! It's only 13 episodes long and a nice intro if you prefer the anime side of things to manga, though I HIGHLY recommend the manga to you regardless. It's a great read! I'm sure most manga and anime fans will find something to enjoy therein. See you in the next volume!

[Ariella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.

Rating: B

I haven't read any manga in a long time now and I decided to dive back into that world with Karneval, Vol. 1 by Touya Mikanagi.

Karneval is a refreshing manga as we went in without knowing anything. We immediately get introduced to an innocent boy, Nai, who was just captured by thugs and brought to someone called Lady Mine. Gareki, a stranger, rescues him from Lady Mine. Somehow they got all tangled up with a murder case and a mysterious group called the Circus while Gareki is trying to help Nai find someone called Karoku.

Nai is an awesome character. He's really innocent and naive and doesn't know much of anything. It looks like he has amnesia as he doesn't seem to remember anything of his past except Karoku and the Circus ID that came with him. He calls blood "red water" and doesn't know the bad guys from the good guys.

Gareki is also a really great character as well. Even though he isn't helping Nai from the goodness of his heart, he still protects Nai like its his own brother. I would like to find out more about the group that Gareki is in.

A special group of characters I'd like to mention are the sheepies! The sheep are so awesome and they're so funny! I like how they're the defense system and how they bullied Gareki haha!

Overall, Karneval is an amazing manga you wouldn't want to miss reading if yore a big fan of anime and manga! Complete with beautiful drawings and a funny, mysterious plot, I'll be sure to keep on reading this one!

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Saya merasa shallow akhir2 ini... Begitu mudahnya tergoda dengan cowok2 cantik di komik.
Jadi sekarang kalo beli komik baru rumusnya cowok cantik+cowok cantik+bromance+tamat = beli
Pun demikian ketika memutuskan untuk membeli komik ini, meskipun belum tamat tapi kata penerjemahnya ini komik shonen-ai nanggung, yaudahlah...

tapi sebagai vol pembuka, vol 1 ini kurang "mengikat"
karakternya belum ada yang menonjol, ada sih yang menonjol; Nai - menonjol bodohnya -.-
cerita dan plotnya standar shonen
art nya cantik sih tapi agak bikin bingung

yasudah saya menunggu review vol 2 nya aja

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised that I enjoyed this. The premise sounds a little weird, but I'm a sucker for a secret defense agency, and it doesn't bug me that the creator shamelessly made it circus-themed because it makes for way cooler art and costuming ;) Although Nai is boring as the naive main character, and Gareki is your standard pretty boy thief with a heart of gold, I'm curious to find out more about the mysteries of Nai's abilities and his brother's whereabouts.

[Ririn · Rating 3 out of 5]

World buildingnya masih belum jelas. Tokoh utamanya, si Nai, agak klemer-klemer. Setidaknya di awal-awal, belakangan lumayan berguna, jadi saya maafkanlah. Totally shipping Gareki and Yogi :D wtf menurut wiki ada 15 volume and masi on-going -_-;; nonton animenya ajalah... sekalian mau denger suara Miyano Mamoru jadi Yogi :D~

[Sam Salinas · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art style is beautiful, but the story is so convulated I was confused the entire time. The world is a mish mash of things that don't really flow well together (it's a weird mix of fantasy and sci-fi that doesn't work in this instance). It had potential, but I ultimately finished this first volume not caring about the characters or their stories.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. I love the action, characters, dialogue was nice, and most of all the characters had a life like aura to them.

[Brittany Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very weird manga, and I'm not 100% sure on what all is happening and why, but I'm interested enough to keep reading.

[Dark Side of the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day he came to me manga, which drew my attention to their covers. They were not bleak and black, but colorful, like a rainbow, and sometimes delicately gilded. I did not know what the adventure I signed up reaching for "Karneval", but definitely want to stay longer in this wonderful world.

Nai is a boy who is not overwhelmed by the end of the world around him. After his alleged brother is his only bracelet on the wrist and that it, the boy decides to leave the safe house and go in search of his brother. With a lack of familiarity in a dangerous society quickly meets a woman who wants to use it. From oppression saves him Gareki local thief who takes it with him to his hiding place, to explain Nai certain laws that govern the world. By the way notes bracelet, which turns out to be a valuable jewelry, and it really belongs to the CIRCUS, ie as if the police for serious crimes. After the adventures that they meet they get on an aircraft, wherein the second branch CIRCUS resides. They get to know members of the association, and goes to Nai dating commander and doctor, after losing consciousness. As a result of research, conducted on the boy, it turns out ... that he is not human. Or it is, but not quite. There is something of Niji, which is a small winged and fluffy little creature living in the forests of the same name. Boy growing interest, especially as they learn about the other organizations. Nai goes with the rest of the characters Niji to the forest, and there they discover something that may lead them to his brother Karoku. In the meantime, also visit the former residence Garekiego and there supermen have to face when it appears that the killing of the innocent, to be able to feed them. With their oppression saves Hirato, the second commander of the ship, along with crew members from the ship first. Heroes have a chance to rest, because their next task is to prepare the show, but a rabbit, spoils all the fun and destroys their ranks. Still, they manage to get out of the situation unscathed. After a staff meeting in the framework of the "gifts" from Nai Garekim and two new friends from CIRCUS, they are sent to a land full of snow. This adventure, certainly not end well.

On the one hand I like this manga, the dash, the character Garekiego, which is my favorite, and the same idea of ​​building the world as the author offers us. We have here a very fairytale world, but at the same time dark. Everything is mixed together in a strange but compelling way. I must admit that incompetence Nai irked me in every book of poems. It turned out to be a typical sweet mascot, boyish corpus, and in addition is childish as hell. However, in the third volume, the author decided to focus on history Garekiego and it made rested from Nai and his incomprehension of the world. I love the characters and their diversity CIRCUS. Each of them is different, so everyone wants to know a little bit. I hope that the author will develop in the next volumes of each member of the second ship, because I am curious of their history.

Again it came out that I am a "magpie cladding", and in this case rather "gatefold" because manga skopiły my attention just by wearing a colorful cover to death. They are fabulous. Beautifully presented and backs combine in a unique rainbow. Although I think I got some unlucky copy of the first book of poems, as if it is just smeared on the cover. I had no comparison with the others, also do not know if this factory defect, whether that be so (which I sincerely doubt).

After reading the three volumes I am interested in the further development of the story, but as I look at the number of volumes (20+) it makes me a little faint. I do not know if I can put up with the annoying Nai so long. Unless the author decides to change it and make him a hero engulfed. So far, I'm so, but with successive tomikami, everything can change a million times.

[R E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art, characterization, narrative and theme blend perfectly in this beautifully done action-adventure manga. Caught in the middle are the mysterious waif, Nai, who is looking for his older brother, and the thief-cum-bomb expert Gareki, who thinks he’s going to get something valuable by helping Nai but ends up caring for the little guy. But caring for Nai ends up being a full time job, as Nai keeps wandering into one life threatening situation after another. It’s set in an alt-world where the secret service and criminal forces have a part-Carnivale, part-circus fashion, part-1920’s aviator aesthetic, allowing the artist to spread her wings with character design.

Other characters include Captain Hirato and Yogi, both of whom seem to work for the secret service and command huge, dirigible-sized airships. There’s also Yogi’s robotic assistants, which are all in the form of black sheep that wear tall, broad-brimmed hats. Meanwhile, the villains are shape-shifting, “evolved” (i.e., enhanced) humans that are partial to eating human flesh and collecting eyeballs. There are hints of a corporate villain lurking in the background, too.

The artist’s compositions sparkle, snap, loom and glomp with the mood of the scene, and her ability to design in black, white and gray is off the charts: she unleashes a full spectrum gray scale design strategy that is perfectly balanced and unified in this manga. Whereas other artists might stumble at balancing 4 values, she has full on 9-10 values levels that never go astray. Her line work is just as elegant, always integrated to reinforce her overarching compositional structure but also a force unto itself: in one scene, where Nai grabs his head from being overcome by some painful force, the lines ache and throb with a staccato urgency.

This is one of those mangas that hit the ground running; as soon as you turn the first page, you’re sucked in. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable manga with spectacular art, plenty of laughs, and cliffhangers as well. I’m buying volume 2.

[Kris Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nai just wants his big brother, Karoku, back. He ends up kidnapped from a crazy kid eating monster called Lady Mine. He's saved by Gareki who wants the Circus ID bracelet that Nai possesses. Nai claims that the bracelet was Karoku's and that's why he wants it back. A policeman frames Nai for murder of a fellow policeman and steals the bracelet. He's now hunted and on the run. Gareki steals it back from the corrupt policeman and they end up on a train that's been hijacked. Nai can hear the bombs on the train and is able to pinpoint them so that Gareki can disable them. Hirato, the bodyguard from the train, turns out to be a part of the Circus (National Supreme Defense Force) organization. The pair are looked out for by Yogi, a very young and strange Circus agent, and Tsukumo, a very serious young Circus agent. Nai gets kidnapped again and saved by the black sheep that work for the Circus. Nai has a fit from his hearing. End of volume 1.

Nai: innocent, gullible, desperate for his brother.
Gareki: jaded, stubborn, untrusting, looking out for himself. Soft spot for Nai?

[Mladoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un premier tome assez intrigant qui met d'emblée dans le vif de l'action. le jeune Nai est assez mystérieux et son "frère" disparu l'est tout autant. Gareki est quant à lui l'archétype du méchant garçon aux grand coeur. Les monstres que l'on croise dans ce tome d'ouverture sont particulièrement répugnants et leur origine pas très claire encore. La fameuse organisation Circus et ses membres donnent à voir de belles scènes d'action et d'humour mêlées et chacun possède des caractéristiques typiques des groupes de combattants présents dans les shonen.
Pour le moment, on ne sait pas trop vers quoi se dirige l'histoire ni qui est ce fameux PDG qui semble beaucoup s'intéresser à Nai, dont les pouvoirs semblent se révéler au compte-gouttes.
Un premier tome plein de mystère mais dans les nombreux fils délaie un peu trop le tout à mon goût. Je vais lire le second tome en ma possession mais si ça continue sur cette lancée je ne suis pas certaine d'être motivée ) continuer la série, je sens la saga à rallonges se profiler à l'horizon.

[Lizzie RoseShine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fav characters in this manga so far - Gareki & yogi. There are times when nai make a mistake, Gareki on his way rescue him from those people who after nai n hit in him in the head n got scolded by gareki. They meet circus organization n just to know where karuko were but the captain of this airship 2 said they never heard karoku joined circus, so hotori will continue to let his subordinates take care of Gareki n nai in his aircraft 2. Karoku - what the hell!, if u let nai be alone looking for you, you never know nai got hurt or got abducted by strange people or evil ones n that's why, nai n Gareki should go togerher, since Gareki knows something we're up.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after watching the show and I have to admit, I think I like the book better. While the first mini-arc in volume one had me questioning a little if I wanted to commit because of some implied violence I wasn't very comfortable with, the rest of the book had a much lighter feel to it. While I don't think it will ever be my favorite series and the art style (though beautiful) isn't my favorite style, it's still really pretty. Nai and Gareki are cute and fun and I'm excited to see where the series goes, especially after where the anime cut off.

[Florence Mullot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cela faisait un petit moment que j'avais envie de commencer Karneval. Clairement parce que les couvertures du manga me font de l'oeil à chaque fois... Mais je ne m'étais pas penchée plus que cela sur l'histoire. Je suis tombée sur premier tome en librairie récemment, et j'avoue que j'ai été plutôt emballée par le résumé mystérieux. Je me suis donc lancée dans l'aventure. Même pas peur des vingt-cinq tomes déjà sortis... Enfin, si un peu...

Intriguant et cela dès le départ, Karneval nous plonge dans un monde aux allures fantastico-steampunk, un peu à la D. Gray Man. Une organisation d'élite qui combat les criminels et les monstres, dont les membres sont dotés de pouvoirs, de la corruption à gogo, un héros naïf en quête de son "grand-frère", l'homme qui l'a élevé. Oui, les similitudes sont là, mais étant aussi une lectrice de Katsura Hoshino rassurez-vous les deux mangakas ont réussi à créer des univers qui leur sont propres et des enjeux bien différents. Et clairement, je pense qu'au fur et à mesure les deux mangas, même en étant basé sur la même trame, vont s'éloigner assez radicalement.

Karneval est donc l'histoire de Naï, un jeune orphelin qui décide de partir à la recherche de Karoku, l'homme qui a pris soin de lui et qu'il considère comme son grand-frère. Le seul indice que notre héros a, c'est un bracelet appartenant à la société Circus, une organisation d'élite. Possession illégale et convoitée qui plus est. Personne n'est certain d'ailleurs que Karoku, si c'est son vrai nom, fait bien partie de Circus. Une quête qui commence donc assez mal, surtout que Naï est la personne la plus naïve qui soit. Il a l'air de connaître très peu de choses sur la vie, ne sachant pas par exemple ce qu'est du sang, faisant confiance à tout le monde, apprenant vite, mais au gré de ses mésaventures. Pas réellement un atout quand on voit combien la société de Karneval est corrompue. Et même avec l'appui de Gareki, un robin des bois des temps modernes à la morale un peu fluctuante mais au bon coeur, les choses ne s'annoncent pas faciles.

Un duo improbable pour une mission qui semble perdue d'avance. Franchement, j'ai tout de suite accroché à l'idée. Il y a pas mal d'action, le character design est très sympa, on ne s'ennuie pas et tout ce qu'il y a autour de Circus est plus qu'alléchant. Des personnes haut en couleurs, un peu loufoques, avec des vaisseaux où les gardiens sont des animaux ultra mignons, et une touche de pouvoirs (magiques ou pas, pour l'instant c'est assez flou). Si on laisse de côté la recherche de Karoku, il y a largement de quoi faire. Rien que la mission de Circus donne clairement place à un shonen avec du potentiel. Naï est aussi un mystère que l'on a envie de découvrir, et un héros naïf à souhait, cela chance énormément, surtout qu'ici il n'a aucune aptitude à première vue.

J'aurais un peu de mal à plus détricoter ce premier tome qui est très introductif, que cela soit au niveau des personnages et de l'univers. Mais je suis plutôt charmée par l'idée et j'ai envie de poursuivre pour voir ce que cela pourrait donner par la suite.

La fin du tome par contre me fait un peu peur, même si clairement tout le reste m'a beaucoup plu. Je crains de voir un schéma à la Loveless, le manga de Yun Kōga si vous connaissait, vis-à-vis de Naï et Karoku, et clairement ce genre de dynamique ne me plait pas du tout. J'espère me tromper sincèrement, car cela risquerait d’entacher ma lecture. J'ai de plus en plus de mal avec les trahisons, surtout venant d'êtres qui sont proches des héros. Mais là encore, je m'avance beaucoup.

[Kristin Katsuye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this two in one manga browsing through the library. I’ve never heard of it before but the title caught my attention. The artwork was pretty too. I had no idea what this was about & didn’t read a summary before going into volume one. First half was eh, but it did start to pick up towards the end. Now I’m curious to learn more in the next volume. If it starts to get better I’ll look into getting the next copy. I have other series I’m finishing through so we’ll see if it keeps my attention.

[endeavoursofvic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karneval 1: 4 Stars
[6.41 - really great.]

I adore this start so much. Sign me up for this journey.
We have a fascinating story that has me intrigued from the getgo and characters I am already deeply attached to. Put on top of all of that one of the most beautiful art-styles I have ever seen.

Very excited for Volume 2 and to see what the future of this series is going to bring

[Khari · Rating 3 out of 5]

この話はどう思う？さっぱり分かんない。

アートはとてもきれい。ちょっとヴィジュアル系みたいなアート。字は小さくて読みにくい。ルビは全く読めない。「腕輪」の漢字が変な発音になったんだけど読めないからわかんない。

キャラもわかりにくい。話も分かりにくい。難しい漢字が多い。日本語を習う人にはお勧めができない。難しい。

キャラ関係もおかしい。ナイは純粋、他のみんなはなんか裏がある。次の巻を読めばもっと分かるかな？

[gabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was really strange and a bit confusing, but that ending kind of has me hooked.

[Jesica · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Me gusto pero no me mato--!