She’s very good at keeping secrets, but not so much with handling the guilt that comes with the heavier ones. After all these years, she could never bring herself to betray the Prototype. Having his absolute trust is something many toys could only dream to have. However, being exposed to the other side of this artificial facade has left a brewing worry in her mind. Their ever more powerful savior is bound to reach the end of his rope a lot sooner than he or anyone else thinks. When that time comes, will there be someone to save him?
With the secrets Lulu has been burdened with, she hopes that someone will be able to see through the mask of their false god. If that time ever comes, perhaps it’d be time to finally break her vow.
[Just a bit of information I have for Mommy Long Legs and her developing role in this au.]
Through past unchecked experimentation and the Hour of Joy, many plants in the bio labs began to mutate and evolve due to an exposure to poppy gel. As the years went by, this plant growth began to develop increasingly faster. Even with the division between the toys, the factory overgrowth was something they all needed to acknowledge.
Some plants became more sensitive and in-tune with the surroundings and organisms. They’d show noticeable shift in behavior based on the emotions that the toys displayed around them. For some reason (or simply because I said so), some toys had the ability to understand and communicate with some of the mutated plants.
Due to having this ability, Mommy Long Legs is often called down from the Game Station to the lower levels by the Prototype. She’s usually tasked with pacifying and clearing out aggressive plants. After being around the plants for a while, many started to notice a shift in her personality.
She seemed less energetic and crazy and slowly started becoming numb to the things around her. Even then, she hates the current job she has under the Prototype and has been gradually losing a willingness to work for him.
Whenever Mommy Long Legs has to leave the Game Station, she’ll leave Royo Yo-yo to watch over it.
I can usually nail my Poppy Playtime ocs but this one is giving trouble. Genuinely couldn’t continue with the direction, and I think it’s mainly due to the clothes. Though I will do a redesign for Lulu soon.
She’s the Prototype’s close and loyal confidant. Lulu unwillingly listens to his ramblings and frustrations. It’s a job she truly hates yet he has made it clear she can’t quit. With this though, she’s learned very sensitive information that could easily aid in bringing down the Prototype.
All it would take is one brave slip through and she could help bring down the (unstable) hierarchy. Unfortunately for Lulu, one of the worst things she believes someone could do is tell another’s secret. Especially since they trusted you enough to say it. She doesn’t have it in her to betray someone like that, and the Prototype knows this.
Her time is mainly spent locked in a room until he finally returns to talk to her. She really just serves to be an open pair of ears. The times she’s tried giving advice, they were met with her head nearly getting skewered.
She became the replacement for Preston after the plants got to him-
That dream that kept reappearing every night. The place that they called a job all those years ago. 10 years ago is when everyone disappeared without a trace. A day they just so happened to not be there. With no employees left, that Playtime Co. factory became abandoned. Yet for some reason, they always kept having dreams of that bygone era.
Coming in from the central hallway into the lobby. There was that massive Playtime CO. sign hanging overhead with those lights shining down. Primary colors wrapped around the room to sell the theme of a kid’s paradise. A place where toys were meant to be much more than what they seemed.
Every step they took closer towards the center, the towering shadow of a tall figure slowly engulfed them. Multiple times they would struggle to remember what the figure looked like, only being able to recall a blurred blue outline. The lights shining through the glass always seemed to obscure the figure.
This time though, things seemed clearer than before. The walls were wrapped in growing plant roots, covering the dulled colors on the wall. Around the central platform was grass-like plant life peaking through the cracked tiles. The plant growth extended to the statue that was on this platform. The roots wrapped up the legs and grew out into small leaves and bushes.
Finally, they made eye contact with it, but things weren’t right. The blue furred giant before them, something was majorly wrong.
Huggy Wuggy was his name.
They remembered always seeing that guy standing over the lobby as its guard. Back then, his form was nicely kept with well done fluffy fur. His mouth was shining brightly everyday. Those eyes displayed a story of untold horrors. What had happened to him?
It had been 10 years since they last saw him. The state of the factory could have gotten bad in that time, but the roots sharply rooted in the wall didn’t look natural. What they should have long realized was that the plants weren’t wrapping around Huggy’s form, they were sprouting from it.
This dream was vastly different from the last ones they’d had. They slowly felt their body start to lose its composure as they broke out into heavy panting. An immense pain shot to their right eye as they cupped their hand on it. As their vision became extremely blurry, the tall figure before them became animated. The arm that once hung in the air now dropped as the furry giant stared down at them with his dark colored eyes.
They collapsed to the ground as Huggy began moving off the platform. The plant roots around his feet tore away as he moved. The two made eye contact at that moment. As Huggy moved closer, they saw as multicolored flowers began sprouting out of his face. His eyes were punctured through and consumed within moments as he barred his teeth to show even more plant growth inside his body.
They tried to move back, scream, or anything. Nothing worked as the world fell into a blur as blood began to eclipse their vision. A ringing sound filled their ears as they tried to comprehend what was transpiring through the darkness. In this madness, they could faintly hear a voice.
“…w….”
“….up…!”
“…wa-…ke…up!”
It became a bit clearer.
“Come on, ex-employee!”
They could feel a force moving their body. As light slowly came back to their senses, they saw a hand reach out. Well…a form of a hand anyway. They tried to reach out to the yellowish formed hand that was connected to pink fur.
“You can do it, Gardener!” The voice cheered them on.
“…gardener?” They finally responded.
Finally regaining some of their vision, they looked to the side where they saw the red haired doll standing next to their downed body. They looked to their right to see the tall pink fluffy sour patch kid creature standing over them, expressing concern.
“Kissy…? I can barely see anything.” They mumbled.
“I guess Poppy flowers out of your eye will do that. You were knocked out cold!” The doll commented.
Poppy flowers? Yes, they remembered after freeing the doll from her case. That was after the near death experience from Huggy Wuggy.
“Poppy!” They exclaimed as they shot up from resting on the floor.
Poppy and Kissy moved back slightly to allow the employee some space. They touched their right cheek and pulled their hand back to see blood. The reason for a lack of vision in one eye was made clear now.
“What happened?” They asked.
“After we were about to escape the Game Station, we were attacked by a vine from a plant! It hit you in your right eye as we were running from Royo Yo-yo.” She explained.
Yes, they remembered that big yo-yo toy that kept running and rolling at them. Nearly strangling them with her tail. It was terrible trying to get through the Game Station with her rolling around the place. Her light purplish form constantly appearing in their peripheral nearly drove them over the edge. The insane plant growth overtaking everything made it hard as well. For a place called the Game Station, they never got to actually play any of the games.
It was when they and Poppy tried leaving through the train that they remembered Royo calling out a warning.
“ONCE I TELL MOMMY ABOUT THIS, SHE WILL GET YOU! THEN WE’LL ALL PLAY TOGETHER!!!”
They weren’t looking forward to that.
Things literally took a turn for the worst when the train changed tracks and they crashed further down into the factory. They remembered slowly walking with Poppy but the weight of their grab-pack felt too much as pain began rising in their body. It soon concentrated on the eye as it became overwhelming and they collapsed to the floor.
“It seems you’ve been infected with it.” Poppy added.
They turned to her, “Been infected with what?”
“Seeing how we’re having this conversation, it means you have the milder version of the Plant Growth.” She continued.
Kissy gave a concerned glance to the employee then Poppy. The situation seemed to be very bad.
“We’ve been dealing with these plants for a while now. No matter what we do, they keep coming back! It became even worse when they started growing in us as well…”
They remembered their earlier encounter with Huggy Wuggy and how plant life was sprouting out of his live form. All the plants they had to weave through made them question what had happened here. It was obvious these weren’t normal plants along with these living toys.
“Those Poppy flowers growing from your eye socket? We’ve been dealing with worse cases down here for years.” Poppy explained.
The ex-employee looked around the surrounding walls in the room they were in. Green vines were clinging from metal pipes on the ceiling. Roots slithered in and out of the cracks in the wall. Strangely enough, they felt as if the plants were somehow watching them. A slight ringing in their head began to form as they clutched their head.
Poppy noticed this as she knew her next words would seem insane.
“It’s gotten so bad,” she said in a somber tone, “I saw how you were able to handle those plants way back there though! “
“That’s why I want to ask you to help me, us, put an end to the overgrowth of these plants.”
Their head was pounding. Never in a million years would they have expected this to be going on in the factory for 10 years. The existence of these toys in this factory that is now being overtaken by some plants that can cause these infections. It was nearly impossible to understand it all. Though they did know a bit about plants, if that would help. Perhaps if they helped, then they could fully understand what had happened to all their coworkers.
“I mean, I am a gardener…so maybe I can help with some of these plants?”
Poppy’s eyes lit up with joy as Kissy gave an appreciative nod. Things didn’t make sense right now, but they’d be bound to find answers eventually.
“Well then, we better prepare our next move, Gardener!”
A title they’ll settle for now with. The Poppy flowers in their face hurt like hell, but they felt as if something was also shifting in their brain as well. Maybe even their ears as they began hearing faint whispers within the room.
One of these voices was beckoning them deeper into the depths of the factory.
This is Lily’s hero form that she dawns from time to time. It’s mainly the purple scarf, star clip, Glowby watch, and big scissors.
She mainly wore this when a specific task was more troubling than normal. Ever since Scarlet Starrynight came to Sweet Street though, Lily has found herself running around in hero form trying to stop many forms of problems that arise
A certain type of pressure has fallen on her ever since the Prototype started expecting more from her. His attention was all she ever dreamed of at first, but now it’s coming at the cost of the safety of someone she cares for deeply. Blind devotion has barely gotten her anywhere, and slowly seeing the truth has been chipping away her loyalty.
Her scissors haven’t failed yet, but when will the time come where they just don’t cut it?
So I remembered how Zooble mentioned how Caine would sing Daisy Bell outside their door. Later Jax and Pomni do the same.
Anyway, after getting the first two lines stuck in my head, I finally decided to listen to a full cover of it (all in relation to Caine tho lol) and some of the lyrics reminded me of the relationship between Jax and Pomni towards the final episodes.
Now these lines;
“Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do
I'm half crazy all for the love of you
It won't be a stylish marriage
I can't afford a carriage
But you'll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two”
They show a declaration of love and a desire for marriage or a deeply rooted connection. There’s an admission of a lack of wealth to provide the greatest form that a marriage could have. Though the singer believes that if they settle for something that’s less lavish but still gets the job done, the their love would still be set.
I can see this chorus describing how Pomni and Jax are towards each other. Pomni shows great perseverance in trying to help Jax the best she can. Even when Jax pushed her away multiple times, yet Pomni kept coming back looking as to why it kept happening. She genuinely wanted to connect with Jax, but from an outside perspective, most would see chasing a stubborn case like Jax to be pointless. I can see the first two lines fitting Pomni in her friendship with Jax and how she’s always pushing to help her.
(still haven’t gotten the jester outfit…)
Now we know that Jax is very close with Pomni as seen through previous episodes and greatly shown in the finale. Jax finally opened up to Pomni but it was too late due to her abstraction. Pomni made it hard for this end since Jax has constantly been doing horrible things that she deems to make her unlovable. Despite that, Pomni still shows she cares even after seeing Jax and all of her mistakes and bad decisions.
Of course after Pomni is pulled out of Jax’s mindscape, her and the others set up the pillow fort to keep her safe and calm. Now I’m not 100% if Pomni can re enter the mindscape or not. But assuming that she can’t, she goes on to still spend time with Jax even if there isn’t much response. The second pair of lines fit in how their relationship won’t be set in the best conditions. Between the struggle it took to build it and the lasting consequences of choices that can’t be undone.
(I wonder what they’re talking about…)
The last set of lines can show how in the end, even after Jax abstracted, Pomni found an alternative solution to still stay together. It wasn’t the greatest it could be, but given the situation, it was better than not being together at all.
Now this connection could be heavily relying on blurring your eyes and reading between the lines. Though I still really think that this chorus is a great way to reflect on the relationship of these two. I did enjoy the moments between Pomni and Jax but I was never really into the Funnybunny ship because it just felt doomed from the start. Relooking at its evolution though while connecting it to Daisy Bell has given me a new found appreciation for the relationship between these two.
[An extra picture of my tadc oc Cracklepop conveniently showing up to listening in on their conversation.]
-When she was an orphan, she had an extreme attachment to Mommy Long Legs.
-Due to the structure of her body, Royo found it hard to stand on her legs during the first few weeks after her transformation. To get around, she’d roll around the factory in her yo-yo form.
-Her conditioning was going well until she had a brief encounter with Mommy, causing her to gain an obsession over her. It overrode a good bit of the conditioning and she only listens to MLL.
-She’s extremely clumsy.
-Hyperactive and barely stops moving.
- Mommy Long Legs views Royo like one of the kids but extremely chaotic and energetic.
-Whenever Royo became to much, especially around the kids in the gamestation, Mommy Long legs would send her to time out (and she’d tie her yo-yo tail to a pole so she couldn’t leave)
-Her yo-yo tail has a longer reach length than her limbs.
-On the rare occasions she has to go to playcare, Catnap likes to push her around in yo-yo form (which she goes along with if it simply happens)
-Whenever she talking to someone, it’s 90% of the time related to Mommy Long legs.
-The person she talks to the most (other than Mommy) is Handi-Ful. Whenever they meet, she forces him into 10+ minutes unskippable cutscene.
-She’s been given missions directly by the Prototype that she (somehow) always successfully carries out.
-She hates the sound of rubber rubbing against other surfaces.
- Royo doesn’t get along with Boxy Boo
-She used to get extremely nauseous from rolling around too much but her tolerance has since improved.
This sketch is based off of Pomni in TADC and Fortnite collab posted by GLITCH
[Yeah, the context for this scene is kinda nonexistent…This is basically one of my ocs, Patchwork, that fought against the Prototype in the rebellion that Poppy started. She was inspired by his design in having a spider lower half (but biological) and being in similar size to him. This specific scene takes place after a fight they had and the two end up in some hole(?) in the factory. I’ll make another post explaining this au better since this is kinda a drop into the middle of the story, but I really wanted to post more writing. I’m also kinda bad with writing the Prototype?]
The two spiders sat in the darkness of the abyss.
It was obvious that they weren’t going to come to any agreement, so they would remain there. Someone who doesn't want help and is fine with giving up vs someone who is adamant on helping someone try again and won't take no for an answer. This was a good way to describe the two. Constantly going back and forth and arriving right back at point zero.
“We can’t keep going on like this.” She broke the silence.
“Your refusal to leave is proof we will continue like this.”
“One of us has to make a choice.”
“I’ve already made my choice. It’s you who is refusing to move on.”
She rolled her eyes at that.
“Look, we can continue arguing about this for however long we want to. But, it’ll come at the great cost of the others.”
“That will come at the fault of you.”
“You call Poppy a child but you act even more petty and childish than her…”
A mechanical click was heard as the jester turned to glare at her.
“I have worked endlessly to create a place that we can thrive in. She decides to go and start this rebellion due to her tunnel visioned view not allowing her to see the bigger picture.”
A glitchy and distorted laugh escaped him.
“She then has the audacity to try and run from the mess that she started. Disregarding the damages that her actions have done to the other toys.”
“Like exactly what you did?” she interrupted.
“Poppy told me you’ve trapped the others and have been carrying out the same cruel experiments as the scientists have.”
She shifts her body closer to him.
“If what you were doing was for the better of everyone, there’d be no rebellion.”
“Poppy ran, but she came back. Look at you though! You’re sitting here in the dark, refusing to budge and stop the mess you’ve caused!”
The Prototype turned away from her.
“Liam and Poppy are still up there, fighting against your forces. They’ll be able to break through and size control from you.”
“My hunters will never allow them to succeed. No one will leave this factory. They will never leave us.”
Back to square one, not like they ever left it. The Prototype would not allow this outsider to undo everything he’s done. She was so insistent on ending things, but she didn’t understand the core issue of their eternal home. That is why he tried killing her multiple times.
She backed away from him before slumping onto the ground. Another long period of silence goes by.
“We’re both immortal y’know. Our size and durability also makes it near impossible for us to get hurt as well. The others don’t have that…”
“Why do you think I’ve been doing all of this? You keep claiming there’s a better solution but there isn’t. Sacrifices must be made to achieve perfection.”
“This is the only way! This is what I must do.”
His jump in volume caught her off guard. He’s too set in this path. This logic of thinking was fixed from his past experiences. There was no amount of patchwork that could change his mind. So, what was she even doing then?
“Ha…ha!”
“Your persistence is what leads you towards your downfall Patchwork-“
“Cassandra,” she gently cut him off.
“…?”
“My real name is Cassandra.”
“Why tell me your name?”
“It just feels more appropriate right now,” she said as she gradually layed on the cold factory floor.
“Patchwork was just some dumb name I chose because I felt my one purpose was to fix things. But, clearly I’m not fixing anything, so what’s the point?”
“You’re not leaving here unless I give up on trying to get you to change your ways.”
A small pause went by before she continued.
“Fighting made things worse and arguing has literally gotten us nowhere. Why not settle this in a more familiar way?”
The Prototype turned to look as Cassandra flipped over and stood up. She walked over to the grayish concrete wall. Using her sharp nails, she engraved four lines into the wall in a crossed manner. Afterward, she looked at him before tapping the wall.
“Come on, let’s play!”
“…what?”
She slightly frowned at his response, “Tic-tac-toe! You know what that is, right?”
He swung his body around to fully face her.
“I know what it is. Why would I indulge in a child’s game out of the blue?”
She smiled before letting out a quirky giggle.
“We aren’t really going anywhere right now. It’ll be an easy way to decide what we’ll do. If I win, you’ll come back with me and help me stop the war, and we’ll look for another solution. If you win, me and Liam will call a surrender on the rebellion, and you can continue your work.”
“No.” he answered sharply.
“Hehe~ who would have guessed that the savior of the toys was afraid of losing a little game of tic-tac-toe?” she teased.
She could see anger rise in his eyes as he clicked one of his claws together and aimed a few centimeters away from her throat. Her grin grew wider at the attempt of intimidation.
“I am easily capable of winning a game of tic-tac-toe. All it would take is one game and the rebellion falls.”
“Exactly! All you have to do is win once! So why not play?”
He looked at the wall before looking back at her awaiting expression. Such a childish way to settle things. There’s no way he’d resort to such cheap ways of-
“Fine.”
She squealed in excitement. She leaned in a bit closer to him before focusing her six eyes at his hand.
(This review was WAY longer than I thought it would be. I really spent 3 hours writing this 2500+ words personal review. It didn’t help I also was rushing to get it done at 2 pm when the Finale was dropping at 6 pm.)
The Amazing Digital Circus Finale: My personal thoughts
So now that the finale has aired on YouTube for everyone to see, I wanted to give my personal thoughts on it below.
But just in case for those who haven’t had time to, I’ll leave a cut divider so you can scroll past this if you want to avoid spoilers!
Okay so I went to see The Last Act in theaters on the 6th and left it with new found hope in my life. I really enjoyed the episode and the moments that were shared between characters. In the beginning when it was playing the circus theme song, I was delighted to hear that Pomni was now in it. I remember seeing a post where Gooseworx said Pomni would replace Kaufmo in the song but I thought it was a dropped idea since we never heard it again. Though, it playing again with that change after everything went wrong is a nice touch.
When it opened to the aftermath of Caine’s deletion, the gray and broken atmosphere really made me feel the stagnation that the cast would be stuck in. Having to face the same things and faces again, day after day without change can really hammer in the pointlessness that life can have. One of my favorite things in tadc as a whole is when the humans would be hanging out with each other and we’re all on the same page. The moment in which they all banded together to confront Caine was one of the best moments in the series. After losing all hope of leaving and learning that they’re digital copies, it was very sad yet understandable why everyone drifted away at that moment.
Now with them being digital copies, it confirms the Soma theory. It honestly does make sense from what we’ve seen from the pilot. Pomni put on the headset and had her consciousness transferred to the circus. If she could return, her body would have probably been seen in the zoom out shot of the office. But there were no signs or traces of any of the casts bodies at all. It would make sense for them to put the headset on, get their brains scanned, probably not noticing anything happening, take it off and walk away.
It was heartbreaking though to see Gangle try to have Zooble come with her, but them just not responding :(
Now after all that, everyone seems to have lost hope. Pomni trying to talk with Ragatha and reach out was also a crushing moment. The reason why I love Kinger the most out of everyone in this show is the actions he takes for the others. Right after the news, he instantly got to work in patching up the holes in the circus floor to keep the others safe. He realized how things were now and worked on making things better for the ones he cared for.
His talk with Pomni was also amazing and him helping her with conjuring polygons was heartwarming. The constant reassurance he gave her after her breakdown solidifies him as best father figure. I loved how as time went on, the others joined in also helping patch up the circus. It was rough to accept the reality but at the end of it all, they were all that each other had. Pushing away from that would only make things more difficult.
I was honestly suprised how much they were able to actually fix the circus. In returning the color and lighting and resetting up the classical couch spot. Fixing the hazardous holes in the floor was obviously a must do but they reinjected a good portion of the vibrancy back into it.
With Jax and his offscreen abstraction, I guess I couldn’t say it was surprising. There still was a huge pitfall in my stomach when it cut to it just after things were going to a higher note.
Back when it showed the first trailer for the final episode, I had a feeling I would like or hate it based on what would happen with Jax. I was really tired of his constant behavior towards others. I had some hope nearing the end of episode 8 but that was quickly gone. For the core message for Tadc to work, I felt that Jax needed to be knocked off his high horse and finally be on the same page as everyone else. In order to survive being trapped forever and avoiding abstraction, you need to be willing to understand and work with the emotional value and significance for the others around you. Constantly making things worse for the others could have just eventually pushed everyone to their end. That’s why I felt something needed to change with him to have a chance at achieving that bittersweet ending.
It was either Jax would finally drop his facade or keep going until he reached his breaking point. The time that he almost reached out to Pomni but backtracked was a telltale sign things weren’t looking good for him. I feel even if Pomni tried pushing for him to open up at that time, he probably would have gone on his rapid and defensive streak to push her away. It was sad to see him abstract but everything for it to happen was set in stone for quite a while. I once compared him to a candle that would constantly burn its wick with a match. Even after seeing how the fire was actively destroying it, the candle kept going.
The scene with Ragatha and Pomni hugging and having that slow walk away was also beautiful. Them going separate ways to check on the others but sending a message to stay strong to each other (at least I think that’s what that was?)
Pomni shooting out the lights in the hallway to get Jax to calm down was very cool yet heart racing to see. With the hug and the memory sequence, I wasn’t expecting that to happen but it was also cool.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about the memory sequence with Jax mainly because I really can’t find the words to describe it. It was amazing and provided insight to why he acted like he did. Ribbit and Kaufmo were fun to see and learn a bit more about. The scene where Jax opened up to Ribbit and she gave him the bow was like a punch to the face. Like I was a fan of transfem Jax theory but that scene just made my head explode from the implications.
The final scene he shared with Pomni under the light was perfect and gut wrenching. Pomni saying how he could’ve just talked to her also hurt. Like yeah, this probably could have been prevented with a talk. It wouldn’t magically fix everything, but it would have opened the path to healing. Was I expecting him to come back from abstraction due to the memory sequence? No, not really. It would have destroyed the entire purpose of what abstraction represented. (Though if he did come back, I wouldn’t have been opposed to it)
One of my top favorite moments happens as the flashbangs go off and Jax begins freaking out. The playing of “Isn’t She Lovely” as the others came around. Zooble connecting and using their body parts to pull Pomni out of the abstraction along with the others helping too just straight up embodies why I love Tadc. They told Pomni how they weren’t just gonna leave her to handle Jax on her own. It parallels the end of episode two where when Pomni was slipping into the darkness, everyone was there to pull her out. Just as Pomni wanted to do with Jax.
Everyone helping to construct the pillow fort in the middle of the circus was just everything!!!! Zooble using their parts to lasso and guide Jax to it for the soothing darkness made me love them 10000 times more than I already did. Zooble and Kinger honestly had some of the coolest moments in this episode for me personally.
With Jax safely in the pillow fort, everyone was back together on the couch. They were all each other had, so they all needed to stay together. The moment with Ragatha and glitching Pomni was also a good reflection of how the two started in episode 1. Ragatha held Pomni’s hand despite knowing the effects would mostly be permanent (and just how many parts did Zooble have to burn through to get the job done?)
Gangle crying over Jax was also a great moment. Gangle’s development alongside her relationship with Zooble was amazing to watch.
With the circus now being about as patched up as it could be and they found out how to handle Jax safely, that would’ve been it. They would learn to get through an unchanging life, having each other to continue along the way. They wouldn’t be able to leave but they were all together and there for each other. It ending right there would have been a bittersweet ending that I would have been satisfied with.
But it didn’t end there…
Because Caine comes back?????
Not even gonna lie, I thought bro was just gone. Never to be seen again, it would’ve been sad but he also was literally deleted.
Him watching the humans from a distance atomized my already blown mind. It showed his time in the void and him realizing how bad he was, that scene was also crazy to see. Compared to the years Caine was with them, in the short time he was gone, the humans had already found a way to survive without him. His whole thing with Abel was interesting too but at the same time I may just be too blunt to fully understand and talk of its significance.
Caine breaking into a full on sprint was probably the most bizarre and uncanny thing I’ve seen from this show.
In the literal seconds before his deletion, Caine came to the full realization of what he did to the humans he once claimed he adored dearly. What made this scene hurt for me was that he was gone before he could even apologize and admit his mistakes. Him using his limited time connected to the internet to discover the humans names and lives was not something I was expecting but I’m here for it.
Him choosing to snap away the glitching effects from a distance to subtly tell of his return for the group was brilliant. Everyone looking around and vaguely to fully knowing what that meant was cool (I’m running out of ways to compliment the scenes I like). Caine’s reappearance and apology (and the wariness of everyone) was nice and the acknowledgment of it taking time for them to trust him again was realistic.
The video showing each of the members names, appearance, and lives was great but painful to watch. Like they get closure but also can’t ever experience it. Honestly, I never expected for them to learn their real names, but it makes sense with the constant emphasis the series has placed on it. The scene showing real life Zooble and Jax melted my heart.
In the end when Caine asked if he should call Pomni Abigail was great in the conclusion for their new lives. Out in the real world was an Abigail that was experiencing things that she wasn’t. In their small world, she was simply Pomni. A nod to the acceptance of the found meaning in their lives.
The end credits showing the new form of adventures they went on was the pinnacle of my cinema experience. Instead of acting above them, Caine was with them! It was so awesome to see how the circus was also changed to honor and accommodate for the abstracted. The aquarium scene with the abstracted members was a nice and beautiful way to keep them safe and contained.
With the way it ended, it was way more sweeter than I thought it was going to be! Yes it still had the bitter aspects of it but Caine coming back and learning how to live alongside the humans was something I never would have expected. I loved the way it ended and it honestly perfectly fits with the series in my opinion.
The music through it was top notch. I loved the animation. I’m a bit disappointed that we never got to see that one digital carnival/fair but it’s not the end of the world. The scene with Caine and the moon was cute. Zooble having sex was peak. Pomni waving at us at the end is one of those ending notes that I love to see in show/movie endings. Now the real human versions of everyone meeting at the bus stop and boarding was a beautiful jaw dropping moment. To think they intertwined to meet in the digital and real world was a nice cherry on top to this already sweet sundae.
I did see complaints on how Jax took up way too much screen time through the finale and the series in general. I do have to agree with some of this. Yes, he was a main character but his screen time moments kinda kept showing us the same things we already knew about him. I wish we got a bit more of Ragatha at the front of things. Honestly I would have loved to see Pomni, Jax, and Ragatha as trio protagonists as they have great contrasts to each other.
Though strangely enough, I remembered more of the scenes without Jax then when he was the main focus. I guess it was the shorter screen time that the other characters got that made the moments that they did get even more impactful. Like with Kinger and Zooble, their moments are still strongly ingrained in my memory. Pomni’s interactions with Ragatha reminded me of my long submerged love for their ship.
But yeah, overall I loved the final episode. I personally have it as a 10/10 for what it has done for me. Realistically, I’d give it a 8.5/10 because I was pleased with what we got. To acknowledge that it still had its flaws though, I’ll say a solid 8/10.
It helped me realize that even if the overall things in your life aren’t changing, it doesn't mean it doesn’t have value. The people you choose to hang out with and make memories with in those days can help when that stagnation comes to hit. Years could go by and it feels like you haven’t changed. Looking back at those small and joyful moments though, it reveals a lot more than you would think. It comes together to show the meaning you found in those unchanging times. Maybe you didn’t feel a thing then, but there was always something of value in the time you spent with people you cared for. The hobbies you passionately indulged in and spent time mastering. Those things connect together to show:
There’s meaning to be found in a stagnant life.
Thank you to Gooseworx, Glitch, the voice actors, animators, and everyone who worked on The Amazing Digital Circus. It has truly helped me find hope in a life I once thought was forever unchanging.
[My tadc oc ,Cracklepop, being helped by Pomni. She’s helping her get adjusted to the circus. More art re-drawings of my favorite moments will come along. Some might also feature Cracklepop because I absolutely adore her design alongside the circus cast.]
A special thanks to Pomni as well, due to showing how you can still grow and change for the better, even when things seem uncertain.
The finale for The Amazing Digital Circus is coming very soon. I remember I made a sketch for a Tadc oc and I was gonna post it earlier but I forgot…
Even when the show does come to an end, it doesn’t mean your passion to create for it has to go with it. I’ve loved many of the fanart, fan ocs, aus, and fanfics from the talented and passionate artists from this fandom. I’d love to see even more come once it reaches its conclusion!
I’ll make a better render of her eventually
Her name is Cracklepop and she’s based on those pop tube toys. The spine was originally gonna be a spring but that was a feature I saw on a lot of ocs (and I couldn’t exactly execute it to any of those artists skill lol) I ended up adding it back as a thin spring tail she can slightly move.
Gender: Female
Age:20
Height: 5’7
Personality: Sour/Anxious, nice, quiet, exhausted
Hobbies: Drawing, reading, jogging (pre-circus)
Design inspo: Zooble+Ragatha+Jax
Personality inspo: Pomni+Gangle
Tadc survival time: 2-4 years
Cracklepop was a human that entered the circus a few months after Pomni. Upon entering and seeing everything, she blanked out from overstimulation.
Would go along with Caine’s in-house adventures.
When faced with danger, she bolts first.
When holding her breath, her spine shrinks and her loop supports go limp. When angered, her pop tube hair will extend outward. She to an extent can control her pop tube hair but it’s more connected to her emotions
Used to sleep on her back but has since switched to her stomach. She struggled for a long while to learn how to walk in her new shoes.
She’d get along well with Pomni, Zooble, and Gangle. Will always jump onto an opportunity to draw with any of them.
Cracklepop would adore hanging out with Ragatha but she’s a bit too shy around her. Ragatha’s caring and affirmative nature is bit more than she can handle socially. That’s why she prefers watching her from a distance (unintentional stalking)
Would mostly hang out with Kinger in the dark and silence, simply being happy with his company.
She wouldn’t be able to handle Jax or any of his pranks. After being on the receiving end of one, she would snap at him before breaking into tears halfway through.
Caine would be an overstimulating nightmare for her. She’d try to listen to him but space out majority of the time.
She would see Bubble as an odd fellow, but also would be curious about his structure.
I’ve been thinking about writing a Tadc x reader in all the episodes when my Poppy Playtime hyper fixation dies down. Honestly though, I really don’t think it’ll leave like that. The love for Lily Lovebraids runs eternally in my brain. So I’ll just have to learn how to juggle and balance out my fast growing interests.
Writing aus and fanfiction for characters like Lily Lovebraids is fun until you get too many ideas for the plot. A cute small chapter of helping a friend care for a new pet somehow spirals into having to stop a rapidly growing biological blob from swallowing your friends. It’s a slight detour from the main plot but it’s too good not to include. Things like this is why Lily owns a massive pair of scissors in my au.
Tea Party of the Recluse is mainly about Lily coping with the damages of isolation on herself and how it affects those she has around her. Though some bizarre subplots come through that are crazy but still tie into the theme nicely at the end of the day.
I should really finish the introductory chapter for this au
He was designed as a type of security guard for employees and upper executives. Many Playtime Co. employees trusted him as he was one of the more obedient toys. The grapback hands he was entrusted to allowed him easier access to different parts of the factory. It was with these tools and trust that allowed him to gather and have a bunch of the employees killed swiftly during The Hour of Joy.
