#rwby5 review

[helihi]

Thoughts on: RWBY - Vol 5 Ch 1

Finally managed to watch the episode as soon as a Rooster Teeth non First Member.

I still firmly believe that Yang’s character short should have been up sooner, but whatevs, let’s do this. (Spoilers Ahead)

I’m gonna start with the opening. Yeah, I know, it was shown when the episode ended, but I need to get this out of the way:

I don’t like it at all. The pacing is all wrong, the song is a meh at best, the narration that they try to put forward makes it look like a cheesy early 2000s AMV, and boy let me tell you am I familiar with those. (Any Naruto fans ready to cringe?). You got all the character’s looking angry and stuff. That’s good, but then you cut away, introduce hundreds of things to go back to the same characters again! You could’ve made Yang look all badass and angry and somehow make a transition to her future meeting with Raven but you didn’t. I honestly hope the volume doesn’t suffer from the same awful pacing as this opening or the last volume.

Last volume, the opening tried to hype some fights that ended up not happening, and I believe this will be the case with volume 5. Even if all the promotional material makes it seem that everyone’s gonna have a cool fight, I only believe Yang facing Mercury and Blake facing Illia. My reasoning behind this is quite simple: Cinder apparently going for the Spring Maiden, and since she always has Mercury and Emerald (baby where are you) around her, and Yang’s meeting Raven, things are bound to happen. Illia said in the first ep that she’s gonna have to stop Blake, ‘nough said.

(Also what’s with the weird transition of Oscar and team JN_R? Did anyone else think it was weird? I’m all in for cute Nora, but that looks like a part of an episode, not op material. This ain’t a sitcom.)

So, let’s get into the actual episode: was it fun? yes, it had some funny moments and lines. Was it as funny as everyone hyped to be? Not really, some lines were repeated or not well timed to be perfect (queue Qrow saying “I found him!” more times than he should.)

Qrow hesitated for a moment before the reveal of where the Spring maiden is, he didn’t say it in one go, either for the writers to make time, or because he doesn’t trust Leo after being in the dark for so long. If anyone’s going to figure out that Lionheart has betrayed them, is going to be Qrow and I hope he kicks Lionheart’s ass.

I honestly was expecting more of the scene were Oscar is introduced to theam RNJR. From the team actually doing something before Oscar knocking on the door, and more obnoxious drunkle Qrow. Come on, I’m sure he can make everyone more uncomfortable.

Please tell me the distress signal is going to come into play later and isn’t just to show that Weiss cares for people because we already know this.

You got a nice scene setting up Blake’s arc in Menagerie as well as Sun getting involved with the White Fang while helping Ghira, this was both cute and interesting. The previous volume’s ending sequence foreshadowed Sun being a good influence on the future of the White Fang, and I hope the writers don’t fuck his story by try to make him a simple character relief again.

Also, Kali glad to have you back.

The only scene I genuinely 100% enjoyed was Yang’s. And I say this not based on the genuine laugh the punch got out of me when I saw the dude bouncing around, nope, it was Yang noticing her left arm was shaking. That. That’s all I’ve been asking for. A perfect example of show don’t tell and it’s beautiful. If there’s something I’m excited about this volume ASIDE FROM RAVEN WORST MOM IS BEST MOM is Yang’s character arc. She is angry, she’s so pissed you can see it in the way she dealt with the situation and how quickly her eyes changed. This wasn’t the same angry stare she gave Blake in volume 2, this was something she likely didn’t control fully.

I know a lot of people don’t understand why Yang chose Raven. It’s not that she  chose her over her sister. Yang chose to deal with her issues so she can settle matters before joining her sister.

The same Yang who’s willing to give up her life for the people she loves

She needs this.

Welp, let’s wait less than 4 more days to get spoiled the fuck out, then 3 days later be able to watch the next episode.

[faboover]

A video that has been over a year in the works. Here’s my video covering the Special Effects and VFX of Volume 6 with some mentions of Volumes 7 and 8.

I hope you enjoy!

References, Sources, Notes, Video Footage Used, Etc.:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ektYJyudstgULZTR6qvoLwWlVQA-HBbxBh0HRJNK5c/edit?usp=sharing

[plaingreeneyes]

SOME KEY SMASH FEELINGS ABOUT THE FINALE

disclaimer I am a huge bumblebee shipper but I support blacksun all the way if I wasn't so in love with bees id ship it too

-Yass Ilia girl GET IT

-Blake and Adams whole exchange (feat. Sun) was fuckin. great. I know a lot of people had issues with how calm Blake was while facing Adam but I think she's still scared, just tired of being the one to run away, like she says. and this whole episode is basically about bravery, and how you can still be scared shitless but do what needs to be done anyways.

-also YASS DRAG HIM

-and I KNEW they weren't done with Adam yet! theres no way he could be taken down that easily when he's been built up this whole time! I'm calling it: he's gonna be the big bad at the end of next season. fuck. him. up. girls.

-I loved Blake and Sun so much this episode.

-MY GIRL BLAKE COMING IN CLUTCH DURING THIS BATTLE! + SHES READY TO FIGHT ALL THEM BITCHEZ! SHES EXTRA AS HELL. WHAT AN ENTRANCE. 10/10.

-TEAM ATTACKS!!!!!!!!

-raven. is a fuckin bitch.

-as soon as it was revealed that raven was the new maiden I kinda figured she murdered the last one but holy shit yang just asking her about it bluntly like that and raven trying to defend it like it was the right thing to do was just. holy shit man.

-(rip background vernal)

-HOLY SHIT “did you kill her too?” MY GOD YANG YES READ HER 

-”OH SHUT UP” YASS. MY GIRL.

-this whole scene made me think so much of the “yang is the embodiment of strength” thing from Blake and suns conversation earlier this season. she's terrified of everything but she realized that bravery is being afraid but doing what needs to be done anyways which is again, what the whole episode was about but holy shit I have never loved yang so much in my entire life

-thats a lie I always love yang with my whole entire heart

-when raven cried? I had so many feelings? and then Yang cried? and then I cried? 

-yang breaking down in the magic desert with the triwizard cup.

-#GIVEYANGALLTHEHUGS2K18

-Lionhearts death was so fucking BRUTAL. him being dragged across the ground like that looked straight out of a horror movie and then he way he was still begging even after (presumably) being stabbed (Im going with stabbed through the chest first and then she went for the throat but idk) was fucking dark as shit my dudes. wow.

-and Salem looked so bored after. I felt like she needed a glass of wine in one hand while she wrote out a new tweet: “good help is so hard to find these days, wish my pawns would stop disappointing me #tookoutthetrash”

-so I am so convinced Emerald is in love with Cinder? her reaction when Cinder didn't come up made me actually so sad, cause she's so devoted to her.

-honestly I think I just want more lesbians but really am I wrong about this?

-BLAKE AND YANG SMILING AT EACH OTHER. 

- THAT ILLUSION. I love the fact that this season the opening credits were taken so literally. also illusion Salem is both terrifying but she also looked like she belonged in a ghostbusters movie.

-when it cuts back to them it looks like yang gives exactly 0 fucks.

-Adam looking at Hazel, Mercury and Emeralds escape and then leaving alone. yeah bro. great powerful friends you got there. fucking dick.

-belladonna fam hugs 

-based on this conversation I think next season will kinda conclude the White Fang storyline. I don't think the Faunus rights stuff will go away but I think we are gonna start focusing on the relics and the maidens and Salem specifically

-again Sun and Blake are SO DANG CUTE this episode! the whole spinning Blake around with his tail thing! if I didn't ship Bees much I would ship Blacksun with y'all, I totally get it. he's just so encouraging and sweet this episode! (I might start to ship both, ngl)

-YANG WHY THE FUCK YOU LYIN

-YAY! MY SWEET GIRLS ARE ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN! Weiss and Ruby being all worried about each other when they both god fucking wrecked like 2 episodes ago! Yang checking on her sister first because she still isn't quite sure how to react to Blake being there! Blake looking so unsure of herself because she still getting used to the idea that people will forgive her for the things she thinks she's done, and then they're so okay with her being there and she's like “I'm not going anywhere” and Weiss and Ruby look so happy about that and Yang looks so conflicted cause like. Blake did leave her when she was really vulnerable and but she just came back and she's gonna stay and Blake looks so prepared for Yang to hate her and she basically forgives her with one word and I SWEAR TO GOD SHES BLUSHING AND BLAKE LOOKS SO RELIEVED AND THEY HAVE A GROUP HUG AND THE SONG PLAYING AND MY HEART. IM FUCKING. HURFHFHJFJHSEFDJDEKDEJESFJJNSDFJNFDHGFYHEDKWD

-AND IF YOU LOOK WHEN THE GROUP HUG IS OVER YANG AND BLAKE IMMEDIATELY LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND YOU CANT SEE YANGS FACE BUT HOLY SHIT BLAKES FACE LOOKS SO??? LOVING???? AND HAPPY LIKE I DONT THINKS SHES EVER LOOKED BEFORE AND I CANT. I CANNOT. I AM WRECKED FROM THIS.

-so for sure I definitely wanted bees to happen this episode. but. I completely agree that if they are going to go that fired tin in the show, now wasn't really the time. they haven't seen each other for months. and yeah Yang has forgiven Blake but they haven't exactly talked about it. theres a lot of damage that was caused by everything that happened at the end of season 3, and while they've grown a lot as people and learned through other people to understand the reasons for the others actions, they really need to have a proper talk before anything serious can happen with them. that being said, I really hope for a conversation with an instrumental version of BMBLB playing in the background within the first few episodes of season 6. please.

-give me my slow burn gays

-”GET THIS SHIT TO ATLAS MOTHERFUCKER” “<SIGH>”

-the end credit song is SO FUCKING GOOD OH MY GOD LET ME AT THE SOUNDTRACK RT PLEASE WHY MUST YOU TORTURE US THIS WAY

-when Tai glares at Raven tho. please actually fulfill your end credit sequence and let them have a conversation. please please please.

and this concludes my swear filled review of RWBY season 5 episode 14. I'm gonna watch it for the fourth time and them cry and then maybe sleep, cause its 3 am and I am. emotions.

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW: RWBY – Vol. 5, Ch. 13: “DOWNFALL”

The end is nigh.

This week gave us: The cavalry, a humiliation, walking in on something unexpected, and a big deal heavyweight fight.

Block out them spoilers, people.

In “Downfall”, RWBY gives us an adrenaline rush of an episode which, from start to finish, provides only a few moments to catch the breath. It hinges on catharsis and set-piece action, while promising that next week’s finale is ripe with possibility. Because in this, the “downfall” in particular is inflicted upon the scenario’s primary antagonists. It is the penultimate episode, and yet both Adam and Cinder have been handed decisive defeats.

Blake’s return is all about solidifying her ascendancy over Adam; literally standing above him and looking down at this man who, once upon a time, was the only thing she could see. She is triumphant, resplendent in the support given to her by the loyal faunus, grateful for and emboldened by what Ilia’s change of loyalty represents for the White Fang going forward.

She humiliates a flustered Adam in strategy and combat – this is the same man who, not so long ago, destroyed her and Yang on his own. But that was a different time, and a different Blake.

it’s somehow fitting that, after such a dramatic victory, her reunion with her former teammates is so understated. Of course her first and only word is “Yang”, and of course she hangs in the background when her former partner makes a run for the vault. A single nod shared with Ruby, and then it’s back to the business of wrapping Adam and the White Fang in a neat little bow outside.

I imagine some will have wanted more from Blake’s return – that this handling was so understated that it felt decidedly un-special. But not everything can be tearful hugs, and the state of this battle demands that time is not wasted on overt sentiments. With neither party expecting the other to be around, shock on both sides is the logical direction. There is only enough time for one’s mouth to drop before the task at hand must be revisited, and Yang needs to be reminded that she has a job to do. Nonetheless, shared in Blake and Ruby’s nods to each other is the unspoken promise: Later.

I’ll hold them to that.

After all, if you could only take one in this episode, what would you take? An out-of-place yet emotional team reunion, or an amazing fight between two Maidens? After watching this episode, there’s only one correct answer.

And the fight is truly incredible. I knew last week that this fight was going to be awesome, and even then, it exceeded my expectations.

I never expected this to be a character-revelatory situation for Raven, and this scenario mostly plays to type, as far as she is concerned. Throughout the fight, she is determined, no doubt spurred on by Vernal’s sacrifice, but she remains as confident as ever. And I suppose I can’t fault her for that, given the result of the fight. By the episode’s end, there is the implication that the finale will provide some engaging moments between her and Yang.

Rather, we get a greater sense of what Cinder is like when her back’s against the wall. In this fight, she uses her Grimm arm to try and wrest the advantage, but in hindsight, her transformation could be seen as that which actually caused her defeat. One can imagine that when Raven sees Cinder’s new arm, she sees a double-edged sword, something which could be a threat, but could also be nullified with the right tactics.

Examine the psychology of this fight – and it is there, though it may be difficult for some to see underneath the flash and power moves. Both women approach the fight by meeting fire with fire, and the exchanges seem equal. But actually, it’s far from equal.

Firstly, it makes all the sense in the world that Raven has the edge on Cinder in a fight like this. She is more experienced with the Maiden powers, and is a stronger all-round fighter. Of course, one can never underestimate Cinder, and this is still a Maiden/Maiden fight, which is why, beat by beat, it is played out to look more even than it is. As good as Raven knows she is, she still leaves nothing to chance in making sure that she has an answer for whatever Cinder can throw at her. When it seems that Cinder takes the upper hand with her Grimm arm, Raven immediately responds with a burst of her own power and some choice words about the drawbacks of Cinder’s experiment.

Actually, the longer the fight goes on, the more one realises that Cinder’s little flicker of ascendancy was nothing more than a mirage, and Raven’s strategy and strength becomes clear. By forcing Cinder into a prolonged battle and combining her own attacks with counters against Cinder’s moves, this will make Cinder, not yet having faced strong opposition to her Maiden powers, run out of steam and lose the breadth of her focus.

And it works: not being able to gain the upper hand on Raven after so long is what ends up frustrating Cinder, to the point that she is caught off-guard and beaten by the final play. It costs Vernal the last of her ebbing life force, but it allows Raven to take Cinder well out of the picture.

Up above, the protagonists have the advantage against their foes. And down in the vault, beyond the ornate door, the Relic – and Raven’s insurance policy against Salem – awaits. But Yang is there too, and who knows how she will react to, well, everything. We’re going to have a very interesting finale on our hands, that’s for sure.

Additional Observations:

- Weiss’s reaction to learning of her injury: “That’s … annoying.” Love you Weiss.

- Great moment when Blake just sidestepped Adam’s slash and dropped the hammer down on him. B-ruh.

- What are you trying to say, show? What are you suggesting about Blake and Yang? I see you, and I’m not saying it, just asking the question.

- I caught a bit of Weiss’s song in the score when she returned to full-strength and literally dragged Hazel back into the building. Remember when we were all pissed that the show implied they might be killing her off?

- In this week’s “Has No Chill”: Hazel, Nora, Raven, Cinder. Where is the chill with these people? I mean, aside from how Raven finishes off Cinder.

- It is disappointing that we haven’t learned more about Vernal. Who was she? She was the decoy for Raven, but how did she feel about that? Did she ever have doubts? How did Raven treat her in that position? What does Vernal’s position and sacrifice say about Raven as a person?

- Because we still don’t know enough about Raven. Hopefully the finale will shed a lot of light, because I still really want to get a deeper sense of her character. I haven’t given up on that.

Grade: A-

Final Thoughts: “Downfall” is surprising in that it capitalises on so much of the previous episode’s setup, suggesting that RWBY has some new or different ideas about how it will approach the impending season finale. Blake’s return is triumphant and at the clear expense of Adam, providing immediate catharsis for a long-term storyline, while her reunion with her old teammates is understandably low-key and promising of more. The Raven/Cinder fight is a white-knuckle ride of focus and power, easily the show’s most impactful fight in a long time. Raven besting Cinder so decisively is effective in its execution and psychology, and exposes Cinder’s frailties. While the fighting continues above ground, Yang confronting her mother with the Relic in reach sets up worthy intrigue for the finale.

[zwei-the-penguin-with-a-pen]

I was figuring they wouldn't give us much of a fight in the finale, since the volume's climax was last episode. I can see what everyone is complaining about, but I don't think they did such a bad job. I mean, that fucking BATTLE OF GODS shit they did last episode probably cost more time and funding than the whole rest of the volume. If we want them to make the best show they can, we need to take the good with the not-as-good-but-still-good. There’s supposed to be seven more installments, so there’s plenty of story and good fights ahead of us.

And on the BEES front, there will be plenty of time for angst in the future. Calm down, ya nutjobs! But did y'all see Weiss with a deathgrip on Ruby's wrist??? WEISS DAS GAY!!! XD

[team-crtq]

Volume 5 Episode 9 Review

Mod Quartz here!

“Perfect Storm” huh? Yeah, a storm would have helped with this episode.

So we begin this episode off with Raven sharping one of her katannas manually (you’d think there would be a device to help do this more efficiently but whatever) when Vernal comes in, warning Raven that Salem’s forces have come a calling. So Raven grabs her mask and walks out to see Cinder, Emerald and Mercury along with their chanperone Watts waiting for her. Now I wanna talk about WHY Raven would have her mask on with these people around, especially since they would know who she is and I believe the answer is that the mask is suppose to create a disconnect between Raven and the group. SHe’s using the mask to send a message of “I am not gonna put up with you guys” which is emphasized by her latter hostility towards them as well the fact that the time she does take it off is when she is making a deal with them.

Cinder and Raven begin trading words with one another and I finally get why people complained about Cinder’s voice in previous Volumes. Maybe because the voice acting has improved so much that it’s more noticeable but there’s something off to Cinder’s voice in her pitch, as though it’s really fake and insincere. I can definitely see now her voice actress isn’t the best and it is something of an annoyance here, especially when we have better voices like Watts and Raven going around to contrast her. They should probably either get her some voice acting lessons or get a better voice actor.

So after Mercury and Raven go into a small bit of dick fighting (there’s a TFS joke here somewhere), Cinder introduces herself and her comrades. Although it is telling of her ego that she calls Mercury and Emerald her “disciples” like she’s some sort of priestess. Then Raven proceeds to prove she and Qrow DO have something in common as she accurately describes the group in the most demeaning way possible to the point that the only thing that is said is that Watts was also a doctor as well as a scientist. I am glad that we do get some info on Watts (that he is from Atlas, was known there and is disgraced) but I can’t really take Raven’s side because she isn’t any better and she’s almost an egomaniac herself.

So then Raven and Cinder get into an exchange of verbal blows before Cinder channels her inner Cornholio and Raven orders Vernal out to prove that she does in fact have the Spring Maiden. Of course, Cinder demands proof as any good villain  should and Vernal begins to show just the sliver of her power as she agitates the wind and darkens the sky while Cinder is looking like she just found a delicious steak she wants to stab...Yeah, I wish I was joking. I do like that in this sequence we have a nice vocal score to company the out of this world power of the maidens but also Vernal’s hesitance to show it showing that she never wanted the power in the first place. Nice touch.

After that, Raven reminds them that Vernal has far more experience than Cinder as a way of reminding them who has the upper hand (guess Raven missed out on the info that Cinder Emerald and Mercury too care of a Maiden before WITHOUT said power). Cinder responds by asking her to not insult her intelligence then reminds them that Salem will hunt them down even if they escape, playing on Raven’s apathy. She offers a deal with Raven and this is where Watts steps in. He explains to Raven that Salem doesn’t care about the Maidens and only cares about the Relics, something I don’t buy a second. They are walking talking nukes. Everyone cares about them. He then asks to borrow Vernal to unlock the vault and Salem will let them go, ending with an implied threat and proof that Watt’s voice actor is earning his pay check.

Raven now points out the foolishness of thinking they can just waltz into Haven Academy before they counter with the fact that Lionheart is with Salem and thus it is that easy. Raven proceeds to freak a little as she’s forced into a corner and just wants to be left alone and the group just dismisses her, basically pointing to Vernal and saying that she lost the right. Cinder reiterates the deal again, putting emphasis on the fact that they don’t want to deal with them. Raven tries stalling for time to think whole Watts cuts her off, drops the bombshell that the White Fang will try to destroy Haven in two days and demands an answer there and then. Raven comments about the corner she’s in, Cinder pushes for an answer and Raven takes off her helmet to look them in the eye, talking about trust and how she needs more from them. Specifically: Qrow dead. ... yeah saw this coming. This isn’t really anything new or out of nowhere but I am glad it’s established now.

Raven goes on to explain that Qrow would be a nuisance to her if she helped them and that they can get him to lower his guard through Leo. Cinder seems to agree on this but Watts butts in, reminding them of their objective and how tough and noisy Qrow is. Raven tries to explain that with the man power they have, they could overwhelm him quickly as to not draw attention but Watts explains that causing a scene of any kind would make the White Fang’s attack fail. Cinder then comes up with the idea that they kill Qrow when the White Fang attacks as to cover up evidence which is an actually good plan. She tries extending her hand to Raven but Watts catches on to what she really wants and warns her about him not taking the consequences. Cinder shoots back that he is being irrational and proceeds to burn the hand touching him while she and Raven seal the deal.

All in all this scene was...okay. It had some highlights such as Watts’  interactions and Vernal but some low points like Cinder’s voice acting. Really it was just average.

We now cut to the Belladonna household as Ghira leaps and climbs all over the damn place like a hulked out werewolf as he takes care of two mooks and pins one of the Fox brothers with a spear while getting hit with a fireball, Here, the animation kind of speeds up and slows down but it’s easy to tell why since the movements that are thought of as quick like flinging people away and throwing weapons is fast but less epic moments are slower. It’s understandable but not excusable, especially since it makes the fight scene a little confusing since it seems like Ghira LETS himself get pinned.

It seems as though a White Fang soldier is about to snipe Ghira when Monkey Boy himself comes to the rescue, busting through a window. The brothers switch their attention to Sun as they pin him with a  fiery tornado which he blocks by spinning his staff...It’s anime, don’t bother asking how. Then once more, Blake climbs in, drawing their attention and, in a callback to Volume 2, freezes their weapons with an icy clone of herself. And this is all nice and stuff but I do have a problem with Ghira dropping out of the fight suddenly when they switch focus. I guess eh could have been catching his breath but a quick shot could have helped.

After that, Blake and Sun regroup with her dad as she asks where Kali is and Ghira can’t say since he was immediately ambushed. She tries fighting the brothers but her dad sends her off to find her mom, which is a pretty good idea if Kali isn’t a big fighter. He then demands that she leave and that SUn better prove his worth. Sun reassures her and they two launch back into battle while Blake goes to find her mom. Honestly the scene should have been longer as Ghira and Sun fight them off to give it more of an impact. That was a pretty big mistake but not nearly enough to ruin the scene.

We now see Raven hunched over in her tent, apparently in thought as Vernal enters, informing her of the fact that the group is still in Haven. We then have Vernal looking unusually doubtful as she questions if they’ll be left alone after that. Of course, Raven says no and tells about how Salem will discard them when they are done and used up so thy need to get the relic first. ... Calling it now: Mexician standoff in the relic room. Raven goes on to say how she’ll et the chaos go on and she’ll grab the relic when everyone else is busy. Vernal again sounds uncertain as she asks about Yang, which Raven naturally brushes off. I like that Vernal of all people here is the human one, the one with a moral compass. Sets up for her to be a good guy. Raven talks about how difficult things will be for them and how they must do what is best for the tribe before leaving Vernal. We cut to Haven with Qrow being dragged away by Oscar so Ozpin can talk to him with it implying Raven is coming to see him.

The final scene is of Blake running throughout the house, looking for her mom when she comes across Illa, looking down on her. They two reach for their weapons and the episode ends as they draw them.

All in all, this episode was...meh. It was mediocre, average, nothing special. Feels like something from Volume 2 than Volume 5. The action was okay when it was hear, the dialogue was alright and the voice acting was mixed in a few areas. I reserve my judgement on this for now as I need to see the rest of Volume 5 to judge but for now, it’s the worst of Volume 5 and not in a good way.

[bubachu]

RWBY V5E05 Review

Like I said before in my first impressions post, this episode wasn't terrible but very boring.

Blake and Sun getting signatures to defend Haven makes no sense. I get that it was an easy shorthand to show us Menagerie reluctance to stopping Adam but what were they going to do with the signatures. Were they going to show it to Adam and hope he cowers in fear over all the names. Was Blake trying to recruit them in her own militia. I don’t understand how signatures would help them defend Haven.

After that we get a scene where Blake and Sun are sitting around and talking. It’s good that they’re showing us Blake’s motivation and growth since the last Volume, but they did it in such a stale way. Just two characters sitting around and talking, and no amount of adorable cat ear animations can make up for how exposition heavy it feels.

One thing that annoys me was when Blakes says, regarding Ilia, “She could pass as human, but she didn’t.” Yes, she did. You know she did because she told you. The only reason she stopped was because her parents died in a mining accident and she couldn’t control her colors when grieving. Did the writers forget the Blake character short or was this episode written before that?

Next, is Ruby and Oscar’s scene and note that the show implies that it’s been a few weeks since the last episode and Ozpin predicting that Salem will attack in about a month. This is my favorite scene from the episode but that’s not saying much. At least it’s more animated. Oscar getting angry because he’s scared and Ruby attempting to encourage him, first by giving him some superficial ‘you can do this’ line, but when that didn’t work, she then opens herself up to him about her own fears to give him some solidarity. It’s a good scene and I like how the writer’s added the ‘there hasn’t been a day that I’ve never thought about them’ line regarding Penny and Pyrrha. It’s shows that the writers acknowledge their mistakes in the previous Volume, and are trying to rectify it. Overall, it’s a good scene.

Which is why it sucks that they ruin it by having Ozpin tell the audience how they should feel.

“She really is remarkable isn’t she.” THANK YOU, OZPIN. I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT RUBY IS REMARKABLE IF YOU DIDN’T TELL ME. WHAT’S THAT, OZPIN. RUBY HAS THE ABILITY TO INSPIRE OTHERS. WOW! I WOULDN’T HAVE GUESSED. IT’S NOT LIKE SHE SPENT JUST SPENT THE LAST THIRTY SECONDS GIVING OSCAR AN INSPIRING SPEECH. THANK YOU OZPIN FOR BLATANTLY TELLING US, THE AUDIENCE, WHAT WE SHOULD THINK.

The final scene is back at Menagerie because we need something to push the plot forward and the heroes aren’t going to do it. So, we see that the White Fang have their own way to communicate overseas and I have questions on how, but whatever. The show ends with Ilia receiving orders to kill the Belladonna parents and capture Blake and it’s poetic because Ilia joined the White Fang because her parents were killed, so Ilia is faced with the hypocrisy of the situation. We also see the Fox twins doubt the Adam’s leadership and I like that they’re not blind followers and could possibly have some agency of their own.

One last thing I want to say is when Adam says, “The Belladonna name has brought me nothing but grief,” I couldn’t stop laughing. I can’t tell if that delivery was intentional, but I hope it was.

Once again, not a terrible episode but a boring one.

[aren-freya]

Rwby Volume 5, Chapter 1: Welcome to Haven(Sorry it’s not all in order. I’m half asleep.)

I love how Mistral looks! The Japanese style architecture, the diverse culture and it seems Faunus have more rights there than Vale or Atlas.

Nora and Ruby scolding the ones closest to them is so cute.

Omg the introduction of Lionheart was hilarious! I love how Qrow and him fell over.

Nora is always a plus.

So the Spring Maiden left at a young age and was taken in by Raven? I can get it. It’s a lot of responsibility for a kid.

Sneaky Lionheart, sending the map right to Watts.

Yang is such a beauty!

That’s my girl! No one touches Yang’s hair!

It’s a shame she’s going after her mother but I can get why.

Strange to see Sun and Ghira getting along but I’m not hating it.

Ilia, just leave! Can’t you see you’re being used?!

Ahh my ice princess! So kind and it broke my heart to see her upset she couldn’t save people.

Hah Drunk Qrow is a win!

Omg, that opening! Where do I even start?! The music, the animation and emotion! I am so pumped for the Volume!

[dayshawnrshow]

#rwby volume 5 episode 10 #anime review and recap #subscribe #dayshawnrshow #share #rt #rp #animereviewer

[play-read-write]

Okay so because I really like the show, i decided I wanted to talk about it some more. So let’s talk about RWBY Vol5 Ep 1 (Spoilers below the cut):

HERE WE GO! Alright I liked the episode. Definitely. Opening on Qrow and RNJR walking through the well animated hallway was great. The way it started out confined and narrow and then opened up into a bright, beautiful area, like they’re finally breaking out of all the darkness that happened in volume three. Ruby’s excitement and her little joke about how “only one of us almost died.” was great stuff. 

Then it cuts to Weiss and we see her on the airship. Apparently its been quite the long trip, but she’s getting close now. Unfortunately they pass up some people in need of help, which surprised me as I figured thats where the bug grimm would come in. But she was clearly bothered by that, wanting to help others. She’s definitely gotten nicer and become more of a huntress. 

Then Back to Ruby and we see her so happy to have made it, and finally meet Leo. Who does a great job of not seeming like an actual bad guy. He’s clearly working with Salem, and makes a few moves for her and manages to postpone Qrow, but his personality and demeanor make it seem likable and kind. He’s probably just too scared of Salem to turn her down. 

Changing over to Blake, Sun and Ghira clearly still aren’t getting along, but at least they work together. She plans on going public with all her information in order to turn the faunus of Menagerie against the WF. Based on how things have been going so far, I don’t see that going too well for her, unfortunately. Ilia showed up and tried to warn her though, another person on the wrong side who seems to be generally good. Really like them putting more characters like that in. 

Then ofc we can’t forget Yang. Turns a guy into a freaking superball. Nice call back to the yellow trailer with “a little too young” too. Then we get the shot of her shaky hand, which is great continuation from before. She’s still dealing with stuff. Do have to say i’m a bit disappointed she’s going towards Raven. They seemed to imply she was going to Ruby last volume and that made a lot more sense to me. Go to your sister Yang! 

And Oscar was there again, and Qrow was drunk. That was fun. I liked Qrow’s “wait for it...” when Oscar said who he was. And also the way JNR were just like “Why?” when he said he was looking for Ruby. After Tyrian they’re taking NO chances. 14 year old boy? Doesn’t matter they ready to throw down! 

As for the maidens, that part is interesting. We know that spring left, and they need her to access one of the relics. But WHY are the maidens necessary to get the relics? Who made the chambers? Are the maidens tied to the relics, or were the doors made afterwards specifically to guard the relics in a way nobody could get them all and the maidens have no connections to the objects themselves? I wanna know more. 

Anyway, overall good ep. i give it a 7/10. Decent beginning, got to see all the girls, clearly starting things off. Don’t like Yang going after Raven, and it was a bit slow compared to other first episodes, but that’s fine. we got 13 eps to go and I can’t wait to see them all!

[qrowst-with-the-most]

Update post!

I'm gonna forego my stream tonight and make myself do replies, and from there I'm gonna try to start doing them on a more regular basis! Secondly, I'm also gonna try making more videos on my YouTube channel! I want to/need to do a review/gushing rant about the movie "Your Name.", do a RWBY5 speculation video, and do an in-character cosplay Q&A for Qrow Branwen cause that's sounds FUN AS FUCK! If you have any ideas pertaining to RWBY5 speculation or questions you'd like Qrow to answer, my inbox is wide open. Go for it! Inspire me!

[faboover]

Here it is. The video that the Universe tried to stop me from uploading today by cutting out the power in the middle of rendering 3 TIMES!!.

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW: RWBY – Vol. 5, Ch. 14: “HAVEN’S FATE”

The end is here.

This week gave us: Winning, family therapy, losing, and team bonding.

Spoilers – you know they’ll be mad when you see Cinder looking shocked.

In “Haven’s Fate”, RWBY wraps up its fifth season with a solid finale. There is enough here that makes it a very fine episode. The ending provides the battle-scars I am talking about, with all four of the RWBY girls finally coming back together and sharing a silent, meaningful embrace in reunion – truly, a moment of beauty. The plot is in no great hurry, with the antagonists dispatched and the fighting all but over. This episode is devoted mostly to wrapping up the ramifications of the previous one, and the pace is consistent throughout because of it.

For this finale, I find myself casting the mind back to the premiere of this season. That was not a particularly great episode; it had a specific set of goals it needed to fulfil, and it did so with a general level of competence. There was not a strong theme or hook to the premiere – it just was. And this finale feels similar, for the most part. It tries to have a hook, but heavy hands fumble it and we’re just left with a decent episode that perhaps could have been great.

Look, finales are always tricky. The chances of screwing them up are astronomical, but RWBY has a track record of decent endings under its belt. Volume 3’s finale was a standout piece of brilliance, while the others have all sat on a scale between good and very good – including this one.

I feel that a great season or series finale should carry the weight of the story that has preceded it, and magnify all those affected emotions – the weariness, the relief, the tension. We won’t be returning to this story or visiting the next part of the story anytime soon, so the cathartic feeling that we come away with should hang around for longer than it would after a typical episode.

There is ambition here, an attempt to deliver this feeling at its utmost. The episode tries to push the Yang/Raven confrontation as the central story of the episode, taking the opportunity to flesh out something, anything, of Ravens’ character, while also encapsulating the breadth and depth of Yang’s growth over the years. And I certainly felt something when Yang finally got through to her mother.

But overall, the execution of this angle leaves something to be desired. It gets plenty of time, but as has always been the case with Raven, there’s a hollowness to it all. It’s a shame, too, because this is the first time that we’ve see Raven truly open up and display her full range of emotions. By the end, she realises that Yang has turned her own words against her, stretched her philosophy to the point of contradiction, and, importantly, she’s letting her pain show.  For a moment, one gets the sense that she truly regrets not having been there for her daughter, and when she actually starts crying, she wishes that she had the emotional strength to trade places with Yang, to take the physical and symbolic burden of that Relic upon her own shoulders.

Yeah, something doesn’t click here.

This sudden vulnerability from Raven is clearly supposed to be a surprise. But the surprise is a misplaced one – Raven has given us nothing this season, and I mean that. Her character has been a consistent letdown this season, and this episode tries to reverse that. Sure, one could say that everything until now has been a mask (beneath the actual mask, if you will), and she only ever kept it on to keep her focused – and that Yang’s constant reappearances in her life have been destabilising for her – but no. In the course of her story in this finale alone, Raven’s emotions flit all over the spectrum. And while they provide some insight into her honest feelings, this just feels too late. Before, she was bland. But this performance has rendered her formless to the point of my own frustration. It’s impossible for me to fully invest in her emotions in this episode, because everything that came before it seemed so determined to mute all traces of her personality.

Her story needed heft, and for the seeds of her inner turmoil to be glimpsed and foreshadowed properly. Simply flicking the switch because the moment requires it isn’t enough.

At least Yang is there to salvage it. All I can say is that she has emerged from her trauma-coloured obscurity in Volume 4 to become a real boss in Volume 5. Seeing her emerge from the Vault in this finale just nailed down how important she has become to the fabric of the show. And she’s not the only one – Blake had rough patches in Menagerie, but ultimately has come out of it looking super strong, and like a proper hero as far as her people are concerned. Weiss was quickly relegated to being on the edges of everything this season, but still managed to be an absolute show-stealer almost anytime she was around. With Atlas all but stated to be a focal point of Volume 6, expect her and her family drama to return to the forefront of the story.

Only Ruby didn’t end up doing much, and that’s something that will hopefully be taken into account for Volume 6. She doesn’t need to claim her prophesied mantle now, but it’s imperative that she takes quicker steps toward it from here on out.

These main characters have shown tremendous growth in their two-year separation, and now that they have finally come back together, the anticipation now lies in seeing how that individual growth affects the function of the team as their next set of challenges approach.

Additional Observations:

- Hopefully, what we saw from Raven in this episode is a prototype for her future. She seemingly took Yang’s words to heart before fleeing in shame, so perhaps all of this will prompt an actual character evolution for her.

- Hah! They did the “Checkmate” thing again!

- I’m sure I said weeks ago that Raven’s little Relic Insurance Gambit didn’t make a whole lot of sense. She said back then that she wanted the relic to buy free reign for her tribe, even though it made more sense that Raven would just hunt her down for it. Odd that someone as clever as her would not have been aware of this possibility. (Or more likely a logic gap in the writing.)

- At last, Leo took his final L. The rest of the the antagonists are living to take another. Except Cinder. Who knows when next we’ll see her? Her quest for ultimate megalomania and revenge was thwarted rather soundly, after all.

- Emerald’s Salem illusion was mad. Not as terrifying as the first glimpse of the Nuckelavee from last season, but hey, scary is scary as far as I’m concerned.

- I like Sun nudging Blake towards her former teammates. Also, Blake and Yang shared a number of looks in this episode which should be criminalised for directly hurting my heart. Also also, Weiss was the first to open her arms to Blake for the group hug. Chill.

Grade: B+

Final Thoughts: “Haven’s Fate” is a very good episode for RWBY to close out Volume 5. It provides the necessary closure to the season’s events, whilst allowing respite for the vanquished antagonists, suggesting that the road for the triumphant heroes may yet climb a few notches in difficulty next time around. Yang and Blake are stars of the episode, both separately and, briefly, with each other. Raven continues to be a troublesome character to invest in despite sharing an emotional scene with Yang, which hurts the episode. 

It is quite fitting that the reunion of the complete Team RWBY is, first and foremost, a healing moment – before they even get into the stories of how this even came to pass, these young women can, without a word, share their pain and joy with each other, and understand it. This enduring feeling and image is a fine way to end this chapter of the story.

Final Thoughts on Volume 5:

 If Volume 4 was a muted and experimental indie film, then Volume 5 was a reprise of original programming – the big-budget action-drama in the multiplex.

This season was certainly not consistent. Much of it was a great episode being followed up by a weaker effort, and following that pattern week-by-week. There was very little hesitation in gambling with episode direction – sometimes this paid off, like making an episode all about Blake or the antagonists, and sometimes it didn’t, like making an episode all about the dry Menagerie politics and Raven’s grating dullness. Nonetheless, this season was not one that lacked for ambition and intent, and I appreciate the continued willingness to take these stories in bold directions, even if it doesn’t always work out. 

Ultimately, I would say that this has been a very good season.  Team RWBY is back, and it feels like we’re getting started again.. – Kallie

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW: RWBY – Vol. 5, Ch. 11: “THE MORE THE MERRIER”

Salutations to all celebrating this little holiday period. I’ve never been one for festivities, but have no choice in this particular one – hence me being in another country and expecting to be late with this review. In the end, it’s thankfully on schedule.

This week gave us: All the shounen manga-style fighting you could want from RWBY, and a really dumb thing.

The Internet here is so poor that it can’t handle .gifs, to my great dismay. So in lieu of my usual “spoiler warning” .gif, please enjoy this picture of a cat – people on the Internet like cats, apparently.

See? It’s telling you not to progress any further if you don’t want the spoilers.

In “The More the Merrier”, RWBY takes us straight into the endgame of the season. It relies a lot on shounen manga-style storytelling, which is a good and a bad thing. And ultimately, this is an episode which is about building to a singular moment – the problem being that the moment in question takes a spear to the abdomen and falls flat on its face. Oh wait, too soon?

I don’t see why I should beat around the bush any further, so let’s just get into it. If this show kills Weiss, then I’m going to have a major problem.

This is so different to Pyrrha. With Pyrrha, a significant part of Volume 3 was spent building up something major for her – certainly from the midpoint onwards. I can justify how the show used her – for the most part – because her arc was leading her to a definitive destination. She was either going to triumph over Cinder or lose and die – or something similarly massive, anyway – and because the story was to build up Cinder, and Ruby by extension, Pyrrha was doomed the minute the scenario was drawn up.

Again, this thing with Weiss is so different to Pyrrha’s situation that it’s insane. Weiss’s last major arc was in Volume 4, and nothing has suggested that she could be heading to the same fate. She’s been ancillary for so much of the season – she’s been fantastic in that role, but there’s no denying that her story this season has existed on the fringes, compared to the likes of Yang and Blake, whose arcs have driven the season.

Some argued at the time and since that Pyrrha’s death was a fridging. My opinion was that it could be seen that way, but only in a very narrow context. To me, her death was the bedrock of the entire Volume 4, and, like it or not, death is a very effective and useful narrative device – not that the decision to kill a character off is easy, but sometimes it is the answer. Cinder killing Pyrrha was the right move for the direction of the story – one that Monty himself planned. Sure, I’ll bite on how it affected Jaune, as that plays into the Weiss issue as well. But that argument only goes so far before one has to look at what benefitted the overarching direction at the time, and it certainly would have been a bit pointless for Pyrrha to just defeat Cinder and for Beacon to never fall.

If Weiss dies though, then I will jump on the fridging bandwagon – hell, I’ll start the engine.

Jaune has been a nonentity this season. He – as well as Nora and Ren – have been the fringiest of fringe. He’s had less story than Weiss. So why on Remnant is he so central to this episode? Ignore the problems I have with involving Weiss in the first place – why is he the one attached to her moment?

(Of course I know why, but I’m loathe to actually write it down, because it’s a horrendous thing.)

I get it. Pyrrha kissed him before she died, she was the only one who really gave him a shot, and he’s torn up about it; seeing Cinder again sets him off. But I don’t like that the show is now making Pyrrha’s death and Weiss’s situation all about him, when it wasn’t before. Like, at all. I’ll say it again. To me, Pyrrha’s death was about the narrative, but now the show is retroactively making it central to Jaune, when that was not originally the case. 

And to go even further, Weiss has had nothing to do with Jaune for years. I would be similarly animated if Cinder threw her spear at Ren, for instance, because it makes no sense. The only one I would be okay with being put in this scenario is Qrow. He’s the one who has been built up to be the fall guy for two years now. Why is Weiss being put in a situation that he has been groomed for?

There are still three episodes left, it is important to remember. In fact, I’m still sure that Qrow will die before this season is over, and this Weiss thing is merely a fake-out for another purpose, like triggering Jaune’s semblance or something, which is problematic in itself. But if anything, that’s a reason why I’m sure she’ll survive.

This was a move pulled for shock value, hence its placement at the very end of the episode; hence the show cutting to black before she even hit the floor. With so much time left in the season, there is still a lot of story to tell. Consider all of the above just my warning shots – my preemptive salvo – in case the show does decide to do something stupid, like actually killing off Weiss right now.

But the fact that this is even happening is why I can’t consider this a great episode. There was a lot in it, but to break it down is to realise that this episode was relying on the stuff with Cinder and Jaune to make it gold. Nothing else could touch the depth that this subplot was trying to mine (keyword trying); it was the hook and the line, but the involvement of Weiss is what sinks it, and it taints the rest of this episode.

Forget the other fights for a second; this episode was all about building to the moment where Weiss falls, and that moment did nothing but confuse me.

Up until the ending, though, I liked the rest of this. And I’ve tried to grade this episode with that in mind – this was on track to be a great episode until all the big stuff happened.

I like that the show is really kicking off the endgame with so much time left. It suggests that there will be room for the conclusion to breathe and feel smoothly paced.

Even though it’s cheesy, I like the shounen anime feel of all the confrontations and fights. I picture a scene from Naruto, with two warring shinobi talking well-scripted trash and interlacing it with bursts of action. Every fight in this episode starts with this formula, and it’s fun.

I like that Ruby did the silver-eyes thing again, even though it felt oddly-placed and proved entirely useless. Just seeing it again was a big deal.

Yeah, Weiss was the first to struggle against her opponent, but that makes sense because it’s Vernal and we haven’t seen her fight yet – we have to see evidence that she’s strong. We became aware of some vulnerabilities in the link between Oscar and Ozpin, which was intriguing. Jaune held his own against Cinder, but she didn’t look particularly troubled by him – which makes me think that it’s been five years and he’s barely progressed, but whatever.

This would have been a great way to start this last little run of the season. But it ends up just being weird and making this review sound angry. Of course I’m holding my breath a bit as I await the next episode, which will probably provide the clarity necessary to make my preemptive salvo moot, and will probably give us a way for Weiss to survive.

But as a whole, I’ve still gotta give this episode the side-eyes, while still acknowledging its positives. And I’ve gotta give that ending a hard pass.

Additional Observations:

- So we’ve got Jaune v Cinder, Ruby v Emerald, Yang v Mercury, Weiss v Vernal, Qrow v Raven, Oz v Leo, and Ren & Nora v Hazel.

-  It’s out of nowhere, but I wouldn’t half mind if Jaune’s semblance was healing-related and he saved Weiss. I would prefer it if she just pulled through on her own – or with someone else’s help, sorry – but I wouldn’t mind if this whole thing is a build-up to the awakening of his semblance. It would be corny and dumb and manipulative and dumb, but writers have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to make anything seem plausible, and these writers are no different.

Grade: C+

Final Thoughts: “The More the Merrier” is, overall, an okay attempt to set up RWBY’s endgame for the season. It’s come at an opportune time, surely allowing the stories to develop properly. The episode is a competent packaging of shounen-style confrontations and fights, and the ending sets the stage for a momentous conclusion to Volume 5. But the ending itself is a dud. Whether it’s intended as a fake-out or the actual death of Weiss, the handling of the moment is clumsy, grossly constructed, and reeking of one of the worst kinds of story manipulation. No surprise that it hurts the episode as a whole. – Kallie

[kalico-to-the-letter]

REVIEW: RWBY – Vol. 5, Ch. 6: “KNOWN BY ITS SONG”

Say it with me now:

Welcome to my review of the 6th Chapter of the 5th Volume, entitled, “Known by its Song”. This week gave us: Clearing names, the worst-kept secrets, and cooking for a bunch of people.

You already know at this point – I be hitting you with spoilers, being like:

In “Known by its Song”, RWBY shows us that it knows what it’s doing with these big moments. And that’s it’s not too bad at the other stuff either.

I’m being facetious; this episode really is an example of RWBY‘s storytelling abilities working at their optimum, and in my opinion, this is the best episode of the season so far. 

It is efficient and effective; all the storylines featured were advanced significantly. It is revelatory and moving.

Some of you may think differently – that a RWBY episode without a fight scene cannot be the best. I would argue that RWBY hasn’t been big on fight scenes ever since the end of Volume 3. Nowadays, it saves them for when they can make a point, rather than just having them at every given opportunity. Therefore, as the show has leant far heavier on its writing, I feel that it should be judged foremost on the strength of said writing. It just so happens that the writing in this episode is pretty damn great from top to bottom.

A poignant opening sequence with Qrow sets the tone. He’s looking for Hunters to help his team, to no avail. There is a really subtle tone switch that happens early in this sequence, that I found nice. It starts off kinda humorous, with Qrow in a bar, asking about a guy we haven’t heard of. When he says that he’s friends with the guy, the barkeep harangues him for the guy’s substantial debts. Qrow backs out and goes looking for more names, groaning in despair when nothing can be done. Initially, it feels like because we still don’t really know what’s going on, it’s easy to watch him and read the sequence as a bit of humour. But it keeps going, and that feeling goes away. When he inquires about the services of one woman, it becomes quickly apparent that the woman is missing, and that’s when the scene clicks and it becomes something different. Something sobering.

Because it’s not at the forefront of every episode, the overarching and constant turmoil of the kingdoms is something that we can be excused for forgetting. But here, as Qrow is crossing off the names of Hunters who have gone missing in action, we are reminded of the cost, and just how Salem is currently winning the war. Qrow is stuck in a situation where he has the time (that he didn’t want) to find reinforcements, but those reinforcements don’t exist. It feels desperate for him and the RNJR mission in general. To see Weiss and Yang come through that portal must have felt like an absolute godsend for him – its also a very worthy payoff going from one end of the episode to the other, like a mini-story of despair to hope.

It further underpins the strong logic of the episode’s progression. When Raven offers Yang the choice – stay with her, start fresh and learn what Raven knows, or go and seek the answers from Qrow – I was compelled. I’ve said before that I would have been happy with Yang’s decision, whether she stayed with Raven or left, and I had that in mind when watching the scene. And my heart soared when Yang gave the perfect comeback: “All I care about is making sure my sister is safe.”

Bruh. I cannot understate the brilliance of that. Here is Raven, presenting Yang with all manner of concerns, trying to plant doubt in her mind about Qrow and Ozpin, and of course Yang is bugged about it. Weiss is too. But in her mind, it’s “Forget Qrow, forget Salem, forget Ozpin. Don’t worry about all that – get me to Ruby.”

It’s just sticking true to the character. And I’m not just giving the show props for something that any storyteller should do, because let’s be honest, I could have made a similar argument if Yang had stayed – her mother has been a fixture in her consciousness for some time now, and it would have made just as much sense to keep her in the camp and go off on a new subplot. But we’ve also learned that when it comes to down to it, Ruby means everything to Yang. She may come to regret turning Raven down, but that’s why we make these decisions as writers, because of the possibilities that can grow out of them.

I’ll say comfortably that this reunion didn’t carry the same weight as the one between Weiss and Yang. It wasn’t better or worse, just something different. Weiss and Yang’s reunion felt like long-lost lovers (excuse me for that language), something rendered almost magical in quality by the technical direction and writing. 

It would have been a mistake to try and replicate that, and they didn’t. They had this one in the living room of RJNR’s pad, with Qrow, Oscar/Ozpin, Jaune, Nora, and Ren all in the background. The final shot was of Weiss, Ruby, and Yang sharing an embrace, with everyone else looking on. This was more like family – and it helps that Yang and Ruby are actual family. It’s touching in its own way; Ruby is immediately sorrowful that she left Yang at home, that she should have stayed and been with her during Yang’s rehab. And of course Yang just rubbishes that; tearful hug ensues.

And cue Weiss standing off to the side, looking somewhat sad and awkward. It’s like she’s nervous to be around Ruby again. Just watch her reaction when Ruby invites her into the embrace. Lord. She didn’t even have to say anything in the reunion scene, and she was still amazing.

Once again, this is a show which has become so proficient at tapping into its fabric to make these moments feel so special. The fact that it can deliver the two reunions it has in such different ways – while still delivering on the emotion that they demand – stands as an example of that.

I imagine there will be questions about Blake. I have my own, because there has to be a reason why it’s taking so long for her to get out of Menagerie, when the rest of her friends are already reunited. What would that reunion even look like? Keeping in mind that her family is in danger, what context would a reunion even take place under?

Not to mention that there now has to be a conversation about just what Yang and Weiss were doing coming through one of Raven’s portals and by extension from Raven herself. Qrow has to reconcile that Yang and Weiss have already come from the place that RJNR is aiming to go. 

I don’t like to speculate, but it’s easy to see RJNR arriving too late and coming across a camp destroyed by Cinder and abandoned. I’ll just let you mull on those implications.

Additional observations:

- Before you say that the reunions would have been good no matter how they were delivered, let me say that nothing is foolproof, and just as there were so many ways to make them great, it also would have been very easy to botch them as well.

- Much of what makes this the best of the current six episodes is contextual. Two others have A- grades in my reviews – the second and the fourth. The fourth was hurt by its proximity to a Menagerie angle, which, at the time, was bad. The second is close, but this one here edges it by being a cleaner package overall, and the connection that we have to Ruby, Weiss, and Yang is a stronger one than our connection to the antagonists.

- What keeps this episode from being perfect is that we’ve been due for more antagonist focused-scenes. I would prefer to see Salem and Cinder’s movements coming, because I would rather have suspense and foreshadowing over surprise and shock. And of course because we need Menagerie to keep moving, rather than being on this biweekly thing that almost every storyline is on. The show needs Blake to get out of there, which means that the storyline needs to hit its climaxes soon.

- Always look for the little things. The way the barkeep realises what Qrow is saying when he offers to pay off the missing Hunter’s debt is sad. You can see his frustration, his angry lament that even though this guy who owed him a bunch of money won’t be coming back to pay it off, he also won’t be coming back at all.

- Weiss was appropriately quiet in the Raven scenes. But that eyeroll she tosses at Raven just before she rides off with Yang is priceless.

- Think about this. Weiss jumped all over Yang in their reunion. With Ruby, she felt anxious, almost like she wasn’t sure how to act in front of her. She just looked so grateful when Ruby called out to her. This is another reason why all the reunions can’t be the same, because of the relationships in play. Now I want to see how Weiss reacts to seeing Blake, although I imagine Yang will be the focus of that particular reunion. It doesn’t take away from the fact that Weiss has been the absolute gem of this season.

Grade: A

Final thoughts: “Known by its Song” is an example of RWBY at its best. All the featured storylines are advanced in an episode which is somehow concise yet full of emotion – both underlying and explicit. The writing is fantastic, with performances to match. If only we could get more of the antagonists or of Blake’s storyline for variation’s sake, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there. The reunion is as great as you would have predicted – it’s just part of an episode where, simply, everything shines. – Kallie

[team-crtq]

Volume 5 Episode 2 Review

HOO BOY. I wasn’t expecting this at all. I don’t think any of us were. 

We open up with Lionhart in his office with his head in his hands. Watts, in all his long-legged, mustached glory, enters and asked Lionhart if he’s ready. The enter a secret chamber where one of the Seer Grimm is waiting and contact Salem with it, informing her about Qrow, RNJR, and the Spring Maiden. 

I enjoyed a lot about this scene, which isn’t surprising given how much I love villains. Watts is shaping up to be an enjoyable villain. He seems to remain unaffected and even amused by the things happening around him, and takes joy in messing with Cinder and Lionhart both. He doesn’t hesitate when speaking to Salem and at the beginning of the scene he didn’t even wait for Lionhart to give his report before interrupting him to talk about his fascination with the Seer Grimm and to mock Cinder. 

Another thing I noticed is how many times Salem reminded Lionhart of his fear and kept him from gaining too much confidence in himself. When he tells her about the Spring Maiden, she instead, very deliberately, thanks Watts; making sure that Lionhart knows that he is still beneath them both. When he gets too passionate and tries to tell Salem to hurry to the Spring Maiden, she gets annoyed and chokes him with the Seer, reminding him of what she is capable of. We all know that Lionhart is based off the cowardly lion so him being so afraid of Salem isn’t really a surprise. But I liked that Salem actively continued to renew that fear inside him, repeatedly reminding him of his low place on the totem pole, instead of just assuming that he’ll always be afraid of her. Which is noticeably different from how she treats her other subordinate, such as Watts and Cinder, whom she indulges and allows to speak their minds. They are loyal to her, but Lionhart could be swayed, so he needs to be kept on a tight leash. 

And Cinder, finally recovered, vengeful Cinder. In volume 4 she was a shell of her former self, defeated and embarrassed. Now we see her after her recovery, when she’s gotten her voice and her strength back. Her femme fatale attitude has been stripped away and all that’s left is her anger toward Ruby. It’s funny really, she’s focused on Ruby, but Jaune is the one focused on her. I’m curious to how that situation will play out. 

In the next scene we have Weiss! Still on the airship travelling through “Lake Matsu’s floating islands.” And I love these islands, they’re really pretty and it’s nice to see how dust affects the environment around it. 

And so Weiss and the pilot witness two ships getting destroyed by the wasp grimm, now officially named Lancers, and enter into an air battle. To be honest, I don’t really like how the smoke looks. It feels too cartoony and bubbly. It looks pretty awkward against the more textured backgrounds. 

The fight scene itself is pretty good. The choreography isn’t as impressive as it has been, and some of Weiss’s movements are awkward, but it’s a fun scene. I did enjoy watching the airship maneuver through the islands and I was actually starting to like the pilot and his interactions with Weiss. I also liked how Weiss used her glyphs to slow down the ship when it was crashing. The way it was animated to slow down then break through the glyph was nice to see. 

And now this scene. Adam is talking to the leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan. She berates him for what happened at Beacon and warns him that he is not infallible. He responds by saying that he was only following her example. Which...isn’t really wrong. While in this scene we find out that she is not as extreme as Adam, she is still the one who allowed his behavior to become normalized. By introducing the White Fang to violence, she unintentionally allowed Adam to continue pushing how much he could do. He was able to manipulate the White Fang and twist their need for vengeance more and more until they turned against their own leader. Talk about ironic. 

And, of course, there’s the matter of Sienna Khan dying only five minutes after we’re introduced to her. Do I agree with this decision? Mostly no. Do I understand it? Yes. I do think that we should have been given more time to get to know Sienna and flash her out. I do think it was a waste of both a character and a design for her to die so immediately. But I also think that that was kind of the point. From what we’ve seen of Sienna, I think that she could be reasoned with. If Hazel was unable to sway her, Blake might have been. But now, because of Adam’s overconfidence and arrogance, we won’t know. Like Hazel said, “no one had to die today.” Her death was entirely unnecessary and it’s all thanks to Adam that we won’t see any more of her. So, long story short, fuck Adam. 

As for Hazel himself, I, like almost everyone, am interested in seeing more of him. Unlike Tyrian, who would have been more than happy to see Sienna die; or Watts, who would have, at most, been amused by Adam’s actions and consequently Salem’s punishment; Hazel seemed very annoyed at Adam. He has a moral compass inside him that the other villains seem to lack. I’m excited to see what they do with his character.

And finally, we’re with Weiss again. And Raven. I don’t think any of us saw this coming and I’m very interested to see how this will play out. 

And I have to say, I’m glad that all of team RWBY (except for Blake as of now) is headed toward a singular point. It feels like all of the plot threads from volume 4 are actually coming together. In my opinion it works much better than if RWBY were to randomly meet on the street in Mistral. Their personal plot threads would have no connection to each other and I feel like it would be a much bigger mess to deal with. So good on the writers for making the reunion very intentional. 

Overall this was a good episode. Most of my complaints have to do with the animation being awkward at places and some of the voice acting. Specifically Cinder’s. I know that she hasn’t been the best voiced character and a lot of people make of of her hammy villain voice, but something about it didn’t click for me this episode. Good job CRWBY, I can’t wait for episode 3. 

-Mod Cobalt