RWBY Volume 5 Review

 

 



Hey, everyone.

 

The long-awaited day is finally here, the day of my RWBY Volume 5 Review. So, despite the fact that I did mini-reviews and critiques for each episode, why write this review? Well, this review is supposed to encompass Vol. 5 as a whole and speculate on what's going on behind the scenes of RWBY and what we may be able to expect from Volume 6, which is probably already in production.

 

Before I get to the meat of my review however, I would like to first cover some commentary I have seen from other fans. This commentary comes from the RWBY fanpage I help administer on Facebook. I wish to cover this commentary because I want to give it a voice to those who don't verbalize their criticisms and to validate their criticisms because if they feel this way, it is certain there are others in the fanbase who feel similarly.

 

1. "They just overcompensated the time for what they wanted to put in. Volume 4 was super rushed so they wanted to slow down, but they realized they had too much time towards the end."

 

This is an interesting criticism invoked by the fact that I thought pacing was one of Vol. 5's major issues. The reason why I call it "interesting" is because this fan seems to sum up the pacing issues with Vol. 5 quite well. There is a lull in the middle of the season where not much of anything happens. It's less noticeable when you watch the entire season in less than 14 weeks, but that dinner scene in Episode 7 is still sort of long while the whole episode is short. Quite short in fact as the whole episode was just over 12 minutes long whereas most episodes in Vol. 5 have an average runtime of 15 to 17 minutes. Not to mention, there is a lot of talking from episodes 5 to 9.

 

However, I would like to call your attention to the point in this critique where the fan says Volume 4 was "super rushed." I didn't feel like Vol. 4 was rushed at all. The cutting and editing was weird because our heroines where so spread out and in different parts of their separate journeys, and the cuts were really abrupt, which all led to a feeling of a more rushed season. However, when I watched Vol. 4 in one sitting last summer, I didn't notice any issues with the pacing, but I do remember being bored in a few places. So, I would say that Vol. 4 had better pacing than Vol 5.

 

2. "I felt like history repeated itself and RT's blind to the fact that [their] quest for money has gotten more negative views as well as the fact [their] fans are becoming more hateful."

 

I'm not too sure what this fan means by history repeating itself unless he is referring to Rooster Teeth's greed. I haven't been a fan of RT as long as many others, so I can't say if they went through a greedy phase before, however I have been quite vocal in my criticisms of the way RT is handling Rooster Teeth First these days. I admit I would love to be right in this regard, validated for my keen observation, but there was a time when I thought I was overreacting. But this fan here seems to have picked up on the same thing as well as noticing that the fanbase has been quite critical of RT's more recent business methods.

 

I also wanted to address this fan's idea that RT's "fans are becoming more hateful." While I can't say anything definitive in regard to this as the only fanbases I really see are the ones surrounding RWBY and Achievement Hunter, I would say that these fanbases aren't becoming "hateful" so much as they are becoming "spiteful" or "scornful," which I think is due to the fact that no one seems to be listening to the complaints of the fans and RT just keeps marching ahead. If this is so, there will come a point where the fans will say enough is enough, and RT will start losing money. RT has to remember that their fans are more than just customers, they are also the audience, the audience that helped them build their company. You typically don't want to bite the hand that feeds.

 

Now, for this last one, it's actually a comment chain of four comments.

 

3. "Add to that list the fact that characters forget about using their weapons and abilities."

 

Reply: "Not really. Their abilities are just more consistent now and their weapons can't work on everything. Also something that's been made more consistent."

 

Reply: "So Ruby sending Yang to run past Mercury instead of using her SPEED SEMBLANCE is more consistent? Mercury being able to kick Ruby out of that semblance yet not being able to react to Yang running away is more consistent?"

 

Reply: "Ruby's semblance went from 'speed blitz' to 'limited flying and splitting into three.' Weiss continues to be less of a magic fencer (as she was already established during her debut) and more of a barely helpful summoner. Blake doesn't fucking move like a cat. Yang changed from kickboxing to breakdancing, and Emerald's head somehow doesn't explode from making an illusion that affects at least 10 people."

 

Despite the disagreement here, these four comments do raise a good point, which is actually the question of how do Semblances work and evolve, and what are the actual abilities of weapons on Remnant? I mean, in Volumes 1 and 2, the girls' weapons had no problems whatsoever with gigantic trees, steel sheeting, and even blocks of stone and cement.

 

As for the comment regarding Ruby's speed versus Yang's versus Mercury's ability to stop either of them, this is pretty spot-on and really shows the limitations in the writing of Vol. 5, specifically the plot point of mother versus daughter, Raven versus Yang. You're not supposed to be able to see the plot working when you watch a movie or read a book. If there are too many conveniences like this, it starts showing real hard. 

 

 

 

 

As for Yang's change in fighting style, it didn't seem that drastic to me. Yang's fighting style has always been high energy. Not to mention in Vol. 4, she learned from Tai that she doesn't always have to go through an obstacle, but can go around it. Unfortunately, we only get to see her having a real fight in two places this volume, once in her character short, which takes place in the past, and then in episode 4. The problem with episode 4 is that Shay D. Man and his fellow gang members really aren't a match for Yang, so she may not have been going all out. The Ursa in her character short was definitely tougher, and the best exhibition of Yang's prowess is the "Yellow" Trailer, but she was younger in both instances, "going through" her enemies instead of around, and in the trailer, Junior had far more men than Shay did. Plus, since Yang was once regarded as a "party girl," if her fighting style did change to look like dancing, it would actually be super fitting.

 

Coming to Weiss, I think the criticism of her summoning abilities versus her abilities as a swordmage are all apt. Like, I didn't get the feeling she was at the top of her game when fighting the Lancers and then when she was fighting Vernal, it felt like she was jobbing super hard. While Vernal may be stronger and more experienced, Weiss can do time dilations and use her glyphs to slow or even stop momentum; either ability would've been a major boon against Vernal and with the use of both, she would've completely pwned Vernal. So, why didn't she? Oh, that's right; the plot. We have to get Vernal down in the vault with Raven and Cinder so that Raven can win with a savage burn, and so that Cinder nearly kills Weiss allowing Jaune to activate his Semblance. Suffice to say, Weiss felt a lot more powerful and lethal in the first three volumes, except for her battle against Flynt.

 

Regarding Blake's movements and Ruby's being able to split into three, I don't have anything substantial to say about either, but I would like to next examine our character's storylines in Volume 5.

 

Character Storylines

 

So what's so important about the characters' storylines? Well, let's go back to Weiss for a second. Not only does she seems to have been nerfed, but she didn't have much agency in Vol. 5. Once she crash-landed on Anima, her story was told through Raven's and Yang's stories. Weiss lost her agency this volume whereas she had a ton of it back in Vol. 4. What really makes this loss of agency standout is the fact that Weiss was given her own character short, which all things considered, would've been more appropriate for Vol. 4 since that's where she actually got stronger, and it was on her own. The only reason why she's able to rejoin the fight at the end of 5 is because of Jaune. Not only that, but after she comes back, we don't spend any time with her in her super powered state. We don't get to see her kickass in such a way that would justify the presence of the amazing power up Jaune gave her.

 

Next, let's go to Ruby. What did Ruby do this volume? ...You know, I can't think of a single, damn thing she did that was meaningful or impactful to the story. Not to mention, besides the first episode, most of Ruby's story is told through Yang's story and Ozcar's story. Which means that Ruby also lost her agency this volume whereas in 4, she had a ton of it.

 

 

 

 

The only members of RWBY that had any agency were Blake and Yang. I think I can forgive this in Blake's case since she is the least developed of Team RWBY, and being so emotionally guarded, she purposely goes out of her way to stay out of the spotlight. However, I do have some beef with Blake's story in that it was a redemption arc for Ilia and Blake's character short was actually Ilia's. It also irritated me to see that the budget only ever kicked in when there was a fight with Ilia. And then, it did suck that there was no real standoff with Adam versus Ilia, Blake, and Sun. There was a standoff, but it wasn't a RWBY standoff, and by that I mean there was no over-the-top battle sequence, which is one of the cornerstone traits of RWBY.

 

Moving onto Yang, Yang becomes Team RWBY's MVP this volume, but not because of her forceful personality or her desire to always stand by her baby sister's side. No. Yang stood out this volume because Raven was this volume's MVP. Hell, you could say Raven was this volume's main character. After her introduction in episode 4, everything major that happens in Vol. 5 happens because Raven had a hand in it. She's the force that reunited Weiss and Yang, she 's the reason why Weiss and Yang reunited with Ruby, and she's the reason why Vol. 5's climax could happen. She's also the one who defeated Cinder, helped Yang's character progression along into the next stage, and enabled Team Good Guys to get their hands on the Haven Relic. Without Raven, much of what happened in Vol. 5 couldn't have happened. Well, those things could have happened, but then it would've meant that Team RWBY would have actually needed to develop as characters so they could overcome Cinder which actually would've been more difficult to write, but would've made for a much more satisfying story.

 

Now, I would like to take some time to examine the tone problems with Volume 5 before I go on to say what I think the real problem with Vol. 5 is.

 

Tone

 

For those who don't know what tone is, it's kind of like the theme or how a story feels, such as drama, comedy, action, thriller, and so on. The tone of RWBY is actually kind of hard to nail down. If we look at the original trailers, the "Red," "White," etc. trailers, it seems like loneliness or acting alone is a big theme in the story. Another thematic element that is constantly pounded into our skulls is action. Every trailer has over-the-top, high octane, and highly stylized action. But when we get to Volume 1, these themes are toned down a bit. I mean, we still have some great, highly-stylized action, but it's not every episode, and while there's a theme surrounding the idea of growing up, our four girls become fast friends, indeed. Not to mention, we see plenty examples of anime-stylized comedy.

 

I know RWBY is essentially American anime,
but unless your art style is actually anime,
you shouldn't do things like this.

 

Things become all the more confusing when we get to Volumes 4 and 5, especially when we consider the tonal disparity between these two and the first three. The first three, well, the first two-and-a-half are actually sort of light-hearted and generally fun. I remember the first time I saw the intro to Vol. 3 and I thought there was something wrong with it because of how f*cking dark it was, especially the opening song, "When It Falls." And when I think about it, the opening songs for both Volumes 1 and 2, "This Will Be The Day" and "Time to Say Goodbye," were also really sort of dark and serious which contrast significantly to what actually happens in those volumes. But, because I thought they were so badass, I gave them a pass. I actually didn't like "When It Falls," so I was much more critical of it.

 

But, the thing that super-duper, uber bothers me about Vol's 4 and 5 with regards to their tones is the moments of forced comedy. I understand that we can't have everything be super serious, because if it was, the audience would stop taking the show seriously every time it became more serious, like Dragonball Z. But when Ruby laughs at Jaune for his hoodie, when Qrow falls over when seeing Leo and RNJR screams, when Yang's arm blasts Nora against a wall and she laughs at it, and when Shay D. Man bounces off the ceiling and floor after Yang socks him one, I get a little confused knowing we're in a post-Penny, post-Pyrrha, post-Cinder-is-totally-a-murderer, post-Blake-deserting-her-team-and-best-friend sort of world. You know, the one where Ren and Nora are orphaned by a Grimm straight out of a nightmare and then take revenge on it. A world where Qrow is placed in mortal danger with no immediate medical help. A world in which Raven, a main character's mother, killed the last Spring Maiden and a world where Hazel is willing to kill Oscar to kill Ozpin. This is some serious sh*t, and I don't appreciate the childish jokes that are made to lighten the mood. Especially when it's painfully obvious that the VA's are forcing their laughs because the situations their characters are in are just straight-up not funny.

 

Not to mention Jaune's hoodie is literally a monument to his murdered girlfriend.
Thanks for being an assh*le, Ruby.

 

The moments that I actually found funny were the ones where Blake caught Sun and he calls her his hero before she scorns him, the part where he catches her and insists she calls him her hero, and the part where she slaps him. And from Vol. 5, one part I found legitimately funny was when Sun pinched Ilia in retaliation for stabbing him and she gets offended. Or the time Weiss tells Raven she's really obnoxious, or when Qrow passes out from drinking. What's the difference between these moments and the ones above?

 

I guess it's the fact that they're not necessarily funny, or rather, they seem natural--they're the sort of "things" I would expect to see in a darker iteration of RWBY. Like, I would not expect to see a food fight in this darker version of RWBY, nor would I expect to see someone smack a Corgi with a flamethrower as if they're in the World Series. RWBY is a much more mature show now, and that should pertain to its comedy. It should be more subdued, more natural, more realistic. There should never be a scene in this version of RWBY that is written with the sole purpose of making the audience laugh or diffuse the tension because it always comes off as trying too hard and being immature.

 

Okay, with that out of the way, I can now address what I think the real problem with RWBY is.

The Real Problem

 

Although I am able to only see problems with the tone, pacing, and characters jobbing to enemies that they should have no problems conquering, I fear that the issues I see as well as the ones picked up on by others is indicative of a much more serious underlying problem.

 

Originally, I thought the problem was the fact that Volumes 4 and 5 weren't directed by Monty. However, after doing some research, I discovered that Monty didn't direct Vol. 3, for obvious reasons. And while I don't know how long it takes to make a season of RWBY, I'm sure it's not beyond possibility that Monty still had quite an effect on the production of Vol. 3 whereas Vol's 4 and 5, his effect is likely diminished to just being the original creative force behind RWBY as well as writing all the source material. (If you've ever heard of "Monty's notebook(s)," that's what that's about.)

 

But that's what brings me to what I think the real problem is with Vol's 4 and 5--there's no Monty. And I don't mean that so much in a physical sense as I mean that in a creative spark sense. It seems like the "soul" or the "heart" or the "balls" of RWBY are missing from 4 and 5. To some extent, you could make an argument that the soul, heart, and balls are all missing. The only thing that holds up 4 and 5 with the first three volumes is the music, but everything else is off. I mean, the characters are still the same, but they should be since the show is still being written by Miles and Kerry. But there's still an inherent characteristic, a certain je ne sais quoi, that the show has been missing since the end of 3.

 

I know people are saying that we should give CRWBY a break because they are trying their hardest to soldier on without Monty, but 4 and 5 seem to prove that the CRWBY can't do this without Monty. So, as blasphemous as it may be to say this, I think RWBY needs a new Monty. Someone who has studied Monty's work and knows his techniques; someone who can take over his work and see it finished as Monty intended. I really don't think Miles, Kerry, or Gray can stand up to the task. Miles is too much of a fanboy so I don't trust him to take risks, Kerry seems kind of distant as every interview I've seen him do he seems like he doesn't care, and I don't think Gray is connected enough to the project. I feel like he's Miles' and Kerry's safety net. Ergo, none of them can fill the shoes of Monty.

Conclusion

So what is there left to say about Volume 5? Well, it wasn't great, but it was better than Vol. 4. If you're the TL;DR type and you scrolled right to this point, let me sum up what I thought of Vol. 5 with a simple ranking system.

1. Volume 2
2. Volume 1
3. Volume 3
4. (Bit of a gap)
5. Volume 5
6. (Bit more of a gap)
7.
8. Volume 4

If I throw in the trailers, it looks more like this:

1. Volume 2
2. Volume 1
3. "Red," "White," and "Yellow" Trailers and Weiss Character Short (CS)
4. Volume 3 or Ruby CS
5. Ruby CS or Volume 3
6. Yang CS
7. Volume 5 or "Black" Trailer
8. "Black" Trailer or Volume 5
9. Volume 4
10. Blake (Ilia) CS

RWBY Chibi I won't rank because it's non-canon. But aside from that, there are a few clear patterns in my list. For one thing, I really don't seem to like Blake. I actually do like Blake, in fact, I like her more now than I did back in the day, but I still don't like her as much as the other three. The other thing we can see is that the more serious or graver pieces are closer to the bottom whereas the more fun or less serious ones are closer to the top. I've already discussed tone and I may or may not go into how Blake could've been a better character in a separate post, but this really does put my thoughts and feelings into an easy to understand image. And it wouldn't surprise me if other RWBY fans have similar lists.

And before you accuse me of "being nostalgic for the old days because I don't like change," let me tell you that I became a fan of RWBY in the summer between Volumes 2 and 3. My introduction to RWBY was watching Vol's 1 and 2 back-to-back, which I did quite a few times before the release of 3. After 3, I quite enjoyed the first six episodes, and while I was gripped during the last six, I don't have fond feelings associated with them just like how I don't have fond feelings associated with 4 or 5.

I have very little motivation to go back and watch the last half of three, unless I'm looking for a good cry, and I have no motivation to go back and watch 4, unless I want to skip through to all the fight scenes. With Vol. 5, I may just be burnt out, suffering from RWBY fatigue, or I'm still too close to its finale to care. But I'm not crazy about 5.

While I would love to see RWBY go back to what it was, I know that it cannot because that would mean undoing Pyrrha's death, and you just can't undo Pyrrha's death. I've heard a few times about how in the past Miles and Kerry were promising that RWBY would end up becoming much darker, and all I can think of is why. Why did they feel the need to go darker with it? I would've been as content as a cucumber if everything more or less stayed the way it was in Vol. 2. However, a better question for CRWBY is if the intention was to always go darker, why did RWBY start out so lighthearted? And what does this mean for the future of the show?

I sincerely do hope RWBY gets "better" or makes the change into adulthood. These puberty seasons are rough. And while the fighting in 5 was more reminiscent of Monty's "no wasted energy" style, it's still got some ways to go, hence why I advocate the locating of a new Monty. I'm worried about 6, but I'm still hopeful. RWBY's not dead yet.

Keep writing, my friends.

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RWBY Speculation: Is Rooster Teeth Shooting Themselves in the Foot, Pt II: How Rooster Teeth Can Fix First Memberships

Hey, you guys.

I know I just released a blog on the whole First fiasco, but it opened up a can of worms. The thing I didn't address in my last post was I didn't offer any ways on how RT can fix First Membership so Firsties can feel like they're getting their money's worth. But before I offer any suggestions on that, let's first take a look at what the rewards already are.

First Membership Perks:
• No ads
• Early access to episodes
• Exclusive content
• Premium series
• Live broadcasts
• 5% discount at the Rooster Teeth Store
• Early access to live event ticket sales
• Third-party discounts
• FIRST panel at each RTX
• Gold star by your profile name

First Double Gold Perks:
• Monthly box of exclusive merch valued at $60+ (known as the RT Box)
• 10% discount at the Rooster Teeth Store
• Early access to live event VIP passes
• Exclusive contests and giveaways
• Monthly Q&A with Rooster Teeth staff
• Double Gold star by your profile name

Alright. Well, I don't know about you, but those all seem like some really kickass perks to being a Firstie or Double Firstie. Problem is, I don't care about any of those things. And I'm going to guess that a lot of other people don't either or they just simply can't afford it. (Another argument I heard was that credit and debit cards, which are needed to purchase a membership, are ubiquitous in the States, but not over in the Europe which is pissing off a chunk of the European audience.) So, what can RT do to fix First memberships so it doesn't seem like they're punishing Non-Firsties?

Well, since early access to episodes is at the center of everyone's bitch, the simplest and easiest suggestion is to simply get rid of it or to tone it down to the 24-hour period of yesteryear. But, is there a way to still offer Firsties early access without punishing NF's? Well, my first suggestion would be for RT to stop advertising their shows as being premiered on the dates that are only accessible to Firsties since those ads always taste like a lie to NF's. Keep that information on the DL; keep it in the Firstie family.

The problem then becomes how do you sell First memberships? Easy; trailers. Offer a taste of First membership with a trailer of what being a Firstie is all about but only use footage that is exclusively exclusive to Firsties, not footage that will be released eventually to everyone. Another option is to take a random video from the First shows and put it up for everyone, but only for a few hours. Maybe they could also make use of pirating and see it as an opportunity to some free, temporary advertisement before shutting it down.

I want to make it clear that I'm not against RT making money or making the money they need to to produce their content, but the way they're going about it is pitting the community against itself and against them. They're essentially punishing people for not being Firsties by allowing spoilers out into the net and creating animosity between the two camps of RT fans. I myself was spoiled by some of the gags in RWBY Chibi this season because of this sh*t. And the ways that I came up with to get around this sh*t ain't rocket surgery or brain science. Hell, if there was a $1/mo First membership so people could only get early access to their favorite content or paying $5 total and get early access to a single show for an entire season, both ways would go really damn far in quelling the storm.

And like I said in my last post, you do need to give Firsties something for their money, but they're getting quite a lot and First memberships are not the only way RT makes its money. Burnie even made a vlog some months ago detailing how RT does. In the video, he interviewed Matt who said RT gets their money through merch, First memberships, YouTube revenue, sponsorships like Blue Apron, and one more way that I can't remember. What's really strange and disheartening is that with these five ways and all the solutions I came up with, it seems like RT is purposely trying to pressure people into buying First and are doing their damnedest to make it uncomfortable for anyone who isn't. And, this sort of vindictive marketing strategy is out of character for them. Are they motivated by greed or has something else got their balls in a vice? I don't know who else they do business with, but it's possible they're in bed with someone they shouldn't be.

Anyway, those are my suggestions on how Rooster Teeth can make First viable without pissing off Non-Firsties. I will continue to monitor this situation and come out with updates as they become available. Which is ironic because I hate journalism. Anyway, for my next Thursday RWBY post, barring any more unpleasantness, I'll be critiquing Yang's character short and comparing it to Weiss' and Blake's. See you then.

Keep writing, my friends.

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RWBY Speculation: Is Rooster Teeth Shooting Themselves in The Foot?

Hey, everyone.

So, as you're undoubtedly aware, RWBY Volume 5 premiered yesterday. I saw it in the theatre on Thursday because I was hoping to get something really good for my money (Spoiler Warning: I didn't). But what did I think of the first episode? Well, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the others in the theatre did, but I did like it. However, I wanted to reserve most of my judgment until I was able to see it again so I could review it and really go over it. But, there's a problem: Rooster Teeth has changed their scheduling release yet again.

See, last year, they released new episodes of RWBY to First members on Saturday, to non-First members on Sunday, and then to the public a week later. Very few people had a problem with this. And to be honest, I was a Firstie for Volume 4. However, I didn't like it. In fact, I hate myself for it. Why? Well, why was I paying $5/mo, which is what First costs if you don't buy a yearly subscription, just to watch new episodes 24 hours earlier? It's a bloody waste especially since there were times when World of Remnant was released instead of RWBY. (Which is major bullsh*t!) So, after Vol. 4 ended, I cancelled my subscription, and I will never go back because First is full sh*t I don't give two f*cks about.

But now, RT is changing the rules of the game. Now, Firsties get new content the day of its release, and everyone else, including Non-Firstie RT members, get the new content a week later with everyone else. And as you can imagine, people are pissed. And on both sides, too. First members and non alike. Firsties are pissed because some of them enjoyed interacting with Non-Firsties in the community, but now with the release schedule f*cked, when Non-Firsties finally get the content, it will be old hat to Firsties and they won't want to talk about it.  And Non-Firsties are pissed because there's no reason for them to have an RT membership and they may as well watch RT content on YouTube because, let's face the facts, YouTube's video player is light years ahead of RT's player.

So, basically, RT is creating a huge rift in their audience as well as pissing off the people who put RT where it is today. They're basically biting the hand that feeds. And as someone else mentioned, it also offers a larger incentive for pirating RT's new content online which isn't difficult to find. I mean, what is there to gain from this? Make Firsties feel appreciated? Well, that's fine; they are paying to see the content, but Firsties get all sorts of extra goodies for their money than just the regular content. Why the hell do they need this too? When I was a Firstie, I never indulged in the extra content because I didn't want it--I just wanted to watch RWBY. F*ck the other sh*t. Ergo, the only reason RT would do this is because they're becoming more and more corporate and looking to make more and more of a profit because this scheduling change, and the subsequent hope that it'll move a few more First memberships, only really benefits them.

So, now that RT's doing that, what does that mean for me and my blog? Well, RWBY Critiques was never really popular on YouTube, and there's no reason to think it would be much more popular on my blog. And, since I hate myself for buying a First membership the first time around, and since the world isn't going to end just because it takes me a week to see the next episode of RWBY, I will not be buying a First membership. In all honesty, I hope the First program crashes and burns, and all those who came up with the idea and support it get it violent diarrhea. Rooster Teeth is a content creator; by making their content exclusive, or in other words elitist, they are basically saying, "You guys are giving us too much money and we don't want it all, so we're going to piss you off so you will give us less." Content creators should not restrict access their content. It should be available to all.

Now, some of you may call me a hypocrite because I'm a writer, and as a writer, I charge prices for my books. But, RT is asking you to pay $2.99 a month for a year ($36/yr) in advance for a whole bunch of sh*t, most of which, you probably don't care about. And when the year is over, they'll ask you to pay them another $36/yr. I ask for $.99-$12.99, depending on the book and the format it's in, but it's a one time purchase and that copy is yours until the end of time. Also, I'm not asking people who really want the book to pay more--the price is the same for everyone regardless of how strong their desire is. And there are no early releases; everyone gets the book on the same day. Which is a better deal? Which is a fairer deal?

So, I will not be buying in RT's First Membership. Will this hurt them? For my part, it won't. When it comes to RT, I'm not much of a community member and I'm not much of a fan. I have Adblock installed, I don't care about the extra crap they put out, I only watch RWBY, Achievement Hunter, and Heroes & Halfwits, but if I lost H&H or AH, I could continue living, it's really only RWBY I'm attached to, but beyond the DVD, Blu-ray, and soundtrack, I don't buy any other RT merch. But, I'm not going to stop writing RWBY Speculation and doing the novelization because only I stand to really lose by stopping those. And I will do RWBY Critiques, but the release schedule for that will have to be changed. But my relationship with RT will be damaged. I've never been to RTX and because of sh*t like this, I never want to go. Honestly, I'm surprised like f*ck that there are people in RT that aren't mad as hell about this. More than 200 people work for RT; isn't there anyone in that company against this sh*t? I would've thought that RT thought more of the people who made them what they are than just a bunch wallets with eyeballs. So, I now have a lower opinion of RT as well. And it wasn't all that lofty to begin with.

Anyway, that's my piece on this. Sorry it was a rant. But, if you think what RT is doing is f*cking ungrateful and disgusting, let them know. Blow their sh*t up on it, and support the privateers who are privatizing their content so you can access it for free. But, until next time...

Keep writing, my friends.

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RWBY: The Novelization: Jaundice

RWBY: The Novelization 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.

Teams JNPR and RWBY had a class together with the eccentric and caffeine-addicted Professor Oobleck. At least half-a-dozen coffee mugs littered his desk and he held another in his hand, sipping from it occasionally. He zipped around the room going over the basic history of the Faunus while some students, like Jaune, quietly napped, seemingly unnoticed.

“Yes, yes. Prior to the Faunus Rights Movement, better known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing the Faunus population on the island of Menagerie. Now! While this may seem like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events. Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day.

“Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?”

Weiss raised her hand. “The Battle at Fort Castle.”

“Precisely! And! Who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagoon’s forces?”

There was a pause. Just long enough for Cardin to flick a paper football at the back of Jaune’s head and wake him with a start, catching Oobleck’s eye.

“Mr. Arc!” said Oobleck. “Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! Now, what is the answer?”

Jaune hemmed and hawed. While looking across the room past Oobleck at Pyrrha to get a hint, he babbled, “Uh, the answer… the advantage… the Faunus had over that guy’s stuff was…”

Pyrrha made vague gestures with her fingers to her eyes, mouthing, “Night vision.” But Jaune didn’t get it. She tried cupping her hands and holding them up to her eyes.

Jaune’s head snapped back, and he proudly proclaimed, “Binoculars!”

The class laughed, Oobleck sipped his coffee, and Pyrrha facepalmed.

“Very funny, Mr. Arc.” Oobleck looked up and noticed Cardin was laughing hardest of all. “Mr. Winchester. Perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject.”

Cardin leaned back and put his feet up on the desk. “Well, I know that it’s a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier.”

Pyrrha replied, “You’re not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?”

“What? You got a problem?”

“No. I have the answer. It’s night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark.”

Blake added, “General Lagoon was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and the general was captured.” She turned to Cardin. “Perhaps if he had paid attention in class, he wouldn’t have been remembered as such a failure.”

Many in the class went “Ooh!” and Cardin shook his fist.

“Mr. Winchester,” warned Oobleck. “That’ll do. In fact, both you and Mr. Arc can see me after class for additional readings.”

Jaune groaned.

“Now! Moving on!”

After class, Pyrrha told Ren and Nora to go on ahead as she would wait for Jaune. They did so, and Pyrrha leaned against the wall just outside of the classroom. She could hear Oobleck perfectly.

“You two have been struggling in my class since day one. Now, I don’t know if it’s a lack of interest, or just your stubborn natures, but whatever it is, it stops now. You’ve worked hard to gain entrance to this school, gentlemen, and we only accept the best of the best. So, I expect you to act like it.

“History is important, gentlemen. If you can’t learn from it, you’re destined to repeat it. Your assignment is pages fifty-one to ninety-one, and I want an essay on my desk by next class. Now, run along.”

Jaune and Cardin left, but as soon as they were in the hallway, Cardin shoved Jaune to the ground before walking away.

Pyrrha helped Jaune to his feet. “You know, I really will break his legs.”

“Thanks for the offer…”

As Jaune dusted himself off, Pyrrha suddenly looked excited. “I have an idea! Here, come with me,” she said, dragging him away.

Pyrrha took Jaune to a section of cleared rooftop of Beacon’s dormitory. It was originally used by couples as a not-so-secret make-out spot, but Glynda had cracked down hard on the amorous offenders. As a result, the rooftop was now abandoned.

Pyrrha and Jaune walked to the edge of the roof where they could see Beacon framed against the night sky. Orbs of green light shone from the CCT tower. Pyrrha thought it was a lovely sight. She smiled and looked softly at Jaune. He however had a different take.

“Pyrrha, I know I’m going through a hard time right now, but I’m not that depressed,” he said, looking at the ground several stories below. “I can always be a farmer or something.”

Pyrrha freaked. “N-no!” She pushed Jaune away from the edge. “That’s not why I brought you up here. Jaune, I know you’re having a difficult time in class, and that you’re still not the strongest of fighters, so I want to help you.” She gave him her sweetest smile.

“What?”

“We can train up here after class where no one can bother us.”

“You… think I need help?”

Seeing Jaune’s crushed spirit, Pyrrha quickly said, “N-no. No. That’s not what I meant.”

“But you just said that.”

“Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn’t make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon. That speaks volumes of your potential.”

Jaune turned away. “You’re wrong.” He sighed. “I don’t belong here.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say. Of course, you do.”

“No, I don’t!”

Pyrrha recoiled.

He sighed again. “I wasn’t really accepted into Beacon.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I didn’t go to combat school, I didn’t pass any tests, I didn’t earn my spot at this academy. I lied. I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied.”

Pyrrha was shocked. How could Jaune perpetrate such a deception? “But why?”

“Because this is what I’ve always wanted to be. My father, my grandfather, and his father before him, they were all warriors. They were all heroes. I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough.”

“Then… let me help you,” pleaded Pyrrha.

“I don’t want help! I don’t want to be the damsel-in-distress! I want to be the hero! I’m tired of being the lovable idiot stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives. Don’t you get it?! If I can’t do this on my own, then what good am I?”

Pyrrha stepped toward Jaune, but he stepped back.

“Just… leave me alone.”

“If that’s what you think is best,” she said sadly.

Pyrrha walked away and tried her best not to cry. It was bad enough Jaune had lied to everyone, to his team, and to her, but to flat out reject her aide and show how immature he truly was… he was not the man she thought he was. He was not the man she hoped he could be.

Jaune stayed on the roof and paced for a little while pitying himself. Then he heard someone laughing. He turned around and up popped Cardin, scaling the building.

“Oh, Jaune. I couldn’t help but overhear you two from my dorm room. So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel.”

“Please, Cardin! Please! Please, don’t tell anyone.”

“Jaune. Come on. I’d never rat out a friend like that.”

“A ‘friend?’”

Cardin put his arm around Jaune and pulled him into a less-than-friendly headlock. “Of course. We’re friends now, Jauney boy. And the way I see it, as long as you’re there for me when I need you, we’ll be friends for a long time.” Cardin released Jaune; he was gasping for air. “That being said, I really don’t have the time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?” Cardin ruffled Jaune’s hair.

Jaune didn’t answer.

“That’s what I thought. Don’t worry, Jaune. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Cardin disappeared back over the roof’s edge while Jaune tried to figure out what sort of deal with the devil he had just made.
 

It had been a few days since Cardin had shanghaied Jaune into his service. Jaune had not shared the status of his new captivity with his team.

One night, he had just made it back to his dorm after running a few errands for Cardin when suddenly he heard Nora talking through the door. “How come Jaune gets home so late?”

“He has become rather scarce since he’s been fraternizing with Cardin,” Ren replied.

“That’s weird. Doesn’t he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest.”

“I’m sure our leader knows exactly what he’s doing,” Pyrrha bit. She was worried about Jaune, but still upset with him. And Jaune suddenly being friends with Cardin exacerbated everything. Had he really gone to the dark side to become stronger?

Jaune had heard Pyrrha. He knew that she knew that he didn’t know what he was doing anymore. He had allowed himself to become enslaved to his ambitions and lost her respect in turn. How many times had he considered telling Glynda himself so he could stop being Cardin’s slave? But he never had the courage to pull through.

A cheery voice startled him. “Hey, Jaune!”

He jumped and turned. It was Ruby in her pajamas.

“Long time, no see. Did you lock yourself out again?”

“Oh! Uh, nope. Got it,” he said, holding up his scroll.

“So, where have you been lately?”

“I, uh…” Jaune paused. He desperately wanted to tell someone. And before he knew it, he had already blurted, “I messed up. I did something I shouldn’t have, and now Cardin’s got me on a leash, and Pyrrha won’t even talk to me, and… I’m starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea.” He shrunk to the floor. “I’m a failure.”

There was a brief pause before Ruby said, “Nope.”

“Nope?”

“Nope. You’re a leader now, Jaune. You’re not allowed to be a failure.”

“But… what if I’m a failure at being a leader?”

Ruby thought for a second. “Nope.”

Jaune laughed humorlessly. “You know, you’re not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff.”

“Nope. Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid.”

Jaune sighed.

“And you might have even been a failure the first day we met.”

Jaune groaned.

“But you can’t be one now. You know why? Because it’s not just about you anymore. You’ve got a team now, Jaune. We both do. And if we fail, we’ll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you. Well, good night.” Ruby disappeared into her dorm.

Jaune stood. He didn’t know where Ruby had gotten such an insight into being a team leader, especially when she herself had had problems with her own teammates not that long ago. But he had a strong feeling she was right. He would have to put his team first. Unfortunately, his scroll ringing made him forget about Ruby’s sagacious advice. He answered it.

“Hey! It’s your buddy, Cardin. I know you’re probably busy with that dust project I gave you, but I’m gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of rapier wasps.”

Jaune started. Rapier wasps? What would it take to get his hands on those?

“Make sure they’ve got some really big stingers. It’s important, so don’t screw this up.”

Jaune closed his scroll and sighed. This mess was getting worse by the minute.
 

The next day, the first year students found themselves in a forest of perpetually falling leaves in shades of yellow, red, and orange. Glynda led them through the forest, explaining, “Yes, students. The Forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sightsee. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I’m here to make sure none of you die while doing so.” She turned around abruptly.

Everyone stopped except for Jaune who had been lugging equipment and jars enough for six people. He couldn’t see over his load and bumped into Cardin who growled at him.

Glynda continued, “Each of you is to gather one jar’s worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm. So be sure to stay by your teammates. We’ll rendezvous back here at four o’clock. Have fun.”

Cardin smiled darkly at Jaune. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go.”

Jaune looked at Pyrrha forlornly. She had the same look. Jaune wanted to join her, but he followed after Cardin.

Some time passed, and while the members of Team CRDL lounged about, Jaune came stumbling into the clearing with all six jars filled. He put them on the ground and collapsed. In a funny voice he said, “I think I’m allergic to this stuff.”

“Great, great, great,” said Cardin, not listening. “So Jaune, I bet you’re asking yourself ‘why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there’s only five of us?’”

“That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today.” But several others had been much more important and disparaging.

“Well, come with me, and you’ll find out.”

Jaune groaned.

They managed to sneak up to a fallen log overlooking a scene with both Teams RWBY and JNPR as they went about collecting sap.

Jaune looked at Cardin. He seemed to radiate a black fury. “Cardin. What’s going on?”

“Payback,” he growled.

Jaune looked where Cardin was looking. “Pyrrha?”

“That’s the girl! Red-haired know-it-all. Thinks she’s so smart.” Cardin pulled out a box that seemed to be buzzing angrily. “Alright, boys. Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of rapier wasps, and now, we’re gonna put’em to work.

“Now, according to one of the essays he wrote for me last week, these nasty things love sweets. And I’m thinking it’s time we teach her a thing or two.” Team CRDL stood with Cardin pulling Jaune to his feet. He shoved one of the jars of sap in his stomach. “And you’re gonna do it.”

“Do… what?” Jaune dreaded the answer.

“Hit her with the sap, of course. Either that, or I’ll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you’ll be on the first airship out of Beacon.”

Jaune looked at the jar in his hands. He looked up at Cardin. His hopes and dreams completely depended on staying at Beacon. If he couldn’t stay, he’d never become a warrior—he’d never become a hero like his father and grandfather.

Jaune cocked his arm back, but as he looked at Pyrrha, he felt his ambition waver. It was bad enough he had lied to Pyrrha and rejected her offer to help him. But now he was going to betray her in so dastardly a way, Jaune knew it meant no going back. Were his dreams worth losing his teammates, friends, and Pyrrha?

 “Do it, Jaune,” commanded Cardin.

Jaune felt something turn over in his mind. He lowered his arm. “No.”

Cardin leaned in. “What did you say?”

Jaune’s rebellion spurred his ire. Justly upset with himself and angry at Cardin, his passion released itself. “I said, no!” Jaune threw the sap at Cardin and it shattered on his breastplate, covering him in sap.

“Oh, you’ve done it now,” said Cardin, looming forward.

Two members of CRDL grabbed Jaune by the shoulders and pulled him in. Laughing nervously was his only defense.

“You know that wasn’t very smart, Jauney boy,” said Cardin, slugging Jaune. “I’m going to make sure that they send you back to mommy in teeny, tiny pieces.”

Jaune’s face began to bear a significant bruise. “I don’t care what you do to me, but you are not messing with my team.”

“What? You think talk like that makes you tough?” Cardin picked Jaune up by the collar and lifted him off the ground. “You think you’re a big, strong man now?”

Jaune smiled. It struck him that maybe this was how someone becomes a hero. And the fact that he had done it for Pyrrha made him feel all the more virtuous, but he didn’t know why.

Cardin thought Jaune was mocking him. He raised a fist and threw it into Jaune’s face. But just as his fist connected, there was a blinding flash of light. Cardin dropped Jaune, screamed, and cradled his hand.

Jaune looked at his own hands and saw a faint white aura surrounding them. But after it faded, Cardin knew that the moment had passed.

“Let’s see how much of a man you really—”

But then, there was a savage growl.

The boys turned and saw a great, black beast lumber out of the forest with massive white claws, bones, and spines protruding from its body. Its eyes were like fire and it seemed to be wearing its skull outside of its head.

The beast took a minute to sniff the air and seemed to take a quick interest in Cardin.

As his team abandoned him, one of them couldn’t help remarking, “That’s a big Ursa!”

Cardin drew his mace and readied himself for combat. But the Ursa was too strong and fast, knocking Cardin to the ground.

Jaune looked back into the forest and didn’t think Cardin’s team would return. His hand trembled as he reached for his sword.

Not that far removed, Teams RWBY and JNPR were still collecting their sap when they heard the Ursa roar. Ruby asked the painfully obvious. “Did you guys hear that?”

Suddenly, Team CRDL ran past them.

“Ursa! Ursa!” one of them warned. He ran right into Yang and bounced off. She was pretty sturdy for a chick and didn’t even flinch. It was also a pity because he thought running right into Yang’s front would have been awesome.

“What?!” said Yang. She grabbed him by the shirt. “Where?”

“Back there! It’s got Cardin.”

Pyrrha dropped her jar of sap. “Jaune!”

“Yang!” said Ruby. “You and Blake go get Professor Goodwitch.”

“You two go with them,” said Pyrrha, indicating Ren and Nora. “There could be more.”

Pyrrha, Ruby, and Weiss drew their weapons and ran deeper into the forest. They arrived just in time to see Cardin struggling to get away from the Ursa as it loomed over him. Its gaping mouth was as big as his head.

The Ursa attacked again but was stopped by Jaune, shielding Cardin. He buckled under the Ursa’s strength, and Weiss replied by flourishing Myrtenaster.

“Wait,” said Pyrrha. Seeing Jaune fighting and defending the bully, not out of fear, but virtue, made her think he had finally come around. And in fact, winning this battle may go a long way to boosting his confidence.

Jaune managed to push the Ursa’s claw away and made a wrathful slash to its torso. The Ursa roared and struck again, but Jaune rolled out of the way. It swung again, and again Jaune dodged.

Jaune worked up his courage and charged. The Ursa however swung and got him, this time knocking him to the ground. Jaune bounced, but he rolled right back up on his feet. He charged again, but again, the Ursa knocked him away.

Jaune stood, feeling much worse for wear. He checked his scroll and saw that his aura was in the red. He could have adopted a more defensive strategy, but from stories told to him by his father and grandfather, he knew that the more aggressive combatant would always win. He had no choice but to keep fighting.

The Ursa charged and Jaune ran to meet it. He brought his sword back just as the Ursa raised its claw.

Pyrrha, her battle senses being so finely tuned, could see the outcome of this final crossover—Jaune would have his head taken clean off. But then Pyrrha noticed where Jaune’s shield was. Instead of protecting himself while he swung, his shield was way off to the side where it would do him no good. But a minor adjustment just might put things in his favor.

Pyrrha lifted her hand and there was a strange magnetic buzz. Jaune’s shield came up and the Ursa’s claw scratched against it and slid off. Jaune almost went down to one knee from the impact of the blow, but adrenaline pushed him on forcing him to lift his sword and in one swift slash, he decapitated the Ursa.

Ruby looked at Pyrrha as her hand dropped. “Uh? What?”

“How did you…?” Weiss began.

“Well,” began Pyrrha, “Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs… my Semblance is polarity.”

“Whoa,” said Ruby. “You can control poles.”

“No, you dunce!” chided Weiss. “It means she has control over magnetism.”

“Magnets are cool, too,” Ruby replied. Then after a second, “How do they work? Seriously?”

Pyrrha turned.

“Where are you going?” asked Weiss.

“Yeah!” agreed Ruby. “We have to tell someone what happened.”

“We… could,” said Pyrrha. “Or perhaps, we could just keep it our little secret.” She looked at Jaune as he sheathed his sword. A big smile crept across her face.

Jaune helped Cardin to his feet.

“Holy crap, Jaune!”

“Don’t mess with my team—my friends!—ever again. Got it?!”

Cardin didn’t say anything and looked sorry.

Jaune didn’t say anything else. He just walked away.

That night, Jaune was on the abandoned rooftop overlooking Beacon. In the past few hours, he’d thought about many things including coming clean to Glynda and dropping out of Beacon. His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by the clip-clop of a set of heels. He instantly recognized the cadence of the step.

“No Cardin tonight?” asked Pyrrha, somewhat surprised but still trying to suppress her glee. “I thought you two were best buds.”

“Pyrrha. I’m sorry. I was a jerk. You were only trying to help, and I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head.”

“It’s okay, Jaune.” She had already forgiven him. “Your team really misses their leader, you know. You should come down,” she said, walking away. “Ren made pancakes. No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that.”

“Wait!”

Pyrrha stopped.

“I know I don’t deserve it after all that happened, but… would you still be willing to help me? To become a better fighter? Otherwise, I may have to drop out.”

Pyrrha turned her back on him. She closed her eyes and an impish smile came to her face. This was exactly the sort of opportunity she needed. In fact, her first offer hadn’t been completely selfless, either.

She walked up to Jaune and put her hands on his chest. She paused for a second, smiling, before pushing him down.

“Hey!”

“Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground.”

“…Oh.”

Pyrrha helped Jaune up, but held onto his hand just a little longer than necessary. “Let’s try that again.”

Keep writing, my friends.

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RWBY Speculation: Is Penny Really Dead?

Hey, everyone.

So, I'm moving from Blake to take a look at another tragic character from RWBY, and it's Penny. Now, while I've kicked the idea around of trying to figure out what the hell PENNY stands for, I said screw it because it's too hard, and there's something about Penny that's more interesting to me. It is...

This likely sounds odd to many of you because we all saw Pyrrha turn Penny into quarters. So, what doubt could there be? Well, first I want to look at Penny's death from the philosophic angle of because Penny was a robot, was she ever alive to begin with? From there, I'll be looking at Penny's death in a more literal light. Basically, because Penny's a robot, can't she be fixed? So, let's take a look at Penny.

"I'm combat ready!"

1. Was Penny Ever Alive to Begin With?

The first issue with claiming Penny is dead is that first it has to be proven she was alive. I'm taking this stance because robots are objects and therefore not alive, ergo they can't literally die. Maybe break, but not die. Even if we could classify Penny as an android, we have the same issue. But, Penny does have something going for her that other robots and androids don't.

"I'm the first synthetic person capable of generating an aura."

Penny calls herself the "first synthetic person capable of generating an aura." And as we know, aura is a manifestation of one's soul. While the "soul" hasn't been objectively defined in the RWBY-verse, many world religions and philosophies believe all human beings have a soul, and that is what separates us from other life on the planet such as animals and plants. The presence of her aura suggests Penny has a soul which means yes, she was actually alive, and not in the way animals and plants are. But, this raises another question: how did Penny get the soul?

We know from what Ironwood said in Volume 3 that Atlas has been experimenting with aura including its transference. So that Pyrrha could gain Amber's powers, Amber's soul had to be transferred into her. And if you're following along, then you what I'm going to ask next: where did Penny get her soul? From whom was it transferred? Is it possible there was a real girl named Penny somewhere in Atlas? Another possibility is that Penny is actually an animal as we know from Zwei's antics in Vol 2 and Pyrrha's explanation to Jaune on aura, animals also have souls. And if Penny was originally a dog or a cat, that might explain why she's so weird, trusting, and enthusiastic.

 

But going back to Penny, there is another defense for the case of Penny being actually alive. It comes from when she first met Ruby and the girls. When Ruby said she was Penny's friend, Penny responded with "We can paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" Now, if you know Penny's a robot, then this whole exchange is a little weird. Why would a synthetic lifeform be interested in painting her nails and trying on clothes? True, she could be programmed to act that way, but the part that really gets me is the talking "about cute boys." If Penny's a robot, how does she know what makes a boy cute? Is she affected by pheromones and hormones? This then raises a few other, uncomfortable questions: does she have an interest in procreating, and how anatomically correct is she? This helps defend the claim she was actually living because robots and androids shouldn't care about propagation, or at least, propagation of the human species, and they wouldn't have an opinion on cute boys.

"Sen-sational!"

But, again, Penny could be programmed to act like this. But, because she has an aura and therefore, a soul, she's likely very familiar with what it's like to be a girl. Regardless, there is a decent argument for the fact that Penny was indeed alive and therefore she could die. But, she's still a robot, and that brings us to our next question.

2. Can't Penny Be Repaired?

Unlike regular meat people, Penny's body was made of metal. And the thing about things made out of metal, such as cars, is that they can be repaired. Another thing to consider is that just because Penny's material body was destroyed, that doesn't mean her soul went to wherever souls go to on Remnant. I mean, look at Ozpin: he's most likely dead, and yet he now shares a body with Oscar. As for Penny, it's entirely possible her body and programming had a fail-safe in case of an emergency. It's quite possible she only shut down. Her body could've been recovered from the stadium and all her files transferred into another body along with her soul. Add to all this, when Penny was destroyed, we got to see her "father" in the episode.

Now, from a writing stand point, why would someone make the effort to show us Penny's father unless it wasn't important somewhere down the line? True, Miles and Kerry may have shown us Penny's father so that we know what to look out for while moving ahead with the show, but did you note his reaction at Penny's destruction? He wasn't exactly crushed. He looked more irritated than anything else as if to say yes, he's angry that Penny was destroyed, but not to the point where he actually lost something dear.

This is not outrage or woe.

Yeah, no, I don't believe Penny is dead dead. I think her body was destroyed, but I think her programming can be saved. I sense we will see her again in the future, but I'm not sure in what capacity. It's possible we may see an android that looks exactly like Penny but has a different name and a different soul attached to her, or Penny will be back right as rain except for her memories. Her soul survived, sure, but maybe her CPU was wiped. I think that's most likely possibility because it goes with what we know, plus it would give Miles and Kerry another opportunity to rip our hearts out. As if we need our hearts ripped out anymore from Vol. 3.

Anyway, that'll be it for now. I think for next week I'm going to look into the mystery and importance of the silver eyes. It could finally be my triumphant return to RWBY Theory. Or, maybe not. We'll see. Until then...

Keep writing, my friends.

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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.