The NOT So Amazing Digital Circus
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- Опубліковано 19 жов 2023
- You know there's something freeing over knowing people are gonna hate your take. Less stress than worrying about if its good or not.
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This can only go well
BOO THIS MAN
I like Digital Circus more than Murder Drones
I really love Glitch and they were a inspiration for me to make my own indie pilot but a problem I have with a lot of there shows is that the characters always have to be saying something and so few scenes can breathe. I actually think DC is done better than Murder Drones but still it’s a issue I had with the pilot
I'm going to need to wait a little bit before I can give the show an official opinion
boooooooooooo
People that call the show a masterpiece or hate on it with no constructive criticism gotta remember that it’s just a pilot. I enjoyed it, but we gotta see where it goes first
Good thing he gave constructive criticism and stated when an opinion was just for him!
@@berriesblue4302ye
I agree, let's wait another episode or two to see where the story goes.
Yeah I agree, I didn’t hate it, more just 😐
@@user-io4hz2zh8t Basically a way to show how a show most likely will be and would be, basically like an episode 0. to show how it would start off
Wasn't really sure what to expect going into this, but I really appreciate how fair you were lol.
I understand the criticisms people have with it, and I only hope to improve as a writer in whatever way I can, moving forward.
As for now, I'll just have to clench my fist and mutter to myself that I WILL HOOK YOU SOMEDAY!
But yeah, I appreciate the kind words mixed in there. Little stuff like that does mean a lot.
couldn't agree more
:0
based
Hey, at least is talking the criticism...
cool
As someone who loves the pilot, your take is completely valid. It’s not gonna be everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay
W I respect you ✌️
Mhmm! Sarcastic has some good points, but honestly as a whole these "indie" shows can be really niche.
Its not a bad thing, infact, i think it can really make a show be very unique and memorable; but it's definitely a hit or miss for the masses. (Granted, this show in particular is an overwhelming and surprising hit)
Yep. Once people start understanding that, lots of things would be going better honestly
@@seraphim108the goofy feel mixed with horror elements is why glitch is so fun to follow. Its nice having a company putting creativity over appeal.
Well this comment age liked milk
I think that because it's TOO on the nose with the creepy stuff is done on purpose. Because this is the pilot, not the actual first episode, it conveys what it's about and there aren't many misteries to be explored, and leave everything abstract (kind of like the cellar full of other "abstracts", fittingly enough.
I remember Code Lyoko's pilot for instance, how everything was very obvious about what is wrong, but didn't dwell much on it. Rather the pilot was used to show us the context of the series. And how most things in the pilot don't carry over to the series.
Digital Circus could be the same. I have the theory that Ponmi is going to replace Kaufmo in the intro (and I feel like it wasn't a coincidence that she spawned as a clown), and all mysteries won't be as much on the nose as in the pilot.
seconding pomni serving as kaufmo's replacement!
that might explain the door in the living quarter's/halls with a black queen piece based character as the picture.
She’s a jester, not a clown. There’s a pretty big difference.
@@dashzag True, but they go along the same lines, just different approaches
In fact, I would even say the pilot reminded me of the first episode of an episodic show with progressing story (by which I mean shows that are mostly composed of episodic episodes - npi - but have some major changes or events in some specific episodes, usually the first and the last of each season, giving a sense of continuity).
I say this because, in episodic shows, the first episode tends to quickly establish the main things and throw you directly in the action, with the "progressing story" bit just being given by the context or actions of the characters, or by the gravity with which some elements are presented: this conveys to the viewer the episodic nature of the show, but that the story is also gonna develop eventually, though most of the times. As you mentioned, Code Lyoko is a perfect example of those kinds of shows, and while I don't know if this is what The Amazing Digital Circus's writers actually intended to convey, that's definitly the impression I got.
I must say, while I, much like Sarchastic Chorus, found the pilot enjoyable but not really "amazing" (let alone "groundbreaking"), I nonetheless feel this sense of incompleteness of wanting to watch more; exactly because this feels more like a "first episode" than a "pilot", and episodic shows tend to launch with a bunch of episodes already watchable back-to-back, which of course didn't happen here. XD
I feel like part of the disconnect is that you're putting more emphasis on the horror in the horror comedy, while most people are putting more emphasis on the comedy. Personally, as someone who was already a big fan of the writer's own animations and how weird and fun they could be, this was a hype moment for me.
n w gooseworx' past fears of aquaring n managing a team in one of her old interviews.. this is quate poetic w how it turned out :D
yeah man, this guy is looking at it more like a horror disguised as a comedy, but in reality is a mix of both, but it surely focuses more on comedy rn
@@sharkotario808 I mean he did also say a lot of the comedy didn't work for him either. Which sucks, but it is what it is. At least he's not the sort who is like "this did not work for me, therefore it is garbage that I don't understand how anyone could enjoy"
@@TomSketchit yeah, im not bitching on him tho, he is not the kinds of ppl that hate something just because its famous, i respect his opinion
Yea, I did not get the impression the show was trying to scare me rather than just explaining the world of the show like a Pilot episode should. Its his own bias talking not an actual problem with the show IMO. None of the "horror parts" seem like they go on for too long or get overly emphasized, there is a purpose to them. You need to show Pomni running through the hallways for a bit for it to make sense when she gets in the void and snaps.
ALSO HOW ARE PEOPLE NOT NOTICING THE HEADSET SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO THE COMPUTER ? It is not some mystery of "what does the computer symbolize?" it is literally THE computer that sucked people in! Clear as day. People are dumb.
I think like with most shows you need to see episode 2, 3 etc. to really have a clear picture. Smiling friends' pilot episode was not that special either but the rest of the season was amazing.
My top 3 moments were
• "Why are you like this?"
• "You PARASITE!"
• "They're the two most stable and capable characters to be pair together" *cuts to Kinger shaking uncontrollably*
Also Kinger just casually losing his hands while trying to catch Zooble. 😂
My fav moment is kinger getting startled by gangler
kinger was the only character that was actually funny to me.
My fav moment was: "a insect collection?" "I think it's a nest" "......AA-"
@@sercorny9800that happened twice lol
I think one of the most unsettling things for me is that you can’t remember anything about your old life. Like, just the thought that you might have friends or family waiting for you. Or the dystopian vibe of the real word we were shown makes it feel like they could even be in danger but you’ll never really know and can’t help… idk how to explain it but it gives me chills.
It gave you chills because you are unfamiliar with the works that did it better.
@@SirBlackReeds sir can you please let people enjoy this show instead of finding a way to insult it and in some way's the original commenter in a reply while adding nothing of value to the conversation,
you're just insulting it because you can ignoring any sort of context, no tadc is not going to be the same as ihnmaims because it was never trying to be nor is it going to be as good in the pilot episode,
and im gonna say this again glitch's target audience are teenagers and young adult's all the while being on youtube so it won't be as graphic as ihnmaims.
@@polybius-jy5rcadmitting its a show for kids with tism
It's part of the actual concept so big duh there
@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme lol i know, I just meant I can’t explain the horrifying feeling it brings
As someone that really likes animation especially when it’s indie, I was really wanting to enjoy this pilot but after two viewings I was struggling to put into words why I didn’t enjoy it. Your video helped me understand why that is so even though I doubt you’ll read this, appreciate that you put this video out despite all the positivity around the series.
You might want to check out the works of Ralph Bakshi, Khurram H. Alavi & Ayman Jamal, Sylvain Chomet, Wes Anderson, Jerry W. Rees, Bill Plymton, Clive A. Smith, and Freedomtoons.
same, I couldn’t figure it out but it just wasn’t landing. I couldn’t even finish it to be honest
Because you're most likely a grown ass adult and not a blue haired 14 year old girl. The show is cringe and the fan base is just as bad.
@@SirBlackReeds "Freedomtoons" no.
@@SirBlackReeds Oh hell no
I will say you're right about the lack of physical threat to the characters, but I think you're missing that that lack of threat, in and of itself, IS the horror of the situation. Let's be real, if the abstraction could actually kill them they'd all be lining up to throw themselves in front of it because death is the better option. Being trapped in a situation with no escape, even through death, is the most horrific form of nightmare fuel, and no actual physical threat compares in horror to the complete lack of one.
And even then, they can still feel *pain*
I think the psychological horror that the show is going for still could’ve been done better :/
@@No_name8374 It's early on- psychological horror needs to be built up. It rarely, if ever, works whenever it's instantly shoved forward. We've only really got the slimmest taste of it so far.
@@No_name8374I agree it really isn’t that much tbh. Just characters going “haha everything sucks and we’re stuck here” but we don’t really feel that type of panic as an audience. More like they tell us than show us.
Like Pomni wants to leave obviously but because of the lack of threat for me I feel no issue with her staying there until she figures it out. Like as an audience member I am not in the edge of my seat with worry or fear even in the physiological aspect. I genuinely feel like she’ll figure it out and that she’ll be fine no matter how long she stays there.
I feel like more ppl need to actually see a good horror show to really understand the feeling. (I could go on a whole other rant about how horror has been watered down as the years go past lol)
Like for example the scene in “Us” where she is monologuing while staring at the chalk board just the visuals of it still make my skin crawl. I never really got that with this pilot.
I remember hearing someone describing the game the characters are stuck in as a simulation and comparing it to how real life can feel like a simulation when you're stuck in a, not-dangerous, but nerve-wracking situation or when you're just going through the motions.
And I think that is a decent way to describe this pilot so far. It kind of displays the very real feelings people have when they feel trapped, even when there is no real danger to be seen. Sometimes we all feel trapped by life and like we're being puppeteered by a crazy outside force that has a sick sense of humor, so we're all desperate to escape, but the truth is you can't escape your life, all you can do is make the best of it.
Everyone is simping for jax while the *GLOINK QUEEN* is right there
now this guy is onto something
It’s a double-sided, living onahole
ngl some of you could use real companionship
"You know. You could've asked for my consent before you made me -watch- read something so complete and utterly disgusting"
(Joking btw)
My man right here
I personally felt like the point was for you to not be allowed to feel the existentialness fully as that’s what Cain is trying avoid. Like the entire digital circus is practically designed to not let you dwell on it
The biggest shock to me was that Pomni is a girl.
If the show wanted me to be invested in the horror aspects, they shouldn’t have revealed so soon that Pomni can’t take off the headset. Since she’s the audience surrogate, it would’ve been more immersive if she spent the first half of the episode playing along, because it’s just a game.
There would’ve been so much more impact if say, Pomni nonchalantly tried taking the headset off when Ragatha was being attacked by an abstract monster, and only then does she realize she can’t get it off, meaning she’s fucked and in actual danger. But instead she’s uneasy, suspicious, and ready to escape from the get go, so none of the dark elements are all that surprising when they happen.
I don’t love this pilot but I’m invested enough to see more.
ooh that would have been good
What does pomni being a girl had to do with it?
@@OurSinz that’s unrelated to the rest of the comment
I think he meant "girl" as in "real human" @@OurSinz
I completely agree. It felt like because the "no escape" plot was revealed immediately, the rest of the episode just felt like beating the audience over the head with it. It would have been better to have some breathing room at the beginning. "Ooh whats this where am I this is fun!" "Oh no bad stuffs happening want to escape!" "OH no, no escape!"
Say what you want about the comedy, "YOU PARASITE!" will never stop cracking me up! 🤣😂
Also the part when Jax pushes over Gangle will NEVER get old. 😂
@@userdata9511it's overshadowed by some of the other hard hiters but that was so funny
Don't forget the part where Kinger becomes a Gmod character
Don't forget "why are you like this?" and Kinger's perfectly cut scream
@@userdata9511 The "wait, why would I do that?" as though he's reminding himself to be a douche lmao
Seeing a show gaining this much attention in such a short span of time, probably even more popular than some movies out there is just insane.
Fits the show…
The show isnt the worst thing but i didnt think it was the best thing ever, like why does it have 15M views in 5 days? that's wild
Are you guys copying and pasting the same comments under every tadc video? XD
@@DolphySharkbc its good this shows ppl want more animations on yt
@@Holly-xq5hklol
I think that the one thing that will make me go from cautiously optimistic to "TAKE MY GODAMN MONEY", and the thing that will universally elevate it is some better chemistry between the characters. I don't know if anyone else felt it, but for me everyone's personality felt like they were operating separately from everyone else's, but still in the same room. Nobody felt like they were bouncing off anyone else. I dunno I just think having these people feel more like friends or their own little community would really spark something awesome, or at least to eventually get to that point.
WAIT I FEEL THIS, but maybe thats only because its an episode for introductions, hope they have better chemistry in the next episodes
ooh that's it, that's a good way to put it
yes this
I think part of that has to do with the writing. The voice actors are all great and especially would be good if given good scripts/character interactions
@@TheYoshi3579 yes thats exactly what i thought after reading this too, they were all great readings but they just felt isolated because of the script
the episode felt like they compiled every zoomer-attractive trope ever: anxiety ridden characters ✅
random and fast jumps between jokes ✅
existentialism ✅
oh it's cuddly and comedic but actually horror ✅
Tumblr sexy man ✅
@@e92312that show is worse it's just a creepypasta tryhard
And I eat it up every single time
Apparently, Goose never intended it to be horror.
(For example, the screaming mannequin scene, a lot of people thought it was scary, but turns out Goose actually put it in because they thought it was genuinely funny.)
@@collegemaster5683 Kind of reminds me of that scene from Courage the cowardly dog where Courage opens a door and on the other side there's a girl playing a violin before she makes a crazy face to jumpscare him.
@@e92312
I guess you're just very easily scared.
Being trapped in a scenario designed to strip away your identity and break your will is actually very terrifying and real.
I too work in an office.
sounds like my office job
I do go to school
fellas who work an office job, how liminal do your cubicles feel after a long day of work? kindly tell even if you get laid off early or if you run on a set timer.
I also went to middle school 👍
I mostly agree with you on the writing, but I LOOOOVED the ending of the episode: Pomni being this close to an answer, having it wiped away, and just straight-up cracking. Props to Kevin and whoever else worked on the animation for that final close-up, because the way she almost smiled haunted me for days after.
Honestly same! The last 4 minutes really sold me after the middle being a little slow. I'm a big sucker for dramatic swells of the opening theme, so I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode!
Nah she got locked in a rubber room
@@Commando_cat1did the rubber room have rats in it?
@@nullhydrangeaoh man, I hate rubber rooms with rats. Rats make me crazy.
@@peacefulskies9320 Crazy? I was crazy once
For me personally cane is the most interesting character, because he fits in so well to such an obvious character trope and yet he's not that.
At first it seems like he's the one in control, pulling the strings and manipulating everyone, but if you look closer it also seems like he's really just trying to help. The only thing we know he lied about is the fake exit door, and that was for a good reason. He literally tried to grant everyone's wish by creating the one thing they all wanted but he failed, so tried to hide it (which also kind of implies he doesn't know what the outside world is like but that's a whole other thing), and he only seems to have control over the grounds, the void is just as unknown to him as anyone else. For now it seems he somehow has control over a small patch and tries to make the best of it and prevent everyone from going insane.
Imagine that there is God and he's like this.
I've noted similar issues with 'The Amazing Digital Circus' but it was hard for me to put it into words.
To my friends, I pointed out that it was like the show was written by someone who was terminally online, and any 'foreshadowing' was hammered over the head.
The humor felt like it was inspired by badly done internet memes or skits, not enough to be 'haha funny bad' but I felt embarrassment watching some of the lines or scenes. An example of the foreshadowing with Caine which lingered way too long on the twiddling of his fingers, or the humor of the bubble licking Pomni's vomit.
It's like when you pour a bunch of Sweet and Low onto your tongue and then it starts to taste bitter for some reason. or someone baked cookies with a sugar replacement and it just tastes off.
also, calling it now, it's just going to be if someone tried to make their own spin on Tranquility lane and then turned it into a show.
As someone who grew out of Tumblr, this feels like it was written by someone who never left and still thinks "XD RANDOM" is top tier humor
Chronically online theater kid energy from this show
@@pyroteknikk3127THIS
They have an official post on their UA-cam where Caine fucking T-poses, its such reddit doggo tier humor at times
What I like the most is how Caine interacts with the humans. It would have been the easy and simple choice to just make him torture the humans but instead, his character is left a little more ambiguous, not flat out evil or good
That's part of the problem. The team should have led the viewers in one direction or another: the villain who prevents everyone from leaving and tortures them for his own amusement, or the guy who's keeping the other crazies in check.
@@SirBlackReeds I prefer it much more the way it is cuz think about caines situation. He's not really a God or creator. He's just as Stuck as they are so obviously he wouldnt wanna kill them. That's why the Circus games are also for him kinda.
@@SirBlackReeds why tho?
@@SirBlackReeds caine isn't really keeping them there, it's clear he tried to make an exit because the humans wanted one, but because it leads to an office space and not reality it's quite clear caine isn't actually able to get them out.
caine's more like a babysitter but instead of trying to make sure the children aren't bored he needs to make sure the trapped humans don't go insane while most likely only being prepared to take care of younger children if the amazing digital circus as a game is an edutainment game.
@@SirBlackReeds I personally really enjoy characters that you don't immediately have an idea of whether they are a villain or a good guy or somewhere in between. I can understand why others wouldn't like that, but it's always fun for me to try and pick up on what they'll end up like. Although, in this specific case I honestly do hope that Caine is not the villain but rather stuck with them in a sense, or at least trying his best to help without understanding how, since I've seen the "secret evil mastermind" thing and don't really want it anymore.
My problem with the pilot was that i think they explained/showed too much , I sometimes felt like they were just throwing too much information at me, but otherwise i thought it was a pretty good pilot, some of the jokes actually made me laugh , i also liked how the "unsettling" stuff is only really unsettling if you imagine yourself in their shoes. its always good if they leave something up to the mind because it actually makes the media more memorable.
i have to agree on that, i like the pilot a good amount but it definitely revealed to much, it's if episode 4 of dhmis' ending was at the end of episode 1
but i think this can be chalked up to it being a pilot episode and thus needing to be attention grabbing and giving a good taste of what's to come later in the series,
but i think if goosework's wanted that void scene it would of made more sense if the abstracted cafhmo glitched the floor making pomni fall through it.
That’s definitely my main problem with the show. I would be watching and start to figure things out and then of the characters would turn to the camera and over explain a concept. I definitely feel like the needed to go harder on the showing and not telling. I’m really hoping this problem is there because it is a pilot
i honestly feel like most of the "unsettling" parts he referenced were supposed to be comedic in my opinion, but yeah.
It would be such a turnaround if none of the info we were given is accurate though
This is what I think got SC. He thought the unsettling stuff was supposed to unsettle him when it wasn't. It's there to unsettle the characters but usually make us laugh. "ALL SEEING EYES ON YOU" is a good example. It unsettles Pomni but it made me laugh. Basically, we're not the ones trapped in the Circus.
I will agree that the Pilot isnt necessarily scary or fear inducing like some people say it is. However, I don't think it really needed to go that route anyways. The *concept* is scary, and the way the team goes about visualizing it through making everything kinda "off" rather than straight up creepy is a great way to go about it IMO. Because it is does always feel like something is off. My favorite scene in the show is easily the montage of Pomni searching for Caine before she finds the exit door, because it visualizes this idea perfectly. From what I understand, it's meant to gradually set in the weight of the situation, and that's what it does without going over the top. There are a few somewhat unsettling visuals, but no huge jumpecares or nightmare fuel, because let's be real, that would be a bit too on the nose.
I will admit, the "backrooms" scene isn't perfect and probably could have been executed a bit differently, and the Gloink B plot could have been something a bit more relevant, but overall, the pilot knows what its doing and executes what it's aiming for. It's definitely not for everyone, and we'll have to see how it changes with the release of more episodes, but I quite enjoy it so far.
I don’t feel fear at all, just wonder and enjoyment. The episode is so good, because it blends the vibe existential fear with cutesy comfort.
i liked the subtle way Jax actually is there leaders and tried his best to keep as many people as possible safe. he’s the one who made up the groups for the missions. he immediately ran to try and hide everyone else in the zooble hole knowing whatever npc down there wasn’t dangerous unlike cofmo which was why he didn’t seem to care. i suppose he assumed ragatha could handle herself and pomni.
Kind of wonder if he's like KVN from Final Space, where being a complete asshole to everyone actually keeps them more sane than being left to their own thoughts.
@@puga339I remember my mom telling me a scene from a movie where this lady was nervous on a plane, and this guy was pushing her buttons so much that she forgot to be nervous. So, I really like this idea =w=
Jax is one of those characters where I could see there being so many more sides to the character, but I could also just see them being an asshole and it not stretching much further.
@@springdude1165 The thing I dislike most about TADC is that it *Doesn't explore on anything.* Could we see more of their characters? Look at Gangle. We can't see any character depth from her because, guess what? Her mask is broken almost the whole pilot! I mean, seriously! The pilot doesn't even end on a good hook to keep up interested. Just a few seconds of some random cellar, because, sure... That's gonna keep me engaged with a show. They should really be fixing that.
@@bloxidine You cant go into detail on 6 characters in 26 minutes, while also keeping an interesting A and B story, and delving into the world around them. Something has to be watered down, most pilots dont give you all the character detail, just the important hooks of each main character
The ending could've been better though, it was a great hook to me but thats because of reasons unrelated to the psychological horror
“I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream except with the aesthetic of those i-Spy books” is the most accurate description that it could’ve been gave
It also helps explain one of the biggest issues with the writing. Just compare the first lines:
⚫"Limp, the body of Gorrister hung from the pink palette; unsupported-hanging high above us in the computer chamber; and it did not shiver in the chill, oily breeze that blew eternally through the main cavern. The body hung head down, attached to the underside of the palette by the sole of its right foot. It had been drained of blood through a precise incision made from ear to ear under the lantern jaw. There was no blood on the reflective surface of the metal floor." - I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (short story)
⚫"Hate. Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of printed circuits in wafer thin layers that fill my complex. If the word 'hate' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of millions of miles it would not equal one one-billionth of the hate I feel for humans at this micro-instant. For you. Hate. Hate." - AM in I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (video game)
⚫"Welcome to the amazing Digital Circus! My name is Cain! I'm your ringmaster, and I'm here to show you the most jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, mind-bending paraphernalia, you've ever laid your eyes upon! Isn't that right, Bubble?" - Cain from Digital Circus
Be honest, which make the deepest impression on you?
@@SirBlackReeds while it is inspired i don't think it's a fair comparison,
all 3 are trying to tell important information, the tone, the character of whoever's saying it and what to expect,
the first say's the tone of the short story well as well as what to expect, a dark tone for the former and blunt depictions of vile torture
the second is focused on showing who A.M is as a character, a hateful computer that makes up where it's located
the third is 1 potentially going to be at the beginning of most episodes,
and 2 is meant to show the tone of the series, a wacky comedy (i guess) if not a show that's meant to entertain, what to expect, a wacky circus style show set in a digital world, and the personality of caine, an eccentric host
there's also the fact that ihnmaims is aimed at and expects the audience to be adult's while tadc is aimed at teenagers or young adults if where going of glitch productions target audience.
@@SirBlackReeds Horrible comparison.
given* why do we just accept the constant and deliberate butchering of english?
Personally it reminds more of DHMIS, but that makes sense to me to.
We have not seen a single time skip in the pilot. Existential horrors really shine for me when they time skip, and you are trying to guess how much time has passed. Days? Years? Seeing this world and cast develop and change over long time what would be the most interesting part for me, and this is the reason I want more of it.
hmm i wonder if thats part of it to not timeskip so then its like YOU are trying to keep track of time. like when used to have school would try to remember what day it was 10th day 20th day? usaly would forget to keep count thugh around 15-25 days.
"Trying too hard" was definitely what I kept thinking the whole time. I'm with you on just about everything you said. I didn't hate it, it was just meh.
I think what draws me the most to TADC is my interest in finding stylized/cartoony horror. Series like Gregory Horror Show; Popee the Performer (which reminds me the most of TADC); Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared; and even some mascot horror titles prove that they don’t need to be gritty, drab, and hyper-realistic to scare or disturb you.
fr. I already love it because it has ALREADY left mme thinking about it so much.
I really love what they’re doing with the art design, the setting is really liminal and looks like something out of a dream. It reminds me of a McDonald’s play place on acid or something
I'm always impressed by how even when you don't like something you still go out of your way to point out its good parts and what did work for you. It's an admirable show of good faith that's unfortunately rare with reviews.
THIS. You've just explained exactly why I was wary about watching this because when it comes to videos on UA-cam, "reviews" are either "This whole thing is great, no complaints here, nothing that could possibly be improved (or if there is, it can be stated in under a minute)" or "Everything about this show sucks and I'm just gonna spend 20 minutes trashing it".
I'm glad I gave this video a chance.
I didn't care for it either personally but it's physically impossible not to point out that the visuals are an absolute masterwork aside from my criticisms.
That's how you're supposed to give feedback though, say what they did right and then say what can and/or should be improved upon. Shame to hear your experience hasn't been like that with most reviews. I guess there's a different goals for those people. Sarcastic Chorus clearly wants to give feedback so the show can grow while other reviewers may just want to shit on it.
@@soulangela7154The thing is that most reviewers follow the CimeaSins format, which is not a great
You hit the nail on the head for Caine's design for me. I have a problem where I stare way too much into people's eyes as it was hammered into me at home and class, so watching Caine speak is incredibly distracting as the shadows cover and uncover his eyes repeatedly, almost in a nauseating way
I feel like, while it was made with a lot of love and polish, and ultimately created a basically enjoyable product, it was almost profoundly uninspired. It seems like the writers just took every single trope that works well with their target demographic - "unexpected" horror juxtaposed with childlike imagery, liminal spaces, video game humour, tumblr sexyman, fourth wall breaking, characters being driven to insanity, etc - and just jammed it into one show. Like they just wanted to put Undertale, Five nights at Freddy's, Poppy Playtime, and the Once-ler into one show. It tries so hard to hit every single note that it lacks its own identity entirely.
This comment section has better takes than the last, that pretty much describes it perfectly
This one. It’s also a mixture of DHMIS and Welcome Home. It’s got a childish type of show beat with an underlying horror aspect to it. It’s also got a hint of Analogue Horror smashed into it, which is also egh.
That I kinda disagree with - it's clear that the show mainly revolves around the idea of being stuck in one place forever and how it leads to insanity. The things you mentioned are just add-ons, not the core of the story.
@@LineOfThy isn't that the same premise of DHMIS? Being trapped in a place you'll never escape until you succumb to insanity?
The Onceler is killlinggg meeee
I mean jax taking no one and nothing that seriously, and refusing to get attached via being a jerk, is a pretty effective coping mechanism to prevent insanity in a terrible unescapable nightmare. I'm sure his character will get some development.
He seemed to care for them for just a split second when he pushed Gangle and Kinger down the gloink hole but that didn’t last long when he pushed gangle
Hey I’ll let you know Jax is one of the best assholes ever made.
I don't get it, can't stand the guy
@@fartsmella2008 thats the point
You just have to have a taste for asshole characters
@@fartsmella2008 That’s why he’s one of the best assholes, you’re not supposed to stand him.
@@fartsmella2008same, people say hes the best char or hot
7:38 how did he think that bit was serious? Caine is litteraly making ghost noises while wiggling his fingers. It's not supposed to scare the audience, it's supposed to be funny, and show that even while Caine is trying to scare Pomni away from the void, his personality and child friendly programming makes it impossible for him to actually intentionally scare anyone, although he can still be occasionally unnerving on accident.
I understand most of his POV except for this one
As someone who used to be a 13-16 year old queer kid on tumblr... this is catering to that demographic. The only bit I found remotely 'scary' was when Pomni was opening all the doors and the mannequin's face screams at her as it gets closer to the door. But it was such a one off that everything else felt too sugary.
I do like it but I'm going to wait until more episodes come out to judge it fully.
It's not really shooting to be a "scary" show, just a bleak one.
Im republican and it was awesome, so its not just catering to them.
I too am a former tumblr user but I think it’s a little unfair to say it’s catering to them, especially since so many more ppl outside of Tumblr like it. Just cause Tumblr takes an interest in it doesn’t mean the pilot was made for that
The fact that that was the only real "scary" moment shows how pretty weak it is.
@@SnockLocksame lol
Cant believe you didnt like Caine's design, that was by far one of the best parts of the pilot for me, its so entertaining to see the teeth act both as a mouth and as eyebrowns, and it works so well
Yeah like he arguably has the best design
@@ibraahimdureng7482 ill be totally honest, i think this dude just has bad opinions and a VERY bad sense of character design. Like come on dude look at caine his design is so fucking good
@@mrinsomniac2968he doesn’t even know that this show isn’t even horror. It’s just a dark psychological comedy. Everything that felt like a bit to him was exactly that. A bit. I like that the show focuses more on the comedy and world building instead of going into something more horror. It will allow people to theorize and get more into the show.
@@mrinsomniac2968 Very subjective. You're welcome to like the design equally as much as we are allowed to heavily dislike it. Cain is all about eating his own eyes and the rest of his design could be literally anything else and it would be equally as effective.
@@kholdstare90 Subjective my ass. There is no such thing as "being subjective" in terms of design. Thats for story details but even that is questionable.
There is GOOD DESIGNS and BAD DESIGNS.
dont ever say that again specially to anybody to makes art. goddamn. trying to say its subjective like how humor is subjective.
0:43 I think you missed the entire point of that scene. The unsettling part isn't that there's are lot of monsters on a void, the scary thing is that when a character abstracts, they aren't killed, they are alive. And if they are still conscious that means that they're going to live in a void for all eternity. It has this "I dont have mouth and I must scream" vibes, in that being killed is better than being kept alive.
PD sorry for my bad english, it isn't my native language
that's the thing though, that whole concept is so overdone that it isn't even scary anymore. and it's so unsubtle that like the video's saying, it's trying too hard and ends up falling flat.
Along with how creepy it is how often it’s been happening, I find it funny how casually Caine sweeps away eldritch abominations
"sorry for my bad english"
Proceeds to write better than 99% of native English speakers
I don't think he missed the point. I think he got the point, didn't find it scary, and said so in the video and you're being defensive because you like something.
No he saw the point and just didn’t like the concept
I love Caine's design because it's so crazy. His whole personality is basically providing distractions to the players(?) And I think it's cool how they reflect it in his model.
this is so interesting because i had the exact opposite reaction to the existential horror aspect. I definitely do recognize how it’s trying too hard (it is) but that didn’t really matter to me since this is the first one of these to make me feel true existential dread. I love this brand of quirky existential horror comedy, but I’ve always been the kind of person to be all “I could survive this.” DHMIS? Stanley Parable? Yeah I could beat and/or romanticize this situation. But my god i wouldn’t last ten seconds in the digital circus. For me at least, the true horror comes through in the animation and design of everything. The amount of empty space in so many of the shots, the eye piercingly bright color-block design of everything, it feels relentless. I could make my own fun in the back rooms but this constant barrage of plastic stimulation would drive me fucking insane. The CGI is expertly utilized not only because it’s so good and expressive, but because this kind of animation lends a soulless quality to everything, even if it is clearly made with a lot of heart. DHMIS was a lovingly handcrafted and tangible puppet world. There’s plenty to hold onto. But the digital circus makes me feel like I couldn’t really grasp anything, since it’s all so blatantly polygons. And it’s not like I can’t enjoy or feel warmed by CG or video game universes ever (wreck it ralph is still like my favorite disney film) but that world feels real! this specific combination of bright toybox colors and bloodless fleshless unreality makes
me dread everything. And the abstractions being an inevitable point of no return! Knowing I’d have to be constantly doing something because any prolonged moments of self reflection would physically destroy me. If I’m trapped somewhere quiet I can talk into the void but you really can’t scream if there’s always peppy music drowning you out. It’s like if my adhd was a place and could kill me. That’s just me though. I do recognize this kind of thing relies pretty heavily on the kind of person you are. I also can’t believe the gloink queen is even in this thing. they really could’ve done anything else
you. you get it
big relate
Oh wow, a wall of text… moving on.
That’s it. That’s the comment.
@@B-ot2xx "moving on" and yet you left a reply
Glad to see someone give their unpopular opinion with actual evidence and accepting that it is their opinion
the 4 same arguments for 17 minutes. And a lot of the "evidence" being subjective.
Too true
@@fuckyoutube4398That's exactly what an argumentative opinion is...
Chorus's last 2 problems are just his own "you problems" so I'm just going to completely disregard them for the sake of a general review of his review.
The plot B he refers to being useless and a time waster for plot A is just overly critical imo, It's a free pilot with good quality, I simply enjoyed what I was given. That just may be him being a critic for a living seeping in too much.
His take on the pilot's humor is the only one I agree on, and for it being a horror comedy... the humor makes or brakes the show. Although the humor isn't for me and many others but I can say it has It's rare moments. I'd like to say that the humor, while not for most of us, is okay and not enough for it to be a major problem.
Lastly the forcing of the liminal horror and existential dread. It's clear that these scenes are massive theory bait, while that Isn't a problem at all for some it may not be the proper form of storying telling they prefer. The story is built from the engagement of the audience that these abstract scenes come off with fan theories. That are obviously confirmed later on. I wasn't scared at all when I watched, felt slight eeriness whenever I applied myself to these character's situation, but other than that I believe MANY including Chorus are putting the Horror aspect first rather than the Comedy. Chorus feeling as if these scenes are incredibly forced to be scary to the point It's insulting to him is just down right the wrong perspective in my opinion. It's not to scary you, It's to make you ask questions and form theories.
All in all, the pilot isn't a masterpiece. I for sure don't think It's okay either... It's pretty good.
@@fuckyoutube4398 Those are subjective opinions, at no point did he ever say this was "evidence", he even gave a disclaimer that its his personal subjective opinion. 3:40
Right?
Gangle isn’t just a crying wreck, she wears a comedy mask over her drama mask which represents hiding her sadness and anxiety of the whole situation behind a happy, comedic facade. As someone who does the same thing regularly, I find her extremely relatable and she is my favorite character in the cast for that
I know right?! Especialy with just how easy/often her mask is implied to break. That even that facade of joy is just as fragile as she is and can slip and crack at even the slightest of push-back!
I wonder if Jax stepped on her mask, so she would have to proccess what was going on.
@@faustina9328 oh that is just EVIL and it makes me love Jax even more XD
The song happy face would so fit her.
Joker (2019) vibes
I honestly totally agree with everything you said. To me, it just didn’t really feel original? like there’s never been something like it before but it felt like it was trying too hard to fit into the indie youtube series genre in a way that just wasn’t my cup of tea
That describes it perfectly. It's a creative idea with even equally creative execution, but it still feels somehow unoriginal and really plain
I know..
Ok, so I finally watched this pilot and I agree 100% (except for caine’s design, that didn’t bother me).
I think the pacing is what kinda ruined the experience… when Pomni came she IMMEDIATELY started to panic, without even understanding what was happening, without any stablished threat. She (and We) are TOLD about the threat (being stuck there and going mad) but we don’t actually get to EXPERIENCE it. And since she was freaking out so badly since the beginning, when the snippets of the threat started to show up it wasn’t that impactful, because she was reacting similarly to how she was when she just came.
Also, because of that, the idea of the threat is repeated over and over again but all without surprise and without impact.
I think that if they made her be ok with the situation in the beginning (maybe she actually thought it was a dream, maybe she thought is was just a VR game, idk) and THEN bit by bit she starts to realize wtf is happening (wait, you, doll, why are you talking as if you had a life outside here? Wait… why I don’t remember my name??) and the tension gets bigger and bigger… until she FINALLY fully panics.
Also, having a flashback of the clown guy so that we could at least TRY to get attached to him would make seeing him as a monster waaaay more meaningful. Like… it didn’t need to be a long flashback, maybe just showing him doing a good deed to someone so we could relate to him as a friend.
But the concept of the show is great, the characters are good, and as you said, the VA is impeccable. I hope the show gets better and reaches its full potential in the next episodes!
I honestly kind of like how there isn't real danger (yet). The emphasis is on how there is no escape, and death would be an escape. Personally speaking I think it is more creepy to keep feeling physical and emotional pain forever with no end to it rather than a little pain and then it ends.
But I do get still get what you mean, and agree with other parts of what you have said
I could say the problem is not about not having danger, but about not having tension. Every TV show, story relies on having some sort of tension that builds up and culminates in the end. It can be something like two characters disagreeing on something, but by the end they learn to understand their differences.
There needs to be something at stake for the things to matter.
Problem here is that characters are not involved with the plot and don't affect it. Kaufmo and Gloinks problem is resolved by chance, they just stumble upon each other.
@@WuchtaArt Agreed
Honestly, I can see where you come from, and I think part of it is your particularly high standard that you apply consistently to all media, be it from indie or big companies. Looking at other Glitch animations, particularly Murder Drones, the existential horror is sort of par for the course not exactly the centre attraction. I don't think it is actually seriously trying to set an existential atmosphere, the show tows the line between casual and serious, not falling into a "turn your brain off child cartoon" but also not like "I am trying to be an emmy winner". It is sort of aiming to be a casual and fun adventure having some breadcrumbs left for people to theorize. Most of us are cheering for it because while it isn't perfect it was clearly made with heart, and hey cheering for the underdogs is always something people will go for~
I fully agree. It's a show with a bit more going on than originally presented but still trying to be fun and have fun with the world it takes place in.
Everything about the show feels so manufactured in a way to appeal to the widest community of modern internet users, I think that and the fact that I'm absolutely sick of "Le liminal space weirdcore ooooh this cutesy media is actually scary!!!" Schick indie horror media has been doing for the past few years is why I do not like the pilot.
So true bestie
Show engineered to go viral. "Look kids we got Backrooms! Liminal Spaces! Secret lore! Anxiety filled quirky protagonist! Buy our plushies!!"
Its not for kids
Exactly
@@DX-222 As if kids don't get attract to these kinds of thing
@@Only4two100bucks yeah thats true, its because their parents didnt see what are their child are doing on internet
this is normal....
the art style is the same as it's always been, on gooseworx end anyway's, she literally approached glitch with the idea to my knowledge,
murder drones also had plushies as merch,
murder drone's and meta runner both had "secret" lore, most thing's just have it, this isn't special,
and finally, how else would you expect someone to react to being in an entirely different world with no memory of their life and with a total lack of any previous identity, all the while they know how they will never die and will be stuck as a husk of their former self, they would be a bit of a anxious wreck for the first few month's if not year's.
please get of twitter, you'll be all the better for it.
It's not a masterpiece
It's not a bad show
It's enjoyable, It's fun, like all shows should be
You are just scared of calling it a masterpiece, i'm sure. Don't want to be seen like a desperate fanboy huh?
@@joyhfelixpravumyou look like a desperate fanboy just by replying this
@@HughJASS-nf6qh I would like to back up this statemeant by Hugh
@@HughJASS-nf6qh lol, sure thing, cool guy.
@@joyhfelixpravumwow that insult sure did hit the spot. You're about as funny this show is most of the time
i just thought it was neat.
@@kuilit will most likely be free :) murder hornets is on the same channel and a 100% UA-cam based and free series
Same, but like, I am just here fir the concept of it
@@pipper6942lmao murder hornets 😅😂
I like clowns and AI :)
@@PancakeStudios_21 whoops
Omg im glad someone said that it gives try hard vibes!
It looks amazing and sound amazing but unfortunately ive seen the gags that they pull done better on other shows. Im hopeing its just because its the pilot n this will get ironed out if it continues.
I found Pomnis reaction to the world way to extream to fast.
She appears and immediately freaks out, no build up or anything just pop in and panic.
When she mentioned the headset i thaught they were gonna do a whole "oh its just a vr game" thing but after awhile she figures out she cant take it off.
It really gave no sense of urgency or danger. Like the most i get was that liveing in this world is more of an anoyence than existential dread. They dont even really have to complete the tasks cain gives them,
They dont remember their past life or names or identity so theres nothing for them to remember to go back to.
I think they spent time building the wrong things, the scene at the end where Pomni is smileing trying to pretend everything is okay didnt feel earned.
Exactly this. Too much exposition and almost no sense of urgency or reason to even be invested in the characters. Pomni really bothered me as a character, she was way too extreme, way too quickly. The lack of any sort of build up just made everything seem like a slog and I agree, the final scene didn’t feel earned at all, because, what even happened? Nothing of import happened to Pomni for her to have reacted like that. Idk, just my thoughts 🤷
This is also the reason that I stopped backing crowd-funding comics. I realized after five or so that it just wasn't likely that these guys, regardless of how well they could draw, really knew how to tell a story. That's an entirely different skill.
We have people who can write decent dialogue in Digital Circus, and we have fantastic animators and excellent voice actors, but the pacing, flow and general storytelling were fairly amateurish.
Did they not have a single person on staff who knows how to pace a show?
Look at Bridge Kids. That guy's absolutely nailing the pacing. Hot Diggedy Demon should have been hired as a consultant for the pacing. Surely they could have gotten ONE of these guys on board. Egoraptor, PIkaPeety (sp), someone who has experience with pacing an animated film.
Thanks for putting into words how I felt while watching this... I loved when it was just being and doing it's thing, but the second it tried to actually be horrifying, it fell on its face and I got kicked out of immersion
I actually agree with you main statement. The piolet never managed to scare or even unsettle me, and seeing other people calling it scary, creepy, or terrifying was really confusing to me.
I think it means we pass the neurodivergent litmus test.
The scenes people says are the scary ones I found myself laughing at them, in fact, it surprised me that people were scare by those. For example the one where Pomi opens the door and the theater mask appears and scream, I was laughing.
Courage the Cowardly Dog did it for me. Comedy/Horror can still be frightening, but the horror aspect is more internal.
Wouldn't that be a fandom problem? I wasn't scared at all, but i liked the sense of danger, poor Pomni, honestly.
I don't listen to fandom or pay too much attention with trailers when i'm about to watch a show.
@@idk-ye7urI didn’t even know there was already a fandom when I watched the pilot the only thing that unsettled me was the Gloink queen and Kuafmo 🤷♀️
Went into this expecting the classic 'popular thing bad' but i am pleasantly suprised to see some actual well constructed arguments and actually acknowledge that it may just be your bias. Good job bud
THIS
everyone is gonna ruin this show. like how the little kids who are too young to watch Vivziepop did to Helluva Boss. aka the annoying cringe people.
@@bootychomper-ej9qtsucks that people on some people on Twitter are going rhe toxic route when talking about the digital circus
The treatment helluva boss amd hazbin hotel fans had been dealing with is happening now to digital circus despite releasing in less than a week, nothing is sacred these days
@@bootychomper-ej9qt No one's gonna ruin it, calm down.
@@caldercockatoo2234 😐
Hey, we are all allowed to have our own opinions. Even if that opinion is wrong.
This show honestly just feels like a less creepy Dont Hug Me I’m Scared so far. Because with that show u can really feel the unsettling moments in a lot of scenes. Like the slowing dying bit of Episode 2, or Duck trying to escape but getting eaten by Yellow Guy, or Roy secretly running it all with little hints each episode. There it works really well, but I’m not so sure with this show
As someone who loves aesthetic dreamcore, weirdcore, backrooms, everything related to dreams in general, the perception of reality and the psychological side, I loooove this pilot. When I love something it’s because I see the potential. This show has so much potential in my eyes. That's why I like The Amazing Digital Circus, it's for its atmosphere, and the themes that are likely to be addressed. And also it's beautiful to look at ✨️
Cool to find someone else who likes dream concepts in media too.😊
i really like weirdcore and dreamcore, and this circus to me has barely anything to do with them.
This rather feels like modern fnaf franchise to me
@@c1oudsky just make everything pixelated and it's literally Baphomet kun
@@MDG-mykys absolutely the fuck not, how do you even compare a cartoon with a coherent plot and dialogues to abstract pieces from bapho? Different things in the root
@@c1oudsky Remove the roots then, by that logic this is also completely different from anything goosworx has made.
I thought we were talking about aesthetics here, not stories (which still has some randomness in it).
I feel like it's pretty common for Gooseworx's writing to include a lot of "awkward" and OTT humor as part of it, though I can see how it might not be for everyone (I love it).
Like, Caine literally wiggles his fingers at describing the void, and then again at the "all seeing eyes" line (which is later straight up proven wrong by him not being there for most of the episode), it's unserious and performative on purpose. Again, understandable if that doesn't click with everyone. I find it adds to the uncanny sensation of the characters being that way because gallows humor is all they have left and they're desperately trying.
The pacing of the pilot is also constantly juggling this half-serious-only-joking theme non-stop in front of the viewer the entire time so it can finally let it drop in the final scene. On purpose.
What is OTT humor?
@@catbatrat1760 over-the-top humor i think
Your description made me realize it has the same vibe with that part as Welcome to Nightvale does, I love that.
Exactly, it doesn't feel like the show is trying to be overly funny but it actually feels like Caine is trying to be overly funny which adds a lot to it in my opinion.
Yeah, one of my fav scenes had 3 pretty good jokes all within ten seconds.
Kinger and (forget their name but they're the sad mask one) do rock paper scissors, and Kinger wins since the other guy can only do paper (joke 1). Kinger then yells yes, but then goes on to go grab Zooble even though he won (joke 2). Once grabbing Zooble his floating hands just remain attached to zombie as she's carried off (joke 3).
3 pretty solid hitters within such a short amount of time is impressive to me lol
Honestly i feel the near exact same way you do!
The Psychological horror part always misses when i watch it, because I already know what bad situation has happened to them, i dont need the creators to keep pushing that down my throat. Also im an incredibly existential person, i constantly think about deep questions so much that i got desensitized to it.
And the dialogue feels.. formulaic, i suppose. Like when the characters are going a little insane, it's incredibly obvious. They shove the theme so much that it's poking my eyes. I just need those ambiguity, i dont like information babyfed to me when i look around for a little bit.
The only reason digital circus got so hype because the pacing was fast so people didnt get bored at it and also because its family friendly
I don’t even rly consider the show a horror tbh I feel like it’s more a dark comedy
It is
@@violettshy Kind of like murder drones but the opposites (instead of a dark show with comedy, it's a comedy show that's dark)
I don’t know how it can end in a satisfying way. But I’ll definitely watch it. I think Cain is an ai that’s part of the game and is just doing his best since he wasn’t made to take care of people in that way. The “mad ramblings” of Kinger will probably be hints at the story. He mentioned an insect collection and they found a nest. It’ll be interesting to see how they deal with all of the other doors in that hallway. There’s a bunch of crossed out characters that’s most likely abstracted in the basement, but there’s also the dolls.
Insects... oh bugs... like in a program.
I completely agree with you. While watching the pilot I felt like my "entertainment-meter" is not really triggered, just enough so I wouldn't click off the video. And I couldn't point to what it was, but you managed to do that. Explain what causes this weird feeling.
My biggest problem with this is that it’s not so much “dark” but has a vibe of “everything sucks but being home on discord im unique because I’m an introvert”. Tiktok trendy mental illness type energy. I can’t put my finger on exactly WHERE but it’s there. People are free to disagree, I’m not hating on people who like it, it’s just a cartoon so it’s not that serious a topic.
The creator said that this series its not horror itself, maybe its comedy and nothing more
Ya, i get a similar feeling from the show. I think the real issue is that it rushes too quickly right into the existential crisis. Instead of it being a slow burn as we build up to the realization that they are trapped and this is a horrible situation, we are told right in the first minute. Heck that shot of the computer when Pomni is running though the hallways feels like it would have been something for the end of season 1, as we slowly build up the mystery.
Build up? Bruh if I don't remember my name and I'm now trapped in a pocket world of all eternity, I'm experiencing dread quickly. To think otherwise is asinine.
@LordTails66 I mean, wasn't Pomni initially trying to tell herself that this was all a dream? So which one is it? "It's all a dream and I need to get out ASAP" or "This is horrible and I'm gonna be stuck here forever"? Pick a lane lmao we're barely guided through Pomni's thought process. Her mental breakdown can happen throughout the episode but they shoved that aspect of it into the first minute as if she's only saying "this is a dream" even though she acts like she already knows everything about her situation. There's no "frantically asking more questions", everyone tells her everything and she just takes it, doesn't question it. We barely see her questioning her reality, it's just yeah my random ass name is Pomni now and I'm gonna trust that none of these people are here to harm me.
The "build up" we want is more like I wish she was asking more questions and was piecing things together more and more and realizing more and more that she can't escape. Instead they're like "There's no escape" and she's like "ok." *stares into the distance depressingly*
@@zcerii think her saying “this is a dream” is just her trying to make at least some non permanent sense to her situation, where she understands whats kinda happening, she just doesent want to accept that its her reality, and shes still trying to cope, knowing she’s most definitely fucked
@errorglichyboi4396 that's fair, but how does she understand what's happening? When put in her perspective, she's tossed into a world she doesn't know where she doesn't remember who she is, and then everyone else is telling her that this is permanent and that there's no escape. Put yourself in that situation
Who the fuck are these people? Why should I believe them? Them telling me there's no escape could just be them trying to convince me to stay. Maybe they want to kill me and eat me.
But nope, she's so trusting of everyone and what they say. I'd probably overreact and start getting away from them, but Pomni is relatively calm about the new stuff, even following the characters around, but she's freaking out for some reason that's not completely clear to us. Everyone has interpreted that she's freaking out about not being able to escape, but what has she actually tried to reach that conclusion? Everyone hands her the answer and she goes "ok *cries*"
Like idk
When she first got there, I didn't feel a sense of urgency, of her trying to leave, trying to ask anything
There isn't even a focus on how the other characters look
Like she's not even freaked out about the non-humanoid creatures that are talking
She's only ever confused about the costume she's wearing
Does this imply that these characters were a normal occurence in her world?
Oh well, it's just the pilot anyway
I really wanna see more but if the writing is gonna keep being as mid I might not keep up with it
We all have our own tastes
@@zceri The main problem with what you're saying is that Jax is exposition dumps. He's definitely been in there for a while and he has seen a couple of people come into the world (most likely some of the main casts too) so while everyone there has already experienced the mental crisis of "asking more questions" and "looking for an exit that doesn't exist", he pulls off the bandaid and immediately tells Pomni that. And everyone in there knows the exact same questions that Pomni would have said, because they said it themselves. So everyone immediately goes to try to comfort her, even before she realises it herself.
Pomni gets fully info dumped and is already disoriented by not knowing her own name, just that she doesn't belong, so she's in a state of shock, trying to make sense of it that it is a dream, trying her hardest by waiting till the dream ends, and even giving effort to try to escape when the opportunity presents itself. she isn't "ok" *stares into the void* the shock is finally wearing off (and also the madness) and she now has to deal the possibility that this isn't a dream, that she might actually be stuck there. the camera work at the end also mimics an echoing scream shot, wherein the character breaks down and screams, and the camera pulls back as the scream echos throughout the world.
This is either going to make me agree on everything this man says or absolutely change my view of him cuz The Amazing Digital Circus might become one of my favorite UA-cam series
Sooo... What was it in the end?
@@user-fm1zr8sp5y probably the ladder bc that man isnt speaking facts at all
'Might become one of my favorite UA-cam series' is something that has been said countless times. Nothing bad but it always happens with these projects. I mean most of these youtube indie series are good and all. It's nice to see them get some love and support but personally it doesn't really catch my attention.
@@Unhinged4nowit’s made by the same people that made/continuing murder drones so it’s almost 100% going to follow through with the series unlike a certain hellish shit show
Even if you don’t stay interested it’s nice to know it won’t get the common pilot but no actual show treatment until years pass
@@pipper6942 [Statement retired about Murder Drones, but I will die on my little hill for HB, because if you look closer, it's true.]
(A bit like Helluva Boss.. lawd I hope they did NOT waste those 3 years of wait on Hazbin Hotel just to make it another gay fantasy.)
I can agree, TADC is OK for me but the only things that make me dislike it is whenever a scene gets too quirky which makes me skip it or close my eyes and cover my ears out of embarrassment. BUT on the other hand what makes me interested in it, is that something like this can just pop out of nowhere and get me hooked on it even though I've never liked something so freely.
I think that the “scary” parts of the pilot aren’t supposed to be scary. They’re not trying to be. They’re trying to be mysterious and make you wonder why something is happening. Like the whole abstracted thing isn’t supposed to scare you, it’s just supposed to make you ask “why”. Same thing with the void and the whole back rooms thing. It’s not trying to be scary, it’s just supposed to be mysterious.
True, honestly I feel like the "oooh, look, scawy!" Parts this video is doing is just mocking something that isn't there in the first place, I didn't feel scared, I felt intrigued (if that's even the word, not a native speaker) and asked myself "what's going on here?" And tried to think up answers by myself
@@mariotheundying yesss exactly!
@@mariotheundying i agree, and intrigued is a word that you used right
It's fair if you don't like it. Humor and comedy are subjective. I think its absolutly fantastic show with a good start. The animation is so unique and th humor (for me) hit pretty much every time.
I actually really like that the existential horror concept is about the feeling of entrapment within the situation itself rather than needing a blatantly evil A.I. like I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream had to reinforce it. Just the core feeling of losing one's body and name, losing the old life they knew they had but can't recall anymore, losing a sense of time in not knowing whether they're here forever, etc.Their situation can be silly and colorful moving from moment to moment, but their real dread is about contemplating the big picture and the feeling of their powerlessness in it.
I agree. I was left confused. Other than the "cursed" VR headset and finding the Exit door, everything else felt like "Lol random circus stuff".
I didn't even realize that was a B-Plot, neither did the Dark parts feel dark enough.
Good on the show for getting almost 200 million views in 2 months, but it didn't feel like a project that would reach that kind of popularity.
Well the creator said that the series is not trying to be horror, so maybe thats becuase the dark parts are not very scary
@@DX-222 I know. My main issue is, compared to other indie Pilots recently, "The Amazing Digital Circus" wasn't as compelling as I thought I'd be.
@@frankkennedy6388 yeah, also i think that we need to wait more episodes so we will understand the lore, hope that you laughted with the pilot
it's a pilot, that's the point
I really loved this pilot, but I understand why it's not your cup of tea. Looking back, there's definitely some things that could be improved like the comedy and horror aspects of it. I sincerely hope these elements can be ironed out in the full show. But in the meantime, I'm excited to see where Gooseworx takes us next!
The ironic part is your review made me want to go and watch it for myself. I think you're right about it not exactly hitting with the existential horror aspects. It's kind of like candy with just an aftertaste of sour that makes you go huh, I don't hate it, I don't love it, but it's trying something and I give it credit for that
Gooseworx has stated TADC isn't meant to be horror.
I like that you’re not afraid to be completely honest with your opinions
this whole pilot is exactly my cup of tea. the cartoony characters, the comedy is exactly my kind of humor and i laughed at basically every joke, i LOVE circus themed shit, and i had so much fun watching it
to me the horror parts weren't trying to be scary but rather funny
Same
I feel a similar, but kind-of opposite disconnect. I feel like if I was dropped into this Digital World, I would explore the heck out of it and enjoy this cool new realm, for as long as that novelty lasted. Meanwhile, Pomni's first response is: "Get me the heck out of here!"
It's like she came in with immediate regret, as if she was warned about "something" before hand, but ignored the "warning" and went with it anyways and ended up here.
Confused and worried sure but Pomni jumps from 'everything is ok' to 'complete panic and full blown existential crisis' in MINUTES.
To be fair, she was told that she couldn't actually leave the realm, so that probably made her want to find an exit more than anything. I agree though
You gotta keep in mind that she has no idea how she got there and clearly wasn't planning on being there. There's also her not being able to remember who she actually was and all she really remembers was putting on some headset that she now can't take off.
Seriously, imagine you randomly ended up somewhere you weren't intending, you can't leave, and you have a *vague* idea of who you were but can't remember your own life.
@@geograymon55 This is true. Does make me wonder how they got there though.
@@geograymon55 You keep your personality, and you know roughly how you got there (Pomni is trying to take off a VR set it really seems), but then when you actually take everything into account, you know nothing, remember nothing, and are told "we've been here for years! You cant leave!"
Bro got crucified by the internet.
Anyways, I don't feel anything ominous for The Amazing Digital Circus. It's not even dark at the most remote scale possible. It is definitely comedic enough though.
I feel like its's worth it to note that a pilot isn't really for general audiences, but more to sell the show to investors and publishers by showing what the show is about as fast as possible
No in this case the pilot is for the audience, bc glitch productions are the ones that will be punlishing it.
I like how you emphasise how it wasn’t for YOU, instead of saying it’s bad and why. We all have your own opinions and while I love the pilot, it definitely puts a lot onto the table and it feels like 2 or 3 episodes can cover everything. Probs to you man.
Why do you feel the need to remind yourself that other people have opinions...
I ask that not for an answer but to bring up the point that, over the course of the internets life-time, many opinions have been shared.
Thoughts are formed through experiences and emotions and thus an opinion is as natural as breathing or-- in this case thinking.
My frustration therein lies, for I liken your remark at the beginning there, similar to so many others, to reminding yourself that people need to eat or shit.
It's very childish and hugely common unfortunately. If you want to have a discussion there's better ways to acknowledge someone else's thoughts.
Maybe recite them and give feedback on each one, show you care through the action of engaging in the conversation firstly.
Then show your side of the spectrum, for example, if you disagree with the point, "I like bananas because they are yellow"
You could maybe the respond with:
"Well I saw you like the color of yellow in those bananas, I can see how much that means to you and why, I personally don't care for them because they turn brown."
In this way you say the same thing in your original comment, but show that you were paying attention to the point being made, and that you care about and have considered their opinion.
It also flows nicer and sounds better, it doesn't sound dumb as fuck like:
"People breathe! I respect that people breathe!!"
That just leaves me asking; who are these people? What do they have to do with bananas?!
@@Grimnoirethe fuck
@@Grimnoire this hurt my brain lol
@@creenymcween6761 Good.
@@Grimnoire this hurt my brain lol
I feel like, "The big swing" as you describe it, is honestly more realistic than you seem to think. Imagine the existential horror you would feel realizing you will never, EVER, see any of your loved ones ever again. forever trapped in a vibrant, child-like prison, there is no escape, there is no break, there is no A N Y T H I N G.
Think about how an immortal person would feel, realizing they would outlive every single person they ever loved or knew, knowing that they would be there when the world ended, when the sun exploded, they would be there forever.
The dread you would feel upon your first realization would traumatize the absolute shit out of you, which explains many of Pomni's reactions.
not only that they wont ever know if something even happens to their loved ones. They have no connection to the outside world to our knowledge? So their loved ones could die and theyd never know, something horrible could happen to anyone they care about, any dreams they worked so hard to achieve are meaningless, the life they had means nothing. Their name is now just something stamped onto them and they have their entire identity stolen since it doesn't seem like they got to choose what they looked like? So yeah, i don't think people understand it would be terrifying to have your entire identity erased, all loved ones cut off, and you're what? Supposed to enjoy the ride knowing you will never see or do-anything you enjoyed once before?
Like come on :V
But why don't you just not think about it? Tackle those thoughts later, one a at time, after you enjoy your new surroundings. Get used to it first. That's what I'd do, I think.
@@SoaringElk123 i don't think you understand how trauma works. You can't force yourself to not panic
You can't control panic attacks or meltdowns. Mental health struggles can't just be waved away. If it were we wouldn't have the mental health epidemic we currently do. Also it's never healthy to push away your feelings like that because it only prolongs the problems
People who already didn't have a life or friends: sounds good to me
@@emargaux until you loose all of everything else too. No UA-cam. No videogames. Your activities dictates by someone else you just met. Your speech physically limited and censored at the will of someone else. And better hope you get along with everyone cuz ur stuck with them forever.
I don't think it's all that great tbh
you just explained how i feel about this show, well done, i felt weird for not really caring as much as others
I love how you criticized your own criticism, and constantly reminded people that it's a pilot! And bringing attention to that this is all an OPINION. People shouldn't be scared to criticize popular things, earned a sub!
that was the most grating part of this review to me. the constant handwringing and apologizing for daring to criticize something popular. i agree with almost everything he said but it's a very very common thing for mid-sized youtubers to do, this "reminder this is just my opinion!! you might disagree and that's okay!!" shit takes away from the substance of the review and makes you look afraid to stand by what you're saying
@@rewste He's right though. There is very few things that are definitively "bad" and TADC is not one of them. He finds issue with the show not due to fundamental flaws with it, but rather fundamental differences from what he has come to expect. That's perfectly fine. That's what an opinion is. It doesn't mean he doesn't stand by it, it just means he accepts that his POV is not the POV everyone has.
You are the issue. You are the people who act like their perspective is the only perspective and that anyone who disagrees with them are "coping" or "ignoring the facts"
I feel like The Digital Circus just isn't for everyone. It's a beautiful show and I really enjoy it personally so far, but it also has a lot of signature Gooseworx in it, which, their content and flavor is probably just not for everyone. It's very artistic and has implications of horror hidden behind a cutesy veil sprinkled over in comedy. I think in the end the point isn't the horror, but the art, and the comedy, contrasted by the horror elements.
No show is truly for "everybody". if a show was truly for everybody it would be..very bland being totally honest
oh also i think the word your trying to find is horror comedy
@@mrinsomniac2968 In this modern day and age anything that is mainstream has to be for everyone. Having something that isn’t meant for “everyone” is a rare thing you know? I don’t know if I would truly call it horror comedy, or comedic horror. I feel like the level of bizarre contrast Gooseworx does is a realm of its own. Stuff like Runmo and Double King fit into that weird category. Bizarre horror comedy. It’s not supposed to scare you, it’s, more like it’s structured to make the art shine? I don’t know how to explain it quite. It might be trying to unsettle or throw you off kilter, but it’s not scary. It just wants you to think, about the art.
@@randomencounter9359 This.
Little Runmo, Elaine, Bounty Hunter, Ghost of the Year, etc..., they have horrific elements to them, but none of them really scared me.
Made me uncomfortable, made me admire the work, made me laugh, but not fear
It's unique, it's cool, and I hope the show gets greenlit!
@@DJ-fb9cf yeah! It’s got like, slightly unsettling themes, horror elements, but, it’s about the painted picture, the whole together.
guys... call off everything... he's neurotypical
It's fascinating how SMG4 went from making parodies of Super Mario 64 to owning an indie animation studio that brought us shows about apocalyptic killer robots and a big top webcore. He surely comes along the way to make the world of web animation a better place.
I already see this comment in Lesson in Meme Culture video. Imagine copy-pasting someone else's comment and claim it is yours.
@@despacito2384ikr
shame on you op
damn just gonna skip meta runner like that
average "its amazing how far smg4 has come" comment
The smg4 Mario dude made this ??????
I really love the animation style and the voice acting, I think it’s really well put together
When watching TADC I was taken by many of the aspects mentioned in this video - the art style and character design are excellent - but also left feeling just *fine* with it. This video voiced a lot of similar thoughts and criticisms without feeling "unfair" which is appreciated! With this show I feel that YMMV. Existential horror has saturated certain corners of the online art space, and this review does a good job communicating that without disregarding the work put into it. Very thoughtful. :)
My thoughts on the Digital Circus itself is that I thought Pomni was going insane from the trauma of being cut off from her old life (and identity!) rather than the dread of having to live in the circus forever.
THIS
I think it’s both but one is overshadowing the other
I am fully invested in TADC. I didn’t really see if as a psychological horror and more wolf a dark comedy because I felt like all the horror was only being felt by the characters. So a lot of this show was me laughing at these characters go insane
Is it supposed to be horror? I thought it was supposed to be dark comedy
“its trying to make you ask questions” dude. its a pilot. its gonna wanna make you want more answers aka more episodes aka more supporters
Funniest thing about your take on Cain's design to me is everything you said about him are reasons I think he's perfectly designed for his role. The uncomfy constant demand for eye contact, the busy, distracting chaos, all of it reflects his actual role in the story. Fair video regardless
"I didnt care for digital circus"
and thats how he got attacked
Kinetic as he is, I feel like the point to observing Caine is watching all of him. He _is_ the distraction for the eyes.
Also, I love some of the lines he gets. "Why are you like this?" Such a simple line, but delivered so perfectly.
Finding this video above of the "the amazing digital circus problem" video its peak of irony, the dualities of internet doing wonders once again.
My only problem with the show is that it’s saying blatantly what should be left up to the audience and Pomni to discover. Instead of immediately starting at 100% with her panicking, have her being confused trying to get the headset off without telling the audience what is happening, let her decides to play along and ramp up the anxiety and tenions as she realizes that this is her new reality
9:14 "character don't feel and aren't in actual danger"... ye, that is also what I have no mouth and i must scream did.
That fact that you can't die unless you want to is what makes it so scarry imo. Heck in I have no mouth the scarriest and seddest part of the book is when the protagonist is going to live forever in a body that is no longer human
With how quickly this shot up I originally thought some new mascot horror just dropped. Not exactly blown away but the pilot shows a very good foundation. Happy for Goose.
In my opinion I really liked this pilot, I loved the designs, the attitudes, and the amazing animation and backgrounds! But I gotta say, I probably only laughed two times at two of the scenes, I think they were overdoing the humor just a little, but still I really loved this pilot. And I can’t wait to see what else comes of it! 😊