A Ramble in Honor of The Amazing Digital Circus
Since TADC recently ended, I thought I'd talk a bit about how I discovered the series, and some of my opinions. There are a few spoilers in this.
I found out about TADC through Reddit. I saw some of the characters, like Jax and Gangle, and thought their designs were appealing. All I knew was the meme of Pomni staring into the camera at the dinner table. I also thought the series had an interesting name. Around two weeks after it came out, the pilot got recommended to me on YouTube, so I watched it. I didn't see it as the type of show I'd be into (I watched anime at the time), but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Episodes 5 and 6 were when I really got into the series. Episode 5 had to be my favorite episode, along with Episode 9. I loved the Lightning Round and the lore we got. There were plenty of fun moments, and it made me look forward to more. I loved Jax and Pomni's friendship in Episode 6, and Jax's betrayal was interesting to watch. It made me wonder about them more.
Jax was a character that stood out to me from the beginning. I liked them in the pilot because I saw them as funny and entertaining. I knew their voice sounded familiar, but I didn't figure it out until the next day when I realized Michael Kovach also voiced Angel Dust in the Hazbin Hotel pilot. I liked learning more about them as the series went on, especially in Episode 9 (I knew it would be the episode where Jax is finally explained). You can hate me if you want for this, but Jax being a trans woman wasn't obvious to me. However, it does make a lot of sense. When I first saw Episode 9 in theaters, I interpreted the bow scene as Jax developing a crush on Ribbit. They did get pretty close during the time they were friends. Now, having watched Episode 9 again and thinking back on things, it makes sense. Jax would've never admitted to liking feminine things, including the maid dress. They always put up a front, and seeing that facade crack over time made me appreciate them more. Jax may be a bad person, but you can't deny that they were an interesting character.
Caine also stood out to me from the beginning. One of the first things I liked about him was his name, because Caine is a cool name. I always saw him as a fun villain. Like with Jax, and everyone, I liked learning more about him as the series went on. He just wanted to be loved and appreciated for what he does and what he can do as an AI. It seemed like he trapped the humans in the circus so he wouldn't be lonely. He could've created Bubble for that same reason. His redemption in Episode 9 made me love him even more. He wants to be a better person for the humans and consider their wants and needs, and not just his own. I can imagine him and Gangle being good friends after Episode 9.
Speaking of Gangle, she was up there for me (I didn't really have a favorite in this show and I liked them all). I liked her because I was also emotional and I liked anime. I also liked her mask thing. I started to notice her wearing her comedy mask less, and she doesn't wear it at all in the last few episodes. I'm happy that she became more confident in herself with the help of Zooble, who reminded her that her feelings are what make her human. I loved their relationship, and I'm glad they had sex at the end.
I'm gonna end this here since I can say the same things about Ragatha, Kinger, and Pomni. I think I would just be repeating myself. In conclusion, I'm glad that I watched TADC. I feel like I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't keep up with the series. It kinda inspires me to watch more indie animation. I started watching Hazbin Hotel and it's okay so far (I've heard various opinions about it and I wanted to see it for myself).
