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TwinBird Dunkies addict from Eastern Mass Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Dunkies addict
#60851: Aug 17th 2019 at 8:52:18 AM

Dammit, I want more... I think "Electric Ninja Knights" it is on the shipping chart? That's a stupid name. I think someone on Youtube called it "Trio of Lies," which is a better name, although I'm not sure what it actually means - because Ren's given name is Lie and because they weren't there for Jinn's spiel?

My posts make considerably more sense read in the voice of John Ratzenberger.
Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60852: Aug 17th 2019 at 9:03:15 AM

[up][up] If your attempt to rewrite RWBY fails, then it fails. Just like with all fanfics. Or all writing in general. Pretty much everyone who attempts to write something assumes that they have a chance at being good, otherwise no one would ever seriously make an attempt at being good.

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#60853: Aug 17th 2019 at 12:01:20 PM

Kinda but a times people have a hard Time understanding what they want as a fan Is not the same as a good story

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#60854: Aug 17th 2019 at 1:42:22 PM

I'm a little weirded out that a writer such as yourself doesn't understand that ideas are rarely bad on their own. Tharkun is correct; You don't know if you're a good or bad writer until you write. If it turns out worse than you thought, that's what critical reviews are for. To help you identify your flaws and make a better product in the future.

So RWBY fanfics that change the setting in order to tell a better story that canon? They aren't bad unless we see the product in question. Fans wouldn't know if they wanted something like it until then.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#60855: Aug 17th 2019 at 4:26:26 PM

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#60856: Aug 17th 2019 at 6:43:34 PM

And at its core, a conflict derived from misunderstanding is a fake conflict.

Misunderstanding and crossed wires is a fundamental part of navigating the human interactions that people have throughout life. Dealing with this and minimising it is a necessary social skill that humans need to learn. Using it in storytelling is not inherently fake and it seems weird to me not to want to acknowledge its existence as part of the human experience.

That said, storytelling can handle it well or badly, just like everything else.

Usually, I feel when fans try to "fix" a series, it comes off as a bit arrogant. "Fixing" implies that your version would inherently be superior.

That is an consistent problem with the RWBY fandom. It's very common to see the fandom get into 'fixit' discussions that proudly insist on repeatedly pushing their pet solutions that are actually worse than the issues the show's got, or at best are no better. There's no doubt that the occasional gem does shine through all the coal, but this fandom has much more coal than it wants to admit.

That said, most fandoms I'm familiar with have this problem to some extent — some are worse than RWBY and some are better, but most do have it.


I'm not great at writing ship-tease entries, but most people are suggesting the Ambiguously Bi trope for both Blake and Yang, so here are some suggested write-ups for both. Feel free to suggest improvements or re-writes.

Blake:

  • Ambiguously Bi: Blake used to be in a relationship with Adam until their world views became incompatible and she left him just prior to the show's start. During the show itself, she gets on well with Sun, eventually accepts his invitation to accompany her to the school dance and blushes when he acknowledges her presence in the crowd after his team's tournament victory. However, she also has an increasingly close relationship with her partner, Yang, who is responsible for Blake accepting Sun's invitation to the ball and with whom she shares the first dance. Blake's struggle to come to terms with Adam's attack on Yang leads to the pair overcoming him together and becoming much more affectionate with each other by the end of Volume 6.

Yang:

  • Ambiguously Bi: During Volume 1, Yang expresses pleasure in having to camp in the school's ballroom with all the boys on the first night at Beacon, but displays no particular interest in any individual boy over the course of the story. While she displays no general interest in girls, she becomes increasingly close with her partner, Blake, over the course of the show: she is deeply hurt when Blake abandons the team without warning after the Fall of Beacon, and tearfully confides to Weiss in Volume 5 that she needed Blake to be there for her after she lost her arm. When Adam comes after Blake in Volume 6, Yang helps Blake stand up to him, comforts her in her arms when Blake breaks down after Adam's death, and afterwards touches her regularly to comfort her after they rejoin the rest of their team.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 17th 2019 at 3:18:28 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Psyga315 Since: Jan, 2001
#60857: Aug 17th 2019 at 8:01:58 PM

Really, it's better to try and salvage the setting of Remnant rather than completely change and make the setting almost alien.

Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60858: Aug 18th 2019 at 2:41:23 AM

Misunderstanding and crossed wires is a fundamental part of navigating the human interactions that people have throughout life. Dealing with this and minimising it is a necessary social skill that humans need to learn. Using it in storytelling is not inherently fake and it seems weird to me not to want to acknowledge its existence as part of the human experience.

There are a lot of things that are a part of "human experience" that I don't want to see in a story. Aside from trivial examples like urinating or doing laundry — well I guess doing laundry can be used to show the mundaneness of character's life, but I digress — there are important elements of life that simply aren't worth focusing on while writing a story. I don't need to see Blake learn how to talk to a disabled* person without offending them any more than I need to see her learn how to safely clean her weapon. Both are skills that can be useful for her, both are things humans are learning in real life and both can influence the plot in some way, but unless there is some actual evolution in her attitude or ideals, I'm just better off seeing some story where characters learn new skills and grow while doing so.

* I am using the 'disabled' label in a very loose sense, one that doesn't actually fit under the commonly accepted definition of 'disability' as "a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities". The only way Yang can be consider disabled under that definition is if we consider some very specific activity, such as "being able to clip her nails on the right hand" or "keeping her hand still under all circumstances".

Edited by Tharkun140 on Aug 18th 2019 at 11:48:37 AM

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#60859: Aug 18th 2019 at 2:53:33 AM

Why does the person have to be disabled?

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60860: Aug 18th 2019 at 2:56:11 AM

[up] I'm sorry?

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#60861: Aug 18th 2019 at 3:01:11 AM

That talking example could've been about anyone couldn't it?

Anyone learning how to talk to a disabled person in fiction can be interesting.

With help, I guess.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60862: Aug 18th 2019 at 3:34:28 AM

[up] 'Interesting' is a very subjective quality. Something interesting for you could be considered dreadfully boring by everyone else, and vice versa. As for me, while I find some value in disability as a topic — there are some movies centered purely around disability that I really like — I can't see how a plot centered purely around communication with a diabled person could be written in a way that I would find interesting. Much less if said person has a robotic arm which, if anything, provides them with more capabilities than most people. Much less if they are essentially a superhero who can take out a dozen of armed opponents at once. No offense to Daredevil, he actually pulls it off.

Edited by Tharkun140 on Aug 18th 2019 at 12:36:19 PM

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#60863: Aug 18th 2019 at 3:42:35 AM

Except the beef Yang has with Blake isn't about using some kind of ableist term or what not. She's been through her dad, she can handle that. It's about Yang thinking that Blake wants to protect her, to baby her from the big bad bull that cut off her arm - which is not true in the slightest, since she wants to punch the mask off him.

She doesn't want to be Blake's princess, but her equal, and that's what the "we're protecting each other" line is about.

Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60864: Aug 18th 2019 at 3:46:31 AM

[up] Is the scene on the train also about Adam somehow?

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#60865: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:10:18 AM

[up] I don't know why you would imply that the farm scene is about Adam, but no, I think neither of them are.

Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60866: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:20:45 AM

[up] What are they about then?

Edited by Tharkun140 on Aug 18th 2019 at 1:21:50 PM

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
Kylotrope Barb(Its a thread joke you wouldn't get it) from Honolulu Hawaii Since: Apr, 2018
Barb(Its a thread joke you wouldn't get it)
#60867: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:38:30 AM

I think people misunderstood my Ultimate Universe question. I wasn't trying to raise yet another "How would you fix the show" discussion. Especially sense I actually like the show and feel it's flaws are certaily present but are...exaggerated at best(And listening to parts of the RWDE has only made that opinion stronger)

Frankly, that's my main issue with the "RWBY but better" series. As comparing it to the original is more or less an Apples and oranges comparison.

Things are really about to get Fun around here
FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#60868: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:45:40 AM

[up][up] The farm scene is about the dynamic Blake and Yang have, and how it skewed because of Adam. He is merely a cause; the effect is Blake attempting to white knight Yang, and facing refusal.

The train scene is so brief we might as well not include it, but I would argue that the focus is split between the two. If you want a scene that's about Adam, there are his scenes at White Fang HQ, the reveal of his face and his death, among the others.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#60869: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:48:37 AM

[up][up] Like I said before I'd like to see the Faunus more visibility bestial in appearance.

Not saying it better, I just like more animalistic appearances.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60870: Aug 18th 2019 at 4:53:54 AM

[up][up] Yeah, it's about the dynamic Blake and Yang have. Which, if you interpret it as Yang not wanting protection from Blake, makes approximately no sense. During the Battle of Haven, Blake watched Yang jump down the elevator shaft and didn't give much of a crap. Why would Yang ever think Blake was too protective of her?

I would like to note that it takes a concious effort for me not to list all the reasons why Adam's death sucked.

Edited by Tharkun140 on Aug 18th 2019 at 2:00:07 PM

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
Ryno_v Since: Dec, 2017
#60871: Aug 18th 2019 at 5:01:46 AM

[up]To be fair to Blake had zero idea to what the fuck was going on.

Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60872: Aug 18th 2019 at 5:07:58 AM

[up] She still didn't seem overly concerned about Yang's fate during that sequence. She also left yang to fight Neo all the way back during the Breach, and she knew what was going on back then. My point is that nothing about Blake's actions indicates that she is overprotective of Yang in particular. The only time she specifically acts to protect yang is when Adam tries to kill her in Volume 3, where Yang is unconcious and physically unable to do anything, so I'd say protecting her makes sense.

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.
FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#60873: Aug 18th 2019 at 5:08:46 AM

[up][up][up] Because Adam is not just any enemy, but someone who disarmed Yang and left her with PTSD. Also, yes, she was very much uninformed about the situation at the time. [up]Nobody knew about Neo's combat capability at the time, so she's definitely not the person to compare Adam to.

Furthermore, I would like to note that Blake's first idea of protecting Yang (and others) from Adam was to cut all ties and run for the hills, which Yang is not happy about either.

Edited by FergardStratoavis on Aug 18th 2019 at 2:10:44 PM

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#60874: Aug 18th 2019 at 5:22:47 AM

Except the beef Yang has with Blake isn't about using some kind of ableist term

I can understand there might be, probably is a prejudice against certain groups of people, but is "disabled" really called "ableist" now, or was there another term in that paragraph?

What would have been the non-ableist term to use? I even looked up an article on "stopping ableist language" and the writer used "disabled" there without condemning it.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Tharkun140 The Arch-Douchebag Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
The Arch-Douchebag
#60875: Aug 18th 2019 at 6:21:48 AM

[up][up] Yeah, that's my point. Blake doesn't try to protect Yang when she isn't sure if there is a threat large enough to protect her from. Whenever there is a battle in which Yang has both arms and is concious, Blake either fights alongside her or leaves her to her own devices. Either Yang misinterprets Blake's behavior big time, is offended at the mere act of someone helping her or... I'm not even sure what.

Apathy is Death. Worse than Death, because at least a rotting corpse feeds beasts and insects.

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