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virougo · 17 days ago

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The Amazing Digital Circus: Episode 4 Thoughts (Gangle)

So, who would have thought that the masks were symbolic for masking??

God, the episode has my brain buzzing and I just need to throw it out there to see what others think too. Probably going to do several parts and link them below when done, but for now I wanted to start with the current star of the show...

Gangle

Okay, so. The moment everything really clicked into place for me was the moment where Gangle and Pomni were outside the restaurant having their heart-to-heart. When they were being genuine with each other, and being vulnerable, what does Gangle do?

Quickly reaches for her mask to put on a "happy face" and get back to work. Freaking masking, d'uh. In hindsight, it seems obvious.

Gangle is struggling with depression, and the happy masks are symbolic for medication or other means to manage and hide that depression in order to be accepted into society.

In the instances where the others make remarks about how the happy masks aren't actually assisting with her being likable or fitting in, there's a noticeable breaking sound.

Because, even though she's trying her hardest to hide her sadness - something the others have actively complained about - she still can't win. Her effort are wasted, and her deepest fear - that she's worthless and unlovable - is reaffirmed. Especially after Ragatha makes her remark. Gangle later communicates with Pomni that she typically thinks Ragatha is being insincere regarding her kindness (something people who struggle with self-worth think a lot), and this moment essentially cements that idea in her head.

Another thing I believe, is that Gangle utilizes control, authority, and rules to create boundaries in her world and function through her sadness. So when others don't take such things seriously, it can break her entire worldview and self-image. Hell, even innocent remarks like Pomni wanting to speak to Gummigoo initiated a "tink".

And when Jax completely disregards the entire situation - something not uncommon for him, mind you - Gangle scolds him and laughs calling him "bad" before sending him for more training and trying to reaffirm control.

When Pomni extends a gesture of kindness by offering to close and let Gangle leave early, she stops a moment to ask Pomni, "Would that... be okay?" with an intense expression of concern and hesitation in her voice.

Even when breaking the rules a tiny bit would offer some relief to her day, she has a hard time simply letting go of control. Side note... this reads to me the behavior of someone who has gone through some real traumatic shit. What happened to you Gangle???

And the moment she's freed from the constraints of the day, of societal expectations, she's able to throw her mask away and be her authentic self. Though, I do believe this is a mix of her accepting/wallowing in the depths of her sadness, smiling her way though it while having relief that the shift is over. I do not think she was trying to "game over" herself, it was an accidental trip while she was in the throws of her emotions. Though, does make me wonder on the symbolism from the real world again...

Final thing I noticed was when Zooble speaks to Gangle at the end regarding the happy mask failing. Zooble's remarks are deescalating and reassuring. So your coping mechanism / medication didn't fix this really deep and complex problem? That's okay. We still love you and we'll help you move forward anyway.

God this show makes me feel things.

For real tho, last tidbit that I liked - in their reviews, everyone tied with a B+ except for Kinger, but we're... breezing past that.

So if Gangle had punted the blame onto Pomni to reduce her score further down, I think Pomni might actually have been considered the worst employee and been given a punishment. Just a really wholesome moment of Gangle trying to return the favor from earlier.

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destinygoldenstar · 8 months ago

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Digital Circus Episode 2 - Is It Fire Or Trash Fire?

I was gonna use the ‘Is it Good Or Nah’. But then I saw this image and thought this was more appropriate.

SO, Digital Circus.

The Pilot got more than… 1 view.

So naturally I grasped onto the pilot episode for… what did I say again?

I just fell in love with what the pilot episode had to offer that appealed to me at the time, and maybe now more than back then now that I am an adult in the real world.

There was no trying to replicate realism. They were embracing COLOR, and out there character designs all animated differently yet beautifully. There were mysteries regarding the world they created just begging for theories and speculation. There was such great editing that does NOT get talked about more. It wasn’t like the other physical horror mascot horrors, as instead it was existential, toying with peoples minds, which to me was SO much more compelling. This had one of the most relatable protagonists I’ve seen in quite some time. A ringmaster I love to see on screen. Other characters begging to be explored. While not every joke landed for me, I definitely vibed with its style of humor.

So, meaningless to say, I understood why this show resonates with so many people, including myself.

So the show staying indie and not letting any major cooperations dictate how they run their show and their story, is inspiring.

So while I do see the signs so far being that the show will turn out good, by the way the creators want it to turn out (it’s their show after all). I’m just always naturally skeptical.

I said it once. I’ll say it again. I am not doing this for the popularity. I’m doing this because I genuinely enjoy the show and want to see how it turns out.

So this is just gonna be MY take on the episode influenced by nobody else.

Even with the trailers and advertisement they did, I was still skeptical on whether or not it’d turn out good. At least in my opinion.

When they introduced all the new characters, I saw that as a red flag. Because indie shows seem to LOVE introducing new characters and bloating the story and taking screen time away from the supposed main cast. Happened with RWBY. Happened with Hazbin. (I like Hazbin, but you can’t tell me I’m wrong)

Then the trailers came out and yeah, it looked like a fun episode. A nice sweet desert after the heartbreak I suffered from Dragons Rising Season 2.

And for the indie animation industry, this show is, and will be, no matter what, an inspiration for so many people. And that is something I will always love the show for.

But for quality, you know, I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

The hype is pretty massive for what the pilot leaves. So there was no way Episode 2 could possibly live up to the hype.

But, I want to give support, so I will anyway.

And no matter what I say here, I am so proud of the people that made this. Gooseworx. Glitch. The animators. Everyone involved in the project.

The fact that these guys were able to push through such a harsh reception last time with all the drama and bullshit. They pushed through, stuck to their guns, and continued to make the show they wanted.

That is so inspiring and I have nothing but respect.

SO… now for my take.

Did this episode live up to the hype???

(SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE EPISODE, WATCH IT, THEN COME BACK BEFORE CLICKING ‘KEEP READING’)

IT DID.

IT DID LIVE UP THE HYPE.

OMG.

So, in short, YES, it’s 🔥FIRE.🔥

Okay, well, mostly fire. I’ll get all my negatives out of the way right now. Don’t worry there’s not much. And they’re pretty minor.

The jokes didn’t land for me as well as they did in the pilot. They weren’t bad, but I remember laughing a lot less than before. The croc doing tricks got me, as well as Bubble’s censorship, and some of Pomni’s lines. But that’s about it.

There was little to no explanation about why Zooble doesn’t participate here, though keep in mind that this is based off a first viewing, I may have missed something, and I may analyze this in the future and what this means exactly.

Gangle was also disappointing to me. I didn’t need her to do much, but you give her one line before her comedy mask breaks again? We don’t even get to see what she’s like with it on? Seriously?

And this last one may be a complete me preference, and this also goes for my biggest critique in the pilot as well, I just don’t find the B Plots all that interesting.

Whereas the main plots of these episodes are not only exhilarating with a series of action and comedy, but also have compelling emotional hooks with its trippy editing and character stakes. The B Plots are mostly just… standing there. Talking.

No interesting character bits here, at least not yet, no editing that indicates something about their POV, no jokes that stand out to me, it’s just ‘they meet a monster, Jax is a dick, and then it finds resolves itself without much effort’.

I dont mind it when characters just sit there and talk, you’ll find later on my post, but I do want them to actually amount to something? At least in the pilot the gloinks were a driving force to get Kaufmo in the cellar in the end. With this one? You could pretty much remove the chocolate monster and not much would change about the episode.

I do think this is a me problem though, and there’s something I’m missing. I’ll look back later. And regardless, I do want them to improve with these B Plots overall.

And, yep, those are my only problems with this episode. Otherwise,

HOLY S%#T I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR ANYTHING HERE

The animation is so much better than the previous episode?!?!?!

Not that it was bad before. Hell no. But there’s something more smooth about this episode, with its lighting in particular. It looks smooth as butter. And when it’s NOT, it’s for a narrative purpose.

And what I said about the editing in the pilot in certain posts are still here. And they both come together to make something extremely pleasant to look at.

I am so happy that we arent going to be experiencing this one location at the tent for the whole show. Because these other worlds look so vibrant and alive and gives each episode its own flare and identity.

The nightmare scene intro is an amazing hook for the rest of the episode. Not just to address Pomni’s conflict in this episode thinking nobody will care about her when she dies, or, abstracts I should say, but also to put the traumatic experience of everything that has happened at the forefront and NOT gloss over it.

Because yeah. She watched someone basically DIE from insanity. And she could end up on the chopping block too? Of course this is appropriate behavior. There is no smiling through it and getting excited about the next day. I absolutely LOVE how they are addressing the crisis that stems in these situations. Even regarding stuff I didn’t even think about.

I personally don’t mind that Ragatha isn’t mad at Pomni for what happened. It’s perfectly in character for her, and the drama with this conflict isn’t about one being angry after the other, but rather that Ragatha doesn’t know how to connect with and comfort Pomni and fears that her inability to let the jester in means she doesn’t like her or want her around.

That’s so much more compelling than a fight/separation conflict. And it’s so real.

Ragatha’s a sweetheart and deserves the best.

You know who doesn’t?

Jax.

And you guys doubted by words of him in the past?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we all expected this to be his episode and it wasn’t, and I’m sure there’s more depth to why he acts the way he does, the proof is there. He will get his episode in the future.

But MAN, he kinda scared me here. He was so much harsher than he was in the pilot, and absolutely willing to KILL, just for his own sick amusement.

I can’t say I’m surprised that’s his mindset, thinking all the people around him are just objects and playthings. But I am still floored by how far they were willing to go with him.

Again, I’m sure he’ll get his episode later fully explaining this behavior.

But… you know what I really want to talk about.

And yeah, it’s undeniably the best part of this entire show so far.

Mostly because it’s spoken to me the most.

Like, on paper, Pomni’s story arc in this episode is very well handled. Over the pilot and here, it’s very clear she’s grown as a person and is far more willing to see those around her and the new world she’s become a part of.

A lot of us suspected some things to happen in this episode, but I don’t think ANY of us predicted this.

See, I correctly guessed that Pomni falling in the cellar was a nightmare. And I guessed that she was going to get yeeted with the truck in the fight and separate from the group.

But I also expected that to be her disappearing for a good portion of the episode and the rest of the group was gonna get screen time trying to find her and save her.

That would’ve been the cliched mainstream show route.

Yeah I was wrong. They didn’t do that.

Instead she and one of the NPC’s, GummiGoo (beloved) get glitched to the outside of the game map and GummiGoo realizes his miserable meaningless existence as an NPC and has an identity crisis about who he is and why he’s even alive. And Pomni, who went through the exact same thing prior to this, is the one to talk him to finding relevance in his life. They befriend each other and build a hopeful future.

AND THEN THAT GETS SHATTERED OMG CAINE WHY-?!

Like, BRO, that’s WAY more compelling than whatever the gosh I was predicting with my mainstream cliched head.

GummiGoo is such a sweetheart and deserved better. Simple as that.

And this ISN’T shafting a main character aside so that a side character can be the writer’s favorite toy. This both gives the side character depth and love from the audience, while also serving a strong purpose for the development of the main character. Both get a role here and both earn the audiences love as a result.

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THIS IS SO HARD WHEN IT COMES TO THE INDIE WORLD I DONT GET IT-

I do feel like GummiGoo is gonna come back several episodes later and serve a purpose there. But for now I think he is gonna be gone for at least two or three episodes before that return.

(Gosh darn it Glitch, you made me feel bad for an NPC. What are you doing?)

But as I keep alluding to, that’s just the practical objective take on this storyline.

There’s actually a far more subjective take I have with this, and the reason why it made me tear up.

So, I don’t know if my followers know this, but I am a newly formed young adult in the real world in my college years. I work my nine to five. I study. I sleep. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. That has always been the extent of my life for the past year, and one that has driven my anxiety to the bitter ground. Especially nowadays.

I’m also an aspiring artist with dreams of sharing my own stories with the world and being my own indie producer. But again and again, my dreams get shattered by someone I care about in my life, and they insist that I will fail and never make it doing this.

So instead I kinda gave up. And conformed to the world as an NPC doing NPC things. I’m never gonna become someone famous. I’m always an extra made for someone else’s development. When I die, I’ll be forgotten…

It’s a terrifying thought. And every time I try to break free from thus existence and pursue my dreams, I develop pretty painful anxiety pangs. That, and that also has to do with a level of bullying and talking down I’ve endured in my life, so I’ve found it impossible to talk to others about these things.

So you could say that I see myself in Pomni way too much.

And then Digital Circus’s Pilot entered my life. I watched it. Expecting to get the popularity appeal and curiosity out of my way.

What I got instead was something that spoke to me so personally at the time.

An escape from reality with so many bright colors and wonder… but also a personal existential crisis that lives through every character. Even dead ones.

(I never expected them to even care about Kaufmo, but I’m so glad they did)

Pomni was me entering into adulthood. A new world. A new home. A new adult body nobody knows what to do with. Unsure who you are. What your existence is. And everyone expects you to do the same thing over and over again without question or purpose.

And there’s no way out of it.

That’s just… life.

And if I’m struggling to understand myself, then who, who all seem to be okay with everything, would even care about me?

Am I even good enough? Or am I destined for complete failure to even be a person?

And then in the midst of my crisis, this episode comes in. And… it’s hard to even word out how personally this has spoken to me.

That’s why Pomni finding out she and GummiGoo have a lot in common is so important.

Because yeah, nobody would usually care about the NPC’s of the world. The people going on with day to day life without leaving much impact on anything. Finding out that your existence as a person is utterly meaningless and will be forgotten in years or days time.

But it was also the reminder that nobody is alone in feeling worthless and that nobody cares about you. There’s someone that will. Even if it’s just one person.

It gives a sense of hope that helps people want to live in the first place and not give up or resort to losing their minds.

And then that reality kicks in when that NPC’s existence becomes meaningless physically.

But that hope doesn’t leave.

Because instead of letting Pomni mourn what could’ve been, she’s instead greeted to people caring about someone who had passed on. When it seemed like nobody would.

There’s no words here. But I don’t think that’s a problem. The action speaks louder than words.

It’s a show don’t tell moment of the others paying their respects for a lost loved one and holding those memories and the experiences they carried closely.

Which causes Pomni to relive her own nightmare at the start of the episode.

But instead of her getting ditched and forgotten, she’s saved by these people. These people who have been in her shoes before and want to help her see that it’s okay. They aren’t going to abandon her. They aren’t going to forget about her.

No matter who or what you are, you mean something to someone and can change their reality.

Like GummiGoo did, even if it was short lived.

You are not Alone.

Existence on earth is shattering and will keep you down and terrified. But you are not alone to face these fears and this crisis in this world.

You matter. And there will always be someone out there who won’t abandon you.

You will be Okay.

…

So yeah. Great episode.

I was skeptical to say it with just one episode, but now with two I can say it: Digital Circus has become my new comfort show, and the most relevant show for me in these upcoming years.

And it’s going to be a roller coaster of a great show in the future.

At least so long as the people making this stay indie and do what they want with it.

That, I have become very confident about now.

This show lives up to the hype. It’s amazing. I’m super grateful.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start eating gummies and crying.

#digital circus #the amazing digital circus #amazing digital circus #tdac pomni #tdac jax #tdac ragatha #tdac gangle #tdac gummigoo #Tdac spoilers #Amazing digital circus spoilers

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