#info dump because most of this is in the past and doesn't have much impact on the plot

[kathaynesart]

Good eye, @luckylazylurker They're just regular military grade ID Tags. So it includes name, identification number, blood type, faith for burial purposes, and US Mutant Guard designation. The usual.

Though ironically, the boys do not fall under the newly standardized definition of "Mutant," which only designates humans who have been mutated into creatures. NOT animals that have been mutated to become more human/sapient. An important distinction, considering one can get you enlisted in the USMG and the other will probably get you in a test tube.

Also bonus points to people who can figure out their middle names.

[itsclydebitches]

Critics point out the story you like doesn't make any sense: "God, it's just a show, stop taking it so seriously." Show doesn't support your ship: "WHY HATH GOD FORSAKEN US!?"

The problem with trying to engage with that as a comeback is that is is a legitimate response to some narrative choices, it's just that in the RWBY community it's become a catch-all dismissal. For example, back in Volume 3 it would indeed be in bad faith to go on a rant (note: not just theorizing) about how Mercury was able to kick Ruby out of her semblance because, you know, she turns into rose petals. There's a certain level of ridiculousness here - a certain amount of turning our brains off, if you will - because it's a fun fantasy show. Quit trying to ruin that fun with an excessive amount of nitpicking and obsession with making it work "realistically," just accept that one cool fighter can attack the other when she's flitting around with her not-magical ability. That's a "don't take it so seriously" moment. However, RWBY then became a show that, five volumes later, gave an info dump which blatantly contradicted that scene by moving from a "It's just magic, go with it" explanation to a "Here are solid rules about how this works and... according to these rules it doesn't work," and then went on to use that ability in significant ways across the plot. Suddenly, the story wants us to take it seriously. It wants to present itself as a complex, nuanced world with rules and loopholes (like Ambrosius) which, as an inevitable extension, invites a more critical look. "Magic" is no longer a catch-all explanation for our events on screen. With the not-magic reveal + hard rules introduced, suddenly fans have a reason to go, "But that doesn't make sense." The longer RWBY goes on, introducing serious themes (racism, ableism, militarism, etc.) and trying to pass itself off as a well thought out world, yeah, shockingly enough the more the audience will treat it as something to turn our brain on for, not off. RWBY is far past the point of being a silly fantasy you don't really have to pay attention to, riding along with a "lol sure, why not" mentality. The story wants us to watch in awe as Ruby tricks Ambrosius, wants us to cry as Penny is killed, wants us coming away with themes about real world issues... and you can't pick and choose once you start down that road. You can't say, "Take some parts of the show seriously, but not others."

Which, in reality, becomes "Take the parts I like seriously and ignore anything else." Fans want everyone to take the show seriously, provided we're talking about the part that each individual is invested in. And yeah, shipping is a huge and obvious example. If you say, "Don't take the bees so seriously, it's just a show" then, alongside a lot of generic hate (which, notably, emphasizes that seriousness all on its own. That passion stems from something), I'd get messages explaining precisely why the ship is so important, in terms of larger representation as well as what it means to the particular fan. Most of what RWBY is writing nowadays contain Serious Topics, both in-world and for the audience watching. As said, we're not supposed to take an assisted suicide seriously? The loss of an arm? A literal child slave being electrocuted? And that's just listing the heavy hitters in terms of angst. Every positive emotional moment too, from Ruby's speeches to reunions, is meant to carry weight for the viewer... so if something is undermining that - inconsistencies, OOCness, offensive writing, etc. - then fans are right to say, "The impact you were clearly going for didn't land because of these reasons." Praising the show is taking it seriously, just as much as criticizing it is. When fans congratulate RT on a volume well done, that carries a lot of implications about art, entertainment, creative worth, coping mechanisms, inspiration, and the like. Most people are treating RWBY seriously! It's just that when a serious eye reveals more problems than praise, suddenly the instinct is to fall back on an approach that will hide those problems away again. Don't treat it so seriously that you notice the flaws... but feel free to treat it seriously whenever we've got something good to say.