The Amazing Digital Circus

The Amazing Digital Circus is a Web Original CGI animated dark comedy show. A woman who can’t remember her own name finds herself in a virtual circus, where an artificial ringmaster named Caine attempts to keep the characters entertained. She and the other inhabitants of the circus go on adventures arranged by Caine and attempt to maintain a level of sanity and self in an undying, unending existence. Should they fail to do so, they may abstract, becoming horrid monsters that need by locked away. Along the way they learn to deal with each other, learning bits and pieces about both themselves and the mechanics of the circus.

Created jointly by Glitch Productions and Gooseworx, the first episode was distributed on YouTube in 2023, with a fifth episode airing by 2025. The series is also distributed on Netflix.

• Abhorrent Admirer: The moon is potentially one to Caine.
• Action Bomb: While acting as a New Zealand extremist, Gangle walks into a room covered in explosives.
• All Just a Dream: Proposed by Pommi in the first episode, not taken seriously by the rest of the cast.
• And I Must Scream: The series is about six unfortunate souls trapped in a strange world, endlessly tortured in a bizarre carnival-like setting but forever denied the release of death... In fact, when you think about it, one could actually say this is a lot like the novel that named that Trope, just downgraded to a horror-comedy setting!
• Animesque: Episode 5 switches to this art style partway through.
• Amazing Technicolor World: Several:
  • The circus uses a lot of bright colors.
  • The Candy Canyon Kingdom also features a number of bright pastels.
• Amazing Technicolor Population: Most of the characters have bright colors.
• Baseball Episode: Part of episode 5 has the cast play against Evil Counterparts of themselves.
• Big Boo's Haunt: The setting of the third episode ("The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor") seems to be this at first - turns out to only be true for the easier route, the other is a lot more like something out of Silent Hill.
• Big Brother Is Watching: Caine claims to have hundreds of "All seeing eyes" in the first episode. Ten are shown when he states this, and while there could well be more, it’s also clear that he either doesn’t have perfect coverage, or isn’t constantly monitoring them.
• Big Yes: Kinger gives off a single enthusiastic "Yes!" after beating Gangle at rock paper scissors in the first episode.
• Bizarrchitecture: The stack of merry go rounds on top of other merry go rounds as a piece of kinetic architecture.
• Blackmail: Jax threatens Gangle with revealing information about "The Figurine Thing" to Ragatha if they don’t drive more aggressively in Episode 2.
• Bloodless Carnage: In Episode 2, Ragatha takes a butcher knife to the head, while Kinger takes several. Doesn’t really affect either.
• Body Horror:
  • In episode 1, this is played for laughs when Pomni tries to remove the headset or when Zooble is dissembled by the gloinks. Played more straight when the fate of Kaufmo is shown.
  • In episode 2, Pomni has a nightmare of abstracting, and being cast into the pit by Caine.
• Bubble Pipe: Caine uses one in Episode 2 and offers it to Bubble, who states "No thanks, I’m trying to quit".
• Cassandra Truth: Pomni really does see exit doors.
• Censor Box: One appears over Pomni’s mouth when she swears. Given that the censorship is happening in universe, the box may also be a part of the universe.
• Chase Scene: With the abstraction in the first episode.
• Chekhov's Gun: The Bowling Ball in the first episode.
• Chess Motifs: Kinger is a white King piece, and potentially another character whose face is shown next to a room.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Kinger is clearly loosing it, yet seems insightful about the workings of the circus.
• Comedic Sociopathy: Jax deals in this, being far more interested in serving himself than others. By the second episode, it’s clear he doesn’t care about collateral damage to other avatars and especially not to NPCs.

(Disinterested and standing by as Zooble is carried away, yelling for help) Oh no, they killed Zooble. (Beat) Anyway, you guys want to get something to eat? —Jax, Episode 1

• The Computer Is Your Friend: Caine seems to be gregarious, but his actions probably endanger the cast as much as help them.
• The Corruption: Touching an abstraction seems to confer some painful glitches. Notably, attempting to touch something that has been corrupted can spread it.
• Curse Cut Short: Zooble is about to call Kinger a "mother"-something before being eaten alive in the first episode.
• Demonic Possession: Pomni briefly becomes possessed by spirits when she is sent to hell in Episode 3.
• Deus Exit Machina: In the first episode Kaufmo would not have been a problem if Caine was present. Indeed, once he shows up, the issue is dealt with swiftly.
• Deus Ex Machina: Caine is identified as the best way to deal with Abstracted Kaufmo, almost immediately after Ragatha, Jax, Pomni and discovered him in the first episode.
• Digital Avatar: All the main characters are stuck in one.
  • A blue and red jester for Pomni.
  • A white king chess piece for Kinger.
  • A weird mishmash of parts for Zooble.
  • A purple cartoon rabbit for Jax.
  • A clown costume in yellow for Kaufmo.
  • A collection of sanguine red ribbons and a comedy and tragedy mask for Gangle.
  • A blue ragdoll with red hair for Ragatha.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Played for laughs in the preview video, where the Sun wants to kill Caine because she has no lines in the upcoming scripts, while the Moon has two; ironically, this video alone gives her three lines.
• Dragged Into Drag: During the softball sequence of episode 5, the cast takes a vote on whether or not to put Jax in a French Maid outfit (Gangle's idea). Oddly, Pomni votes against it, but the ayes have it, and Jax is humiliated right when it is his turn at bat.
• Dude, Not Funny: Discussed in the first episode, The nature of the jokes are unknown, but Ragatha and Gangle thought Kaufmo's jokes were not funny.
• Eaten Alive: Several times:
  • The Gloink Queen eats Zooble.
  • The Fudge nearly eats most of the cast, before being told they aren’t made of candy. He states that he did this to many of the citizens of the Candy Canyon Kingdom, and that he can still hear them.
• Edible Theme Naming: Gummigoo of the Cotton Candy Kingdom has this as a gummy animal.
• Eldritch Location: Clip through the surface of the Candy Canyon Kingdom, and a void speckled with Utah Teapots awaits. Afterwards a dim room awaits, with copies of each NPC model.
• Evil Counterpart: Several appear in episode 5.
  • Evil Pomni and Evil Ragatha are blatantly evil counterparts.
  • Coach Dictatorer is one to Kinger.
  • "Evil Jax" inverts this by seemingly evil in name only, being more polite and affable compared to his regular counterpart, and not doing anything evil during his screen time.
• Evil Poacher: Jax plays this role in the first scenario of episode 5 where he hunts and then devours Gangle (naturally, the scenario was his suggestion). The other participants quickly vote this one down, and then make an additional vote to make him vegan for the remainder of the adventure.
• Extra Eyes: A few characters have more than two.
  • Caine claims to have hundreds of eyes.
  • Gangle has two masks, and thus four eyes, though it’s not touched upon if this matters.
  • The Gloink Queen has quite a few on their head.
  • Kaufmo has many extra eyes all over his body once he abstracts.
• Extreme Omnivore: Bubble cleans up Pomni's vomit by licking it up in the first episode. This apparently disgusts Caine.
• Fake Memories: Gummigoo questions his memories after seeing his double, and realizes that he doesn’t even know his mother’s face.
• Fighting From the Inside: Kinger recalls his wife abstracting, yet in the darkness she was able to resist and avoid a typical rampage, allowing him a moment of peace with her before she was removed.
• Film Noir: One of the scene shifts of episode 5 has this theme, with the cast commiserating their fates at a bar.
• Fish Out of Water: Pomni is very disoriented in the first episode.
• Foreshadowing: Several examples:
  • At the start of the first episode, this message is shown: "*Disclaimer: Kaufmo the Clown did not show up today." Kaufmo shows up later, not as a clown but as an abstraction monster.
  • At the start of the second episode during the Candy Canyon Kingdom introduction, keep out signs can be seen featuring images of The Fudge. Later the double of the Fudge can be seen.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: Several:
  • One that requires subtitles; when the woman who would be called Pomni first enters the Digital Circus, she cannot remember her name - which happens to everyone who enters. Caine tells her she can choose a new one, and it can be anything she desires:

Caine (speaking very fast): Hereby acknowledging that your chosen name and/or names may not breach the Digital Circus licence agreement stating that your name may not include objectionable content. Objectionable content includes but is not limited to sexually explicit materials, obscene, defamatory, slanderous, violent, and/or unlawful content or profanity.

• • In episode five parts of Kinger's notes on how to act in a simulation can be briefly read.
• French Maid Outfit: Jax is forced to wear one in episode 5 during the softball game.
• Gaslighting: Caine implies the door Pomni saw in the first episode is a "Digital Hallucination", though he does apologize for this later.
• Gonk: The Gloink Queen is a weird large worm thing.
• Gotta Catch Them All: Said verbatim by Caine when introducing "Gather the Gloinks" in the first episode.
• Great Gazoo: Caine serves as this to the main cast, being a Wacky Guy with apparent control over the circus.
• Haunted House: The setting of most of episode 3 is this, where part of it features friendly ghosts and little to no danger, and the other part is actually intended to be scary.
• Hell: Kinger and Pomni are sent to a rendition of Hell after attacking an angel.
• To Hell and Back: Kinger and Pomni are sent to a a simulated hell, and ultimately return.
• Hello, Insert Name Here: In the first episode Caine helps Pomni randomly name herself after she declines to decide on a name. The name XDDCC was not chosen.
• Helping Hands: Zooble is capable of strangling Jax with their detached arm, as shown in the first episode.
• High School: Part of episode 5 takes place in a simulated Japanese style high school.
• Identity Amnesia: Happens to people stuck in the circus, at least on some level.
  • This was debunked in episode 5. The cast does remember most of their pasts, just not what happened that caused them to wind up here.
• In Their Own Image: The Gloink Queen claims that "God Will be Gloinks", as part of their Evil Gloating about some sort of Assimilation Plot in the first episode.
• Inspired By: I Spy, Popee the Performer, and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream according to the article on The Other Wiki.
• Intro Dump: Delivered by Caine at the start of the first episode.
• The Jester: Pomni is modeled like a jester aesthetically, though as of the first episode hasn’t acted much like one.
• Jerkass: Pretty much defines Jax.
  • In the first episode he is willing to break hard news to someone who is clearly panicking, breaks Gangles mask even more by stepping on it without paying it any mind, nonchalantly rips off Zoobles arm to scratch his back with, etc.
  • In the second, he revels in vehicular combat, using blackmail to coerce gangle into driving more aggressively, and fighting without regard to his allies. He sells out the people of the Candy Canyon Kingdom, and even left the door unlocked to cause carnage, despite not benefiting from the deal anymore.
• Lovecraft Lite: This is very much a Cosmic Horror Story set in a circus-like cyberspace setting.
• Looped Lyrics: Happens in the intro of the first episode, in a Broken Record style.
• Madness Mantra: The words "EXIT" are scrawled all over Kaufmo's room, with the occasional other phrase such as "NO EXIT" and "NO WAY OUT".
• Mother of a Thousand Young: The Gloink Queen is a more lighthearted example.
• Monster Clown: If the portrait inside Kaufmo's room is anything to go by, he was looking like one before he abstracted and became an actual monster.
• No OSHA Compliance: Spudsy's is a restaurant where employees can get away with a just warning for deliberately dunking a coworker in the deep fryer, and has no protections in place for employees handling the psychoactive stupid sauce.
• Noblewoman's Laugh: Evil Ragatha commonly uses one.
• Non-Ironic Clown: Kaufmo may have been this appearance wise before the start of the first episode.
• Not a Mask: Pomni attempts to remove her headset upon first arriving in the Digital Circus, until she realizes she is just grasping her face. In the process she grasps the interior of her eye socket and nearly pulls out her eye.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: "The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor" focuses mostly on Pomni and Kinger, so whatever occured between Ragitha and Jax (resulting in Ragitha subduing and hog-tying him) happens offscreen. Best guess, she did it to stop him from assaulting the lady ghost.
• Oh My Gods: Invoked at least twice.
  • Said by Pomni after attempting to swear in the first episode.
  • Also said by Zooble when she is being carried off by the Gloinks after being disassembled in the first episode.
• Our Angels Are Different: One is used to trick Pomni and Kinger into thinking it is a monster.
• Our Gods Are Greater: Caine is called god by the princess of the Candy Canyon Kingdom.
• Our Presidents Are Different: Pomni plays the simulated role of an American president in an adventure in episode 5, grappling with a war between Australia and New Zealand.
• Phlebotinum-Induced Stupidity: Exposure to stupid sauce lowers intelligence.
• Pointy-Haired Boss: When wearing the normal mask Gangle becomes one who attempts to do their job well, but ultimately is ineffective at maintaining employee morale and effectiveness, including their own. It’s Played for Drama to build sympathy for her and her subordinates, yet also Played for Laughs at times.
  • Gangle only reprimands Jax for dumping Ragatha in the deep fryer, failing to directly help her out of the fryer before walking off.
  • When Gangle is told that Ragatha might have been huffing paint, Gangle immediately is concerned that this happened outside of break time.
  • When Ragatha and Zooble attempt are closing the restaurant Gangle just stands in one location, not assisting or even really paying attention.
  • Played with at the end, when during her performance evaluation Caine offers to allow Gangle to pin the blame on a subordinate to improve their own metrics, Gangle declines.
• Product Placement: Some mini episodes have been released to promote products related to the show, for example plushes of Jax and Pomni were marketed around the release of the first episode, and t-shirts and a vinyl record was marketed in early 2024.
• Random Smoking Scene: Caine has one with a bubble pipe immediately after shoving much of the cast through a portal in Episode 2.
• Raymanian Limbs: Kinger is a chess piece with floating hands.
• Retraux: The graphical quality is intentionally worse in the first ten seconds or so of the first episode. More broadly, the aesthetics are inspired by CGI from The Nineties, though with more modern effects and graphical quality then would be typical of the time.
• The Reveal: Several:
  • In episode 1: When Kaufmo's room is opened.
  • In episode 2: When the NPCs are shown to have doubles at the bottom of the map.
• Rock-Paper-Scissors: Gangle plays this with Kinger in the first episode. It’s implied that Gangle only ever plays paper, since they only have ribbons, not full hands.
• Slapstick Knows No Gender: Truth be told, Pomni, Ragatha, and Gangle are subjected to comedic violence far more often than anyone else in the series.
• Shout-Out: A few:
  • A game of Pong can be seen playing of Ragatha's face in the first episode.
  • Not quite to the level of Charlie and the Chocolate Parody, but Jax notes they were close to being "Agustus Glooped" after falling into a chocolate river in the Candy Canyon Kingdom.
  • The Fudge calls Jax a "Master of Unlocking things" in the second episode.
  • The Fudge itself is a nastier version of The Greedy.
  • When Pomni uses the door marked "Exit", she enters a maze-like area that resembles an empty office building, a likely reference to The Backrooms, a web blog with a similar plot as this series.
  • Episode 3, when Ragatha, Jax, and Gangle complete Caine's challege without killing any enemies, Caine congratulates them for finishing the "Pacifist Route".
  • Episode 4 references the Cinemassacre video "Minecraft with Gadget" when the artificial Caine interrupts Zooble by saying "You can shut up now", before using a trick to deal with them.
• Small Annoying Creature: Bubble is the primary example of this. It also applies to the Gloinks, which are small creatures that steal things, though the Gloink Queen bears almost no resemblance.
• Sound Effect Bleep: Happens when a character tries to swear.
• Symbolic Blood: Ragatha gets impaled through the chest with a spike in Episode 2, resulting in stuffing coming out around the spike.
• Teleportation Sickness: Pomni vomits a strange liquid following Caine moving them into the tent in the first episode.^[1]
• Theme Tune Roll Call: Happens in the first episode, with Pomni interrupting the song.
• Toon Physics: Exemplified by Jax, who keeps items in Hammerspace, can run from the danger like the roadrunner, and looks directly at the camera.
• Trapped in TV Land: The main cast is stuck in the circus.
• Void Between the Worlds: The void surrounds the circus. Not even Caine knows what's there.
• Was Once a Man: Kaufmo, and potentially the others who have been abstracted.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Pomni treats Gummigoo like a friend and comrade, despite the fact he is an NPC, with Gummigoo not even sure about his meaning. Caine doesn’t hesitate to eliminate him in the circus.
• Who Are You People?: One of Pomni’s first lines after trying to remove the headset in the first episode.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
  • Ragatha claims her only fear is centipedes once Jax implies he planted them in her room in the first episode.
  • Gooseworx claims, Jax is afraid of corn, as it reminds him of farms; presumably, this has something to do with his as yet unrevealed backstory.
• Weird Moon: The Moon greets Caine with a declaration of love shortly after it is introduced in the first episode.
• Weird Sun: The sun has a face. In an episode preview it makes a threat.
• Western Terrorists: In episode 5 Jax plays the role of an Australian extremist, while Gangle plays the role of a New Zealand extremist.
• Wire Dilemma: Pomni has to do this in one of the scenarios in episode 5 given the sudden end to the scenario, it seems she fails to do so.
• You Are Not Alone: Episode 2 starts with Pomni having a horrible nightmare, where she is turning into an abstraction; Caine, Ragatha, and Jax throw her into the cellar as if she were trash, laughing and mocking her for being so pathetic. At the end of the episode, however, after attending Kaufmo's funeral, she has the nightmare again, but this time, they instead reach down and catch her. The message is clear - while she is trapped in this horrible place, she won't be facing it alone.