The Decision- TAZ Animatic

Hey sorry that this is the messiest thing I've ever done and that it's 3 months late, but the TAZ finale hit hard and I needed to make something for it.
The Adventure Zone (C) Maximum Fun and the McElroys
Art (C) nutellarella (me)

[@thevgm5478]

The fact that the person narrating this amazing story is the same person who ate a banana with the peel still on amazes me

[@taakotuesdays]

that fact will haunt me for the rest of my life

[@lashieldmaiden]

The VGM We should take this as confidence that anyone can have layers.

[@ZacharyStiles]

Thanks dude I was about to cry but you saved me with laughter instaed 😂 Wait, no.. just doing both now

[@sassacake9692]

The fact that I also did that about a year after he did so and then suddenly I felt the need to make a dnd campaign

[@mephostopheles3752]

@@sassacake9692 The “Banana Vore” to “Dungeon Master” pipeline is very real lmao

[@lillieampurra]

*through tears* the adventure zone..... is a comedy.... podcast....

[@biddodiggo2176]

Well... They did it one.. Last.. Time

[@doesthatsoundright3430]

@@biddodiggo2176 magnus rushes in

[@screamingmadvoid]

This has the same energy as “the Magnus Archives is a horror podcast”

[@trixie7759]

Was a horror podcast 😔

[@killdyouback]

There's just something so goddamn powerful to me about people choosing to die for someone else, not somberly, but with a wink and a grin.

[@ceilingeye]

killdyouback and ya know, thats exactly the way I wanna go. Dying for the ones I love, not with a frown, but a laugh

[@screamintothevoid5336]

Y'all weired. I wanna die of old age or a freak accident...

[@jimidanaan2213]

@@screamintothevoid5336 Why not die for the ones you love when you're 80?

[@screamintothevoid5336]

@@jimidanaan2213 cus that's boring. I want my death to be a murder mystery even though the mystery is just that I died and wanted it to be a mustery

[@PikaPenny17]

@@screamintothevoid5336 Make sure to specify in the will that you're pretty sure one of the people hearing the reading is the murderer, but you dont know which one.

[@grandtheftgalaxies]

I just realized for the first time after watching this that when they hear Istus say "you're going to be amazing," it's through the rift after she returns to the temple - meaning it's the same instance of that line they heard back in Refuge. It was only ever spoken once. This podcast just keeps fucking me up.

[@nadiac.2981]

ok lmao 2 years later and you just blew my FUCKING mind

[@K1ngEDiaz]

I've listened to Balance 3 times now, only just had this realization today when I found this video again

[@k.whatever9046]

i watched this animatic ages ago and only listened to and finished the podcast today but i gotta tell u that when i got to the 11th hour arc and istus said that i somehow miraculously remembered ur comment even tho it made no sense to me without context until it finally clicked and ever since then id been waiting for her to appear again and when she did in the last episode i KNEW what was going to happen and broke out in goosebumps when i heard those words again

[@MsDianagentaToYou]

WOW!

[@sammarino7357]

@@K1ngEDiaz it’s been years but I’m gonna try to do it again the entire time we’re listening to Magnus tell his wife about this adventure when he meets her again at the end of the series

[@suchliketoast9613]

Magnus finally got his high five from Istus and it didn't kill him

[@miss-jerk175]

Griffin didn't have to go so hard but I'm glad he did

[@rolosito]

Your absolutely got-damn right

[@raisedbybears1991]

Is it just me or does Griffin start choking up when he says "You're going to be amazing"?

[@cscotch1127]

Otis Murdoch to be fair, I'd straight up start bawling if I were in his position. It's just so much in the best of ways

[@daniquehoeijmans7371]

They prettt much cried through the entire finale

[@BlizzardofDreams]

So many amazing lines in this “It’s not even a decision for Magnus” “Who would fail to heal him, if he needed to be healed?” And of course, “You’re going to be amazing” I looove this scene so much!

[@thestranger954]

"I'm good to hang."

[@ClaireJamesLadybug]

i freakin love it when taako's like, "i think they got it."

[@BinTtown]

Taako's fine out here.

[@AnUnfortunatePotato]

Taako’s fine in here!*

[@nathaningram347]

Okay... Is it just me or does the "You're Going To Be Amazing" line just kill you on the inside or what? Damn thee tear ducts, stop flowing!

[@bennyhana97]

Try not to lie the part that really hits me is realizing that it's Istus telling the boys in Eleventh Hour what she sees from the Finale. that's so powerful to me idk

[@killdyouback]

Hell, it crushed me the first time she said it, and I didn't even have context then.

[@raisedbybears1991]

Listen to Griffin's voice when he says it. It kills him, too

[@scifikoala]

I somehow missed that detail the first time hearing it. Damn, I'm glad I caught it now

[@elithezombieguy8872]

For me it’s always meant a lot because someone could tell you “I think you’re gonna do great” or “There’s great things ahead of you”, and that’s all fine and good. This line, however, is from someone who has looked into your future, and is telling you that they *know* that everything is going to be okay. You’re going to go through hell to get there, but one thing is certain: it’s going to be worth it, and you’re going to be amazing. I don’t know, there’s always just been something comforting about that idea to me.

[@elenaj6283]

Do you ever just ... Cry. Because of Lucretia and how much the boys love her and were totally willing to sacrifice everything for her. That's why the Hunger could never ever win. Because love is too strong and too much for it to overcome.

[@eggbloom7943]

In the end... _love is the greatest relic_

[@cartoonking1895]

They were right when they guessed it all those episodes ago. :’)

[@BinTtown]

@@cartoonking1895 Love was the answer all along! :P

[@cartoonking1895]

@@BinTtown hooray for love :3

[@mothmanofficaltm8397]

@@eggbloom7943 oh my god, I just had a flashback to when taako was being all sarcastic and said "is the 8th relic love? Is it friendship?" It feels so much like foreshadowing

[@fraida_gp]

Taako is so good he changes his hairstyle in the middle if the apocalypse while jumping around through divine-made portals

[@entropy-em]

Инна Баженова HECK YOURE RIGHT, THE LENGTH CHANGES

[@Ajehy]

Transmutation wizard, y’all

[@ellispipermusic]

that line of 'you're going to be amazing' gives me serious chills every time i hear it - i wonder just how much their mom plays into the writing here.

[@bobbluered8984]

Oh shit, I didn't even think about that. Now my heart hurts even more.

[@taakotuesdays]

Magnus was a self insert for travis and Julia was essentially their mom. "I tried to make you proud" was travis talking to his mother.

[@CaribouGirlMeat]

Wait what happened to their mother? Is she dead?

[@taakotuesdays]

@@CaribouGirlMeat she passed away from cancer when they were young, travis was 21 I think, and in the TTAZZ after balance they admit that her influence was big, especially in the "choose joy" speech

[@CaribouGirlMeat]

@@taakotuesdays oh jesus fuck that is horrible? Thank you for explaining though!

[@ThePinkPartyHat]

_(Casually pastes two tiny _*_CAUTION, WET FLOOR_*_ signs under eyes)_

[@wayverleesoulsong]

The moment Griffin said “We see her gasp as the three of you charge past her” That’s when shit actually went down

[@alexanderroberts9373]

The one that gets me the most is Merle’s. I have no idea why, but “he reads a passage from the extreme teen bible” makes me tear up

[@cscotch1127]

Merle casts Zone of Truth. It's super effective!

[@Taurus11films]

The fact that the last thing my great grandmother said to me before passing away was, "You're going to be amazing" just fucking kills me inside when I hear Griffin say it.

[@captainmoonmilk8307]

"You're going to be amazing" Me:*uncontrollable sobbing*

[@JuliaxTimlin]

“We see Lucretia scream in protest” I WEEP And I see videos like this and just WEEP EVEN MORE at how excited I am for this to become an animated series.

[@willafowler5530]

this scene makes me feel like i'm being ripped in half, and not for the obvious reasons. it is, partially, because it's... this, but it's also because i can't decide whether to be cackling or sobbing. this decision got built up as something that they'd spend hours on, if not at least fifteen minutes. and yet, it's one of the fastest decisions they've ever made as a group. that always makes me laugh. but at the same time, just... ah. i don't know how to explain it. the line "and then, light" always gets the tears falling and i can't put my finger on why. griffin mcelroy is a man of so much talent and it just all comes down in those three words like an elbow to the chest. knocks the wind out of me every time.

[@DirtyCrimeBoy]

Imagine for a moment how it must have felt to be Lucretia. To watch your family for the past 100 years sacrifice themselves for her. For a plan she doesn’t even know is full proof or not. Seeing as one by one they charge headlong into the hunger unafraid to die for her, their family. Lucretia has made mistakes. Lost many who were dear to her and even inadvertently killed a few. She carries that weight well in the series. This scene alone shows the total compassion and love for the three idiots we’ve grown to love just as she has. To watch them sacrifice themselves must have been the hardest thing for Lucretia. For her to see their confident smiles and hardened eyes as they stared their own deaths head on must have torn her apart. Lucretia is not perfect. I will never say she is, because she makes as many if not more mistakes than our protagonists. She’s human and that’s why I love her. Not despite her mistakes. It’s because she learned from them.

[@MsDianagentaToYou]

In that one arc with the Judges she *did* lose them. Everyone. She had to do it all alone when that.... wasn't her comfy place. I think that seriously f'ed her up, making her subsequent decision with Fisher and everything that followed make perfect sense.

[@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123]

​@@MsDianagentaToYou oh absolutely. That one cycle absolutely fucked her up

[@lovelyraincoat475]

i'm crying for the hundredth time oh my goodness this is fantastic. the song playing, anticipating the "you're going to be amazing" absolutely destroyed me. this art is so so so good oh my goodness all of their smiles make my heart ache

[@-alexanderhosch-4828]

lovelyraincoat I'm wondering what the song is tho lol

[@evilstar2000]

this is some goddamn GOOD ASS lip-syncing 0:42

[@thinmintthemonkey2435]

melonsarepeopletoo Ikr!

[@queensalmon4905]

Dude I could hear Griffin start choking up and that's when I started bawling god dude he did so well!!! I'm so proud of my boys!!!!! 😭😭💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@karabirb]

Idk why to the day, but “you’re going to be amazing” never fails to make me tear up. Something about the sincerity of it just hits me somewhere deep

[@icepaw2006]

69 nice edit: i didnt watch the video and im still on episode 28 but. nice edit: i finished balance. what a fool i was

[@squidias]

Can I just say that the facial expressions you drew when they're all like "Sure, fuck it, why now" are just the absolute best thing. They give me so much joy! You really caught their personalities with literally all their expressions, and this whole thing was so beautiful and perfect and just! Thank you so much for making it and sharing it!

[@katyamsden7624]

I feel like that line of 'you're going to be amazing' will give me serious chills every time i hear it - beautiful storytelling!

[@wiccans4618]

Still believe that TAZ is one of the best stories every told in d&d

[@connorjinglis]

"And then..... light" is so simple, but it conveys so much

[@12345natcat]

The adventure zone man... Its just so good, how is it that i was and still am so moved and in love with this story? Im excited what they have in store next

[@hazendir]

this scene was fucking epic, when the music picks up i start crying literally every time. not because it's sad, but because it's so fucking powerful and epic and the perfect end to this campaign

[@SweetlilAngel]

fudging CRINKLE TINKLES MY GOSH! The eye at the end was a nice touch right there kudos to you! It was so lovingly done im in awe! NICE!

[@Soladat]

my heart always breaks at the way griffin says "youre going to be amazing"

[@explolsivecake2045]

Griffin has -vored a banana -vored many amiibos -created Jaa’m -made the Griffin and Space Jam jingle/website -‘THINK DOGS SHOULD VOTE’ And yet, the sheer emotion in this seen makes me tear up

[@grimsage5809]

I don't think there'll ever be a time that the day of Story and Song does not make me cry the best tears. Great job on this.

[@mickeymc1531]

i still cant get over this story, and griffin's story telling, no matter how much i listen to TAZ i will always get tears and shivers and i will always want to scream in victory but i wont cause my family is in the other room.

[@anevenbluerjay]

"You're going to be amazing" as Lucretia's theme starts playing in the background kills me every time

[@noxsas7030]

Years later, and somehow... Balance is still the season that hits the hardest. Each arch had its own "oh shit" moments, and touching parts. Amnesty and Dust are great examples. But Balance... it was every mini arch, every mini climax, all to me CRYING constantly the last episode.... bro.

[@elliotht2017]

I Can't Believe I'm Crying Again (yes i can this is so dope wtf)

[@TheUncommonVideo]

"the story of 3 nerds who played D&D so hard they made themselves cry" Me too

[@HilariouslyScary]

HOLY SHIT THIS IS AMAZING!!! I got so many chills!!!

[@lovelyraincoat475]

2:14 to 2:20 those SMILES oh my gosh

[@artcfertc12]

I'm tingling I'm not even to this part yet They only just introduced Garyl

[@cscotch1127]

ArtC FertC be careful, here there be MAJOR spoilers

[@starfools6170]

sO THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN THE EP MEANS SO SO MUCH TO ME,,,, I ADORE THE WAY YOU ILLUSTRATED IT AND THE TIME YOU PUT IN TO MAKE THIS ,,,,, THANK YOU

[@stupidfangirl1969]

I hope my game can become this amazing and story filled. I'm hosting my first game and have so much planned for these characters and I'm just so excited.

[@malks2500]

Just remember to love your world, even if your players don't. You have to believe in your creations :)

[@stupidfangirl1969]

Yeah, i'm trying to be like that. Like my friends are kinda like them in the beginning, like not taking it seriously. So like whenever something dramatic happens i make sure to keep my dramatic voice and keep going, instead of laughing as they crack jokes.

[@MrNickDemos]

My wife is an adjunct professor/middle school teacher who often looks for the job with the best pay vs quality of life for our family. Since this episode she's probably had half a dozen interviews. Every time, I tell her "You're going to be amazing." She doesn't know the reference. Tomorrow she's interviewing to teach at the high school where our daughter will attend the year after next. I just told her she's going to be amazing again. I like to think of it as a blessing.

[@Clockwork427]

What happens when an entire planet is granted bardic inspiration

[@cinnabarlab]

EMMIE IM NUTTING HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT CINEMATOGRAPHY AND ART AND EVERYTHING ACK

[@entropy-em]

- cinnabarlab - AAAAAA FUCK OFF

[@MoonKori]

And that's why I got the words of Istus tattoed in my wrist. "You're going to be amazing." just hit me so hard.

[@Dersingoki]

She was turning around, about to be taken by the hunger, about to die, and then her friends sacrificing themselves to save her made her snap and save everyone. She wouldn't have even thought to do that had she not have wanted to do everything in her power to save them

[@nathanrilee8129]

this scene always ... without fail, makes me cry like a baby

[@nathanrilee8129]

this is absolutely amazing

[@mhmmkay]

Hearing the words "You're going to be amazing" I cant stress this enough I actually burst into tears I dont even know what happened in me bro

[@_The_Dumbass_]

they were taking it seriously but by the end they just said "fuck it" in their own ways for the last time

[@fluckadrift]

Geez, this is great. It's so visually dynamic, there's such a sense of motion and energy and excitement, and then that final shot is a really well-chosen idea.

[@hank9112]

Most bad ass moment I have ever heard or seen

[@luciacampillo426]

"you're going to be amazing" gave me literal chills

[@Watsonmakesandpaints]

I got chills! Love your stlye

[@kedandunn]

i headcannon that (though I love Taako's faithful steed) he turned into the T-rex here again instead

[@lanedaoust2632]

I started sobbing when griffin said “you’re going to be amazing” it gets me every single time

[@pinkjaguar12]

catch me crying a year after this aired cuz of this beautiful animatic

[@TigerEye147]

This is so incredibly dynamic and beautifully storyboarded, on top of your art and character designs being top-notch. You really did this scene justice, thank you!

[@milkcappy]

This is why I'm crying in the club rn

[@Romanticoutlaw]

I still tear up every time I hear this moment

[@DoctorX17]

TAZ is so beautiful and powerful, and adding visuals makes it even more so. Good job.

[@erica9443]

God, this moment, with that music... it never fails to make me cry

[@friakula4763]

THIS GAVE ME CHILLS HOLY SHIT YOU'RE SUCH AN AMAZING ARTIST 😍😍😍

[@giveluminacat10nobles21]

I love that you gave Magnus black nails.

[@datamancy138]

i've always wanted to see an animatic of this scene and now i'm crying thanks

[@mellabees]

this is absolutely breathtaking

[@theopreston8507]

fuckin gives me chills all these years later. thank you

[@That_Ozian]

And then... light.

[@SpecialInterestShow]

Lucretia is such a good character

[@gemiinous7020]

that was absolutely breathtaking

[@mothmanofficaltm8397]

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH RELIEF I'VE FELT WHEN KLARG WAS HERE. I just watched an animatic before this one where it was like, the scene before this and I didn't see klarg in it and I was so scared he died or something.

[@GHDEFIANT]

And that's how you make a grown man cry. Beautiful work.

[@logicaleman1122]

This scene always gives me chills. It's so fucking great.

[@geethenerd]

the action in your drawings is just wonderful

[@crimsonfox2008]

How it is that this only has under 1000 likes? This shit is amazing, you have a gift.

[@jisuahn6552]

this scene has always been good, but man, this animatic just lends a whole nother power... i think i just developed another tear duct

[@ghosthorse1687]

The part where THB charge into the Hunger is so beautifully drawn I actually started tearing up a bit. This is so good!

[@kingskeltal5228]

i listen to this every time i want to cry and it always works without fail

[@spicemoss]

I LOVE THE WAY YOU DRAW THEM OMFG

[@fionapeterson-quinn885]

Chills

[@benrogers9082]

AU where the Hunger was actually the Ceaseless Watcher from the Magnus Archives, and John from TAZ was actually Jonathan Simms

[@sarahgent2674]

I love it but I also hate it

[@benrogers9082]

@@sarahgent2674 don't get people like you often enough, those what love and hate my ideas

[@fel-fisk2541]

this was such a heckin good scene and more than did it justice- such a dynamic animatic!!! ;; im sobbing ;v; !!

[@danniwalls9606]

What music is used for this Edit: it’s “Lucretia”

[@entropy-em]

Dani Walls I’m not sure what the song title/s are, but it’s all made by Griffin McElroy! You can find his TAZ music on bandcamp and a couple other places.

[@smartcookie4369]

I wish I could heart stuff on this platform a beautiful animation for a beautiful scene. ❤❤❤

[@fudgecake4633]

The art is so brilliant!! God this is great.

[@Kaynighthood]

Just absolutely stunning thank you for your hard work

[@Fishfinder08cox]

Heck, I think you're just the best! Thanks for these fabulous animatics and all the feels that go along with them!

[@lolacool98]

This is absolutely beautiful, stellar job

[@luckypeach39]

So much time and love must have been put into this

[@AnomGamerGirlPOTATO]

Yo, this is really amazing and beautiful. I love it, thank you. I have been blessed.

[@kathham9342]

these transitions are brilliant, i love it

[@frankie2498]

this is definitely one of my favorite monologues from taz

[@rostrider588]

this style and griffin's words are so poetic together holy smokes

[@Selunabun]

Gods, I'm tearing up watching this animation, brilliant job capturing this amazing moment. Just everything everyone has work for came together in this epic moment

[@originalcorgi2916]

I'VE BEEN WAITING SOMEONE TO ANIMATE THIS SCENE!!! You did amazing. THANK YOU!

[@Riolu91]

I cried so hard at this part, so so hard. Thank you for this.

[@faunina669]

GOD THIS IS SO AMAZING im not crying youre crying WHEN WILL I EVER KNOW TEARY HAPPINESS SUCH AS THIS AGAIN