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A breakdown of Episode 1

So the first two episodes of RWBY have been released and it’s time to do the breakdown of the first episode of this new series. In case you haven’t seen the first episode, here’s an embed of the first episode off of Rooster Teeth’s YouTube channel. Its best one watches this if you’re not up to speed with the first episode.

All done watching? Good. Let us begin!

Please forgive me if this blog gets a bit winded, I’m still trying to figure out what I should focus on more: The story or personal thoughts. I’ll figure it out eventually.

The first episode starts off with an exposition dump telling us the world of RWBY. How humanity in their fragile beginning was slowly being pushed back by the creatures of Grim into the void from once they came. But thanks to humanity’s way of perseverance they find the power they dub Dust. Called the power of nature in hand, humanity is able to fend off the creatures of Grim and expand in this unforgiving world to the point of creating their own society. But the speaker of this tale then warns that even the brightest of lights will eventually grow dim. And when that time comes the darkness will make itself known again. The Speaker warns that despite what man builds in the belief of their strength, it may not be enough to fight off the coming dark. It’s there that oddly a second voice is heard speaking that perhaps it’ll take something more simpler than strength like that of an honest soul…

It’s at this point we see Roman Torchwick, who I swear reminds me of Alex from the movie “A clockwork Orange”, along with this henchmen who I can’t help but shake the feeling I’ve seen them before in the movie “Kung Fu Hussle” as the Axe Gang, approach a Dust shop with the intention of robbing the owner of all the Dust he has on hand. It’s also here that we meet Ruby Rose, an innocent bystander of this robbery who just so happens to be reading a weapons magazine in the back of the store. Right there alone I start to like Ruby already given she has her head in a weapons magazine than some Teen magazine that I’m sure some of her age would be reading. (And I hope this world has no sparkling vampires) Unaware of the store owners plight thanks to her headphones (that happen to be playing the series theme song), one of Torchwick’s henchmen proceed to inform her that she is being robbed. A question Ruby asks the henchman to make sure that is truly indeed his intention.

 

But instead of screaming like a little girl, clutching her purse in terror as a big, bad man tries to take it from her, we instead see how she handles herself by not only taking out the original robber but also kicking another out of the store window, activating Crescent Rose and making short work of Torchwich’s goons. Upon seeing how formidable Ruby is, and see how much is henchmen truly were worth, he decides to call a hastily retreat by pointing his cane at Ruby and firing off a round from the built in gun within. Though it’s not enough to scare off Ruby, she asks permission to give chase from the Dust shop and proceeds to follow Torchwick onto the rooftops. Upon catching up with him Ruby encounters a VTOL type craft that picks up Torchwick as his means to make his escape. But before he goes he gives Ruby one last parting gift by throwing a red dust crystal at Ruby’s feet and fires at it causing a big, fierily explosion.

But as the smoke clears we see that Ruby was saved from the explosion by Glynda Goodwitch with her shield spell. From there the fight scene becomes somewhat of a “wizard’s duel” straight out of a Harry Potter book as Goodwitch use various spells in trying to down the VTOL while an mysterious woman in a short, red dress and glowing yellow eyes uses her own spells in the process. In the end despite Goodwitch’s efforts and shots from Ruby’s weapon, Torchwick is able to escape.

Upon realizing that Ruby is in the presence of a genuine “huntress” she immediately goes all fangirl and asks if she could have Goodwitch’s autograph. Honesty the only thing missing from that scene was for Ruby to have stars in her eyes like in any other anime.  Instead of getting that autograph Ruby is put into a holding cell while Goodwitch interrogates her about that night’s events. Despite being told she could’ve hurt herself or others Ruby as no regrets in her actions merely saying that “they started it”. Though Goodwitch would like nothing more to do with Ruby another man enters the room upon Goodwitch’s mentioning where he begins to ask her questions on how such a cute girl with silver eyes is able to fight with one of the most dangerous weapons ever made.

From there we learn how Ruby is enrolled in Signal Academy, a school meant to train warriors, and was taught to use Crimson Rose by her uncle Crow who happens to be an instructor at the school. Ruby goes on in saying how she was “total crap” when she first started out but now she’s come to the point where she can fight in the manner that impresses this mysterious man. It’s here we learn that Ruby’s true intention is to become a huntress. How she hopes in two years to sign up at Beacon where she can get the full training needed to become someone that can help people fight off monsters, as well as having the romantic notion that being a huntress is much cooler than being a simple police officer. It’s here we get to see Ruby being her cutely self in explain her drive and motivation in wanting to be a huntress, along with how her older sister is soon to be going to Beacon.

Goodwitch is not impressed.

 

And Ruby can be a total pig when it comes to cookies.

Seeming impressed we learn that the mysterious man is indeed Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, and asks Ruby if she truly wants to be at his school.

The answering being fairly obvious we then see Ruby being embraced by her big sister Yang as they approach their new home: Beacon Academy. Yang is very excited that they are both going to the same school but Ruby has reservations, fearing that people will view her differently given how she had skipped two whole years in her training. Despite Yang’s best efforts to cheer her up and claim she’ll be the “bee’s knees”, Ruby still feels she shouldn’t be given any special treatment given how she doesn’t see herself as being special. Their sisterly chat is interrupted by a news broadcast about the latest robbery (That Ruby intervened in) on how Torchwich is still at large. There is also another news report about a group getting violent but its cut short by a message from Goodwitch about how honored the new students should feel on being chosen and inbeing prepared to becoming “huntsmen and huntresses” who’ll help uphold the peace in this world. The episode ends with the viewer seeing that Ruby and company are actually on an airship that is transporting them to Beacon Academy (that gives me an eerie feeling of Hogwarts). The sisters are able to enjoy the moment briefly till one of the passengers becomes air sick. Roll credits.

Being the first episode (out of sixteen I’m told) this was the first of three episodes to have a runtime of 12 minutes. In that time a lot is shown and told in the ways of explaining the world of RWBY. From the characters to certain adversaries, it still leaves some unanswered questions on what’s to come for Ruby and company in future episodes and who she’ll meet later on (spoilers, Ruby will meet her other two “team mates” next episode).

For some this episode is a mixed bag though it’s not entirely bad. Though some have compared the first episode to the anime series “Soul Eater”, RWBY doesn’t exactly follow the same clichés that can be found in other anime that’s out there. There is enough originality in here to warrant at least a continued viewing. I personally like the world that RWBY creates, giving it a kind of “Harry Potterish” vibe when it comes to magic, yet at the same time keeping it modern with airships, VTOL aircraft and weapons that mix the mystical with the functionality. There’s even a bit of a “Deathsmiles” feel given the outfit that Ruby wears and the talk of the creatures of Grim. The one thing I find interesting the most though is the portrayal of non-important characters in this world by making them just black silhouettes of people. Whether this is just a graphical short cut to not spend time on making different individual looking people or an artistic way to show individuals unimportant to the plot remains to be seen, but I personally like it. I’m curious to see if the main characters of the series will have any interactions with these black silhouettes in the future.

So far the series looks interesting enough to warrant a continue viewing. Let’s see what episode 2 has in store for us.

Episode 2

Ta-ta

“N”