The Amazing Digital Circus has taken YouTube by storm. The show’s 3D animation and colorful cast of characters drew fans in, and its story matches the view count and hype.
YouTube has never been a stranger to some of the best filmmakers and animators. For example, Rooster Teeth cross-posted RWBY to YouTube in the show’s early days. Hazbin Hotel, which started out as a pilot by Vivziepop, recently received the chance to become a show and will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. Such successes have convinced other animators to take the chance to make the next best show.
One of these is a small indie group called GLITCH. Best known for their Murder Drones and Sunset Paradise mini-series, GLITCH worked with animator Gooseworx to create something very special.
On October 13, 2023, The Amazing Digital Circus hit the web. Let’s break down the pilot episode to give you all insight into this dark and whimsical tale.
Amazing Is In The Title
[Image via Gooseworx]
The pilot starts with a pixelated rendered background that immediately transitions to a smooth 3D look, very similar to what you’d see in GMOD fan videos. A neat call back to the sixth generation of gaming. The ringleader Canine and his trusty partner Bubble greet the viewer before the theme song starts to play and introduce the group of the Circus.
The cast of characters includes Jax, Gangle, Kinger, Ragatha, Zooble, and Kaufmo (sort of) before they then get a surprise. A jester girl bursts in. Surprised, confused, and frightened about how she even got in here in the first place, the jester girl seems like our everyman character. She’ll later get the name Pomni, though this isn’t her first choice.
Pomni then explains that she put on a strange headset and suddenly she was transported here. Pomni has no idea what happened, what her real name is, and worst of all, how to leave.
As it turns out, Pomni isn’t the first spontaneous captive. In fact, the rest of the cast has been trapped in the Circus for years.
Forced to make the Digital Circus her new home, Pomni tries to cope with all this stress and find a way to get herself back home. This, however, proves to be a challenge in itself, as it’s clear some of the cast are slowly losing their minds. Hey, at least they have their laughs, right?
The Amazing Digital Circus’s Characters
[Image via Gooseworx]
As expected, The Amazing Digital Circus boasts some incredibly unique characters. This uniqueness is evidenced not just in their design, but also in their attitudes.
Caine, Ringleader Of The Amazing Digital Circus
Caine is the ringleader of the Digital Circus. A rather energetic and charismatic pair of dentures with two eyes, Caine dresses in a circus ringleader’s uniform. As the Ringleader, Cain serves as both the caretaker and the NPC for all the members in the Circus, coming up with activities for them to keep them busy.
Bubble
Another NPC often found nearby or next to Caine. They’re a large bubble with two black eyes and razor-sharp teeth. They’re very quirky and also seem to pop in at any moment. Pun intended.
Jax, The Amazing Digital Circus’s Resident Magic Rabbit
Jax the Rabbit is a tall purple rabbit in overalls. Actually, his design definitely reflects some rubber hose cartoon influence. He’s always there with a big smile. However, he’s not exactly the nicest bunny you come across. In truth, Jax likes to stir up trouble any way he can. Plus, it seems like he knows something we don’t.
Ragatha, The Cutest In The Amazing Digital Circus
Ragatha is possibly the cutest in design, looking like a specially made Raggedy Anne doll: purple dress, red yarn hair, one-button eye. She acts like the big sister of the group. She tries to greet everyone with a nice smile and encourages them not to worry too much about their situation.
As it turns out, though, Ragatha’s just as cracked as Pomni. Hopefully, she won’t reach her breaking point. Yet if Jax pranks her again, she just might snap.
Gangle
Gangle literally contains more than one face. GITCH designed Gangle as an opera mask with a body made up of red ribbons. Like the classic muse symbol, Gangle has one face for smiling and another for crying. Anytime her mask breaks, she turns into a bit of a crybaby. Her mask breaking might be partially her friend’s fault at times.
Zooble
Zooble is one of the more interesting characters in terms of design. It seems to be a mishmash of shapes, looking much more like a piece of abstract art. Actually, GLITCH’s animator, Gooseworx, and their mascot actually influenced Zooble’s design!
Plus, Zooble’s attitude is pretty similar to that of a moody teenager. They hate everything and everyone, they don’t want to be here, and get frustrated very easily.
Kinger
Supposedly one of the oldest members of the Circus, Kinger is a king chess piece with two big eyes, floating hands, wearing a king’s cloak. Kinger usually hides inside a pillow fort and sputters out nonsense in the midst of a manic episode. It’s very clear Kinger hovers on the verge of going completely insane.
Pomni
A small woman in a red and blue jester’s costume, Pomni introduces us to the insane world of The Amazing Digital Circus. Unsure about her whole situation, Pomni refuses to believe everyone is just fine being trapped in this world. Her mentality throughout the whole episode seems to teeter between going insane and bursting into tears.
The Amazing Digital Circus: Colorful in Appearance, Dark in Tone
[Image via Gooseworx]
The Amazing Digital Circus is not trying to be like every other show. It’s not even trying to be like Hazbin Hotel, as is apparent with its funny censor bar and sound. Actually, it seems like a show aiming to cater to all age groups.
Digital Circus maintains a comedic tone, but there are moments where it feels like a horror movie. For example, not even ten minutes into the first episode, they introduce a monster out of nowhere. The beast chases Pomni all over the place and even hurts Ragatha.
As mentioned earlier, Pomni has existential crisis after existential crisis. She can’t process what’s real and what isn’t anymore.
Many successful stories contain a hidden layer of mystery. Audiences crave answers while enjoying the ride. We have no idea how any of these people got trapped in the Circus and why it’s so hard to leave. The only one that seems to enjoy any of this is Jax and he’s not even hiding the fact that’s just him enjoying rattling up the hornet’s nest.
The Amazing Digital Circus: Small Team, Big Impact
[Image via Gooseworx]
In just two months since its debut, The Amazing Digital Circus has gained over 200 million views, surpassing even Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. Since then, they already had merchandise made for the show and fans have been pouring out fanart of their favorite characters.
GLITCH admittedly brings a fair share of successes with its previous animated series. Through all their successes, GLITCH maintains a darkly comedic tone since they began in 2018. Combining this tone with colorful characters, GLITCH has found a winning formula that still manages to be unique in each store.
Quirky and even scary at times, The Amazing Digital Circus has people going back watching it over and over, as they all come up with their theories. Frankly, it’s safe to say that The Amazing Digital Circus has cemented itself onto the internet and will be taking off very soon to compete with other shows and animated series.
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