*_"My sanctuary."_* he clings to her *_"You're holy to me."_* She draws him closer. Dont think I didn't see that

This is a perfect example of how to “show and not tell” a story. The characters feel full and well defined without using any words. It’s beautiful

"im not gonna watch the church animatic again, i've seen it enough" so anyway im back

The fact that you can draw different nose shapes signifies that you are a literal saint.

I love how a 3 minute or so video made me emotionally invested in characters, When some people can’t even do that in full series

did yall notice the anger in her eyes when she broke the window and it flashes back to the boy who got killed like her view of her religion has been shattered???

things that i love about this animatic: 1. we are told about the symbols that represent executioner and murderer because those are the ones that they would've explained to Ash 2. that the chorus always plays during Ash and Sanga bonding time (training together, her healing him, fighting together), except for the beginning 3. "I love the world" close up of Sanga, "but I just don't love the way it makes me feel" as she looks away from the pile of corpses 4. the fact that it's just vocals when she sees Ash's injuries 5. "confess my love" as their foreheads touch, "my sanctuary" as he clings to her 6. the fact that Ash offers his hand to Tselah and lets them take it, rather than just grabbing them 7 . the flashes of Ash looking at the statue and the dead kid right before Sanga breaks the window with the god(?) on it 8. just generally how the song is incorporated into the animatic 9. everything else but those were the standouts for me

"I love the world I just dont like the way it makes me feels" was so perfectly explained

Please: WRITE A BOOK DIRECT A MOVIE DESIGN A GAME THIS IS SO DAMN COOL

A tiefling and a cleric fall in love and escape from the westboro baptist church with their adopted son.

I'm watching this for the millionth time and I always get chills- at the line "I'm just a human trying to avoid my certain doom" and she just GLOWS. The moment at the end where she smashes the statue, the moment where he realizes he needs to fight back so another kid doesn't suffer- I will lose it

What if they didn’t know each other and you were the woman, just out in the courtyard practicing your fighting. When the killer demon starts mimicking your moves. “oh shit we dead as fuck” Then you’re a person spectating the executions and out of nowhere the demon karate kicks the guy’s fucking head off and yells, “WOO!” “who taughteth thy killer karate” That would be terrifying as hell, let’s be honest. Like, your whole life the church told you they had no soul, them always killing with their bare hands and ripping throats out with their goddamn teeth(that you’ve seen). Then they comin’ in with karate 👀

I just realized the blade of the executioner’s axe is made of magic as it disappears shortly after the girl takes it, leaving just the stick for her to fight with, very cool touch!

Hi hello I love how at the beginning demon boy’s fighting style is this brutal, almost animalistic thing and he tears open a dude’s neck w his teeth, and then he learns from the (nun?) lady and his fighting style becomes more organized and stuff and it feels like a visual way of showing she was the only one who treated him as a person in a way? I love it

*Looks at her*: you're holy to me, *She looks back*: you're holy to me. .... I've just watched this like a hundred times over and I will watch a hundred times more this is absolutely brilliant, spectacular, incredible

Who's here watching in 2024? I swear every time the KZfaq algorithm works again and beings me back here I want to break down into tears because this is just so beautiful and you've obviously put so much work into this to make it look this gorgeous and make me feel this invested in characters I've known for a few god damned minutes.

I would watch the hell out of this as a full show, with this as the background

_"Faith is Poison when it is no longer gentle and devout, but malicious and fanatical. It is one thing to believe in a God, it is another thing entirely to murder in its name."_ -Robert Healey (my grandpa)

there's something so poetic about ash being forced to take the life of one child but then choosing to save the life of another

The line at 0:51 “time capsule for the future, trust me that’s what I will be” hits different after watching the most recent animatic, and also after seeing the The Arsonist Lullaby was added to the Escape from Divinity playlist. Can’t wait to see how this story finishes!!

This came out two weeks ago, has 1 million + views and a fandom.

1:31 we all know he yelled “woo!” and that just makes me happy

the fact that im genuinely confused as to what the healer's gender is and im STILL gay for them is scary

This is an excellent example of the power of Animatics. Both animation and music have the power to take us on an emotional journey. Combining the two amplifies the experience to make the viewer live each moment, viscerally drawing us in, making us feel each blow, taste the blood, and fight alongside the characters. The fact that storyboard animation can do so much without the polish of full animation is a testament to this strength. Well done @toastyglow, a genuine 10/10.

I just love the fact that they instantly Adopted a Child™ and were like "okay we're your parents now let's go fight for our lives, bond, and become the cutest family to have ever existed" I LOVE IT SO MUCH MY HEART FEELS SOFT

I love how you don't need to know any background of these characters and still get the story. Your not overwhelmed with information. It has that ability to make you love these characters and not even know their names. And that's amazing story telling

Can’t stop thinking about how the executioner who almost kills him is dressed in a manner that mimics his markings. Really neat detail I love about this piece

I think, for what it's worth, your understanding of story structure, characterisation and general narrative composition, show a level of skill to be respected and adored. I could not speak more highly of your work and whole heartily look forward to what you might do next. From one storyteller to another, see you round the campfire.

she said "I'm a healer, but.."

i feel as if i just shedded my skin and im floating away to some abstract higher level of being but im in my underpants eating 70% off easter candy with two laptops on my bed for binging two shows at once

Its been years later and I still love coming back to rewatch this story

the transitions, the action, the pace, the characters, the plot. ITS ALL SO GOOD

1:29 this transition form the woman to the dude kicking someone else in the face is one of my favorite parts

I just want to watch this again and again and again . . . such masterful visual storytelling. Very nice work!!

6 years later and I can honestly say that this still hits as hard as when I first saw it. It brings me up and lets me remember one of the greatest stories ever told

I just noticed the bitter foreshadowing. The first wound she heals on him was a slash across his chest, then later they have to slash across her chest to take away her healing I also fucking love the touch that the axehead is in the process of disappearing as she brings it down, since she can no longer channel weapons, so it's a desperate act of speed, where if she had been a moment later, there wouldn't have been a cutting edge

I just wish this was an actual book/tv series. I love this kind of stuff!

Holy shit that gave me goosebumps, love the dynamic fighting

I could watch all 4 of these a 100 times and never get tired of them. They're just that good.

THIS STILL REMAINS MY FAVORITE ANIMATIC OF ALL TIME EVEN AFTER THREE YEARS

its SO GOOD!! I have literally no words, the emotion? the dynamic fight scenes? the storytelling despite no words?? you've made a whole WORLD within the frame of a song, it's outstanding! I can't explain how blown away I am by the final product, it's amazing!!

if this was a movie, even if i had exams or an important project i would watch it, even if my wedding is about to start i would ask the guests to wait until i finish it ! REALLY BEAUTIFUL !

every few months I come back here, and I rewatch all of escape from divinity and bawl like a child so happily. I see so much of myself in ashivon's story. The monstrification, and the starting to see some of the beauty in what they all fear when someone shares a moment with me only to have my face rubbed repeatedly in the damage it does. The worship I develop for those who can reach me despite it all. in part 2, The distrust of myself for the pain I have caused others and how it keeps me from reaching out, even to those who desire it...who they themselves are feeling so much guilt, much like Sanga. And the terror of how to reach out without harming another on both sides to only have that silence broken by a bold moment of need, of accepting that it's ok to want another, and how that moment changes everything and becomes a whole new relationship in part 3, the long growing close and developing trust and peace and community building, and thinking you're almost over it... in part 4, how random things still flash you back to where you were and bring all that guilt and pain and fear for seemingly no reason. The fact that the art is gorgeous, the choreography masterful, the beats to the motion so precise and lively that the only animation I've seen similarly percussively matched is the ridiculously acclaimed Arcane. And SO SO SO much emotion and understanding of body language and movement and power, and presence. I have held this close to my heart for years. This art...in my mind... You've done so much....I wish I could give you the world. No person should have to rely on their product or skills for their stability, but you have earned more than you will ever be compensated for this.

The part with them practicing in the courtyard/cell is probably one of my favorite pieces of animated media of all time I will study it intently

Your animatics are hands down the best oh my god

If this would turn into a series I would honestly watch it so many times that I’ll lose count

omg the contrast of "If you were church id get on my knees" in the lyrics with ash being forced to his knees by the church people and then sangha willingly getting on his knees for him, and then also in the next animatic (SPOILERS) them falling to their knees together. Like this inworld church has forced both of them to obey them, to get on their knees, for so long and now they are realising they dont have to do that but that also to 'worship' another human, to completely trust and love and live for someone else is a beautiful amazing thing. them learning to kneel for each other and together irrespective of the huge trust isues and ptsd they both have because of their experiences with the church. Im not sure half of this makes sense its just my incoherent ramblings but acghhhsahbj im so in love. (also is there a discord for the fandom? i feel like i ehard there is but i cant find a link. i am a patreon if that matters at all)

I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS - i forgot the name and was searching for everything from “confession animatic” (I knew it was related to religion but damn if I could remember the song lmao) to “demon and monk woman animation” I’m so glad I found it

Absolutely incredible. That kick transition between the training and the arena gave me chills.

This should be an entire series. Like an entire animation series; it would be so awesome I would defiantly watch it and even pay money for it!!!!!

I love how, despite most story plots of Sanga not helping Ash, and then breaking a him out, they work TOGETHER, to escape the Divinity and, get caught by Sanga healing Ash! You are so talented that I can’t put it into words. I can’t describe how good this story is and you as an artist are. And the animal+human anatomy!? Perfection.❤❤

Year after year after passes by and yet.. I could keep on reexperiencing this beautiful story over and over again....

There needs to be series, anime, manga or book about this. I would absolutly love to just binge watch this it’s so good. The story is amazing and really interesting. WE NEED A SERIES

The number of times I've rewatched this I keep find there's something new to love, as someone with the meek and feeble artistic courage of a mouse, and as someone who's housed a similar ideation of demons in my middle school phase but has lacked the self-esteem to find it good enough to share or pursue outside of just my daydreams of it and the occasional private drawing, I've fallen in love with your characters and storyline. The absolute ferocity you put into their expressions, the sheer EMOTION you pack into every one of Ashivon's grimaces or shouts, in his lips pulling back, showing teeth and intensity, it just transcends his ache into something palpable and heart-wrenching and I feel absolutely gutted by how much work and effort and CARE you put into this animatic. You're inspiring, and I wish I had the words to sufficiently express just how inspiring you are to me as a baby artist about to walk into the big scary world of art and college. Thank you so much for putting so much love into this concept and being brave enough to put it out here. I hope it's received excellently, it deserves every single positive rating it gets!!!!

3 years and the part where the instruments stop when we see ash's wounds still stops my heart and makes my eyes flood

I get goosebumps every time I watch this

Ooh, I have a theory and/or idea!!! What if the demons are the captured souls of those executed for their crimes? A twisted, horrific way for them to pay for their acts, even after death. For instance, we see a young demon at the end, just after the child was killed. Imagine if they brought him back to continue the cycle?! Oof, that would be pretty hectic, but would be a cool concept for the story!

This is the best animatic I've ever seen, it's just like how people see pit bulls as these vile horrible monsters but don't see what caused them to do what they do, this is very similar, when some one is in control of something that can be powerful they will use it for the own entertainment, it does how corrupt someone can be when they have the power to do something. I hope you do something with this animatic, I'm pretty sure not only me but many others would like to see where this story goes

I just clicked on this casually but now im gonna think about it for the rest of my life. thanks for that.

5 years later and this still brings the same feelings I got watching it for the first time. This is a timeless piece. Keep going dude. This is addictive to watch and insanely inspiring!

I would totally watch a full series, even if it was just animatics

Immediately makes me wanna play a tiefling with this backstory

It's been years, but I still come back to this as one of my favorite animatics of all time. Phenomenal stuff, and I'm so happy you have shared this with the world!

People: *pray to god to come to them* God: *actually coming* People: OMG RUN AWAY GUYS

The storytelling is so good that in 3 minutes I’m already attached to these characters and care for them. Wow

Wait does she intentionally teach him how to fight so he doesn't get so hurt anymore?? Cause if so, that's gotdamn ADORABLE!!

I saw this when it first came out 5 years ago and I have not forgotten it since. Randomly dug it up today and was DELIGHTED to see there had been sequels put out. No matter if you finish the series or not know that this was an insanely good piece of art and I'm glad you made it

Bro I'm not even kidding I've come back to this animatic hundreds of times over the past 4 years. I honestly had thought it came out way longer ago because it felt so integral to my idea of what Good Impactful Art looked like! Even on the hundred and first watch when I know every panel like the back of my hand, I still watch breathlessly until the end when I can finally relax! Such innovative world-building conveyed so easily (I know it must've been harder than it looks, because you make it look so simple and natural!), so much attention to the beats of the animatic coinciding with the rise and fall of the song's rhythm, such cool character design!!! God. I love this animatic so much.

Now I have a crush on both of them

I love every part of this. The brand/tattoo based magic system, the subversion of "white magic=good" trope, the actual character arcs performed in 3 minutes, the idea of these two breaking free from a lifetime of lies. If I had to guess, those gladitorial matches probably saw as many civil dissenters as it did murderers. Why silence somebody when you can just frame em, literally brand em a murderer, and let the dog handle it? All in all 👌 good shit

2 years ago: "This is amazing! I hope it goes somewhere." A week ago watching the 4th video in the series: *Proceeds to cry and watch all the videos in order again* For real though you have made something amazing and I applaud you for the time and effort you put in to this!

This is is one of my all time favourites. It's just so GOOD the animation, the emotions, the song ✨Perfection✨

Fluid. Beautiful. A phenomenal story. I wish I had more likes to give. I wish I had a full movie of this.

Okay but Ash struggling against the *burning* bonds is such a good moment

I keep coming back to this and while all of it is just (chef's kiss) 1:27 with the match-cut kick followed by the "woo!" absolutely murders me every time, just gets me so hype amazing work

this was the best thing ever when i was a freshman in highschool. im a freshman in college now its still the coolest animatic ever.

2:38 How that i think about it he probably would have died if the other demon child didn't show up. I think the only reason he fought back was because he didn't want the other kid to go through what he did. That's what I think.

This was so impressive. Powerful storytelling, solid animation. Honestly, this made me want more. In a good way. Like.. Anime? Show? More music videos in the future? Just. All of it.

this is SO GOOD. The animation, the character design, the story ahhhh

4 years later and this animatic still gives me the chills ❤

A beautiful tragic story of perceptions of evil. What makes a monster and what makes a man? What tell me makes a human soul? Definitely not the flesh...

I’m just SO. FASCINATED. with Ashivons movements. From those first frames of him walking down the hall with his tail swishing.... I just can’t. It’s SO good. The way you captured his potential ferocity makes me think of wildlife videos of animals like foxes. It’s just.. wow man, you’re so good at drawing figures!

Is it odd that even to this day, this animation STILL actually manages to bring a tear to my eye? So damn well done, great music choice, and AMAZING story telling, even just through the animation. It's hands down one of my favorite animations to this day. It just makes me FEEL. Which is rare for animations to do today.

Re-watched for like the 4th time today... wish I could thumb this up more than once. To be able to tell a story without any dialogue beyond the beautifully chosen song and the art; *cheff's kiss*, perfect! And the world building in all the subtle details...

For once the KZfaq algorithm gave me something I actually wanted

This is beautiful, this speaks to my edgy 14 year old soul. Edit: I'm really happy that this got attention, unsurprisingly it still speaks to my nearly 16 year old heart! Thanks for the replies and likes!

Every once and a while I come back and rewatch this series all over again. I love this story with all my heart. It's timeless!!!

I don’t even know how I got here but holy hell thats beautiful

When the DM is serious about teifling racism

For people who doesn’t understand the storyline, it goes like this. Firstly, it shows our protagonist as a young kid, walking through the church for the first time. He sees a body of the previous demon, and the mark of ‘Executioner’ can be seen on his arm. Since the last Executioner was dead, he’s the next one. His captors mark him to be the next. When we see him next, he’s supposed to fight a murderer. Take this as the church’s way of disposing of supposed ‘bad’ people. As you can see, the protagonist has a healer with him, so that he was ready for the next fight. We see that the demon and the healer has a lot in common, which is evident in their training scene. One day however, the main character could not find himself to kill a little child, so his captors punished him. Whipped him, and beat him. The healer goes over to see the demon, and sees the body of the child the main character hesitated to kill. Going against orders, she healed the demon and even hugged him, signaling a close relationship, which was forbidden. There was a public execution for them both the very next day. However, before it could start, our main protagonist sees another young demon, the next Executioner after he dies. He knew the mark that would be bestowed upon the young one, as he knows the exact same thing has happened to him. He tries to resist, hoping that the child won’t suffer the same fate he did. His captors panicked, and the healer saw this as a chance, and took the captor’s axe to free her friend. We see after the demon, the healer and the young child running away to freedom.

Occasionally I come back to this video as an example of quick story building. I am more impressed every time

The way he freed himself and raged when he saw another one of his kind who was the same age as he was when they made him an executioner. He just couldn't let it happend again.

Do the murders fight with what they killed with? thats why the kid has a broken bottle?

ITS HERE! I don't know how to begin with this, your compositions are amazing and your anatomy and character movement are so expressive! You have a REALLY good sense of movement and timing plus, that digitigrade walk is super convincing, it just looks natural. As always your sense of storytelling, even in such a 'short' video, is just flawless. Seeing this project come together over the past year has been super inspiring and I hope you're proud of yourself because you should be!!! I'm still VERY glad I became a patreon and I will continue to be, I can't wait to see what you start next!

today is the 2nd day that I have watched the 1st part again, and my friend who recommended this work of art to me, spoke the truth, he said that every time I watch it, the viewer finds new details and that is so magical . Even more so now that I've looked for information about the story and the characters to understand it better! WOW, breathtaking, surreal!

I keep coming back, rewatching every episode. You have done amazing work and i cant stop sharing it.

Amazing!! Thrilling!!! Ive fallen in love with these characters in under 4 minutes. You truly have a talent for visual storytelling!!

I.. I need more of this universe,, this is so well made!

This is one of my favorite KZfaq animations

Am I the only one that saw this video more than like 20 times and still is wacthing it?