RWBY Volume One
RWBY is a show created by Monty Oum, a member of the Rooster Teeth production company. The show is an American anime-style online series that premiered on July 18, 2013, and continues to be updated with new episodes. The episodes are animated in a 3D style that has improved over time.
The show is well-made and features a cast of likable villains and heroes. The voice acting is also excellent, with the characters sounding human with deep emotions.
The Grimm are dark monsters that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The models for these animals are incredibly unique, and some of them are even based on ancient myths. Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long are the four main characters. Additional to these four, some other characters appear frequently.
Unfortunately, Monty Oum, the show's creator, passed away in 2015. In January, he developed an allergic reaction during a medical procedure and went into a coma. He didn't pass away until February 1st, 2015. Before he died, he directed volumes 1-2, after which Kerry Shawcross stepped over and directed volumes 3-5.
Plot Summary
In the realm of Remnant, four young girls enroll at Beacon Academy to perfect their skills as Huntresses to safeguard their world from Grimm beasts and other evils.
Together, these four ladies form a fearsome force that has drawn the attention of Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon. Ruby and her pals participate in adventures with other students, such as those in Team JNPR, in which they face an extremist Faunus group known as the White Fang. Every tense meeting brings them closer to the real bad guys who are orchestrating disputes from the shadows.
These ladies have their differences at the start. Weiss is a spoiled princess, Blake is a bookworm, and the two sisters are hyperactive. However, after they execute their first several missions, they learn to trust and rely on one another and respect one another as family, as they have all lost loved ones.
During their stay at Beacon in Volume 1, the team meets team JNPR, another team that includes Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren. These become some of their closest friends and some of the most powerful allies in their battle against the Grimm and the villains that control them.
RWBY is an intriguing story because it begins with a joyful atmosphere but gradually turns dark. Not only does it depict the horrors of war through the eyes of a young child or a teenager, but it also explores the concept of discrimination demonstrated by some humans' hatred for the Faunes, which is meant to parallel the discrimination people in our world face because of their ethnicities and gender.
Characters
There are some main characters (our heroes), the villains, and some supporting characters, which come and go. This review will focus on the main cast only because there is so much to say about them!
Ruby Rose
First up is the protagonist herself – Ruby Rose. Ruby Rose is one of the series' smallest main characters. She is the youngest student at Beacon, having been enrolled a year before the rest of the class, but she also becomes the youngest team captain.
Her weapon of choice is HCSS (High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe), which is called Crescent Rose. Her scythe prowess was already incredible at the time, and she only becomes better as the story progresses.
Yang Xiao Long
Yang is physically stronger than the majority of her peers. Yang can break apart Grimm's jaws with her bare hands in the first volume of the series, and she only becomes stronger.
Her artificial arm is as strong as, if not stronger than, her natural arm. She becomes unimaginably strong when her Semblance – which accounts for the energy absorbed by blows to her body during a fight – is taken into consideration, allowing her to throw adversaries across a room with a single punch.
Her biggest goal is to find her mother, who went missing right after her birth in the series.
Blake Belladonna
Blake may not always believe in herself, but she is stronger than she realizes, both emotionally and physically. She spent her formative years in the clutches of a thug who was more concerned with himself than the cause she thought he supported.
She is an introvert who prefers spending her time alone reading. As the series progresses, her character grows, and she starts enjoying time with her teammates.
Also, Blake improves as a fighter by leaps and bounds throughout the series in terms of physical strength. She doesn't always use her clone and flees, leaving her original behind. Instead, she makes use of her diminutive stature to amplify her power. Her preferred weapon also serves as a grappling hook, so she's accustomed to having to pull herself up on a daily basis.
Weiss Schnee
Weiss doesn't require superhuman strength to use her abilities. She does, however, hold a weapon that requires at least a little upper body power. Weiss is armed with a sword. Although it isn't a broadsword, it does indicate that she is more accustomed to wielding heavier weapons than other of her teammates.
Weiss isn’t as physically strong as the others since she doesn’t have to be. Her weapon of power is MADR (Multi Action Dust Rapier), which is called Myrtenaster. She can jump from place to place using Glyphs, and the addition of Dust means her abilities pack a punch without requiring her to expend full strength most of the time.
Let’s Not Forget The Villains…
The villains deserve mention, too, and my favorite one is Salem. We don't know exactly what Salem desires, but we do know that her desire to return to Ozma was swept away by the Grimm Pools. The gods created a monster by taking away her freedom, as well as her hope of ever seeing her beloved again.
Neopolitan (Neo) was another admirable villain. In Volumes one to three, Neo and Torchwick stole the spotlight, and when she reappeared alone in Volume six, it caused quite a stir. A lot of people didn't want Neo to be the primary character because he was so superficial. Neo was reborn, owing to Miles and Kerry. Neo will go to any length to avenge Roman, her bête noire.
Animation
RWBY is the first anime series of its kind to be marketed in Japan, having been animated “anime-style.” I won't lie to you: it takes some time for the episodes to develop a distinct, professional-looking aesthetic, but once they do, it's well worth the wait!
The elegance and art in Volumes 3 and 4 rivals that of recent TV shows with hundreds of episodes! So, if you have stopped watching the show because of its not-so-great animation.
When it comes to the characters’ designs and their weaponry, RoosterTeeth manages to combine Japanese and western styles, drawing inspiration from both and far away. This results in a world that is nearly historical-fantasy in nature.
Keep in mind the 3D- style animation is not for everyone, but this style fits the show. I must say, the fight scenes are incredibly well planned, and anyone who disagrees has either not seen the show or has no understanding for them. Each combat sequence demonstrates each character's skills and weaknesses, as well as the bond that exists between them as they work together, which in my opinion, is fantastic.
Sound Track
The soundtrack of RWBY is a powerful visual in and of itself, portraying various lessons that predict the events of the show and how people control us. It depicts issues such as in life and how, to win this war and end oppression and hatred toward others, we must stand up to them and take back our lives.
Long story short, the soundtrack for RWBY is a mix of orchestral drama and rock. The majority of the tracks take a more in-depth, emotional look into the most recent incidents. When viewing and listening, this creates an immersive and self-aware experience.
Conclusion
RWBY's plot deals with a serious subject, but it also teaches a crucial lesson: if you don't stand up for what you believe in and allow others to dominate your life, you will be ruled over and tethered, beaten, and forgotten.
One thing that bothered me was the creators of the show had to invent a second series, World of Remnant, whose episodes are basically just a few minutes of exposition through narration because RWBY's background is so under-explained. The fact that RWBY is still riddled with story holes just emphasizes the show's incompetence.
Overall, RWBY is a great series to watch. You will get emotionally attached to it, as I did, and when you reach the season finale, you might as well feel depressed that the show is over.
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RWBY Volume One Official Trailer
