Gangle is NOT Depressed, She's Traumatized

[@Enchanted___]

What did you think of the 4th episode of the Digital Circus?

[@LucyLoud_Fan]

The weakest, but still awesome

[@RexoAndCo.]

It Felt A Little Rushed, But Other Than That It Was Still Really Good! 7/10

[@NoLikeBeggers]

7/10

[@Shade-Fan13579]

​​@@RexoAndCo.I wouldn't rlly call it rush because they already got the script written with 1-4 it's just not a very action type episode id say. But i respect your opinion

[@Paolo-ec2si]

@@Enchanted___ not exciting as the others but still good. 8/10 or 7/10

[@auralynpaisley-ellis6505]

Nah she’s both. Depression and trauma typically go hand in hand

[@LakkzScratch]

one can stick and the other is forever.

[@dashfire3185]

@LakksScratch, one sticks and leaves a scar, the other is a forever crippling wound

[@buyingmilk]

Damn yall edgy, trauma can be healed with therapy and years and years of work, sadly alot of people don't get the help they need though, so its reasonable they'd feel hopeless but for others to say so is very harming

[@senpai_mangue6141]

depression would be a side effect of trauma right?

[@EdwardBraunsIII]

Forgive me if I’m not convinced. I’m gonna need more proof then that

[@nasiersteven5164]

6:02 I’m gonna be honest. Based on the effects in this scene, Gangle probably might have abstracted if Pomni didn’t close the store 😭

[@k1ng_chicken]

💯

[@memoman_yt]

Dude was a bad Day away from it

[@qua_xor3348]

And she is in an "adventure" too. Meaning nobody would probably even know what would have happened to her.

[@abacaxigomes4416]

How ironic is the fact that the weaboo not only got trapped in a videogame world, but also got hit by a truck

[@The_Heavenly_Principles]

truck-kun is her trauma

[@BlueFire-guy]

Why weaboo? Maybe she just like mangas ._.

[@cozmyo]

gangle got isekai'd

[@chernagast6754]

Masking is what undiagnosed autistics do, too. A lot of people with autism also suffer with trauma and depression. They try to fit in, people please, don't understand how to make other people happy, and can be very creative (manga may have been Gangle's special interest). Autistic people can also be put into leadership positions because they will just be open and take the first step, even though leadership can cause shutdowns or melt downs. As a late diagnosed autistic, I can tell you that unmasking is liberating, but you're always afraid that disaster will strike (like a truck hitting you) the moment you do.

[@BlueFire-guy]

I don’t think that she have autism or smth, but tbh I think thing that u described related to almost every psychological issue ;/ (I have s-xual ocd, and same, I use anime to distract myself from my fears and thoughts, but even in dreams I keep see this :’D)

[@lunabruce1804]

TRUEEE

[@callmecloudy6225]

I mask as a diagnosed autistic person😅

[@lunabruce1804]

@callmecloudy6225 SAMEEE

[@TheDimensionalArtist]

Depression often is tied to Trauma.

[@LakkzScratch]

Trauma is permanent, depression isn't.

[@bluejay7071]

@@LakkzScratch it can be. depends on the type and how well treatment works.

[@bluejay7071]

@@LakkzScratch There are also disorders that depression is a part of which are permanent. Like Bipolar. while depression in that is not technically "permanent" in the sense that it comes and goes, you will have bouts of depression for the rest of your life as treatment often only mitigates the effects.

[@redblue5140]

​@@bluejay7071 this isn't true, trauma is essentially a cognitohazard, it's visceral knowledge you shouldn't have. even if you consciously forget it you will still remember subconsciously and it will wreak havoc on your mind. even if treatment mitigates the effects, which is going to be temporary, your personality and perception of the world will still be worse than it was before. your mind can never return to how it was before trauma

[@ХамитЮсуп-т5ь]

5:40 - Zooble actually likes Gangle and Pomni. I started to like her a lot, she's my second favourite character after Kinger. Unlike Ragatha she doesn't try to please everyone, she doesn't try to be nice with everyone, she's honest and genuine. If she doesn't like something or someone she doesn't hide it and says it right away, if she likes someone she does everything she can to help and support that person. She's just being herself

[@sillyrobaczek]

*they, not she. And I agree! They say what they think, and I respect that. I also like Zooble's friendship with Gangle, I find it so heartwarming. Them offering Gangle the mask proves that they think about her, and their interaction in Zooble's room at the start of the episode was really cute :]

[@mo-s-]

yea, zooble is a gigachad I love them

[@tinajeffer]

I AM A RAGATHA STAN AND I WILL NOT HAVE HER NAME DRAGGED IN THE MU-😫

[@sillyrobaczek]

@@tinajeffer No one's name is being dragged in the mud, the author of the original comment only points out what has already been said in the show about Ragatha. Ragatha is a complex character like all the other members of the cast and I think it's great that they're not all perfect or one-dimensional. It makes things interesting :] In Ragatha's case, she is a caretaker who tries to keep the peace with everyone (except for her squabbles with Jax) but at the same time struggles with being vulnerable with others. That's why Gangle says in ep 4 that she wonders how genuine Ragatha actually is. (Especially after the slip-up when Ragatha called Gangle annoying while drunk on "stupid sauce") I think she has trouble accepting help, despite wanting to help everyone around her. Which in turn prevents her from being truly close with other people. She also put others' needs above her own. That's my interpretation anyway. I'm excited for the next episode to explore her character more :DD

[@tinajeffer]

@owadziarz lol I was only joking, but I do love they yay you see ragathas, I can't wait till my number one favorite character gets her time to truly shine 🤩

[@nasinnarcotics]

I think Gangle having a near death experience that scarred her would make sense with how she treats the Digital Circus. She can’t help treating it like a real place where the stakes of, for example, not doing your stupid fake fast food job are real and matter. Conversely, Jax dunks Ragatha in the deep fryer because he knows this place doesn’t have life or death stakes and nothing really matters. Jax and Gangle probably both have really significant past trauma from before being Digital Circus’d that just pushed them in very different directions as people. Jax adopted the attitude that nothing matters at all (which is an advantage in the circus because he is correct, basically no action in the circus has real permanent consequences) and Gangle takes everything extremely seriously and is prone to anxiety. She masks it with her tragedy mask, which shuts her down, makes her quiet and in her mind more tolerable to the others. I hope to see more of this very proactive and neurotic Gangle though.

[@Arkivalry]

Kinda ironic how gangle, the one who drives a truck in the 2nd episide, is now the one who ends up underneath it

[@bookworm0414]

Yo, i never noticed that!

[@isshunova]

5:40 I think that Gangle is referring to the fact that Ragatha is always nice to everybody, even when she doesn't mean it. She literally says that she hates Jax, but doesn't want Jax to hate her. Ragatha tries to be nice to everybody all the time, and that makes it difficult to tell whether or not she actually cares. Zooble and Gangle seem to actually be friends. Zooble is the one to find and check on Gangle at the end, and the one to offer a solution to Gangle’s comedy mask always breaking. The reason we don’t see them interact often isn’t because they don’t have a good relationship, but because it’s established that Zooble doens’t like going on the adventures, when a majority of the show takes place

[@MBarray]

It's hard to put into words, but the book Breakout dark depression completely changed my life and it's not new age bs

[@essexistsprobably]

So many people have interpreted this episode differently, whether that’s Gangle having depression, ptsd, bpd, autism, other various neurodivergent experiences, or hints to her life from before. I took the message of this episode of the reality of masking in general. Gangle thinks a new mask will make her normal. She is extremely scared of criticism, and she’s so desperate to express herself in this new way because she hasn’t had the opportunity for so long. So she tries getting the team on track, takes the job seriously, and attempts so hard to motivate everyone. But they can all see it’s not her true self, and she ends up hurting them somewhat. Even when a person try their best efforts to become better, to act accordingly to others expectations, it feels like it never works in the end. Gangle finally has relief in the end WITHOUT the mask, but I think the truck is a symbol of harsh reality kicking in again. How these moments of relief can come as quickly as they came. But Gangle doesn’t have the motive or energy to put up a mask, so that’s why she’s seen isolating herself. Then Zooble talks to her, and shows she didn’t need the mask in the first place because Zooble likes her for what she truly is. (anyways, you can tell I liked the episode.)

[@TheUnmitigatedDawn]

Who would have thought that the two of the most popular indie shows of 2024 would have their 4th episode have "Masquerade" in the title and be about realistic psychological horror centered on a traumatized person hiding behind a mask (one metaphorically, the other literally).

[@Enchanted___]

Yknow I hadn’t fully thought about that, probably coincidental but still cool

[@pedrorosa9893]

What the other one!

[@TheUnmitigatedDawn]

@@pedrorosa9893 Masquerade from Hazbin Hotel

[@seagullbecause]

@@pedrorosa9893Take a WILD guess.

[@swipefounddead]

@seagullbecause wow, that sure narrows it down, thanks a lot.

[@TheNecronmancer]

I think you missed the small fact that she wanted to be a manga artist and was told to be something better, so she became a fast food manager. I think the masking is her trying to be "something more" perhaps "someone more mature" and yes I do see trauma as her normal form is literally a crying child, I mean look at how she has her arms or how she sits on the chair in fetal position. She was traumatized by the expectations placed on her

[@blackprism5381]

1:27 even in this digital world no one is safe from Truck-kun

[@livangel14]

6:40 I want to think… Gangle is the product of survivors guilt. She fell in front of the truck ( or wanted to commit suicide and jumped in front of the truck) and someone else maybe wearing a red shirt was killed instead of her. She now lives with the trauma of she caused their death. I think that also supports why when she is bullied she doesn’t stand up for herself because she thinks that she deserves it.

[@juicebox7372]

Why do people assume she tried to kill herself she literally tripped

[@Enven37]

​@@juicebox7372I mean, she was smiling and turned around to the road for no reason

[@pipaliveshere]

​@@juicebox7372 1) she purposefully made a spin, she purposefully took a step back, ITS VISIBLE IN THE ANIMATION. SHE DIDNT TRIP. 2) she literally said to caine "i guess i cracked under pressure" IMPLYING SHE DID TRY TO UNALIVE HERSELF BECAUSE OF CRACKING UNDER PRESSURE. no, pomni's talk didnt help. its not as easy as talking it out, this shi doesnt leave u because of someone covering for your shift. 3) im so tired of people not understanding what manic episodes are. i as a person with bpd know what they are and i saw myself in how gangle did that. when youre in a manic frenzy u make impulsive decisions not really thinkng stuff thru. such as a sui**de attempts. once you get to the point where u understand life is slipping out of u you instantly feel regret and fear. u realise theres no turning back now. your life flashes. thats the only reason her face was "surprised".

[@livangel14]

@ It’s just a theory coming from someone who’s dealt with depression and attempted suicide.

[@pipaliveshere]

@@livangel14 ????how is that dismissing any of points ive made??? i literally have bpd and i heavily suspect gangle might too. i have dealt with attempts too. a person asked a question -- and i answered exactly why people think she didnt trip. occams razor. the simpler explanation is usually the truth. why do people feel the need to overcomplicate stuff when its pretty obvious that yes, gangle is depressed+bpd(either borderline or bipolar), yes, she did try to do youknowwhat(esp with all the signs pointing to it). also yt deleted my comment for whatever reason ig.

[@ProGremlinPlayer]

I think it's more likely the truck scene was just an incorporation of the isekai anime trope where the main character gets hit by a truck before waking up in a new world. Like it's a sign that Gangle changed or learned something from that adventure.

[@CaptainComical778]

Not gonna lie I like that interpretation a lot more than any of the other stuff I’ve read about Gangle’s past life, depression, manic episodes, etc. I think we could be thinking a little too deep here though, idk.

[@Doejrk]

Ding ding ding, that’s it! Majority of the team are big fans of anime

[@ItsRainingCornflakes]

This is a very interesting analysis! I'd interpreted it as maybe an allusion to bipolar disorder or something, where her comedy mask was a manic episode, and her running in front of the truck represented how destructive mania could be.

[@undyingUmbrage413]

i'm not sure if this is what gooseworx was going for, but it really hit home specifically as someone with bipolar type 2. bp2 is often misdiagnosed as unipolar depression, because most people don't initially realize that hypomania is a bad thing and don't even think to bring it up with their psychiatrist. it's not nearly as destructive, in fact, hypomania feels like normalcy. you're finally out of that depressive rut and you feel great and productive and you wanna do everything and go everywhere and find out what you want to do with your life. the main way that people find out it's bipolar and not depression is from the effects antidepressants have on you. bp2 does NOT get full-on manic episodes like bp1 on its own, but on antidepressants, your highers get higher and longer, and the higher the high, the lower the low. if you take antidepressants of any kind, you need to be on a mood stabilizer to prevent this from happening. when I was on an ssri without a mood stabilizer as a teenager, i had terrible manic episodes. mania is supposed to feel really good, and it DOES at first, but it was always super distressing after a few days and made me very erratic and just as prone to self harm and the likes as a depressive episode, while running on only a couple hours of sleep a night. and thats how i interpreted gangle here. the comedy mask is hypomania, brief intervals of elation between depressive episodes, and the tragedy mask is depression. her comedy mask is always broken very quickly, speaking to how short hypomanic episodes are. (a couple weeks hypomania vs. a few months depression, usually) the brand new plastic mask zooble gave her are antidepressants, symbolically. it covers up her tragedy mask and is far more resistant to being broken. it's supposed to help her, but it instead sends her spiraling into a full manic episode. she does irrational things, she's elated and ambitious at first, she starts getting dazed and more distressed the longer it goes on. the line "my mask is usually broken by now" hit so hard for me because that's exactly how it felt when my psychiatrist changed my mood stabilizer and i was stuck in a manic episode for a month. if she WAS intentionally made to have bp2, then it was a beautifully done depiction imo.

[@azthepro739]

Pomni has been like a therapist for some of the characters

[@AroShadeWeaver]

Somehow, the one who needs the most therapy became the group therapist. *_I would've thought at least Zooble would be the group therapist, since she's the most sane and honest out of everyone else._*

[@kingofnerds1841]

Interesting hypothesis, but... I don't know. What throws it off for me is this: If she was a manager of a fast food joint, why would she be qualified to drive a big friggin truck like that? Also i feel it's work noting that the truck isn't the candy rig from ep 2, meaning this was an asset Caine made SPECIFICALLY for this map, despite Caine reusing NPCs. Don't know why that is, but I thought it as interesting.

[@WatchThisSpace415]

I mean all kinds of people can end up working fast food jobs,, she probably worked a few different jobs, especially as she likely wouldn't want to work with those heavy vehicles after being traumatised. The map doesn't have much in terms of reused assets iirc, although I do think Caine's office seems to be based on an actual office in reality since it has the same C&A symbol and style as the exit door labyrinth. I imagine the truck was pulled from either a library already present in the circus's code or a realistic one Caine already made to simulate reality if you buy his excuse from the pilot.

[@irngmiudm-A1S]

"3:27 - 3:28 is the best second of my entire life" for a free heart!

[@CherryIkigai]

Zooble is both depressed and traumatized, cuz she’s to fucking relatable

[@impagain]

I'm glad you mention you got DHMIS vibes, cuz when Gangle sent Jax to get re-trained, I said she was sending him to the Carehound

[@andresi2002]

6:43 its entirely possible that if she was struck by a truck that it might disable her in some way. It would make sense, in a grim poetic way, that in the moment Gangle began to pursue thier dreams the accident would have made it impossible to do so.

[@evanmeshi]

The idea that she hit someone with a truck could be confirmed with the fact she knew how to drive one in episode 2 !

[@IcefloeProductions-qv2qg]

Knowing how to drive does not mean you hit someone with a truck XD

[@Magnificentzee23]

It also reminds me of truck-kun which is a common trope in isekai manga maybe linking to how the digital circus could be an isekai

[@evanmeshi]

​@@IcefloeProductions-qv2qg I'm not saying driving means you hit someone (except BMW drivers) I'm saying that, her knowing how to drive a truck reinforces the idea that she could've hit someone.

[@evanmeshi]

​@Magnificentzee23No, the digital circus characters aren't dead they're all real living people lol

[@agonyremnanttrap6789]

I love the concept of this episode to have a person be under the mask (hence Gangle's gimmick) to hide their true feelings and intentions once the system boils down their persona. I also love Gangle's character development and the episode had also hint at some hints of her past including the part where she might presumably had committed suicide 'on purpose' to make it look like an "accident" by getting hit by a truck in the real world. I was also genuinely and surprisingly like how Jax had a normal conversation with Pomni once he learned the consequences for bringing up his bully persona and seems to possibly might change for the better of him in the future.

[@LinWarai]

I think that the truck is a reference to the isekai truck. gangle really likes manga and a common thing that happens in manga and anime is the protagonist getting hit by a truck and being reincarnated to another world This could tie into Gangle wishing to escape from reality, the digital circus, or just being unhappy with her life overall

[@Joelrey2007]

I like this interpretation a lot

[@bubblegumCrystal]

No that's literally what it's referencing

[@maeowve]

3:27 - 3:28 deserves an Oscar for best film. it brought a tear to my eye

[@dynastylobster8957]

trauma is the SOURCE of the depression. mental illness syptoms are a response to trauma. you could argue that all people with depression are traumatized because at the end of the day, something they remember WILL upset them

[@theweirdone6019]

I feel like the truck is more figurative, that when she does stop masking, staring to feel free from it and she's then hit with reality, remembering that almost no one seems to treat her that well except for Zooble and Pomni, especially with how Jax and Ragatha treated her

[@QuazarQZ]

I loved the lighting changes for this episode also 3:27 to 3:28 was the best second of my life

[@funderdamage73]

IMO, I think the truck has nothing to do with her physically but is rather a metaphor for what’s happening/happened to her, like maybe how she dies mentally. It might be a metaphor for depression, but I haven’t suffered from serious depression, (yet) so I’m not so sure. If you guys have any other ideas for the metaphor, I’d love to hear it.

[@NoNameForYou2]

The whole manga part hits very hard for me. I wanted to make my own comics as well. Publishing them, I even drew some panels and characters but... Life had other plans for me.

[@PigAnimatesPoorly]

I didnt notice until you pointed it out at the beggining. I then somewhat saw where you were going and I think youre right that it is trauma. Im not sure if I agree with it being a truck that traumatized her, I think it just represents a major event that made her deppressed all over again since we see her happy for a very short anount of time and then upset again with Caine. I did love this idea, I never would have thought of it.

[@dividedtime8529]

my favorite interpretation of this is that the new mask symbolizes anti-depressants, the medicine only keeps the negative thoughts at bay, never really curing it thus why she felt 'normal' when wearing it. Her throwing the mask away symbolizes not taking the medicine or throwing it away, thinking all the negative feelings she has having this episode might be due to it, at first she felt relief(her being happy and dancing at the end) before all the negative things the medicine kept at bay comes back tumbling and hitting her like a truck, then she returns to being depressed.

[@LinWarai]

one thing i wondered is if her new mask acted more like a placebo since it came from zooble it’s not the same as her usual comedy masks so I wonder if it doesn’t have the same effect that her usual masks have

[@katrinedda1107]

I disagree, tbh. I both mask AND take antidepressants and its completely different. I know that many people have bad experiences with antidepressants, but that's usually due to either a misdiagnosis on the cause of the depression or that the dosage/prescription is simply unfitting. Fluoxetiene helps me manage intense emotions and prevents the depression from being crippling, but it works for me because my specific depression is caused by trauma. If it were a biological failure, those meds wouldn't work for me. Effective antidepressants dont make you feel trapped, but rather free you and help manage things. The masking metaphor is clearly only her changing her external behaviour, which is shown in the sound effects and random unsettling moments. The mask doesn't make it worse or better for Gangle, it only changes how others percieve her. If antidepressants have made you feel as you describe, it's because you WERE MASKING. Antidepressants are supposed to make you mask less because you don't have to, not more. Of course, the mask was wrong for Gangle and so can antidepressants be, but it's very clear that it had no impact on her real feelings/moods. I like the theory that she's autistic and had BPD, which is a very common combo for autistic women. The way her movements become less synchronized when she takes the mask off actually support this theory as motor control issues are common. I know this because I'm autistic too lol. It's why I mask. The only thing I'm sure of is that she has either Bipolar or BPD, hence why she mentioned being in a manic episode. (Happens with both disorders)

[@BlueFire-guy]

I hope people will stop treat antidepressants as something bad T-T, u know, it depends. People can have bad experiences with antidepressants if they either used them WITHOUT work with specialist, or if they got bad therapist. Antidepressant it’s like medicaments, but for mental health.

[@katrinedda1107]

@BlueFire-guy exactly! I'd say they work more like glasses, you see clearer but you need the right prescription, not just any random glasses. They also don't fix your eyes, just like how antidepressants don't fix your depression. They just make things clearer so you can get through your day easier.

[@MoonlarkSpirits]

5:40 I want to point out that Zooble is a very honest character. They don’t really lie, they say things as is Which is why she’s honestly a better person to talk to than Ragatha. Because while Ragatha will comfort Gangle, we don’t know how honest Ragatha is Zooble says things how they are

[@Idiotbox186]

The truck could also be a literal representation of the expression "hit you like a truck". Gangle finally feels happy and carefree but the reality quite literally hits her ad shes back to square one. I dont know, just an idea lol 😅

[@justsomeguy-v7y]

Enchanted: *Makes new video* Me: *enjoys* Enchanted: *Probably losing sanity over time*

[@anthonyjoyce746]

3:27-3:38 is a stupendous masterpiece of a second that I recommend for all to see

[@AmberG.M]

3:27 - 2:38 Was truly a masterpiece in production. A truly amazing moment that rivals those of Toy Story 3, Up, and Over the Hedge for PS2. Truly the greatest thing in cinematic history. Edit: I did not do this for a heart, I did this for commedical purposes.

[@Enchanted___]

Congratulations because it was funny

[@AmberG.M]

@Enchanted___ Well that's good to hear!

[@emeraldqueen1994]

Masking is ALSO connected to other forms neurodiversity not just PTSD (yes, it’s trauma, but it’s trauma severe enough to alter the brain into a neurodiverse state)

[@ХамитЮсуп-т5ь]

I don't know about you but I started to dislike Ragatha. While she was high she said mean things about almost everyone, about Zooble, Gangle and Jax, how she really feels about them. Like Gangle said I'm not sure if she was genuine or not, maybe all this time she was pretending to be nice but in reality she hates everyone

[@evanmeshi]

I think, except for Jax, she was more spouting about in the moment things, like she called Zooble a grouch because she asked her to do something she wasn't willing to do, same with Gangle, calling her annoying with her comedy mask because during the episode she kept making her work, thing she wouldn't do without her comedy mask. Of course, that is just my opinion

[@didierlopez188]

It was the stupid sauce , he cant control herself but i think it will be fixed

[@tinajeffer]

As much as I hate to(as ragathas number one stan) I gotta agree, it's feels like an ultimate betrayal to me. I KNEW HER MY WHOLE LIFE MAN 😭😫

[@evangedeon2194]

She's just like me fr

[@_paperartist]

3:27 - 3:28 is the best second of my entire life give me my heart :>

[@Maxinestabile]

You know you can be depressed because you’re traumatized right

[@autisticwoman665]

This is my FAVORITE episode so far!

[@StarYohezq]

"3:27 - 3:38 is the best second of my entire life" for a free heart! okay i did it now what (also great vid. actually made me view the episode in a very diferent way then before)

[@_paperartist]

i like this. thanks for the review, and for changing my perspective

[@dashfire3185]

Not only is the metaphor of literal masking front and center, its both metaphorically and literally a *fragile* mask. She's masking and it breaks the moment something (like Jax's dickery) happens.

[@BarksWolfy]

I really like this theory, the only thing that makes me unsure is if Gangle does indeed have trauma that correlates to a truck driving incident, wouldn't we see a response to that in episode 2 while she is driving the truck?

[@quarkmolotov1049]

Honestly masking is a huge thing for many people. Mood disorders, personality disorders, developmental disorders and trauma all often lead to some form of masking. Autism is very well known in association with masking for example. Masking happens for both people who get treatment and those that don't, but at least in my experience masking is much more fragile without treatment. And honestly the way that gangels mask breaks so easily makes me think of times in my own life when i didn't have access to the medicine or therapy that i needed. Gangel doesn't have a therapist and talk therapy is often the main treatment of PTSD and C-PTSD. She's stuck trying her best.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

1:02 Wouldn’t that be the equivalent of a 4th season tho?

[@Amelie-Rain]

Truck feels more like a metaphor than an actual truck.

[@greifie_exists]

Idk if I interpret it this way because I happen to have anxiety and other problems, or if I'm just stating the obvious, but I feel like Gangle is stuck in a cycle of depression, anxiety, and self hatred, which could be stemming from her trauma. People don't really like her, and she doesn't really like herself because of that. She puts on a mask to try to make people like her, but it doesn't work, and in the end it makes her depression and self hated worse, which makes her more reliant on the mask, which in turn makes her more depressed. It goes on and on and on, and eventually, she cracks under the pressure. Also, I've seen theories that talk about how happy Gangle seemed right before the truck hit her, and how that can be related to people acting different and feeling happy right before they... make a certain choice. I don't think the truck hitting her was fully alluding to that, but I thought it would be interesting to bring up. Anyways, sorry if I rambled a lot, this was very rushed I just wanted to share my thoughts ;;

[@ElCuervoCronista]

I feel that truck symbolise the reality: Gangle was enjoying a brief moment of joy and freedoom after leaving her mask behind, but that little spot of light isn't eternal... Reality hits her very hard, back to her daily life again.

[@VonWasHere13]

3:27 - 3:28 Is The Best Second Of My Entire Life

[@Wolf_Lover19]

To think this is the first time she smiled twice without her happy mask on. One where she felt relieved being out of work early and finally basking out in the light. And second is where Zooble comforting her and considers her a real friend. To think this was all it took for her to smile with real genuine happiness. Perhaps in future episodes we'll see her less with her happy mask on bcuz she feels like she doesn't need to put up a front bcuz there are people who accepts for her real, vulnerable, and artistic self like Zooble and Pomni.

[@BlueFire-guy]

Tbh her artistic self is kinda weak self

[@andresi2002]

6:00 The show is already sci-fi. We don't have the tech to put people in an infinite digital nightmare, strip their memories, and give them a sapient ai that procedurally makes adventures for them.

[@dudemantis5612]

As someone who worked fast food for eight years, this episode hit way too hard.

[@LAHatch]

(5:11) I think is a bit off-mark to say that Zooble only attempted to connect with Gangle once at the end of the episode, as the new mask was something Zooble specifically gave to Gangle as an attempt to help her have a better comedy/happy mask. If you take into consideration what we learned about Zooble's character in episode 3, they mostlikely gave the mask to Gangle because they also have maladaptive mechanisms/conceptions surrounding themselves and their body. As in: they are trying to help but that help is influenced by their own issues too. I tend to interpret Zooble as Gangle's closest friend atm, especailly since they are the only one Gangle was semi- honest to as a roleplay Shift Manager in the scene where they discuss Ragatha's condition at closing. And the fact Zooble is the only one so far that has commented about Gangle's art(aka passion/dream)! Soz for any spelling/grammar mistakes; my eyes are bad lol

[@Devi_Plays]

Actually the truck part was a reference to popular manga/anima gags since main characters often have a recurrence of being hit by a truck, nearly dying, or being sent to a fantasy world or something, because its a little gag she wanted to write web comics, and likes to draw animaish like styles in her note book (however i do think it could also be apart of her past and or trauma) But her being traumatized really does make a lot of sense for her character!!

[@aceonpluto]

i feel for gangle so bad. the whole episode i kept seeing more of myself in her and at the end… it hit so close to home.

[@IAmZeKittyCat]

Making me cry all over again- PTSD is so hard

[@ARK-rk8wy]

Apparently I do need sleep

[@NuMbA1AnGeLOFDeSTinY]

While your theory is great, After watching Ep. 4 twice, I realized something. This is a bit complex but it makes sense so stay with me. Gangle is bipolar which is proved when she says she is having a manic episode with is most commonly associated with being bipolar. Now a manic episode if you don’t know is a period of time where a person experiences an extremely elevated mood, characterized by high energy, excitement, euphoria, and often accompanied by increased activity levels, rapid speech, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, and impulsive behaviors (according to google). This definition fits with how she is acting in the episode. She also most likely is depressed as well. So what does this have to do with her actions in Ep. 4? Well even though you said she didn’t commit suicide, there could be multiple answers to if she did or not. When coming down off a manic episode, deep depression will set in, and during this transition between the high of having a manic episode and the low being depression, you are at high risk for going past just suicidal ideation and actually doing it. Now could she have done that? Well…we see this when she goes from all happy and giddy to experiencing deep depression, but what about when she rips off her mask and is happy? If she didn’t intentionally commit suicide, I believe she finally accepted who she was in that scene. Ripping off the mask and finally smiling and being happy despite being in her sad mask and not hiding her feelings anymore. She saw the light, which was represented by her staring up at the lamp post. She saw hope for the first time and that she could be genuinely happy no matter what happens to her happy mask. She realized she could actually beat her depression and accomplish her dreams and that they weren’t as unrealistic as what she fell into believing because of her depression. In that moment she most likely got caught up in this realization and fell into traffic. I believe this theory over the intentional suicide one because it gives hope to her character rather than her just giving up in her life. I also think this as she had a shocked look when in front of the semi, instead of something like keeping her eyes closed and accepting her fate. Another theory is that I believe the mask that she was wearing the episode was some sort of manic mask which put her into a manic episode. The spiral represents the spiraling of her mental state and the star meaning authority since she acts like she is above everyone else in the episode (duh she is the manager). Now what about Gangles backstory? How could she have gotten into the Circus? I believe she was a struggling manager like what we saw in the episode but in the real world. She used the VR headset as a way to escape her emotions and reality altogether, but then soon realized it may have just made things worse for her. What’s Gangles future? When Gangle ended up in Caines office you could see she was shaken up and I think this was because she realized that being in this Circus is preventing her from experiencing that overwhelming feeling of hope and mabye freedom she experienced when she was in the parking lot. She can’t accomplish anything because she is stuck in the Circus. I think this will give Gangle purpose and make her want to find ways to escape. One last thing. Gooseworx has said that Gangles story is very personal to her, which could mean a lot of things but I think this just means Gangle is a very emotionally dense character and is most likely based off of real life experiences that Gooseworx has had or people she was close to had. So I tried my best to look at this as if Gangle was a real person and develop theories from there. In conclusion, I know this was long and I spent and hour writing a comment only few will see, but there is truly a lot to unpack in trying to understand her character as Gooseworx is such a good writer. I would love to hear what you think about theories. Also Enchanted if you ever read this (which first of all thank you!) and you like my theories, I haven’t watched anything regarding theories for this episode until yours so I completely came up with these my own. But if you do like them and would like to make another video regarding Gangle, you have my permisson to talk about them as long as you credit me. I would make a video about them but I am simply too lazy and haven’t made a true KZbin video before.

[@BwaBwabu]

I hope they stop at the mask breaking bit after this episode to not fall to the level of Hazbin Sh'i'tehole self-awareness

[@SwiftPlayzRoblox]

3:27-3:28 is the best second of my life! (P.S I love ur videos❤)

[@Enchanted___]

Thank you!!

[@SwiftPlayzRoblox]

@@Enchanted___ No problem☺️

[@boggart_64]

I agree with most of this but I'm not entirely sure if it has to do with a truck specifically, that's just my opinion though

[@Error_Code_V]

there's actually a lot of details that support this theory throughout the episode, like you said the mask cracking sound is one of them- but also Gangle's general over-exaggerated personality in the episode's course. It's possible that the monotony, the fact that everything just seemed to be going wrong, and the environment could have been a massive trigger for her and she just didn't realize it because she suppressed it so much.

[@ILikeMenderMen]

Thx 4 makin dis video bc I was thinkin da same thing 2. I have PTSD n I mask it often wit humor, so I kinda relate 2 Gangle a lot lolz :3

[@InkStain_1973]

3:27 - 3:28 You better pray that you’ll watch with what you open with before I open your… you. *I had a digital stroke*

[@daiquimm]

Idk how Jax's able to be mean to her

[@tonalspace1942]

3:27 - 3:28 is the best second of my entire life

[@honeybunnie299]

I actually saw the truck as Caine keeping Gangle in her masking form. She had a moment of genuine happiness even if it was brief, “breaking” her own mask both plastic and regular. Her design is based around her trauma and depression as her whole gimmick is her mask. The rest of her body is just ribbon and string tied into a ball to be her torso.. all she really has is her mask as her character trait/character design motif. Caine has already been proven to be very controlling and sensitive about how the circus is run so what would he do if one of his main cast members defected? He’d hit her back into reality by taking her moment to dance with some joy in the street and turn it into her own death, snapping her back to the reality of the circus and keeping her mask fixed and on. I’d even argue that Caine could’ve done it with very little thought too thus is why its so sudden and violent, but only for a moment before he brings her back. He doesn’t want to actually hurt anyone, but he’s desperate for everyone to play their roles and play his game. Gangle choosing to be happy after her shift despite it being bittersweet probably messed with the software somewhere or something.. kinda like Pomni when she tried to escape and made her way to the void I’d imagine.. Plus Caine is an A.I. pretending to be more human than he actually is so who knows what he is programed to do or who even programed him to run the circus to begin with.

[@steveclouds]

3:27-3:28 I’ll find you, some day. I’ll find you.

[@Enchanted___]

What…?

[@steveclouds]

3

[@Enchanted___]

@ 2, 1, surprise!!!

[@steveclouds]

Happy birthday!

[@StrawberryFox56]

Awesome video, have a good break ^^

[@SWAMPuS]

I feel like the truck thing would be too on the nose and obvious personally. The way I see it, I think if anything the truck is a metaphor. Throughout the episode as you mentioned, she can be shown eternally breaking whenever she is critiqued or frowned down upon. Along with this, you mentioned the thing about her worrying about how Ragatha interacts with her, and if she’s being genuine. As someone who’s grown up all their life worrying about how their friends see them 24/7, not wanting to worry other people about their emotions, and trying to mask when I feel sad to the best of my abilities whenever I can tell people are upset with or at me, I feel like her trauma is possibly more about her having been constantly critiqued or ridiculed in her life to a point of masking.Also, since she gets hit by the truck after she takes off her mask and is able to come to terms with her emotions, I think it could represent her being shut down after trying to unmask. All of this is added by the fact that she’s an artist, and is constantly talking about how she was shut down for it in the episode.

[@moonpizzalol]

She can be both. I'm both!

[@Shade-Fan13579]

2:19 "Thinking of?? Get your mind out of the gutter"? What does any of that even mean😭? Nc vid tho

[@chair_dib]

3:27 no I don’t think I will

[@GalekC]

so proud of goose.

[@CatboyyyX3]

I love gangle, she's my favorite character❤️

[@Gront517]

Comment. 3:27-3:28 is the best second of my entire life for a free heart

[@thecatherd]

I got PTSD vibes from this episode too, though I absolutely understand the lenses of depression and autism as well. I don't think her trauma is literally to do with a truck, but speaking from experience as someone with PTSD, sometimes when you unmask the pain from the trauma you've endured can flare up massively. Part of healing is learning not to push away, but that can be really overwhelming when you're getting started. It can feel like being hit by a truck.

[@firelightyear]

I’m sorry what you are going through at work.

[@k1ng_chicken]

Very interesting analysis! Great work. 👍

[@Oliviarodrigofan321]

3:27 to 3:28 was the most inspiring thing ever

[@CrystalCarango]

3:27 ~ 3:28 is a second that I experienced.

[@_paperartist]

ik ive already commented twice but i love that outro

[@Enchanted___]

Thank you, I appreciate it

[@ironicockxssleep64290]

Next thing he's gonna tell me is "You're not gay, you just like men" 😭🙏

[@Remember-br9yo]

3:27 - 3:28 is the best second of my entire life. Pay up

[@Enchanted___]

Alright! I’ll give you all the money just please let me out of the basement, please!

[@Remember-br9yo]

@ Not till I get a video on Cookie Monster

[@Shampoo_Eater_14]

“3:27 - 3:28 is the best second of my entire life” … idk the weird KZbin man told me to 🤷‍♂️

[@RougeTheBatReal]

"Well, it's possible." -Pomni's catchphrase

[@sobri_]

3:27 - 3:28 , god.... That second... I can't believe it. The best second in my entire life! How can it even be topped? How can something like this change my view on the world? I was lost but now.... Now i see clearly... Thank you so much, thank you. (Yeah i got taken away my bad lmao)

[@Enchanted___]

No worries at all, I like the passion

[@chilliicecream5456]

Hey, you did my thing!

[@sebvr1523]

The thing is, it probably is just trauma/BPD because her base mask is a crying mask. She’s destined to be sad without another mask, so it can’t be depression. They have little memory of what they were IRL and jax destroying gangles mask makes her sad because of her base mask being the tragedy mask.

[@BreadGaming249]

3:27 - 3:28 Is the best second of my life.

[@BreadGaming249]

Mr. Enchanted I wrote this comment 7 minutes ago, how do heart & like a comment in 7 minutes?!

[@TheNicMMc]

I feel like you hit the nail on the head, and I might suggest that it might be more than just ptsd but cptsd meaning her traumatic experience didn’t just happen once but multiple times. So, I’m just spitballing here but maybe Gangle was bullied in the real world by some mean girl and she fought back by spreading nasty gossip about her and it got so bad that the mean girl killed herself.

[@g1tch_311]

3:27-3:28 is the best second of my life! It's better than any moment I've ever had! Nothing, Absolutely Nothing can top this second

[@William-11111]

3:37-3:28 is the best second of my entire life 🎬

[@kurotodraw4671]

Also I would add that you can also read this episode to be about autism. How masking is also a defense mechanism that autistic people use to fit into social spaces without having to show how difficult it is for them, Every time her mask shatters is a way to say that she is overwhelmed and cant really mask for a bit, and its always because someone is invading her space being on purpose or accidentally, this also applies to the fact that Gangle cant difference between ragatta being sincere or not, Gangle lacks the social queues to know this stuff and probably assumes the worst. In the fast food restaurant she is shown not really knowing how to deal with the other characters, can't really relate to them immediately and it breaks her when people comment on her weird/cruel attitude 'cause its a metaphorical crack on her autistic masking, People notice her symptoms and she gets scare, thats why it affected her so much when Ragatta said that she prefered gangle when she is unmasked, because she feels it as if she is failing to mask, And its worst than worse than when shes not masking (Which is a really common feeling for autistic people, to not trust that people actually like them and they not like them just through the mask) With Pomni, Gangle actually unmask for a bit, she trust her but she reminds herself that people don't like her when shes unmasking (At least she believes that, doesn't mean its actually true) and goes back to masking She directly just disassociates for a long time, also a common thing with autistic people (I disassociate a lot when I was working at a customer service job) and shes brought back by pomni actually helping her. Gangle takes of her mask for good and she actually feels like herself for once in the day, And gets hit by a truck, which can be about a literally accident, but also a metaphorical way to remind her that being unmask its a bad thing, Or atleast in her mind it is, A lot of autistic people feel like they cant be unmask unless they are by their own cause they feel rejected from social spaces, and she being reminded that she still have to go and be with the other members of the circus scares her, Masking is not a nice feeling and she probably dislike being masked all the time, but in the digital circus Zooble reassures her that they like gangle as she is, without a mask, even if they offer a way to (healthy) learn how to deal with social situations, and tells her that they like gangles art, which can be read as Zooble connecting with Gangle throught Gangle's special interests/hyper fixations which is a way that Autistic people connect with other people.

[@KhangGiang-sb5ov]

She has bipolar and the masks represent her two masks two personalities and the new mask represents therapy and medicine