Yes. It is true. Believe it or not, some fans have become disenchanted with RWBY following Volume 4. But why is this? Well, I have a theory.
With the advent of Vol. 4, there were many things that the fans weren't really pleased with. I can remember people complaining about the animation change and how the battles were no longer choreographed so that there was no wasted energy. Some of the issues I had with Vol. 4 was that the story was a mess filled with jump cuts, some of the story felt like filler and other times, it felt like something was missing. But, all of these complaints pale in comparison to what I think the real reason is.
The real reason is that RWBY fans in general were just disappointed with Vol. 4. Why? Well, the short answer is because it wasn't what they were expecting. The long answer... Are you ready for this? It might take a while. Are you sure? Okay. In order to understand why Vol. 4 was a disappointment, we must look back at Volume 3.
 |
| The End of the Beginning |
There are major differences between Vol. 3 and 4. The big thing that sticks out is Vol. 3 was action packed! It grabbed us by the nuts and never let go. There was a major fight happening almost every episode. And then we had major plot development in the form of the Maidens, the introduction of Winter and Qrow, and the fact that Arkos fans saw an end to their badass case of blue balls followed by the ultimate cock block.
 |
| The end of the blue balls! |
 |
| The ultimate cock block. |
But then, Vol. 3 redefined what we all thought RWBY was about. In the beginning, it seemed like any basic anime: a character goes to a high school that trains warriors, she makes friends, there are some baddies and epic fights, there's teenage angst, and eventually there's a satisfying ending, but the ending takes place within the dynamic of the high school itself. That's not what happened with RWBY.
I don't remember where I heard this, it was in one of the commentaries of the first three volumes, but Miles and Kerry stated that Vol. 3 was still just the beginning of RWBY. That is to say, Vol. 3 is the climax of the intro, and then becomes the catalyst for the rest of the series. Vol. 1 and 2 were the set up; Vol. 3 is actually when we started getting into the story. Before we could understand the gravitas of the story, we had to know who our major players were and what made them tick. We had to know who they were and what they wanted before they were thrown out into a cold, harsh world so we would care about the strife they would go through.
Now, Team RWBY being thrust into the wide open world of Remnant isn't unpleasant or unlikeable in and of itself, although some of us are still upset over Pyrrha and Penny, the problem is that Vol. 3 ended with such a crescendo, such a bang, many fans thought Vol. 4 would be similar. But that's not what we got. Instead, we got a much more subdued story and tone. It also didn't seem to translate very well, and there were times when it was disregarded. For instance, the scene where Ruby laughs at Jaune's hoodie (which I absolutely hated). And I was disappointed not to see anything on the Arkos side. Sure, there was that one scene with Jaune training and the other where Ruby tried to apologize for Pyrrha's death, but neither of those scenes really added any depth to Jaune's character or how he was processing his first girlfriend's death. And perhaps that's the biggest problem.
Vol. 4 didn't add much to RWBY as a whole. It was a transition from RWBY's intro to its middle. As a result, nothing of major plot importance happened (as far as we can tell). Hell, even Qrow recovered from his wound and a lot of people thought he was going to die. I'm not saying he should have died, but considering that everything turned out all right in the end is a bit of a downer because all the tension from that part of the story was relieved. And great tension makes an epic story.
Hence, that's why I say Vol. 4 feels like filler. I understand why the transitional season was done and why it's necessary, but did it have to disappoint like it did? I mean, I understand how rising and falling tension works in a story, I couldn't call myself a writer if I didn't, but there didn't seem to be any rising tension in Vol. 4 as a whole. It still feels like the denouement/resolution of Vol. 3.
If you have problems understanding what I'm on about, think of RWBY like a romantic relationship. Vol. 1 was the first date: here we learned more about the pretty girls across from us, but we were both still too nervous to have much fun. Vol. 2 was the second date, and by this time, we're all much more comfortable with each other and we can actually have fun. Hell, there was even a goodnight kiss at the end. And then there was Vol. 3, the third date. Well, it wasn't so much a date as it was we just jumped into bed together and had a lot of fun.
So, when Vol. 3 ended, many fans thought that was the end of the third date, and that Vol. 4 was going to be the next chance to score. I mean, hell, we were even given a tease in the form of the Volume 4 Character Short. But that's not what actually happened. Due to Vol. 4's much calmer tone and slower movement, Vol. 4 turned out to be more like that cuddling session that happens after sex. By the end of Vol. 4, we had only just gotten out of bed. Hell, the Renora development was next morning's breakfast.
 |
| "Pancakes!" |
Which then begs the question: was Vol. 4 a disappointment, or are the fans just not familiar with how a story is structured? Hard to say because Volume 5 isn't out yet. When it is and depending on the fans' reactions, we'll have a better idea of whether Vol. 4 sucks or the fans suck.
So, to sum up, I think the reason why fans have become disenchanted with RWBY since Volume 4 is because it wasn't Volume 3, part 2. It just didn't have the same kind of impact, and as far as stories go, it wasn't really supposed to because the climax of tensions in Vol. 3 have been building up since Vol. 1. As a result, we need new tensions to build up now. And if Miles and Kerry stick to the three volume formula, we can expect Vol. 3, part 2 to be Volume 6. But right now, I'm going to put my money on Volume 7 just because Vol. 4 seemed so much to be the resolution of Vol. 3.
Keep writing, my friends.
Stalk me everywhere:
BLOG: https://blaeschportfolio.blogspot.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thewriterbryanlaesch
BS Page: www.facebook.com/bawdyscholar
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bryanclaesch
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/bryanclaesch
TUMBLR: https://bryanclaesch.tumblr.com
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/BryanofAllTrade
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLeDVBfO7mR0s-eyGPCZlTQ
https://www.youtube.com/c/bawdyscholar
This blog is not endorsed by Rooster Teeth in any way. Views, opinions, and thoughts are all my own. Rooster Teeth and RWBY are trade names or registered trademarks of Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. © Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.
No comments:
Post a Comment