#but i still think it went downhill

[aspoonofsugar]

you wrote such a beautiful rwby analysis but unfortunately I think you put more thought into the plot than the entire writers room

Hi!

Thank you, I am happy you found my analysis beautiful!

That said, I am sorry, but I disagree with your statement. It is fine if you dislike the series and even if you criticize it, but as for me, I think the writing is rather strong.

Here are some thoughts, which aren't really directed at you, but rather are born by me seeing a tendency going around where it is somehow "cool" to outloud state RWBY is badly written. I even saw people like... "apologizing" because they enjoy the series. Newsflash...RWBY is good.

RWBY is a series with a writing that goes from decent to very good depending on the moment. I would give it from 7 to 8.5 or even 9 in some scenes. More importantly, it is a story the writers are clearly enjoying writing, as for now. This is why I like watching it. It is genuine, upfront in what it wants to say and it takes risks. Ironically, a series with limited resources shows much more freedom in execution than many other stories, which are economically backed up.

I would also add people keep talking about good writing, but never really elaborate on it... And like, trust me, I do think there is good writing and bad writing. The problem is that people just take examples of "well written series" and decide a series written differently must be bad. This isn't really the case.

First of all, let's focus only on a specific type of story, which is the kind most modern movies, books and series are. This type of story is built on 3 (4) factors:

Plot

Characters

Themes

(Worldbuilding)

I would say the first 3 are more important usually, but there are some stories where the worldbuilding is so strong it becomes its own selling point.

Now, a good story is usually strong in all these departments. The perfect story is top notch in all 3 (4). That is because a good plot usually lets you develop the characters better, which in turns helps exploring the theme.

However, here comes the amazing truth... even the most incredible stories. Even the masterpieces loved by everybody... even them... end up choosing only 1 or 2 of these aspects and sacrifice a little bit of the 3rd (and 4th) one.

Naoki Urasawa's Monster? Its focus is themes. He chooses to go all out on this department, which is why the story is so powerful and resonates so much with people. Still, to do so, he chooses to sacrifice some parts of the plot to the point... some mysteries are not really solved. Some people may be annoyed by it, but I would not call it a flaw. It is a choice. Leaving some things open enriches the themes.

Death Note? If the story has to choose between characters, themes and plot, it goes for plot. This is why despite having so many well liked characters, it is difficult to think of outstanding character arcs in it. The same goes for the themes, which are only touched superficially. This is why btw Death Note is not a fave of mine, really.

Now obviously, many examples can be done and we could discuss forever on some because there is always always always a subjective component. What I am trying to say is... there are different ways to write a story. Not all people would like the same. Luckily, we have tons of stories.

Back to RWBY. I would say RWBY shines when it comes to themes. Characters and plot are good and interesting, but what keeps the story together, despite it playing so much with genre is that it has a very strong thematic core. You can't invent it or fake it btw. See, Death Note's author tries to do it in later works (Platinum End cough cough), but fails. At the same time, there is another department RWBY is top notch and that is symbolism. RWBY has a very rich symbolic system. Again... surely there are coincidences, but like this is a little bit too much...imho.

Now, does it mean, the writers came up with all the patterns I and others find? Probably not, but here is the thing... writing has an unconscious component. If you go earnestly at it, you are bound to unconsciously create patterns. A good writer is able to recognize them (either consciously or unconciously) and to capitalize on them. So far, I think CRWBY has capitalized on the patterns they created. I also think it is clear they are very good at researching and at playing with different sources by going deep into them. Again, you can't come up with the Ever After if you have not read and even studied Alice in Wonderland. It is just impossible. You would end up with a shallow and uninteresting copy cat. The Ever After isn't that because it is used to explore themes, characters and lore in an interesting way. Hence... ladies and gentlemen... it is a fruit of... good writing.

But really, since people are not commenting on it... I would like to point out that in 5 episodes of less than 20 minutes, they have managed to introduce a whole world, with its own lore, set of characters and main story (Alyx's) and to tie it to the protagonists' predicament in a way that hits really hard thematically and psychologically... To do that you need exceptionally thight writing... it is not that simple to do...

Anyway, have a nice day anon and consider watching something else. Thanks God the world is full of stories!

[fishofthewoods]

Oh my god I woke up this morning and my Stardew Valley meta post had almost 150 notes????? Hello?????????? Anyways I started writing this last night because @moon-is-pretty-tonight left nice tags on the original so thank you so much!!

We know from the starting scenes of the game that the farmer's grandfather loved Stardew Valley. So why did he leave? Pelican Town is a good place to grow old; George and Evelyn are just fine. It's a fine place to raise a kid, but maybe he just wanted to raise his child closer to real schools and other children.

Or maybe, just maybe, he understood.

Was there a day when he was in his thirties where he looked at his friends and realized they weren't like him? That he could run faster than them, work longer, explore deeper into the hidden places of the valley?

Was there a day when he went to the wizard to ask him for help, for knowledge if nothing else? Did he learn then that his family was different? Special? Chosen? And how did he react? He couldn't possibly raise a child in the valley if they would be as strange and fey as him. He had to leave. There was no other way.

But years later, on his deathbed, did he regret that choice?

Is that why he gave the farmer the letter?

Is that why they went back home?

When the farmer steps off the bus that first day, the valley is still on the cusp of winter, just barely tipping over into spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, but a chill still hangs in the air. As soon as the farmer's boots touch the soil there's a change. The air gets warmer. The trees get greener. Not by too much, not all at once, but it changes.

The junimos watch the farmer as they do their work. They're new to farming, but take to it with frightening speed; their first batch of crops is perfect. None of the townsfolk tell them that parsnips don't normally grow in less than a week, that cauliflowers don't grow to be ten feet tall, that fairies don't visit when the sun goes down and grow potatoes and beans and tulips overnight. The junimos talk amongst themselves in their strange, wild language, and agree: this is the one. They're back. The valley recognizes its own, even when they've left for a generation. The farmers have come home.

Things change fast in the valley. The community center, empty and decrepit for so many years, is rejuvenated. (Lewis says it was abandoned only a few weeks after the farmer's grandfather left. Strange coincidence, he says, that it both came and went with the farmer's family.) The mines and the quarry, similarly abandoned, are explored for the first time in ages. The town becomes cleaner, brighter, more vibrant, happier.

And it is happier. Not just the environment, but the people. It's the talk of the town for weeks when Haley does her first closet purge. Leah's art show in the town square is a huge success. Shane's smiling for the first time since he moved to the valley. All of them, when asked, say it's all thanks to the farmer.

People love to ask why Lewis didn't fix the community center on his own. Why Willy never repaired the boat to ginger island. Why Abigail or Marlon never went down to fix the elevator in the mines, or why Clint didn't fix the minecarts.

But isn't it so much more interesting to ask how those things were there in the first place? How they got so broken down? If the stories the townspeople tell are true, the valley was once a beautiful place, flourishing and full of life; why did that change? When did it change?

Was it when the farmer's grandfather, the locus of the valley, its chosen representative, left town?

And if so, what happens when the farmer comes back?

[yuseirra]

Onk spoilers(166)!!

Found out what happens in the last chapter!!

Oh seriously though??? It was the worst in a lot of ways but actually, I'm SO RELIEVED because

It explains literally nothing... There is NOTHING at all to take away. I really can believe in what I theorized with so wholeheartedly. That really IS the best way to make things work. I'm going to attach drawings to go with it and upload it on pixiv with the explanation because, it DOES make everything come together without even having to change a single thing. Believe me, I really think that should be the way, maybe the ONLY way to make things ACTUALLY WORK.

gosh I was prepping for the WORST of the WORST and it's helped. It's so bad but I can still draw. I can still theorize if it's like this but what is the point of doing that for a series that's been completed huh????

This is so half-baked;;;extremely so...

No but you can't write like this unless you just ditched the writing. Nothing is explained. Oh wow. Thank goodness I can still draw hikaai, I really DON'T THINK HIKARU HARMED AI. HE MUST HAVE JUST TRIED TO SEND A BOUQUET. What the heck though??? Shouldn't they explain the truth??? Shouldn't they really.. Reveal what happened regarding him and Ai before the series go? What if he REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? Do I HAVE to believe Aqua's thoughts that Kamiki manipulated Ryosuke to kill Ai by showing him a toothbrush that she's left in his apartment? How can Ryosuke's actions be justified?? And how IS that manipulation? How can you be so triggered over a freaking toothbrush. It would NOT have had ANY EFFECT on normal people. Ai even drew a cute heart next to her name, could be out of habit but considering how she is afraid of revealing herself and opening up to people, I figure she was quite happy and relaxed when she was around with Hikaru you know. They WERE loving.

What I wrote earlier EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. About how the star eyes work and came to be, what Hikaru had been doing and why he was so attached to Ai and was so desperate on seeing her again, how Ai is a "star", the idea of gods and missions and what each twins had as their mission, it also explains how Ruby "shines" brighter than anyone, the part about wishes, why Aqua had to take those extreme measures and give up his all, how Hikaru managed to do all these weird stuff and why people kept dying around him, and it also predicted the ending pretty well. That theory I have CAN explain everything in a very coherent sense. It makes everything add up together. That HAS to be it. It really just... Only adds to what this whole story is. It can't be otherwise. Because nothing is explained.

But the writers have to...take responsibility for their work, this is really like a normal ending in a video game that you get when you fail to collect all the hidden items and all. Can't they draw out a true ending??? It really seems like everyone failed in this particular timeline we're seeing as a comic. Since they stated everything is fiction, can't there be multiple endings then?? Aqua took the wrong route. I honestly.. See this piece being so. He should have followed his mom's wishes(grow up healthy, help the dad) idk, collect more items. This really DOES feel like a bad ending of a video game but surprise!!!

It's not the worst for me because we still don't know what the heck Hikaru is and I sincerely believe he really is a noble god who fell after being tainted by the industry. And we STILL don't know if he is the one responsible for Ai's death so I might as well believe him because WHY THE HELL WOULD HE GO AFTER HIS ONLY LOVE. HE WAS SO PASSIVE. I studied psychology that guy can't do it. If he were to get back at her he would have done it not so short after the moment she left him, why wait four years and...attack her when she called him up to come visit their children who strikingly resemble both him and his beloved Ai. They look so much like him too... He said himself he has paternal feelings and I believe that!! Because why wouldn't he, they take after him and the one he loves so much.. Wouldn't THAT be so precious?

And the fact that Ai really loved Hikaru didn't get refuted so that's a solid fact. Even if they add something in the final volume, there's no way they're going to overturn it so my interpretations of her feelings to him and him towards her are SAFE. Thank goodness.

But there's still NOTHING to take away from. In fact, it makes the message even worse;; not going to say much but it even negates this idea that was set forth in the recent chapter as well?? So what are they trying to say with this piece?

Oh but at least my favorite characters are SAFE from the author's hands!!! Nothing is worse in terms of them. In that case, I can feel free. I can draw them. I had no idea that they wouldn't even make a single appearance in the final chapter but that may be better than showing up and being horrible portrayals, at least what they had with each other's set in stone. That's good news. See? I can hope! My chest is actually lifted because it isn't too different from what I thought would be. The 4 recent chapters(I'm being so generous here) have NOTHING to offer. It doesn't have a point.

Hikaru drowning, let's say, that part can be actually from the myths if he's the embodiment if Sarutahiko. I care for him but I can see how that is. Everything after that point though? Oh, I can draw out something while maintaining the themes and message while making Aqua live and Ruby "shine" bright as an idol as "Amaterasu". I'm sure many artists will be willing to as well.

They have to get back to these ideas about gods and missions, why aren't they doing that? It really IS what that can make this story come together so why don't they do it?? Why were those things there? I really think that must have been it!! It explains everything!! It works!!

[aturnoftheearth]

forced to watch my trip videos to make this silly video by christmas and i can barely typ my hands are cold and shaky what tho you mean i went on a two week trip where i got to go camping for 8 days and saw the most beautiful mountains and forests and got my foggy morning overlooking the mountains while listening to the ghost on the shore and i saw snow so many times and got to hold it and stomp through it and it snowed ON me and there were so many hotels and then TWO lord huron concerts at RED ROCKS . what do you mean that happened how do i go back

[hearts401]

raises my hand i actually like the concept of a shitty parent getting better i just hate when its used to be like "im good now so you should forgive me."

people grow and change and hurt people!!! and those hurt people deserve to move on without having to forgive their abuser!!!

[burrythebusy]

Was talking about this yesterday but I really woke up one day and my smile dropped and my mind had only one thought: the "ten seconds" needs to die

[coulsonlives]

I just had to share this video because holy shit, it hits the nail right on the head! So well spoken. This stuff needs to be circulated more, esp with the growing number of people thinking they have this because of misinformation, or just outright faking it.

[sambusa]

Hey, this is Taylor from a few years back. Sorry for the ask. I haven't used this app in a few years and forgot how to message lol. I was looking through my old account and saw yours was still up and running, and I just wanted to tell you thank you for the time you were my friend and how patient you were with me. You were a great friend and an even better influence. Hope you're doing good!

This was such a wonderful surprise... I have so many words and yet none at all. Thank you for being my friend, too, and for the kindness you showed me. I hope the future has treated you kindly 🥹🫶🏾

[eryanlainfa]

He'd like to finish that damn group project first. Guys, focus !

[gra55-tast3bad]

Damn....

[brainfilehasstoppedworking]

I wanna cry rn

[carmillatism]

mechs headcanon otd: carmilla just straight up forgot to tell the mechs that they're disabled, and it took them just. so long to figure it out

[the-somwthing]

canon scott: typically chill, thinks things through, has lots of allies and people tend to like him, he tends to survive till the end, in watcher lore the watchers kind of hate him because he didn’t go through with the boogeyman curse but yknow.

cringefail au scott: has lost all semblance of chill, everyone hates him, dies stupidly, watchers hate his guts simply because they think he’s annoying

I love this roleplay 😭

[rosicheeks]

Unfortunately relatable. I grew up in the church and have a lot of Christian trauma from that. I show up for special occasions for my parents… sometimes. But it’s uncomfortable from the moment I step through the door. Bigoted pastor, the self-righteousness disguising the prejudice, the political comments from the altar. Shots at young people left right and center as if the hell on earth wasn’t caused by the same older generation 90% of the congregation belongs to..

I miss being young in the choir and the youth groups and not struggling with it. It’s wild to look back at the younger version of me who was unshakeable in his faith and honestly just saddening.

I was texting my sister today about it and she said

“I 100% think ALL of us have a ton of religious trauma and everyone else in the family just doesn’t realize it cause they’re still drinking the kool-aid.”

I ran out of tag room and didn’t want to delete any 😭 seriously not lying I could write a book about all my thoughts and experiences

[deus-ex-mona]

bribery may or may not have been involved in the pursuit of said discovery

[k1ttygam3r]

Me: *redownloads OvenBreak*

OvenBreak: more yogurca lol

Me:

Me: *deletes OvenBreak*