The Amazing Digital Circus

The Amazing Digital Circus follows a cast of six humans—Pomni, Jax, Ragatha, Gangle, Kinger, and Zooble—who have become trapped in the titular circus, a virtual reality game. Under the direction of the circus's ringmaster, an artificial intelligence named Caine, they engage in nonsensical adventures to distract themselves from their situation, all while at risk of losing their sanity and "abstracting" into digital monstrosities.

• Pomni (Lizzie Freeman), a cynical but compassionate woman who is the most recent human to be trapped in the circus. Her in-game avatar is a cartoon jester.{{Cite web |last=Valens |first=Ana |date=2023-10-31 |title=Here's the Full Cast for The Amazing Digital Circus |url=https://www.themarysue.com/complete-the-amazing-digital-circus-cast-list/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=The Mary Sue |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101110821/https://www.themarysue.com/complete-the-amazing-digital-circus-cast-list |archive-date=2023-11-01 |url-status=live}}
• Caine (Alex Rochon), the circus' well-meaning yet unstable AI ringmaster with a set of teeth for a head. The character is based on AM from Harlan Ellison's short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream", with the difference—according to Gooseworx—that "instead of AM being a living embodiment of hate, he's a fun-loving wacky little guy".
• Jax (Michael Kovach), a mischievous man who enjoys pranking and bullying the other cast members. His avatar is a tall purple humanoid rabbit.
• Ragatha (Amanda Hufford), a kindly woman who attempts to maintain an optimistic attitude towards her situation. Her avatar is a rag doll, resembling Raggedy Ann.
• Gangle (Marissa Lenti), a woman who suffers from depression and low self-esteem. Her avatar is composed of ribbons and interchangeable comedy and tragedy masks that represent her current mood, with her comedy mask being prone to breaking.
• Kinger (Sean Chiplock), a man who has been trapped in the circus longer than the other humans. As a result, he is paranoid and forgetful, but becomes lucid when in dark spaces. His avatar is a king chess piece wearing a royal robe.
• Zooble (Ashley Nichols), an irritable person who lacks interest in Caine's adventures. Their avatar is made of mix-and-match blocks, which Zooble replaces with different ones between episodes due to feeling dissatisfied with their appearance. The design of Zooble's body is based on ZoLo playsculpture toys, while the character's name was inspired by the toy brand Zoob.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/738007449668288513/ok-last-question-ive-noticed-zooble-shares-a |title=Nah, Zooble's name was inspired by Zoobs, a different toy from the early 2000s. |author=Gooseworx |date=28 December 2023 |website=Gooseworx |via=Tumblr |access-date=22 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231230151124/https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/738007449668288513/ok-last-question-ive-noticed-zooble-shares-a |archive-date=30 December 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite tweet |author=Gooseworx |user=GooseworxMusic |number=1741197424096600107 |title=The name comes from Zoobs, the actual design comes from the zolo mix and match toy. |date=30 December 2023 |access-date=22 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241202231705/https://x.com/GooseworxMusic/status/1741197424096600107 |archive-date=2 December 2024 |url-status=live}}
• Bubble (Gooseworx), Caine's AI soap bubble assistant

• The Gloink Queen (Elsie Lovelock), the ruler of the pest-like Gloinks.
• Princess Loolilalu (Vera Tan), the princess of the Candy Canyon Kingdom.
• Gummigoo (Jack Hawkins), a gummy alligator bandit NPC.
• Chad and Max (Hawkins and Hamish Plaggemars), Gummigoo's gummy alligator partners.
• The Fudge Monster (Lyle Rath), a candy-made creature banished from the Candy Canyon Kingdom for cannibalising its inhabitants.
• Baron Theodore Mildenhall (Tim Alexander), the deceased owner of Mildenhall Manor.
• Martha Mildenhall (Lenti), a ghost NPC, and wife of Baron Mildenhall.
• Ghostly (WizardzWiz), a ghost in Mildenhall Manor.
• The Creature (Payton Goodwin), the undead corpse of an angel that was hunted by Baron Mildenhall.
• Orbsman (Benjamin Davis), a humanoid collection of spheres who speaks in an almost-incomprehensible voice.
• Disappearing Guy (JobbytheHong), a mannequin that disappears shortly after saying the beginning of a sentence.
• Evil Big Tops (Freeman, Kovach, Hufford, Chiplock, Nichols, and Davis), NPC counterparts of the human characters with opposite personalities; Gangle has no counterpart, with an "evil" version of Orbsman instead being present.

{{Episode table |background=#FF5F61 |total_width=auto |overall= |title= |Aux2= |Aux2T=Storyboarded by |airdate= |episodes={{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Pilot

| Aux2 = Robin French and Neda Lay

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|10|13|df=y}}

| ShortSummary = A woman is transported to The Amazing Digital Circus, a virtual reality game inhabited by the artificial intelligence Caine and six other humans—Jax, Ragatha, Gangle, Kinger, Zooble, and Kaufmo—who are unable to leave. Renamed "Pomni" due to forgetting her original name, the woman notices a vanishing exit door that Caine dismisses as a "digital hallucination". While the others embark on an adventure organised by Caine, Pomni, Ragatha, and Jax find that Kaufmo has lost his sanity and "abstracted" into a mindless monster. Initially seeking Caine to repair Ragatha after Kaufmo causes her to glitch, Pomni stumbles upon the exit door and uses it, which sends her through a labyrinth of office spaces into the void beyond the circus. Caine rescues Pomni as the adventure is disrupted by Kaufmo, whom Caine imprisons in a cellar filled with other abstracted humans. After undoing the damage Kaufmo has caused, Caine admits he created the "exit" to fulfil the group's desire for one, but never decided what to put behind the door, leaving it unfinished. Realising she is trapped, Pomni silently attends a feast of non-sustaining digital food with the others.

| LineColor = #FF5F61

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Candy Carrier Chaos!

| Aux2 = Robin French and Neda Lay

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|5|3|df=y}}

| ShortSummary = Caine sends the group to a new map, the Candy Canyon Kingdom, on an adventure to recover a tanker of stolen maple syrup from bandit NPCs. During a chase, Pomni and the bandit Gummigoo are ejected by a collision detection glitch into the map's out-of-bounds asset storage. Gummigoo sees his own A-posing model among the assets and learns from Pomni about the fabricated nature of his reality, causing him to have an existential crisis. Relating to Gummigoo over her own experiences, Pomni convinces him to come to the circus to find new meaning in his life. The two return to the map by performing another collision glitch with a replica syrup tanker, which they give to the other bandits before leaving. Upon Gummigoo's arrival at the circus, Caine abruptly deletes him to prevent himself from confusing the humans and NPCs. Pomni is distraught, but finds comfort and acceptance within the group when Ragatha invites her to a funeral for the abstracted Kaufmo.

| LineColor = #FF5F61

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor

| Aux2 = Robin French and Neda Lay

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|10|4|df=y}}

| ShortSummary = The group is sent to the haunted Mildenhall Manor to uncover the mystery of its ghostly inhabitants. Kinger unwittingly drags Pomni into the map's mature-rated horror section, where they follow a series of recorded messages instructing them to escape from a monstrous creature; being surrounded in darkness causes the usually-insane Kinger to gradually become lucid as they progress. When Kinger injures the creature with a shotgun, the final message reveals it to be an angel, resulting in the pair being dragged down to Hell. Kinger comforts the terrified Pomni by reminiscing about the abstraction of his wife, and inspires her to cherish her fondest memories of everyone at the circus. He loses his sanity again after the pair escape and reunite with the others, who had taken the map's family-friendly "pacifist" route. Meanwhile, Caine puts Zooble through a therapy session to understand their refusal to partake in his adventures, forgetting Zooble's reminder that it stems from self-loathing over their own digital body. After Caine nearly has a nervous breakdown when Zooble argues that nobody enjoys his adventures, the session ends with the two swapping roles.

| LineColor = #FF5F61

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Fast Food Masquerade

| Aux2 = Robin French, Neda Lay, and AD Taeza

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|13|df=y}}

| ShortSummary = Zooble gives Gangle a plastic comedy mask to replace her fragile one, which improves Gangle's depressive mood. With Gangle's input, Caine selects a more mundane adventure at the fast-food restaurant Spudsy's from the circus's suggestion box, assigning Gangle as shift manager and the rest as employees. Throughout the day, Gangle's new mask loses its effectiveness as she annoys the group with her manic behaviour while criticising their performances: Pomni for shirking her duties to interact with Gummigoo, who appears as a customer with no memory of her; Jax for his disinterest in the adventure, for which he is given retraining; and Ragatha for intoxicating herself with "stupid sauce" that unfilters her negative opinions of everyone. Pomni eventually notices Gangle's turmoil and takes her place watching the restaurant until closing time. Gangle joyfully discards her new mask, only to then stumble into nearby traffic. As she is nearly run over, Caine teleports her into a performance review and penalises her for her last-minute lack of professionalism. Gangle falls back into depression and isolates herself, but is persuaded by Zooble to rejoin the group.

| LineColor = #FF5F61

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Untitled

| Aux2 = Robin French, Neda Lay, and AD Taeza
Yoshiharu Ashino (anime sequence)

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|06|20|df=y}}

| ShortSummary = Caine devises a "lightning round" of brief, successive adventures from the suggestion box to better gauge the group's interests. During a tranquil stargazing adventure, Jax refrains from his usual tormenting of the others to bond with Pomni, venting over Ragatha's forced positivity after she makes a thoughtless remark about his current lack of friends. To Ragatha's displeasure, Pomni begins to reciprocate Jax's friendship during a noir adventure at a bar, where multiple group members relate their lives from before their captivity. For the final adventure, the group plays softball against opposite-personality copies of themselves, during which Ragatha lashes out against Pomni and Jax after losing her temper over a failed run. Regretting her behaviour, Ragatha accepts Pomni's offer to substitute for her at the bat to redeem herself. However, Caine—offended that the group prefers their own ideas for adventures over his own—impatiently ends the game before Ragatha can do anything. Pomni and Jax decide to spend more time together after returning to the circus, leaving Ragatha dejected, while a silent mannequin secretly observes from afar.

| LineColor = #FF5F61

}}

}}

File:The Amazing Digital Circus concept art.jpg for the series]]

The Amazing Digital Circus is directed, written, composed, and showrun by Gooseworx. Kevin Temmer is the series' lead animator, while Glitch Productions' founders, Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul, are executive producers. Pre-production on the pilot episode began in mid-2022, and production started in full later that year. Gooseworx conceived the characters and designs;{{Cite web |last=McKenzie |first=Theodore |title=Glitch on Character Animations in The Amazing Digital Circus |url=https://80.lv/articles/glitch-on-character-animations-in-the-amazing-digital-circus/ |website=80 Level |date=7 November 2023 |access-date=16 November 2023 |archive-date=16 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116164401/https://80.lv/articles/glitch-on-character-animations-in-the-amazing-digital-circus/ |url-status=live}} she reported designing the characters in under a week. Inspirations for the show include Harlan Ellison's short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream", along with "creepy early 2000s prerendered computer games and colorful kids toys from [Gooseworx's] childhood".{{Cite web |last=Stanford |first=Kaitlin |date=2023-11-02 |title=What is the web series The Amazing Digital Circus? Why are people obsessed with it? |url=https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/series-amazing-digital-circus-why-212431856.html |access-date=2023-11-03 |website=In The Know |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108203854/https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/series-amazing-digital-circus-why-212431856.html |url-status=live |via=Yahoo! Finance}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/730113148552609792/what-made-you-come-up-with-the-digital-circus-and |title=IHNMAIMS is obviously a big inspo, but also just a lot of those creepy early 2000s prerendered computer games and colorful kids toys from my childhood. |author=Gooseworx |date=2 October 2023 |website=Gooseworx |via=Tumblr |access-date=29 June 2025}}

Glitch initially noticed Gooseworx's 2019 YouTube animated short Little Runmo, which Jasmine Yang—development producer and general manager of Glitch—felt was exactly what they wanted to do: "It was funny, a little dark, and definitely very weird, like nothing we had seen before". Glitch contacted Gooseworx and asked her to create a pilot, which she then accepted. Gooseworx presented three pitches to Glitch, with the one that would become The Amazing Digital Circus being chosen. Knowing that the pilot would be in 3D, she tried to create an idea that would best fit that style, mentioning in particular her inspiration from 1990s and early 2000s 3D works, "where it looked kinda bad and creepy but was also completely unrestricted creatively". Yang said that the pitch's 1990s-inspired computer-generated imagery (CGI) style and nostalgic references to toys and computer games caught their attention, feeling that their audience would enjoy these characteristics. The Glitch team felt that this particular pitch had the greatest potential, especially due to the nostalgic appeal of the 1990s-inspired CGI renders, and recognised it as something uniquely distinctive that no one else could replicate.

Gooseworx stated that, while her original pitch was "more chaotic and silly", the story unexpectedly became "a lot deeper and more nuanced", with a "stronger emotional backbone", during the show's development,{{Cite web |last=Placido |first=Dani Di |date=2023-12-22 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus Team Talk The Making Of A Viral Hit |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/12/22/the-amazing-digital-circus-team-talk-the-making-of-a-viral-hit/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512144535/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/12/22/the-amazing-digital-circus-team-talk-the-making-of-a-viral-hit/ |url-status=live}} describing it as having been "inspired by "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" [but] instead of AM being a living embodiment of hate, he's a fun-loving wacky little guy."{{Cite web |last=Di Placido |first=Dani |date=26 October 2023 |title=How {{'}}The Amazing Digital Circus{{'}} Broke The Internet |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/10/26/the-amazing-digital-circus-broke-the-internet |access-date=26 October 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231028222729/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/10/26/the-amazing-digital-circus-broke-the-internet/?sh=688693b55b67 |archive-date=28 October 2023 |url-status=live}}

The 3D animation process of The Amazing Digital Circus{{'s}} pilot was structured similarly to most other studios, with dedicated departments for various tasks. They primarily used Autodesk Maya for the 3D work and then rendered everything in Unreal Engine.{{Cite web |last=Guerrero |first=Justin |date=4 December 2023 |title=Interview: Kevin Temmer of The Amazing Digital Circus on the animation and Behind The Scenes |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-with-kevin-temmer-of-the-amazing-digital-circus/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Comics Beat |language=en-US |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212082432/https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-with-kevin-temmer-of-the-amazing-digital-circus/ |url-status=live}} The series is animated at 30 frames per second. Kevin Temmer, the series' lead animator, who was previously a junior animator at Blue Sky Studios, initially received a message from one of Glitch's founders, Kevin Lerdwichagul, asking him to animate a teaser trailer for The Amazing Digital Circus. During the process, Temmer was asked to join Glitch's team full-time. According to him, he "couldn't say no to an opportunity to work on something so wacky and cartoony". The animators, including Temmer, were given a few scenes to complete every two weeks. They would regularly submit their progress for review by Gooseworx and Temmer, and this process would continue until both approved the scenes. Some of the movements, shaking, and glitching of characters and props in the pilot were inspired by Source Filmmaker and Garry's Mod machinimas, something that Glitch had already done with their SMG4 videos.

Gooseworx had little experience with 3D works prior to working on The Amazing Digital Circus, with hand-drawn 2D animation being her area of expertise. As such, according to Yang, Glitch had to work "very closely" with Gooseworx to translate her 2D style to 3D; Gooseworx became The Amazing Digital Circus{{'s}} showrunner and they "worked hard to maintain her vision as much as possible". In developing the show's visuals, they wanted it to resemble early CGI animated films and series without seeming outdated. Gooseworx and Glitch worked to create a balance between retro 3D and toys; Gooseworx initially wanted the show to be "pure and faithful to the retro rendering style of early 3D animation". Ultimately, they went with a "rose-tinted version" of that style.{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Jamie |date=2023-10-26 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus Creator Gooseworx On Developing The Internet's Hottest Animated Pilot |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/the-amazing-digital-circus-creator-gooseworx-on-developing-the-internets-hottest-animated-pilot-234217.html |access-date=2023-10-27 |website=Cartoon Brew |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101220843/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/interviews/the-amazing-digital-circus-creator-gooseworx-on-developing-the-internets-hottest-animated-pilot-234217.html |url-status=live}} As Gooseworx likes "juxtapositions like happy music playing to something horrifying or cute little characters being miserable", she wanted the visuals to not necessarily reflect its darker story. She wanted the show to "feel kind of lonely".

During The Amazing Digital Circus{{'}} pre-production phase in the middle of 2022, Glitch released character trailers that were actually proofs of concept testing the series' animation style and visuals. A teaser was released on 27 January 2023.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FY0Pt9fyxY |title=The Amazing Digital Circus (teaser) |date=23 January 2023 |type=Video |publisher=Gooseworx |access-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511024527/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FY0Pt9fyxY |archive-date=11 May 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} The pilot's official trailer was released on 22 September,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuaRQ5NQFq8 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus [Official Trailer] |date=22 September 2023 |type=Video |publisher=Glitch Productions |access-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240509204652/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuaRQ5NQFq8 |archive-date=9 May 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} and the episode was released on 13 October.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwAPLk_sQ3w |title=The Amazing Digital Circus: Pilot |date=13 October 2024 |type=Video |publisher=Glitch Productions |access-date=9 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513050643/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwAPLk_sQ3w |archive-date=13 May 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} Following the pilot's popularity, Glitch confirmed in November that there would be "more Digital Circus".{{Cite web |last=Reyna |first=Leo |date=30 November 2023 |title=Indie Cartoon The Amazing Digital Circus Surpasses 150M Views |url=https://www.cbr.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-youtube-indie-cartoon-viral/ |access-date=2 December 2023 |website=CBR |language=en |archive-date=16 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516143412/https://www.cbr.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-youtube-indie-cartoon-viral/ |url-status=live}} In February 2024, a full nine-episode season was announced to be in production, with the pilot being "upgraded" to episode 1.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXhKu80CWU |title=Pomni Wake Up Time to Go on an Adventure |date=23 February 2024 |type=Video |publisher=Glitch Productions |access-date=23 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223200230/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkXhKu80CWU |archive-date=23 February 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Jamie |title=First Look: Breakout Indie Hit The Amazing Digital Circus Is Getting Nine More Episodes |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/first-look-breakout-indie-hit-the-amazing-digital-circus-is-getting-nine-more-episodes-238422.html |website=Cartoon Brew |date=23 February 2024 |access-date=23 February 2024 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226161436/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/first-look-breakout-indie-hit-the-amazing-digital-circus-is-getting-nine-more-episodes-238422.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |author=Gooseworx |date=18 August 2024 |title=Nine. Maybe a few low-stakes shorts mixed in there, but nine real full episodes in total. |url=https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/759123248486154240/how-many-episodes-of-tadc-do-you-plan-to-make-if |access-date=5 October 2024 |website=Gooseworx |via=Tumblr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924223037/https://www.tumblr.com/gooseworx/759123248486154240/how-many-episodes-of-tadc-do-you-plan-to-make-if |archive-date=24 September 2024 |url-status=live}} {{As of|2025|June|20}}, five episodes have been released.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4p2gN2CzsA |title=The Amazing Digital Circus - Ep 5: Untitled |date=20 June 2025 |type=Video |publisher=Glitch Productions |access-date=20 June 2025 |via=YouTube}}

Initially, Glitch stated that there were no plans for The Amazing Digital Circus to be put on streaming platforms besides YouTube, as they want full creative control of their productions. Later, it was announced that, following the release of the third episode on 4 October the series would become available to stream on Netflix; episodes will continue to premiere on YouTube first, and Netflix will have no creative control over the series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/amazing-digital-circus-premiere-episodes-youtube-netflix-1235050705/|title='The Amazing Digital Circus' Will Premiere New Episodes on Netflix the Same Day as YouTube|first=Mark|last=Peikert|website=IndieWire|date=24 September 2024|access-date=29 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924180308/https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/amazing-digital-circus-premiere-episodes-youtube-netflix-1235050705/|archive-date=24 September 2024|url-status=live}}{{Cite tweet |author=Glitch Productions |user=glitch_prod |number=1837929867729330444 |title=BIG NEWS GUYS!!! - From October 4th, The Amazing Digital Circus is also coming to Netflix with Episodes 1-3 available to stream both there AND on YouTube! And to be clear; We're still independently funding everything, we still get full control of the show, and episodes will continue to ALWAYS come out on YouTube first. Honestly feel that this is a HUGE step for indie animation and we couldn't have done it without you all ❤️ SEE YOU WHEN EPISODE 3 RELEASES 👀 |date=22 September 2024 |access-date=22 September 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/streaming/a-new-model-for-indie-animation-producers-netflix-has-licensed-youtube-hit-the-amazing-digital-circus-243091.html|title=A New Model For Indie Animation Producers: Netflix Has Licensed Youtube Hit 'The Amazing Digital Circus'|first=Amid |author-link=Amid Amidi|last=Amidi|website=Cartoon Brew|date=23 September 2024|access-date=29 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927045703/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/streaming/a-new-model-for-indie-animation-producers-netflix-has-licensed-youtube-hit-the-amazing-digital-circus-243091.html|archive-date=27 September 2024|url-status=live}} The show has been promoted with merchandise. On the long wait between the release of each episode, Yang said: "If we had to wait until the entire season was ready before dropping any episodes, [the Digital Circus pilot] would not have premiered for years ... dropping all the episodes at the same time is not only impractical but also counterintuitive ... For us, not only is [the wait] practical but it works a little bit in our favor because every time we make a new episode of anything, we can make a big event about it."{{Cite web |last=Burlingame |first=Russ |date=3 May 2023 |title=Amazing Digital Circus Producer Jasmine Yang: 'All of Us Are Super Nervous' |url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/amazing-digital-circus-producer-jasmine-yang-glitch-productions-interview/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en |archive-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512114837/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/amazing-digital-circus-producer-jasmine-yang-glitch-productions-interview/ |url-status=live}}

File:PomniCosplayTO.jpg dressed as Pomni]]

Glitch did not foresee the popularity of The Amazing Digital Circus{{'s}} pilot, which ended up becoming a viral video on YouTube. By late November 2023 it had surpassed 150 million views, reaching over 270 million views by February 2024, and reaching over 350 million by November 2024,{{Cite web |title=Why The Amazing Digital Circus remains a YouTube-first series |last=Harter |first=Julia Lee |url=https://blog.youtube/creator-and-artist-stories/amazing-digital-circus/ |date=21 November 2024 |access-date=26 December 2024 |website=YouTube Blog |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241121103323/https://blog.youtube/creator-and-artist-stories/amazing-digital-circus/ |archive-date=21 November 2024 |url-status=live}} making it among the most-watched animation pilots in the history of YouTube. {{As of|2025|July}}, the pilot stands at around 381 million views. "Candy Carrier Chaos!" surpassed 30 million views the day after its release,{{Cite web |date=6 May 2024 |title=30 mill in a day thank you all so much |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_FAXem2-e3HQvmK-mOH4g/community?lb=UgkxRzQRP9h3dBeRFfepZ0ezPZiA4tcmBEBd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505164333/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_FAXem2-e3HQvmK-mOH4g/community?lb=UgkxRzQRP9h3dBeRFfepZ0ezPZiA4tcmBEBd |archive-date=5 May 2024 |access-date=6 May 2024 |publisher=Glitch Productions |type=community post |via=YouTube}} and by September 2024, it had accumulated over 121 million views. Within a week of premiering on Netflix, The Amazing Digital Circus reached number four on the Netflix Top Ten.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/netflix-top-10-shows-here-are-the-3-worth-watching-right-now-october-3-2024 |last=Shore |first=Martin |title=Netflix top 10 shows — here's the 3 worth watching right now |website=Tom's Guide |date=7 October 2024 |orig-date=3 October 2024 |access-date=8 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007151224/https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/netflix-top-10-shows-here-are-the-3-worth-watching-right-now-october-3-2024 |archive-date=7 October 2024 |url-status=live}} According to a survey conducted in 2024, 22% of people in the United States aged 14 to 24 stated that they have heard of the show.

Critics praised The Amazing Digital Circus{{'s}} pilot episode.{{Cite news |last=Guerrero |first=Justin |date=2023-10-25 |title=Review: The Amazing Digital Circus is a jaw-dropping dark comedy |language=en-US |work=Comics Beat |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/review-the-amazing-digital-circus-is-a-jaw-dropping-dark-comedy/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103054909/https://www.comicsbeat.com/review-the-amazing-digital-circus-is-a-jaw-dropping-dark-comedy/ |archive-date=2023-11-03}} Justin Guerrero of Comics Beat called it "wonderful and expressive", while Jamie Lang of Cartoon Brew and Jade King of TheGamer felt it was bright, colourful, and fun. Lang further complimented that its aesthetic elements feel familiar without being cliché, giving a modern vibe to early CGI. Common Sense Media reviewer Stephanie Morgan praised the innovative animation and distinctive setting. Trill Mag's Riley Miller praised the self-aware nature of the series and the distinctiveness of the characters.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Riley |date=25 October 2024 |title='The Amazing Digital Circus' Review: Self-Aware and Deep |url=https://www.trillmag.com/entertainment/tv-film/the-amazing-digital-circus-self-aware-and-deep/ |access-date=29 June 2025 |website=Trill Mag |language=en-US}}

Some critics noted the episode's dark humour and story;{{Cite web |last=Moser |first=Zachary |date=2024-05-16 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus Age Rating & Parents' Guide: Is It Appropriate For Kids? |url=https://screenrant.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-age-rating-parents-guide/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709074521/https://screenrant.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-age-rating-parents-guide/ |archive-date=9 July 2024 |url-status=live}} King praised the contrast it gave with the visuals,{{Cite web |last=King |first=Jade |date=2023-11-16 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus Is The Biggest Indie Animation In Years |url=https://www.thegamer.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-review-impressions-pilot/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=TheGamer |language=en |archive-date=2023-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116204331/https://www.thegamer.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-review-impressions-pilot/ |url-status=live}} while Morgan described the show as "quirky ... with a touch of darkness".{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Stephanie |date=2 May 2024 |title=Parents' Guide to The Amazing Digital Circus |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-amazing-digital-circus |access-date=2024-05-12 |publisher=Common Sense Media |language=en |archive-date=12 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512162518/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/the-amazing-digital-circus |url-status=live}} Zachary Moser of ScreenRant said that the series "deals with existential questions about reality and nihilism". Critics highlighted the episode's jokes, with Lang describing them as "timed with frame-to-frame perfection", with a "mature" sense of humour, and Morgan praising the clever fourth-wall-breaking jokes. Morgan however criticised the "repetitive nature of the character traits".

Gail Sherman of Boing Boing described the second episode as "a candy-coated existential crisis" and called both the first and second episodes "brutal".{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Gail |date=2024-05-06 |title=The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 2 is a candy-coated existential crisis |url=https://boingboing.net/2024/05/06/the-amazing-digital-circus-episode-2-is-a-candy-coated-existential-crisis.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512114838/https://boingboing.net/2024/05/06/the-amazing-digital-circus-episode-2-is-a-candy-coated-existential-crisis.html |archive-date=12 May 2024 |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Boing Boing}}

The Amazing Digital Circus received a notable amount of fan creations and memes, along with gaining popularity on TikTok. By December 2024, YouTube videos related to The Amazing Digital Circus totaled 25 billion views.{{Cite web |url=https://www.thewrap.com/youtube-trending-topics-creators-artists-2024/ |last=Cobb |first=Kayla |title=Kendrick Lamar, MrBeast and US Election Lead YouTube's Trending Topics, Creators for 2024 |website=TheWrap |date=2 December 2024 |access-date=31 December 2024}} The popularity experienced by the series in Japan lead to themed pop-up stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya,{{Cite web |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/corocoro-ichiban-announces-the-amazing-digital-circus-manga/ |title=COROCORO ICHIBAN announces The Amazing Digital Circus Manga! |last=Guerrero |first=Justin |date=23 September 2024 |website=Comics Beat |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923155135/https://www.comicsbeat.com/corocoro-ichiban-announces-the-amazing-digital-circus-manga/ |archive-date=23 September 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://en.atpress.com/news/390705 |title=話題のコメディCGアニメーション 「アメイジング・デジタル・サーカス」の 世界初の公式POP UP STOREが東京・大阪で開催決定！ |trans-title=The world's first official POP UP STORE for the popular comedy CG animation "The Amazing Digital Circus" will open in Tokyo and Osaka! |date=3 April 2024 |website={{Interlanguage link|@Press|jp|@Press}} |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403075128/https://en.atpress.com/news/390705 |archive-date=3 April 2024 |url-status=live}} alongside a manga adaptation serialised in CoroCoro Comic and CoroCoro Ichiban! starting 21 October 2024.{{Cite news |url=https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/240921a |last=Kagimoto |first=Hiroki |title=『アメイジング・デジタル・サーカス』の漫画版がコロコロにて連載決定。10月21日に発売されるコロコロイチバン︕12月号より連載開始予定。世界的な人気を誇るダークコメディ3DCGアニメのコミカライズ |trans-title=The manga version of "Amazing Digital Circus" will be serialised in CoroCoro. The serialisation is scheduled to start in the December issue of CoroCoro Ichiban!, which will be released on 21 October. The comic adaptation of the globally popular dark comedy 3DCG animation |website={{Interlanguage link|Den-fami Nico Gamer|jp|電ファミニコゲーマー}} |date=21 September 2024 |access-date=6 October 2024 |language=Japanese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921105250/https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/240921a |archive-date=21 September 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Honda |first=Yuuki |url=https://kai-you.net/article/90577 |title=ホラーアニメ『アメイジング・デジタル・サーカス』週刊コロコロで漫画化 |trans-title=Horror animated series "The Amazing Digital Circus" to be made into a manga in Weekly CoroCoro |website={{Interlanguage link|Kai-yon|jp|Kai-yon}} |date=21 September 2024 |access-date=6 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921020124/https://kai-you.net/article/90577 |archive-date=21 September 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |url=https://collider.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-streaming-netflix-release-date-october/ |last=Mullinax |first=Hope |title=Indie Animation Gets a Huge Win as 'The Amazing Digital Circus' Finds New Streaming Home |website=Collider |date=23 September 2024 |access-date=6 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117060212/https://collider.com/the-amazing-digital-circus-streaming-netflix-release-date-october/ |archive-date=17 November 2024 |url-status=live}} The series also saw a notable wave of unauthorised content, including both content farm media{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/12/07/nx-s1-5218566/fandom-rules-social-medias-cultural-landscape-in-2024 |title=Fandom rules social media's cultural landscape in 2024 |last=Veltman |first=Chloe |date=7 December 2024 |website=NPR |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216073928/https://www.npr.org/2024/12/07/nx-s1-5218566/fandom-rules-social-medias-cultural-landscape-in-2024 |archive-date=16 December 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.looper.com/1431977/the-amazing-digital-circus-youtube-untold-truth/ |title=The Untold Truth Of The Amazing Digital Circus |last=Zageris |first=Larissa |date=27 October 2023 |website=Looper |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028022918/https://www.looper.com/1431977/the-amazing-digital-circus-youtube-untold-truth/ |archive-date=28 October 2023 |url-status=live}} and stage shows performed in various locations across Mexico,Multiple sources:

• {{Cite news |url=https://oem.com.mx/elheraldodechihuahua/gossip/del-internet-al-teatro-llega-el-asombroso-circo-digital-13011870 |title=Del internet al teatro: Llega "El asombroso circo digital" |trans-title=From the internet to the theatre: "The Amazing Digital Circus" arrives |last=Ochoa |first=Rafael |date=15 January 2024 |language=es |website={{Interlanguage link|El Heraldo de Chihuahua|es|El Heraldo de Chihuahua}} |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216100841/https://oem.com.mx/elheraldodechihuahua/gossip/del-internet-al-teatro-llega-el-asombroso-circo-digital-13011870 |archive-date=16 December 2024 |url-status=live}}
• {{Cite news |url=https://closeup.mx/cultura/mucha-diversion-en-la-puesta-en-escena-infantil-the-amazing-digital-circus-en-el-teatro-de-la-paz/ |title=Mucha Diversión En La Puesta En Escena Infantil the Amazing Digital Circus En El Teatro De La Paz. |trans-title=Lots of Fun at the Amazing Digital Circus Children's Stage at the La Paz Theatre. |date=5 February 2024 |language=es |website=Close Up Noticias |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206012813/https://closeup.mx/cultura/mucha-diversion-en-la-puesta-en-escena-infantil-the-amazing-digital-circus-en-el-teatro-de-la-paz/ |archive-date=6 February 2024 |url-status=live}}
• {{Cite web |url=https://banco.yucatanalamano.com/teatro-armando-manzanero-abre-de-nuevo-sus-puertas-con-gran-oferta-cultural/ |title=Teatro 'Armando Manzanero' abre de nuevo sus puertas con gran oferta cultural |trans-title='Armando Manzanero' Theatre opens its doors again with great cultural offer |last=Carmona |first=Luis |date=13 March 2024 |language=es |website=Yucatán a la Mano.com |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241216101645/https://banco.yucatanalamano.com/teatro-armando-manzanero-abre-de-nuevo-sus-puertas-con-gran-oferta-cultural/ |archive-date=16 December 2024 |url-status=live}}
• {{Cite news |url=https://oem.com.mx/eloccidental/gossip/the-amazing-digital-circus-se-presentara-en-guadalajara-fechas-y-costo-de-boletos-13145926 |title='The Amazing Digital Circus' se presentará en Guadalajara: Fechas y costo de boletos |trans-title='The Amazing Digital Circus' will be presented in Guadalajara: Dates and ticket prices |last=Cuevas |first=Anibet |date=15 March 2024 |language=es |website=El Occidental |access-date=16 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241216101951/https://oem.com.mx/eloccidental/gossip/the-amazing-digital-circus-se-presentara-en-guadalajara-fechas-y-costo-de-boletos-13145926 |archive-date=16 December 2024 |url-status=live}} in addition to counterfeit merchandise.

In 2024, Kevin Temmer was nominated at the 51st Annie Awards in the "Best Character Animation – TV/Media" category for his work in The Amazing Digital Circus{{'}} pilot.

{{Awards table|5}}

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | 2024

| Annie Awards

| Best Character Animation – TV/Media

| The Amazing Digital Circus: "Pilot" – Kevin Temmer

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite news |last=Flores |first=Terry |title=Netflix's Nimona Leads Annie Awards 2024 Nominations |url=https://variety.com/2024/awards/awards/nimona-netflix-lead-annie-awards-2024-nominations-1235868314/ |access-date=26 April 2024 |work=Variety |date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111170457/https://variety.com/2024/awards/awards/nimona-netflix-lead-annie-awards-2024-nominations-1235868314/ |url-status=live}}

|}

{{Reflist}}

{{Primary sources references section}}

• {{Official website|https://www.glitchprod.com/digital-circus}}
• {{YouTube|p=PLHovnlOusNLgvAbnxluXCVB3KLj8e4QB-|title=The Amazing Digital Circus}}
• {{Netflix title}}
• {{IMDb title}}

{{Glitch Productions}}

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