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The Amazing Digital Circus

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Anura from England Since: Apr, 2011 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#526: May 17th 2024 at 2:56:31 PM

Anime, JRPGs, and things no-one's read in 15 years? You're right, .hack would be a pretty good crossover! And it could use more love as it is...

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.
Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#527: May 18th 2024 at 9:14:38 PM

Finally saw the second episode and man, was it really emotional to watch.

I actually felt bad for the crocodile in this episode, especially since he had no idea what his true backstory is since he's an NPC character. It does make me curious about the NPC characters in this world and how they got there in the first place. It just makes things even more mysterious with this world. Also, I will admit that the ending was pretty messed up with them just vanishing the crocodile out of nowhere when we just got an emotional arc with this character. It makes me wonder what episode 3 will be like.

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
RebelFalcon ULTRANumb from ... (Private)
#528: May 18th 2024 at 10:53:20 PM

[up]Caine tried telling Zooble he was working on a new AI towards the beginning of the episode, the implication being that Gummigoo possessing that AI is what allowed him to become self-aware. Caine ended up making the AI's too human basically, which is what allowed Gummigoo to actually question his existence.

Rodimus: Self-sacrifice, Magnus— It's cheap. It's a cheap way out. I need to live so I can make amends.
MisterTambourineMan Unbeugsame Klinge from Under a tree Since: Jun, 2017 Relationship Status: Browsing the selection
Unbeugsame Klinge
#529: May 19th 2024 at 6:17:42 AM

Which gives me another hypothesis for how the series ends: Not with anybody leaving the game, but changing how it functions to more closely resemble the real world and (hopefully) reduce the chance of abstracting.

Nach jeder Ebbe kommt die Flut.
XMenMutant22 The Feline Follies of Felix the Cat Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Hoping Senpai notices me
#530: May 19th 2024 at 7:57:06 AM

Recently found a YouTube channel (Kirby Green) that seems to make fake Disney Channel/Disney XD ads for web animation shows.

While they did one for the pilot, I found their recent take on second episode to be more "recognizable" to the usual ad tropes from XD (including the joke needle drops). It's just really well done.

Also, the comments couldn't help but play along with hypothetical announcer interstitials, such as:

"Don't go abstracting on us, we'll be right back!"

"Don't fall through the map! Disney XD will be right back with more of The Amazing Digital Circus!"

Edited by XMenMutant22 on May 19th 2024 at 10:57:55 AM

Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#531: May 19th 2024 at 10:39:02 AM

Oh yeah, I forgot about the AI discussion at the beginning of the episode. I wonder how that would play into the events in future episodes?

Edited by Rabbitearsblog on May 19th 2024 at 10:39:14 AM

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
RebelFalcon ULTRANumb from ... (Private)
#532: May 19th 2024 at 1:35:21 PM

The series thesis on the NPC's I think can be best summarized with the Philosopher René Descartes's most well known idea: "Cogito, Ergo Sum", or in English, "I Think, Therefore I Am".

The players in the circus are clearly real people, they have memories, they know they are real people, and abstracting being the loss of their individual form can be seen as them not knowing who they are anymore, having lost themselves to the madness of the Circus. It's that same token though that Pomni uses to convince Gummigoo that he is real even if he's an NPC. The memories may be scripted, but his feelings aren't, they are his, the care for his "boys" is genuine, as is his bond with Pomni, they made him real. And if what Caine said is true, this is likely true for one of the "players" anyway, since they're really an AI. The idea of "form" and not knowing who you are can actually be looked into further by comparing Kaufmo's abstraction to Pomni's epiphany.

  • Kaufmo ended up abstracting because of being driven mad looking for an "exit door", with none of the other players taking him seriously and Caine writing it off as a "Digital Hallucination", and his attempts at masking his pain with humor were just ignored as attempts at unfunny jokes. Kaufmo wasn't "seen", and he no longer knew who he was as he was consumed looking for a door that didn't exist, so he abstracted.
  • Pomni meanwhile has come to realize that she's not alone in this hell, the other players (sans Jax) are there for her, and this is represented by them rescuing her from the nightmare where she was beginning to abstract. They will be able to keep her grounded, help her remember who she is, since even if she starts to lose herself, they can bring her back.

Edited by RebelFalcon on May 19th 2024 at 4:39:52 AM

Rodimus: Self-sacrifice, Magnus— It's cheap. It's a cheap way out. I need to live so I can make amends.
Matchingbone from Somewhere between here and way over there. Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: I'd need a PowerPoint presentation
#533: May 19th 2024 at 5:39:36 PM

I am usually down for some Descartes. In a world that is in constant change, knowing what you are and how you are is important. Brings even more significance to Pomni's mirror scene.

RJ-19-CLOVIS-93 from New Zealand (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#534: May 19th 2024 at 8:15:49 PM

I wonder if they are gonna play up Jax's jackassery in part to shock us that he has a lot of inner sadness and frustration motivating it. Albeit Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse

MagmaTeaMerry My Head Is On Fire from A forest somewhere Since: Sep, 2020
My Head Is On Fire
#535: May 20th 2024 at 3:58:07 AM

I… kind of hope they don’t do that, actually. Some people are just assholes who have no reason to be assholes other than ”because they can.” Character depth is always nice, don’t get me wrong, but I’d rather not give the fans more reason to give him another pair of leather pants. (Sure, Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse, but that sure as hell doesn’t stop people from claiming that actual VILLAINS, even the omnicidal ones, are totally right and justified because something shitty has happened to them - No doubt the same thing would happen here)

I also vaguely recall Word of God stating that Jax is the one who deserves his predicament the most because of how much of a dick he is.

Edited by MagmaTeaMerry on May 20th 2024 at 12:59:24 PM

My AO3 profile. Let sleeping cats lie and be cute and calming.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#536: May 20th 2024 at 9:21:08 AM

Mark my words,Jax is going to get abstracted and he'll deserve it

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#537: May 20th 2024 at 8:25:07 PM

I'm honestly curious whether or not Gangle's Tragedy Mask is able to be broken. Though, more so, I just want to see an episode where Gangle goes half the runtime without her Comedy Mask being broken.

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
AFan Since: Nov, 2022
#538: May 20th 2024 at 9:02:11 PM

I just want her to have at least 5 lines with her Comedy Mask on before it breaks again. I want to see what her personality is like with it on.

KaikoMikkusu Since: Jul, 2013
#539: May 21st 2024 at 6:32:47 AM

My dad said that if kinger had a purple wig he’d look like Marge Simpson

Sunchet Since: Oct, 2010
#540: May 22nd 2024 at 1:30:16 AM

I imagine there will finally be an episode where both masks break and she's just quiet and faceless.

Inky100 Ragdoll used for creepy stuff from The virtual horror factory Since: Dec, 2020 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Ragdoll used for creepy stuff
#541: May 22nd 2024 at 3:37:36 AM

[up] Then Jax unsuccessfully tries to fix the tragedy mask.

Waiting to have my head disfigured and mounted on a wall.
TheDarkMantis Shadow Bug from Ocean of Storms Since: Nov, 2017 Relationship Status: One Is The Loneliest Number
Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#543: May 22nd 2024 at 5:39:50 AM

> Then Jax unsuccessfully tries to fix the tragedy mask.

that would be out of character for Jax,he's an unrepentant jerk

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Inky100 Ragdoll used for creepy stuff from The virtual horror factory Since: Dec, 2020 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Ragdoll used for creepy stuff
#544: May 22nd 2024 at 5:52:32 AM

[up] I'm pretty sure he'd prefer Gangle to express visible suffering rather than leave her speechless and visually emotionless. She's his favorite target of abuse, after all, and he'd find it boring to see her unable to express anything at all. Gangle herself would fix her comedy mask in the meantime (perhaps with Jax doing his best to interrupt her).

And speaking of [up][up], that'd be awesome and hilarious at the same time for sure! [lol]

Edited by Inky100 on May 22nd 2024 at 2:56:09 PM

Waiting to have my head disfigured and mounted on a wall.
TheDarkMantis Shadow Bug from Ocean of Storms Since: Nov, 2017 Relationship Status: One Is The Loneliest Number
moxeden actually okay-ish from a place of comfort Since: Sep, 2023 Relationship Status: love is a deadly lazer
actually okay-ish
#546: May 22nd 2024 at 6:37:21 AM

Remember that one scene in the Pilot where she gets unraveled while falling down the Zooble hole? The mask stays attached and it just bounces off the ground? That must mean that if the tragedy mask breaks, she just... fucking dies! That's it. She's just nothing more than a long strand of red ribbon and a bunch of porcelain shards. I imagine one of the characters picking up the pieces and trying to repair everything, hoping in vain that this will being her back, before eventually giving up and asking Caine for help, where he revives her.

Good morning, and good night, I hardly ever sleep. With what I have, what else do you think I'd ever need?
Rhino8888 from Spain Since: Mar, 2020
#547: May 22nd 2024 at 10:12:28 AM

The one thing I hope the show doesn't do is having one of the players be Evil All Along and having planned everything from the start or something like that. Like Kinger being revealed to having faked his crazy attitude all this time and being the one who trapped them all in the circus for some evil plan. It’d feel like such an unnecessary backstab, I really hope they don't do anything like that.

Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#548: May 22nd 2024 at 4:31:03 PM

Given how genuinely helpful his words to Ragatha were, in getting her to ease up on her anxiety surrounding if she fucked up with Pomni or not, I highly doubt he'll suddenly spring up as this Evil All Along sociopath.

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#549: May 22nd 2024 at 9:18:17 PM

[up][up]I feel like the only way it'd be able to work is if the player's human self was Evil All Along, and their avatar in the Digital Circus ends up having a Heel Realization. Having them be Evil All Along within the game's coding doesn't seem like a logical possibility.

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from The Wiggle Room (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#550: May 23rd 2024 at 6:19:38 AM

[up][up]yeah,that's more like wishful thinking at this point

have a listen and have a link to my discord server

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