Also, oh gosh, I still adore Vacuo's aesthetic so much, thank you to everyone who worked on this wonderful little love letter to RWBY, I have loved it and I hope with what we heard recently you can all be re-hired and finish your work and continue on for years to come!
Back to the story, I know I have been saying "Give that girl a cult" but damn I didn't think the show would necessarily line up with me, love it! Surprised Tai came up if only cos the girls rarely think of him, a stance I respect given who actually did the parenting XD I am guessing he's Raven's portal link elsewhere perhaps?
At first, I was eh on the trip to Boba Boba Boba in their childhood, but it actually fits well with how I imagine Tai looked when "recovered" but not really parenting. IE. he's the 'fun' parent who does 'fun outings' but doesn't have the energy or where with all for the heavier stuff that Yang was dealing with as the one who raised Ruby and she had being raised by her sister.
Anyway, their conversation was very solid, it built up well and flowed naturally, I like the emphasis Yang puts on Ruby not needing to justify. defend or recant her decision but instead Yang keeping emphasis on the fact she is there for Ruby and affirming her needs as best she can.
I also really like that Ruby admitted that she also hadn't been asking for help and that there was no real blame there either so much as an acknowledgement of it being a complex and messy situation where no one had the full picture. The code word for when feeling overwhelmed but not able to properly communicate one's needs is brilliant and heartfelt and just generally this is a sweet scene, and I love this as a note for things to go out on, for now. So optimistic!
That end of Beyond Ep3 is RUBY (using a reclaimed Staff of Creation) bringing Cinder or even SUMMER to the Ever After for Ascension-therapy. If for nothing else than that seems the most surefire way to undo Grimm hybridization.
even though she's dropped the exo-skeleton (because she no longer needs it), i like that they've decided to have Winter keep the ponytail
she honestly looks better with it than the strict bun she had initially and it also works as symbolic of her character growth, that she's now less strict, more inclined to question authority and let herself be a person rather than force herself to be an unthinking machine
You realize this means Neptune spent several minutes dressing up as Qrow and doing a Qrow impression TO Qrow yeah? And he actually waited patiently through the whole thing.
What I love the most about episode two of rwby beyond is that, DnD episode one actually, is the way people in world keep Oscar at the forefront. In stark contrast to the fallout of volume 6 where Qrow and Jaune are upset at Ozpin and take it out on Oscar (and then Jaune is immediately upset when Oscar is missing and ever since then has been shown to care deeply about him), everyone is showing great care for him. They can’t ignore the merge as is evident in both Oscar’s section of the epilogue as well as well as Ren’s message (You two), but how Neptune and Sun kept correcting each other and then Jaune making the distinction that it’s Ozpin who has the fairy tale connections.
Oscar struggles greatly with his sense of identity and now he’s gotten to the point where he sounds like Oz even when the man isn’t taking over for them. But the reminder that Oscar is his own person. That he’s not just another soul in the blob. The way his friends are keeping him alive even when he’s not in front of them. FRESH off of Ruby’s own identity crisis. Jaune saying he wishes he could forget his time as the rusted knight and is only now able to look back on the good times and feel positively about Alex and Lewis. The Sense of Self in this show as well as How Others See You. It’s lovely to see people treating Oscar as his own person during this time when he doesn’t know who he is. And even though he’s trying to comfort Jaune in this scene I think seeing someone older than him who’s also struggling, who feels out of place but is trying to include him, is good for him too.
I noticed this in the first episode of RWBY Beyond but I wasn't entirely sure. Now I am. Oscar is talking more like Ozpin. He feels more like Ozpin. And yeah this episode wasn't being subtle of course. But man is it hard to see it so in your face like this either way.
That recurring theme of 'Somewhat' in the narration was genius, this really did feel like such a wonderful story book and honestly, I would totally buy a "The Adventures of Somewhat & Juniper" children's book or like, RPG, life Sim kind of thing.
The segment with the Red Prince had such a marvelous aesthetic and I low key felt the need to tear up from sheer affection for Somewhat several times. Then that ending was just… My gosh, whaaaat!? I need more!
Also theory, that bird at the market, the cat with the herbalist, kind of wondering if Hawker did reincarnate and if the Cat is either Curious or Neo given the color scheme.
Also they still refuse to even hint at anything to do with Pietro, like I'm not surprised by it at this point, but they're absolutely hiding something massive there
...So...about the second episode of RWBY Beyond...
[SPOILERS AHEAD! NUFF SAID]
It skips over the return of RWBY and Jaune, reuniting with their comrades in Vacuo and getting to see everyone’s reactions to being reunited with their missing comrades after so long.
Alright. I guess they're saving that for V10 if it gets greenlit. Fair and fine.
That being said, it skips over the reunion to focus a whole episode on Jaune in the aftermath of the return from the Ever After?
...Huh?
I’m sorry. But for the sake of being that person, I’m gonna be that person.
Just to set the record straight, I don’t hate Jaune. I've never hated Jaune as a character. I have mostly had issues with the way the Writers just love to have Jaune’s development usurp others who deserve the screen time and focus more than him.
Personally, I do not care for Jaune’s development right now. Jaune’s whole experience in the Ever After, for me, did NOT need to be a focus episode for RWBY Beyond.
Especially since there are other characters who had more tragic experiences in the Ever After whose feelings I would’ve liked to see in the aftermath.
And by other characters, I mainly mean Ruby!
I do, however, love the detail of Oscar being someone that Jaune gets to talk to.
That was nice and I’m pleased to see that for a second time, Oscar is featured in RWBY Beyond. I actually hope that’s a thing for the final two episodes. I hope that Oscar appears in each episode of RWBY Beyond, even if he’s just in the background.
But going back to my original rant, Jaune is NOT the person I was itching to see Oscar talk to especially in respect to their experience in the Ever After.
If there is any body I wanted to see talk to Oscar, it’s RUBY ROSE! And no, this has nothing to do with Rosegarden or shipping potential at all. I’m talking about this from a narrative perspective.
Ruby’s whole arc in the Ever After was basically about life, death and rebirth in a sense. A complete deconstruction of her character, resulting in her committing the Ever After equivalent of “suicide” and be faced with an ultimatum of choosing to become someone else or be herself in which she chose herself.
Ruby lost herself in the Ever After for a moment. Oscar is on the cusp of losing himself at this moment.
Ruby saw Oscar “die” as part of an illusion that hinted at her being responsible for his death and/failing to save him just like she did with other friends like Penny.
Oscar is on the cusp of “dying” metaphorically right now.
YOU DON’T THINK THESE ARE TWO PEOPLE WHO DEFINTELY NEED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER?!!
C’MON CRWBY! IT'S FINE THAT JAUNE GETS TO TALK TO OSCAR BUT I NEED RUBY TO TALK TO OSCAR TOO!
And speaking of Oscar, don't think I didn't notice his little awkward cough and shifty eyes, immediately redirecting the conversation when Oscar made a point about being in similar situation to Jaune and Jaune be like "You mean Ozpin, right?" and Oscar be like "Aah yes, of course".
Ya'll ain't slick dropping dem Merge crumbs!
For what it's worth, I do hope an episode focus more on Oscar and Oz in the cards for the final two episodes.
Overall, this second episode of RWBY Beyond was alright. As was the first.
The artwork of RWBY Beyond is absolutely breathtaking to me and is easily my favourite part of watching the anthology. Inspite of the limited animation, the beautiful artwork more than makes up for it. I definitely wouldn’t mind an actual physical RWBY storybook anthology series done in this same art style.
Makes me wish that Fairytales of Remnant animated series was done in this exact same style instead of the awkward Camp Camp style that DID NOT feel like RWBY at all.
All in all, onward to the next episode of RB. Makes me wonder who will be the focus of the final two episodes.
Like which characters will be we get to have an episode about? Obviously, speaking for myself, I would love an Oscar-centric episode. I mean…he’s been in every episode thus far so it’d be nice to see on all about him for once.
Outside of Oscar, I wouldn’t mind an episode about the Schnee Family done from Whitley’s perspective? That’s also a good one to see.
And of course, if there is one person an episode needs to be done on, it has to be Ruby. I mean the Oscar and Whitley ones are probabilities but a Ruby-focus episode for RWBY Beyond has to be in the cards, right?
If they can touch base on Jaune’s feelings during the Aftermath of the Ever After then surely, they gotta talk about Ruby's whole experience with her literal death and rebirth, right? RIGHT?
I guess only time will tell. 2 Episodes down. 2 more to go so see ya’ll next week.