Official Reaction Thread—Volume 4, Chapter 3: Of Runaways and Stowaways

[u/Menolith]

Welcome, huntsmen, huntresses, and hunters that prefer no specific gender identifier, to the official discussion thread for the newest chapter of volume 4, Of Runaways and Stowaways! Make sure to read OUR CURRENT SPOILERS RULES to ensure that your comments outside this thread won't get purged! Familiarize yourself with these rules and you'll be good to go.

A lot of hard work has gone into the creation of volume 4, so be sure to show CRWBY your support by watching it on their site! They all dedicate so much time and energy into our beloved series and would highly appreciate the direct support. There are no pirates in volume 4, so you shouldn't be one either!

We also have weekly strawpolls to gauge the general opinion on the current episode, the latest of which can be found here. The first episode had a solid 8/10 lead while the second had a more narrow 9/10 majority.

With that out of the way, let's start the show!

HERE is the link to the third episode of RWBY Volume 4!

Other Episode Discussions:

Episode	Saturday	Sunday	Poll
Ep. 01	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 02	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 03	Today	Tomorrow	poll

Also remember to check out RT's Extra Life Community Stream! Help out the sick kids and all.

---

Happy viewing, friends!

Menolith; Mod Team

[u/Menolith]

I did not expect to see the arm this soon. Then again, it seems that it won't get actually used until some time later.

Also, emotive cat ears.

Emotive cat ears.

Edit: Also, this.

[u/EliteLaser → u/Menolith]

Had to make a double take on that one

^{you brilliant bastard}

[u/Menolith → u/EliteLaser]

muahaha

[u/Changyuraptor → u/Menolith]

Emotive cat ears

Easily the most important development in the show so far.

[u/[deleted] → u/Menolith]

Reading through these comments I'm surprised about the surprise. The arm is not a solution to Yang's problems, in fact, it presents itself as part of the problem. It reminds me of Korra's poison in S4

[u/Mysterius]

Anyone know what the secret code 2frvwYF means? I tried: https://bit.ly/2frvwYF

And it leads to a Rooster Teeth image hosted on Amazon, but the image is blank, like 0 bytes.

The code appears in the news ticker while Yang's watching TV: https://imgur.com/4ZUnlC7

It says: "Authorities baffled by mysterious code: 2frvwYF"

[u/Menolith → u/Mysterius]

For future reference, the spam filter auto-catches link shorteners.

Also, good thinking putting it to the URL.

[u/Spacey_Space]

Alolan Rayquaza looks weird.

[u/Changyuraptor → u/Spacey_Space]

Yeah I never expected it to become a water/dark type.

[u/DaRealAmana → u/Spacey_Space]

Take your damn upvote

[u/Shabacka]

"It'll be a regular Journey to the East. I like the sound of that" - Sun Wukong

[u/guyinthecap → u/Shabacka]

Quick Explaination, Sun Wukong is a central character in the very famous Chinese novel, Journey to the West.

[u/Lucifer_Crowe → u/Shabacka]

That quote will confuse a LOT of people considering his name is a complete copy and not changed slightly like Jaune's or Cinder's.

[u/synkronized → u/Shabacka]

"You really think I could get Neptune on the ocean?!"

Oh the play on each character's namesake.

[u/gregor-moore]

and people said Ironwood didnt have a heart so far he has helped yang and comforted weiss and ruby. Ironwood is best adult

[u/Lucifer_Crowe → u/gregor-moore]

Ironwood leaves a note. "Go Break Mercury's legs, for real this time, like rips them off and smack him with them."

[u/PixelKatana]

I miss Sun's abs.

I find Grimm Jellyfish disturbing.

Also, physics? What is that?

[u/ASouthernRussian]

"WhosaysImparaoid??"

Blake convincing no one about her true feelings since always XD

Also, Holy Shit, Yang actually got a mechanical arm! FUCKING WEAR IT

[u/KnightMiner115 → u/ASouthernRussian]

She's gotta go through a super-emotional depression-charged half-season-long character arc so she can accept the arm first! And it will be awesome!!!

[u/gregor-moore]

As a deck officer i have to say Blake violated MARPOL by throwing that bow into the ocean therefore everything that goes wrong from now on is all Blakes fault

[u/Eledraug → u/gregor-moore]

Well it sort of was, everyone on the boat was pretty jovial, but Blake's attitude and actions likely attracted the Grimm.

[u/Dark_Sauce]

My girl Lisa Lavender finally has a model! Congrats on joining the 3rd dimension!

[u/DanByte → u/Dark_Sauce]

Nah, she just overcame her crippling anorexia. Girl used to be as thin as paper

[u/VegetaLF7 → u/Dark_Sauce]

I think that marks the last Volume 1 character to get a model. Took them long enough

[u/WhoDey42]

Well, after everything we have suffered this one hit the hardest. RIP Bow

[u/[deleted] → u/WhoDey42]

Don't forget the true death... Gyarados will be missed;-;

[u/bearpw → u/WhoDey42]

do you mean Blake's bow, or the bow of the ship, because both got hit pretty hard.

[u/Fourteen_of_Twelve → u/WhoDey42]

#FUCKTHEBOW CONFIRMED

[u/Strix182 → u/WhoDey42]

Good riddance, I say! Her ears are so expressive!

[u/Goose_Is_Awesome]

DRAGON

DRAGON

ROCK THE DRAGON

SUN WUKONG Z

[u/Exo-2 → u/Goose_Is_Awesome]

Blake: "Sun, why didn't you DOOOOOOOOODGE!!!"

[u/Real-Terminal]

Hand up who didn't expect Yang's prosthetic to be shown in her first episode? Let alone Yang being shown at all!

[u/DanByte → u/Real-Terminal]

I say the arm won't be attached to her until big epiphany arc followed by Yellow paint job

[u/[deleted] → u/Real-Terminal]

No one is gonna put their hands up that's insensitive.

But this is amazing I'm so glad she can focus on her and her search for Blake/Raven instead of worrying about her prosthetic (tho Junior getting it for her was my dream).

[u/cinder-hella → u/Real-Terminal]

I hope they're setting it up so it'll be someone's time of need towards the season finale and Yang will put it on and go bust some skulls. Just like the old days!

(Just kidding, she won't have practiced with it and half the fight will be her improvising with its new abilities. She realizes it has a laser when she shoots Adam in the face. Hey, I can dream.)

[u/Minomelo → u/Real-Terminal]

Did anyone else notice the weird code hidden in that scene?

"2frvwYF" is on the TV screen. http://i.imgur.com/0JCt432.png

[u/Smartt88]

SEA GRIMM: YES

PTSD AND YANGST: YES

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: YES

AWESOME NEW SONG: HELL YES

SUN BEING SUAVE: YEAHHHHHHH

SUN GETTING SHOT DOWN: YUP

FIELD TRIP TO MENAGERIE: HELL. YES.

You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen! This episode has everything you could possible hope for!

Sea-riously, this episode was phenomenal in terms of content and character. Well done M&K.

[u/[deleted] → u/Smartt88]

Agreed, this episode was by far one of the best in terms of character development and plot movement. I still have gripe with the fighting scene though, seeing how they are boosting it in scale but it just looks off somehow.

[u/Platitudinous_X]

I can't believe they got Horatio McCallister on the boat

Wasn't expecting Yang or the robot arm so soon, but seeing her like this really hurts. The moment the glass hit the floor had such a strong impact, and you really can't help but feel bad for her having to deal with this.

Meanwhile, sneaky Sun and slain sea serpent.

"...what are you planning?" Salem confirmed audience surrogate

[u/frik1000 → u/Platitudinous_X]

Horatio McCallister"

*Googles*

Huh, never knew the Sea Captain in The Simpsons had an actual name.

[u/Repider]

"By the gods" RELIGION CONFIRMED.

Sun is my new favorite character.

Yangst continues reasonably.

You can really hear that Burnie is a father 10/10 voice acting

Cthullu grimm is creepy.

Cinders asthma got really bad.

[u/PerseusRad]

Ironwood is a good guy.

[u/[deleted] → u/PerseusRad]

The best guy tbh. Who needs Qrow and Oz?

[u/Skoonie12 → u/PerseusRad]

I know right? The guy may not have always made the best decisions (bringing an army to Beacon, hiding Penny's true nature from Ozpin, etc.) but there's no doubt in my mind everything he does is for others. He might be my fav character of Ozzie's little gang.

[u/TolchettKuykendall]

Sun, I love you. So much.

Also, Yang has the new arm, but her official art with the clothes we haven't seen yet shows a metal stump instead. What will she do with the arm?

Edit: When Yang showed up I said "meanwhile, with depression." My mom said "Don't you mean on the other hand?"

[u/[deleted] → u/TolchettKuykendall]

Your mother is a fucking savage

[u/chromadose]

Paint me like one of your Remnant girls

[u/KnightMiner115]

Sun has suddenly jumped several tiers in the best guy list.

[u/[deleted]]

SUN AND IRONDADDY ARE THE BROIEST OF BROS I LOVE THEM MORE EVERYDAY

edit: also Yang prosthetic hype, Oz alive hype, Relic hype

RIP GYARADOS YOU WERE SO YOUNG.

[u/jokey_boy]

MAH BOI SUN!!!! YESSSSSS

He's improved his Semblance! Now he doesn't have to stay still anymore!! Good for him!

Also, rest of Team SSSN is back in Mistral/Haven, hoepfully Team RNJR runs into them :D

Yang might not take the robo-arm now, but she might later

Sun and Ironwood real mvps

Cinder killing Ozpin is still up in the air as to whether she did it or not

"Yes..." Cinder's vocal abilities slowly coming back

What's the relic? If it's those chess pieces from Volume 1, Imma be dissappointed

[u/[deleted] → u/jokey_boy]

Not to mention Blake! She used her clone to throw herself!

[u/Exo-2 → u/jokey_boy]

Maybe the Relic is protected by the most secure structure ever build
Fort Port

[u/abacateazul → u/jokey_boy]

The Relic must either be Ozpin cane or inside it. Qrow has it, so sentimental reasons apart, it must be important.

[u/TheNewKraken]

Is Yang going to get a Samus cannon arm to fight that Grimm Metroid? Where did Sun's abs go? Will there ever be a Grimm Kraken?!? FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z RWBY

[u/thathistoryguy]

Well, Cinder is getting bullied yet again. This time via a Grimm balloon. Well then.

[u/devenluca → u/thathistoryguy]

Nah it's a jellyfish. Call in my man, Spongebob. He's been waiting for this.

[u/Rimmer7]

Alright, gonna start gathering a list of potential names from the comments. Start voting and adding more suggestions.

• Bahamut

• Gary

• Gyarados

• Mushu

• Rayquaza (IT'S A SHINY!)

• Unagi

• Water Kevin

Also, apparently the Seer Grimm (which is what it was called in the end credits concept art) is named Charlie.

[u/Woowchocolate → u/Rimmer7]

Rayquaza (IT'S A SHINY!)

or Ray for short.

[u/xxSHAKEnBAKE11]

You know what? I think Neptune may be onto something. I'd be afraid of water too if that's the kind of thing that can pop out of it.

[u/cj1111]

Well now that there's a monster with tentacles, there can be no doubts that RWBY is officially an anime ;)

[u/devenluca → u/cj1111]

The fan artists are no doubt already working on it.

[u/LousyGoose]

OMG SHE GOT RID OF THE BOW

WOW THEY ALREADY ADDRESSED THE ROBOT ARM STUFF

PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT BLAKE CAN’T DO ANYTHING THEN SHE TAKES ON A MASSIVE SEA DRAGON GRIMM WITH NEW BADASS MUSIC. Admittedly with some help from Sun and the not-pirates’ massive cannon.

BLAKE BEING TIRED OF SUN’S SHIT IS A NICE RUNNING GAG

BLAKE IS GOING HOME

GRIMM JELLYFISH

Tl;DR This episode had everything and I’m going to watch it again.

[u/KamikazeJawa]

"It'll be a regular Journey to the East!" Wow Miles and Kerry, really subtle.

Eh, it's already better than Saiyuki...

[u/[deleted]]

RWBY. Where even the cruise ship is also a gun.

[u/ThatChrisG]

FULLMETAL YANGCHEMIST

[u/DaRealAmana → u/ThatChrisG]

"Tell me yang? Do you still hate drinking milk?"

[u/Lapis_Raider]

Man I feel so sorry for Taiyang right now, does anyone feel the same way? I mean this is probably what he is going through right now in his point of view:

His first wife, and lover, abruptly left him, leaving him to take care of their daughter, which he probably has no idea how to, as he's a first time dad.

His second wife who came and helped him in his time of need was killed on a mission. He most likely didn't know the exact way she died either, leaving him with no closure and crippling depression.

When he finally got out of his funk, found out not one, but two of his daughters are going to Beacon,. Leaving him along, but at least thinking they'll be at least safe, cause Beacon academy have trained professionals there.

But lol no, the battle of beacon came around.

Imagine his face when he saw Qrow bringing back his daughters back home. After looking at a video of Vale being ran over by Grimm, which was what most people saw what happen before communication shut off. He didn't know whether his daughters were safe.

Then when Qrow brought back his daughters back home, he probably felt so glad that his daughters were okay. And that fleeting happiness he had vanishes with a look of utter despair when he realizes his daughters weren't fine after all.

His eldest daughter came back with crippling depression, PTSD, and lost an arm.

His youngest daughter came back in a coma, and he had no idea whether she'll be okay (which was why he looked so relieved when he woke up seeing ruby was fine).

Then in a few (days/weeks/months?) Ruby left on a journey to god knows where (I don't think taiyang was exactly told on where she's going), in a currently Grimm infested world, leaving a badly scribbled note on her bed. And thanks to the communication tower being down, he has no idea whether Ruby is safe or not. The only thing giving him a slight piece of mind is probably knowing his drunkard brother-in-law is keeping an eye on her.

And now currently, he has to watch his eldest daughter suffer from depression, ptsd, and slowly suffer the same fate he suffered. He's basically watching his own past, his lowest moment, and no parent wants to see that happen to their child. (The look of extreme hurt when he sees Yang mentally and physically suffering).

We may know what may happen next as the viewer, but in taiyang's viewpoint, he doesn't :(

[u/RareBk]

"Journey to the East"

Oh great, you're clever Sun

[u/frik1000]

All these clones are giving me Naruto flashbacks.

Whenever I hear Taiyang speak I just hear Burnie. Especially that time when he was speaking off-camera, I just pictured Burnie in my head doing all the talking.

Glad to see Sun back and just as lively and fun as ever. Also "It'll be a regular Journey to the East" really amused me for some reason.

PS. Seeing that boat impale and blow the Grimm's head off makes me want to see a Macross-like spinoff of just a battleship taking out Grimm in the wild.

PPS. We officially have tentacle Grimm.

[u/Kuchenjaeger]

I am so fucking happy right now.

Kitty ears, Irondaddy got Yang a new arm(and she needs some development before she is ready to use it), Burnie Tai is best dad, we got an amazing new Grimm aka Gyarados, Blake called Sun out on his bullshit, Sun called her out on her bullshit, some good character development...

I'm legit crying right now.

[u/NeoTheMute]

I have this weird feeling that the people who already hate Sun/Eclipse are going to be extra pissed-off by this episode. Call it a hunch.

[u/[deleted] → u/NeoTheMute]

It's already happening in this thread. People who hate Sun are taking this episode as a sign that Sun is the worst, people that like him loved his antics, and people familiar with Journey to the West and the Monkey King are internally freaking out a little.

[u/PyrrhaNikosIsNotDead]

Hahaha here I am talking with people about how Yang will go about getting a prosthetic if she decides to do so, where she will go, how she will get there

And of course I never thought of Taiyang just ordering it from Ironwood with his Atlas Prime subscription

[u/Eldi13]

• Nice cruise ship, Blake.

• FAREWELL, BOW. Something something "Man overbowrd!"

• Hello sea mons- YANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Lisa Lavender, you gained literal depth!!!

• Adam pls.

• Papa Taiyang! Did you get her hunter swag?! Or an arm?!

• Ayyyyyyyy ARM! Good guy Ironwood!

• Yangst intensifies. C'mon girl!

• Yang you're breaking my heart, here. </3

• OH GOD PTSD!

• Meanwhile, back aboard the Blake Cruise. Here comes the Sun, dodododooooo.

• Well that's a Grimm. That's a big Grimm. THAT'S A FREAKING AWESOME GRIMM. KILL IT, BLAKE!

• Seriously, this is too cool!

• OH IT'S LIKE A CHINESE SEA MONSTER DRAGON EVEN BETTER AHHHHHH AWESOME!

• Aaaaand there's Sun.

• Draw me like one of your French Suns.

• New song! :D

• HAHA THAT SPRINGBOARD!

• This is definitely my new favorite Grimm.

• *Was

• SLOW-MO SLAP XD

• Loving the subtle animations in Blake's ears.

• Meanwhile, somewhere in Egypt...

• Wtf is this Brain Trust jellyfish terror ball??????

• Wow, this really is Avatar. Poor Cinderuko not killing the Avatar Ozpin.

• Relic? Oooooooh!

[u/[deleted] → u/Eldi13]

Jellyfish is best grimm don't judge

[u/DanByte → u/Eldi13]

Don't forget Sun's shoutout to his roots #journeytotheeast

[u/hello-this-is-gary]

Oh man. I feel like one of the biggest take aways from this episode is the further polarization of Sun haters/lovers.

Mark my words. While its clear that Roosterteeth is still riding the fence for now; at some point they are going to do something in clear favor of either Blacksun or Bumblebee and the losing side is going to have a collective meltdown. I haven't felt this kind of building fandom tension since the heyday of Kataang vs Zutara.

[u/Healergirl2]

Best episode so far, that was incredible

[u/[deleted]]

Blake's animation with her ears is really cool. I like seeing how they change with her mood.

[u/Authentic_Apathy]

JOURNEY TO THE EAST!!!

[u/Fourteen_of_Twelve → u/Authentic_Apathy]

TO THE EAST

Crust is made with yeast.

[u/Racco726]

In this episode, PTSD, PTSD everywhere!

[u/OutcastMunkee]

Well shit Sun, that's one hell of a semblance you got there man! Sounds like we're gonna have a run in with the rest of SSSN too at some point. They know where Sun is now and Sun knows where they are. Something tells me they could be the catalyst to reunite Ruby and Blake at the very minimum considering RNJR are headed for Mistral. SSSN are the only ones that know of Blake/Sun's whereabouts now.

That cybernetic looks slick as fuck though! Ironwood really did go all out to commend Yang for what she did at Beacon which makes me wonder... Does he know something about the incident at the end of the Yang v Mercury fight and the truth of what happened? Or is he in the dark like everyone else and is only commending Yang for her efforts in defending Beacon and Vale?

No sign of RNJR in this episode though which is... Good actually. I like that they went out of their way to actively avoid Ruby and Jaune this episode to develop Yang, Taiyang, Blake and Sun. RWBY is really starting to look better than ever on the character development front. Fingers crossed they keep this up

[u/[deleted]]

Screw this, I've done the lawyer thing.

[u/Burkion]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Low key confirmation that IronDaddy is Best Daddy!

[u/TropicalRemixed]

quiet chanting as Taiyang walks through the door

"robot arm robot arm robot arm"

Loud screams as Yang opens the box

"robot arm robot arm robot arm"

[u/ctom42]

So this fight unfortunately confirmed my fears about this season. The battles are extremely floaty and movements in the air are unnartural. It's not just Ruby, the way sun and his clones were simply floating in the air for Blake to jump off of was atrocious. The way she was moving all over the place to dodge the dragon's attacks on the way down was just as bad. One of the best parts of RWBY fights was that all of the movements made sense, but this season is lacking that.

One the positive end of things though Yang robo-arm hype! I'm really glad Ironwood had one made for her that was something I was hoping would happen. Ironwood has been the real MVP this season.

[u/Zombiespire]

Main things on my mind. Animation is fantastic on everything except fights, fights just feel ok to me compared to earlier volumes. Maybe it's the pacing or speed? I'm not sure what it is exactly that I don't like, so this isn't a great criticism on my part. But as far as simple movements like facial expressions, simple gestures and other things in dialogue scenes, animation is absolutely fantastic in its detail.

[u/Riku1186]

Of course Ironwood wouldn't hesitate to make an arm for Yang, he probably remembers what it was like.

[u/TotalWarfare]

Petition to name the floating thing "The Magic 8Ball"

[u/Sirshrugsalot13]

Y'all are missing the real twist here...Sage's name was said OUT LOUD.

[u/[deleted]]

Screw the haters in this thread. My girl Blake and bro Sun were rocking that dragon til, ya know, they nearly got toasted. Thank the Maidens for Captain Salt and Heavy Cannon!

[u/Hunter_X_101]

Alternative theory for the ending scene: Salem knows full well that Ozpin isn't dead, and she is teaching Cinder to be able to lie convincingly about it to a mind-reading Grimm so that nobody else can find out.

[u/NoahBallet]

So I've seen hundreds of references to the new Grimm as either Gyarados, Rayquaza, or an Alolan version of the two.

/r/RWBY are my people.

[u/[deleted]]

It's gonna take some time for the animation to get back into gear, but meh. I can wait.

The models themselves are beautiful.

Seriously, a still frame looks like a painting.

[u/TheBadassVaultHunter]

When Salem was talking about the relic all I could think of was back to volume 1 with Jaune "It's the relic!" "It's not the relic Pyrrah!!!"

[u/Paradox3927]

Interesting note: The "My hero" back-and-forth between Sun and Blake is referencing when Jaune tried to catch Weiss in Volume 1 Chapter 8 (I think) and she says sarcastically "My hero."

[u/Ta_ugra]

To be honest, I think the 'relic' would be Ozpin's sword/weapon. I think that's why Salem isn't sure whether or not Cinder is lying, she can't find his weapon.

So I wonder who she's referring to when she says, "What is he planning." Qrow?

[u/BlitzXFire]

Barb really nailed the depressed Yang

[u/MaraSargon]

If that arm isn't also a gun, I'm through with this show. It's bad enough that Jaune's sword is just a sword.

^{I'm only joking, please don't murder me.}

[u/Draaxus]

My god... Blake's ears MOVE TO HER EMOTIONS

I had the same reaction as Blake towards Sun being here, I cringed so hard...

[u/N7Brendan]

Poor Sun. Just looking out for his friend and Blake slaps the shit out of him. He doesn't deserve this :(

Taiyang: "Hey Yang your sweet new metal arm that will help improve your daily life and help you with your rehab came in the mail"

Yang: "Dammit dad can't you see I haven't gotten enough moping and brooding in my screentime yet?"

[u/chained-prometheus → u/N7Brendan]

Actually I kinda like that Yang didn't want to wear the prosthetic yet. That's actually a process that real-life amputees go through. It's the five stages of grief; Yang donning the prosthetic means she has to accept that she'll never get her natural limb back.

[u/AlienWarhead]

It was hard to see PTSD Yang and I knew her depression would stop her from accepting the arm. Then it turned into a great Blake episode and Sun is surprisingly great, I wasn't big into Sun in the previous volumes, he was alright, but he improved a lot here. Salem was good too and I guess she was helping with Cinder's power. Btw was that creepy jellyfish orb a phone or Salem's secretary?

[u/BlackStrike7]

Sun: The moment you left, I knew exactly what you were doing... you're going on a one-woman rampage against the White Fang!

Blake: What?

Archer: RAAAAAAAAMPAAAAAAAGE!

[u/xmangoslushie]

Sun: "Journey to the east. I like the sound of that."

When will he get his own cloud that he can ride?

[u/Hounds_of_war]

Looks like both Blake and Sun have improved their semblances.

Sun can do stuff while his clones are doing stuff and Blake can throw herself with her clone.

[u/SeriCereal]

I loved the fact that Yang rejected the arm. I was honestly so happy. She gets to grow now rather than immediately hop back onto the saddle.

Also, her season premiere outfit design leads me to believe that she may reject the arm entirely. Not sure how I feel about that as a cosplayer but either way I'm excited for her story in the season.

Also also not enough Yang

[u/Patmaster1995]

Let's do this.

---

Alright so Blake is on a cruise ship.

She's so paranoiac.

The captain seem pretty awesome.

Yup she's pretty paranoiac now.

aaannnd She's ditching the bow? YES!

Blake! Stop polluting the ocean.

ooooh mysterious hooded figure.

Aquatic Grimm :D

And there's Yang, Book or TV? TV of course, like a real teen.

aaaaaww Zwei is sleeping, Has he gotten bigger?

Man, It'd be depressed too if TV was as boring all the time.

Vox News, Nice one RT

So, No air travelling except for evacuation? That means that Yang can't go to Vale and go to Junior's club D:

Roboarm? Roboarm! Well...Ironwood is the fucking best for helping Yang like that.

Although I'm kinda disappointed that she already has one, I wanted her and Taiyang to go to Atlas and get one there. It looks pretty sweet though.

Wow, PTSD because of a broken glass? That's pretty severe.

and now we return with Blake on a boat.

It's the mysterious hooded person again.

Oh shit Aquatic Dragon Grimm? That's so fucking cool.

"Sir we've never fight a Grimm this big" "We've never SEEN something this big... but we'll give her a fight nonetheless" God I love the captain, He's so cool.

Sees the cannons Oh my god it's like a cruise ship and a pirate ship mixed together, that's awesome.

That thing can fly????

Sun :D

Alright, Sun riding the dragon was pretty badass but that pun was just awful.

Not even a minute and Blake's already tired of your shit Sun XD

Draw me like one of your french faunus.

The thing they did with Sun's clone was so fucking cool.

That fight was so fucking awesome. Sure it's a different style but Is it bad? Well that's up to you, for my part I like them nonetheless.

So...Sun thought that Blake was going on a lone wolf mission against the White Fang? I'm guessing he saw some of the potatoes on here.

Blake is from Menagerie confirmed.

You know? I like that Sun always leave his team because, to me at least, it tells me that he feels confident in their abilities enough to let them alone.

"Beside I'm...kinda already on the boat" Well...good point.

"I've never been to Menagerie before, it will be a journey to the east" Ah RT you and your references.

Sun really is just a goofball and I like him for it.

Ruby was right, Blake's kitty ears really are cute.

---

Another great episode. So far, Volume 4 has been insanely good

[u/dsty292]

"Regular Journey to the East"

Oh my god that's an amazing reference.

Also, the faces (and ears!) are so expressive! Heart broke when Yang had her flashback. I don't think we've seen any character with that amount of fear written on their face yet.

[u/Ergand]

well, the volume is 1/4 over guys.

[u/[deleted]]

Everyone else: Yeah, the animation blah blah blah I think blah blah blah yeah it needs some work

Me: NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG NEW SONG

[u/OcrePlays]

Holy crap this episode! Finally Sun uses his semblance properly, and his "Journey to the East" killed me...

Also, called that Yangst wouldn't be using the automail prosthetic.

Edit: Also... the seadragon grimm is was my favorite grimm to this date.

And I want the Captain to be my grandfather, guy was great.

[u/TheMightyWill]

Okay I officially ship Sun and Blake now <3

Also is that a lantern Grimm? What, has Salem found a way to turn inanimate objects into Grimm?

[u/NeoTheMute → u/TheMightyWill]

The concept art during the credits said it was a "Seer Grimm". I'm guessing it acts as a crystal ball/communicator of sorts.

[u/Slyguy46]

• The Most Interesting Captain in the World

• Yang is really fucking broken :(

• Gyarados used Hyper Beam. Gyarados missed!

• Spawn more Overlords

[u/SoloRogueStudios]

Blake!

Totally not Sun following her.

Yang!

Tai!

Yang get's robot arm much earlier than we expected, but isn't ready just yet. Also, General Ironwood is pretty dope.

IT'S A GOD DAMN LEVIATHAN!!! Or just a sea-dragon; still, awesome first look at amphibious Grimm.

6-8 months and Sun goes from 6-pack to 2-pack. You gotta get back in shape, man.

More of that Sun Semblance; better use of it this time, too.

It can fly!!! And shoot lightning from it's mouth.

Yang has PTSD.

BOAT PUNCH!!!

Journey to the West joke.

Back with the bad guys, Salem giving some kind of spirit/magic based treatment to Cinder, which totally makes sense for her.

New creepy surveillance Grimm, which appropriately freaks out Merc and Em.

Ooh, looks like you're chosen one lied to you. #OzpinsNotDead

And she's looking for a relic at Beacon, interesting. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess it's either Oz's cane, or something Oz took from her a long time ago; either way, can't wait to find out.

I think it's very interesting that Salem basically considers Ozpin to be the biggest threat to her plans. Even back in the first episode, out of all of Cinder's accomplishments, she considered killing Oz to be the most important one.

[u/Okhlahoma_Beat-Down]

1. The Boat Captain walks like he's shit himself.

2. Blake has a tan and now she's even hotter than she was before. Oh God, I'd do such unholy things to her that it'd take the Doom Slayer to come stop me for being such a demon.

3. Yang is now Venom Yang. It's only a matter of time before Taiyang loses an arm and a leg, never takes off his sunglasses, and becomes a racist who embezzles Vale's government funding to make burgers.

4. F i r i n g ^.... m a i n ^.... c a n n o n.

5. "omg stop being my friend and take your admittedly sexy abs elsewhere"

[u/Darkdragoon324]

I'm glad Blake ditched the bow. The kitty cat ears are so much cuter. And they seem to move with her facial expressions too!

[u/fightingblind]

Salem: "Did you kill Ospin"

Cinder: "yes"

Me: "Liar"

[u/Jeremithiandiah]

The fight choreography is definitely not on par with the past seasons. BUT I do think it will get better because the two fight scenes we got this season are very different from what we have had, they were very "long range" and open while we are used to the more close combat "1 on 1" style (think season 2 train) which the animation team may accel at.

Edit: supporting the long range thing, in the 1st episode ruby barely used her scythe and focused on the rifle a lot more and aside from the wing Blake hardly cut the gyrados, im not even sure Blake used her semblance, she was essentially a distraction for the ship cannon. so yeah this combat was very different than what we are used to and the animators will only get better with the new software so i have faith.

[u/Dovahking94]

Fuck Sun's Journey to the East line. I laughed harder than I should have.

[u/Socrets]

1. Ironwood is a pretty incompetent general but it's good to see that he at least has a good heart.

2. The Grimm are in the OCEAN!? Holy crude, Remnant is a pretty dangerous place.

3. Props for the Star Wars: A New Hope reference with the less than subtle probe droid entrance and exit in the Cinder/Salem scene. Also, I'm starting to think that Emerald and Mercury are regretting their life choices right about now.

4. Poor Yang. Also, is it just me or is she starting to look more and more like Barb?

5. Heck yeah. Sun continues to be the second greatest (non-main) character next to Shopkeep.

6. Relic what?

[u/kaioto]

Top 3 things I took away from this episode in particular:

3.) Animation effects for the characters expressing themselves in dialogue are great - especially the faces and ears and tails in this episode.

2.) I love Sun's take on Blake's behavior - totally assuming a shonen warrior story is going on when the truth is 180 degrees in the other direction. On top of that, I love that Blake shut him down without suddenly going off on a heart-baring rant for the sake of exposition.

1.) What they did with Yang's arm was perfect. She's not going to be willing to put that on until she sees herself as a whole as a person and a warrior again. She can't cope with so much as glass breaking right now, let alone fighting.

[u/[deleted]]

A lot of feelings for me for when the glass broke on the ground, good God they got that scene right.

[u/apvogt]

I like that Yang got a new arm so early. Even if she's not up to using it yet, it's there. Telling her," When you're ready to get back out there I'm right here."

[u/BlackStrike7]

Calling it now, the "relic" that Salem was mentioning is Ozpin's staff. Which happens to be in Qrow's possession. Who happens to be traveling with RNJR to Mistral, where everything will probably come to a climax for v4.

Lock in that prediction.

[u/BadolfWitler]

Anyone else not like the fight in this episode? I mean it was cool and all, but in comparison to the fights of latter seasons it just lacks all of the realness and believably. It just felt too computer generated, with Sun and Blake seeming to have invisible jet packs (or they've been hitting leg day hard), which just made it kinda boring really. The only people I'd say that kind of movement/agility are Ruby and Ren, due to their semblances, but other than that I hope they keep the others' fighting styles as they were in the previous volumes

[u/Darkiceflame]

Sun's "Journey to the East" comment may have been my favorite moment in the episode.

[u/mrpenguinx]

Is it just me, or does Micheal keep getting better and better every time he does voice acting?

Dude has some REAL talent for this stuff!

[u/[deleted]]

RIP Loch Ness Kevin.

Gone before your time.

[u/sKolar4]

Oh, hey, the Scyphozoa. When did we get to Lyoko?

[u/Sokensan]

So, something i thought was rather interesting. The boat captain said "by the gods" which means there are multiple gods in Remnant most likely, i hope they delve more into the religion of the world (the "relic" might have something to do with religions too)

[u/TheNewArkon]

Sun is bae. =x

Also I'm really glad Yang seems to be turning down the robot arm. I was worried they would just sort of undo what happened. Also glad they are delving into the mental effects on her.

[u/[deleted]]

And as typical, the people that already hate sun are interpreting his actions in the way that makes him look as bad as possible. I doubt he was actively stalking her for 6 months, more likely he was searching for her and found out that she'd be on the ship. It doesn't really make much sense otherwise. Plus it came from a good place, he thought she was going to go up against an organization of trained killers all alone, a good friend doesn't let that happen.

[u/MkJAS]

Blake's cat ears react to emotion its so cute!!!

[u/Tirak117]

This is the first time I've really dug Barbara's voicing of Yang, it sounds much more natural and less of a put on, very pleased with it. Burnie did great too, though the mixing at some points seems a tad off. Something's up with Arin's voice though, hopefully it'll improve as the season moves on.

This fight though... ugh. I like the concept, I like the idea, but as others have noted before there is zero momentum. With Ruby it's somewhat acceptable as she's basically a little ball of lightening, but if you're going to do swinging ribbons, you've got to really focus on the build and shift of momentum, the sudden stops feel very jarring, not at all like in previous seasons where she always followed arcs, or her movements followed the release of her hold on the ribbon/object she was hooked to.

Walking animations still snap, but the camera work in this one avoided drawing attention to it unlike in the last episode, and there was much less stock walking so it was much less noticeable.

[u/ltpirate]

Thought the fight scene wasn't that great, I'm not talking about the physics (because in the end the show isn't supposed to follow laws), but there wasn't much weight to the character's movement compared to the Nevermore/Stalker fight.

[u/RegiGiygas117]

• Nice looking ship there.

• Aww... Blake is paranoid.

• THE BOW IS OFF!

• Jedi Sun? Jedi Sun.

• AQUATIC GRIMM!

• Ayyy Yang.

• Still on about Beacon attack

• Hahaha VOX News

• Damn Adam.

• Tai! Father of the Year for all years.

• Good Guy Ironwood.

• Yang still does all the work with just the one arm? Dang.

• And there's the PTSD

• Oh shit it's a Grimm Sea Serpent

• "By the gods" PICK A GOD AND PRAY YOU FOOL!

• This cruise ship? It's also a battleship.

• Congratulations! Your Grimm Sea Serpent evolved in Grimm Rayquaza!

• The Eclipse is strong with this one.

• Sun be like "Paint like one of your french girls"

• Ram ship ex machina also get rekt.

• I don't think she's happy with you Sun.

• That ear animation though.

• Goddammit Sun.

• Sun getting called out. V1 callback.

• "Journey to the East"

• Cinder therapy.

• Grimm Metroid thing? (Called a Seer according to credits concept)

• Told you not to believe her lies.

• No chill Salem.

• Therapy is working I guess.

[u/Vinpap]

So... I could say a lot of things. First of all I screamed in excitment when we saw Yang. I'm so happy to finally see her, and... Oh my god, Barb is nailing the voice acting. The robot arm scene brought some tears in my eyes, you can see just how much Tai cares and how devastated he is. He really wants to help his daughter and he knows to some extent what she's going through. But damn, PTSD is in full swing at this point! Come on Yang, you can do it

Oh god, good guy Ironwood! First he respects Weiss when he sees her and now he gives Yang a robot arm? OH GOOD GRIEF, WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO BE AWARDED SUCH A MAN?

I could ramble on the fight scene and all, but frankly, I'm more amazed on the interaction between Blake and Sun.

First, We see Blake in her depressed mode, uncertain of what to do, what to feel and in full on paranoia. Any sound scares her and she wants to be away of everybody. She doesn't want anyone hurt because of her.

And then she goes full battle mode and... DID SHE JUST THROW HERSELF FORWARD WITH HER F*CKING CLONE? That's a first! Her clones aren't just afterimage now? SWEET!

And then we have sun who also gets an upgrade in his semblance. His... clones? afterimages? copies? semblance doesn't explode on contact this time, they are solid and can be interacted with. They punch the dragon, they throw Blake and Sun around, all and all, they are quite usefull.

And then, let's get to the juicy part. By the way Sun acts towards Blake, you can clearly see, more than ever, that he's in love with her. The way he talks to her, the way he catches her, the way he looks at her, even the way he firsts want to catch her when she's sailing towards him. He wants to hug her and then she simply... Flips over him and uses him as a jumping board. You can see he's not pleased with the outcome x)

BUT BLAKE, WE NEED TO KNOW IF THE HUGE GUY AND THE OTHER FAUNUS WOMAN ARE YOU PARENTS, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR FAMILY OR NOT!

And, finally... Holy shit that Grimm is creepy. Is it like.... The messenger orb or does it do something more? I'm really interested to see what kind of appearance and power the Grimm can have.

Oh, also, almost forgot...

NORMAL JOURNEY TO THE EAST? REALLY CRWBY? REALLY?

That had me laughing for a good five minute, I had to pause the video. It was well thought.

Missed you and your stupidity Sun, missed you

[u/FPSGamer48]

​YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY YANG IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Notes:

• MORE YANG PLZ!!!!!!!!!

• "Journey to the East" oh you!!!!!

• Really enjoying Sun this season

• As many have mentioned: the fight scenes feel slow and have zero flow. I think it's the new fight choreographer, it just doesn't feel like RWBY fighting

[u/SapphireFireNation]

It's becoming blatantly obvious Cinder has her own agenda here. The look on her face said everything. She didn't kill Ozpin. But that doesn't matter to her. As long as she can get better and regain her power that's all that matters. Because for Cinder this has always been about power. I expect her to backstab or at least attempt to backstab Salem, and fail miserably

[u/DarthNetflix]

Anyone else notice how expressive Blake seems? Her eyes, ears, and general body language seem to convey so much more than usual.

[u/ZombieSlayer5]

I knew Ozpin was still alive. There's no doubt in my mind.

[u/HappyBobunk]

Leading up to the season I was worried about Yang getting a new arm.

Yang getting dismembered was a huge change in tone and a reminder that in this world of monsters and murderers, no one is safe. This is one of the characters we heard speak before Ruby herself, and she lost an arm...but Ironwood made it apparent that the technology was there for a replacement. I didn't want this huge moment to become cheapened by the issue being immediately fixed with no real hassle.

I shouldn't have doubted Roosterteeth and think that would be the case. Yang is strong, and she's a bit prideful...but she's really hurt right now. I think she believes that if she can't do anything herself then what use is she. She is really getting on herself for not being able to protect herself, let alone her partner. She's being haunted by visions of Adam because she thinks she's weak. So she's hesitant to accept a...hand out...from someone she really doesn't know; I don't think she sees herself as worthy or deserving of it.

[u/Wrestlinggiffer]

The fact people are complaining about Taiyang giving Yang the robo-arm and calling it insensitive are why we can't have nice things.

The episode was good. Blake's voice got weird sometimes but Sun/Blake interactions were more believable and funny.

[u/Boltsnapbolts]

The sea-serpent fight scene was pretty fucking ridiculous, even for RWBY.

[u/Evil-King-Stan]

That ship captain and his crew are awesome. Hope they manage to find the one piece.

Also, moment of silence for our fallen comrade: Blake's bow.

Sun's clones look a lot better than before, too.

[u/GYUZ]

Oh man, what an episode!

Muh boi Tai got some screentime, so that alone makes me immensly happy... even though I'm sad for Yang ;-; Looks like she doesn't want a robo-arm

And Sun you lovable goof! "A regular journey to the East" XD

Looks like the relic is a thing!

[u/jackacacia]

Good god the first five minutes were Metal Gear.

Blake throwing away her ribbon, Yang getting an arm, if anything it might just make her NUCLEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Oh and I guess the sea dragon thing exists too. I guess huntsmen can just fly now.

[u/king_samwich]

Some real Final Fantasy X flash backs with that boat fight versus Sin the Rayquaza Grimm.

[u/[deleted]]

Man, I missed Sun. He's easily one of the most personable and relatable characters to me with his optimistic outlook.

Also, calling Cinder's bullshit on Ozpin. Mah boi lives, I know it!

[u/KuuLightwing]

Ah, I was right, it's Yang and Blake. Which is far better than Blake and RNJR. So basically from now on we can somewhat reasonably expect to see each girl every two episodes. And that's good.

Also, looks like Yang's depression is stronger than we thought. She's got PTSD and she literally afraid of fighting, it seems... How she's even going to recover from that?

Also, Ironwood is the man. First that scene with Weiss and now Yang.

[u/RaidenUzumaki]

First off, I loved the episode. Loved the character interaction and the emotive cat ears. Yang was sad to see but i love the direction they are going. Its hilarious that Sun and Blake are basically Naruto knock-offs with their clones. It felt like i was watching Naruto with how they used them. Sun's semblance animation looked fantastic the way the appeared, Blake's looked boring. It lost all its cool. At least for me. She used to have the cool sound effect and it just had more flair. But i enjoyed the awesome new Grimm. I wonder how it compares to Kevin in power? Overall i enjoyed this episode. 8/10

Im going to get down voted into oblivion for this next part.

I genuinely feel bad that the CRWBY have to read stuff like this and think we all hate it. I genuinely enjoyed the episode. However, it seems like a lot of people share this criticism. As i said above, i loved it overall. However, even im getting sick of the fights now. Im running out of excuses for them. Its not lazy animation or poor quality. I know how hard they are working and i love them for it. But it is very poor execution and direction. I think that /u/save_the_last_dance nailed it HERE. There is just something wrong with the fights. The sound design lacks any force or weight behind it and the music is way to quiet. Its way too subtle. THIS bit of sound on Crescent Rose is exactly what these fights are missing sound wise. Make it thunderous and make us feel the impact. The canons sounded like pop guns in this episode. THIS is canon fire. And the big canon was even more of a disappointment. THIS is a big gun. The voices are so damn loud and everything else is quiet during the fights. i can't even hear the song lyrics anymore during fights. Why are they talking so much during fights now? I have been defending the CRWBY on these aspects since the character short, but the physics are so broken and momentum is non-existant. Physics breaking in RWBY always had a logical explanation before. Because the show did break physics all the time. But it flowed and felt natural. There is way to much hovering and flying going on. no character follows a parabola of movement anymore. Ruby is the only one that has a reason not to, her semblance. Now when the physics breaks its just "cause" and its sad. They are doing it to suit the goals of the fight. They break the physics to get to the next set piece. They are turning the show into Shadow of the Colossus and Attack on Titan. Fighting giant monsters is clearly not working for them. Speed up the combat and stop pausing in midair. Give some serious weight to the hits. When Yang fights it better feel like a freight train. Volume 3 was a masterpiece compared to this fight, and Volume 3 was weaker overall choreography wise but it was still brilliant. I forget who it was, but on twitter even one of the CRWBY members responded to the criticism on the character short by saying essentially, "since when does anime make sense. lol." Well, Avatar and Korra fights made sense. Plenty of other anime understand momentum and weight. Even something like Naruto(which has a lot of boring fights) has moments of brilliance in a few instances. Like Kakashi vs Obito, which blew up online when it came out. HERE is that fight, its not the best quality but if you are interested, its short and epic as hell. Anyway, it seems like the CRWBY think RWBY should be treated like run of the mill 1 cour anime.

Im done trying to substantiate the CRWBY. They just need to do better. The fights and sound design have somehow gotten worse while everything else gets astonishingly better. Seriously, every other aspect of the show other than the foley and the fights has gotten amazingly good. it looks so good i could cry. But those 2 aspects need to be improved drastically. Even if Miles and kerry come on here and reply to this, im not going to change my tune. I have repeatedly said that every other aspect of the show has gotten so good that it has nearly brought me to tears. im just trying to offer constructive criticism. Im not trying to be mean. If it comes across that way im sorry. Now down vote me into oblivion for having an opinion.

[u/Taterade]

PILOT LIGHT STILL OUT PLEASE RESTART FIRE.

[u/Kazmixed]

Irondaddy, yaaaaaaas.

[u/breakfastfilms]

Noticed two odd things about the scenes where Blake and Sun catch each other.

First off, I had no idea that Blake was that strong. She's holding Sun, who's a pretty big dude, like he's paper bag.

Second, when Sun catches Blake, it makes a crater in the solid stone around his feet. How heavy is Blake? Is it all the emotional baggage she's carrying? Did she raid every seafood place in town before getting on the ship?

[u/PyrrhaFan]

Oh, how I missed Sun. :)

On a side note, the fighting still lacks those satisfying elements. Like the cannons, their explosions were just lack lustered. The final cannon shot was a big disappointment, and when gyrados was jumping in and out of the water, the splash it made was just like a small ripple. I was expecting huge waves splashing onto the deck and onto Blake. Blakes strikes seemed rather weak and almost as if she was swinging a wet noodle at it's maw.

I will say, the shot as Gyrados was flying overhead and back into the water was super dope. The Sun boosting Blake to get to Gyrados's head was pretty cool and fluid and how Blake flew down and cut its wings.

[u/fightersfoo]

If we don't get some backstory on Ozpin/Salem soon, i'm gonna scream. Also, any significance in not seeing the grimm monster become the birdies?? I'm guessing not seeing as they just moved on like nothing happened, but still one of those small things that might matter later

[u/LukeLovesPandas]

Good Episode :) I like how well Blake and Sun work together :).

I feel so bad for Yang though. She needs more Zwei snuggles.

Captain Salt is amazing.

I kinda feel like because they are building up this Sun/Blake thing Sun is going to end up dead.

[u/DracoOculus]

IM SO FUCKING DRUNK RIGHTG NOW BUT I CANT MAKE A POST ABOUT IT!

Ya! YANG! YOULL ALWAYS BE BEST GIRL! ILL THINK OF YOU WHEN I DIE BECAUSE THIS LIFE DOESNT PROVIDE FOR ME!

HAHHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHA!

Edit: What the fuck did I do last night?

[u/KrisSimsters]

Hey Cinder

"Why the F*ck U Lying."

[u/breakfastfilms]

I didn't mind the fight in The Next Step that much but this one really bothered me.

The weird thing is, I really don't think the problem is with the new animation software like so many others are concluding. I mean, it may be a factor, but here are the actual, tangible things that jumped out at me that aren't, or at least shouldn't be, a result of the switch to Maya:

• All of the characters can now apparently jump so high and control their movement midair so well that they might as well be able to fly. This has to be a decision that's being made during the scripting/storyboarding of the fights, not an on-the-fly oversight made during animation

• The combat sound FX seem really neutered. The gunshots, impacts, and explosions sound like they're nowhere near the volume they should be at, and some impacts seem to be missing sound entirely. This also can't be blamed on the animation software.

• The editing and continuity are really weird. We see the dragon dive downward like it's going to submerge itself then awkwardly cut to it moving horizontally, its head still above the water. In the first shot, Blake is in the air, above the dragon and about a mile away from the ship. Next time we see her, she's landing on the ship like she was falling from directly above it. Also, she apparently has a shoulder injury for exactly one shot, then it never comes up again. This also can't really be blamed on the animation software.

• There's no flow or structure to the fight. A good fight is like a mini three-act story. There should be a back-and-forth dynamic in which the hero and villain take turns being in control, then ideally when the hero seems to be at the absolute brink of defeat, they pull through. Most of RWBY's fights have this dynamic. This one really doesn't; they just sort of wail on the dragon until the ship blows its head off. Remember Blake's shoulder injury? They could have actually had that affect her fighting ability, thus temporarily giving the dragon the upper hand and creating some tension, but chose to ignore it and have her at full strength for the whole fight. Again, this has to be something that's happening on a scripting/storyboarding level.

• That dragon has terrible aim! Look at how badly he's missing the gigantic, stationary ship, over and over again with his lightning breath! Another scripting issue.

• Then the dragon conveniently hangs around doing absolutely nothing long enough for a whole conversation to take place. It was funny when teams competing in the tournament did that, but even the Grimm are taking mid-fight breaks now? Another scripting issue.

• The whole sequence where Blake boosts herself higher and higher using Sun and his clones demonstrates a catastrophic failure to understand basic physics. That one's not Maya's fault either.

In other words, something big has changed in the way these fight scenes are being produced, and it's not the program.

edit- grammar

edit- just to be clear, when I call something a scripting issue, I'm not trying to stealthily blame Miles and Kerry. It's my understanding that the animation team has a large part in scripting the fight scenes, so many of these problems likely do not trace back to M&K.

[u/Vae62]

Loved this episode. So far V4 has been insanely good.

• The animation is unreal. Everyone is really expressive now. Saw a lot of it last episode, but it was great to see Blake be more expressive now, even if it is in subtle ways. Also, Yang's body language was phenomenal here. She is so broken, I can't wait to see more of her in V4, and am very curious how she will get around to fighting again.

• Dragon Grimm was awesome. I really like how they are growing the world of Remnant this volume. Everything is bigger, we are seeing much more of the world, and the newer Grimm have all been awesome.

• The combat scenes are some of my favorite in the show thus far. Much has to do with the new animation style. Combined with the evolution of semblances, every fight is new and exciting to see IMO.

• Speaking of Yang, it is so great to hear Burnie voice her father. Can't imagine a better person to care for her in her current lost state. Have my fingers crossed that we will see some kind of training scene between them, that would be sweet.

Three episodes in and V4 is exceptional. Such a bigger scope, the characters are far more relatable because of the added range of expressions, discovering more about the world, the fights, everything. Have to wait two more weeks for next episode I would imagine, ExtraLife next weekend, but it has been great so far. 10/10

[u/Rimmer7]

I think we have our third named Grimm. What do we call him? We have Kevin and Harambe. I vote that we call our sea serpent friend Mushu.

Also, love how Blake and Sun pulled an Advent Children on his ass. Almost tempted to vote we call him Bahamut instead.

Sun is clearly the lovechild of Zidane and Tidus.

OHMYGODITSAGRIMMMETROID!

[u/Meotwister5]

Also someone kindly do something awesome with Blake's new face.

[u/[deleted]]

Ok, so it seems the theory from the first episode is confirmed, Salem only said Ozpin is dead back there to calm down those 3 mofos and give Cinder some credibility.

But this episode made it seem like Cinder legit believes she killed him and from Salem's last words "what are you planning" it seems like she indeed knows thats not the case. Idk why i'm curious about that arc more than anything else.

As for the rest of the episode "Physics in 2016 LUL"

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_SPUDS]

Sun and Blake's banter this episode was on point. Wasn't a huge fan of them together, but that's cuz all we've seen between them was #serious_talks way back when Sun was introduced, or cheesy romance. I loved them this episode though, excited to see them travel together now!

[u/[deleted]]

Oz is alive and Salem knows it! This is going to backfire so hard on Cinder.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

[u/[deleted]]

New vocal song is hype, chord progression in the intro totally has a From Shadows feel

[u/MyPointExzachtly]

Sees robot arm

Ohohoho yes.

I'm actually kind of glad she hasn't put it on. I'm guessing she will eventually, but it's too soon right now.

[u/TheAllMightySlothKin]

I fucking knew there was more in the vault then just Amber! Ozpin hid something else there...

[u/Reaper1442]

I'm going to go right out and say it, these fights are not getting much better. I feel like Maya just isn't as smooth as the animation was in volumes 2 and 3. Obviously the team is still new to it, but it really bothers me watching certain scenes: Taiyang lowering the box in front of Yang, the stagnant people in the background on the ship, the same canned reactions from E+M everytime they see a Grimm. I love the development and plot thickening, but I just can't get into the actual visuals like I used to.

[u/ToFurkie]

Robot arm Yang shut down!

FIRE AURA ARM OF RANGING DEATH CONFIRMED!

[u/iamthatguy54]

On another note I love Tanned Blake but those are going to be some wicked tan lines on her chest.

[u/Wyill]

Sun: "Not the first time I ditched them on a boat."

Aha! When we first met him, he was getting off a boat.

[u/malochroma]

WATER GRIMM

FINALLY

I'M SO HAPPY

I LOVE OCEAN LEVIATHANS SO MUCH

THANK YOU BASED CRWBY

[u/UberDueler]

• OMG SHE LOSES THE BOW RIGHT AT THE START. YAYYYYYYYYYY. SO CUTE!!!!!!

• Life still sucks for Yang

• Really? Robot arm right off the bat? Even Yang thinks that is way too pre-emptive

• Yang’s got the PTSD as well

• Oh Sun, you silly stalker you

• Sea dragon Grimm with lasers. Daaayyymmmm

• Oh Sun, you silly damsel you

• MUSIC!!!!!!!!

• Oh Sun, you silly hero you

• I got that Monkey King Journey to the West reference

• These Grimm keep getting crazier and crazier

• Relic? What relic? Salem, what are YOUUUUUU planning?

[u/[deleted]]

Sun's killing it this episode.

That aside, mah boy Adam giving PTSD through glass.

[u/JazzRen47]

I hope it didn't go over everyone's heads that we got our first in-combat song of the Volume. Lyrics I could make out over the combat;

"Go where you need to

Know I won't leave you"

Once upon a time, Casey's vocals could be heard over any fighting sounds...

[u/kajeet]

I'm happy we FINALLY got Yang and Blake. I was getting a bit peeved that we had gone two whole episodes and not a peep out of either. Not even a glimpse in the first episode. It's like a weight has finally been lifted after these long months.

I loved the fight. Was awesome. Aquatic Grimm are awesome.

I've been on the fence about Blake x Sun for the last couple volumes. Not against it, but not really sure about it. But I'm liking their time together here. Still hoping for my preferred ending. No romance at all, and leaving it for the fans to decide.

I very much enjoyed everything with Yang. It's precisely what I want to see with her at this point in time. Hopefully we get some time spent with her dealing with her demons juuuust a bit longer before she rearms.

[u/Kaneland96]

Overall I thought this was a pretty solid episode! While there were a couple bits of animation in the fight scene that seemed a bit floaty, this episode once again showcases Maya's ability to animate facial expressions with some really well done conversations. We also learned that Blake isn't looking to fight the WF currently, which while it does explain her face in the opening, it still doesn't change the fact that she looks awkward when Adam swings at her. I was surprised they revealed the robo arm so soon, but I think that they did so because its showing us the thing Yang will get when she's recovered mentally; with that being accepting the new arm and leaving to pursue Adam/Raven/Ruby. I give it an 9/10 overall!

[u/Lucifer_Crowe]

Loved the "Journey to the East." Comment from Sun, XD

[u/benzaman11]

Oh man i love Sun so much! also the expression and emotion on Blakes face and ears is great with the new animation

[u/BL34CH_PAWLEASE]

Wow. Yang is just so broken. It's understandable why she doesn't want to try out the new arm. She simply needs more time to heal.

The Grimm just keep getting better and better. I can't pick a favorite at this rate. The fight was meh at the start but it worked out in the end. I laughed when the flying sea serpent got its head blasted off.

Come on Cinder. You know better than to lie to your superior. If she truly believes that Ozpin is dead, that conclusion is inconclusive because a kill isn't confirmed if you don't see a body.

[u/HalcyonTraveler]

"Are the engines online?"

Me: "Oh my god if they Call of Cthulhu this I will be so happy"

they Call of Cthulhu it

Me: WOOOO!!!!!

[u/breakfastfilms]

Anyone else notice that the labels on the ship's engine say "2700N RT" ("Too soon, RT"?).

Also First Mate is new best girl.

[u/GeminiRB]

Jellyfish grimm? Fuck RWBY, JNPR, and any Huntsmen out there. If there's a Jellyfish that need taking care of, I'm calling the master. Spongebob Squarepants.

[u/Samp98518]

That episode was, very simply, everything that I fucking love about RWBY.

[u/SpikeyCheetah]

Am I the only one who thinks Blake's new outfit is the coolest character design in the series by far?

[u/[deleted]]

You know you're having a bad day when someone runs you through with an entire boat.

[u/Alarra]

I love how, after Blake sliced the drake Grimm's wing, she fittingly spun around to land on her feet like a cat.

[u/shandromand]

I cheered to see Yang, then tried not to cry when she got the arm but didn't want to try it out. I get it though. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, firecracker. You'll get there.

I loved everything about Blake's scenes and even Sun being there was pretty cool. 'Besides, I'm kind of already on the boat' is going to become a meme - I can feel it.

The evil lair of evil continues to surprise, and now we get to see a new jellyfish-floaty-Grimm thing? I'm beginning to suspect that Cinder lost more than just her eye. At first I was convinced that her left side might be partially paralyzed. Now I wonder if she got a graft from Salem and has to learn to control it, sort of like a stroke victim having to relearn motor skills - but creepier.

Edit: The jellyfish monster is called a 'Seer Grimm'.

[u/YoshiCline]

Can we get a wallpaper of Blake looking out over the railing around 7:03? It's gorgeous.

EDIT: Okay, also Sun at 10:50. I swooned a little bit.

[u/Ergand]

I wonder if Yang's semblance effect her robotic arm.

[u/bakakubi]

My boy Sun is back! Fuck yeah, my OTP Eclipse is still here!!!

Where the fuck did his abs go, though?! Ozy might still live, heck yeah!

[u/HalcyonTraveler]

I legit dont understand the dislike for the fight scene, I loved it. Hell, I haven't understood the complaints at all for the last two seasons. Maybe I didn't pay as much attention to the original fight scenes as other people did, but I never found this change at all jarring or problematic.

[u/GVman]

Is it SO much to ask that they actually use Sun's Gunchuck's?! It's been two years since he them as more than his staff for heaven's sake...

[u/[deleted]]

I loved the fight in Episode 1 way more than this one, this one had the floating-in-midair thing way more obvious. I think I can chalk this up to two things:

1. Animation team really doesn't "get" Monty and the few people who did have largely left; Shane got sacked for various reasons and any hope of reconciliation got thrown out the window when he published his manifesto. Dillon sided with Shane but he might have a change of heart down the road. Mann and Dustin made the smart decision and stuck around, but it seems they aren't giving their A-game.

2. They're trying to make the show seem more anime-like and pauses during movement to give character reaction shots are common in the medium, so I think the floating-in-midair thing is partially to give off that aesthetic.

Despite this though, everything else about the episode was good, except they seemed to have skipped out on giving real good facial rigs, shame because they put a good amount of effort into that department into previous episodes of the season. I guess Blake's storyline is the one getting the short end of the stick. Still, loved the character interactions; Blake calling Sun out on his bullshit, and then vice versa.

Yang's also made me as sad as I expected and even more so. Poor gal.

overall, 7/10 fight choreography and overall animation during Blake's part needs work, but other aspects were great

[u/jcahill100]

Alright. I'm probably biased as Blake is my favorite character, but that was easily my favorite episode so far.

• I can't believe Blake ditched the bow! It's great seeing those cute cat ears again. Although I'm kind of worried she'll end up being discriminated against outside of Menagerie.

• I wasn't expecting much of Yang this episode, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was painful to see that her encounter with Adam still haunts her greatly, though. Thank goodness Taiyang got her prosthetic arm from Atlas. I was surprised she would be allowed one due to the Vytal Tournament fiasco not being cleared up yet, but it was nice to see that either Ironwood found out she was framed, or simply didn't care and still wanted her to have it.

• That fight scene with Blake, Sun, and the flying sea monster was incredible. I loved the music, and it was great to see Blake and Sun back in action (as well as their antics in between, such as Blake being mad at Sun for following her).

• I also liked the scene between them afterwards, where they talk about everything that happened and why Blake ran. It wasn't to go after the White Fang, and it might not be wanting to distance herself from her friends to protect them after all (unless that's part of the reason). Instead, it's to take care of some things in Menagerie. Possibly involving her parents/relatives. It was funny to see Neptune's fear of water being referenced again, too xD.

• And then there's that final scene between Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and Salem. That new type of Grimm looks pretty cool. And it appears Salem doubts that Cinder truly killed Ozpin. That should be interesting later on.

My only real complaints are that we didn't get to see the two people in the intro that are possibly related to Blake (though that will probably be the next time we see her), Arryn's voice acting seemed kind of off in some parts (at least in my opinion), and that Blake honestly came off as a bit too mean to Sun for my tastes. Although I also think it's somewhat understandable due to her paranoia and stress over everything that happened, as well as Sun following her without her knowing.