Reviews WebAnimation / RWBY

Season Four: Time for My Two Cents

So much negativity surrounding season 4, well it's time I did my own review! And it's gonna be awesome! With Blackjack! And ho-oh wait, I can't afford those.

But I CAN afford internet! Which I used to watch Season 4, so I have as much to say about it as the next guy.

First there is the animation style. A lot of people had hang ups on the new animation, but after a brief adjustment period, I have grown to enjoy it. The animations are much smoother now, even if it makes the fight scenes a little different.

Speaking of the fight scenes, they are rather different from the first 3 volumes'. I can't say if it's "different worse" or "different better", since I still enjoyed the fights, but they were definitely different. And I can understand why. Monty Oum had a very distinct style. If the team had continued to try and mimic his style throughout the rest of the series would have likely resulted in a shallow imitation. In my opinion, going in their own direction was in the series's best interests.

The biggest issue people seem to have with Volume 4 is the pacing. I will admit, before the volume began, I was expecting Team RNJR to actually be IN Mistral by the first or second episode. I realized that wasn't going to be the case right around the fourth episode. And I figured out why. Volume four is just like Volume one in that it is a set up chapter. Vol. 1 built the foundation for 2 and 3, setting up characters and forming relationships. Vol. 4 is all about those characters reestablishing themselves when those relationships have been shaken, rebuilding that foundation, despite the losses. Blake reevaluates her stance on the White Fang, Weiss lets go of the burdens of her family name, Yang found her courage to fight again, and Ruby still wants to help people. This volume isn't filler, it's a much needed reminder of who these characters are after Vol. 3 shook things up. Both for the audience the characters themselves.

I can understand why some people are still upset. RWBY seems to have changed drastically from it's origin. But even though things have changed, I still feel that RWBY is one of the better works of modern fiction out there today. I still find it fun to watch the fights. I still enjoy the chemistry between the characters. In spite of all the things people have called "grimdark", I still enjoy this series.

I have a personal saying: "To live is to change." While I do feel that RWBY is not exactly the same as how it started, I feel that the changes that have been made will help keep the series alive for a long while to come. And while I can only hope that I enjoy the future series, I can say with confidence that I DID enjoy the past four volumes.

...I drew a 7. Blackjack!