In the manga, after the eclipse, and the Dead Moon Circus arrives, things in the general public seem normal, with exception of this new circus that arrives in town. Other than a tiger being released, the public seems to be ignorant of the dangers of this new enemy (with the DMC's focus on attacking the Sailor Senshi rather than the people directly).
But as trash is piling in the streets, people fail to notice Lemures lurking in the waste; the tent performances are so enthralling, they don't see exits vanish; and it is not until the circus tent is destroyed, where the real danger is revealed: the eclipse never ended and the Dark Moon was looming over Earth the entire time, corrupting the planet, while the public remained ignorant.