I know this actually came out in June but I have been busy writing other reviews, but I guess Halloween does feel like the perfect time to drop a review for a new supernatural animated series. Much like Dragon Striker, the Doomies is another Disney animated series from France. The show is about best friend duo Bobby and Romy who refer to themselves as the Doomies. They like to post videos of them investigating paranormal activity around their French town of Ouimper. One day they come across a mysterious rock and accidently curse Bobby and open a portal that unleashes a monster that chases after them. They’re rescued by a mysterious woman named Kim who was brought by lighthouse keeper Doug to protect the town from paranormal activity. Now they must team up to defeat new paranormal activity haunted the town.
The Doomies does feel similar to Gravity Falls both in premise, tone, comedy, and even characters, while also taking inspiration from other supernatural media like Evil Dead or the X-Files. Yet this surprisingly managed to feel like its own show instead of a clear knock off of Gravity Falls. Much like Gravity Falls, the Doomies is also a “Monster of the Week” type of show where the characters have to deal with a different paranormal activity. However much like Gravity Falls this show also has an overarching story where each episode progresses the story. One problem I did have was that they’re 22 episodes yet it felt like two seasons stitched together. Episode 11 felt like a season finale I felt that Disney should’ve split the show into two seasons instead of releasing all of them at once. The overarching story does get a big too complicated especially near the end when the final villain is revealed.
I really enjoyed the friendship between the two leads of the show Bobby and Romy. Both are very likable, have great character designs, and unique personalities to work off each other. I’m glad they don’t do the whole best friends become a couple thing (for now) and just have them be childhood friends that are very close. The “chosen one” Kim is a complete badass and kind of the mix between Garnet and the Terminator. It’s really fun to the see the duo help Kim see the joy and fun of being human outside of just being the “chosen one”. Doug is like another Grunkle Stan from Gravity Falls without feeling too much like a rip-off. One thing that the Doomies share any similarities with Gravity Falls is the animation and style. It kind of has that style similar to European graphic novels such as Hilda, or the Adventures of Tintin which makes sense considering this show takes place in France. Unlike the warm summer color pallet of Gravity Falls. the Doomies has a color scheme that’s more grey and darker which actually works because it helps makes the main character’s attires stand out more and the vibrant animation of the paranormal activity absolutely pop in terms of color.
SPOILER WARNING: The show does end on a cliffhanger where the characters end up in a different dimension, so I really hope Disney decides to renew it soon. The Doomies is one of the best new shows of 2026 alongside Dragon Striker. It is a very fun supernatural animated show with fun characters, fun animation. A perfect spiritual successor to Gravity Falls that would make Alex Hirsh proud.
DreamWorks Animation is like a roller coaster. It has many highs (such as the Prince of Egypt or How to Train Your Dragon) but also many lows (such as Turbo or the Boss Baby). Their newest film Forgotten Island is about two girls in the Philippines named Jo and Raissa who have been best friends all their lives. After graduating high school Jo finds out that Raissa is attending college at Caltech in America. While celebrating their last day together they fall through a mysterious portal and end up on an island named Nakali with no memory of what happened. Now they must find a way home before they end up forgetting their friendship and memories.
The heart of Forgotten Island is the friendship between Jo played by H.E.R. and Raissa played by Liza Soberano. Both leads are very likable, have distinct designs that perfectly match their distinct personalities. I like how their unique charms on their bracelets represent their memories. You really do believe their friendship and the decisions they make feel believable too. SPOILER WARNING: There is a liar revealed moment which involved Jo making a very selfish but understandable decision that almost gets the duo trapped on Nakali forever. Later when Raissa enters Jo’s memories to save her she finds out how much their friendship means to each other. I will admit I almost teared up during the emotional climax. I also think the voice acting is really good especially from H.E.R. and Liza Soberano as the main duo. Even their child actors do a fantastic job portraying the main duo perfectly. Another standout is Dave Franco (who already impressed me this year with his role as King Titus from Hoppers) as the were-dog Raww.
The other highlight from this film is the gorgeous animation. The director of this film Joel Crawford also directed Puss in Boots the Last Wish and that has some of the best eye-popping animation from any DreamWorks film. So, it’s no surprise that his next film Forgotten Island is just as amazing to look at. Forgotten Island is one of the most gorgeous and vibrant films DreamWorks has ever done. This film also uses the same fast paced and colorful style as Puss in Boots 2. DreamWorks took a lot of inspiration from Philippines culture and anime from the 90s. Speaking of which, I felt that way this film depicts Philippines culture was done very well. The main setting of Nakali particularly is very well done and full of Filipino influence. One thing I’ve seen people nitpick about Forgotten Island is that it has too much energy and too much happens on screen and yeah those are good points. I can understand people finding that either annoying or distracting but me it wasn’t really a problem.
In terms of DreamWorks’s highs and lows that I mentioned at the beginning of this review, Forgotten Island managed to be one of DreamWorks’s highest highs. It has an amazing duo with a believable friendship and some of the most amazing animation the studio has ever done. It is definitely an animated film that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
I never really grew up watching Looney Tunes (I was always more of a Tom and Jerry type of guy) but I do remember really enjoying the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner shorts. As you know, Coyote vs Acme was a film that was completed years ago but was shelved by Warner Bros and after the huge backlash Warner Bros decided to sell the film to another distributor. Luckily it was bought by Ketchup Entertainment who also distributed another Looney Tunes film The Day the Earth Blew Up. After years of constantly failing to catch the roadrunner due to Acme’s malfunctioning products, Wile E. Coyote comes across a commercial for a personal injury lawyer Kevin Avery that helps cartoon characters. Wile E. travels to Albuquerque and plans to sue the Acme Corporation for all their failed products while also stumbling upon a huge conspiracy inside the company.
Just the idea of Wile E. suing Acme is such a creative and hilarious premise. It’s kind of ironic that this film is about suing a giant corporation considering it was a giant corporation (Warner Bros) that shelved the film in the first place. The comedy in this film is absolutely hilarious and was clearly written by people who loved and studied the comedy from the original shorts. Even the worst joke from this film is better than the best joke from Space Jam 2. The acting from the live action actors is really enjoyable and all feel like live-action Looney Tunes characters. Big standouts include Will Forte as the washed-up attorney Kevin Avery and John Cena as the opposing Acme lawyer Buddy Crane. Speaking of, unlike the Day the Earth Blew Up which only had Porky and Daffy, this film is chock full of Looney Tunes characters. Some of them are mostly cameos but a lot them have surprisingly important roles that tie into the story. For example, Bugs Bunny is a reference to Deep Throat from All the President’s Men. It was a bit odd seeing Foghorn Leghorn as the villain but I thought he worked well as the opposing southern villain archetype. Also, Tweety as a mercenary for Acme is so freaking funny.
If I had one slight problem with the film is that I’m mixed on the animation. Most of the characters are animated in this cel-shaded 3D animation style similar to the animation in the live action Tom and Jerry film and the Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers film. This style is just fine, I wouldn’t say it’s awful but it isn’t really that amazing either. The problem I have though is that other characters such as Bug Bunny are clearly animated in 2D and the fact that there are two different animation styles makes the film look very inconsistent and a little distracting. Either have them all animated in 2D or cel shaded and not both.
Much like the Day the Earth Blew Up you can tell that the people that made the film love and respect the Looney Tunes. Coyote vs Acme is one of the best Looney Tunes films. It has such a looney premise full of looney characters and looney comedy that fits right at home with the Looney Tunes. Thank you, Ketchup Entertainment for giving Coyote vs Acme a 2nd chance.
Hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since Spider-Man was introduced in the MCU. Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place four years after No Way Home. After Dr. Strange’s spell in the last film erases everyone’s memories of him including his best friend Ned and girlfriend MJ. Peter Parker now lives on his own and dedicates his life to now being Spider-Man and New York City’s protector. Due to how much he overworks himself being Spider-Man and seeing MJ with a new boyfriend, he starts gaining mutant spider powers that he has difficulty controlling. Now he must learn to control these new powers while also dealing with a new mysterious telepathic threat.
Tom Holland has always been my favorite live action Spider-Man since his introduction in Captain America Civil War and his character arc in Brand New Day is probably his most mature and emotional character wise. The film really shows how isolating yourself in order to protect the people you care about is understandable but still extremely unhealthy. It reminded me a lot of Spider-Man 2 from 2004 where Peter Parker also struggles trying to balance his normal life with his superhero life. I also like that Peter learns to embrace his new mutant powers instead of trying to restrain them which is also unhealthy. I also really liked the cameos in this film that actually serve their important role in the story and didn’t feel too forced like cameos from other Marvel films. Frank Castle aka the Punisher played by John Bernthal was very entertaining and the way he works off of Peter is very fun. Mark Ruffalo was also great as Bruce Banner and his fight between him and Peter and Frank was epic. I love the scene where Yelena Belova points out to Peter the different levels of Marvel threats and how he is just little potatoes in comparison.
SPOILER WARNING: The marketing for this film tried very hard to hide who the main villain was. They made it look like anyone could be the villain such as the Scorpion, the Hulk, and the Hand (they had main villain vibes). When the film finally released the main villain was confirmed to be Jean Grey which I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, Sadie Sink does a fantastic job being both threatening and tragic. On the other hand, making Jean Grey who is a usually a hero (except when she’s the Phoenix) from X-Men and almost never involved with Spider-Man (unless it’s a giant Marvel crossover event) was such a very odd choice. It would be like having a Flash film where Starfire from Teen Titans was the villain (in fairness that would be much better film than the one we got a few years ago). I do like how she can only control one person telepathically at a time so she has to jump from to another person closer to the one she’s controlling. It’s a very unique portrayal of telepathy.
I will say the post credit scene which is just Ned’s Spider-Man tracker going off was very weak. I thought Spider-Man: Brand New Day would end up being the unnecessary fourth film in an already well-done trilogy but this film ended up being one of the best live-action Spider-Man films. It’s going to be very difficult for Avengers Doomsday to top this.
For those who don’t know Avatar the Last Airbender is my favorite Nickelodeon show (Blue’s Clues being a close 2nd). It has amazing animation, awesome action scenes, fantastic worldbuilding, well written and likable characters, and a well thought out and epic overarching story that was very rare for a cartoon to have back then. Without this show we probably wouldn’t have had other cartoons with overarching stories like Gravity Falls or Steven Universe. The new film Avatar Aang the Last Airbender takes place 13 years after Team Avatar defeated the Fire Lord and stopped the 100-year war. The current Avatar Aang has grown concerned about being the “last airbender” but that changes when the team comes across another frozen airbender named Tagah who joins the group in finding a magical staff that could bring back the airbenders.
It feels so great to see the original Team Avatar together again after 18 years on a new adventure. While the original voice actors sadly didn’t return, the new ones do a good job capturing the same charm and heart these characters had in the original show. I also loved their older designs. Avatar Aang: the Last Airbender is very similar to another animated film based on an animated series, Steven Universe the Movie. Both are films that take place a few years after the end of the series and has the main group facing off a new villain that has been “waiting/frozen” throughout the original show’s runtime. SPOILER WARNING: I thought Tagah played wonderfully by Dave Bautista was a very effective villain and worked very well as a perfect dark version of Aang. I will admit the Denied were kind of weak villains and just felt more like an obstacle than actual fleshed out characters.
The best thing about the film is the gorgeous animation wonderfully done by the always amazing Flying Bark Productions. Avatar Aang has in my opinion the best animation of any animated film that has released this year so far (until Wildwood releases). The animators apparently used Deep Canvas which combines 2d characters with CGI environments as inspiration for the film’s style and both the 2d and CGI animation here blend together flawlessly. This is the same technology Disney used for Tarzan (my favorite Disney movie) and Treasure Planet and those are some of the best-looking Disney films. The beautiful animation also gives us some absolutely amazing and epic action scenes and the show already had wonderfully animated action scenes but I think this film topped the original show. It really is a huge shame that Paramount decided to cancel the theatrical release of this because this film would’ve looked absolutely grand and epic on the big screen.
Avatar Aang: the Last Airbender really was a film that has suffered a lot from its cancelled theatrical release and the film being leaked. Still, this is an absolutely fantastic follow up to an absolutely fantastic show and better than that god awful live action “Last Airbender” film from M. Night Shyamalan in absolutely every single way. It has everything that reminds us why the original show was and still is one of if not the most beloved animated show of all time. Now it is time for me to watch the new Avatar show “Seven Havens”.
Christopher Nolan isn’t one of my favorite directors, but he is one that I really respect. His newest film the Odyssey was actually the most I’ve been excited to see one of his films. The Odyssey is an adaption of the famous Greek poem of the same name where after the Trojan War, King Odysseus played by Matt Damon goes through a long and difficult journey home full of monsters and obstacles. Meanwhile his wife Penelope played by Anne Hathaway and his son Telemachus played by Tom Holland have to deal with a bunch of suitors that want to take over especially Antinous played by Robert Patterson until Odysseus returns.
Christopher Nolan’s films always have a grand and huge scale to them and the Odyssey might be his biggest and most epic film he has made so far thanks so Nolan’s always amazing directing. Every shot in this film feels so grand and well directed. The fact that this was the first film to ever be filmed completely on IMAX add to the epic feel. The film does have the same problem I had with Oppenheimer and that’s the long runtime plus the non-linear narrative this film has. It starts off a bit slow and but once Odysseus’s journey the film gets really going. The performances here are amazing with big standouts being Matt Damon and Tom Holland. Anne Hathaway is absolutely amazing as Penelope and you can really feel the frustration and sadness in her performance when having to deal with her husband being probably dead and having to merry one of those awful suitors especially the slimy and despicable Antinous played wonderfully by Robert Patterson. I usually picture John Leguizamo doing mostly comedic roles like Sid from Ice Age but I was very surprised that he can do more serious role such as his role here as Eumaeus.
There are two scenes that really stood out to me. The first is the witch turning the men into pigs. It would’ve been creepy enough if the men just shapeshifted into pigs or even creepier if they did offscreen. This film however takes it to a whole new disturbing level by having the witch literally mold their bodies into pigs like clay. It is one of the most creative, unique and most disturbing depiction of shapeshifting I’ve ever seen in all media. The other is the film’s climax. SPOILER WARNING: Penelope challenge where she will marry whoever mends the bow and shoots the target. None of the suitors are able to except a disguise Odysseus. Once he completes the challenge, he then uses his bow to kill most of the suitors. It is an absolutely epic and crazy climax and it’s very satisfying to see all the suitors get their asses kicked by him especially Antinous. It reminds me of the church scene from Kingsmen.
The Odyssey is up there with Oppenheimer as one of Nolan’s best and more epic films he has made. It has an epic scale, great acting, great music, and great directing. Everything that makes Christopher Nolan one of the most beloved and respected directors of all time. Honestly my pick for winning Best Picture at next year’s Oscars so far.
Toy Story 5 takes place a few years after Toy Story 4. The toy’s new owner Bonnie is now older but is having trouble making friends due to still playing with toys while the other kids play with technology. Her parents get her a new tablet called Lilypad in order to connect with them. Seeing that technology has started replacing toys, Jessie worries that Bonnie will end up replacing them with Lilypad and end up throwing them out like how her original owner Emily did. So, Jessie plans to help Bonnie make friends while coming into conflict with Lilypad while also finding closure to her trauma.
Unlike the previous films which had Woody as the main protagonist, here Jessie is in the spotlight which I thought was an interesting and refreshing idea. I like how this film deals with her trauma when she actually returns to Emily’s old farm and actually finds out how much she really meant to her. Toy Story 5 came out at the perfect time when technology such as phones and tablets has become more of a priority than toys and how much AI has been all over the place. In most media technology would be considered evil but this film surprisingly shows the pros and cons of technology that’s done very well. Yes, the film does show that tech can cause us to be too preoccupied and how we can end up making the wrong friends. Still the film does show the good side of tech. Jessie starts with a prejudice against tech toys which is understandable because it ties to her backstory. It’s only when she meets Blaze’s old tech toys led by Smart Pants that care very deeply for their owner is where she realizes that not all tech is bad. Heck, Lilypad isn’t really a villain in this, she’s just doing what she was programed to do, and even feels regret after her actions cause Bonnie’s “friends” to mock her. I also really liked the Buzz Lightyear army side plot. It’s really charming, funny and well told with little to no dialogue. It honestly could serve as its own Pixar short.
Like pretty much every Pixar film, the animation here is amazing. I love how Bonnie’s play sessions are animated using painted CGI and it’s absolutely amazing to look at. It would’ve been so easy to have them animated exactly like Andy’s play sessions but I felt that this was a clever way to show that every kid has their own different way to play. SPOILER: A great detail is that Blaze’s play sessions also have the same animation style as Bonnie’s which brilliantly foreshadows them becoming friends in the end. I will admit the set pieces in this film are probably the weakest in the whole series. One of the neat things about the Toy Story series is that they manage to make typical locations feel more epic and grander. toy store, the airport, a daycare center, and the junkyard. Here, the only set pieces are Bonnie’s house and Blaze’s farm and they’re not very memorable.
Toy Story 5 isn’t as strong as the original trilogy but it’s still a really fun continuation that handles the pros and cons of technology and both toys and tech can live in harmony if we work to. Did it really need to exist, probably not but I you can tell the people who made this care very deeply for the series and really wanted to tell this story. Toy Story 5 is proof that this long running film series still and always will have the same heart from 1995 for infinity and beyond.
Steven Spielberg is my favorite film director of all time. Films that he has directed such as Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, and my personal favorite Jurassic Park are all in my top 20 favorite films list. Whenever he announces a new film, it will usually be in my top 10 most anticipated films list of that year. His newest film Disclosure Day is about journalist Margaret Fairchild who during a live broadcast starts speaking alien and cybersecurity analyst Daniel Kellner who came across hidden info about alien activity. Both must find a way to leak this new info while on the run from a government branch WARDEX who wants to keep the alien activity under wraps.
The film does start off a bit slow with the film mostly just setting up the characters, and the story but it starts to really ramp up when we get to the fun car chase scene. Much like his other alien thriller film Close Encounters, Disclosure Day also has a huge mysterious tone that makes you excited to see what’s going to happen. What helps give this film such a mysterious feel to it is Steven Spielberg’s always amazing directing. While he is great at making a film thrilling he also manages to give his film a dash of whimsy. Of course, what is a Steven Spielberg movie without John William’s always terrific score. John’s score here is some of the best he has done and still shows that even in his 90s he’s still got it. The acting in this film is also amazing especially the two leads Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor. I really enjoyed Josh O’Connor in Wake Up Dead Man last year and I enjoyed him just as much here as Daniel Kellner. The scene where Margaret starts speaking in a different language during a live broadcast is definitely Emily Blunt’s best scene in the film. I also thought Colin Firth was great as the villain.
Disclosure Day is a return to a vibe similar to his early alien films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. This film is proof that after more than 50 years Steven Spielberg still has the spark. It has great acting, directing, and music, all the things that make a great Steven Spielberg film.
This year Disney is releasing two new cartoons from France, Dragon Striker and the Doomies. Dragon Striker was created by Sylvain Dos Santos who also created another French animated show Droners (very underrated show that I would strongly recommend). The show is about a boy named Key who is a huge fan of Gorotama and dreams of playing it. Gorotama is a sport similar to soccer where every player has an ability called a tama. During a game Key accidentally activates his tama (the same one his mother had) while defending another Gorotama fan Ssyelle. Both are invited to attend Gorotama school Kal Asterock where they must form their own team called the Knights in order to compete while Key must learn how to control his own tama.
The opening song “Power of the Dragon” is awesome and while I’m not a huge fan of show openings that use episode clips, I think Dragon Striker’s opening does a great job setting up the characters, world and tone of the show. Just listening to the theme song was enough to make me a fan of this show. I don’t think a show has ever hooked me on its intro since Hilda. It feels so great to see Disney do a serialized cartoon again since the Owl House ended. What I found interesting is that the first episodes of the season actually focus more on introducing the protagonist, meeting his new friends/team members, setting up a new team, finding their own field, and their own armor. You’d think that each episode would have a different match much like Sylvain Dos Santos’ other show Droners but this show actually takes it’s time to set up everything and every episode progresses the story fluently. Heck, the Knights don’t even play an official game until episode 7.
The animation in Dragon Striker is absolutely gorgeous and some of the best animation I’ve seen from any Disney show. Everything from the character designs, color pallet, and backgrounds make this show amazing to look at and really makes the world one that you really want to visit. The main setting Kal Asterock feels like a combination between Hogwarts from Harry Potter and My Hero Academia (two pieces of media that I very much adore) while still feeling like its own unique thing. Also, I’m a giant sucker for floating island settings. Much like the houses from Hogwarts, Kal Asterock has four teams (not counting the Knights) that. All the students at Kal Asterock have their own unique and creative tamas that perfectly ties into their unique designs and personalities. It’s really fun to see the players use their tamas either against or together during a game. Key and Milo discovering the that they could combine their own tamas really opens up many possibilities of tama combinations later in the series.
The characters that stand out though are the Knights. Key is a great protagonist. Ssyelle is also a great character and I found it very refreshing that she’s the captain of the Knights when in most stories you’d expect the main character aka Key to be the captain. FYI yes, I do ship Key and Ssyelle. Ameline is definitely my favorite character so far and I really hope we learn a lot more about her in the future. Fun fact: Her voice actress Evanna Lynch also played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films. Then we have the goyens (coaches)………I freaking hate hate hate the guys!!! There all horrible and toxic people in their own different way.Sugoi I guess isn’t the worst one but even so, she has way to high standard for Key and her team the Dragons. Also, she shows a memory of Key’s mother winning a Gorotama game yet she only tells him about the incident that caused her death instead of actually showing him. Seems way too suspicious to me but we’ll probably find out more later in the 2nd half of the season, but I’m keeping my eye on you Sugoi! The other goyens have it out for the Knights especially Surya (he’s the worst!) and they (and their teams) have even attacked the Knights at one point. How none of them have been kicked out is anybody’s guess.
Dragon Striker is the best show of 2026 so far. It has well-written and likable main characters, well thought out worldbuilding and gorgeous animation. This really feels like the return of. I am absolutely looking forward to watching the rest of the series especially after that epic and intense cliffhanger.
The Amazing Digital Circus, it’s amazing and it’s digital
The Amazing Digital Circus is an amazing indie animated series. It has well developed characters, hilarious comedy, great animation, deep emotional moments, and a wonderfully eerie premise. Now that the finale has officially released on YouTube, it is time for me rank every episode from worst to best. Keep in mind, none of these episodes are bad it just that some are stronger than others. This list is also based on my opinion. SPOILER WARNING for the whole show so if you haven’t seen the show yet, do it now before you read this list.
9. Episode 2-Candy Carrier Chaos!: There are no bad episodes of this show, but episode 2 is probably the weakest episode in my opinion and just felt like a typical adventure. The episode tries to do something interesting with having an NVP becoming self-aware with Gummygoo who is a very likable character but Caine gets rid of him and the show doesn’t do anything with this idea afterwards. I do think the ending where Pomni comes to term with her new life in the circus and realizes that she’s not alone is very sweet.
8. Episode 1-Pilot: The most important thing a pilot must do is establishing the show’s premise, the characters, world, and tone well enough to make you excited for what’s to come and like most great show pilots, the first episode of the Amazing Digital Circus managed to accomplished that job perfectly. Sure, the animation isn’t the best compared to future episodes but it has that old school CGI charm to it.
7. Episode 4-Fast Food Masquerade: This was the very first episode where I watched the premiere live. Episode 4 is one of those examples of taking well developed characters and putting them in a situation and the writing writes itself. Gooseworx apparently worked at a McDonalds before and you can tell she used her experience as inspiration for this episode. I really liked that this episode focused on Gangle and the running scene near the end was great. Also, Ragatha on stupid sauce is hilarious and I loved the Raggedy Anne reference.
6. Episode 3-The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor: I started to get into this show around the time episode 3 premiered. Caine is my favorite character of the show but if I had to pick a favorite player it would definitely be Kinger who this episode puts in the limelight. Seeing Pomni and Kinger bond is very enjoyable and finding out that he had a wife who abstracted was very emotional. The episode itself has a very creepy feel to it that felt like a combination of Luigi’s Mansion and Silent Hill.
5. Episode 7-Beach Episode: The irony of calling this a beach episode (which are usually considered breather episodes in most shows) that transitions to a completely different plot. This episode is definitely a “take that” towards fans making theories that ends up throwing all those theories out the window with probably the worst thing Caine has ever done on the show. The Jax “almost” abstraction scene was absolutely stunning and Zack Handal’s cameo as the Orange Crappy Looking Fish was hilarious. This episode is definitely the calm before the storm (actually more like a hurricane).
4. Episode 5-Untitled: I’m not sure if this was intentional or not but the fact that the intermission scene happens in the midpoint of not just the episode but the show (episode 5 of 9) is absolutely brilliant. Episode 5 in my opinion is the most enjoyable episode of the series. The idea of a lighting round with multiple adventures is clever and all the adventures we see are really fun. Much like the previous episode, this one also pulls off the “put the characters in scenarios” bit extremely well. We also get little glimpses at the character’s lives before entering the digital circus.
3. Episode 6-They All Get Guns: Another very fun episode with a neat premise. Seeing the characters team up in pairs to shoot each other and work off each other is absolutely hilarious and leads to a lot of fun writing between the characters. The conversations between Ragatha/Kinger and Gangle/Zooble are very touching and show how much they do truly care for each other. The main focus is definitely Pomni’s “friendship” with Jax which leads to a very heavy but wonderfully acted scene near the end that is pretty much the beginning of Jax’s downhill spial in abstracting.
Before we get to the top 2 I just want to point out that these next episodes are almost a tie for my favorite episode. Ironically both episodes were paired together as the feature length film The Last Act (PEAK cinema btw).
2. Episode 8-hjsakldfhl: The penultimate episode of the Amazing Digital Circus is as perfect an episode of this show that you could get. The MVP here of course is my favorite character of the whole show Caine played by the absolutely amazing Alex Rochon. There are so many memorable Caine moments in this episode such as his backstory, Bubble calling him defective, his amazing musical number “Who’s Running the Show” and especially when the characters finally call him out which leads to his ultimate crashout and demise in the end. The cliffhanger ending where he’s deleted really made you wonder how this show was going to end and made you really excited for the finale. This is apparently Gooseworx’s favorite episode and for good reason.
1. Episode 9-Remember: The series finale of the Amazing Digital Circus wasn’t an emotional roller coaster; it was an emotional amusement park! Everything about this finale such as the directing, animation and music is pretty much the best of the whole show. The twist of the players being brain scans is shocking but feels right. This finale puts a lot of focus on Jax who unsurprisingly abstracts. I did find it odd that we never see Jax abstract on screen but I guess it was Gooseworx’s choice to leave it up to our imagination. We also finally get to see his origin, his tragic friendship with Ribbit, and what his life was in real life all shown through his point of view. A detail I absolutely love from this episode that I thought was absolutely brilliant storytelling is from the scene where Jax opens up to Ribbit and the camera transitions from first person to third person. It’s that moment where we really see who Jax truly is and what really helps is Michael Kovach’s amazing performance as Jax. What I also like that his tragic life isn’t made to excuse his action but to make you understand and empathize with him. I was also glad to see that Caine was still alive. Caine’s redemption here was amazing and all done with minimal or no dialogue. The scene where Caine makes up for what he’s done by showing the players what happened to their real selves is very sweet. Having the players know that their real selves are living their best lives wonderfully gives the characters closure and makes for a very bittersweet ending. Also, the post credit scene seeing all the real-life players at a bus stop was brilliant. Episode 9 is honestly much up there with Avatar’s Sozin’s Comet, Gravity Falls Take Back the Falls and Hilda’s the Fairy Isle as one of the best finales I have ever seen and an absolute emotional conclusion to this amazing show.
Thank You Gooseworx and everyone at Glitch who helped make this amazing and digital show. How would you rank the episodes? Feel free to share your ranking.
