Also (my friends and I disagree on this) I kind of like how Taako stopped the dramatic countdown to call everyone out for not treating it with the drama it deserved, before immediately snapping back to anger? I think it's a very Taako thing to do, if that makes sense.
I listened to the whole balance arc again recently and that is the only time anyone interrupted the narrative. They interrupted him and crosstalked but he still got to finish the narrative and get his point across. But that is the only time where they interrupted him and he accepted it. Griffin understood how angry and passionate he was about his character, same with Magnus, and just continued AND MADE THE MOST POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SCENE IN THE ENTIRE PODCAST.
I always interpreted it as "I know /you/ aren't, Angus. But I know who is." Like that was the exact moment it finally clicked and he realized that Lup was still present, and in the Umbrastaff.
What I really really like about this part is it feels like Griffin is basically saying, "YOU GET IT RIGHT? YOU GET WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M GOING TO USE THIS NPC TO REALLY MAKE SURE YOU GET IT BY REPEATING HOW MUCH HE DEFINITELY CAN NOT DO THAT HIGH LEVEL EVOCATION SPELL!" Because as a DM leaving those breadcrumbs and having your players not pick up what you're putting down is the wooooorrsttt. So this is equal parts Ango and Taako and Griffin and Justin having this 'you get it, right?' conversation. And it works both ways so nicely and I love that. It's just good D&D.
Especially since the build up was so moving and powerful, hearing her story-how she struggled, how she overcame her difficulties, how smart she was, and how much she loved her brother. Right at the climax of that, Griffin throws in a joke. It's so great, and so funny.
I think I saw this animatic before I even listened to the podcast. Even without any context at all, the line made me snort. Its probably one of the things that sold me on finally listening to The Adventure Zone.
DON'T WATCH THESE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT. Seriously don't spoil it. It's so good. Although the damage is already done. The emotional weight of this scene is lost on you if you haven't listened to it. Like, I legit cried.
@@shacharavni6523 Eh TAZ is a much better Story. And Griffin is a much better Story writer and teller at least in my opinion. Mercer while great is more the perfect DM. Theres a diffrence in my Opinion and while Griffin isnt really a great DM in a sense of rules and DND in genereal he is a Unbelivible good stroyteller
Why does there have to be a best? Why do you HAVE to pick one? I've been a long time critical role fan and I adore Matt Mercer. I don't know anything about TAZ save for a frew trailers and animatics ive watched after watching this scene because it was in my reccomended. sure I spoiled myself, but it was really cool. Griffin seems like a wonderful storyteller and I am fascinated by these characters. My question is why pick at all? Our culture is obsessed with ratings and top lists and 'the best' it's silly IMO. Both seem wonderful in their own right, why not just appreciate both and leave it at that.
Favourite moments in this: Taako saying "You took **everything** from me!" and Lup's intangible form desperately clinging to her brother from behind. That fucked me up real hard.
Two years too late to this but I listened to Balance over the course of about a year and it's so easy to forget details like this but when someone points them out to me it just blows me away. this show is just so good
Seven minutes of me losing my goddamn mind over how good this is, from top to bottom, just pure gold. The details like the Rockseeker blood door, the fact that Lup's skeleton was clutching the Umbra staff close and Taako didn't realize it was an umbrella until it was in his possession. And those expressions, tho? Those elven expressions of pain and anger and sorrow and every emotion possible just made me love this scene with my eyes as much as I did with my ears.
Justin and Clint both rolled arcana checks to identify the umbra staff, and failed miserably, leaving them both clueless about a Lup that Griffin hadn't even thought of yet, the dice themselves supporting the storyline with pure chance. A crit 20 on that roll would have revealed static and forced a lot of questions to be considered.
@@julianacantu3402 There's also a moment in Crystal Kingdom where lich-Barry realizes what the staff Taako is using is and he realizes that they had found Lup's body after a decade of his own fruitless searching for her tirelessly, alone and isolated from his friends, in case you're already not crying about this bc i am
@@Pengwertle Im currently relistening to it and hearing all the clues i didnt the first time through and god, that scene completely flew by me the first time but it hit so hard this time around.
I’d also just like to note how much of a genius Griffin is for having Disrobed be the Barry AND the Lup reveal. Because they’re both red robes/liches, and both were the center of the biggest mystery of the series. Lup being the trigger to Lucretia’s actions, and Barry’s death leading to him pushing Magnus, Merle, and Taako towards the truth
I remember being so proud of Justin for truly becoming a part of the story when he says "I know, " to Angus. I literally had to sit down just to collect myself. What a powerful moment. ;')
JUST WHEN I THINK I HAVE A FAVORITE TAZ ANIMATIC THIS ONE COMES OUT OF NO WHERE AND DECKS THAT ONE SQUARE IN THE FACE. Your artstyle, your expressions, your attention to detail (like Syrus using the rock seeker blood to open the vault door and the multiple handprints of previous openings) and your interpretations of the characters and the way u draw those glorious elf ears, and the way you interpret Lup seeing Taako for the first time, from a spectral outside perspective. I got shivers. And even the way you draw Lup's lich form!!!! Everything about this is so beautifully crafted and you can see the care taken on it radiate off. Just aaaaa I love this so much and bless u
This was the animatic that got me into The Adventure Zone podcast. I never heard about it till I saw this pop up in my recommendations around a year ago (since I’ll watch any kind of animatic I can get my hands on) and I was so interested in whatever was going on in this but it took me till two weeks ago from today to actually give the podcast a shot. That was honestly a good idea, since this one was a m a j o r spoiler for the whole story arc and that amount of time between watching this and listening to TAZ would’ve made this surprise a lot less interesting. But watching this again, right after finishing the Story and Song portion, I’m so glad that this was the video that got me into a podcast that I would’ve n e v e r tried if it weren’t for this animatic. Thank you.
yo i fucking love the way you represent lup as having like... this kind of presence in the real world and **especially** how she's phasing through taako
God, The way Lup grips onto Taako once he gets the Umbra staff just breaks my heart. This was so well done, I love your art of these beautiful magical twins
It’s been years since this animation was made but I saw it when it was initially uploaded having no idea what TAZ was, and now I’ve finally gone and listened to it and remembered this animation and wow suddenly it all hits home and it’s also weird to remember when I knew nothing and only liked the art. So thank you for that experience.
everytime I hear lup's story I'm brought to tears. I've never loved a character so much, and no matter what media I consume in the future, she's always going to be so so dear to me ;o;
Even after years of taz ending i need to come back and let some of the emotions wake up in me. I remmember too well my heart beating hard while Griffin described all the scenes and still does after all this years.
I’ve revisited this animatic so many times over the years and to this day it never fails to inspire and move me. Your portrayal of expressions and body language are incredible, and I absolutely adore your take on the characters. Thank you for this incredible work and for inspiring me time and time again; creative and passion-driven projects like this one not only help to keep the source material’s community alive, but motivate young artists to pick up a pencil and create unique and creative projects of their own. All the best!
YO, I SHOWED THIS TO MY MATES AND WE WERE SCREAMING AT HOW GOOD THIS IS LIKE SUBTLE EXPRESSIONS??? DAMN THATS GOOD! GREAT STYLE?? EVEN BETTER!! AND MCFREAKING AMAZING EVERYTHING?!?!?!!!! THIS IS SOMETHING I ASPIRE TO BE AS GOOD AS, LIKE THIS IS GOALS TBH, THIS IS SO GOOD AND MY MATES AND I LOVE IT AND THROUGH THIS I'VE DRAGGED THEM INTO TAZ SO THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING CONTENT!!!!!!!!!
What I love about this moment is just the thought that Lup came out of the Umbra-staff and suddenly was one of the greatest magical forces on the planet short of actual gods. She spent what I can only assume was years in the staff growing her already considerable power to the point she could affect the outside world in significant ways. It was basically a Dragonball-Z style gravity chamber.
No matter how old this is, I will say this gives me shivers. The audio alone makes me tear up but your art is beautiful and makes it just amazing. Thank you for something so wonderful.
finished my third relisten of balance months ago but this popped up on my yt homepage and am instantly dissolved in tears, god I love these good good boys
never gonna get over that wonderful frame right at 4:31 when all she wants to do is touch him aaaaaah! my favourite rendering of this scene, thank you!
This made me cry almost immediately. Taako and Lup's expressions are incredible in this. Such a wonderful visualization of the narrative. Thanks for sharing!
i have been putting off watching this specific animatic because i knew it would be ridiculously good and very emotional and i finally watched it and,, it was,,,,, it was really emotional. i adore your depictions of all of the characters, the emotion, the body language, gosh everything about this is gorgeous. aaaagh
hey seven years later i have not stopped thinking about your animatic. i've been through completing high school, 3 jobs, a movie, and getting married while SHE RISES remains a core memory. i don't follow the mcelroys anymore, but i remember this- the most wonderful interpretation of one of the most impactful story beats i've ever experienced. when all is dust i will live on as a single atom sitting in the quantum superposition of "i was human once" and "YOU'RE DATING THE GRIM REAPER?"
okay can we talk about how taako interrupted _god??_ both griffin and justin did so well in this part. griffin gave justin a sister because of his older brother nature and took that sister away because he knew how to provoke a reaction. and then justin, his character’s rage seeping into his own, interrupts the world. the broken sound of taakos voice and the pure desperation and sorrow and anger is such a beautiful thing. i love this podcast with all my heart
The best part about this scene to me is I’m really good at picking up foreshadowing clues and guessing what the twists are before they ever happen but this? With Lup? I legit only got it like 5 minutes before Taako snaps the umbrastaff and that? That is one of the bests twists I’d ever heard in my opinion.
K so everyone here is talking about Lup's design and her expressions n stuff (which I'm crazy about too) but NO ONE is talking about the very opening scene with Taako and Lucrecia. Now HER facial expressions and design are absolutely spectacular. And the dynamic camera angles and shifting focus during the whole scene? Muah, absolutely stellar 👌👌👌👌👌
god i love this,, i love your character designs ESPECIALLY MAGS YOU MAKE HIM LOOK SO SOFT!! and also i love love the elf ears!! and lups hair!! and how expressive you can draw aaa!!!!
I know there's already a comment for it, but I wanted to say it myself, not only is your art style just 👌👌👌 so fucking fantastic, im honestly on the verge of tears seeing you drawing Lup not cis. Like, seeing trans girls not looking 100% feminine means so fucking much to me and it's amazing to see someone going with a more androgynous view of elves and just. Thank you so much, your art only made these powerful moments more intense and amazing
Holy shit! I just found the adventure zone 4 years late and fell in love, decided (since I usually don't mind spoilers) to look at beautiful animations of funny scenes. But I should not have watched this one. The episode I stopped in the middle of listening to this morning (5) they literally just walked into the chamber i now know contains Lup's body, and are about to pick up that staff. This is fucking beautiful and I can't wait to listen more and reach this epic story
My favorite moment in TAZ, and the best TAZ animation I've ever found. I also love the implication that Edward would have been released from the Umbrella too, except Lup *completely obliterated him.* There is *nothing* left to release.
This was my first introduction to Taz, it's fair to say I was very lost, but after finishing it I'll still come back to this because it's my favorite animatic. Great job!
any time i'm feelin' like a piece of garbage, i just come watch this, cos it is literally the best thing on the entire internet and every time i watch it i cry, die, then come back to life. thank you for creating this absolutely wonderful work or art amen
i love the way you draw facial expressions and your designs for all the characters and im a huuuuuge fan of the way you do elf ears i love this animatic so so much
Gah I don't usually pick favorites with TAZ character designs but if I did your taako and lup would be one of them aaaaaaaaaH!!! I LOVE THESE EXPRESSIONS AND BODY LANGUAGES AND FLOW AND OOF.
I was crying, okay,I was crying (I still am while I write this, but that's beside the point) and then she said: "You are dating the Grim Reaper??" and I just laughed and started crying even harder and now I'm confused and emotional and I love Lup so much. I've been waiting to watch this video, and I LOVE the way you drew everyone, it's so beautiful and awesome, their expresions and the way they move and it's so beautiful, I can't.
It was originally supposed to be short for Chaalupa, but Griffin saw that the fans liked to draw the twins as Latinx and felt the name could be racially insensitive, so he made it canonically Lup, short for nothing.
This is explained in the final The the adventure zone zone for the balance arc. If you havent listened to it I definitely recommend it. There's some goofs and just interesting answers to logistic and story questions but beyond it really shows how serious, committed, professional and invested they all were in this process. They are huge irreverent goofballs who spend half their time making dick jokes and pop cultural references but damn it they are talented and hardworking and trully care about their art and audience and that's why i love them.
So I just realized that when this is made into a show, these types of scenes are going to be planned and made to be as impactful and emotional as possible. I’m going to cry during this show so much.
No matter how many times I listen to this scene I always get chills and am just filled with some indescribable emotion. Griffin is a m a s t e r storyteller and I sincerely hope he writes a book someday
just fuck me up fam this is godly, and I loved every second and her barely restrained smile when she told Edward she was going to kill him was amazing you are amazing
Your animatic is fantastic! I have rewatched this many times, and everytime I am completely captured by your art of Lup and Taako. Your animatic was in my recommendations one day, and is why I listened to the adventure zone. I love how you synchronized the change in frames and griffin saying you see time freeze, as well as lup saying I am going to kill you know with the blank screen. Making the smoke red near the end with everything remaining black is incredible. Thank you for making this, your video has made me happy in ways I can't express.
I'm never going to be over the fact that the first thing Lup does after getting out of the umbrastaff is kinkshame her brother
I'm so sorry I ruined the 69 likes but this was too good
Kinkshaming.. is her kink
@@7upvids it's okay I got it to 666
I think she was more impressed like “BRO U PULLED THE GRIM REAPER YOOOOOOO” but tbh it’s probably both 😩
@@phitthawatinthavong8401 *Screams*
I will always love how Clint says "Attaboy!" He really is my internet dad.
Justin Kalman I will always love Clint’s laugh when he realizes Barry’s back
@@vickielavigne2696 Clint is the hype man of this story, I love him.
This is the perfect comment
My favorite thing about this moment is that Clint understood what was happening WAY before I did.
@@Sifeus Clint understood. Merle is still figuring it out!
Griffin: she's just kinda. Staring you d-
Taako: ten
I dont think I can get over how taako INTERRUPTED THE NARRATIVE with his anger
Also (my friends and I disagree on this) I kind of like how Taako stopped the dramatic countdown to call everyone out for not treating it with the drama it deserved, before immediately snapping back to anger? I think it's a very Taako thing to do, if that makes sense.
@@Ray-hk1zm oh yea it's a very taako thing to do
@@Ray-hk1zm In that moment Justin had to choose to play it either:
1) Angry
2) Funny
3) Taako
And he went with Taako
I listened to the whole balance arc again recently and that is the only time anyone interrupted the narrative. They interrupted him and crosstalked but he still got to finish the narrative and get his point across. But that is the only time where they interrupted him and he accepted it. Griffin understood how angry and passionate he was about his character, same with Magnus, and just continued AND MADE THE MOST POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SCENE IN THE ENTIRE PODCAST.
Boy Detective: "I'm not strong enough to cast that spell!"
Taako: "I know."
oof savage line from Taako here
Did- did you forget Ango’s knee?
I always interpreted it as "I know /you/ aren't, Angus. But I know who is."
Like that was the exact moment it finally clicked and he realized that Lup was still present, and in the Umbrastaff.
Maggie Schubert
Ooh that’s nice
He still best boy tough. He will glo up well.
What I really really like about this part is it feels like Griffin is basically saying, "YOU GET IT RIGHT? YOU GET WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M GOING TO USE THIS NPC TO REALLY MAKE SURE YOU GET IT BY REPEATING HOW MUCH HE DEFINITELY CAN NOT DO THAT HIGH LEVEL EVOCATION SPELL!" Because as a DM leaving those breadcrumbs and having your players not pick up what you're putting down is the wooooorrsttt. So this is equal parts Ango and Taako and Griffin and Justin having this 'you get it, right?' conversation. And it works both ways so nicely and I love that. It's just good D&D.
I sort of love how you can actually hear Griffin smile at about 6:55 on the words "your sister's"
Oh God Lup trying to hug her brother is... it's murder. You've killed me. You're going to jail.
Griffin: *makes a beautifully crafted story"
Also griffin: *vores a banana*
I apologize for not likeing this comment buuuuuut, if you look at the like count you can see exactly why
the duality of man
He can do both. He’s multi-faceted.
YOURE DATING THE GRIM REAPER??!
Rosebud
That is still my favorite quote. Lup is my fave
Possibly my favorite comedic beat in all of TAZ.
WHAT???!?!
I die at that part
Taako's intense look of pain when he yells "You fucking took everything from me" tho +Italian chef motion+ *mwah*
"YOU'RE DATING THE GRIM REAPER?!" is probably my favorite line in the show.
She just says it in such a sitcom style way that it can't not be funny
Legendary
I want to like this but it’s at 666 and I don’t wanna ruin it
Especially since the build up was so moving and powerful, hearing her story-how she struggled, how she overcame her difficulties, how smart she was, and how much she loved her brother. Right at the climax of that, Griffin throws in a joke. It's so great, and so funny.
I think I saw this animatic before I even listened to the podcast. Even without any context at all, the line made me snort. Its probably one of the things that sold me on finally listening to The Adventure Zone.
(moving heartwrenching backstory and exposition) "YOU'RE DATING THE GRIM REAPER?
This is SO good, the bit where Lup is trying to grab Taako and her arms are just passing through him...my heart!!!!!
We all agree Griffin is objectively the best storyteller in the world, right?
Yeah. I havnt even seen adventure zone yet.
I would disagree. As much as I love him and his storytelling. I think Mercer does claim the spot of best storyteller.
DON'T WATCH THESE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
Seriously don't spoil it. It's so good. Although the damage is already done. The emotional weight of this scene is lost on you if you haven't listened to it. Like, I legit cried.
@@shacharavni6523 Eh TAZ is a much better Story. And Griffin is a much better Story writer and teller at least in my opinion. Mercer while great is more the perfect DM. Theres a diffrence in my Opinion and while Griffin isnt really a great DM in a sense of rules and DND in genereal he is a Unbelivible good stroyteller
Why does there have to be a best? Why do you HAVE to pick one? I've been a long time critical role fan and I adore Matt Mercer. I don't know anything about TAZ save for a frew trailers and animatics ive watched after watching this scene because it was in my reccomended. sure I spoiled myself, but it was really cool. Griffin seems like a wonderful storyteller and I am fascinated by these characters. My question is why pick at all? Our culture is obsessed with ratings and top lists and 'the best' it's silly IMO. Both seem wonderful in their own right, why not just appreciate both and leave it at that.
Favourite moments in this: Taako saying "You took **everything** from me!" and Lup's intangible form desperately clinging to her brother from behind. That fucked me up real hard.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS PERFECT. TAAKO'S OUTFIT & DESIGN HAS ME f U C K E D U P PPP P P P P P P P
Guys, I just realized something
The skeleton Taako took the umbrella from was Lup’s
Taako saw his own sister’s skeleton
Guess I’m crying again
No offense but you *just* figured that out? It was a red robed skeleton, holding the one of a kind weapon made specifically by Lup.
@@kazzajaxon7566 More like remembered, because at that point in the show people didnt know what Red Robes REALLY symbolized.
Also they do mention that "he found her" referencing the skeleton
Two years too late to this but I listened to Balance over the course of about a year and it's so easy to forget details like this but when someone points them out to me it just blows me away. this show is just so good
lup's magical girl transformation is soo good
Seven minutes of me losing my goddamn mind over how good this is, from top to bottom, just pure gold. The details like the Rockseeker blood door, the fact that Lup's skeleton was clutching the Umbra staff close and Taako didn't realize it was an umbrella until it was in his possession. And those expressions, tho? Those elven expressions of pain and anger and sorrow and every emotion possible just made me love this scene with my eyes as much as I did with my ears.
Justin and Clint both rolled arcana checks to identify the umbra staff, and failed miserably, leaving them both clueless about a Lup that Griffin hadn't even thought of yet, the dice themselves supporting the storyline with pure chance.
A crit 20 on that roll would have revealed static and forced a lot of questions to be considered.
HEY THANKS FOR MAKING ME REALIZE THAT THAT WAS LUPS SKELETON THAT WAS A GOOD NUGGET OF INFO TO THINK ABOUT
@@julianacantu3402 There's also a moment in Crystal Kingdom where lich-Barry realizes what the staff Taako is using is and he realizes that they had found Lup's body after a decade of his own fruitless searching for her tirelessly, alone and isolated from his friends, in case you're already not crying about this bc i am
@@Pengwertle Im currently relistening to it and hearing all the clues i didnt the first time through and god, that scene completely flew by me the first time but it hit so hard this time around.
i s2g i think about the phrase 'phantasmal and resplendant' every day
I freaking love this! Especially her expression on "I'm gonna fucking kill you now". Such a great mix of glee and rage.
I’d also just like to note how much of a genius Griffin is for having Disrobed be the Barry AND the Lup reveal. Because they’re both red robes/liches, and both were the center of the biggest mystery of the series. Lup being the trigger to Lucretia’s actions, and Barry’s death leading to him pushing Magnus, Merle, and Taako towards the truth
I remember being so proud of Justin for truly becoming a part of the story when he says "I know, " to Angus. I literally had to sit down just to collect myself. What a powerful moment. ;')
your lup is so cute? esp at the beginning when she's with cyrus rockseeker just like every face was a good one
Every time it gets me "YOUR DATING THE GRIMM REAPER!"
"...and then we see Lup."
...
instant tears
JUST WHEN I THINK I HAVE A FAVORITE TAZ ANIMATIC THIS ONE COMES OUT OF NO WHERE AND DECKS THAT ONE SQUARE IN THE FACE. Your artstyle, your expressions, your attention to detail (like Syrus using the rock seeker blood to open the vault door and the multiple handprints of previous openings) and your interpretations of the characters and the way u draw those glorious elf ears, and the way you interpret Lup seeing Taako for the first time, from a spectral outside perspective. I got shivers. And even the way you draw Lup's lich form!!!! Everything about this is so beautifully crafted and you can see the care taken on it radiate off. Just aaaaa I love this so much and bless u
elixarch15 I second all of this. This animatic is such a treasure.
This was the animatic that got me into The Adventure Zone podcast. I never heard about it till I saw this pop up in my recommendations around a year ago (since I’ll watch any kind of animatic I can get my hands on) and I was so interested in whatever was going on in this but it took me till two weeks ago from today to actually give the podcast a shot. That was honestly a good idea, since this one was a m a j o r spoiler for the whole story arc and that amount of time between watching this and listening to TAZ would’ve made this surprise a lot less interesting.
But watching this again, right after finishing the Story and Song portion, I’m so glad that this was the video that got me into a podcast that I would’ve n e v e r tried if it weren’t for this animatic.
Thank you.
TheTailor me too!!
yo i fucking love the way you represent lup as having like... this kind of presence in the real world and **especially** how she's phasing through taako
Her face when she says “I’m gonna fucking kill you know” is beautiful you really have a way with facial expressions like wow
God, The way Lup grips onto Taako once he gets the Umbra staff just breaks my heart. This was so well done, I love your art of these beautiful magical twins
It’s been years since this animation was made but I saw it when it was initially uploaded having no idea what TAZ was, and now I’ve finally gone and listened to it and remembered this animation and wow suddenly it all hits home and it’s also weird to remember when I knew nothing and only liked the art. So thank you for that experience.
Lup's expression at 6:05 is just...perfect. EVERYTHING is perfect.
I'M GAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Gay For That Phantasmal And Resplendent Undead Babe
Lup Inspires A Lesbian Revolution: The Movie
Lesbians for Lup™
I'm trans and bi and I honestly don’t know if I want to be Lup, be with Lup or both
everytime I hear lup's story I'm brought to tears. I've never loved a character so much, and no matter what media I consume in the future, she's always going to be so so dear to me ;o;
Even after years of taz ending i need to come back and let some of the emotions wake up in me. I remmember too well my heart beating hard while Griffin described all the scenes and still does after all this years.
HOLY FUCK THIS IS INCREDIBLE I'M IN TEARS
Hot diggidy shizz, that is a baller animatic you've made there!
I see what you did there and I approve. And so would Lucretia.
I’ve revisited this animatic so many times over the years and to this day it never fails to inspire and move me. Your portrayal of expressions and body language are incredible, and I absolutely adore your take on the characters. Thank you for this incredible work and for inspiring me time and time again; creative and passion-driven projects like this one not only help to keep the source material’s community alive, but motivate young artists to pick up a pencil and create unique and creative projects of their own. All the best!
YO, I SHOWED THIS TO MY MATES AND WE WERE SCREAMING AT HOW GOOD THIS IS LIKE SUBTLE EXPRESSIONS??? DAMN THATS GOOD! GREAT STYLE?? EVEN BETTER!! AND MCFREAKING AMAZING EVERYTHING?!?!?!!!! THIS IS SOMETHING I ASPIRE TO BE AS GOOD AS, LIKE THIS IS GOALS TBH, THIS IS SO GOOD AND MY MATES AND I LOVE IT AND THROUGH THIS I'VE DRAGGED THEM INTO TAZ SO THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING CONTENT!!!!!!!!!
i think about this animatic like once a month. every time i think about taz balance this plays in my head. you’re a fuckin genius dude
I would die for lup
What I love about this moment is just the thought that Lup came out of the Umbra-staff and suddenly was one of the greatest magical forces on the planet short of actual gods. She spent what I can only assume was years in the staff growing her already considerable power to the point she could affect the outside world in significant ways. It was basically a Dragonball-Z style gravity chamber.
No matter how old this is, I will say this gives me shivers. The audio alone makes me tear up but your art is beautiful and makes it just amazing. Thank you for something so wonderful.
what everyone else said but also shout out to lup's magical girl lich transformation
IM LOSING MY FUCKING MIND IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS AND IT'S HERE YESSSS IT'S INCREDIBLE YOU'RE INCREDIBLE YAAAAAASSSS
finished my third relisten of balance months ago but this popped up on my yt homepage and am instantly dissolved in tears, god I love these good good boys
Two years later and this vid still has me lost in the sauce and sobbing
never gonna get over that wonderful frame right at 4:31 when all she wants to do is touch him aaaaaah! my favourite rendering of this scene, thank you!
4:33 I STARTED CRYING HERE 😭 oh my god this is stunning
Jobs and states and years past since I first watched this, and it’s still as good as ever
this was so goo, lup's design was great and the part where she threatened edwards was perfect! I laughed so hard
This made me cry almost immediately. Taako and Lup's expressions are incredible in this. Such a wonderful visualization of the narrative. Thanks for sharing!
i have been putting off watching this specific animatic because i knew it would be ridiculously good and very emotional and i finally watched it and,, it was,,,,, it was really emotional. i adore your depictions of all of the characters, the emotion, the body language, gosh everything about this is gorgeous. aaaagh
hey seven years later i have not stopped thinking about your animatic. i've been through completing high school, 3 jobs, a movie, and getting married while SHE RISES remains a core memory. i don't follow the mcelroys anymore, but i remember this- the most wonderful interpretation of one of the most impactful story beats i've ever experienced. when all is dust i will live on as a single atom sitting in the quantum superposition of "i was human once" and "YOU'RE DATING THE GRIM REAPER?"
holy shit i love lup's face at 6:02 ... she's so badass and intimidating and *Incredible*
okay can we talk about how taako interrupted _god??_ both griffin and justin did so well in this part. griffin gave justin a sister because of his older brother nature and took that sister away because he knew how to provoke a reaction. and then justin, his character’s rage seeping into his own, interrupts the world. the broken sound of taakos voice and the pure desperation and sorrow and anger is such a beautiful thing. i love this podcast with all my heart
The best part about this scene to me is I’m really good at picking up foreshadowing clues and guessing what the twists are before they ever happen but this? With Lup? I legit only got it like 5 minutes before Taako snaps the umbrastaff and that? That is one of the bests twists I’d ever heard in my opinion.
K so everyone here is talking about Lup's design and her expressions n stuff (which I'm crazy about too) but NO ONE is talking about the very opening scene with Taako and Lucrecia. Now HER facial expressions and design are absolutely spectacular. And the dynamic camera angles and shifting focus during the whole scene? Muah, absolutely stellar 👌👌👌👌👌
EXACTLY LIKE - TAAKOS FACE?? AND LUCRETIA LOOKS SO SCARED LIKE GODS YEAH SAME HERE DUDE
HURLEY AT 4:49 HHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IM NOT STRAIGHT AT ALL
THIS ANIMATIC IN GENERAL IS FANTASTIC IM SORRY I JUST HAD TO STOP AND TAKE A MOMENT WHEN I SAW HURLEY AND I FELT I SHOULD MENTION THAT
god i love this,, i love your character designs ESPECIALLY MAGS YOU MAKE HIM LOOK SO SOFT!! and also i love love the elf ears!! and lups hair!! and how expressive you can draw aaa!!!!
I know there's already a comment for it, but I wanted to say it myself, not only is your art style just 👌👌👌 so fucking fantastic, im honestly on the verge of tears seeing you drawing Lup not cis. Like, seeing trans girls not looking 100% feminine means so fucking much to me and it's amazing to see someone going with a more androgynous view of elves and just. Thank you so much, your art only made these powerful moments more intense and amazing
She's canonically not cis so I would hope she looks like it?
Its insane that griffin had this whole story thought out that early into the podcast.
What I would give to listen to Balance for the first time again. I love this animation!
Holy shit! I just found the adventure zone 4 years late and fell in love, decided (since I usually don't mind spoilers) to look at beautiful animations of funny scenes. But I should not have watched this one. The episode I stopped in the middle of listening to this morning (5) they literally just walked into the chamber i now know contains Lup's body, and are about to pick up that staff. This is fucking beautiful and I can't wait to listen more and reach this epic story
JeanaKalvaris I totally feel you, I’m kinda doing the same thing here. 😬😅 It’s just so hard to resist!
AHHHH MY QUEEN RETURNS! Easily my favorite rendition of Lup and Taako.
I'm amazed at how years be past and toss scene still gets me all watery eyed
4:27-4:33 THAT'S FINE I DIDN'T NEED MY HEART TO LIVE
4:30 i started cryingggggggg
5:15
Lup summoning her Stand, [T A A K O]
THE 7 FUCKING MINUTES OF BUILD UP FOR *_"YOU'RE DATING THE GRIM REAPER?!?!?!"_*
My favorite moment in TAZ, and the best TAZ animation I've ever found. I also love the implication that Edward would have been released from the Umbrella too, except Lup *completely obliterated him.* There is *nothing* left to release.
Welp… this is the first time I’ve heard of taz and I’ve probably just been massively spoiled but this is amazing and I have to listen to this!
This was my first introduction to Taz, it's fair to say I was very lost, but after finishing it I'll still come back to this because it's my favorite animatic. Great job!
This was so incredibly good ahh your art style is my favorite! The way you draw lup is so good thank you for creating and you're doing amazing!!
'Phantasmal and resplendent' .... Shivers. Every time.
"Phantasmal and resplendent" gosh that's part gave me chills. Good chills, but still chills.
any time i'm feelin' like a piece of garbage, i just come watch this, cos it is literally the best thing on the entire internet and every time i watch it i cry, die, then come back to life. thank you for creating this absolutely wonderful work or art amen
i love the way you draw facial expressions and your designs for all the characters and im a huuuuuge fan of the way you do elf ears
i love this animatic so so much
this is by far the best version ive seen so far. the expressions are perfect
Gah I don't usually pick favorites with TAZ character designs but if I did your taako and lup would be one of them aaaaaaaaaH!!!
I LOVE THESE EXPRESSIONS AND BODY LANGUAGES AND FLOW AND OOF.
something about the heavy pause before “it’s like a bomb goes off in your hands” reeeally gets me in the heart
That frame of Lup's form hugging Taako is so good :')
I was crying, okay,I was crying (I still am while I write this, but that's beside the point) and then she said: "You are dating the Grim Reaper??" and I just laughed and started crying even harder and now I'm confused and emotional and I love Lup so much.
I've been waiting to watch this video, and I LOVE the way you drew everyone, it's so beautiful and awesome, their expresions and the way they move and it's so beautiful, I can't.
This is mostly unrelated but Lup is short for Chalupa, right? like it has to be.
(Chaalupa?)
HOLY SHIT I NEVER REALIZED THAT!!!
It was originally supposed to be short for Chaalupa, but Griffin saw that the fans liked to draw the twins as Latinx and felt the name could be racially insensitive, so he made it canonically Lup, short for nothing.
This is explained in the final The the adventure zone zone for the balance arc. If you havent listened to it I definitely recommend it. There's some goofs and just interesting answers to logistic and story questions but beyond it really shows how serious, committed, professional and invested they all were in this process. They are huge irreverent goofballs who spend half their time making dick jokes and pop cultural references but damn it they are talented and hardworking and trully care about their art and audience and that's why i love them.
So I just realized that when this is made into a show, these types of scenes are going to be planned and made to be as impactful and emotional as possible. I’m going to cry during this show so much.
No matter how many times I listen to this scene I always get chills and am just filled with some indescribable emotion. Griffin is a m a s t e r storyteller and I sincerely hope he writes a book someday
Its been so long since I listened to this episode, but just listening to this part again it STILL makes me cry, its such a powerful emotional part
I love how it’s the same song as The Chalice but different, it’s always been one of my favorite tracks and it fits both scenes so perfectly
this is really amazing and I love seeing this part of the twins story like this!
Christ, this still makes me cry, it’s so dumb how much I like this podcast.
[taako voice] FUCKING AMAZING!!!!
God this is just so beautiful and expressive. Seriously Taako's and Lup's emotions just floor me this is so gorgeous
Your Taako and Lup designs are so beautiful. 10/10 will watch again
AAAH THE DESIGNS THE PAIN THE EVERYTHING. i come back and rewatch this often when i wanna get emotional about taz, it’s truly incredible:)
just fuck me up fam
this is godly, and I loved every second and her barely restrained smile when she told Edward she was going to kill him was amazing you are amazing
Your animatic is fantastic! I have rewatched this many times, and everytime I am completely captured by your art of Lup and Taako. Your animatic was in my recommendations one day, and is why I listened to the adventure zone. I love how you synchronized the change in frames and griffin saying you see time freeze, as well as lup saying I am going to kill you know with the blank screen. Making the smoke red near the end with everything remaining black is incredible. Thank you for making this, your video has made me happy in ways I can't express.
YES!!! I Love Lup so much! this was so cool!!!!!!!!
"I'm gonna fucking kill you now" is such a simple yet powerful line. The way griffin delivers the line gives me chills.
I've been watching TAZ animatics since day one. This is my favorite.
I CRIED AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH