The Amazing Digital Circus

Finally watched the pilot episode and I loved it! I really loved the mystery elements of the pilot and how it discusses about why the characters can't leave that place and how they got there in the first place. I am curious about what is really going on with that circus and why people can't leave from there. I guess we'll learn more about this world in the next episode.

Edited by Rabbitearsblog on Oct 28th 2023 at 11:46:59 AM

Before I watched the pilot (which was a while back I just took until now to type my thoughts on it), a very brief skim around the TV Tropes pages gave me the impression that this was something that was darker and leaned far more in to horror. That the title Circus was a place that people randomly woke up in one day (eg Awful Hospital), that "no exit" meant that there wasn't even a way to leave the tent setting and there was no "outdoors" in the realm, and that Caine was some kind of sadistic Faux Affably Evil eldritch entity that deliberately tormented the humans and ran on Surreal Horror. The pilot actually turned out to be much lighter than what I expected.

I want to be clear that I prefer what the pilot really was to my misconception, in case that above paragraph sounded like disappointment. I like that Caine appears to be good-intentioned and that the setting seems less "incomprehensible Eldritch Location that poorly dresses itself with colors and only to be ironic" and more "planned virtual reality world for kids gone horribly wrong." And I'm glad how the program works was cleared up in the first two minutes when Pomni asked how to take the headset off. We learn right away how people get in and an idea of what the setting is.

That leads me to say that I believe in the theory that the people either have digital copies of them created in the world or the headset like directly sucks them in and transforms them in to their avatars somehow. Either makes more sense than them having their physical bodies still out there for years and new people somehow not noticing them, also running in to the problems of people with headsets attached that somehow have no way of taking them off yet also don't die from starvation or such.

My biggest worry though, and it's still a small worry overall, would probably be the pacing. I normally don't care too much if a series is "too slow" in moving its plot along forward or has too much "filler," but with something like this I could see myself getting bored and dropping out if episodes go by with no actual progress or major shakeups. Like, three episodes of nothing advancing the plot at all and only at the very end of the fourth do we learn from a random flashback what C&A even stands for, then two more episodes with no progression and so on. The pilot though was pretty fast so I don't think something like this happening is likely. What I'm saying is that this looks great if it would be a serial work and each episode slowly works towards unravelling the mysteries and/or working to the possibility of a "true exit," not as much if it for some reason settles on a status quo for a long time.

My only concern is the same one I have with a lot of ongoing series, especially online. Which is that it's far easier to entice people in with interesting lore and mysteries than it is to actually pay off that stuff.

aka mystery boxes!

Jax made me wondered, why are assholes sometimes so entertaining to watch even if you know you would hate them if you had to interact with them in person?

Probably because you don't have to deal with the consequences of interacting with them if you're only watching them on a TV.

because fictional assholes are entertaining

I think it's the audacity.

inb4 Jax commits Refuge in Audacity

So, I ended up watching the pilot twice.

I actually jumped into completely blind the first time around. I wasn't that interested in it until I found it the same studio that made Murder Drones was involved and everyone was hyping it, so I figured why not give it a shot.

I did a re-watch to try and catch the things I missed the first time around and because I had better context about the premise that time around.

I'm on the fence with the humor, I found the show's jokes to be funnier upon rewatch. Aside from the humor, I don't really have any nitpicks or criticisms of the pilot.

I was just thinking how Jax reminded me of Max from Sam and Max

I watched the pilot on Halloween morning, and I was pleasantly surprised.

I don't normally get along with Black Comedy (even when it's good and not just cruel for the sake of cruelty), but the mystery's pretty compelling.

I'm hoping this keeps its momentum up, if only because I miss early 2000's fandom culture (or, more specifically, endlessly speculating over where web series are going to go with something).

Crisp Rat made his own video reacting to the show… and the fandom that emerged. It’s on Twitter: https://x.com/stinkybluerat/status/1720280851576173013?s=46&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A

Also, funny video with the voice actors:

Edited by BigBadShadow25 on Nov 3rd 2023 at 3:23:44 PM

I'm pretty sure that Caine is (probably unknowingly) The Dragon to the real Big Bad in charge of the Digital Circus. He's an A.I not fully aware of how humans works. Perhaps he's the archon to the true Yaldabaoth

I dont think there's a Big Bad per say,but I think Caine is going to be the main antagonist

That weird, black ooze is probably going to be a just as ominous as it looks.

YouTube version of the Crisp Ray video from earlier:

I do wonder how everyone came to the Digital Circus in the first place. This pilot has Don't Hug Me I'm Scared vibes in terms of being a series that looks adorable, but actually has darker elements as the series goes on.

Edited by Rabbitearsblog on Nov 3rd 2023 at 7:34:20 AM

I expect they're all in a room together wearing VR headsets

So the pilot was released less than a month ago and already reached 65 million views. That's legit insane. It's funny, creepy and interesting but I can't believe that it could become that popular! And to be honest I never heard about Gooseworx until now, but I will watch her previous stuff now.

Funnily enough Pomni's voice actress also voices other characters from a totally surreal web show, ENA, which I really like but hasn't become as big as TADC and probably will never be despite Joel G's popularity. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a different style!

Though I'd like to see some kind of parody/homage video where Pomni finds the exit door only to be catapulted into the ENA computer universe and become even more stressed by all the wackiness around her. Cheese and Rice, Pomni!! Technically it's always cyberspace...

Anyone see these official Gooseworx comics by the characters?

Here’s the source, Gooseworx’s twitter: https://x.com/gooseworxmusic?s=21&t=7YT7yMPCw2VMMwQUxWj5_A

Edited by BigBadShadow25 on Nov 5th 2023 at 5:06:42 AM

I predict that 'I'm going to kill you for no reason' will end up a meme.

Also, Pomni suddenly gaining a unicorn horn seems to be increasing her Sanity Slippage. I worry about that girl.

And I genuinely guffawed at "losing one Christmas". Maybe I just have a stupid sense of humor, though.

Edited by MagmaTeaMerry on Nov 5th 2023 at 11:10:54 AM

Your humor is fine. The face is funny.

Well.. This pilot was a hell of a thing.

...Potentially literally.

Will you press the button?

You'll turn into your favorite jester character BUT won't be able to give precise answers

"So, did you do it?"

"Well, it's possible."

Had to do the meme because it reminded me of a version that combines it with the "PERHAPS" one out of Barnyard.

Might make an image of it later when I have the time.

Edited by Inky100 on Nov 8th 2023 at 10:35:09 AM