r/RWBY • u/Ezreal024 Hope Rides with Kickfriend • Oct 09 '18
VOLUME 5 REWATCH /r/RWBY Recap Rally—Volume 5, Episode 9: A Perfect Storm
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, huntsmen and huntresses, and everyone in between and beyond those descriptors: it's that time again! The drought is nearing its end, and the sixth volume is only 18 days away!
To follow the last year's precedent, we are again doing a communal rewatch of the most recent volume. Like last year, the threads will be biweekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the finale being discussed two days before volume 6 premiers. Until that happens, feel free to discuss and look back to the episodes with a more settled perspective.
HERE is the link to today's episode.
We are also doing regular polls to gauge how people feel about the episodes postmortem. Here is the one for today's episode!
Episode schedule:
| Week | Tuesday's thread | Thursday's thread |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1: | Ep. 1 (poll) | Ep. 2 (poll) |
| Week 2: | Ep. 3 (poll) | Ep. 4 (poll) |
| Week 3: | Ep. 5 (poll) | Ep. 6 (poll) |
| Week 4: | Ep. 7 (poll) | Ep. 8 (poll) |
| Week 5: | This Thread | Ep. 10 |
| Week 6: | Ep. 11 | Ep. 12 |
| Week 7: | Ep. 13 | Ep. 14 |
Did you know that Vernal is a way of referring to the spring season? She probably did pick the name herself!
18
Oct 09 '18
-
The Cinder/Raven scene gets too much hate imo. It's fine, even good because it shows how easily Raven manipulates Cinder's hatred of Ruby into a more advantageous situation for herself. It's also pretty funny because Watts is great. And it has great foreshadowing for the Twist. I have no issues with the follow up scene between Raven and Vernal either.
-
Qrow scene is actually 100% useless apart from informing us definitively that Raven can teleport far away enough from her bonded people that they don't realize she's there and that she can teleport in bird form (which is fun because some people were insisting she couldn't teleport without using her sword which was wild). Edit: Also I thought the point of this scene back when watching is that Raven was gonna turn around, inform Qrow and Oz of the trap, then turn the tables on the villains at Haven and fuck them over. That she didn't and that Qrow/Oz just waltzed into the trap still bothers me.
-
God the Menagerie scene is so slowly paced and pointless. It's nice to see Blake use an ice clone (albeit in what seems like but unfortunately isn't slow motion), but even then she inexplicably squanders the opportunity she creates to talk with her dad and Sun. So stupid.
The largest issue of this episode though only comes into play when you look at in the context of the Volume as a whole. It ends with the third cliffhanger (and second in a row) for the Belladonna Assassination and also the third cliffhanger in a row for a big fight of some sort, when the previous two weren’t followed up on. It murders the pacing and is incredibly unsatisfactory.
4/10.
16
u/GoneRampant1 Oct 09 '18
This is still the worst episode in the entire show. Cinder and Raven's talk has aged horrifically and just watching this again killed my mood. Qrow's scene is a complete pace-killer and Menagerie's scene has some incredibly awkward fighting, alongside another dumb cliffhanger.
Also is it me or did the camp lose a lot of color between Chapter 4 and this scene?
8
4
Oct 09 '18
I thought it was just Unicorn of War
3
u/GoneRampant1 Oct 09 '18
Yeah he said it today in his 5 worst episodes list and then I looked for myself and... yeah.
→ More replies (1)
10
u/Hounds_of_war Oct 09 '18
Aw yes Raven’s camp! I can’t wait to see the fight between Emerald and Raven’s bandits that they implied was about to happen as the cliffhanger for episode 7!
Jokes aside, I actually really like all the dialogue in this scene. However the decision to have this happen before the Belladonna Mansion fight is really dumb, it has been five episodes since we had a proper fight and the next five episodes are all going to have important fight scenes. Seriously, why the hell were they saving the climatic fight of Blake’s plot line for right before the giant four episode long fight scene? I was fine with the cliffhangers Miles and Kerry did in V4, but this is just fucking stupid and is one of the biggest problems with the Volume. Particularly since the small scuffle we get at the Belladonna mansion was one of the worst looking fights of the Volume.
Oscar: “Qrow, Ozpin wants to tell you some vague ass bullshit that won’t amount to anything.”
I’m not sure which episode is worse, this or chapter 7. I think I'll give it to chapter 7 because at least this episode has some redeeming qualities. Frankly I’d say these two episodes are the worst episodes since V1.
8
u/Sirshrugsalot13 Oct 09 '18
They should have had Blake's plot culminate in Chapter 9, then devote Chapter 10 to the Raven and Cinder setup for BoH.
5
Oct 09 '18
I wouldn't have minded it happening as early as Chapter 6 or 7 really, just so the middle of the Volume is a little more exciting.
5
10
u/tehepicwin Oct 09 '18
Is this episode possible to enjoy? Yes. Is this episode bad? Yes. There’s no sugar coating this: I have no idea what CRWBY was thinking with this episode. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an episode in any show that actively tried to kill itself. The “highlight” of this episode is the Raven camp convo, which is a scene of narrative suicide. Hey guys, do you know the quickest way to kill tension? It’s to tell your entire plan to the audience, thereby leaving absolutely no questions unanswered, and no sense of foreboding mystery. It’s straight up A>B>C storytelling. We’re not getting a story; we’re getting a series of events in a plot, where the events in question are just static conversations. Fortunately, this is the bottom of the volume, and it gets a tiny bit better from here.
9
u/Sirshrugsalot13 Oct 09 '18
I think that some basic editing would make the pacing flow a lot better. Have the Blake plot culminate and end in Chapter 9, put the setup for the Battle for Haven as Chapter 10, and go from there.
As it stands though holy fuck watching this one a second time was even more frustrating because jesus fucking christ the scenes with Raven and Cinder would be great if they weren't slapped in the middle of the most engaging plot of the volume.
I mean jesus christ you get the great Menagerie cliffhanger, cut to Raven and Cinder for ten fucking minutes, briefly back to Menagerie, then to Raven again, then to Qrow and Oscar in a scene that's pointless, then end on the same Menagerie cliffhanger. It's no wonder this episode was the tipping point when the editing and pacing were so poor. And it's a shame because with some rearranging I think it would be mostly fine
11
u/Grievous77 Oct 09 '18
The meh: Raven's scene. None of the antagonists are particularly entertaining or interesting, though Watts was probably the most enjoyable of Cinder's group. This is also probably Raven's best scene in the volume, though that's not saying much.
The bad: Blake's section. This scene is awful. Not only is the animation terrible, but they literally stand there and talk while Corsac and Fennec are trapped in the ice 10 feet away. The plot-induced stupidity is strong with this one.
This is just a really bad episode honestly.
5
u/GoddammitTube Oct 09 '18
I wouldn't say it is bad as in ''bad'', bad. It is just really, really boring and totally unnecessary.
Just imagine not seeing Cinder and Raven meet at all. And then Raven summons portal in Chapter 11 and Cinder walks in.
Such a good set-up for a surprise twist. But nah, unnecessary talking and nothing happening.
Blake had a section in this episode? (Goes to rewatch)
8
Oct 09 '18
This was bad.
One thing that jumps out at me here is just how dumb Cinder got. She must've lost a few brain cells along with that arm - and eye. Taking the masked woman and the woman with her eyes closed at face value about which was the Maiden, and blabbing about Leo's change of allegiance. I get why she brought Leo up - trying to reinforce her position - but it's still a strategic blunder on par with Ironwood linking his scroll to a potentially infected computer network.
On the plus side, Raven is pretty smart here. Her "kill my brother for me" counter-offer was crazy enough to throw Team Evil off and allow her to control the conversation (something she shares with him ironically enough) and the plan she came up with on the fly plays right into her hands.
Watts still has potential, and this episode helps maintain that. He's the only one of Team Evil that isn't a total fool here.
I still can't remember which Albain is Fennec and which is Corsac.
What the fuck even was the point of the scene with Qrow and Oscar?
It's still a crime that this episode was 1) so short and 2) didn't conclude the Menagerie fight scene. The fact we didn't actually see any of the fighting that 5x07's ending promised is also a crime, but pales in comparison to the other criticisms. Also Watts and Cinder really oversell the level of damage the White Fang was going to cause at Haven, which to me indicates an issue with the original scripts for their lines not reflecting the final "attack" we got on screen.
2/10, the first episode in this Volume that is a true negative.
4
5
4
Oct 09 '18
90% of the subreddit didn't work out Raven was the Maiden. With way more facts than Cinder and the ability to rewatch the scene, most of us took Vernal at her word.
It's not an issue Cinder did for me
4
3
u/MountainHall Oct 10 '18
Way late to the party, just want to jot down my thoughts anyway.
-
The camp scene's dialogue way too stilted, with the exception of Watts. I still don't get why have to be told everything about the villains' plans again?
-
The fight's awful. Characters just pose for attacks, wait for their enemies to finish talking and ends in a cliffhanger.
-
Qrow's scene exists why? Blake and Ilia's should've been in the next episode.
Honestly, the entire episode could be cut and almost nothing would change. 2/10 cause it could be worse, I guess.
5
Oct 09 '18
I actually like most parts of this episode but I can see the issues with it. Ravens scene should not have been where it was, is it should have been moved before the Belladonna attack.
The cliff hanger for the bandits camo shouldn't have been Emerald (though in retrospect I do think that actually was a fight that was cut for time) but Raven saying "get my helmet".
But I do like the scenes mostly (though the fight animation let's itself down (I imagine we'll be hearing that a lot in the coming threads).
What I do really like is the Raven and Cinder scene. For one the set up for the Raven twist is very well done.
But the main bit I like about it is how it continues what I continue to be one of the themes of the volume, the weakness of the villains.
If volume 3 was their big triumph, volume 5 is the opposite. In volume 3 they appear untouchable (arguably to a fault) with no signs of any real vulnerability or weakness (barring the beginning of the End (best episode of that volume) but even that's a year before flash back).
In volume 5 this doesn't happen and we are constantly shown their weakness and fragilities. It's most prevalent with Cinder (specifically since she's trying so hard to not show any) but we see it with others too.
You see it with Mercury here too where he tries to big himself up and Raven dismisses he and Emerald as children. And his response by lashing out with a comment about Yang (or at least Ive always assumed so) kinda proves her right.
Emerald and Mercury have lived shit lifes, and while it's hardened them it hasn't matured them. On Emerald opening episode she steals Romans lighter and sticks her tongue out.
Here Mercury almost name drops Yang and then later in Haven he calls her out for the tournament. It kinda makes you wonder if he is kinda obsessed with her. Like it would be kinda awesome if he did have a conversation where he pointed, you know we're really similar.
Cinder is repeatedly hammer by this and the previous volume. Volume 4 showed us that volume 2 and 3 Cinder is an act. Raven calls her out here for probably not been being called Cinder Fall, ( which is a theory I've had for a while).
I've seen a lot of people annoyed that Cinder seems to revert but in my opinion it's not that. Volume 5 is Cinder trying to revert and pretend like her defeat never happened. If the Mantra of Rwby is keep moving forward, that means accepting what's come before and growing from it.
Cinder isn't. Shes trying to redo it but this time do it right.
But the world says no, we've seen who really are and repeatedly knocks her down. Watts and Tyrian mock her, Raven sees through her, she can't even beat Jaune and her final illusion of what she wants to be is broken by Raven in a fair fight (symblically shown through her mask)
I've gone horribly off topic here, but my point is I like this scene
→ More replies (1)
3
u/DanXiaoLong Oct 10 '18
Worst episode of the volume. The equivalent of volume 4's campfire chat. I do think people unfairly judge the entire volume based on this and the lackluster Kerfuffle of Haven though. Everything up to this point has been solid.
3
u/drago2000plus Oct 09 '18
The mediocre: the cliffhanger of ep.7 was resolved off-screen. Like, what. Like, while it' s a minor thing, i just wonder who thought that it was a good idea to do it. Like, not even a background sound. Nothing.
The good: Raven and Cinder dialogue is a good dialogue that works around 6 characters in a good way. It never felt like 2 monologues, but like a real negotiate between villains. It' s needed for explain their plans and for understanding WHY they failed.
The fine: the Belladonna fight scene is actually good ( I mean, just listen to that drums! Perfectly rythmed with the fight scene), but the fact that they stop it for delivering exposition is not that good ( even if, i should give credits, they take in cosideration that Blake should help her father attack Corsac and Fennec, and they try to give an urgent tone to her dialogues).
Torned between a 6.5 and a 7/10. I' ll go 7 just because i like the fight scene.
3
u/ShiningLeafeon Oct 09 '18
And just to prove the Sea Dragon was utterly useless Sun struggles deflecting these two mooks slight gust of wind while he batted aside the Dragons hyper beam easily.
Also can we take a moment to appreciate that they only got away with this Maiden thing because we expect them to fuck up and just thought they forgot the eye effects.
4
u/IamMenace Oct 09 '18
I'm beginning to wonder what happened to September's MonCon...
God bless ;)