RWBY v04e08: Of Exposition and Fatalities?

(Lechería, January 2nd. Yakuza Webzine).- I have mixed feelings regarding this episode of RWBY. We finally got some needed explanations, but there is a death flag waving strongly and I really don’t like that.

Qrow finally revealed Ruby and the others everything about Salem’s complot, including all the things related to the Maidens. So it is normal that the kids are reluctant to accept all of it, specially Jaune. As they said, it was a lot to take in.

Now, the important things for us came just right after (let’s face it, we already knew the first part) Qrow revealed the origins of the relics, and now we know why Salem is after them. However, I have to say that the background story was entirely a cliché.

It is true that in these cases there are only a few options to choose, but at the end it was the same old story about good vs evil. I don’t know, maybe I was expecting a story with some complex morality in it, but I didn’t really like the explanation.

The second important thing was that Qrow revealed some facts regarding his semblance. He didn’t transform into a crow, though, but he pointed out that his power brings misfortune to the people around him. Of all the exposition of this episode, this little fact was the one that really got me intrigued.

Not to mention that we saw another crow and I couldn’t help thinking it was Raven. Is the “Mom of the year” following the group? It is clear that Qrow’s sister is going to play an important role in the future, but if she is really following her brother and the others, that brings a lot of questions to me.

Things were set in motion back in Menagerie

Since this episode was an exposition one, it was expected to have some revelations about Blake and her family. Now we know more about the reasons she had to be afraid of meeting her parents.

The girl still believed in the White Fang even after her parents left the group (Kali and Ghira were already aware that something was fishy with it), which has some logic considering she was very young and very immature. That is why I liked a lot Ghira’s attitude towards that, and above all, his words to his daughter were just great. Including his comments regarding her clothes.

By the way, there were some small issues with the animation in that scene. It didn’t feel as fluid as it should be.

Back with the plot, it was a shame that Sun interrupted the moment because it was really promising. However, he had good reasons to do it, and unfortunately, Blake is still showing strong signs of her immaturity.

The good thing is that Sun is as stubborn as Blake. Every time I watch them, I feel he is the anchor she needs. I wish she soon realizes that she needs to listen to the people around her. I don’t know if Blacksun will become canon (I would like that), but at least I would like to see her trusting him more. I know that it will do a lot of good to her.

Now we will have to wait to see what is going to happen with them. After that final scene with the White Fang’s spy, I can’t stop thinking that the sequence is going to end in a trap with Adam capturing Blake as a bonus. Let’s see if Sun finally shows what he has, it is a fact that the guy has not been very helpful in battle so far.

A Death Flag that doesn’t stop waving

Let’s face it, we all knew this, so in a way it wasn’t surprising. In fact, the surprise was that it took so long to happen. Due to the venom, Qrow’s wound was more serious than they thought… and I can’t help to see him dead.

The guys are in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t know how close they are of a medical facility. Not to mention that Qrow’s vitals are dropping quickly. Is at this point that I feel that Raven could start playing a major role in the story. If she was indeed the crow his brother saw the night before, she could step in and help. But, will she? She has some interest in him (he knows the whereabouts of Beacon’s relic, and she knows that he knows), so I wouldn’t surprise me if she helps Qrow.

Besides, that would speed up the confrontation between Raven and Team RNJR because what happened back in Shion. Not to mention Nora and Ren’s past. Anyway, this episode slowed things down a little, but despite of that it was a very good one, and right now we are asking for more. Let’s see if there is going to be a new episode next Saturday. See you in my next review.

By Shougo Amakusa (@shougoamakusa)
If you want to watch the show you can do it in the official website.