crtq

[crtq]

People are really out here trying to convince themselves that Ruby's suffering in volume nine is so hard to perceive so that they can try to convince everyone that Yang is perfect and her not really noticing Ruby needed help was totally fine and good when like..... Ruby literally fainted.

Like, even if the rest of the signs Ruby was displaying weren't like a giant neon sign reading 'I'm not okay' that Yang ignored - even if Yang hadn't completely ignored when Weiss and Ruby stopped walking to have a serious conversation, even if Yang didn't take more than a moment or two for a short 'are you okay' and then bought the obvious deflection, even if Yang hadn't shut down the time when Ruby actually started trying to express feelings of hopelessness and frustration by telling her she was being like the villainous and hated Ironwood, even if Yang didn't try to dispute anything Ruby was saying during her angry breakdown and didn't stop Jaune from screaming in her face and didn't immediately try to run after Ruby when she ran off alone crying, even if she wasn't a smiling beaming hugging person like five minutes after Ruby tried to kill herself, even if Yang didn't immediately start acting like Ruby was a good perfect leader who has never been confused directly after Ruby told them that she didn't want to be the leader anymore and didn't want to be treated like she was perfect......

Ruby literally

And Yang??? Was not that concerned???? Like bro if I ever fainted in front of my family??? They would want to call the doctor. They would be flipping out. Like, yeah, maybe I'm a little frustrated that Yang's reaction to Ruby's problems is like

When Ruby passed out. I'm sorry to the people who are on the "how could Yang have known that Ruby was feeling bad" train, but

Ruby quite literally fainted. And then had a breakdown while crying. And then ran away and tried to kill herself. And Yang's like

And people are like "idk what you're talking about, seems like the reaction of a great sister who cares about Ruby more than life itself and knows her better than anyone and raised her all by her lonesome and is always there for her and always knows best."

Bro just let??? People say that they think Yang is wrong???

[crtq]

Ruby: "I have accepted that I am perfect just the way I am because my mommy said I am."

Back in V8: "Penny we have to change you because your body isn't right and we need to give you a new body. Yes you're unresponsive right now and can't give us your input, and we've been pushing down your feelings before the whole virus thing, but just let us do the choosing. It's a mighty good thing that this plot convenience has given us the opportunity to take advantage of your unresponsiveness."

[crtq]

Out of curiosity I watched the video showing Adam and Ghira and oh my god y'all were right. This man really did just stand there with his arms up while him and other faunus are being SHOT AT 'Pls stop we're harmless :((((' and then has the flat out audacity to get mad at Adam for saving their lives. What were your plans if someone died, Ghira??? This guy sucks and I don't blame Adam for losing all respect for him.

no like what was that moment meant to serve for ghira? because adam was in the right. i know the show loathes to actually let the man have a point but adam was shot at, alongside other vulnerable faunus!, by a human supremacist & when he reacted in turn to defend himself: ghira admonishes him! like! ghira got hurt but adam is in the wrong for taking out the threat? what kinda fuck shit is that.

it's frustrating because before this, adam was fighting non-lethally. after being shot at repeatedly before that & with sienna's permission to do so.

ignore long adam okay there's nothing i can do about him smh.

but his attacks are mostly to knock them out via kicks / slams & his sword remains sheathed up, while getting shot at by supremacists, up until the human supremacist is shooting at ghira who has no aura. it is a last resort & one that i would not object to being the first when he, again, is being shot at with other faunus! considering this entire context with adam having been a former child slave, he is in no way for the wrong in this & i hate that it's ghira & later blake who are admonishing him for this action when they face none of the danger & the latter is a privileged, protected princess amongst her own people.

like is the point here from crwby that in the face of racialized violence, you shouldn't fight back or you're as bad as your aggressor? oh wait.

god i miss sienna.

& as an extra, fuck blake for this little comment she has about it. i know they used this moment to reinforce adam's "emotional abuse" of blake but in context: girl. you are one of the most privileged of your people alongside your father, were protected all your life as an island princess, meanwhile you're saying this to a former child slave.

"this isn't the first time humans have died" maybe they should stop? attacking the faunus? if this was the moment they wanted to show adam as in the wrong, then maybe they should've actually had him be in the wrong instead of showing their full white comfort, centrist ideals on display.

[crtq]

It always feels like the show will do anything to protect Jaune, that's my honest opinion.

Even when he and Team RWBY are trapped on this other universe where they can do nothing but talk or yell at each other - with no Ironwood punching bag around - Jaune cannot be confronted with killing Penny.

You can't tell me, "Ruby has a good heart and wouldn't do that," even though she was ripping into her team before Jaune came in hot with yelling back at her. She would've thrown Penny's death back in his face.

If anything, if there was one person wouldn't be mad at, it would be Weiss. Because at least Weiss told them the truth, meanwhile Jaune is keeping his lips locked and never saying anything until it's screaming in his face to confess.

The universe needs to bend in every which way to make sure Jaune is never faced with what he did and how it hurts others, not just hurting himself.

[crtq]

The fact that a subplot about racism, in which the writers decided that the racists aren’t the actual bad guys it’s actuallythe oppressed minority that’s actually the bad guys, is being defended by rwby Stans in scary.

[crtq]

This is like when they blamed the animators for Oscar being able to punch Neo as she just stood there and called it an "miscommunication" and that it was supposed to be him coming around a corner and catching her by surprise. He SHOUTED "NO!!" and ran down the hall yelling as he wound up. They had Aaron VOICE that. They WROTE that line.

Why do they blame the animators??

A fucking what?

Animation

Mishap

He recoiled, rubbed his cheek, there was an audible slap

What

Wha

Huh

I just what uh huh?

[crtq]

People thinking Hbomb’s video is the reason Vol 10 won’t get green lit rather than all the fall out from rooster teeth is insane. But here we are.

Me seeing people think shows get canceled because of a bisexual internet critic.

That’s not how any media works man. Money does.

Crunchyroll deciding their investment in RWBY wasn’t worth another season since a lot of people decided to pirate after the abuse came out is a far more tangible reason. No one cares about a show’s quality they care if it makes money. And if s10 can’t get green lit it’s because it can’t do that in the eyes of people who have it.

Every fandom has videos criticizing them. It’s part of the fandom experience. Why is this fandom so paper thin that they think one video can destroy a series?

[crtq]

Oscar isn't even a side character? XD Side characters would be Illia, Sun, Velvet, Winter and so on Oscar isn't one of the top main characters but he is still a member of the main cast lol

Right?? Oscar's not as much of a main character as RWBY but he's a strong deuteragonist with tons of plot relevance. Hell, I'd honestly say that narratively speaking he's more of a "main character" story-wise than JNPR. His role as Ozpin's reincarnation automatically put him high in the ranks of important characters, but he certainly wasn't acting as a main character early on. Important, yes, but not central or a major role, and only by proxy of Oz. He steadily became more involved in the storylines the main characters were in and began some arcs/conflicts of his own, but I can absolutely see why someone would see him as a side character even up through Volume 6.

But in Atlas? Sure, he was absent for a good chunk of the middle of v7, but he was a major player in it from the moment he confronted Ruby about lying to the moment he crash-landed in Mantle. He had more screentime in the v7 finale than any other character, was the inciting factor in bringing Ruby's inner conflict to the surface, was key advisor to Ironwood's moral quandaries (even being the one to convince him to open up to the council while he was mid-breakdown), was the reason Ruby changed her mind and decided to tell Ironwood about Salem, was the one to tell Ironwood, was the one to disobey the group's instructions and go extend another chance to Ironwood, had a whole speech about trust and fear (multiple, actually), got shot, unlocked magic, and took Ozpin's return in stride. He had a much larger effect on the overall plot and themes of v7 than JNR, or heck, even Weiss (they did play roles, of course! Just not as impactful cumulatively. Blake and Yang are debatable, but telling Robyn edges out arresting Jacques in terms of big-picture consequence, imo). Oscar was at the heart of the volume's core dilemma, along with Ruby, Ironwood, and to some extent Penny.

And Volume 8? Man, oh man, volume 8. Fun game: watch the first 10 chapters of v8 with the perspective that Oscar is the main character of the show. I know he's not, but just pretend as a thought experiment. It works perfectly. Team JOYR had more direct plot interaction for most of the volume than RWBN (Penny being an exception, of course), so when that yt channel posted "movie" versions showing each group's journey, a lot of people noted that it worked better to watch the RWBN one first and then JOYR, since the latter has higher stakes and feels more climactic and important to the story. There were comments like "wow, if you think about JORY as the main characters this volume makes a lot more sense." A large portion of that video was Oscar/Ozpin content. He got kinda shafted in the last couple chapters, but up until then, from a literary standpoint, Oscar was effectively serving as the primary protagonist of the volume, with Penny as the central character and Ruby as leader.

He was the first protagonist shown on screen for the volume, was retrieved and questioned with a setup for conflict with Oz, got captured by the show's Big Bad (prompting JYR's story to center around his rescue), was interrogated and tortured by Salem, was then tortured by Hazel for information, refused Ozpin's requests to take over and escape, came up with the idea to sabotage Salem from within, worked together with Oz to chip away at Hazel's devotion, had an introspective scene reflecting on the person he used to be and who he is now as well as fearing who he'll become, took over and took the risk of telling Hazel the password, which led to him trusting them and helping them escape along with Emerald (who had overheard Oscar revealing the password), BLASTED SALEM WITH MAGIC TWICE, blew up the whale that was destroying the kingdom (saving countless lives and allowing an evacuation to even be possible), killed Hazel as a sacrifice to save JOYRE, advocated for the group to give Emerald another chance even if they choose not to forgive her (she & others wanted her to leave; Oscar was the catalyst for her joining forces), vouched for Oz with a heartfelt speech, had the final moment of the reunion scene (framing his & Ruby's reunion as significant and cutting it off with him having to defend Emerald), and was constantly echoing the volume's core themes while mediating conflicts and bridging gaps to facilitate cooperation. He both acted as and was framed as the protagonist for much of the volume.

RWBY as a franchise is very centric on teams RWBY & JNPR. Look at the merch, the spinoffs, the supplemental material. Oscar's not given the "main character" treatment in the franchise, and is often (nearly always) absent from side content entirely. It's not surprising people don't tend to see him as a main character. But in the actual show? He is one. He's not THE main character, but he is A main character, and has more than earned that spot in the last couple volumes. I simply cannot see an argument for him being a "side character" after volume 8.

[crtq]

Honestly at this point I don’t even think it’s Jaune being a character’s pet that has him in this volume. Since Nora, Oscar and Ren Get to get some form of development and get moments.

I have a theory that CRWBY has a unrelenting fear to make RWBY develop because then they might ruin them. All the main team’s development is in response to viewers complaining. And then doing a bandaid next volume.

That’s why Jaune aged up and not the team. I think they had the idea for the time fruit. And immediately X’d out RWBY. Because that would ruin them?! They can’t mess with the merchandise of cute girls by doing a time skip.

So they’re trapped in shallow platitudes of what the hero’s journey is.

They feel freer with everyone else because they’re less important. They don’t make the title. And that makes them easier to use. Locking RWBY out of their own plot. And Jaune is the one they feel bravest with experimenting with. Since boy is generic enough they can bum his narrative from anything.

Why isn’t RWBY doing anything plot relevant? Because then people might not like their merchandise.

Though honestly I think the aged up character should have been Oscar.

This is an interesting angle. I'm willing to bet the truth - which will never be known - is a combination of some version of this, the writers' pet theory, and something else no one's thought of yet.

At the same time, though, think of the absolute dumbfuckery that the mains have done and otherwise contributed to - they're not just remaining static, they are actively regressing, becoming flatter and more hollow than they ever were before. It feels like any change they get now comes at the cost of something else previously established. Yang and Blake are in a relationship, but now they are only about their relationship. Weiss is funny now, but she doesn't get to mourn. You get the point.

Jaune, on the other hand, only gets more depth. He's mourning, he's aging, he's doing things even when he's not on screen. That contradiction lends more to the favoritism angle than the fear of change angle.

[crtq]

I have much to say about the RWBY V9 finale, but I think I need the weekend to collect my thoughts.

SPOILERS BELOW

My biggest gripe is the dismissiveness of everyone's trauma; Jaune is back to normal, what a silly voice he has! Totally not a 40-year-old trapped in a teenager's body, am I right? Ruby tried to commit suicide on-screen? HA HA HA, she's back to normal guys, isn't that great? NOTHING BAD HAPPENED, everrrr (TM Nora).

"We made mistakes but so did my mom, just be yourself and everything will work out!" *Sigh* I didn't want Ruby to become someone else, but her current self NEEDS WORKS. NO ONE is perfect, and pretending you are when there is so much to be learned from your mistakes is a betrayal of humanity. These girls need growth and we got NONE OF THAT this Volume. Once again, they were so close, but missed the mark big-time. I am just disappointed.

EDIT: The Summer and Raven scene was GOOD. I won't pretend it wasn't :)

[crtq]

im malding about how the god backstory could be truly plot-important in one specific way, and that is the implication that the tree is an even greater force than the gods. meaning that it could in theory supercede any kinds of bullshit done by the gods. meaning that by extension- do you see where i'm going with this? they coulda used that long ass conversation to be like "HEY WAIT. so if this place is THAT powerful and special... then there's this fucked up immortal witch we need help with. you got any advice or shit we can use for that?" boom, volume is instantly relevant it wouldn't be PERFECT by a longshot, but when given what we got, it'd be like the quickest way to actually make something of all this.

[crtq]

So. Its still better that “im my mom now” or “im now have a cool gun and new talent” but…we just reset Ruby. We just reset her. She now again Ruby Rose who just herself with a little bit Summer stuff. This is not a “i get it i need to work thought my mistakes” or or something like this. It just “what if im just going to choose me?” and “i like to think we did at least a little good…right?”. I not sure if we going to get vol10 Ruby will talk to the Yang that “hey…i saw our mother and she just…run away with Raven on the mission”. Ruby got depress because she tired of doing “not enough” and people not seeing that she in “not good shape”, run away, got torture, drink a tea because she was thinking she will stop exist, WE FIND OUT THAT SUDDENLY she was obsessed about her to be just like her mom, finding out that her mother lied (kinda info that we already knew kinda, outside of the fact that she run away WIHT Raven \me trying to do poly jokes\) but remember that Summer told her and Yang that “i love you just the way you are” and now she Ruby again. The same Ruby from…idk volume 5-6.

Jaune is still alive and get back his younger body with just a bit white hair lines. He remember probably everything, but im not sure if we going to get vol10 SOMEHOW we will see some side effects from all this. COWARDS, HONESTLY. I have a hard opinion about this guy, but they really coward with not keeping his Ever After Timeskip look.

Neo is commit “going into a tree” because “she need to find herself”. Cool. She need just “fix herself” with “the tree”. Nice. Love in it. (no)

AND WE JUST GOT A HALF EPISODE WITH LORE ABOUT BROTHERS. IN THE FINAL EPISODE. LISTEN. I MAYBE dont talk about Summer too much but you know what? I want to take more flashbacks about her and Raven that about all this lore thing. Literally final episode. I was SCREAMING because WHY. WHY THIS. I FINE with another scene with Blacksmith and talking about how good Little is and how baaaad Cat is and all that jazz, but…when you have possibility that you will not be able to continue your story…this is not the time for LORE HOMEWORK. YOU LITERALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO NOT BE ABLE TO END YOUR STORY. RWBY CAN BE ANOTHER SHOW WITH NO PROPER ENDING. NO “we want 20 volumes” NOT EVEN ONE MORE SEASON, THIS CAN BE YOUR ONLY SEASON. THIS IS NO THE TIME FOR LORE ABOUT THE GODS. “KILL YOUR DARLING” IN WRITING WHEN YOU HAVE A HARDCORE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

Also from what i can tell…did we skip this whole sityation, that we had in ending at the volume 8? Or there was a timeskip and people are already safe (WOW) or people still in the desert and they just…in Vacuo now?

Conclusion for rn, because i kinda not in the mood and i dont want to just scream and be angry at every parts - Love this flashback with Summer and Raven (with a little bit Taiyang, miss this man.). Love Curious Cat full form, looks really cool and wish we see more this form (ALSO A WHOLE NEW MODEL FOR A ONE EPISODE FOR A COUPLE MINUTE-). Hate…what ever going on with the tree, i do not like this whole “suicide is a progress and a good thing” (this whole decision to make suicide metaphor was a mistake in ALL levels), like new Ruby song. Fight was…nice i guess? Sad for Neo because no matter what i think about her as a character and about her story, she do not deserve ending like this with this whole “she will find her way”. Sound like “suicide will fix her mistakes”. Little also have a new model for a one episode. HATE LOREDUMPING AT THE FUCKING FINAL EPISODE THAT CAN BE A FINAL EPISODE FOR A WHOLE SHOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING TEAM.The only thing that was important for progress in this volume - was Yang-Blake getting together finally, getting a little bit Summer story and Jaune experience in Ever After, even if he still have his vol7-8 look. And also get rid of Neo?

Do what ever with this information. I just going finish my work and going to sleep. Maybe will write something more about this episode after i will rewatch 20 times again as always, but not today.

[crtq]

Volume 9 in a nutshell

[crtq]

so like. it happened. v9 finale spoilers and a long ramble about change.

i get the message that you being yourself is enough, but there's like...a fine line between "Being yourself means accepting whatever changes that come with growing up and accepting your faults" and "you don't have to change even if your faults have caused problems because your faults made you what you are"

like, if You as a person have hurt someone and you can't own up to it because "it's just who i am 🤪" then that's a problem.

and i think that's where it's missing the mark for me with ruby because she popped out of the tree all hunkydory after being bashed over the head (literally and figuratively) about some problems that she definitely did cause. (really just atlas, i guess? ozpin chose her to be leader, pyrha died after choosing to fight cinder herself (?), leo is just there??, and she didn't kill roman)

and let it be known that i love percy jackson, so when i say "I wish ruby had come out looking physically different", I mean in the same way Percy had by the end of the Titan's Curse

you could argue that it'd be too on the nose, but it literally happens to Jaune. his hair still has streaks.

if ruby had come out with just a smidge of a physical difference instead of looking exactly as she did when V8 happened, it would've felt just a little bit more final? tear up her cape. make her not have a cocky smirk when she's fighting because it's a serious fight about killing the asshole who literally almost killed you and your friends.

it just. didn't feel permanent.

and they even come out when all the immediate hard work that would've cone after the problem that their plan caused was already finished. they're already at vacuo. presumably, oscar/ren/nora/emerald have already gotten everyone there and set up refuge.

so its like they just spedrun dealing with the consequences of their own actions and weren't even there to physically do anything. it was a physical battle about mental problems and all that the main cast has to really show for it is a new couple and like three chunks of white in blonde hair.

[crtq]

Wooow, the Character Development Dimension didn't even have character development.

[crtq]

RWBY Character Tier List Vol1-9 (Spoilers)

Shoutout to @oddlyhale they made the render and I needed a render for a cover-

So I updated my tier chart! Real big difference is Ruby isn’t in my top 5 worst character list but Jaune/Yang is! Feel free to use and @ me I’m curious to know how your opinions changed on some characters :D

[crtq]

the way this applies to volume 7, 8, and 9...

Literally what the fuck did Weiss do all season?