So Volume 7 is now over. There are certainly some FlameWar going on concerning whether Ruby's ideology or General Ironwood's ideology is right or not. Regardless I feel like I'm the only one who's going to review this volume anyhow. So allow me to explain the basics.
Ruby and her friends make it to the Kingdom of Atlas, where they comment on Ironwood's growing paranoia. The blockade he put up is slowly putting the city of Mantle under the whether. Whereas the city of Atlas is a futuristic area where most higher ups live, Mantle is the poorer part of the Kingdom where people rely on Jacques Schnee's heating system (and the rest of his business) to survive. It also sets up the idea of the Kingdom being more politically divided than say, Vale or Mistral.
We also find that Penny had somehow been put back together. This is where I first notice the fandom's conflicting opinions. Some saw this coming, and wanted it to happen for many good reasons. Others saw this coming, and wanted it to not happen because they thought it would lessen the Anyone Can Die feeling that most people were left with after Volume 3. We then find out that yes, there is a consequence for rebuilding her. Apparently her scientist father Pietro had to use part of his Aura to power her back up. Whether Jaune's semblance can remedy this or not is unknown, but we'll just have to wait until next volume.
As the volume progresses we see a To Be Lawful or Good conflict rise amongst the "good side." Ironwood's lackeys, the Ace Operatives trust him to the point where they follow all his orders. Team RWBY, on the other hand, are seen as a Chatic Good force that follow their own rules based on experience. This is where most of the fandom's conflicting opinions take place, and it is best shown in the exchange between Winter and Penny about wrestling with feelings.
By the time it was all over, Ironwood had taken a Well-Intentioned Extremist nature, Clover got killed due to Qrow's emotions over having to be arrested (which is why Anyone Can Die still), and Salem's forces now have a relic. Did I mention she's using a whale to attack them?
I went into this volume thinking the themes would be about trust. But no. As Ozpin later shows, the real theme was the "Enemy of Trust". Fear. The true reason why things ended so badly for everyone. Why Ironwood was willing to sacrifice Mantle to get as far away as Salem as possible. Why Watts and Tyrian were able to take advantage of the Kingdom so easily. Why Salem was able to break Ruby with two sentences about Your Mom.
I can personally say that this volume has met all of my expectations. 8.5/10.
Volume 7 had a trick theme
So Volume 7 is now over. There are certainly some FlameWar going on concerning whether Ruby's ideology or General Ironwood's ideology is right or not. Regardless I feel like I'm the only one who's going to review this volume anyhow. So allow me to explain the basics.
Ruby and her friends make it to the Kingdom of Atlas, where they comment on Ironwood's growing paranoia. The blockade he put up is slowly putting the city of Mantle under the whether. Whereas the city of Atlas is a futuristic area where most higher ups live, Mantle is the poorer part of the Kingdom where people rely on Jacques Schnee's heating system (and the rest of his business) to survive. It also sets up the idea of the Kingdom being more politically divided than say, Vale or Mistral.
We also find that Penny had somehow been put back together. This is where I first notice the fandom's conflicting opinions. Some saw this coming, and wanted it to happen for many good reasons. Others saw this coming, and wanted it to not happen because they thought it would lessen the Anyone Can Die feeling that most people were left with after Volume 3. We then find out that yes, there is a consequence for rebuilding her. Apparently her scientist father Pietro had to use part of his Aura to power her back up. Whether Jaune's semblance can remedy this or not is unknown, but we'll just have to wait until next volume.
As the volume progresses we see a To Be Lawful or Good conflict rise amongst the "good side." Ironwood's lackeys, the Ace Operatives trust him to the point where they follow all his orders. Team RWBY, on the other hand, are seen as a Chatic Good force that follow their own rules based on experience. This is where most of the fandom's conflicting opinions take place, and it is best shown in the exchange between Winter and Penny about wrestling with feelings.
By the time it was all over, Ironwood had taken a Well-Intentioned Extremist nature, Clover got killed due to Qrow's emotions over having to be arrested (which is why Anyone Can Die still), and Salem's forces now have a relic. Did I mention she's using a whale to attack them?
I went into this volume thinking the themes would be about trust. But no. As Ozpin later shows, the real theme was the "Enemy of Trust". Fear. The true reason why things ended so badly for everyone. Why Ironwood was willing to sacrifice Mantle to get as far away as Salem as possible. Why Watts and Tyrian were able to take advantage of the Kingdom so easily. Why Salem was able to break Ruby with two sentences about Your Mom.
I can personally say that this volume has met all of my expectations. 8.5/10.