I'd seen The Amazing Digital Circus referenced at conventions and other events in recent years, but I never gave it a ton of attention. What little I knew of it was that it started on YouTube, and from my limited, thirty-something worldview, it felt cringe for a man of my age to even engage in it.
Fortunately, I have a brilliant young daughter who desperately wanted me to watch it with her, so I fired up my Netflix subscription and off we went. Nine episodes later, I fully admit I was wrong, and I totally get why so many people went to see the final episode in theaters. It may be cringeworthy to some, but The Amazing Digital Circus ended up being one of the best sci-fi shows I've seen in a while.
What Is The Amazing Digital Circus About
Without going too deep into spoilers, The Amazing Digital Circus kicks off when a young woman wakes up in a virtual reality space surrounded by characters. She can't remember her own name, but does have vague memories of her past life. It turns out that's the same as everyone in this space, which is run by Caine, the ringmaster who has god-like powers and the ability to shape the digital world.
With, seemingly, no way of escaping, Caine constructs scenarios for Pomni, the given name to the jester girl that spawned in, and the rest of the crew. It's vital the team participate, as it seems when they stop engaging with the madness, they "abstract" and become an unrecognizable beast. It's a colorful, chaotic world filled with wild happenings, which can wear down anyone trapped for eternity.
As for what age group it's suitable for, the general consensus online is that it's pretty PG-13. I would say it's a very mild PG-13, and if your kid went to see Five Nights At Freddys, they'll have no problem watching this. The profanity is largely mild and doesn't happen often, so really it's just the darker themes of the show that may be cause for concern.
It May Appeal To Kids, But The Story Itself Rivals High Concept Sci-Fi
Science fiction shows are struggling right now, so imagine my surprise when The Amazing Digital Circus reminded me of one of my favorite villains from Star Trek: Voyager. Anyone familiar with "The Thaw" will want to check this out, as it's that concept stretched out over the course of nine wonderful episodes.
The Amazing Digital Circus is further evidence that competent work is coming out of the YouTube space. It's in the news recently because of Backrooms doing so well in theaters, but in truth, Hollywood's been aware for a while that there are stars on the internet. Quinta Brunson was famous on Instagram and Vine before Abbott Elementary, and Donald Glover was a part of more than a few iconic internet videos before becoming the triple threat we see him as now.
YouTube is here, and if you feel any way about an animated YouTube series with tens of millions of views because it isn't on a streaming platform, maybe you shouldn't. It's a lesson I've had to teach myself, and I'm now encouraged to seek out other stuff I might not otherwise because of it. Now I'm just waiting for the day something distributed via YouTube exclusively wins a major primetime award, and it feels like that day is coming sooner rather than later.
The Amazing Digital Circus is available to stream on YouTube or Netflix if you'd rather watch it that way. I'd give it a chance, especially if your kids are aware of it, and you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it.
