The idea of a crossover between characters from Fate/stay Night, Tsukihime and Melty Blood sounds totally unworkable on paper -- something you would only find by doing a deep dive on a fan fiction website, perhaps. However, Carnival Phantasm defies expectations by taking this concept and creating one of the funniest anime series ever made.
Carnival Phantasm was made to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Japanese game company TYPE-MOON. TYPE-MOON is the studio behind legendary cross-media juggernauts like Fate and Melty Blood. The series was based on the gag manga Take-Moon. Take-Moon was a loving parody of TYPE-MOON's various characters and works and put the company's characters in odd and wacky situations that would never happen in their home franchises.
Carnival Phantasm is framed around a pub called the Ahnenerbe. This pub is staffed by a group of cat spirits called Neco-Arcs. This includes the original Neco-Arc from the Tsukihime series, who often acts as TYPE-MOON's mascot. This pub can jump between parallel worlds seemingly at random, allowing it to appear anywhere at any time. However, once every ten years, the "Carnival Moment" happens. When this occurs, many parallel worlds can intersect and cross together, allowing the occupants of these worlds to meet up and interact in strange and unpredictable ways.
Carnival Phantasm was released in three seasons of 4 episodes, with each episode being its own collection of short skits, all introduced and set up by the Neco-Arcs. These skits are wild, containing everything from a gameshow parody to violent beach volleyball to comedic slice-of-life dramas. It is this variety that makes the show so good. You never know what is coming next, and the constantly changing format means that no joke overstays its welcome or gets stale.
How the show uses its characters is also top-notch. While the characters are outside of their usual worlds and situations, they still retain the essence of their canon selves, making the jokes all the more satisfying. Long-time fans will love that the show gives you the chance to see some dream interactions that could never occur in the regular TYPE-MOON continuity. But, even if you're not a TYPE-MOON fan, you'll find something to love in Carnival Fantasm. The series does a great job at helping newcomers understand the characters, and it has plenty of well-written jokes that work even if you have no idea about the story of each series. In fact, Carnival Fantasm is a fantastic introduction to many of TYPE-MOON's best characters and acts as a functional (if unusual) jumping on point for their content.
But the best thing about Carnival Fantasm is the love it is made with. You can tell that everyone involved in this series loves TYPE-MOON and its creations. This love is utterly infectious, and you can't help but be carried away by it. This is shown best by the show's meta-comedy. While it does mock the original shows, it is very soft and playful. It feels like friends lovingly nudging each other rather than the sometimes harsh mocking found in other meta anime series.
This love, coupled with the sheer amount of jokes, means that you'll find yourself laughing from the start to the end of every episode. Carnival Fantasm is a fantastic show and the definition of "feel-good anime." If laughter is the best medicine, then Carnival Fantasm should be prescribed by every doctor, as it is a warm, wonderful and utterly enjoyable series that every anime fan should check out.
