one of my all time favourite parts of the eleventh hour arc, aside from all the other parts. poor taako, i love him, but i cannot draw him consistently to save my life
warnings for cartoon blood!
this was a real labour of love and my hand is now extremely sore but it was totally worth it
if you liked it as much as i did why not buy me a coffee? or not i'll love you anyway
ko-fi.com/scottie
the background music i used was 1) joe hisaishi - you're in love, 2) the girl who leapt through time ost - shoujo no faun and 3) puella magi madoka magica ost - signum malum
"the mongoose has specialized acetylcholine receptors that make it impervious to venom"
owo OWO WHY IS THE MONGOOSE MASK SO *FUCKING* DEEP
"...It's not all Abra-ca-fuck-you and what have you! I have a beating heart! I'm multi-dimensional! I'm a fully-realized creation! FUCK!"
@@fayeburning.108 lol
also **SPOILERS** during his time in the Animal Kingdom cycle when he and Lup learned the animal language from the mongoose. i know that came way after the fact and was kind of retconned in but i love the idea that there was still an echo of a memory that Lucretia couldn’t erase.
ohh noooooo i hadn't thought of that * sweats *
Taako's backstory isn't as "dramatic" as Magnus', but honestly, the fact that those 40 deaths weren't caused by an insane governor, but a close friend (and maybe even more), and that the motive was something as simple as jealousy, honestly makes it just as horrifying.
Tristan Smith I KNOW RIGHT
It's also the fact that this was something he was good at. Taako is an amazing cook and knows what he's doing. It's unnerving and frankly terrifying to know you really, really fucked up something you've known and done forever. Better yet that it killed 40 people. It probably wrecked him tbh
its the fact that his feels more realistic
I want that "gay elf cookin" shirt.
me too
"This is the worst thing that ever happened, Taako. In your life." Hm Well I don't know about tHAT-
Gosh, thanks for the heart - I didn't say this in the comment, but I loved the animatic SO much. I am ALWAYS here for Taako angst and you dELIVERED.
It’s the worst thing that’s accessible at the time though (if my memory serves). Aka think great animation !!
I THOUGHT THE SAME THING THANK YOU
worst thing he remembers
OH NO I THOUGHT THAT STATIC BLUR WAS LIKE HIM BEING NAKED OR SOMETHING BUT ITS UFCKING LUP GOD DAMN IT I'M CRYING
>:3c
The_Ideaist oh wow thanks for the spoiler lol
I thought it was the unicorn dick
If you understand what Lup means then you're probably already far ahead enough for it to not be a spoiler
DeltaF1 naw had been spoilered by fanart 😥 but by now I am fully caught up
1:10 "There were forty..." I wish that part had been emphasized and maybe drawn out more! I know in the podcast it was just Justin answering a question. But Taako just stating the fact in that moment says so much...
yeah it hit me really hard as well, like I know it was out of character speech but I thought that split moment of genuine feeling was too much to miss out
Scottie I think it's because when Taako is more serious, he usually sounds like Justin
Leigh the fact that he remembers *exactly* how many there were.
hurts
I love how Justin incorporates the fantasy bullshit into his cooking, with the elderberries and the nightshade. It's sooo good.
Deadly Nightshade is actually a real thing.
@@johnthedork723 and so are elderberrys
those are um... both real things, bud
In the episode after she says "you can fix it all" at the end Justin just lets out this shuddering exhale and I won't lie that is what drove me over the edge, that's what made me bawl like a tiny child
hey remember when THIS was Taako’s backstory???? Member when this was the only part of Taako’s story that hurt so fucken bad
Taako was being selfish, but that was no excuse for Sazed killing 40 people. An audience consisting of men, women, teenagers, and children. I loved the reaction shots you peppered in of Taako during this flashback. The amount of time and work you put into this is incredible!
thank you so much! that's my attitude as well - while Taako was just being average amounts of petty, Sazed kicked it above and beyond anything approaching acceptable. I'm glad you liked it!!
But that's just it is that I don't think he was. He let them on and even let them down easy without telling them they were being kind of.. Well.. Annoying with the catchphrases and trying to snatch taakos show from under him. When you know fame, you know what WONT work for fame. If anyone was being selfish It was seyzed
I personally thought Taako's decision made some sense from a business standpoint. You can't just add a second guy out of nowhere to a KZhead personality, for example. I mean he was certainly petty, but I agree that he shouldn't have been a co-host.
As taako stated before: "It's why I never cook anything for the people I care about."
I just realized that Sazed sounds quite a bit like "Sazon" which is a seasoning mix that is good in tacos but isn't necessary to make a good meal and is very easy to overuse with all the salt in it. Sazed could've enhanced the show but instead led to it's destruction.
I love both of your Taako designs, and I *love* that you implied that Taako and Sazed were a lil' more than coworkers. "He was a combination of body guard, and uh...." *insert flirty interaction.* This video is chilling, brings out another level to the heartbreaking audio scene.
*replies months later just to compliment* It certainly fits with Taako. He's not really shy about being gay, and even ignoring the likelihood for a moment, that was still a much more intimate relationship than he had with his friends from the starblaster. Hell, while he didn't remember it, that was still also the first time he was without his sister. He would've been pretty vulnerable without even knowing why, and right there is the only person he has any kind of relationship with at all. Someone who already supports his entire livlihood and is always there to rely on and talk to.
Honestly, had The Chalice not shown Taako that Sazed was the one responsible for all those deaths, Taako might have been tempted to take it. But thanks to the cup he got relief. This one horrible thing he thought he was responsible for, was suddenly not his fault, and no longer his weight to carry. He was set free.
This. This part of the episode legitimately broke me. And this animation captures how I imagine how Taako felt so well.
6:10, 6:24, 6:58, I love the way Taako miserably grabs his hat, it breaks my heart?? Also this whole thing was so amazingly well made I swear I am so emotional, for real like shit I've been thinking of this all evening haha
Oh man, the music intensifying and the screen shaking more and more violently before time freezes was really something. It really put into perspective how otherwise normal the circumstances were, and yet, how much horror Taako must feel looking back on it, like remembering the moments before you got in a car accident. Real good, A+
thank you wow!! 😄
I've always found it really interesting that Griffin says Sazed "made the trains run on time" because the expression "Mussolini made the trains run on time" has- not so great connotations. I always wonder if he did that on purpose or not. If so, sly, sly boy.
Wait what connotations does that phrase hold?
Mono Chaos it originates from a piece of political propaganda for Mussolini, that the dictator was responsible for fixing up Italy’s dilapidated railroads and making the trains run faster (as a matter of fact, a lot the facts about those fixed up trains were either greatly exaggerated or just outright false), today, the expression is a rather sarcastic way of suggesting that totalitarian powers have the ability to get stuff done where others dally
THE FUCKING HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE MUSIC KILLED ME! Holy shit this animatic is good but also sad as hell. I wonder if Griffin has plans for Taako to ever encounter Sazed again.
if he does I hope Taako plays poisoned macaroon roulette with him because that would be honestly? amazing
ImWeirdAndILikeIt I doubt it
This backstory is killer. Like it literally kills me. I'm dead.
another one of forty
Too soon
RadioOppy1 41 now
Pretty lively for a dead guy.
f
I thought you were just saying that as a fact but then I noticed in the video.
Okay but the tiny detail at 2:48 of when Sazed picks Taako up, and Taako is smiling, but his ears are pointed down like he secretly hates it/is uncomfortable KILLS me. That's an amazing detail, thank you!
Love the combined chef's/wizard's hat!
AlmostSwedish a
Not only did everything that went down in the town happen, but then Taako found himself alone, abandoned by his 'friend', in his eyes, because of his mistakes. It was his worst fear being realized.
I always think about how June said “this is the most horrible thing that happened to you.” But it wasn’t. Not by far. Losing Lup was. Losing his other half. Losing the one person who had been there with him every step of the way. That was the most horrible thing.
Faithjoy2 I'd agree with this
I imagine that she wasn't able to show him that because he didn't have those memories at this point, they'd still been kept from him
There's something about the casual way Justin talks while still in character that give this the vibe of an interview, like from a documentary or something.
you could hear how somber justin sounded and my heart just broke and fell on the floor when i was listening to this episode ;-;
Thanks backstory always gets me, but the added animation made it even harder. Bravo. Taako left his bowl of onions next to me.
i like the "
I love how the entire point of this was to get takko to take the chalice but instead it helped takko realize that what had happened wasn’t entirely his fault.
I had never considered taako and sazed to be anything more than coworkers before this, but now I'm thinking about it. Someone else already pointed out that this was the first time that taako was truly alone (though he can't remember the details) so he would gravitate to the first person he was somewhat close to naturally, but like... Imagine that sazed was the first person that taako really liked in that way. Imagine him figuring out his sexuality from being around sazed (yeah he could've during the stolen century but, again, that's not really a thing in his mind at that point). He'd be filling this hole from these events with a single person, who he felt cared for him so much, and he cared for in turn. When that final episode happens, and he abandons him, imagine how heartbroken he would be. This person, the first to actually have some form of connection like that, was gone now, and he wouldn't see him again. Outside of the flashback, he responds with amazement that he didn't kill all those people, but to be fair, he's had a long time to get over what exactly this person did in leaving. Insert this into the choice of the cup itself (I always thought that taako's choice was the easiest. This would make it a little harder) and this newformed relationship with Kravitz and we have a real good headcannon right there.
Bubbles I like this headcanon!! I imagine it's very hard for Taako to form genuine bonds with people because he's absolutely certain they'll leave him again soon, and I imagine this certainly wouldn't have helped that fear
i love how griffin's default for all npcs is they/them so between him and justin, sazed basically ended up with he/they pronouns
One of my favorite things about Taako is that his reaction to finding out about what truly happened wasn't "Sazed, that lying bastard." or "... It's my fault Sazed snapped" it's "HAHAHAHAHA NO MORE DEATHS ON MY CONSCIENCE YOU BITCH OF A CUP. I'M HOME FREE. TAAKO OUT." and then just peaces. The entire scene of his flashback is so emotional but the MOMENT he's no longer liable it's like "well, like, 40 people are dead but it's not DIRECTLY my fault so you can eat shit." Seriously, if he wasn't played by one of the McElroys, there's no doubt he'd be one of the lunatic villains trying to get the Relics. Selfish bastard.
I'm hearing some Howl's Moving Castle music (or maybe I, a huge fan of the novel and the film's music too much, am just hallucinating it) and it adds to the PURE MAGIC THAT THIS ANIMATIC IS, BLESS
Wow I absolutely love this!!! I love the way you showed Taako reacting by pulling his hat over his face, sinking to the ground, trying not to watch. It just really drives home the guilt and the horror and the pain of this moment!!
khFFaddicts aww thank you!!!
This was so awesome! I love how you put a static effect on some of the memories too, the perfect touch!
That or it was a NSFW memory, I like the idea that it was both.
I am imagining something so sad right now. I think that Lucretia might have first hired Sazed for Taako. She set him up with that stagecoach after all. Now, here's the scenario, (minor cussing ahead) Lucretia wasn't at the show personally. She had a lot to do, no matter how much she wanted to be at every single one of her dear friend's performances. That is why it broke her heart to hear the news. That damn news. Famous chef Taako missing after mass homicide of forty in a nearby town. Lucretia knew that Taako wouldn't have done it. No, he is too prideful to poison someone and ruin his career on purpose, and too smart to do it on accident. There must have been something else. Something that killed those people. Then she remembered something. When Taako is one hundred percent sure of a recipe, he does not taste it when he cooks. If that is so, someone could have poisoned the food to make it seem like Taako did it. Someone like--. Oh no. Sazed. Sazed was the Stagecoach driver that she hired for her dear friend. She met him when he was down on his luck and wanted to find a long term gig. He seemed helpful, Showing Taako how to run a show on the road. Sazed himself was not good at cooking, and he himself knew that but, what if he thought he was good enough and Taako knew differently. What if he was trying to kill Taako. Lucretia was in a frantic search for months after that and a less frantic one for years later, but she could find no sign of her once dear friend. No sign until one month before he contacted Merle and Magnus, She finally found him, but it looks months after that to find a way to bring them to her, not because there wasn't a way, but because she was still blaming herself for all of their incidents, and she couldn't bring herself to see them, especially Taako, the one that she hurt by just not watching the person she chose for him herself.
"There were forty" at 1:11 is so chilling. Amazing animation, absolutely stunning and heartbreaking.
Rinnannon thank you so much, I appreciate the love!!
This was truly amazing. The viewer can tell you really spent time on it and it paid off. Congratulations on one of the best TAZ animations, in my opinion at least.
I WISH I COULD HEART REACT EVERY COMMENT
GOD THIS IS SO GOOD.... the layouts and changes in perspective?? the expressions?? the bit where Taako pulls down his hat and turns asiDE??? Just,, EVERYTHING. THIS IS SO GOOD GOOD JOB
Fun fact this is the only balance episode to not be marked as explicit.
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but I really appreciated the small statics that happen in the memory bubbles when she asks him to claim her.
Here's what cracks me up about this moment: it's supposed to be June going "here's this terrible thing from your past, I'm giving you the opportunity to fix it", but instead Taako's reaction is relief that what happened at Glamour Springs wasn't his fault. So when June gives him the choice, he straight up declines.
every time i see taako crying my heart hurts
There were forty.
what in the gotdamn. thats amazing. TEN MINUTES LONG holy heck. i love it so much thank you taako is my fave
i'd listen to "fantasy Iron Maiden" aslo those 'missing' memories and the memory bubbles, nice touch.
I really think this episode is just feel but whenever Takko talks I just start laughing because the voice they chose for him is just amazing XD.
SPOILERS!!! I really like the detail of blurring out lup in the bubbles
this is absolutely incredible! Not only the sheer scope of the whole thing but like?? Taako with short hair in the past: very good. The water coming of the chalice and the STATIC WHERE LUP WOULD BE: stunting and heartbreaking. Seyzed's design and all the different people in the town: very very good. the added little musical bits: so good!!!!! Taako's little tears when Seyzed books it: AGGHHHHH!!!!!!!! Over all this is just wonderful and incredible and thank you so much for sharing this!!!!
I hate how people always say that it was somewhat Taako's fault that this happened. I dont even think it was that selfish tbh. Sazed came on as a roadie/ groupie. Taako never promised to cohost with him. It wasn't even like he led him on by saying "maybe one day." He said no. And Sazed, instead of deciding to either accept that or leave, decided to try and kill Taako and 40 innocent people. In my opinion, taako wasn't in the wrong at all
10 seconds later taako says: "nah I'm good"
Woah, this is incredible, I'm super happy I stumbled upon this! You obviously worked really hard to make such a long and detailed animation, it's just, wonderful? All the characters are super expressive, the transitions are great, and you even went so far as to edit the audio. It's like 4 in the morning and you made me really think about Taako's emotions in that scene thanks for making me cry my dude wow
get some sleep!! (and thank you 😘😘)
"I've got all these T-shirts that already senses love with taco" "since a lit up with Paco" Oh my dog the subtitles
new spin off shows that weren't super popular but the merch sells for high prices on the Taako memorabilia circuit
omddd HAHA Forgot to mention in the last comment btw but I love the hat Taako wears during the show! It's genius
aww thank you!! it came to me in a flash of inspiration
Holy shit, this is so good. This has got to be one of the longest TAZ animations out there, if not the longest (and if not, yoooo hit me up with some links), and the art is incredibly gorgeous too with such fantastic expressions. I love that you added the censored memories too.
jesus, this is amazing. The expressions and the body language and the music, all just, perfect. I got chills!
thank you 😚🌹🌺🌼
the howl's moving castle theme in the background when taako is talking about sazed, oof, my, my heart
taako's backstory has always been the saddest, someone he cared about kill all those people and left him thinking it was his own fault
10 minutes long, holy heck. Also
WOW this is incredible. Your style and the designs of the THB, the attention to detail, the fact that you animated THE WHOLE THING (!!!) ... the story, told and animated like this, is so much more visceral than just the audio. I can't imagine how much work this must have been and I hope you're really proud of it bc it's amazing!!!
comments like this definitely make me super proud and happy thank you!!!!!
this is the longest most detailed and well-expressed animation. i love the angles, exlressions and movements. it just feels so real and perfect.
wow like; listening to this part in the podcast made me really sad, but watching this actually made me cry. well done
Spoilers for TAZ Balance: I like how Sayzed turned himself in after Story and Song. I'd like to imagine that day was always in the back of his mind similarly to how it was always in Taako's mind, and he tried so hard to repress it and then when the Voidfish's song echoed out he recognized Taako in that and accepted what he had done and taken responsibility. It obviously doesn't excuse the fact that he murdered 40 people but it's SOMETHING.
I'm a simple man. I hear Merry-Go-Round-of-Life, I like and subscribe.
I love this. And I LOVED the choice to make the chalice flow when time is frozen.
"
The moment Howl's Moving Castle started playing I knew I was screwed
the amount of times Griffin uses "they/them" pronouns for Sazed makes me happy, hahah.
Fudge Cake I noticed that too!! Yes Griffin you wonderful boy
I've noticed Griffin usually makes it a point to use they/them for characters he's not totally familiar with.
@@icantthinkofanything798 two year old comment, dude... Lmao
Griffin makes it a point to use they/them pronouns and it makes my small heart very happy. When he said something about sticking to they/them for Roswell I actually cried a bit.
Yeah, I was thinking about that! My guess is Sazed uses they/he or he/they pronouns and the inclusion is just amazing.
So amazing! Also love the detail of the static in some of his memories. And his face when Sazed left was really heart shattering. :'(
I freaking hear Merry Go Round of Life from Howls Moving Castle and it kills me.
Amazing! Loved the use of the track from Howl's Moving castle!
thank you! i tried to use stuff from my favourite animations
You have excellent taste my dude!
This might be my favorite animatic yet. Thank you for your hours upon hours of work on this incredible piece of art. Keep it up dude. I'm inspired.
The first time I listened to this arc was when I was driving from Portland OR to Newport OR and lemme tell you something. That's a hard drive to make when you're crying your eyeballs out because this backstory is just horrible and tragic. Major props for taking something so sad and giving it more gravitas.
aaahh be careful when you drive!! but thank you, I also sobbed my eyes out when I first listened too :(
Fuck me man... Ive listened to this part several times but it never got to me, with this visualisation im- I'm literally crying..
Someone probably already said this, but it's worth repeating: the whole thing is great, but the pixelated memories of Lup are such a beautiful touch.
the howls moving castle in the background was the cherry on top and i started crying
i love the howl’s moving castle background music! gives it such a nostalgic vibe :)
i love the fact you used the theme from howl's moving castle really made the moment for me
This is so amazingly well done! I love the frames shaking and Taako grabbing his hat! Genius.
Taako’s lil chef-wizard hat is so dumb and so Taako and I love it
this is SO awesome. like, unbelievable. all the little extra scenes you added while griffin explained stuff, just aaaa
thank you
i added this to my "animate this" plahylist but honestly i don't think i could have ever come up with these expressions or scenes. this is wonderful. thank you
Oh God, my poor sweet little Taako! 😭
this is brilliant! Im so glad i got to see an animatic of this! your art style is so cute! live this whole thing!
thank u omg
I thought I was ready, but then the Howl’s Moving Castle music kicked in.
the magica madoka music made it so much cooler holy shiit
this is so good!! the last show part was done perfectly, the music + the way you framed the shots + taako’s expressions leading up to the tasting and after the reveal...chilling!
oh gods, how dare you hit me with studio ghibli piano like that? im in my feelings now
i'm super late to this, but just wow! incredible storyboarding and animation. so much emotion . the final scene with the floating bubbles is the icing on top: stunning!!
I like how taako was like “THANK GOD I thought I killed someone turns out it was my best friend who killed 40 people”
I love that static you have over some of the memories in the beginning and end that hide Lup! It's such a great little detail!
the howls moving castle song was so UNNECESSARILY PAINFUL, like damn this thing is already so sad but go ahead and reallly make it burn
Gosh, I can't believe I've only just now seen this, it's gorgeous! The shaking and the music and the sudden stop of everything is just - masterful. Gave me chills and a sinking feeling in my gut all over again, gorgeous work. I love your designs as well, all the scenes feel so full of dimension. Beautiful work!
thank you!!!
Very welcome!! :D
the god dang. ghibli music really got me. i immediately felt the need to cry.
This is so…so good, my dude Ever thought of doing any of the other backstories?
really really thinking about doing Magnus' because that made me weep like a baby
This is stunning
I haven't even met these characters before now and it almost made me cry, nice job
didn't you see the spoiler warning?? haha it's cool you should totally listen to the adventure zone, it's very very good
This is so beautiful, I got so emotional - you did such an amazing job.
This is great and I love the little things that you added in.
CAN WE JUST AGREE THAT TAKKO WAS FUCKING SAZED CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I CAN IMAGINE HIM BEING THAT BITTER
Aryelle Aranha Nah. Sazed wanted to fuck Taako. Taako fucks only the hottest Grim Reapers.
i love your taako design omg