Kanokon: The Great Midsummer Carnival Specials
かのこん ～真夏の大謝肉祭～ (Kanokon: Manatsu no Dai Shanikusai Specials)
- Ecchi
- Gag Humor
- Harem
- Mythology
- School
- Episodes
- 2
- Duration
- 3 min per ep
- Aired
- Nov 25, 2009 to Dec 22, 2009
- Status
- Finished Airing
Synopsis
Kanokon: The Great Midsummer Carnival Specials offers a unique blend of humor and fan service, expanding upon the original series with a collection of lighthearted episodes. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant summer festival, this installment showcases the charming interactions and romantic escapades of its characters, while also amplifying the playful elements that fans have come to love.
As the characters navigate the festivities, viewers are treated to a mix of comedy and allure, highlighting the relationships that develop amidst the excitement of the carnival. With an emphasis on the entertaining dynamics and enchanting atmosphere, these specials serve as a delightful companion to the main storyline, inviting audiences to join in on the fun and frivolity of summer.
Otaku Consensus
Kanokon: The Great Midsummer Carnival Specials is best judged as a two-episode ecchi add-on, not a continuation: Xebec’s close-up character animation and short-form pacing make the Chizuru showcase land for viewers who came specifically for raunchy bonus material. The verdict from fans and critics is sharply qualified, with praise for lively character movement, pleasant backgrounds, and even fully animated crowd shots, but the most common criticism is that the specials push fanservice so far forward that logic, narrative shape, and character development effectively disappear.
Why You Should Watch
Watch these specials if you want Kanokon with the connective tissue stripped out: six-minute jolts of Chizuru-centric ecchi, kemonomimi flirting, and straight-man panic rather than a follow-up that tries to deepen the mythology. It scratches the same unapologetic-service itch as the saucier end of To Love-Ru or the bonus-episode side of High School DxD, but with an even narrower target: viewers already invested in Chizuru and Kouta’s push-pull. The appeal is practical, not lofty: the characters are voiced, Xebec keeps the close-up character animation lively, and the specials lean into outfits, camera angles, and raunchy punchlines that the TV format could only parcel out. If you want a compact OVA that treats fanservice as the main event without pretending otherwise, this is the pitch.
Key Characters
- CChizuru Minamoto(VA: Ayako Kawasumi)
Chizuru is the specials’ obvious focal point, with fan discussion centering less on dramatic growth than on how aggressively the OVA frames her through outfits, nudity, and kemonomimi appeal.
- KKouta Oyamada(VA: Mamiko Noto)
Kouta functions as the flustered straight man whose reactions give the OVA’s harem and ecchi gags their rhythm.
What Makes It Stand Out
- 1
The specials were produced by Xebec as a two-episode OVA released from November 25, 2009 to December 22, 2009, positioning them as late bonus material rather than part of the main TV run.
- 2
The ecchi emphasis is unusually concentrated even by Kanokon standards: AniList tags it with 60% Nudity and 70% Kemonomimi, while user reviews describe the runtime as overwhelmingly built around Chizuru in revealing setups.
- 3
Anime Reviews : AAW noted a visible downgrade from the TV series in flatter coloring and simpler character art, especially in distant shots, but still singled out the character animation, pleasant backgrounds, and fully animated crowd shots as technical bright spots.
- 4
Its reception profile is consistent across databases: 6.46 on MyAnimeList from 8,005 votes, 58/100 on AniList, 6.25 on Nevix, and a 3-star Animeworld rating all point to niche approval rather than broad critical respect.
- 5
The tag mix is narrower than a typical harem sequel: Female Harem and Love Triangle sit at only 20% on AniList, while the stronger identifiers are Kemonomimi, Nudity, Monster Girl, and the franchise’s mythology-flavored school comedy setup.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Fun fact 1
- The credited original creator is Katsumi Nishino, with original character designs by Koin, preserving the light novel lineage behind the OVA’s character-focused appeal.
- Fun fact 2
- The lead pairing brings together Ayako Kawasumi as Chizuru Minamoto and Mamiko Noto as Kouta Oyamada, two voice actors whose performances anchor almost all of the specials’ fanservice-and-reaction comedy.
- Fun fact 3
- A web summary classifies the OVA as a 16-up comedy, matching the way reviews discuss it: not as romance escalation, but as adult-leaning gag material.
- Fun fact 4
- Despite being only two episodes, the specials have over 8,000 MyAnimeList votes and a MAL popularity rank of #5496, showing that Kanokon’s fanservice reputation continued to draw viewers after the TV series.
- Fun fact 5
- AniList lists only 32 favourites for the specials, a useful signal that even among viewers who tracked it, the OVA is treated more as a franchise extra than a beloved standalone entry.
Studios
- Xebec
