#this kinda like when Ruby misses Oscar so much in the Ever After & some magical force just dropped beside her a stuffed Oscar to hug
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Me: "I am going to draw something wholesome af about RG right now!!"
*the supposed wholesome RG drawing*
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... Seriously it was supposed to look cute and hopeful!!! Why me whyyyyyyyyyyyy uuugghhhhhhhhh
đThe "also depressed original" with just shadow:
#this is not what envisioned when I stepped out of the bathroom...#oh well x'D#please have some âemotional supportâ Oscar Pine Plushie#everyone needs Oscar Plushie#this kinda like when Ruby misses Oscar so much in the Ever After & some magical force just dropped beside her a stuffed Oscar to hug#my stuff#sketch#rwby#rwby rosegarden#rosegarden#rwby ruby rose#oscar pine#rwby fanart#greenlight volume 10
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(Part One)
Welcome to Part Two of the Volume 7 Review everyone! If you missed Part One, you can click the link above and check that out first if youâd like. Otherwise, not gonna waste any time. Letâs resume the Character Section and get this baby done!
Characters, Part Two (RWBYJNRQO)

So some characters got it a bit easier here. I donât have too much to honestly say about Jaune, Blake, and Yang. They were good, but they didnât really develop any this volume. But honestly? Thatâs fine since they already had a great deal in the Mistral seasons alone. Blake and Yang do have some a few things though. They spend the majority of their screentime together, and while it kinda irks me because I dislike when two characters get put together and mostly cease interacting with others (Ren and Nora in most of the early seasons for example), after Volumes 3-6 it was nice to see them rekindling their relationship. Theyâre much happier and comfortable together and their teamwork is at an all right high now, though we see that Blake at least is still haunted by killing Adam. Itâs this fear and worry about Ironwood that causes the two to try talking to Robyn, and that of course bites them hard in Chapter 11. They did the right thing though... though I do still have to wonder if them seeming to not tell any of the others int he main group will cause issues for them later. Jaune was... there, but seeing how heâs grown and him having now moved on form Pyrrha is nice to see.

By contrast, though, we got much more from Ren and Nora this year. They are by far the two who get the least amount of substance in every volume with V4 being the only time they got spotlight. And that was more for Ren than Nora, who I considered the least developed... and sadly I still do. But compared to before? Nora was freakinâ great here. She is the most vocal about Mantleâs mistreatment, which makes sense considering how she lived in poverty as a child until she met Ren. While IDT it really develops her, sheâs still the same as before, it helps give her more depth than just the âenergetic comedy relief who crushes on Renâ. Which we finally have some development with there being some actual conflict between them due to their differing ideologies and Chapter 6 confirms that yes, their feelings are romantic. Nora loves Ren and she tries her best to comfort and assure him, despite her frustration with him. She just wants him to open up to her, which provoked her to finally do the thign weâve been waiting for for years. That kiss was a long time coming. But... sadly there is one obstacle to them being happy and going beyond that one night, and that is Ren himself.
We see that Ren is slowly closing himself off more and more. He pushes away Noraâs advancements, he seems much more frustrated about the mission, and he seemed perfectly fine with following Ironwoodâs orders until they became wanted. Heâs not emotionless, but clearly, the circumstances are eating away at him. Heâs also never been the most upfront with his emotions, but as Volume 4 demonstrated, once heâs overwhelmed by them he loses it. That time, Nora calmed him down. She isnât nearly as successful this time, especially since after the kiss, Tyrianâs murder spree happened. Then to really clench it, in the finale not only do they lose the Relics, but he canât stop Neo because sheâs disguised as Nora and that breaks him. In the end, he looks on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I wish this was a bit more in focus cause thereâs a long gap where it seems they dropped it and Ren seemed normal again... but the finale shows that they havenât forgotten. I get the feeling that V8 may just have him reach a breaking point.

Qrow also got it a bit better... well, at first. We see him trying to improve himself as heâs given up drinking, even resisting the urge in Chapter 8, and seems to be back to being the uncle figure. He no longer has to worry about being the adult/guardian over the kids and just has a much better attitude compared to the previous volume. What helped was meeting Clover, his polar opposite, but instead of going the rivalry route Clover was a nice guy who encouraged him and outright told him that he shouldn't keep putting himself down. Itâs words that Qrow took. Heâs still cynical, but much happier and was able to properly comfort and assure Ruby and even open up about Summer. Something I doubt that he had done for a very long time. Things for him were on the right track... but fate, unfortunately, had other plans.
I know some reception to the final two chapters with Qrow were controversial, for more reasons than one. However, right now, Iâm okay with this direction. Qrow is doign better, but weâve still never really seen him open up. We know that thereâs a lot still haunting him, like with STRQ and the fallout with Oz, but heâs internalizing it like a certain niece of his. Thatâs bad for her but even worse for someone like Qrow. Plus now that heâs faced with tragedy again, betrayed by his friends just like with Raven and Oz and now one dead, can Qrow pull back from it? This is where we see if he truly can improve now that heâs again been dealt with these harsh circumstances. It may be a while before we see since Qrow is going to jail, but I think itâll be like what happened with Blake. Heâll fall for a bit, but once heâs back up, heâll be better than ever. Iâm looking forward to seeing that and overall? Compared to how annoyed I was at Qrow last year, I am very satisfied with him here.

Next up, we have Weiss. Last volume, she was the one of the main four who got the least focus. This time? She got a pretty good amount. First, sheâs back in Atlas, but sheâs able to make due. Despite any feelings she has about it, she pushes forward and tries to do whatâs right. This leads to the lovely scene where he backtalks Jaques in Chapter 4 and when he tries to break her by bringing up her mom, her team is there. Unlike last time in V4, this time she has her friends with her. Her family. This gives her the strength to, when she suspects Jaques of foul play, to go back tot he Manor and find evidence. Once she has it, sheâs able to arrest Jaques and even uses her Knight, the same thing that Jaques previously tried to use to break Weiss when she tried to leave te first time, to block him and become his undoing. After how much Jaques made not jut Weiss suffer, but his whole family, this was a delight.
But itâs also made clear just how broken off form her family Weiss is. Her relationship with Willow is clearly shaky due to Willow doign nothing and her broken state. Once that Weiss had to watch unfold, and itâs clearly something that pains her. She also feels like Whitley wants nothing to dow ith her, and given past evidence and him trying to rub his success in her face here, can we blame her? Willow tries to push Weiss into seeing why he feels that way, but itâll be a while before we see if Weiss takes that to heart. The one person Weiss still has is Winter. We see here that the two are as close as ever with Weiss clearly being concerned about Winterâs fate, but she does take her advice about carving her own destiny despite circumstances to heart. But sadly, it ends with the two on opposing sides. It hurts them both, but Weiss is now an enemy of Atlas and she canât stay by Winter. Their final moment int he finale was just... heartbreaking, but Weiss has to carve her own path. So she does. Hopefully, they can get around this, but itâs going to take time. Still, Weiss was excellent in this volume and I enjoyed every minute of her.

Then we have Oscar. So...farmboy has not gotten it great when it comes ot his character. It usually ends up rushed or out of focus, with V6 being the breaking point for many. Have they improved on that? FOr the most part, yes. I do still feel like Oscar is a tad underdeveloped, but I think it's just due to how rushed the previous seasons with him were. But I gotta say, in comparison, this is an improvement. Int his volume, Oscar is trying more and more to carve his own identity instead of being just Ozâs vessel. While he still hasnât unlocked his Semblance, he has started to speak his own thoughts and give advice to others. He worries about Ruby following Ozâs path, though that pretty much got dropped sadly. But we do see this very well with Ironwood where he tries to help the general embrace his feelings and do whatâs right. Unlike Nora, who kept getting nagry at him, Oscar tries to be much calmer and friendlier and finds out more about the General personally. And it seemed to work y Chapter 9 with Oscar convincing him to tell the truth and even kept him calm after revealing their own secret.
Sady though, Oscar couldnât save Ironwood form himself. He tried so hard, but IDT even Oz could have helped by then. It sadly ended with Ironwood dismissing essentially both of them and shooting him down. Fortunately, though, this gets Oz back and allows Oscar to tap into hos true power. IDK if itâs his Semblance or Ozâs magic, but heâs unlocked it. I think that this volume, above all else, helped show that Oscar is not just Oz or even Oz 2.0. One big issue with V6 is despite saying it wasn't the case, it felt like Oscarâs own real importance was because of Oz. But here? Oscar forges his own path. Heâs not as wise or experienced as Oz, but he has the hope and determination that he lacks. I think if the two can sort things out, they can be the effective leader that they all need. But still, this is the best volume with Oscar thus far and while they DO need to improve on setting up a thing happening to Oscar, except notâ thing, as a character? He is much better and finally feels like his own person thatâs not burdened by Oz or whatever happens when the merger completes.

So finally we come to Ruby. V6 was a mass improvement for her character, so did they accomplish keeping that here? Yes... but I do have some issues. I feel like there was much more potential with Ruby having to make hard, O-like choices. Now we do see that it is stressing her out and she is uncertain about what to do. This is good to see and itâs clear that she is trying her best in a very bad situation. But after Chapter 4, her worry about being no better than Oz is dropped and I just feel like there was more to explore with her and her newfound leadership role. But I think the big issue is that, again, she keeps her feelings internalized and is given no chance to express it. Tbf we have her scene with Qrow, which helped, but I really wish that they'd just let this girl talk about these things more. Her not getting to talk to Penny about Beacon or her first demise despite it clearly still bothering her especially was a horribly wasted opportunity that I am unhappy with just because I donât get whyt hey wonât just allow Ruby to talk about her feelings already. Maybe in V8, I guess...
That being said, Iâm happy with Ruby here. Less so than V6, but still happy. She got to express some things like her uncertainty about what to do, her fears about her choices to Qrow, and of course about Summer. She finally asked about it, and she also sadly found out what happened via Salem. Thus we got the first time that he legit broke, and it was heartwrenching to watch. But through and through, Ruby is still the smaller, more honest soul who keeps trying that heâs always been. She tries her best to reason with Ironwood, is as devoted to protecting those counting on her and the others as ever, her Semblance has massively improved, and Chapter 11 just demonstrates the best of her. She stands up to Salem with zero hesitation, and even after she broke her, she still refused to let Ironwood jeopardize Mantle. The looks he gave him before she Petal Bursted behind his desk to warn everyone else was amazing. Also, we see she still isnât 100% experienced with the Silver Eyes which is good, but we also see that when sheâs pissed enough she has no issue such as doing it pretty much the instant she saw Cinder. Best subtle moment by far. So in the end, I feel like a few things could have been better, but Ruby was overall great and Iâm very happy with where she currently is.
This volume was very much more story-driven than character development-driven but thereâs still plenty of the latter. I think that Ruby, Weiss, Oscar, and Qrow got it the best. The others, especially Ren and Nora, were still good though. And of course, other characters, especially Penny and Ironwood, got a great deal as well. Everyone was very well done and I am very happy with the character writing this volume. Excellent work~
Story

Volume 7 is a volume about trust, fear, and doing the right thing. We have our heroes arrive in Atlas, but the sight is not pleasant. Mantle is being abused, Ironwood seems unhinged, and there seems to be nowhere safe to turn. As a result, Ruby lies about the Lamp and Salem, despite Ironwood appearing to openly trust the group unconditionally. The events that unfold include political insanity that hit far too close to home, seeds of mistrust and conflict among the heroes, and the villains unfolding their schemes amidst all of it. This line from Ruby in Chapter 4, which was also heard in the trailer, I feel sums it all up:
Iâm trying to do what I think is best, but I really canât tell if whatâ best is whatâs right.Â
We see this all unfold with the conflict between Atlas and Mantle. Ironwood has a plan, to re-establish communications and reveal Salem. But to do so, he causes Mantle to suffer by putting it under a police state, banning nearly everything under the sun, and worse of all taking resources needed to rebuild Manteâs defenses. Now once can argue that Ironwood is doing whatâs necessary for the greater good, but heâs still causing this already worn down city to become even /more/ worn down and burden all the sacrifice. Not just some, but /all/ of it. Ironwood knows this and that he looks terrible for it⌠but heâs so concerned about beating Salem, about becoming this Big Good figurehead with Oz gone that he shoves that aside and allows his paranoia to consume him.
Itâs made very clear that the general has good intentions, but that he is not doing the right thing. While he does give the heroes his trust and does things like let them keep the Lamp and grant them their Huntsman/Huntress licenses, he wonât trust the Council or Robyn even though if he had been upfront, this whole thing could have been handled much more reasonably. Most of the plot has the cast trying to get him to see this and open up to these people, but he continuously refuses until heâs pretty much forced to. Ironwood doesnât trust his own allies. As such, the heroes cannot trust him and hold onto the info they know until they can be for sure that he will do the right thing. Itâs all a waiting game as things continue to get worse and worse with Watts and Tyrian framing Ironwood, murdering others left and right, and just causing a large amount of unease that ensures frequent Grimm Attacks while Ironwood sits in his office and does nothing but allow his paranoia to clout his mind. Thus our heroes must try to push the General to trust those around him while trying to thwart the villains and help those suffering such as the people of Mantle. But of course, itâs much easier said than done...
Every chapter was chock full of content. They all felt very well-paced and had a consistent tone. Thereâs so much complexity with the volume as it weaves the themes together. You grow attached to characters and you hope that ones like Ironwood are going to make a turn and do the right thing. The tone begins as tense but overall has the usual RWBY optimism. But by the end, it took the V3 route and grew darker and darker until by the end, you are left with only bleakness. Heck, I even criticized Chapters 9 and 10 because it began to become optimistic again in a way that, considering all the build-up and tension throughout the volume, felt like a jarring, anti-climatic shift. But it was all a trap for when Cinder made her grand return, and caused Ironwood to lose himself. Everything came back to haunt our heroes, and as a result, we are where we are now. Absolutely brilliant writing.

Unlike past volumes, Miles and Kerry were not the sole writers. They added Eddy Rivas, a long-time writer at RT, and author Kirsei Buckhart to the team. I gotta say, this was a very good choice. They brought so much to the volume. There was so much depth and tension but also plenty of fun and light-hearted moments. Every step helped push the characters and the plot forward, and every step made sense. But of course Miles and Kerry remain as great as ever as they wrote Gravity, which is probably my favorite chapter of the volume and one of the best of the whole series. Each chapter, even when I wasnât 100% happy, made me tune in every Saturday at 11 AM so that I could see what was going to happen ASAP. They all did an excellent job, and I look forward to seeing even more of their work in Volume 8.
Speaking of⌠that finale, huh? Yeah, it was⌠quite the thing. But it beautifully rings everything around full-circle with Ozpnâs monologue. How we all feel fear. How there are so many reasons why we do. But it isnât fear in and of itself that we should be concerned about, but what we become when grasped by it. When RWBY was afraid, they grew and continued to move forward even when things kept getting worse and worse. When Ironwood did so, however? He became lost to it, and has now become the very same demon that heâs fought against. He also brought down the Ace-Ops and Winter with him, but Penny? She trusted in love, and because of it she became a Maiden and proved herself as human as anyone else. Even moreso than the man who claimed to have complete control over her. You canât allow fear to corrupt and twist you, otherwise, you lose your way. Itâs a lesson that our heroes will need to cling to more than ever with Salemâs arrival and whatever she unleashes upon Solitas.

Thus, we return to our main themes. How people need to trust each other, but of course it isnât that simple. The heroes canât trust Ironwood because of his morally questionable decisions, and once they did he broke it instantly. Ironwood seems to trust the heroes, but no one outside his own inner circle and thus is antagonistic to people like Robyn when cooperating with her would help all of them. The heroes' decisions cause people like Ace-Ops to feel betrayed, and they themselves feel the same way as demonstrated with Qrow towards Ironwood. It all leads to Ironwood choosing to allow Mantle to die for what is a plan of desperation, while our heroes stand against him to protect the people. Why? Because they are Huntsmen and Huntresses and their loyalty is to the people depending on them, not to any authority figure. Doing the right thing is what matters, not just the best thing. Our heroes trusted in love, but Ironwood became blinded.Â
Unlike in the past few volumes, where the heroes learned the lesson by the end and became better for it, here we have the heroes trying to teach Ironwood the lesson. It sadly fails. But they stick by their morals, and itâs shown that this is right. The heroes trust each other and thus are able to defeat Ace-Ops. They decide to stand by Mantle, the right thing to do. They sadly couldnât get Ironwood to trust love and open his eyes and were forced to flee from Atlas in the end. But thereâs another line to the song, one that is more important now than ever:
The wayâs uncertain, but weâre together moving towards the light When we trust in love, and open up our eyes.
Indeed, things are uncertain. I donât know whatâs going to happen going forward. None of us do. Maybe things will become better. Maybe itâll continue to go downhill. All we know is that itâs probably going to be harder going ahead than it ever has been, which is saying a lot. But no matter what, itâs going to be okay. RWBY is still there. They all are there, together. Itâs not gonna be easy, maybe theyâll even face their own trust issues amongst themselves. But theyâre still trying. Theyâre still heading towards that light. If they could stand back up after the Fall of Beacon, they can pull through this. As long as they continue to trust love and can open their eyes, they will pull through and keep hope alive. Letâs hope that we can do the same.
So I think itâs pretty clear that I loved the story. It is one of, if not the best-written volume of the series. So⌠how does it rank compared to the rest? Well, right now itâs crushed 1-5⌠but it is just a smidge below V6. The reason is V6 gave me a lot of what I had been hoping for at that time, which V7 did less so. But that isnât saying much, and once I have more time to digest things that may change. But regardless, the story was excellent. IDK if Iâm in a hurry to rewatch it anytime soon because GOD I need a breather. But I greatly enjoyed it and it makes me so happy to see how far weâve truly come.
Season Stats

Favorite Characters: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Winter Schnee, Penny Polendina, Nora Valkyrie, Oscar Pine, and James Ironwood Favorite Overall Moment: The confrontation with Salem in Chapter 11 and everything following. Least Favorite Overall Moment: The anti-climactic truth âresolutionâ in Chapter 9, even knowing what happened later. Favorite Fight: Cinder vs Penny and Winter Least Favorite Fight: Tyrian vs Qrow, Clover, and Robyn Favorite Chapters: A New Approach (Chapter 2), Sparks (Chapter 5), A Night Off (Chapter 6), Gravity (Chapter 11), With Friends Like These (Chapter 12), The Enemy of Trust (Chapter 13) Least Favorite Chapters: Ace Operatives (Chapter 3), As Above, So Below (Chapter 9), and Out in the Open (Chapter 10) Favorite Voice Actors: Lindsay Jones (Ruby), Jason Rose (Ironwood), Taylor McNee (Penny), David Fennoy (Pietro), Jason Liebrecht (Qrow), Sam Ireland (Nora), Anaris Quinones (Harriet), Mick Lauer (Marrow), Cristina Vee (Robyn) Favorite Song: War by Jeff Williams, sung by Casey Lee Williams, Adrienne Cowan, Dawn M Bennett, and Erin Reilly. Rating: 9.9/10
Final Thoughts
It has been⌠quite a trip guys. Even though November was just three months ago, it feels so much longer. Itâs certainly been quite the emotional journey, in both good and bad ways. But I wouldn't change it for the world. I loved this volume. Even when the pit in my stomach grew more and more, I was always excited to tune in every week and see what CRWBY had in store for us. Think itâs safe to say that they certainly made something memorable. As I said, I need a breather before I truly revisit this volume just because it feels like my emotions have been trampled over. But Iâm still satisfied with everything and truly looking forward to what Volume 8 will have in store. Gonna be a wild time~
But until then thatâs it for the RWBY Reviews! Whoo! Thank you all who have read this far! I may do some more RWBY related posts in between now and V8, but for now this is it. I hope that you guys enjoyed all my mindless babbling. My focus is gonna turn to RvB as I prep for RvB18 and get those reviews ready to go. I hope that you guys will check those and my Top Likes/Dislikes posts Iâm going to do for them like I did with RWBY prior to this volume. WHich Iâll do it for V7 when weâre closer to V8. But, once again, thank you for reading and itâs been a pleasure~
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I ended up rewatching all of RWBY Volume 3 tonight (sort of by accident honestly) and, as someone who hasnât rewatched any earlier volumes since Volume 3 finished, here are some assorted thoughts:
I remember a lot of us feeling cautious about the team switching over to Maya for Volume 4 and beyond, but looking back at Volume 3, probably the best that Poser could do, I think it was the right call. The character models, the expressive animation, the BACKGROUNDS, are all so much better now than they used to be. The look of Poser has its charm but I think overall weâre far better off with Maya.
Putting aside the inherent issues of making the only committed revolutionary fighter in the series an abusive murderous ex, the major thorn of Adamâs characterization remains his first interaction with Cinder in episode 7. The rest is decently well laid; from Blake telling the team about how someone close to her changed, to Adamâs reaction to Blake leaving during the events of the Black Trailer (also in episode 7). Itâs not pretty or polished but it fits well enough, except for that one scene. It kind of shoots his whole arc in the foot. Also Adamâs voice actor has done a much better job with his nasty, creepy dialogue than he ever has with his noble freedom fighter dialogue and I think that deserves recognition.
Speaking of which as a whole episode 7 is really good the structure and pacing feels really unique for a RWBY episode. I donât think they made another quite like it until The Lost Fable in S6.
This whole season is really good at moving its camera, and Iâm tempted to lay that credit with Monty Oum. There are lots of interesting shots of charactersâ legs (that sounds weird but both Cinder and Ironwood have great shots of a room framed between their feet from behind), and I still love how when Qrow is first introduced at the Crow Bar the camera wobbles drunkenly with him when he stands up. It adds a level of engagement that the animation quality might have otherwise robbed.
Speaking of Qrow, this volume is his introduction and it struck me how, even though heâs always been a bit of an immature bastard, in V3 he still very much feels like an adult, and Team RWBY very much feel like children. Iâm used to V6 Qrow, who whines like a baby and is generally useless. The dynamic has shifted so much and I think thatâs genuinely intentional so good job, CRWBY.
This is a bit of a nitpick but why is Ironwood the one to tell Yang that sheâs disqualified after she blasts Mercuryâs knee? Thatâd be like if I cheated at a high school track meet and Obama shows up to kick me out; Ironwood is a head of state from a different country and the headmaster of NEITHER of the schools involved in the fight. Why is he here?
Itâs sort of odd watching this season lay groundwork for worldbuilding thatâs already been retconned away. Ozpinâs gang leading Pyrrha through the vault for the first time really make it seem like the Maidens are the be-all end-all of magical power in the land, and that their little troupe was made solely to protect them. Now Maidens are just a small cog in the machine, shoved to the back burner in recent episodes in favor of the relics. I know that RWBYâs worldbuilding has almost always been âgo off of what we told you last and forget everything before thatâ, but it feels oddly disconnected to see the ghost of the original plan peeking through in the earlier volumes.
Also itâs really odd seeing Ozpin on screen I kind of forgot that he used to have a body that isnât Oscar.
Thereâs a bit of heartache seeing Pyrrha again, once my favorite character. Her journey in this season might still be the best season-long arc RWBY ever told, and while I still yearn for the reality where she lives and we get to see the fallout of everything she went through, her sacrifice in the finale is still one of the most genuine emotional moments in this entire series and Iâll always applaud that.
In connection to Pyrrhaâs arc, this season has the Perfect amount of Jaune used in the best possible way, and I wish he could always be like this. Jaune in V3 is kinda funny, pretty brave, and very sweet and heartfelt. He and Pyrrha talking alone in episode 8 is still one of my favorite moments of the whole show. Jaune is at his best when heâs a loving and supportive friend, not a hero or a leading man, and I hope the series is finally starting to understand that.
As a whole the entire Battle of Beacon is really fucking impressive. For one thing, itâs LONG, about 45 minutes of one big conflict, and it balances the bits and pieces between Ruby vs. Torchwick, Ozpin and Pyrrha vs. Cinder, and Blake vs. Adam really well. The editing is top notch and the score is incredible, and there are some amazing moments of choreography (Ruby vs. Neo and Torchwick is still one of my favorite fights in the series). The whole thing manages to stay pretty breathless and exciting all the way through and I hope that RoosterTeeth can craft another finale this thrilling for Volume 7 and/or something later.
The end of Heroes and Monsters is harrowing, to put it simply. Seeing Pyrrha screaming in pain in the aura transfer machine, Amber being shot suddenly without warning, Blake getting stabbed, and Yang losing an arm all in quick succession is a huge fucking gut punch, made all the harsher by the music choice (that... music box style music they put on haunts my dreams, damn you Alex Abraham and Jeff Williams).Â
Itâs sort of refreshing to see Ruby Rose herself in such a central role this season. They got better at putting her in focus in V6 but sheâs still sharing the spotlight with a solid 10-12 other major characters. In V3 Ruby spends a lot of time alone, doing important things for the plot. I kind of miss that.
Also, Ruby collapsing into tears and then numb shock when she sees Penny die? Excellent content, it breaks my heart, I wish we could see important emotional moments and reactions like that from Ruby all the time.
Torchwick is fucking incredible and Iâm so salty heâs gone. He still has maybe the best vocal performance in the entire series and his monologue right before his death is my pick for the best ever string of dialogue from a series thatâs historically had problems writing it. I really hope they pull a Hannibal Choi from Pacific Rim and bring him back later, if only to see how hilariously outclassed he is by the newer, bad-er villains. Normally that sort of thing would bug me from a narrative perspective but I love Torchwick so much that Iâm literally begging for him to return. Please RT hear my prayer.
When it Falls is the best OP song and Divide is the best ED song of the series and you absolutely CAN fight me on this maybe I can finally put my music degree to use
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carved
a request! by @olyollyoxenfree
Okay, cool! Maybe rosegarden centered around a rainy day (sitting indoors, splashing in puddles, or whatever runs through your mind)?
thank you for sending this in!! (see you said whatever runs through my mind... and now you will see the result of me using the wildness that runs rampant in my brain)
*****
âRainy days are the worst,â Ruby sighed. She sat on a stool, staring outside the window, the rain pouring hard outside. You could hear it as started from soft pitter patter to the loud rush, somewhat like a waterfall.
âSomethingâs telling me itâs going to flood soon,â MarĂa sighed, resting on the sofa. The old woman was letting Weiss braid her hair, as she had grown quite fond of her.
âNo doubt,â Yang agreed. No one seemed worried about a possible flood? Ruby was. Yang and Blake were curled up by the fireplace, deeply immersed into some book which Ruby would swipe from them later tonight. Jaune and Ren were sparring in a room somewhere, and Nora was napping. Qrow was writing letters to Taiyang. Everyone seemed to be occupied. Everyone except for Ruby and Oscar.
Oscar had walked into the room, boredom clearly written on his face. He pulled up another stool and sat next to Ruby, sighing.
âBored?â Ruby asked.
âOh, most definitely.â He turned to Ruby, a smile on his face. âIâm kidding.â
âSo youâre not bored?â
Oscar shook his head. âAre you crazy? There so many things you can do in the rain! Once, my aunt and some of the people in my town chased down the milkmanâs cow and it took us hoursâand then we got caught in the rain!! We all started to like dance around and splash in puddles, it was totally cool,â Oscar beamed.
âWow. Is that what farmers do? Jump in puddles? Did you ever find the cow?â Ruby asked, teasingly.
âNope. But the rain was fun. The milkman got over it.â
âWeird. Well, on Patch, itâs sunny. So Iâm used to the sun. I hated how cloudy Beacon was when I got there and now itâs raining here, itâs so ugh. I miss the sun.â
âThe rain is fun too,â Oscar argued back.
Ruby shook her head. âThe sun is where itâs at. No sun, no fun.â
âYouâre so childish!â Oscar exclaimed.
âThatâs coming from the actual child!â Ruby yelled back. Their voices were rising in volume.
âBoth of you, quiet down! Youâre both children and no one cares about the weather!â Yang yelled from her spot near the source of heat.
Oscar put his head down, clearly finished with the conversation.
âIâm almost 17 years old, why donât you leave me alone,â Ruby was muttering to herself.
âIâm going to go outside!â Oscar announced, standing up. Maria and Weiss looked up simultaneously. âBe careful,â Weiss warned. Oscar nodded.
âDonât get hurt out there or the sparky one will have you head,â Maria chuckled, referring to Nora as the âsparky oneâ.
âYouâre going outside? In the pouring rain?â Ruby asked.
âYeah. Iâm a farmer, remember? We splash in muddy puddles and chase after lost cows?â Oscar huffed, and marched upstairs. Ruby didnât understand why he was getting upset. All she said was that she liked the sun better than the rain. Was that offensive? Did farmhands hate the sun? She thought they would like the sun because they needed it for their plants! Right?
She was so lost in thought that she didnât even notice when Oscar came back downstairs, wearing a plastic raincoat over his clothes. He changed his other boots into black galoshes which Ruby didnât recall him purchasing.
âIâll be back in a bit.â And with that, he headed outside. Ruby faces back towards her window, and gazed outside it. She decided she hated the rain. It was so boring! She had finished all her comics and there was no comic book store near the cabin! She didnât feel like sparring, surprisingly, and she wasnât in the mood for a silver-eye power lesson with Maria. There was much more to do outside. She was happier when it was sunny.
She focused her attention to the farm boy, who had made his way into her view. She watched as he ran back and launched himself into a large, muddy puddle. Water flew everywhere, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. She watched as a wide smile grew on his face and he began to splash into different puddles. He looked childish. But... he also looked... at ease. Did doing this remind him of home?
It suddenly dawned on Ruby that Oscar wasnât upset because she called him a child, but because... he missed home. He had told her something so personal, and she brushed it off. She may have not understood the significance, but it was one of the memories he treasured with the people he knew back home.
She wished she could have even a minute to spend with her mother. But she didnât get that time. Oscar was ripped forcibly away from home. He was just doing his best to cope, not because he was afraid of losing his aunt. He was afraid of losing himself. That he would eventually become a lost soul, and never be the same again. He would go home and no would recognize him anymore.
She pushed herself back in her stool and headed outside, her hood pulled over her head. She never bought anything for the rain, but didnât care too much. She was covered enough. Hopefully.
Shutting the door behind her, she watched Oscar spin around in the rain, his eyes looking at the sky. The woods were usually quiet, but today, you could hear the rush of water and the scuttling and chirping of animals. Carefully, she stepped into the grass, and she could feel the cold mud even in her thick boots. She stepped towards Oscar, sidestepping the puddles. The rain was cold on her skin, but it strangely, wasnât uncomfortable. It was like a kiss from an ice queen. Nature was in a way wonderful, and Ruby never truly appreciated it.
âHey, Oscar?â she piped up, when she reached the boy. He turned around, his face twisted in confusion and hurt. His clothes were spattered in mud, and she could see tiny flecks of dirt around his cheeks. Kinda looked like extra freckles.
âHey.â
âIâIâm sorry about what I said earlier, making fun of you. I didnât understand how important that was for you.â
He shrugged. âYou wouldnât. No one would. Itâs... Itâs stupid anyway. It was a dumb story.â
Ruby shook her head and inched closed to him. âNo. It wasnât stupid. You were trying to tell me you miss home. Right?â
Oscar shrugged. âYeah.â
Ruby didnât know what to say, and she felt quite useless. She let her arms hang to her side and stood there, as the rain assaulted her and made her clothes stick to her body.
Oscar turned away from her and she figured he was still mad. He jumped in a puddle, and another, and another.
Here goes nothing.
Ruby took a little leap and sprung herself into a giant puddle. It was exhilarating, actually! She was getting a bit sticky, but it was fun nonetheless. She stomped and laughed, spraying water around her. This wasnât that bad. It never rained this much in Patch. Even when it did, she didnât like it.
â Oscar, look!â The farmhand turned to look at her. He couldnât resist as a laugh bubbled from his lips. He broke into a smile, a wide grin, his eyes lighting up. Thatâs what Ruby liked to see.
âI donât need this stupid coat!â And with that, Oscar peeled his raincoat off and let it fly into the wind. Ruby... thought he was taking it a bit too far. But she was glad he was happy nonetheless. He started to spin in circles, his mouth open, catching raindroplets in his mouth. Ruby did the same, spinning in wild circles until her head spun.
She let her hood down and shook her hair in the rain. It felt cool, like she was taking a cold shower. Even the smell of the woods appealed to her. Did Oscar posess some kind of nature magic?
��Oscar, is there something youâre not telling me? Are you some kind of wizard?â
The farmhand cracked a grin. âNope. Iâm just a 15 year-old farmerâs kid who likes to dance in the rain. Hey! Come here, thereâs something I want to show you!â He grabbed Rubyâs arm and lead her into the direction of the woods.
âUh, donât you think we should tell someone where weâre going?â Ruby asked.
âDidnât you leave into the woods, only giving your dad a note?â Oscar inquired.
âRight. Um.â
âIâm joking too, Ruby. Now weâre even. I know you miss your dad as much as I miss my aunt.â Oscar turned down another path until they came to a large tree, quite gnarled and hideous. Its roots curled up and snaked every which way and in the trunk was a large hole, where someone could easily sit in.
âWelcome to my haven! Come on!â He dragged her into the large hole and he plopped her down. Then he sat next to her. Ruby was starting to feel sticky and warm. They were seated on moist leaves and the smell of the earth consumed the air around them. Ruby, being taller than Oscar felt a little bit cramped, but she managed to stick her legs out, into the rain.
âI found this place when we started staying here a month ago.â Oscar stroked the inside of the bark. Ruby could faintly see markings etched out in the wood. Oscar allowed her to scoot closer. She could make out letters. She read them, stringing them together. âDreams... to win the fight against... Salem, to see my aunt again... to be good enough... and to get to know Ruby Rose better.â She stayed silent for a minute as she took it in. Clearly Oscar had returned to this place many times. These... these were his desires. Things he wanted to accomplish.
âOscar...â she didnât know what to say.
He shrugged. âDonât say anything. Writing in the tree kinda lifted this hero burden off my shoulders for a bit. I donât want you to feel the need to apologize, I just wanted you to see the place I go to find a peace of mind.â
And that was that. Nothing more, nothing less. He simply wanted to show Ruby something special to him.
Ruby nodded in realization. âSo thatâs where youâve been going all these times.â
âYeah. Itâs a secret, so donât tell anyone. But it gets better.â He quickly got on all fours and crawled out of the hole. Ruby followed him, eager to see what it was. She didnât know what to expect when Oscar started to climb the tree. He was lighting quick, and she didnât even know what he was grabbing onto, he just did it! The tree was about 50 feet high, and Ruby wasnât sure if Oscar would be able to come back down.
As soon as he reached the top, he called to Ruby. âGet up here!â
âUh, yeah... I donât think so! Iâm getting kind of cold!â Ruby yelled back, cupping her hands around her mouth.
âRuby Rose, Huntress, is afraid of heights,â Oscar teased. Even though she couldnât clearly see his face, she knew he had that cocky look on his face. Fine then. Sheâd climb.
She figured it would be harder with her chunky boots so she chucked them off and stood in her stockings. Great. Now they would be soaked. She grabbed onto a low branch and hefted herself up. She had to admit, this was a bit difficult. She climbed trees back home all the time. Maybe she was a bit worn out.
âAha! Youâve been getting lazy!â Oscar sang from where he was perched in his tree. Ruby growled, droplets of water hitting her cheeks.
âYou say that from up there, but letâs see whoâll be on top when I get up there!â
Long story short, Ruby made it up there after 30 minutes, because at one point she fell, laid in the leaves and refused to get up. Oscar kept taunting her so she had no choice but to keep trying. When she got up there, she impulsively took Oscarâs galoshes off and chucked them to the ground below.
âWhat the heck, Ruby?â The farmhand cried.
She stuck ot her tongue and swung her legs over the thick branch, nestling herself on the tree. âSo this is what you wanted to show me?â
âLook beyond the trees. Look at everything,â Oscar said, his voice in awe. He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he wasnât truly here. Ruby was beginning to think he was possessed by some tree spirit. The boy was indeed possessed, but not by something of nature.
Ruby followed his line of sight and gazed at the land below them. Even in the rain and the thick grey clouds above, she could see the land sprawled out in front of them. The town was so far, so many miles away. In the distance, mountains stretched far ahead. Everything seemed so small from where they were. It was as if they were kings of the world, conquering all the land in the world.
Ruby loved it. She loved sitting here, engaging in a fantasy. Like she was a queen who had no responsibility but to be free. And swing deadly weapons time to time. But she was a queen who didnât have to save the world.
âOscar,â Ruby muttered quietly.
âHm?â The boy turned to her, the faraway look gone from his eyes. He was attentive.
âDo...do you think itâs wrong of me toâto sometimes... back out of this war?â She hesitated, afraid of what heâd say.
Oscar didnât seem shocked at all. He nodded. âI expected you to ask this once. Everyone else but you has questioned the possibility of this mission, the outcome of this war. When you think about it, weâre just kids. There are thousands of Huntsmen out there who we could recruit, but weâre putting ourselves against an immortal being. The only chance we got is Ozpin and the Maidens, and your silver eyes. So when I think about the unlikliness of everything, no, Iâm not surprised you have doubts.â Oscar paused for a moment, his head somwhere else. âShut up,â he muttered. Ah. He must be talking to Ozpin.
âAnyway. Like I said. Itâs okay to doubt this mission. I know how much you want to save the world, so I know you will. But... I donât expect you to always be the mediator in our group. Basically,â Oscar said, resting his eyes on hers. âWhat I mean is, Iâve got your back. And so does everyone else.â
Ruby took in the words he said and nodded. âThanks.â
âNo problem.â He looked back at the land. âThis is so beautiful,â he grinned, craning his neck out.
âBe careful, Oscar,â Ruby warned. The farmhand nodded. âItâs soââ
Oscar had somehow slipped and was heading towards the earth. Rapidly. Ruby had no time to think as she shifted herself into petals, into wind, into speed. She didnât think as she cocooned herself in red and shot herself towards Oscar. She barely saw him, but could feel his aura.
It was a large crash landing into a pile of leaves. The two started to roll, mud and leaves coating their clothes. When they finally stopped moving, Ruby found herself squashing poor Oscar.
She lifted herself off his body. Gasping, she managed to speak. âAâare you okay?â
Even in the rain, Ruby could see Oscarâs cheeks were stained pink. I mean, she wasnât surprised. He had fallen 50 feet and was caught in midair.
The boy only managed to nod and Ruby realized that he probably needed space to breathe. She loosened her grip on him and scooted back. Oscar shuffled back, his hair falling over his eyes.
Ruby stood up, her hands stained with thick mud. They needed baths. They both looked like they had been living in the woods for weeks.
She walked over to Oscar and stuck out her hand to him. âCome on. Weâre both dirty.â
Oscar looked up and gripped her hand. She pulled him up, and they began to walk back towards their safe house.
After a while, they reached the house. They were both exhausted and knew everyone would question where they had gone.
They walked in, their limbs sore.
Weiss shot up and ran to them. âI was about to look for you guys! You were gone for two hours!â
âNo, you werenât, Weiss,â Yang called from the kitchen. âYou said theyâd be fine.â
Weiss reddened and looked them over. âYou smell. Iâll go get water for you guys. You need a bath.â
Ruby chuckled at the encounter.
âWhat did you do! What were you doing out there?â MarĂa asked, hands planted on her hips. She hobbled over to the children. âWhy are you messy?â
A hot bath, two cups of cocoa and three cookies later (Ruby stole an extra one), Ruby and Oscar were seated at the window again, watching the pour that had slowed to just a drizzle.
âThanks for showing me that tree today,â Ruby murmured to the farmhand. Oscar nodded.
âThank you too. For everything.â
It was an unexpected adventure for sure, but one that reminded them of things they held dear to their hearts.
#i cant believe ppl kinda like my writing#i do need to improve a lot#but im really grateful for those who like and reblog#rosegarden#ruby rose#oscar pine#roscar#rosepine#olyollyoxenfree#i need to make a masterlist one of these days#lord almighty i ran out of space AGAIN#tumblr mobile stop#like you cant even do the BASIC of tasks#anyway whatever this is enjoy it
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RWBY Recaps: Volume 6. Argus Limited
This is a re-posting from Oct. 27th, 2018 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!
Volume Six is here, folks! I am so very, stupidly excited for this season. Heartfelt thanks go out to my friend who was all, âlol yeah sureâ when I begged to use their FIRST account to watch. There are heroes in this world and theyâre one of them.
A quick note about recaps from here on out: they will (my productivity willing) be uploaded sometime on Thursday or Friday proceeding the new episode. This is partly so that Iâm not scrambling to post immediately afterwardsâstress and bad writing all aroundâand partly so that, you know, we can actually recap stuff before the next episode airs. So yeah, thatâs the goal.
Letâs do it!
We open on a gorgeous, snowy scene with ROOSTER TEETH PRESENTS smack dab in the middle. You know that feeling you get when you hear the Harry Potter theme at the beginning of a new film and the whole theater loses their shit? Same with Doctor Who and Star Wars? Whatever your preferred fandom, the point is I get the same chills when RWBY comes back and itâs excellent.
The animation really is gorgeous though and I sigh happily whenever I see it, thinking back to the days when cookies disappeared directly into Rubyâs mouth. Thereâs nostalgia, sure, but it doesnât beat this detail.
We hear the distant sound of a train and then weâre thrown into exactly what weâve wanted for literal years now: Team RWBY back together again, fighting not creepy adults but just some good, old fashioned grimm. Theyâre chimeras and⌠griffins? Ngl Iâm not entirely sure, but theyâre big, flying, fire-breathing nasties, so thatâs really all we need to know. Luckily everyone falls back into old habits, easily supporting one another and executing perfect attacks (a contrast to the residual tension weâll see in just a bit). Ruby is so busy posing after a successful kill that she misses the grimm coming at her from behind. Weiss saves her ass with a cheeky, âThank me later!â At the end of the fight we get a reversal wherein a hit nearly sends Weiss tumbling off the side of the train, though Ruby grabs her at the last second with her own, âThank me later!â Itâs a fun little exchange made better when we think back to the Vytal Tournament. Weiss still âhad her backâ then too, but was more resistant to Rubyâs proclamation that theyâre BFFs. Now the teasing is on both ends.
Notably, Ruby saves Weiss by taking her into her semblance, creating a cloud of rose petals that are half red, half white. Now combined with the old team-ups and some shots in the new opening, this has led a number of fans (myself included) to wonder if a WhiteRose pairing is in our future. Which also means that the ship wars are in full swing. Needless to say Iâm not about that nonsense and Iâll only point out here what I said episodes back: if itâs a queer relationship with one of our main girls, and not a random side character who was previously out to murder a whole family? Iâm on board.
Back in the fight though. The rest of team RNJR appears with Nora exclaiming, âWhy is it always something?â God thatâs a mood. Welcome to adulthood, kid. Itâs just one crisis after anotherâexcept in your case the crises are objectively more dangerous. Sorry about that. We get to see Jauneâs improved reflexes as he fends off all the fireballs with his shield while Ren and Nora team up to knock some of the monsters out.
Honestly, I love this trope in action stories. Whereâas Nora does hereâa character just shouts out a friendâs name to get their attention and they immediately know what kind of move theyâre about to pull off. Itâs made more hilarious to me given that RWBY once had attack names and Jaune at least made the attempt with JNPR...but apparently they're not needed anymore. So unrealistic, yet so very cool when used.
So yeah, things are going pretty smoothly⌠up until Oscar yells out âTunnel!â Ruby saves Weiss from falling, they manage to get over or between the cars, and in the sudden darkness we transition to what we only realize later is a flashback. At least, I didnât realize it until later. Totally thought weâd had a time skip and they were just hopping another trainâŚ
My stupidity aside, before we hit the train station we actually see a familiar hallway filled with angry voices discussing the disaster at Havenâone of which is Adamâs. I really enjoyed this technique, wherein we slowly pan across the room as the voices grow more frantic and the sounds of fighting break out, the camera revealing bodies scattered across the floor. By the time we reach the throneâand Adam on itâ we realize that the fight occurred prior to this moment, something that Adam is now remembering. He goes all skyward scream on us as he howls menacingly. Okay, dude. Compared to Cinder and Salem youâre really not all that.
Now weâre at the train station where Qrow is narrating a letter to Ironwood. Hell yes, please bring back the badass, protective Ironwood who defended the students at Beacon and stood up for Weiss. Iâd be very pleased if he joins the RWBY gang by the Volumeâs end. Qrowâs optimistic about the tripâtheyâve plans to reach Ironwood before the letter does, which says either good things about Remnantâs transportation or bad things about its mailâthough of course we as the audience know itâs not going to be nearly that simple. We learn that only two weeks have passed since the battle, but people are still reeling from all the implications. Lionheart tragically lost his life defending the school and oh, some students coincidentally were there and did some stuff. Excellent choice in showing us the mindless crowds while we hear this, the naive masses who, yes, would absolutely believe a story like this.
Itâs easy to criticize no one supposedly noticing Salem, magic, the finger Ozpin has in every pie, etc. but ultimately people believe what theyâre toldâespecially when itâs much easier to swallow than the truth.
Enough of the doom and gloom though. Ruby is having the time of her life.
Qrow: âWhatâs with the running?â
Ruby: âWhatâs with the standing?!â
I love this girl so very much and itâs wonderful when we get to see her acting like the kid she is. She uses her semblance with abandon because yeah, if I could turn into rose petals Iâd be doing that all the time too. Ruby teases Yang with something from the gift shop and I really hope we get to see what that is. Yes, we end the episode with everyone left stranded in the wilderness, but if Yangâs bike can survive then so can Rubyâs souvenirs.
(Seriously though they presumably lost all their luggage that sucks.)
Everyone else is in top, feel-good form too. Nora daydreams about hitting the beach, complete with a thought bubble of topless Ren and a beachball. Weiss quips about how she spent all last Volume getting out of Atlas, thanks, but Ruby reassures her that at least sheâs back with the team now. When two jokers arrive boasting about how theyâll be the ones keeping the train safe from grimm, Ruby and Yang act exactly as nieces should when your cool uncle is telling them off. AKA, making fun of them behind his back.
God they must have been terrors as toddlers. I mean we already know Yang carted Ruby off into the woods one day so yeah, Iâm pretty confident in expressing my surprise that Tai doesnât have a full head of gray hair.
The two Nice Guys go on to specify that theyâll provide extra protection for a âgenerous tip,â whichâwhile essentially a throwaway lineâreminds us how most of the world functions outside of our close-knit cast. Money, and more specifically Schnee money, quite literally dictates who lives and who dies. Not everything about RWBY is fantasy orientedâŚ
We learn that everyone is just waiting on Blakeâ âas usualââand we cut to her with Ilia as the two of them say their goodbyes. Ilia will be helping Ghira lead the Faunus in a ânew movementâ and is supposedly 100% on the straight and narrow now. Cool? I guess? To be honest Iâm fine with her taking a back seat for this Volume. Thereâs a moment where we get a shot of Ilia and Blakeâs feet, the formerâs angled forward in a classic kiss pose, and I was super glad to see that they were just sharing a hug. I really donât want the first LGBTQIA kiss on RWBY to be iffy on consent, considering that Ilia knows Blake isnât interested. Hug though? That was super sweet.
Sun and Neptune show up to say their goodbyes too. Theyâre heading to Vacuo to meet up with the rest of their team because, in Sunâs words, heâs the âworst leaderâ ever. You kinda are, dude? I loved Sun up until they had him following Blake without her permission and continuing to do so after she asked for space, all in the name of the guy supposedly knowing what the girl really needs. The reminder that Sun abandoned his team to do this just reinforces how much I dislike that plot-line.
Sun gets the kissâon the cheekâand after leaving Neptune lectures him on âletting [Blake] go.â Except itâs not about you? Blake is off to quite literally save the world and the fact that these guys view that as a threat to any potential relationship is⌠icky. Ugh. Oh well. Theyâre presumably gonna be offscreen for a while.
The train finally arrives and everyone piles in. Weâre back to bunk beds! And of course Team RWBY is situated exactly as they were in Beaconâs dorms. Weiss gets annoyed with Rubyâs cloak hanging down over the side. Blake has a book in her lap. Ruby challenges Yang to a video game. Cue nostalgia. I fully expect fluffy AU fics where they ride the train all the way to Atlas and treat the trip as one giant, dramatic sleepover. This is non-negotiable.
Tension seeps back in though when Yang moves to pull her luggage from the rack and Blake immediately hops up to help her. In a super guilty âI know I fucked up and now Iâm gonna smother youâ way. Really excellent voice acting here. Yang ends up reassuring her. No, things arenât perfect between them yet⌠but theyâre definitely improving.
While short, for me this scene was perfectly balanced between acknowledging the girlsâ complicated relationship without totally undermining the happy mood. Nicely done.
Then Qrow shows up with a drink. A drink with a slice of orange on the side. I have never enjoyed a moment more and I was so surprised I didn't take a screenshot of it. Clearly I was too distracted and am I too lazy to go back for one now? You betcha. The point is everything is fine, dandy, and filled with alcohol.
So of course RT goes and ruins it for me. Something hits the train and in a split second everyone is on high alert. A quick peek out the window reveals grimm and Blake mutters darkly that itâs âjust my luck.â
Qrow: âNot yours.â
Are they gonna leave the safety of the train to those bozos from before? Hell no. Especially when one guy is grabbed right when the fight starts. I mean, poor dude, but he also kinda sucked as a Huntsmen. He wouldnât have even made it past Beaconâs initiation, let alone graduated.
âŚI guess heâs kind of like early Jaune? Useless, wannabe hero who acts more confident than he actually is? Aw, now I really do feel bad.
Heâs grimm food though. Gotta move on with our lives.
The other dude isnât doing too well either, though RWBY and NJR + Oscar quickly show up, coming full circle to where we began the episode. Oscar insists that heâs got this fight under control which tells me (hopefully) that in the past two weeks theyâve had serious conversations about if and when Ozpin gets to have control. Thatâs super great, though I do wish we could have seen it. Flashbacks, maybe?
As the fight begins Ruby announces that the plan amounts to âdonât let anyone else die.â Uh...Ruby? Buddy. Pal. This is why people die. Because they didnât have plans! Pyrrhaâgod rest her reckless soulâwent off after a freaking Maiden by herself. Jaune got Amber killed because he didnât obey the plan of watching the door. Lionheart frantically calls Salem with no real plan for what heâs going to offer her in exchange for his life! Plans are important, Ruby. Youâre the team strategist. It was a badass line, I grant you, but please do not.
Luckily, no one (else) dies. That would have been pretty brutal for a premier. +1 point for world building where we see that trains like this have built in defenses to fight off grimm. -2 points for how useless it ends up being. As Qrow quickly points out, the turrets are drawing all the grimm to the front of the train where the passengers are. So, not good. Oscar is charged with telling the surviving goon to knock it off already while Qrow faces off against the super fierce chimera grimm. Not gonna lie though, when its tail first started up I thought Qrow was getting attacked by a doveâŚ
This time when we hit the tunnel everyone makes it back safely inside with the exception of Goon #2 who gets his arm injured in the scramble. Heâs literally crying on the ground when, in a pretty harsh move, Qrow drags him up and demands to know what the hell all that was. Civility and benefit of the doubt? Not Qrowâs strong points. It allows Ruby to take control of the situation though. How do you make sure that your cast of kids is continually calling the shots? Â A) isolate them and B) when you canât do that have the adults act like children instead. We see that a fair bit in RWBY. Â
Jaune steps in to heal the guyâs arm, which is an unexpected surprise. I honestly thought we'd get a whole Volumeâs worth of him figuring out how to access and control his semblance, though I suppose once it manifests youâve got the basics down. Weâve seen that semblances can be improved uponâRuby turning other people she carries into petals; Ren dampening the emotions of a whole trainâso presumably Jaune will be able to heal more complex and life-threatening things in the future. We also hear in the ensuing conversation that he can amplify someone elseâs auraâŚto be decided what exactly that means, how it connects to healing, and what the limits of the skill is.
During some theorizing about the attack Ozpin brings up that grimm are attracted to the relic theyâre carrying and⌠oh boy. Here we go. Is it tradition that every recap the fandom goes for Ozpinâs throat while I stand here defending him? Might be. Letâs create a (semi) comprehensive list:
This might have been less of a secret and more of a slip. The guy is thousands of years old and the forces theyâre dealing with are stupidly complicated. He canât info dump every detail of a multi-century war in one sitting. Soâ
He might have thought this was one of those innocuous things that shouldnât take precedent right now. Not the sort of thing he needs to worry them with. He claims in the promo that he didn't lie to the group and he quite possibly didn't. There's a big difference between lying and not telling someone every single possible thing that might be pertinent. Especially whenâ
We know that grimm are already attracted to people/negative emotion and theyâre sequestered within a whole train full of presumably stressed travelers. Thereâs no reason to think the artifact would put them in more danger than they already are and therefore isn't at the top of the list of revelations to dole out. Especially withâ
Qrow and his bad luck semblance. He literally just implied that the grimm were there because of him. Thereâs a reason he didnât want Ruby near him during the fight with Tyrian and now theyâre all stuck together in close quarters. The grimm were coming anyway. Even if we didn't have Qrow's semblance and big crowds we can also assume as much because ofâ
Those turrets. They werenât there for a fashion statement. The whole train was crazy armored. Theyâre clearly very used to getting attacked on this route. It's a normal thing.
All of which is to say that the relic is one of MANY reasons why they might have gotten a buttload of grimm on their tail. Ozpin mentions this as one possibility in a very âHereâs something else to considerâ way and everyone (characters and fandom alike) jump on him like heâs solely responsible for this predicament. Besides, what would they have done differently? Not carry the relic? Thatâs not an option. Be more on guard? Theyâre already constantly on guard. None of their actions would have changed had they known.
Really though, itâs the keeping of secrets that people are mad about, not necessarily what the secret is. So if we ignore the possibility above that Ozpin legit didnât think this was worth mentioning/even forgot about it, we have a) he withheld the information because it might have made them wary about traveling with others, but they need to get to Atlas as fast as possible and the train is the best way to do that. So yeah, thatâs a possible change, though I agree with Ozpinâs theoretical logic here. It was worth the risk.
b) he didnât tell them becauseâagainâworry is a negative emotion and that might have just doubled their problem. Awful as it is, knowing you're carrying a thing that might attract more grimm is one of the best ways to make sure that you do, in fact, attract them. Knowing what the relic does is dangerous.Â
c) he doesnât trust them with all the information about these super powerful relics that are going to decide the fate of their world. Which honestly? Kind of fair. Yeah, I know he promised them no more secrets, but this is a centuries old, god-like entity making a promise to a child. Itâs not even really a matter of trust anymore. Weâve got a core group of nine here and everyone has someone else theyâre close to. Ruby isnât going to keep secrets from Tai. Blake will probably fill Sun in when she sees him again. Weiss is close to her sister. Etc. In short, as soon as this many people know a secret it isn't a secret anymore. Ozpin is no doubt aware that anything he tells to their now massive group is fair game and he has to carefully consider what he wants to risk going public/landing in Salem's hands. A general doesn't tell every lieutenant the details of every plan. That's a good way to lose the war. Fate of the world vs. a promise made to Yang? Câmon. There are priorities here.
d) finally, weâve seen evidenceâparticularly after the iconic food fightâthat Ozpin desperately wants his students to be kids as long as they can. He might keep information to himself simply because he doesnât want to burden them. And given all the reasons listed above for why they'd be dealing with grimm anyway, what's the harm in giving them what little peace he can? It's not perfect reasoning and if this is the case the others have a right to be annoyed, but it's understandable. It certainly doesn't make Ozpin the monster I see countless posts painting him as.
Plus, Yang? Iâm not sure you have the right to get indignant about keeping secrets right now. Granted, thereâs some ambiguity surrounding whether sheâs mentioned Raven as the Spring Maiden, but regardless we havenât seen any evidence that sheâs told the group the details of what happened down in the vault. Thatâs a pretty big thing to be keeping to yourself.
A lot bigger than, âOh yeah this relic attracts the thing weâre attracting anyway. My bad.â
Why the relic attracts grimm is another question. Because itâs connected to the original brothers? Just because Salem wants it and she seems to be the grimmsâ creator? Weâll have to see.
Ruby interrupts everyoneâs fury to point out that they have bigger issues at the moment and Ozpinâs expression kind of kills me? He looks so shocked to have anyone standing up for him, even if itâs a defense of practicality instead of his actions. I wonder if this Volume is going to have the team starting to lose a little faith in Ruby. Given the clear divide here (angry Ren, Nora, Weiss, Yang, and Blake on one side; Ruby, Oscar, Ozpin on the other) this might be a major theme moving forward. It would make a lot of sense too given Ruby's past relationship with Ozpin. To Yang he's just her headmaster; to Ruby he's the headmaster that let her into her dream school early. To Blake he's someone who wanted information from her before she was ready to give it; to Ruby he's the adult who gave her advice at the dance and was emotionally open with her about committing more mistakes "than any man, woman, or child." No matter how far she's come, they'll always be a part of Weiss that sees Ozpin as the teacher who didn't give her the leadership position she thought she deserved; to Ruby he's the man that has put a staggering amount of trust in her: by letting her into his school, giving her a team, sending her to Mountain Glenn, etc.
Now, it might be time for Ruby to put her trust in Ozpin.
Fight temporarily averted, they decide to separate the teams⌠which felt a little forced to me. I mean I get it. As said, giant group. Itâs hard to write and keep track of that many, so letâs knock three offstage for a while. Jaune, Ren, and Nora will see the people to safety while Ruby and the rest of the gang eventually catch up. We get a glimpse of Mariaâthe old lady with awesome glassesâclearly plotting something and then everyone heads back to the roof to finish the fight with the grimm.
Blake has a quick vision of Adam; the last time she separated a train car. Excellent touch there. Ruby tells Ren to use his semblance through the scroll, but we also get a glimpse of their signals getting weaker. Another nice touch considering how important we know the scrolls are throughout the RWBY universe: how the team keeps in contact during the Volume Four short, the damage that the fall of the CCT tower has caused, etc.
We get a final, epic showdown with a massive grimm where everyoneâs teamwork proves to be some top tier stuff. Blake and Yang capture it using Blakeâs ribbon. Weiss freezes off its wings. Thenâin a fantastic split screenâRuby and Qrow both use their scythes to cut the creature in two. Iâm here for the power family moves.
Only problem is that a final fireball from the grimm hits the train, derailing their section. Weiss keeps them all from dying an awful death, but now theyâre kind of stranded.
I mean, they already were stranded before, but I guess the hope was the back of the train would have carried them farther down the tracks before losing momentum?
In the final scene we have an unexpected voice happily proclaiming that theyâre still alive but boy, that was a close one! Maria hobbles out, having clearly planned to be with this group when they went their own way.
My personal theory? She knows (and to some extent recognizes) Ozpin. I canât believe he wasnât involved in a conflict like the Great War. Hell, he was probably at the center of it and Maria looks very old by RWBY standards. We have no concept of how long people in this world can live so I donât think itâs a stretch to put her in her 90s or well over 100âold enough to have fought in the War and potentially recognize one of the central figures, even in a new reincarnation depending on her instincts, knowledge, and semblance. Her name lends a bit of credence to her age, if nothing else. As far as I know âMariaâ doesnât mean/isnât evocative of a color⌠though Iâm far from an expert. Could totally be wrong about that.
Regardless, weâll see. More info arrives next week!
Other Details of Note
The grimm are at a distance when we first spot them and they actually look a lot like crows. The same motif weâve seen with Raven and Qrowâs entrances but, you know, bad.
I really liked Qrowâs line to Ironwood about how theyâre bringing âmore than bad news.â Itâs appropriately vagueâcanât go admitting that Oz is back with the groupâand at the same time quite up-lifting.
I personally take Ozpinâs âI hope theyâre not from Beaconâ as more of a joke than a true worry. If youâre telling me that this old as balls control freak doesnât remember every student thatâs ever passed through those doors⌠I donât believe you.
When Blake is saying goodbye to Ilia and Sun we have lots of animation for her ears, helping to express her emotions. It says a lot about her character development that she hasnât re-adopted the bow in such a crowded, human packed space.
Neptune is pursuing the âwrong treeâ okay lol that was good.
When Neptune and Sun discuss re-uniting the team we briefly hear the soundtrack from their Vytal Festival match. Excellent.
Interestingly, Oscar gives Ozpin control immediately during the conversation about the relic, almost like he already knew what was going to be revealed and understood that it was important⌠I wonder how much theyâre sharing thoughts now, two weeks later.
Here, have a beach Ren and happy birb. Yes, I went back for the screenshots...
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