Welcome
This is the 8th entry into the Ruby Play-by-play.
My comment about a RWBY sitcom has inspired a few people to tell me about the RWBY Chibi spinoff. It’s entirely too early to be talking about spinoffs when I’m not even sure if I’m going to be sticking with the main show yet.
The fateful 8th episode draws near. If you asked me right here and now if I planed to keep doing these my answer would be no. The show had it’s strengths, but it also has many many weaknesses due to it’s amateur production.
Yes I’ve heard all the excuses about budget and talent and blah blah blah but at the end of the day what really matters is output. This show just doesn’t have the output.
I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but it’s the truth.
Moving on, you all seem to have the spoiler thing more or less figure out, so kudos! With any luck this will be the last time I have to talk about them.
Also I got nominated for some sort of subreddit-specific award, which is neato. While my thanks go out to the nominator, I don’t think 8 posts really qualifies anyone for anything. Remember what I said about output? I just don’t have the output.
Speaking of output, I have further refined my episode rip and screenshot process so now the screenies should be of the highest quality yet and be in full glorious 1080p. I hope.
Lastly, apparently yesterday I again managed to quote a character. Let me say that there are 4 years of dialogue built up on this show, so it’s inevitable that I’d collide with it at least once. It’s a little unusual and unfortunate that it happened twice but there’s nothing I can do about it other than to make my commentary and review as dry as possible so I don’t accidentally quote characters.
I know when that happens (and when I accidentally stumble upon correct predictions) it makes me look like a dirty faker, but what am I supposed to do about it? Sometimes I’m gonna guess right, sometimes I’m gonna guess wrong. Your confirmation bias is going to remember all the times I nailed something and conveniently forgot the times I didn’t.
At this point, you either trust me or you don’t. If you trust me, then I invite you to carry on as normal, if you don’t, then the downvote arrow is right over there.
I know I said I wouldn’t harp on this anymore, but lying is one of my absolute pet peeves. If one of my underlings makes a minor mistake, I will never fire them for it. If they make a minor mistake and then lie to me about it, I will fire them on the spot. Zero tolerance. So being accused of lying just really pushes my buttons.
No accusations were leveled in the thread, but I did get a couple accusatory messages. Please no witch hunting.
Okay, sorry. I’m done.
Spoiler thread is available.
Recap
We met all of our girls and we have seen them interact. We know how they all are as people and we know more or less what they plan to get themselves in to.
Right now Yang is my favorite. Apart from mechanical stuff like her better voice acting and so forth, she’s just my favorite person. She’s kind and caring and badass and fun. She’s got just that touch (more than a touch, but let’s be nice here) of Bimbo that makes her sexy. She has all the best lines.
Otherwise, she show is staying the course. Not a while lot has changed so probably best to just get started.
The First Step
Iiiiiit’s Pinky!
This is good news. I was wondering when we’d meet the rest of Team Pack Man.
“Wake up lazy butt!”
So she is excitable. Looks like I guessed that right.
“It’s morning, it’s morning, it’s morning, It’s morning”
Inky is 200% done already, and I gotta say, I’m a bit on his side. Nothing is worse than a morning person.
Still though, here’s an interesting observation: why is he fully dressed? Did he sleep in his street cloths?
She being fully dressed makes a sort of sense, she could have been up for a while, fullly dressed, vibrating with energy, just waiting for Inky to wake up.
But why is he dressed?
Pinky, it’s the Men’s room.
Get out.
Inky is now 300% done.
“You’re the perfect student and I, well, I’m me!”
Perfect student eh? So Inky is some sort of nerd?
And is that his girlfriend?
“We’ve been friends for soooooo long”
Friends eh? Okay so who friend-zoned who?
Also, I see a symbol on her hairbrush. I’m going to assume that’s her symbol. Can’t really make it out very clearly, but it’s definately something.
Also if she’s brushing her hair, then that means she hasn’t been up all that long and she also, therefore, slept fully clothed. In her metal bracing/armor.
And woke Inky up as soon as she woke up.
“Not together, together. Not saying you aren’t handsome, you are handsome.”
Ooooh. She wants him. Okay, so my “love me!” analysis of her clothing seems to be pretty spot on.
Also, she is super hyper. And her ‘friend’ (other that being annoyed) is super mellow.
I wonder how long this has been going on. Poor guy.
“What was I thinking?”
That, my dear, may be a question without an answer.
She doesn’t even just talk with her mouth full, she talking with an uneaten pancake hanging out of her mouth. That’s a whole other level.
“I hope we end up on the same team together”
Fair enough. There are teams. Her verbage makes me think they are in teams of more than two. And, since in the intro we saw all these students in teams of four, I’m gonna guess they are in teams of four, and Team Pac Man is one of them.
Did that bitch just slurp a pancake?
A plan, eh?
That seems sensible, although I shudder to think what sort of plan you will come up with. You’re passionate and cute, it’s true, but you don’t strike me as terribly intelligent.
“What if we bride Headmaster?”
Jesus, Pinky, no!
“No that wont work, he has a school.”
Oh thank god. She does have a brain.
“I know!”
Is the idea Disco Fever?
Also Inky is still so done.
Where will we be when Diarrhea strikes?
Sorry, I know toilet humor is gross and a little low-brow, but when I caught that look on her face, I just couldn’t resist.
Her idea of a signal is pretty good, though. I wonder if she’ll follow it up with a reasonable signal. Like a flare gun, or bird song?
“Can you imitate a sloth?”
Jesus, Pinky. I’m not sure sloths even make noise.
What is wrong with this girl?
“Nora?” “Yes, Ren?”
So, Nora and and Ren.
Maybe I’m going on a limb, but Nora sounds Norse and Ren seems…eastern? Chinese maybe?
That narrows down their fairy tale possibilities. Which Norseman cross dressed in his story? Not really sure, Norse mythology isn’t my strongest area, and I’m not even sure Nora is Norse, that was just my knee jerk reaction. Could also be German. Trouble is, I don’t know any German crossdressers either.
Ren is a little easier. The slant of his eyes (no, I’m not being racist, it’s just a common facial trait of eastern people), the cut of his jacket which is reminiscent of a Man Kimono, that easternish name, and him being a perfect student (okay, that was a little bit racist) makes me want to double down on eastern. The obvious go to for eastern cross dressers is Mulan. So now, is he based on the Disney Mulan where she lives happily ever after, or the real Mulan where she gets beaten and tortured to death.
Only time will tell.
So yes, that’s my final answer. Ren is Mulan. Apologies if I’m right and you hate me now.
Here we get a good shot of his weapons
They look like weird Glocks with extra-long knifes attached to them. Also he has embossed what I assume is his symbol on them. Some sort of flower. Maybe a lotus?
“I don’t think sloths make a lot of noise”
Thank you!
But, sadly, we have another bad voice actor. What’s weird is he almost sounds like he’s reading into a lower quality microphone. The crispness of the pickup isn’t as good. Also, he sounds like he’s reading his lines, instead of acting them. Just, reading. He doesn’t sound like anything. Such a shame.
It could be described as ‘deadpan’ at a stretch, but not really.
What do you mean sloths don’t make noise?
Poor girl. Her hopes and dreams just got crushed.
“That’s why it’s perfect!”
Oh Nora. I take it back, I like you. You bounce back like a rubber ball.
“No one will suspect we’re working together!”
I…guess that makes sense. In a Nora way.
Her VA is at Ruby level. It’s another older woman putting a nasal voice on to sound younger. It’s fine, it gets the job done, but it’s not good. Better than a falsetto anyway.
You all keep telling me they improve, so we’ll just have to see. Right now though, it’s not great.
“But not together, together”
Segway!
She is awfully chipper this morning. Nice!
Glad to see she’s feeling better.
“Today, I get to let me sweetheart do the talking”
That’s probably for the best. You’re not terribly good with people, but you fight like a demon. Maybe you’ll impress someone and make a friend!
Wont that be nice?
“You’re not the only one going through initiation”
That’s a good point. Ruby could connect with someone on that level, and grow from there.
“Uuuugh, you sound like daaaad”
Yes, she does, but you should listen anyway. She’s smarter than she looks (har har) and she only wants the best for you.
“What does meeting people have to do with fighting?”
A lot, actually. Mostly just teamwork. Can’t kill all the monsters by yourself, yeah?
“I drink milk!”
Bahahhahahah. Oh, that’s good. Drink your milk to grow up big and strong, right? This girl has it all figured out. I love it.
Then go one for a bit about teams, but we’ve already talked about that. Teams of four. And we also know who’s gonna end up with who thanks to the intro so there’s not really a lot to discuss.
“Maybe you should try being on someone else’s team”
I bet she’s worried it’ll be harder to slip away and do her job with her sister being around. It’s gonna be hard enough to slip away as it is.
Ruby is not happy about the suggestion to be on separate teams.
Break out of her shell, eh?
That, and it’ll be easier to slip away. She loves her sister, but she still has a job to do.
Yang is smarter that she lets on. Very cool.
“Rediculous!”
Segway!
He’s looking for his gear?
But..he’s wearing it. Does he not know he’s wearing it?
Man, that dude has problems.
Yey, I get to meet Clyde!
Is Weiss about to bitch all over her, too?
Pyrrha, eh?
I had to take to the captions to get that spelling right.
Other candidates: Pyrrah, peirah, peerah.
Pyrrha is definataly a greek name. It sounds like the female form of Pyrrhus, who happens to be a male greek General. (I took Greek history as an elective in college. Was really cool.) That would make him the obvious candidate for her name, but he’s not exactly a mythic character. The go to for Mythic greeks would have to be Achilles who google confirms did cross-dress in his myth. So there you have it, Her mythic inspiration. Achilles.
Sorry if I’m right.
“Have you given and thought to who’s team you’d like to be on?”
Wait, Weiss likes someone? What the hell is going on here?
Pyrrha’s VA is good. She sounds professional even. I was so worried we were gonna get another Adam or Ren.
Also, this is the most stilted conversation ever. At first I though it was because of bad writing but I realized that it’s supposed to be stilted. Weiss is stiffly asking someone to be on her team and the other, not really wanting to be in the conversation, is stiffly replying.
It’s actually brilliant.
I find myself questioning if that cloud is diagetic
You never know with this show.
In any case, this further sells Weiss as the diabolical mastermind. It’s a look that really works for her.
The strongest and smartest girl, eh? Which is which I wonder? And why would she think Pyrrha is either of those?
Weiss’ soliloquy is a wonderful view into her psyche. She really is ‘that girl’. Popular, successful, rich, beautiful, stuck up. Basically stuff we already knew, but it’s nice to get confirmation.
TBF, I’d make that face too if I was hot and this idiot tried to talk to me
Is he doing a seduction voice?
Please stop…
Um, what? Does Pyrrha like him? How? Why?
Hahaha, dismissed
Weiss is 500% done
I understand that. If there was ever a time to be a rotten bitch, this is it. I hope she delivers.
Jaune spends a while here failing to flight with Weiss. It’s kinda sad, really. Until this:
Well, hot stuff
Is it just me, or is this guy the worst?
Thank you, Weiss, I think that was needed
Snow angel
Not gonna lie, that’s actually pretty good. I would use that. It wouldn’t work, but I would try.
“Hello again!”
Something about that line delivery really make me laugh. She’s either naive, or really friendly. So cute. Such a good VA.
S, some things we learn about Pyrrha:
She graduated top of her class.
She won some tournament 4 times in a row, which is pretty damn impressive. We know that students study for four years at a combat school, so that means she won it every year including as a first year student. If they pit only first year students against eachother then fine, it’s still impressive but it’s more plausible. If it’s the entire school, including 4th year students, then that is crazy impressive that she beat people with 3 more years of training than she had.
Either way, the message is clear. Don’t fuck with Pyrrha.
Yummy.
Weiss’s face here is the best. And I totally agree with her
And she starts flailing.
That’s so cute. Weiss can be so cute when she wants to be.
Pyrrha is on a cereal box? That’s cool. Marshmallow Flakes doesn’t sound too healthy though.
OHHHHHHHHHH!
Jaune’s pose cracks me up.
This is my favorite screenshot. Forever. Of all time.
She sheepishly admits to it being cool, then laments it’s health effects. She’s a bit humble, too. Oh, what a gal. I think…I think I’m in love.
“Do you really think you’re in a position to ask her to be on your team?”
That’s kinda mean, but also a really good point. Jaune is a joke. Pyrrha’s a star. It’s like a nerd asking out the prom queen. Just…no.
Awwww, what a sweetheart
That pose. It’s so wonderfully girly.
“This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!”
I agree, actually.
Dude. Stop.
Weiss is gonna hit him.
“That’s a bit too close”
Hit him.
Or maybe she wont because the Dust Company Heiress wants to team up with the Star Athlete and Legendary Fighter and doesn’t want to alienate her by letting her bitch side out too much.
Clever.
I really want to see how this turns out.
Wait, is Pyrrha gonna hit him?
Yup. She hit him. Nice!
We also get a peek at her weapon, but not a great one. I’ll wait for another opportunity before trying to analyze it.
“I’m sorry!”
Awwww. She was just doing what she had to do. That okay, I get it. He had it coming.
Beacon Cliff, eh? An initiation on a cliff? I can’t even speculate what that’s all about, but it doesn’t sound good.
Wait, that’s weird!
She didn’t touch her weapon to call it back to her hand
Well…actually it looks more like an animation glitch now that I frame through it. Nevermind.
“Having some trouble there, ladykiller?”
Omg, Yang. Too savage.
Yes, confidence, but also not being a total creep. That’s good, too.
Hey, yang, I liked Snow Angel! I thought it was cute a funny. From a creep is sounds creepy, but if you deliver it right, it would totally work!
Dawww, Ruby, helping her maybe-future boyfriend up. That’s cute
8 students, 8 nobodies, two teachers
On a cliff. And what are they standing on? This can’t be good.
According to Ozpin, this is a combat evaluation in the “Emerald Forest”.
Sounds like a lovely place.
Who’s these guys?
And where the hell is Blake?
I’ve changed my mind. These two are Tweedle Dick and Tweedle Balls, respectively. Those two in the trailer, I’m just going to call the Henchmen.
Tweedle Dick looks like a classic armored warrior. He looks strong and capable, with sensible equipment and a confident attitude. My guess is he’s just a damn good Huntsman. The fact he’s not in silhouette means he’s important. I wonder what his story is?
Tweedle Balls looks like an asshole, though. My guess is he’s gonna be a short-term antagonist in the forest. Work against our heroes and try to be the first one back to get more points. What a dick.
Ozpin spends some time talking about teams.
So you’re stuck with someone for your entire time at Combat College. I can understand Ruby’s worry. What if she got paired up with Weiss and had to deal with her bitchy ass for however-long-they’re here.
Except we already know that happens because of the intro. Ruby is in for a tough time, isn’t she? Poor little gemstone.
Eye Contact?
Are you kidding me? That’s so…random! Four years, what the fuck…
Well…actually. Think about it, right. If you see someone but they don’t see you, then you can just walk away and no pairing happens. So there is an element of choice. Just don’t make eye contact and you’re okay. So it’s somewhere between random and deterministic. Actually..I think that’s okay. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible either.
It also encourages students to be stealthy to avoid people they don’t want to pair with, and seek out those that they do.
All in all, not a terrible system.
ruby.Animation.Play(“what”)
Ugh.
Don’t hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die.
Jesus, that’s harsh.
But I think I go back to what I said before. These may be 17 year old kids, but they’re 17 year old kids with firepower and magic and 4 years of training. They are prepared for danger. Or, at least some danger anyway. So this is actually a really good form of initiation. It gets the point across that this is not a place for idiots and buffoons. This is an active mission hub and you are in danger here.
They signed up for this. There are soldiers who are only 18, but they signed up to be soldiers. You gave them a weapon and some training and you’re sending them to die. Ozpin is just doing the same thing here.
It’s a little harsh, since it’s just a training exercise, but again, these are strong kids. They can handle themselves.
And if they can”t, well, they were probably gonna die anyway. Best to weed them out now before they go on a real mission and get someone else killed instead.
It’s a harsh treatment, but if my theories are correct, this is a harsh, harsh world. If you sign up to fight you better damn sure be ready to fight.
And if you aren’t?
Well…you better to ready to die.
So that’s my new prediction. Ruby and Jaune make eye contact and get a little close in the combat zone. Then jaune gets destroyed and Ruby learns a valuable lesson. A lesson about love and war. A lesson about being ready to do what you must, or be ready to face the consequences.
This helps to prove my point
Nora is ready. She’s not scared. She knows she has the training and know-how to survive the test. She just got told she might die but she doesn’t care.
“Our instructors will not intervene.”
Man. Jaune, you are so fucked.
These two are worried for very different reasons
Jaune is worried he’s gonna die. Ruby is worried she’ll get stuck with a shitty team member.
See what I mean?
I believe the term is “death flag” and Jaune, buddy, you’ve got one.
Ozpin just cut Jaune off. I think he knowns.
Of course, ozpin is smart, and Jaune is obvious. I think Ozpin expects him to die. Why bother answering the questions of a dead man.
They’re launching them into the forest?
I think I understand what a ‘landing strategy’ is. Man, they’re gonna weed out the failures quick.
Ozpin and Jaune basically confirm in conversation that I am right. No parachutes, no airships, just you and gravity’s cruel embrace.
Farewell, Jaune.
“What is a landing strategy^y^y^y^y^y”
Oh come on, that’s just cruel.
I love how everyone who knows what’s going on is in a flight position, and Jaune is just pinwheeling through the air. Good characterization.
One more death flag.
Sip
No fucks given
Wrap-up and Review
This is a bit of a shorter one. I might have been able to fit part 2 into it, but I ran out of time if I wanted to get it up today, so here it is!
So, that was another hell of an episode. We met the rest of Team Pacman and I like them. Shame the voice acting is still all over the place, but overall, they’re good characters.
I adore Pyrrha. She humble and beautiful and strong. Her design is great, her VA sounds like a professional. Just, everything about her is top top top.
Shame about Ren. Cool design let down my a bad VA. Shame indeed.
I would also say it’s gonna be a shame about Jaune, but truthfully, the cheat kinda deserves it. This is not a place to fuck around, like Weiss said. Practice and sparring is over. It’s monster time.
I am looking forward to seeing all this play out. I hope Ruby handles it okay.
There were a couple candidates for play of the game. This was a bit of a difficult choice.
Play of the Game
launch
sip
Eliminated Jaune 100♥
TellAPhony 
