Anime 38897

Carnival Phantasm is back with this hilarious bait-and-switch Prisma Illy OVA. Expectations are completely flipped on their head as we're given a classic Carnival Phantasm episode chock full of in jokes and references to events and characters throughout the Prisma series.

Minor spoilers ahead :
Based on previous OVAs materials , this OVA plays with the audiences expectations and works effectively to deprive the audience of sexual fanservice in a hilarious way. Assassin install Shinji Matoi is the central character throughout, with Kuro and Illya only appearing in the final 10 minutes or so. It deals with his trials and tribulations, constantly being the butt end of ... jokes. The most fanservice in the film is of Luvias butler washing Shinjis back in the shower and a gross gender swapped Julian shower scene. The writers definitely thought of how to troll viewers fan service expectations and it played out perfectly.

The OVA, however, is rife with series fanservice character moments like Carnival Phantasm. Every character that has ever appeared in the Prisma series makes at least a cameo, with Shinji and Kirei receiving significant spotlight. Like Carnival Phantasm, the jokes hit hard and the character writing is great. Obviously, a working knowledge of the Prisma verse is nessecary to get all the references, but this OVA is obviously meant for the already initiated.

The final after credits scene even teases the continuation of the main line series. Which is definitely exciting.

Just a dumb comedy spinoff. It made me chuckle a few times at its ridiculousness but I think this had to be much funnier to a Japanese audience that it is to us in the West. You can totally skip this OVA and not be missing much. It's pretty to look at and it can make you chuckle a little; you just have to accept it is what it is and move on. It's a side story that adds nothing to the main plot....it's repetitive and not all that funny. Sentai didn't even bother trying to dub this...just slapped on ... some subtitles and said "ok hoss, have at it."
Ilya and Kuro don't really put in an appearance until like the final 30 minutes or so. I watched it mainly to be a completionist for the Prisma side story. Can't wait to actually watch the final capper movie, Vow in the Snow. This OVA very much breaks the 4th wall by mentioning the final movie in passing.

I..... have never been so angry while watching something from a series I love before. Caution, this review is COMPLETELY biassed and fueled by so much anger and hate that Angra Mainyu should be telling me to calm down right about now. Look, I'm a reasonable man. I understand that this was shown in theater. People were expecting this to be a fanservice festival, but I knew it wasn't going to be that. Not only was this going to be shown in theaters but this is part of the Phantasm series. And I loved Carnival Phantasm, I did. I enjoy wacky humor. I enjoy senseless ... comedy. But what I cannot tolerate, what sends me into a murderous frenzy is being lied to. Look at the key art. Look at the previews. Look at the webpage. Seriously, look here:
http://anime.prisma-illya.jp/movie/prismaphantasm/img/pre/visual_01.jpg

Who do you see? You see Illya, Kuro, Miyu, their friends, Gil, Ruby, Saphire, Shiro, Rin, Luvia. Who do you not see? Shinji and Kotomine. GUESS WHAT 90% OF THE GODDAMN THING IS? SHINJI AND KOTOMINE! And you know what's worse? They're not even funny. Like... at all. Maybe I was just too enraged to appreciate the humor. But then I watched it again. Didn't help. I was still raging. What's worse then making a bad joke? Repaeating said bad joke hour more times. Yeah, they do that. They basically have one joke for Kotomine and they keep repeating it. Shinji doesn't fair much better. The final arc was relatively amusing. It's also the only one where Illya actively participates.

Why? What happened? Why did they think this was a good idea? The director AND the writer are the same ones from the TV seires. So how the hell could they think this is what the fans want? This boggles the mind. You should read the Amazon.jp reviews. 33% gave a 1 star. Yeah, Japan did not like this either.
And it's not like they didn't have material. There's tons of extra chapters from the manga that could have been adapted. But nope... Kotomine and Shinji... that's what Prisma Illya fans wanted. We need Avenger for this mess.