#I love the RWBY soundtracks

[st-whalefall]

Yeah I think we’re talking past each other a little but vigorously agreeing.

Agreed. It would be very cool if the wordless vocals we hear in the RWBY volume 8 score for the episode Midnight becomes a full Casey song OR was a possible sneak peak at a future Casey song.

Volume 8’s score is interesting because each track is named for the literal episode title it coincides with. The specific vocals we’re both referring to are from Midnight Pt. I timestamp 3:12.

I have great news! The song that plays over the Midnight fight between Cinder and Rhodes does exist: Awake by Ok Goodnight. Awake was explicitly not written for RWBY however. The vocalizations in the clip you reblogged before that scene are part of the volume 8 score.

Though—to your point—the signing we hear under Cinder’s lines (“Without you I am nothing. But because of you I am EVERYTHING.”) and after she drops the madam might be a sneak peak at a future cinder song; as the rwby score so often likes to do. 👀 (I agree I hope we get a full song from that riff) I personally would love the midnight clock tolling to feature in that hypothetical Casey song

Hi there, I am so sorry for the belated response t this but thanks so much for sending through this info, though I think there was a bit of a miss-communication sorry ><

This is a legit amazing song to be sure, but its not the song I was thinking of.

The music I am looking for is the haunting quire we hear the end of in the opening of this video:

But yeah good insights there, I really hope we get that song expanded on because it was so freaking powerful!

[majoringinsarcasm]

I think out of every rwby song Let’s Just Live might be the most beautiful. Like the fall of the lyrics rising into the AMAZING AND HOPEFUL instrumental. It’s a tribute to Monty as well as an establishing theme of the show itself. It never fails to make me cry and then elated each time. Like it’s pulling me out of whatever darkness I’m in no matter what even for just those few minutes. It’s so so utterly gorgeous. I love all of the music so much. But Let’s Just Live just digs its claws into you from the start and it’s HAAAAAAH man it’s a song you need to it’s just a song we need.

[maritasdump]

Ngl the announcement that the Soundtrack of Volume 9 being released not only on Yang’s birthday, but also mine, is making me feral i actually had tears in my eyes when they announced it brb going to scream-

[gachagon]

Me listening to Guide My Way with tears in my eyes because its a song about Ruby finally being able to move on her own without her mother and being able to finally let go of the pain that her mothers death left in her and how the song is a perfect ending for Red Like Roses part II because it finally shows that she's secure in her own identity and and and-

[bumblebyaf]

i havent been this excited for a rwby soundtrack in a while...want it now

[wishingeel]

Alright... so for whatever ungodly reason I’ve been putting off finally watching RWBY volume 9 (despite waiting with anticipation for SO long), and... dang. Like DANG. I’m gonna need to stare at a wall for a while.

[notthebestatart]

Ayo !??? This is actually pretty accurate to q!etoiles imo omg

i hope pomme is proud of me for assigning rwby songs to etoiles

man i really should get back into rwby the songs are so cool

also that man is yang coded

[strqyr]

as much as i love 'war' as a song, i do kinda wish the fight between team rwby and the ace-ops was presented more as a tragedy(?) rather than as a moment of ass kicking. ya know, like qrow vs clover was; it doesn't have to be this way, and as an audience you shouldn't want it to be this way, they should be allies, friends, etc, and maybe there was a way to prevent it from ending this way, but it was not the road taken.

obviously it would require for there to be more interactions between team rwby and the ace-ops beforehand in positive light; not only in terms of training—with team rwby taking the advice they get from these more experienced huntsmen and huntresses to heart—, but also on more personal level, but overall, as the fight is, it just feels tonally... off. it's mostly masked by the banger of a song—and the soundtrack in general—that plays in the background, but it's just... with salem in the horizon, i don't think a fight between allies should make me feel hyped in the moment.

i don't know if this is the best way to phrase this to really get across what i'm trying to say, but again, comparing team rwby vs the ace-ops with qrow vs clover, because of the difference in tone, the latter feels like it has more depth to it; that these characters are taken more seriously, while with team rwby it's like... as long as they look cool, it's fine, ya know?

but i want more than that. i want the same depth, the same seriousness for team rwby as other characters get in similar situations. but at times, it feels like the writing is either too unwilling, too afraid, or just too uncaring to do so.

[ruins-of-tragedy]

Thoughts on season one's episode eight to twelve of RWBY. This was the most fun batch so far.

Season 01 Episode 08: Players and Pieces

- "Welcome to the world of bloody evolution..."

- The interactions between Ruby and Weiss are so bad for them but so funny for me.

- It's not everyday your sister falls from the sky. And then gets hit by a Jaune projectile. Yang must be so confused. So is Blake. Which, fair.

- Oh my Gods. Nora comes riding in on a monster?! Awesome entry alert!

- "It's broken." Wonder why. ⚡

- Ren cannot anymore... This girl is fast for a sloth. And now she has a chesspiece and a song.

- Blake and Yang are confounded. The bear monster is called an Ursa. Pyrrha has entered the scene with a scorpion on her tail... What a badass move!

- Jaune is still hanging around... 😆. Ruby and Yang scream each other's name in greeting. Nora shouts her own in return, 'cause of course. And here I thought Jaune had more energy.

- The scorpion is termed Deathstalker. Yang blows her lid so bad, a timer for a bomb is activated...

- Done with everything, Yang is. Something tells me so is Weiss, mayhaps.

- Weiss is falling. Is this Jaune's moment to shine? Yes, apparently. And also to break his own back in the process. The line he used when catching her was good though, I will give him that.

- "Great. The gang's all here. Now we can die together!" -Yang Xiao Long

- Ruby has two monsters on her. I hope Yang doesn't have to watch her sister die... Ahhh. Weiss saves the day! And accepts her fate and her shortcomings! Who would have known Ruby almost dying was all it would take.

- While Ruby celebrates her "normal knees," Yang 'shuffles' close and almost crushes her with her love... That run was weird and so funny. Good Gods. The animation really is bad sometimes.

- "Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying." But I was born for it! Forced to lock in now. UGHHHHHHHHH.

- "Run and live."✨👏🏻😂

- Another win for the horsin' around folks. The other chess figure both Nora and Jaune pick? We call it the elephant here.

- Ruby is leading. Yang is a proud parental figure. Blake noticed. CUTE!

- The monsters also want to "run and live."

- They are fighting together. And well. So COOOL!!!

- Maybe I spoke too soon. But they still trying! And holy hell. I think Thor would be proud of Nora being his representation.

- Blake is badass. I already knew that but it's nice to watch it unfold.

- Team RWBY is getting ready with their weapons. AGHHHHHHHHH! Ruby about to team lead the shite out of this birdie.

- Defining moments coming up!!!

- Team JNPR is moving against the scorpion. WOOOHOO! Jaune is actually a good leader. Nora "nail"ed it. Pyrrha is forever a great warrior. And Ren is getting too old for this. Scorpion down!!!

- This song. Dance battle in my roooom!!!!

- Yang is feeding birdie knuckle sandwiches. Weiss froze its tailend. Blake's lasso is turning into a makeshift catapult. Ruby's plan is about to work, but banter first... Weiss gets offended but what else is new? 😂

- Look at them all working together. ❤️‍🔥😭💖

- Red like roses part two!!!

- Birdie said bye-bye. Or couldn't, I guess... Team Cardinal. CRDL. Huh. So the first letter leads?

- The chesspiece team JNPR or Juniper picked is known as the rook out there? I shall stick to calling them elephants... Jaune is so surprised about being the leader. Pyrrha isn't at all and gives him a celebratory punch that has him falling. LoLLL!

- White knight pieces?! Horsies... Team RWBY. Led by what you are supposed to call them all together. Is Weiss shocked or...?

- Truly an interesting year ahead! Under the same broken moon we find... Torchwick?! Dude. Why do they all have such cool names?!

- OOOOOOooooooooh! Map of Vale. Beacon has been circled. Bad guy needs more men. Can only mean one thing.... Party, party, hallelujah! 🎉😆

- The Torchwick ending. His symbol looks like a boogey man mask... I must look into the soundtrack.

Season 01 Episode 09: The Badge and the Burden - Pt I

- I have been noticing this for a while now. The opening song begins playing first from the right side of my headphones. And then the left end also joins in. I don't remember what they call this, but the people behind this entry piece have done a good job here.

- Ruby is taking her team leader post very seriously. Like a coach. Yang and Blake are also excited about interior decoration. What the fuck does Banzai mean? And did they rehearse striking that pose?!

- Weiss' long suffering sigh could be heard all over Beacon... Yang's boyband poster, Blake's trailer trees in a painting belonging to Weiss, Blake arranging her books and hiding 'Ninjas of Love.' Do the ninjas like lemons? 😏✨😉. If you know, you know. And Ruby deciding on giving their curtains a makeover.

- From beds on top of each other, to bunk beds. And the second option is actually more dangerous... They really are something special.

- Team RWBY and JNPR be neighbours!!! And need to get to class within five minutes... Ozpin and Glynda are judging them so hard.

- Beowolf?! *war flashbacks*

- Already met DeathStalker and Ursa. Bearbatusk... Nevermore... COOOOOOOOL!

- This teacher must be entertaining to make fun of, am sure. Ruby is sleeping on the first bench. Been there, done that, somehow made it out alive despite my embarrassment.

- So there are four safe spaces or kingdoms. Vale is one of them. Did this full grown man just try to... rizz Yang?

- To that random student doing this: 🤟🏻... Rock on!

- Professor Full-of-Shite... Ruby's drawing is accurate. 😂. Good Gods. This Peter guy really just stole the Beowulf story.

- Ruby is honourable 'cause she understands the importance of sleep. Ruby is dependable because just a moment ago she was balancing an apple AND a book on a pencil that stood vertically. VERTICALLY!

- A true huntsman is supposedly strategic, well-educated and wise... What are the odds Weiss heard the last word as her own name? Very high, it seems. She's bout to fight a Grimm in class now.

- I like their uniforms, but I want the version with pants.

- The Ozpin and Glynda ending where the former's symbol is a gear within a gear, while the latter rocks a crown. The music here sounds so suave and chill!

Season 01 Episode 10: The Badge and the Burden - Pt II

- "A story will be told..."

- Ooooooh! Costume change for Weiss... Cheerleaders Yang, Blake and Ruby are ready as well. So ready in fact that Blake already has a flag of their team. 💖

- Bearbatusk vs Weiss. But it looks more like Ruby vs the Schnee.

- Weiss wasn't made team leader and she is mad at Ruby about it huh... Holy hell, Weiss. Please. That was downright rude. And unnecessary.

- Ruby. You precious little bean. Ozpin is giving off major Dumbledore vibes.

- Weiss and Professor Port's conversation running parallel to the one before. Hmmm... Weiss thinks she should have been the team leader. "That's prepostrous!" 😂. Okie, I like him.

- Ozpin's Dumbledore now. Peter Port, Hagrid. YASSSSSSSS! Someone really needed to dish out the truth to Weiss.

- It's the fact that both Ruby and Weiss received similar advice for me. Try to be the best person first. Everything else will follow after. ✨

- Of course Blake sleeps like she is in a movie. I am Yang but worse. Down to the snoring. Awwwwww! Ruby fell asleep studying. My sister can literally relate right now.

- Coffee with cream and five sugars isn't coffee anymore, methinks. Me likes this version.

- Best leader and best teammate. 💖... Weiss really out here thawing my frozen attitude towards her. I too want bunk beds now.

- Professor Peter Port is his own symbol. 😂👏🏻. Serious music. So good.

Season 01 Episode 11: Jaunedice - Pt I

- Time to open up the door!

- Jaune is getting his arse handed to him. Cardin is blood thirsty. They have headshots?! This school really does it all.

- They WANT them to be on the phone while fighting?! This is the Jaune inferiority complex arc. Kiddo.

- Vytal Festival. The importance is in the name... 😆. RWY is excited. Where be the B?

- "In the middle of the night..." In my dreams. 🎶

- Of course Yang and Nora get along. Yang is hanging onto Nora's every word. Blake has a book, Ren is helping Nora tell the story accurately and Weiss couldn't care less. More accurately, she is interested in cuticle care I guess. Jaune is playing with his food, Ruby and Pyrrha are worried... This table has it all.

- The situation is serious if Blake put down her book... Don't lie Jaune.

- Jaune's in denial. Team CRDL is bothering a lady named Velvet. Fucking hell.

- Cardin is a bully AND a diva.

- They can rocket launch their lockers to custom locations?! Locker launchers... I NEED to be in this school.

- Holy shite. Cardin and team are crossing a line now. Faunus rights really need to be better and implemented well. Wait. Blake is hiding her Faunus self? Awww. 😢

- The Velvet ending. So some folks haven't been given symbols. Gotcha. This music is making me want to cook Team CRDL over a bonfire while I dance in a circle around it. Good stuff!

Season 01 Episode 12: Jaunedice - Pt II

- "In time, your heart will open minds..."

- Jaune is sleeping. I thought he was a good student. Must be having a bad day. The teacher drinks a lot of coffee. Perhaps Jaune needs it too.

- This Professor is faaaaasst.

- Velvet and the other shadow figure raising her hand when asked about being subjected to Faunus subjugation and discrimination. That takes guts. 💖

- Weiss is a sincere student. Expected. The professor is so excited over Jaune's sudden urge to participate... Much kudos to friends like Pyrrha who try to help during situations such as these.

- Good Gods. Cardin is the son of a gun. A tool. He is less than a soldier. Fucking forker.

- This General Lagune tried to ambush folks while they were sleeping?! 🤬

- Blake's jab was so good. Chef's kiss!

- Professor Oobleck has green hair. I just noticed. Anime reference?

- Jaune and Cardin's after class scolding... "If you can't learn from it... You are destined to repeat it." Some people nowadays really need this lesson on history.

- Jaune gets shoved, Cardin is bad. Pyrrha is the best.

- The view is of Hogwarts. 😂

- Listen. The fact that Pyrrha bringing Jaune to a terrace makes him think about dying 'cause he feels he is messing up so much... Good Gods. This is suicidal ideation. Things be bad.

- Huh. I did not see this revelation coming. Really thought Jaune being at Beacon was entirely familial pressure. He didn't really want to be there or something like that, but had nothing else he was passionate about. Plus, expectations are a whole different can of worms. WoW... Still a familial pressure I guess. Just a lot more from his own end.

- Jaune needs to learn a valuable lesson. Holy hell. Heroes aren't made in a day and heroes aren't forged in solitude. He has already tried doing it on his own. Accept Pyrrha's help! Fucking fuckity fuck!!! This toxic masculinity is such a pain.

- Ah hell. Of course Cardin overheard it all... Shikes. Things got a lot more real here than I was expecting.

- Sneaked into Beacon. Now being blackmailed into helping a student cheat. Jaune. You are making me nervous.

- Sometimes the puns are so perfect and flow in such a natural way, it makes you wonder which came first. The original concept or the double entendre. Jaunedice is one such example. Works on so many levels.

- Professor Oobleck ending. Very mischievous music. Needed that pick-me-up.

(No spoiling stuff. Or I spoil your coffee with hot sauce. Tatas!)

[maddness-time-bby]

The songs from Hazbin Hotel really remind me of a segment from HBomberguy's video RWBY video where he talks about how while yes, the fights are amazing, people don't watch the episodes that surround them. They just rewatch the fights. It reminded me of how, while yes, one of the most consistaintly praised things in Hazbin Hotel was the show's music (which is 100% deserved imo) the surrounding stuff is just...meh and in some instanced downright offensive and irrisponsible. Just like how Hbomberguy's video metions, the fact that the scenes around the fights aren't the best, it ends up bringing down the quality of some of the best parts of the show down with it, and I feel like that is highly applicable to the songs from Hazbin Hotel. Yes Out For Love is an amazing song, but why is Carmilla singing it to Vaggie of all people??? Yes, Loser Baby is a bop, but the entire episode reeks of an ooze that almost overshadows Keith David's stunning vocals. A stellar soundtrack can't save a deeply flawed show.

[citadelofmythoughts]

Was listening to the entire RWBY soundtrack for the first time in a long while and I forgot just how beautiful “All Our Days” is.

Who do you think it’s about though?

I know it’s left up to interpretation, but I think the child portion is clearly about one of the Xiao Long-Rose sisters?

Who do you think the singer is though?

Just my personal feeling but like "Home" I think the singer is Yang.

It really fits with the parental role she's had in Ruby's life and the love she has for her little sis.

[tipsheda]

There was a time in 2015/2016 that I became obsessed with RWBY, the Rooster Teeth show by Monty Oum. I loved the character designs and creative action setpieces.

The soundtracks got me into listening to more rock music. It inspired me to draw again. Haven't watched since like season 6, though.

[erros429]

Hi - catgirl questionnaire here and I gotta thank you for the answers! If it’s okay I have a few more questions sorry:

Does Blake have a tail?

are there many cat puns about her in the series?

I saw she has human ears and now I’m confused how does she wear head phones or something like that - does she put them on her cat or human ears or both? Does her ears get sensitive?

So what I’ve gathered if she and her GF had a kid it would be a blonde cat?

what is Blake’s actual species? I’ve seen people say people hate whatever she is - why is that?

Does her GF (is her name Yang?) tell lots of puns in general?

ok adding all these asks on one thing. let’s do this thing

1) blake does not have a tail

2) not particularly puns but there are a few jokes here and there (blake liking tuna a little bit more than is normal, yang using a laser pointer on her, her avoiding a dog by climbing a bunch of furniture. then in rwby chibi there’s the whole “cat burglar” segment, blake jumping into a box, etc)

3) i believe she would just wear the headphones on her human ears. arthur lookin ass

4) if she and yang had a kid then yes perhaps it would be a cat. idk if it’d be blonde tho. the genetics in rwby are weird even with the humans because why the hell does ruby not look anything like her father but she’s a carbon copy of her mom 🤨

5) she’s a faunus, which are people with animal traits. they’ve been historically and systematically oppressed and discriminated against. it’s just straight up racism

6) i mean. i think fanon has definitely exaggerated the whole pun thing. she’s said like maybe a solid 3-4 puns total in rwby canon, but she has said quite a few in rwby chibi. i feel like it’s important to note that a lot of yang’s early personality was purposefully one-dimensional so that the viewers would be thrown off when she shows she’s more than meets the eye. a lot of fanon kinda clings to that original impression we got from yang so the pun thing just stuck. the same way everyone sees ruby as a cookie-crazed maniac b/c she ate a bunch of cookies in the first ep lol

7) blake’s not CANONICALLY a stoner but i would not be shocked if it was just casually confirmed LMFAO

8) yea she’s so downbad for yang that she wrote a love song after being away from her for like 24 hours. shoutout volume 8 soundtrack

9) lowkey i prefer the long hair look on her 🫣 but the short hair is important for character arc symbolism reasons

10) according to the comics blake and her mom are actually both great swimmers!

[crazysublimenightmare]

My thoughts while listening to the RWBY vol. 9 Soundtrack:

Checkmate - catchy as hell and a total vibe!

Chatterbox - sounds so good, I feel this song in my brain.

Worthy - AAGAHKSHJSKASKHSJSSKSK, crying, screaming, throwing up. HOLY SHIT! I'm sweating?!?

Trapdoor - Volume 3 hello? This is devestating. How am I bobbing my head and also terrified. "I dont feel like the chosen one"??????

Quiet - the beginning kinda scared me ngl. Damn... this one is gonna me make cry isnt it? Casey showing off. A CLOCK TICKING !?! JAUNE?!?!

RED LIKE ROSES P 3 - (HOLY SHIT I'VE WAITED FOR THIS SONG FOR 10 YEARS! Lets go..) HAHAGHAJSJSKJSKSA "When will i become all of me" sheeshh AAAAAAH! no but this sounds pretty chill. "I'M WHAT INSPIRED THE FAIRYTALE"!?!?!?!?!?!??! My soul has left my body.

Casey did such a good job making this soundtrack! I literally liked/loved every song!

[misstrashchan]

2, 3, 7, 20, 27, 28, 29, for the rwby ask game? If you don't mind!

2. Rank the soundtracks

From favourite to least:

V1

Not a single track I don't love. Forever iconic, each and every one.

V5

Ignite is my favorite Yang song, as is Path to Isolation for Weiss. Smile is such a tragic song of showing Ilia's parents telling her to cope by smiling, by hiding, to the present where it's twisted into an angry mantra and she's still hiding who she is in a different way. The Triumph feels like such a comeback song with how high energy it is, all our girls heading back to each other, jumping back into the fray. All that Matters is PEAK bumbleby pining angst song. All Things Must Die is glorious, and tbh I think even This Time is pretty underrated as a song for Blake/the White Fang.

V7

I find myself relistening to this one a lot. Trust Love is my favorite OP (and yes that is in part the refrences to the Little Prince I can draw). I also like Touch the Sky and Brand New Day as these kind of recovery songs for all the characters that had been at their lowest or feeling lost finding their hope and confidence, happy in themselves. Let's get Real is a song that DID get me into Renora a little, it's a bop. Was over the moon to have an Oscar song in Fear that encapsulated the theme of the volume and complimented Ozpin's fear speech. Hero makes my brain go AAAAHHHH at how it captures the hubris of Ironwood. Such a great tragic downfall song for his character. Until the End is a great listen and such a lovely surprise to have a Ruby song after so long. War is a certified banger and a great song for the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight.

V9

In fairness I don't think I've listened to this one enough, but the more I do it definitely grows on me. Inside feels like the most unique OP, Checkmate is catchy as hell, Trapdoor makes me INSANE as a Ruby spiralling song. Pleasantly surprised to have a Jaune song in Quiet that's very moving. Worthy is beautiful as a Bumbleby confession/kiss song, truly magical. As a whole I feel the songs lean into being more gentle and introspective as to the usual hardcore rock ballads we know RWBY for, even Checkmate with it's jazziness feels fresh and new. I haven't actually listened to the Edge or Guide my Way enough to have an opinion on them, but I remember liking them, Guide my Way is a nice continuation and evolution of the Red like Roses song trilogy.

V3

When it Falls is SO HARDCORE. Bleeding edge and tragedy for the death and destruction to come. I'm the One is fantastic at laying out Emerald and Mercury's trauma's and subsequently coping mechanisms. Neon is one I like to listen to a lot, it's so fun and upbeat. Divide is brutal and chilling as the song to introduce us to our main villain after seeing her for the first time in all her dark glory at the end of V3. Not Fall in Love with You is... eh. It's my Turn is a good Weiss song, but it's not one if my favorites.

V6

I really like Rising as an OP, it feels the most... magical? fantastical? idk. I like the vibes. Indomitable is what I feel like singing all the time in wake of the recent RWBY news! We really are indomitable! Nevermore as a true triumph over Blake and Yang's trauma at Adam's hands, while acknowledging the tragedy of Adam's own situation. And Big Metal Shoe is a certified banger, love all the fairytale references crammed in there. Miracle is... fine. One Thing is a great song for Neo's return and revenge quest, but I never bought into the Neo hype so I'm kinda mid on it too.

V2. SACRIFICE I LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER PLEASE REPRISE IN THE SHOW LATER WITH CINDER PRETTY PLEASE. Now it's Time to Say Goodbye is an incredible banger of an OP, but it felt a little misleading considering it's a song all about losing innocence and leaving behind childhood, which feels more appropriate for V3 and the FoB than V2. Shine, Dream Come True and Boop are all fun and cute but I'm not hugely into Arkos or Renora so I'm kinda neutral on them. I'm also kind of mid on Time to Die as a song.

V8. Honestly this is just the soundtrack I find myself listening to or remembering the least, even though I really like Friend as the perfect Penny song that had me tearing up, and Truth, while short was a great bittersweet song for Cinder. And it was nice to get a Nora song too. The opening for this volume never really grew on me like all the others did (aside from the "some ROSES WILL NEVER BLOOM, SOME HEROES CHOOSE THE WRONG SIDE"). I also just associate this soundtrack with fandom arguing a lot about what song applied to who and it felt exhausting.

3. Favorite Ruby ship?

ROSEGARDEN ALL THE WAY BABY!

7. Favorite lines I already answered for @hoepunkausta

20. What are you looking forward to seeing in Vacuo?

*vibrating at a frequency unknown to man* idk I think a reunion hug between Ruby and Oscar would be neat maybe. Like @aspoonofsugar has pointed out all the set up at the end of the extended epilogue points to these two having a second alchemical wedding and so their relationship having a certain amount of focus/development in Vacuo seems apparent. After so long of not seeing them onscreen together I'm excited for any interactions honestly. I miss my kids.

Wanting to see WBY all trying to support Ruby more and her actively trying but still struggling to open about how she's feeling. More of what see saw with Ruby/Yang in the Boba episode. I'd especially like Ruby and Weiss to have a heart to heart.

Very curious about what Theodore is gonna be like and whoever the hell the Summer maiden. With the Dorothy allusions and those who've lost their homes trying to make one in Vacuo, I'm expecting an exploration of "there's no place like home" to be leant into.

RAVEN. TELL US WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT MISSION WITH YOU AND SUMMER. RUBY AND YANG DESERVE TO KNOW. For real though I'm hoping we see what lead Raven to rejoin the fray too, and how she'll interact with Yang and Qrow and even Ruby, what tension might be there. Delicious family drama....

Speaking of delicious family drama, the Schnees! all reunited! I want Winter and Whitley to tackle hug Weiss to the ground! Also the Schnees appear to be being confronted with all the harm their family and company has done in a kingdom like Vacuo, so I'm curious to see how Weiss handles that. Also Winter is clearly Not Doing Good, so something I'd really like is if Weiss (as her sister) and Ruby (as a friend of Penny and someone she also offered the maiden powers too) and maybe Jaune (who was there with Penny in her final moments) offer comfort to her and they all grieve together.

Emerald. Honestly suprised we didn't get much of a sense of how she was doing in the extended epilogue, not even briefly like Mercury. But I'm super excited for what her arc holds. Seeing her integrate with the group, if Ren, Nora and Oscar are already on friendly terms with her but RWBY are all still a bit wary of her because they've spent less time together. Seeing more of her friendship with Oscar develop (gimme that Little Prince/Fox allusion with their friendship in taming each other pretty please) and like. Mercury. Emerald KNEW Mercury and Tyrian were being sent to Vacuo, she saw him off in the ship, but Ren seems suprised to see him and Tyrian on the cameras in the epilogue. Did Emerald... not tell them? Even though that's incredibly important information that could help her new allies? Because... she wanted to protect Mercury? Because she still feels conflicted? It's incredibly juicy and I can't wait to see how Emerald and Mercury's relationship comes into conflict during the Vacuo arc. Gimme that Emercury angst pretty please.

Vacuo in general. By virtue of the books I think they have the most interesting world building, the food, the culture, the different words for weather phenomenon, the fauna, the nomadic tribes, the history of being a once incredibly beautiful oasis full of everything they needed, then exploited time and again and left with nothing and yet still surviving and carving a home and life for themselves. The world building of Vacuo is one that is inevitably tied to the story because of their fraught history leading to tensions between them and all the refugees from Atlas, Mantle and Vale seeking their aid and shelter in their kingdom, not to mention the Crown seeking to restore the monarchy, it'd be easy for them to be divided and conquered by Salem, and so our heroes have to find a way to overcome that and bring everyone together. So just getting to see the kingdom animated and learn more about its history and culture would be cool. I also like desert punk aesthetic, so I'm hoping whatever new outfits our girls get will have a little of that. (part of me hopes for maybe some Trigun inspiration... we've had Gurren Laggan inspiration in Yang's outfits before!)

I would also say I'm looking forward to seeing my darling cringefail wife Cinder but I don't know if she'll be in Vacuo or with Salem in Vale wrecking shit.

27. Favorite voice performance?

AARON DISMUKE AS OSCAR HANDS DOWN. Him being the VA for Oscar meant I was destined to like him, I usually do with characters he voices. The fact he has to also voice Oscar when controlled by Ozpin, and sometimes Oscar pretending to be Ozpin, and completely nails the subtle differences in all of them is phenomenal. And as the merge progresses he's literally having to mix and merge their voices together too!!! It's crazy!!! The awkward and shy intonation becoming a more sincere and quiet confident voice as Oscar develops, and gaining Oz's mannerisms in speech with a deeper and more serious tone. That is some crazy talent this man has.

Always impressed with how well Linsay Jones and Miles Luna hold up in earlier volumes, they've consistently been the best voice performances from start to present. Also Cherami Leigh as Ilia is absolutely fantastic, it's rare I've heard her get to flex her emotional range like that in her voice work for such a complex character.

28. Fairytale character you'd want to see RWBYfied?

With how character songs are a big thing in the show and semblances that can hypnotize and mind control exist, and instruments sometimes being weapons (gestures to Flynt), I'd love an allusion to The Pied Piper or the Lorelai Siren as a villain of some kind. Bonus if you had a Little Mermaid/Lorelai Siren allusion for that victim/monster/hero duality RWBY likes to play with.

Not technically a traditional fairytale but also very much one, the Last Unicorn, one of my alltime favorite books would be beyond amazing to be alluded to, even a tiny bit. Amalthea the unicorn being the last of her kind, the rest hunted down by a wicked beast at the order of a tyrant. She is associated with silver, the moon, hope and purity constantly. A story that is both a love letter and deconstruction of fairytales, an exploration of the nature of humanity and mortality. Tell me that wouldn't be perfect as an allusion to a Silver Eyed Warrior (also thought to be a myth) trying to find out what happened to the rest of her kind.

29. Favorite opening to sing along too?

TRUST LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE AND OPEN UP YOUR EYESEESSSSS TRUST LOOOOVVVVVEEEE THE TRUTH IS THERE BUT SOMETIMES IN DISGUISE

[ultrashadowkai]

RWBY is the longest running show I’ve ever actively kept up with without ever dropping it and picking it back up later. 

I got into RWBY because in 2012 YouTube recommended me a newly released video of awesome fight choreography set to even more awesome music (the quickest way to get me into any show is to have an amazing soundtrack) with heavy fairy tale influences (I’m a sucker for fairy tale adaptations). 

It’s been just about 11 years since then and 10 since the first episode aired.

Normally I would’ve grown tired of a story dragging on for so long and just resign myself to poking my head in every so often to see what’s been happening in my absence, and yet here I am. 

Part of it is because of how long the show’s been going for. Who knows, maybe I would’ve stuck around for just as long on some other tv shows I like if they didn’t all end in around 3 or 4 seasons.

But I think the other part -- the more important part -- is because the story it’s trying to tell.

The story of RWBY takes place in a crapsack world where negative emotions attract killer monsters that seemingly respawn endlessly. There was a literal global civil war over whether or not people should have their emotions controlled by the government because of this. There’s an angry immortal woman who’s hellbent on destroying humanity to stick it to the world’s jerkass gods who nuked the first go-around of humanity and abandoned this current one. And on top of all that, the world still has a whole slew of prejudice and abuse. 

The show never shies away from these facts. But it never lets itself get consumed by them either, and that’s the important part.

Bad shit happens every second of every day in the real world. RWBY says that the Grimm, the creatures that’ll use your anger and your sorrow and your despair to try and kill you, are endless in the world, but so is beauty, so are friends, so is love, so is hope.

RWBY says that you aren’t a burden because you didn’t do everything perfectly, because you didn’t fix every single problem you come across. 

RWBY says that you always have time to love and be loved.

RWBY says that you are enough. That patience and kindness is enough to help change the world for the better. That you touch every life you come in contact with, for better or for worse.

RWBY says that’s never foolish to hope. The world won’t get better in a single day but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth it to try.

And that’s why I’ve stayed so long. Some people need those stories where the world’s crap and it’s never gonna get any better. I need a story where the world is crap, where things get worse but they also get better. I need a story that’ll kick my pessimistic ass and remind me over and over again that hope is never pointless. 

So long as RWBY keeps telling that story, I’m never dropping it.