On January 15th, Rooster Teeth announced that they are doing a crossover with DC, where Team RWBY meets Remnant’s equivalent to the the Justice League. This will be a seven issues and the release date is only known as July 2021. Also they have revealed some designs for the Remnant’s Justice League.
Wonder Woman:
Superman:
Green Lantern:
Batman:
Aquaman:
Cyborg:
Flash:
Four months can seem both a very long yet very short time simultaneously.
Four months ago, I was trawling through YouTube (as I do) when a video popped up in my recs. “Musician REACTS to This Life Is Mine (feat. Casey Lee Williams)”. With that song being my complete favorite from RWBY, it was an absolute must watch for me. Plus, hearing the thoughts behind some of the composition was enticing. I’m not a sophisticated musician by any means. (I can’t even read music or name the key signatures.) But I enjoy hearing about the technical aspects of music.
The short video was only ten minutes long so I was just like, “Why not?”
I was greeted with an extremely warm, extremely enthusiastic person. Of course, he paused during the video to give some insight into the lyrics and what’s going on in the music. However, once it hit the rock section, he just gave up and gave into the music, jamming along with it. There was just so much genuine and authentic joy that it was hard to ignore.
Admittedly, I kind of forgot about him until about a month later when his Red Like Roses Part 2 review came up.
From there, I subscribed and became a regular viewer of his channel.
His channel originally started off as reactions to more normal music which didn’t catch the biggest audience. But after shifting to fandom music, he’s found his footing. His community has absolutely exploded in the past several months from that very shift.
And, honestly, it’s a great community. The comment sections seem to be relatively chill which matches his personality.
But his Patreon on community is where things shine the most. While there are a lot of people in the server, it’s kind of the typical Patreon server. It’s kind of a small group of the same people that talk. We’re all generally pretty supportive of each other. There’s generally no negativity. There’s a venting channel, of course, but that’s pretty standard. We can definitely offer critique to writing and artwork. But it’s never in a way that talks down or demeans anybody. It focuses on striving for improvement. As for right now, it’s a good bunch of people with no bad eggs in the bunch.
I think that can be attributed to David himself. He himself is someone that’s truly positive, upbeat, and authentic. The way he reacts to RWBY episodes really highlights that. He watches and gives thoughtful insight into what’s happening in that moment. Of course, there are criticisms; it’s not just all praised. For example, he started off not liking Roman since he thought he was a bit of a douchebag. He did come around, though, after hearing what other fans thought and seeing more himself.
His insights are so genuine and relatable. During the V2 arc where Blake’s running herself ragged, he relates to that. He says he tends to be the type that just keeps going and going and going. As a bit of a perfectionist myself…I completely get that.
One thing I really enjoy about his RWBY reactions are the fact he offers points to talk about at the end of every episode. Again, one was on the point of “do you rest or do you keep going?” And he always reads a comment that talks about it. The engagement is just so legitimate.
Of course, one of the cool things that happens on Patreon is weekly watch/jam sessions. The community comes together to watch anime and/or just chill and listen to music while talking. Being able to interact with David like that really just reinforces that what you see in the videos is what you get.
Of course, like any creator, some distance from fans is necessary. Giving out all the personal info isn’t the best idea. But you can just tell that he’s a legitimately sweet, nice guy that loves what he’s doing.
Watching him grow as a creator bit by bit over the past several months has been pretty cool. Things still remain largely the same. He’s pretty humble and down to earth. Things remain rather simple. But he’s managed to hire an editor that helps polish video quality up a fair bit.
One thing I do have to appreciate for his personal style isn’t the use of a lot of jump cuts. I get that they have their place. I do not disparage creators that use them a lot. If you’re a commentary-type creator or someone who talks to the camera, oftentimes they’re really necessary. Bailey Sarian is an example of a channel that uses them a ton that I really enjoy. There’s just also something to be said for creators that don’t use them a whole lot. In this case, it just enhances the feeling of genuineness he brings to everything he does.
So yeah, if you’re a fan of animation, music, and especially RWBY, give his channel a look! We’re currently about halfway through Volume 2 in terms of reactions. His upload schedule can be a bit inconsistent since he’s still figuring things out. Despite that, it’s still frequent enough that you won’t be wondering where the next video is.
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWH6O3GL1sLj-cIjukOmppQ
Twitter: https://bit.ly/34Oc6l2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFnAhnMFDki/
Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/davidthehooman
War was one huge cliffhanger, wasn’t it? This is your last spoiler warning, just in case. Alright, with that out of the way, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this theory revolving around RWBY’s illusionist, Emerald Sustrai.
To start with, we need to understand who Emerald is based on. She was a thief on the streets of we assume Vale. She’s based on Aladdin. As we all know, thanks to either Disney or the original story, Aladdin gets his hands on a magical lamp that has a genie, or jinn, in it that will give whoever rubs it three wishes.
Now, the Lamp and Aladdin in RWBY are quite different. For one, there are no wishes, just questions you can ask Jinn, which are still three. However, two have already been used and they replenish every 100 years. I believe that Emerald will get her hands on the Relic of Knowledge and will either use it, or get close to using it. If she does use it, we have Aladdin get the lamp from an evil sorcerer, in this case a sorceress (Salem).
Is a spoiler warning needed? I hope it’s not. But if it is, this obviously contains spoilers for the episode that non-FIRST Members can’t see yet. If you aren’t FIRST and don’t want to be spoiled, then don’t read this.
Okay.
That out of the way.
Oh my god this episode was absolutely fantastic. I personally was not a fan of last episode. Cinder’s backstory came far too little too late. I could probably write an article about how it would’ve been better utilised in V4.
Onto the actual episode. This was done as running commentary while rewatching.
There are a lot of critiques here, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love this episode. I’m a writer so I will nitpick things when actually watching with a critical eye.
The opening. You know stuff’s about to go down when they start with the environmental shots. It’s such a common thing to use in any visual medium. It helps create the illusion things are peaceful before breaking into the absolute chaos that is about to erupt.
And yep, things go to complete heck. We pan to the Atlassian soldiers on the frontlines, waiting for the Grimm.
I do like the little detail of the soldier’s gun rattling. Anyone in their right mind would be absolutely terrified of this absolute insanity. Considering Salem parked her whale on the ground like it’s a big ole semi truck…
And back to Ironwood completely losing it.
I can understand what he’s doing here. Trying to protect the people is good. But causing further mass panic is just…not great. I know that you need to get citizens moved as quickly as possible. And you need every man possible on the front line. But even so…that was not the smart way to do it. The efficient one, yes, but not smart. Causing even further negative emotions will just make the Grimm attracted even more and make things far, far worse than they already were. There have to be some officers that can help keep evacuations orderly…
My other point was just “okay so you’re sending them to where the centipedes are tunneling in. That’s another massacre waiting to happen.”
The next scene is just…so heartbreaking.
The bbys have been arrested. The orders have been given and just, yes Yang, Go. Go my child. CALL THEM OUT.
Of course the Ace Ops don’t believe them about Oscar. I know it’s not typical of Grimm, but come on. The lady who creates the Grimm is literally in her SUV whale. Is it so hard to believe that she could create something that was never seen before? That whale probably doesn’t exist elsewhere.
This scene is great and sets up the next section for that interaction so well.
The rotating shot around Winter’s head is just beautiful. I’m not an animation nerd, but it’s just so pretty. The sky, lighting, the shading around her head… It’s all so subtle and beautiful.
And her eyes, oh the beauty in her eyes in this scene.
The orders Ironwood gives are just nuts. “Drop a bomb in the whale. Don’t care about the people inside.” That’s understandable since they’re all on the crazy train. They’re the enemy. But Oscar. Ironwood doesn’t know that, but he wouldn’t care.
“Your team will deliver the bomb when it’s ready.”
You can just see the resignation on Winter’s face. There are just so many things you can read into that expression especially once he finishes the orders. Especially with what’s coming up.
Even with all of those thoughts, she still agrees. She still agrees even though this is quite possibly the equivalent of a nuclear bomb for Remnant. Ironwood isn’t giving a single care for the safety of her or the Ace Ops. After the scene in Ch 1, you know he doesn’t. Any sacrifice is worth it if he can save Atlas. Nothing else matters. Not even if it means losing his absolute most elite personnel.
And just her hand shaking. My sweet child, I feel for you so much.
I know I should get into this part, but I just…I don’t care. I don’t care about the villains. I do find Salem fun to watch, but that’s it. I don’t care about Emerald, Mercury, or any of them. Cinder least of all.
And Tyrian even less. I’m not a fan of the psychotic types.
It is an extremely well-done segment though.
Salem literally doing Grimm bending like she’s a waterbender or something. Paired with the classical music, it’s just such a great dissonance.
Oscar trying to get Hazel’s trust by telling him about the lamp is an angle I expected.
Emerald has never been loyal to Salem either. All she cares about is Cinder. That sort of by proxy loyalty isn’t what you want in an arrangement like this. It opens up this exact sort of opportunity for defection. The only thing that probably will keep her there will be Cinder. She’s clearly not going anywhere due to the power Salem offers her. The power to do whatever she wants in the world.
Just the looks when you can see Hazel, Emerald, and Mercury want off the freaking crazy train.
And we’re back to the complete heartbreak up in Atlas. This…is another well-done scene.
“She needs a doctor.” Let’s stick a pin in that for later.
The discussion of what to do next is just so good. The conflict and uncertainty just oozes in every line spoken. They’re doing their best, but you can tell they know it’s not good enough. They’re so small against something so large and seemingly insurmountable.
The major turning point is Weiss being forced to choose between Atlas and Mantle.
They want to stay there to help even though, originally, the plan was just to launch Amity and get back to mantle. Nora kinda threw a wrench into that.
But you can understand Weiss’ feelings so well here. They’re in her home, where she was raised. Even if she doesn’t care for her brother and her mother’s a drunk…they’re still her family. Plus Winter’s fighting in Atlas too. Even if they stand on opposite sides, they’re still sisters. Weiss probably wants to protect all of them. Plus, more people will continue to die in Atlas which isn’t what they want by any means.
May has a serious point though. Team RWBY’s idealism won’t work here. They have to choose between helping Mantle or Atlas. Mantle only has the Happy Huntresses and Weiss, Blake, and Ruby. She has to make a choice. THe same sort of choice Ironwood himself made.
The parallels are so good here.
Also, of course, May being acknowledged as transgender in this scene is A+ too. It was originally just a Word of God thing. But, now, it’s fully out in the open. It’s good to see this sort of representation.
And next…
…I wonder just how long Whitley’s been listening. It seems to be implied from the beginning but May certainly would’ve seen him.
Next segment is more villain stuff. I kinda summarised the two above, so I’ll just move onto the next bit.
This. This is the best part of the episode. I do not have enough praise for it. Ren calling the Ace Ops and Winter out on their BS was just so expertly done.
Let me just first give props to Neath for this entire thing. His delivery was what nailed this scene. You can read what’s going on through Ren’s head so well. The strong writing plus delivery just makes this possibly one of the best scenes in RWBY up to this point. My favorite is still personally the one in Alone Together (V5 Ch8) when the girls are talking about Blake.
First point. Y’all are talking to the wrong team here. People are absolutely not replaceable. They agreed to keep fighting like Pyrrha’s by their side. You are saying the exact wrong thing to them.
Second point. Oh my poor babies Marrow and Winter. You could just see it in Ch 1 those two didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. Ironwood shooting the councilman was the breaking point. But they’re probably also afraid. He shot a councilman who was just trying to talk. How much worse would they have it if they left? He definitely wouldn’t let them survive if at all possible.
Third point. Ren’s Semblance. I am of two minds about this. On one hand, it just feels awful convenient. We haven’t seen this ability before in him, then it’s just suddenly…there. But, on the other hand, it does contribute to making the scene so phenomenal.
Fourth point. I love this explanation for them losing against Team RWBY. I know a lot of people were upset about how the Ace Ops lost. It was a phenomenal fight, but it didn’t exactly make sense how such an elite squad could lose against a bunch of newbies. But, with this, it explains the team dynamics that led to the downfall. Not being able to work together and actively fighting against each other will undermine even the most elite. For a team as close as RWBY, it’s much easier to win when the opponents aren’t in sync.
Fifth point. Let’s go into the Ace Ops’ colors a little bit. Information pulled from Incredible Art Department and Empower Yourself Through Color. Also this is just a very basic layout of things. You could write an entire breakdown on all of them. I just wanna try to keep it kinda brief.
I also did read a breakdown like this from Marrow Loves You on twitter (it’s where I got th idea). We probably pulled from the same site(s). So it’ll likely pull the same information and be similar.
Harriet’s colors are red and orange with red being the most pronounced of them. On the positive side, red is associated with passion, love, desire, speed (hah), and strength. On the negative side, it’s associated with war, violence, and, of course, anger.
Orange’s positive traits are energy, warmth, enthusiasm, and balance. On the more negative side of things, it means things are superficial and insincere, overbearing, pessimism, and being overly proud. Interestingly, the orange doesn’t appear until Ren starts talking and she starts denying things.
Marrow’s color is blue which, positively, means peace, tranquility, calm, and trustworthiness. Negatively, it’s associated with despair, depression, instability, and aloofness.
Elm’s colors are the same as Harriet’s.
Vine’s color is green. Positively, it means generosity, stability, renewal, and health. Negatively, it’s associated with jealousy, envy, misfortune, and cautious.
I could do more of an analysis on this, but this article is already long. That’d probably double this already excessive wordcount…
I really do wonder how Ironwood’s going to react once he learns Winter let fugitive traitors go…
Okay, NEXT SCENE FINALLY.
Hard cut to Ruby trying to be idealistic (again) and May being the pragmatist. Though, one detail I just noticed in that scene was Blake’s ears folding down.
You can only imagine what’s running through her head right now. People are dying because of decisions they’re making. She’s being pulled and tugged in directions she doesn’t like. They’re leaving a bunch of people to die because they’re the “wrong” crowd.
May is being pragmatic and realistic, but I can imagine that at least some part of Blake things she’s lashing out at Atlas for how they treated her.
Just like she did in the White Fang.
But man, this scene makes me so happy. Whitley is finally showing some character development. Jacques wouldn’t have approved of this sort of thing most likely. So him doing it because it’s the right thing is just so good. And then Weiss showing her appreciation…
Oh my heart can’t take it.
And then Penny of course.
Not entirely sure what to make of it.
All in all, I feel like this is one of the absolute strongest episodes in the volume so far. While I do have some criticisms of it toward the beginning, the later parts make up for them far far more than I can count. It entirely washed the bad taste of last episode out of my mouth.
Greetings fellow RWBY fans, welcome to my brief review of the newest (at the moment) chapter of Volume 8. I will say, before I start talking about the chapter, there will be some slight spoilers. If you’re not caught up, I suggest that you watch the chapter before reading. You have been warned.
First things first, I LOVE this chapter, it just might be one of my favorites! If there’s one thing I love, it’s when we have an episode dedicated to one of the main villains of the series. While I might not love the things she’s done up to this point, this episode has made me love Cinder’s character even more. In case the title of the chapter wasn’t a big enough clue, “Midnight” is all about Cinder Fall and what her story is. Sure, there are a few moments that give some focus on other characters, but this is Cinder’s chapter. We learn about where she came from and how it all led to who she is now. And honestly, it made me understand and pity her. It also gave us the origin of the line “without you I am nothing,” giving it more power. What makes it fill me with more pity, is that there was a small spark of light in her darkest moments. Somebody came along and showed her kindness in an attempt to lead her to a better life. However, things happened and people pushed her over the edge, destroying that chance. While I’m hoping that Cinder can gather the strength to get out of where she is now, this chapter has shown us that that ship sailed a long time ago.
Along with the writing for this chapter, I had a wonderful time just watching the animation and the new characters that were revealed. While I recognized the references for some of the characters, there are definitely a few that I’ll need to figure out. The choreography for the few action scenes was simple yet effective. The expressions in both facial and body language held an equal amount of power. Also, we got to hear, at most, three new songs, (unless all of them are part of the same song) so that will be something to look forward to when Volume 8 ends. The small moments the other characters had in this chapter had enough impact and flowed well enough that they didn’t feel forced. And the ending, oh the ending of this chapter was perfection. Whoever was in charge of writing this chapter did an amazing job. Along with the animators, the writer was able to fill the viewers with so much dread and anticipation for what to expect in the next chapter, which is what I’m still feeling.
All-in-all, as I previously stated “Midnight” has become one of my favorite chapters. Not just with what we have so far in Volume 8, but in the entire series. This was Cinder’s time to shine and she set the stage on fire. However, once we watch the next chapter this coming Saturday, we’ll be without any new chapters for a while (till about February I believe). With the way this chapter ended, I can only imagine what this Saturday will give us. To those of you that watched this episode, without giving away any spoilers, what were your thoughts on “Midnight?” As always, feel free to leave them in the comments down below, I always want to know about your opinions. Until next time, this is CuriousCat-13/Tracy Preston: signing off.
All Ages of Geek is excited to discover what is next on RWBY. We want to hear your fan theories. A community member Angelique Vassiliou wrote out some questions they have about what will happen next.
“Will Winter Schnee deflect from James Ironwood military? This is one of the many questions I have about the Schnees. We all know Winter is loyal to Ironwood. But what if she has to fight Weiss Schnee, her younger sister, then what? I truly believe that in this case blood will be stronger than duty. We already saw it when Winter gave Weiss a head start.
The other Schnee that I wonder about is Whitley. Weiss and Whitley don’t get along but I truly believe if Weiss just talks to him maybe they can reach an understanding. It is common knowledge that because of Jacques Schnee the Schnee family is not as close anymore.
So my hope is that maybe the Schnee siblings will come together in what little is left of their bonds. Because they’re still family and family is what keeps us going.”
Be sure to keep up to date with All Ages of Geeks reactions on our youtube:
AND~ tag us on social media to tell us your fan theories. If you ever want to be a guest writer be sure to email AllAgesofhr@gmail.com for more information!
Before diving into this theory, I want to emphasize the title. This contains spoilers for Volume 8 Episode 5 of RWBY. If you have not watched this episode, this will spoil the big reveal at the end. With that out of the way, let’s get on with the theory.
Much like my Atlas falling theory, I believe that Mantle could fall. At the end of Episode 5 – Amity, it is revealed that a river of Grimm is heading straight for Mantle. True that the Happy Huntresses, Yang, Ren, and Jaune are all very skilled in fighting Grimm, however they will be dealing with a constant flow of Grimm.
I only bring this up because I can only think about one other instance of a constant flow of Grimm, the Fall of Beacon. In Volume 7, Penny said that this will “Be just like Beacon!” Right now we have had: a disrupted broadcast to Remnant (due to Watts’ Black Queen Virus), a headmaster protecting something vital, a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses who the headmaster trusts the most, a Maiden willing to protect to the best of their abilities, and now a way for Grimm to constantly attack citizens and keep coming. Just like the Fall of Beacon, Salem is going to win by overwhelming the Kingdom of Atlas, just like how she overwhelmed Beacon.
Fans have been clamoring to return to the world of Remnant and the time has finally arrived with RWBY coming back for Volume 8. After what transpired in the previous season, things are about to heat up with Team RWBY as they try to save what has left of Atlas as well as Remnant from Salem and her invading army while also avoiding a clash with General Ironwood’s own military after his betrayal. We got to sit down with writer Kerry Shawcross and Ruby herself, voice actress Lindsay Jones on what viewers can expect for the rest of the season.
With the first two episodes out in the open, both Shawcross and Jones have looked back at the process it took for them to put volume 8 out after a year since it was first announced. “It’s just kind of crazy how the pre-production was so well planned out that we were able to kind of prepare for COVID. But at the same time, the team is working so hard from home to adjust during the COVID period. So I have seen people from the production team go above and beyond, and I feel like every volume they just take it one step further,” Jones said. Shawcross addressed how the split with Team RWBY will affect the season moving forward. “We’ve essentially got a three-way war going on. We’ve got Ruby and our heroes as a unit. We’ve got Ironwood and we’ve got Salem.”
With every volume, RWBY has tackled themes like strength in numbers and being true to yourself. In volume 8, the characters are all trying to figure out what is most important to them after finally coming back together. “I think from a broader standpoint, I think this season is a lot about figuring out what is important to you and making sure that you stay true to that,” Shawcross explained. Despite being together, the group also has different ideologies as to what the next course of action is for Atlas and for Remnant, as Jones informed us. Speaking on Ruby’s relationship with the team, she said, “There is that emotional separation between her and Yang, between her and Blake. Same with Weiss, obviously with a bigger global separation with the Atlas as a whole and their role in the world of Revenant.”
The voice actress also spoke on how she has connected with Ruby over the years as she has has grown from a novice hunter into a leader. “There is a little piece of us in every character we play because as an actor, you have to have that connection, that emotional connection with the character you’re playing with. Ruby, it goes so much further than that.” Jones expressed just how connected she is from Ruby, having played her for a while. “As far as my connection with the character itself, I feel like she is a huge reflection in my growth and my 20s…We in the real world are dealing with a lot of distrust. I completely understand where Ruby is coming from that standpoint.”
This season has also given other characters more prominence, like Oscar. Shawcross went into some detail on the relationship with Oscar and Ozpin in Volume 8. “Things between them are complicated and will continue to be complicated. Its a really interesting relationship. But it is still two people that trust each other but have had moments of conflict and figuring out how to get past that.” He also added about the journey Penny would be going through this season. “Penny is part robot, but she’s also part human. Figuring out what your path is and how you’re interpreting what is going on. We haven’t seen that in chapter one with her…and she’s kind of pushing back now. That’s going to continue to play into some things with her and Winter.”
With COVID still in the world, it hasn’t stopped Rooster Teeth from working on RWBY’s current season, which is still in production. “We are still working on Volume 8 and we are also working on Volume 9. In some ways, it has changed in larger ways and some in less meaningful ways. We’re really trying to find that balance of making sure everybody working on the show and their quality of life remains great. Making sure the show is great as it can be.” Jones agreed with how well she and the crew have been adjusting to their workload. “The spirit and soul are still there and I think that is a fantastic testament. When you get in the booth, it doesn’t feel any different to me. Despite working remotely, Jones looks forward to getting things back to normal. “I would still love to work up toward a group recording in some setting. Maybe once COVID is over, we can look into that?”
So what can fans expect for the rest of Volume 8? In one word, Jones described it as a “spectacle” and praised the animation. “Reading what I read in the script, I feel like anytime I read the scene descriptions, I get really into it and to see that come into fruition animation-wise, is a whole different story. That translation is beautiful and those animators are wizards.” Adding to that, Shawcross tells fans to expect a lot to come out this season. “A very dense season is what I will say.”
Check out our video from the interview above and don’t forget to tune into RWBY on Rooster Teeth’s website.
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