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Volume 4 Final Thoughts | Table of Contents | Volume 5, Episodes 2 and 3
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So, as mentioned in the ToC, character shorts preceded this volume of RWBY as they did for Volume 4. However, this time there were three of them, spaced out to create even more hype. They start with Weiss, then is Blake, and then is Yang.

The major issue with these shorts, of course, is that two of them take place before Volume One, and have very little if anything to do with Volume Five. There is no real difference between what Weiss does in the upcoming sequence than if it had been released four years prior.

Let’s get into it now.

Volume 5 Weiss Short

We open on Casey Lee Williams’ voice and piano notes, over shots of blooming roses covered in ice and the shattered moon. Panning down, we find Weiss in a courtyard of sorts, a plaza with statuary and trimmed bushes. She, wearing her Volume One outfit and unaffected by the snowfall, is just doing up her hair, before she looks wistfully towards the camera. She holds Myrtenaster at the ready, spinning the chamber.

She takes her place at the center of the court, and a storm of snow and ice whirls around her, a funnel of white out of which danger takes shape and encroaches.

The wolves of ice attack, and Weiss makes to defend herself.

She spears the first one straight through the throat, and as the rest rush her, Weiss leaps high as “The Path to Isolation” kicks into high gear. She careens off of a glyph, darting downward to spear another wolf through the face, and bounces off of that to land at the far end of the courtyard. Selecting the fire dust chamber, she charges her sword, running a finger along it all badass-like, and sends out a huge wave of flame that disintegrates the rest of the first troop of wolves.

We’re shown the heat from her attack thawing the layer of ice that coats the whole arena. Weiss stands in self-satisfaction, smiling, but the blizzard starts up again, and more wolves are coming. Initially surprised, Weiss takes a steadying breath and readies Myrtenaster once more.

She leaps off a glowing black glyph, and attacks!

Her movements are those of a dancer, grace and confidence as she stabs and slices with her rapier, the wolves standing not a single chance against her as she darts and whirls as though it’s more ballet than battle. Her confidence is such that she even hurls her rapier from her hand and lands it through a wolf’s heart, weapon reclaimed just as quickly. As another group converge on her, Weiss points the blade downward and casts a wave of ice outward, cold spikes impaling her enemies in a wide radius.

The blizzard rages still. The snow, itself, seems to take action against her.

Waves of ice are fired from the blizzard across the court, stumbling Weiss and continuing until Myrtenaster is knocked out of her hand. Weiss, rather than reclaim her weapon, just holds her head as if wondering why she drank so much last night.

Your Fight Scene Sucks: 56

*holding his own head* So hungover is Weiss that she’s caught off-guard by the next wolf, which tackles her to the ground.

Threatening Enemies: 13

Pinned down, Weiss seems less scared than apprehensive, looking offscreen at something we can’t see. The rest of the wolves pounce, though, and it looks like the end.

W: Winter!

The wolves all dissolve as one, and the funnel of snow and ice dissipates, leaving Weiss looking foolish on the ground.

Weiss sheepishly picks herself up, and Myrtenaster is thrown to her feet, point embedded in the ground. The clacking of heels approaches, and the camera pans up to Winter’s face, which quickly expresses disappointment with a sigh and a reproach.

Wn: I’m not always going to be around to save you, Weiss.

Weiss is ashamed, and apologizes, promising to get better. Winter just solemnly tells her that she has to, if she ever wants to leave. Winter strides away, leaving Weiss to her own disappointment in herself as the notes of “Mirror Mirror” start to play.

So, yeah, this was Weiss’ training for when she left for Beacon.

Love to Be a Part of It Someday: 32

Rooster Tease: 13

Those are for Winter, who has been reduced to trailer appearances and will not have any further appearances in the volume this trailer is ostensibly attached to. Speaking of which, how exactly does this relate to Volume Five?

Oh. Because this is what Weiss is thinking about on her way out of Atlas in that cargo airship. Yep, checks out completely.

Rooster Tease: 14

And then it’s over. That’s the whole trailer.

Nice enough fight scene, I guess, up until Weiss got stage fright and forgot her part.

So, Blake next?

Volume 5 Blake Short

We open up on one of the crowded marketplace streets of Menagerie. We see Blake, strolling through, taking a look at some vendor’s items. A row of bananas hangs from a ceiling in the background.

B: Can I ask you something?

We’ve cut to a nighttime scene, and judging by the location and the outfit Blake is wearing, this is some time in her past as a member of the White Fang’s Vale faction, based in Forever Fall Forest. Sitting nearby is Ilia Amitola.

Blake, who isn’t wearing her bow, hesitantly asks why Ilia joined the White Fang.

I: …Same…reason as you.

B: Why, why—?

I: Why fight, when I pass for human?

Some of you (hopefully all of you) will be aware of the term “white-passing”, and now Rooster Teeth are as well. We’re seeing now that they’re trying to deepen the racial allegory and make it more in line with real-life civil rights and social equality issues. That's a train headed for a very big brick wall.

Blake, caught, looks down at Ilia, who smiles up at her with deep blue eyes. In the present day, we hear Ilia’s response as Sun strides up behind Blake, putting a hand on her shoulder as if to warn her to be cautious, eyes narrowed at something offscreen.

I: It’s okay. You’re not the first person to ask.

Blake and Sun have their eyes on a faunus looking to purchase some kind of switchblade, and Blake gets out her scroll.

I: I know I look just like any other human girl. And for years, that’s how I was raised. We lived in Mantle with the other faunus working the mines.

Blake pulls up a picture of a faunus mugshot, and it seems to match the man they’re now watching openly by weapons. Sun nods at her and walks slowly towards the man, with Blake following.

I: But my parents wanted something better for me. They enrolled me in an Atlas prep school. [chuckle] Imagine that. Little faunus girl from Mantle going to the city of dreams.

Blake approaches the faunus man, who has a pistol holstered in his, erm, pants. Good way to shoot your dick off, there, bud. He pays his lien for the blade and makes to leave.

I: I felt like a princess. But, I had to follow a set of rules.

The faunus man notices Blake and Sun walking towards him, Blake with her hand drifting to Gambol Shroud. He draws his pistol and fires. Blake blocks the bullets, while Sun just adopts a bullet-unfriendly pose, I guess. Then the man takes off, and they follow.

I: No bringing friends home, no talking about my parents, and absolutely, under no circumstances, was I allowed to change colors. No one could know I was a faunus.

B: …That sounds terrible.

I: …It wasn’t.

In the present day, Sun and Blake chase after the faunus man, seemingly a member of the White Fang, as Ilia’s voiceover continues. She describes that it was confusing at first, but hardly difficult, and it let her live safely in Atlas. She describes the way other girls would occasionally talk about the faunus, in much the same terms we’ve already heard—see Weiss’ Volume One racism. And Ilia, of course, would say those things too.

I: Because I felt like I was one of them.

The faunus man gets out his new switchblade as he runs up a hill and, passing a wagon with someone underneath it performing maintenance, cuts the cord attaching the trailer full of boxes so that they start rolling downhill towards Sun and Blake.

Ilia recalls the day when there was a cave-in at the mines where her parents worked, while “From Shadows” plays as a violin piece. She was at school when the news broke, she says. Tears fill Ilia’s eyes as she remembers hearing about the mine accident, and her face grows angry as she remembers her “friends” hearing this news and finding it funny.

In the present day, Sun produces two clones to assist him in stopping the cargo trailer short, preventing it from plowing into any civilians. Blake embeds her kusarigama in one of the boxes and uses it to swing into the alley the White Fang goon fled into, then wrapping Gambol Shroud around his ankle to trip him up. But something staggers Blake, and she stumbles backward.

Ilia’s voiceover continues.

I: I lost control. Every inch of me turned blue as I wept, and suddenly, all the girls that I’d laughed and played with…were scared of me.

B: I’m sorry…

Ilia’s whole body turns red and yellow as she stands up, hands balled into fists.

I: Don’t be. I broke their teeth.

Standing in the same pose in the present day is Ilia herself, White Fang mask covering her eyes and lightning whip in hand.

She aims at Blake, but hesitates, and then aims at a winch up above that’s holding up more construction materials. A pistol fires from the whip’s handle, and the materials fall down, missing Blake but blocking the path and Ilia’s escape as she and the faunus man flee on the rooftops.

Sun catches up, and asks what happened, and Blake says the man got away, without revealing Ilia’s incursion. Turning and walking away, Blake apologizes with a dismayed look on her face. Sun turns to examine the mess from the snapped winch wire with narrowed eyes before following her back. Up on the rooftop, Ilia pokes her head back out long enough to watch Sun and Blake leaving empty-handed.

The trailer ends.

So, with this trailer finally connecting to Volume Five, it is nonetheless not flawless. Ilia describes her backstory, and properly introduces the concept of “human-passing” faunus. Now, can anybody guess what my problem is with this revelation? With this interaction between Blake and a “human-passing faunus”?

RSVP: 32

Yeah, it’s what you’re thinking of.

BLAKE FUCKING BELLADONNA PASSES FOR HUMAN!!!

I have been pointing this out since Volume One!!! Blake is effectively human-passing!

We are not gonna get into the logistics of people passing for white in real life, because I like a nice clean comment section where people don’t tempt arguments and fights. But the fact remains that Rooster Teeth are making an effectively null comparison between Blake and Ilia when Blake can hide perfectly from any and all racism she’d otherwise experience purely by wearing a bow!

Hell, the big “reveal” of Volume One hinged on neither the cast nor the audience realizing Blake was a faunus, and maybe they wouldn’t have if they hadn’t had Blake’s bow twitch like cat ears every ten seconds.

And yet, she remains the focal point of the racial allegory of the story, while Sun—who, it bears repeating for the third time, literally cannot hide his faunus morphology in any efficient manner—just continues to dismiss the White Fang as icky terrorists, with his own experiences with racism completely unmentioned.

I hate this story!!!

Volume Five Yang Short

Over a black screen, we hear the purr of a running motorcycle in motion. When we open properly, we’re on Patch, and Yang is fighting…Ruby?

Ruby falls to the ground, groaning out an “owwwww”, and Yang says that Ruby totally could’ve dodged that. Yang helps her up, and Ruby complains that she’s just not cut out for hand-to-hand combat. She’d rather just rely on Crescent Rose, she says.

Yang says she (Yang) will be leaving for Beacon soon, and wants to make sure Ruby will be alright, hence the boxing training.

They go at it, and just as Yang trips up Ruby and is about to deck her right in the face, Ruby speeds off with her semblance, vanishing into the woods.

Threatening Enemies: 14 (+2)

That point isn’t for just now, but how it retroactively makes Ruby look like a dumbass. Yang is right, Ruby can dodge pretty much anything she wants. How many times has she failed to use her semblance in a fight? Tyrian and the Nuckelavee both get a point for Ruby’s complete failure to abuse her semblance to whoop their asses.

Band-Aid Brigade: 5

That point is for what’s going on with this scene. Because this? This is a response to fan complaints. A very, very late response.

What it’s supposed to do is link this trailer back to prior volumes in which Ruby was relatively helpless without her scythe, particularly Volume 2’s “Mountain Glenn” and Volume 3’s “PvP”. The problem is, Ruby not knowing how to fight was only half of the problem.

Volume Two’s scene of Ruby literally getting knocked unconscious by a factory-issue White Fang mook in one blow ran in complete violation of Ruby’s established ass-kicking track record, and even in cases where she had her scythe on hand, she had never relied exclusively on it—in the first episode of the series, she kicks a mook through a dust shop window unaided. But even then, what Miles and Kerry have failed to understand is that fans weren't upset about Ruby not knowing hand-to-hand combat, for some reason. They were mad that she was effectively rendered irrelevant if her scythe wasn't in her hands.

We asked the question of why Ruby wouldn’t be able to easily handle those mooks in Mountain Glenn, and if she couldn’t, why she didn’t simply run rings around them with her semblance instead. Ruby does exactly that in her confrontation with Mercury in “PvP”.

But this scene is so very late with regards to patching old wounds and attempting to explain why Ruby becomes dead weight without her baby, Crescent Rose, that it’s effectively unnecessary. You know why? I told you to remember it, a whole volume and spare change ago.

This moment right here, when Ruby faces off against Torchwick, involves her parted with her scythe, and still totally willing and able to go toe-to-toe with enemies. She does, in fact, think to use her semblance in a smart manner, zipping back and forth to deter firework shots at her. Yeah, it doesn’t work, but it shows well enough that Ruby doesn’t have to have her scythe, and judging by her actions there, she was totally just gonna whale on him with hand-to-hand. Seconds later, she kicked a Gryphon Grimm into a total face fault with just her reflexes and her legs. So this is an issue that was already corrected.

After that, and a whole Volume Four of Ruby not showcasing that frustrating helplessness (at least as far as being parted from her scythe; she does still forget she can use her semblance when Tyrian is involved), this wasn’t really a question fans needed answered, they just needed the problem to not recur.

But at any rate, Yang calls out for Ruby to rejoin her in sparring, but Ruby doesn’t answer, and it isn’t Ruby that comes bursting out of the woods—it’s a Grimm.

An Ursa comes barreling out of the woods at Yang, and Yang engages as a guitar-laden, typically gung-ho Yang track that I don’t remember starts playing. What’s this one again? Uhh, “Ignite”?

Yang engages the Ursa, and the fact that she doesn’t immediately kill this thing in three punches, maximum, is getting points:

Your Fight Scene Sucks: 57

Threatening Enemies: 15

This is not like the Beringel—this is an Ursa. Not even an Ursa Major, or other variety of especially large and threatening ursine Grimm morph. Just a garden-variety Ursa, which Yang casually handled two of on her first day at Beacon, which can’t be more than a couple weeks away judging by what Yang said earlier. Yet, we’re going to have this extended fight scene.

Yang is batted away when her first few punches have no effect, and she tries firing two homing shots that burst into flames against the Ursa, which again are ineffective but do make me wonder why we haven’t seen this sort of ammo from Ember Celica before.

The Ursa comes at her, and Yang blocks, struggling to hold its paw back before smacking it in the face. Batted away again, she shoots her shotgun bracers and slides underneath the Ursa, pelting it with more shotgun shells.

She continues, dodging and blocking and trying so hard to beat the Ursa down, but it just doesn’t give. It smacks her away, digging a ditch through the nearby trees and taking Yang out of the fight, it seems.

Elsewhere, Ruby Rose is waking up, having been unconscious for who knows what reason, ‘cause they didn’t really explain that. She just ran away and then took a nap, I guess.

Ill Logic: 59

Ruby stumbles back into the clearing, and the Ursa takes note of her. Ruby doesn’t have her scythe! What will she do?

Yang returns to the clearing in time to see the Ursa charging a defenseless Ruby! With no time to think, she acts!

She puts herself in the way of the Ursa, and it bites down on her, eliminating her aura and tossing her away. Except…! She opens her eyes, which are now red, and kicks off of a nearby tree to come bursting into the fray! Her semblance activates, and her fist meets the Ursa’s claw, actually breaking its arm!

Ill Logic: 60

Your Fight Scene Sucks: 58

You guys have got to be kidding me.

Number one, why would Yang’s aura dissipate that quickly? The Nevermore in Volume One biting down on her didn’t give her so much as a wince and she held its mouth open. In Volume Two, she easily tanked the Paladin Mech smashing her through two concrete pillars, punching her through a third, and then kicking her away after the fact without her aura breaking!

Number two, why did you idiots show her aura breaking if you were just going to have her using her semblance immediately after?!

Semblance is dependent on aura! You can’t use your semblance if your aura breaks! No one else has ever used a semblance past their aura breaking!

You didn’t even have to do that! Why animate it? What, for the drama?

Yang’s follow-up punch just kills the Ursa in full.

She collides with a tree and Ruby runs over in concern, apologizing and bemoaning her uselessness without her scythe, in a very pointed band-aid application.

Band-Aid Brigade: 6

Yang says it’s okay, and that she’ll always have her sister’s back. The two girls smile at one another, and in the present day, Yang is on her motorcycle, speeding towards an unrevealed destination.

The trailer ends.

*holding head in hands*

Why did none of those trailers succeed in getting my hyped for Volume Five? Two of these didn’t have a damn thing to do with Volume Five!

Rooster Tease: 15

V5E1, “Welcome to Haven”

Secret link to Volume 5 Episodes provided by RWBY 4k, as usual.

Over a black screen, we hear Qrow say with some semblance of ceremony, “The city…of Mistral.” Nora’s voice chimes in, saying it’s about time. Everyone is reflecting on the difficulties of their journey, which for some reason did not ever seem to involve a train despite those being fully available. They’re just about to go to Haven Academy, but Qrow mentions having wanted to take them on the scenic route.

Look at all that hand-drawn art we’re panning over. I’d be more inclined to praise it if I didn’t suspect this was due to a major budget cut. Also, take a look—did you catch that?

On my life, I missed that the first time and had no idea what people were referring to when they were making jokes about “the plant gays”. I did not actually remember they were a thing until I rewatched this episode. Then I missed it again, and only saw it when combing back over those 2D art shots to see how much of it might have some 3D underneath. I think that says a lot.

You guys would fit right in at Disney, you know that, Rooster Teeth? That’s not a compliment, either.

How To Piss Off Gay People: 8

Qrow reiterates some of the lore discussed in Mistral’s World of Remnant video, and Nora says “And we are going up!”, after which we then pan upward into the sky for a cut to Weiss’ journey by cargo airship.

Weiss can be heard asking how much farther, and the pilot says they’re on the back half of the journey. After saying she hopes she hasn’t been a burden, Weiss is assured that her money makes that a non-issue. Just then, the radio starts picking up some signals, which he finds odd since they’re still over “Lake Mansu” and there shouldn’t be much in the way of broadcasts out here.

Just then, a woman’s frantic voice reaches the radio.

???: Mayday, mayday! We are a small passenger flight, and our Huntress is down! We aren't equipped to deal with this!

She begs help from anyone listening, giving their rough location, and chaos can be heard in the background. The pilot turns the radio off before it can go on much longer.

Weiss asks if he’s taking them in to help, but he says they’re avoiding that location. On hearing her protests, he says that this small cargo ship isn’t equipped for combat, and that if they heard the broadcast, someone else probably did too. Weiss is obviously not comfortable with leaving people to die, but she is overridden.

Back in Mistral, Haven Academy is empty, the school term apparently being over.

This fact does not occur to the team for some time, who enter and quickly grow uneasy at the emptiness of the halls. Jaune finally points out that school might not be in session, but pfft, no way. He’s blown off by Qrow, who decides that now is a good time to be on alert mode.

Q: No, this isn’t right. Come on. […] Get ready, there could be trouble!

Everyone draws their weapons as they prepare to open the doors to the headmaster’s office.

Lionheart, on the other side of the door, is taken by surprise, as is Qrow, and they both fall on their asses. Both of them are left quite embarrassed.

Was this attempt at playing a prank on the viewer really worth all the effort spent on it? It makes the team look particularly dumb, since apparently they’re so unaware he can’t even check the date or time.

It turns out Qrow met with Lionheart ahead of time and was expecting him to meet them at the entrance to the academy, but the latter lost track of time. Qrow asks who’s guarding the relic while the staff are away, and Lionheart, first name Leonardo, is stunned that the students already know about all that secret stuff. Nora comments on the awkward air of things.

We then cut to Menagerie. The Belladonnas’ front doors burst open as Ghira and Sun make their way in, in apparent agreement for the first time as they express outrage at something the group just came back from. Blake walks up and says everything will be okay.

Later that evening, Blake leaves the house, which is now staffed by armed guards. Said security is apparently rather poor at their job, as commented by Ilia, who leaps up onto the deck. When Blake makes to raise the alarm, Ilia protests, saying she just wants to talk. Blake relents, long enough to ask the following.

B: How could you take the fall for them, Ilia?

Blake recounts the meeting they had with Fennec and Corsac today, who naturally lied their asses off and said Ilia was just such a disappointment for siding with Adam. Blake is not fooled, nor is anyone else. Ilia says that Blake can’t prove anything, but Blake says there’s enough on Ilia’s scroll to sway the faunus in Menagerie.

Blake plans to hold an assembly tomorrow and expose the White Fang’s machinations, but Ilia says it won’t work and takes off her mask long enough to beg Blake to leave Menagerie “before it’s too late”.

B: …You’re going to have to make me.

I: …I know.

Ilia then leaves.

Back at Haven, the team are gathered in Lionheart’s office, where the latter is telling them how reckless this all seems.

Q: No, “reckless” is leaving one of the relics completely unguarded. It’s not checking in with Ozpin for ages!

Hypocrisy: 19

The last time we had a conversation like this, Ironwood and Winter were trying to hold you accountable for doing exactly that, but you just threw a tantrum and said weh, communication is a two way street, why didn’t you check in with me?

The last time we had a conversation like this, Ironwood and Winter were trying to hold you accountable for doing exactly that, but you just threw a tantrum and said weh, communication is a two way street, why didn’t you check in with me? What, you’re the only one that gets to go radio silent with no given explanation? Eat a dick.

And speaking of unguarded relics, we’re later going to find out that Ozpin had the one at Beacon moved, so that doesn’t get a Hypocrisy point.

Also—how the fuck is he supposed to check in with Ozpin, who is MIA because Cinder killed him.

Lionheart stands up, telling Qrow that Mistral has been in chaos since Beacon fell. No one has felt safe since the televised broadcast of total devastation at Beacon, and the Grimm activity on the continent rose with people’s fears. Many huntsmen have apparently fallen in the line of duty, including some of Haven’s teaching staff.

Lionheart also remarks on Ironwood’s “unfortunate” tendencies, as the dust embargo and the closing of Atlas’ borders has shut down supplies of dust and soldiers that could’ve helped. Lionheart laments still not knowing where the spring maiden is as well.

Qrow tries to start an argument again, and thank god for Ruby Rose, who intervenes before he can piss me off again. When questioning why the spring maiden is so important, it’s revealed to be because evidently only the maidens can open the doors behind which the relics lay. No logical reason is given for this.

Ill Logic: 61

Each maiden can only unlock a specific relic, and spring is required for Haven’s. I would think this would be not nearly the issue we’re making it out to be, as if you have no maiden, you have no relic—which means even if you don’t know where the spring maiden is, you can at least be assured the relic isn’t going anywhere. But no, the tone here is very Ocarina of Time, with “let’s get all the spiritual stones before Ganondorf does”.

The relic at Haven is associated with knowledge, whereas Atlas, Beacon, and Shade possess the relics, respectively, associated with creation, choice, and destruction. There was a spring maiden accounted for, but apparently the burden of responsibility got to her and she fled, and she’s been MIA ever since… “Since” apparently meaning more than a decade.

Motherfucking Christ, you idiots fail at your jobs, ceaselessly! It isn’t like the spring maiden died and they never found out who the new one was—they had the girl being given in-house training, and they had to have known what she looked like! I know Anima is big, but you boneheads haven’t found that chick with all the spy equipment and resources at your disposal???

(Because Salem hasn't found the spring maiden yet either, it doesn't get a Threatening Enemies point. But I so want to.)

Making Lionheart’s dumb ass look even worse, Qrow states that he has some idea of where the spring maiden is, with that conversation with his sister Raven finally coming around to relevancy. Her bandit tribe appears to have taken the maiden in.

The juniors respond to mention of Raven, and Qrow pulls up a map, pinpointing the location of the base camp the Branwen tribe fall back to after raids. Lionheart says they can have a retrieval force ready in a few weeks, a span of time that stuns Qrow, to the point of getting aggressive.

Q: Maybe you didn’t hear me? My sister has the spring maiden, and I know where she is! We need to go as soon as possible!

There was literally no point to throwing Lionheart’s things off the desk besides intimidation and rudeness. Qrow continues to be a jackass and is steadily falling from the flat level zero he floated up to over Volume Four.

Lionheart is unmoved, saying that how soon he can get the huntsmen for a raid on the Branwen tribe depends on him being able to convince the Council to pull huntsmen away from their current duties. Qrow says they can just do it themselves then, apparently not remembering what happened the last time that approach was taken at Mountain Glenn.

The team is all for helping, albeit Ren is the only one to suggest a peaceful approach to the issue. He is ignored. Lionheart reminds Qrow that he’s only an even match for his sister, and that Lionheart himself hasn’t been in his prime for a while. Together with the spring maiden’s power, they don’t seem to stand a chance. What’s more, if a raid is attempted but is unsuccessful, Raven will make sure to go underground and may never be tracked down.

Qrow stares, obviously still wanting to just charge in again (another thing that warranted a lambaste when Ironwood was pushing for it, I notice), but eventually settles for saying that Ozpin wouldn’t be happy with any of this if he were here.

And who exactly would we point fingers at if we were to consider who made “this” happen? Ozpin’s been calling the shots up until recently, has he not? This is his fault. What would he do if he were here? Pout at the Council again like he did at the end of Volume Two? Give them the silent treatment? I’m noticing that the immature apple hasn’t fallen very far from the immature tree, either, given Qrow’s attitude here.

Jaune is the one to ask if Lionheart has any info on Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury, who allegedly came from Haven, but Lionheart says all they found was a bunch of made-up bullshit. Qrow says they’ll just stay nearby in the city while they wait, and has the audacity to wave his scroll at Lionheart while reminding him that local communication is still intact and to keep in touch.

Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge: 4

Hypocrisy: 20

You could make “hypocrite” this character’s middle name.

They leave, with Ruby bringing up the rear and saying it was nice to meet Leo. There’s a slow pan as audio from Watts says they’ve got to work on Lionheart’s improv skills. Out in the halls, Qrow is sulking and tells the kids to get to their house which I guess they just rented out offscreen, while he goes to indulge his alcoholism.

We get a repeat of the post-credits scene from Volume Four, so that Qrow knows who Oscar/Ozpin is now. Yes, the scene as a whole is copy-pasted directly from Volume Four with no changes.

We finally cut to Yang’s own adventure, where she’s filling up her motorcycle at a convenience store. She goes in and asks for a water, and a cackle comes from a nearby neanderthal who apparently disbelieves that she’s too young to drink.

He claims she looks like a “regular Huntress”, and a “beauty”. Either sodden off his rocker, or just plain creepy, the guy cannot feel the “no thank you” radiating off of Yang, and walks over, sizing her up in very unwelcome terms.

???: “Not too bulky, not too lean…”

Y: [rolling her eyes] ‘Just right’, yep…

The guy makes the mistake of trying to touch her hair, and things very quickly reach their logical conclusion. Yang bounces him off the walls and out the door.

Which was very enjoyable until we reached the “and then everyone clapped” part with the bartender approving of Yang for getting rid of the guy and buying her drink for her. Yang noticeably has to steady her left hand as it reaches for the water bottle.

When asked why she’s around, Yang responds that she’s looking for someone. The bartender (?) responds that people don’t come around here since it’s too far from the kingdom, which begs the question of why he opened a convenience store and how he keeps up supply and sales for fuel.

Ill Logic: 62

Although Raven Branwen’s tribe does hang out nearby, which is pertinent to Yang. To a great many viewers’ disappointment, Yang has chosen to pursue Raven. Against the advice of the cashier-clerk-bartender-dude, Yang intends to go ruffle that wasps’ nest. The creepy guy from earlier holds her up outside, claiming that he heard she’s looking for someone, with an eerie grin, albeit down a tooth since his latest infraction. We cut away.

RNJR are hanging out in a fairly nice house. A knock comes at the door, and everyone hesitates. It’s Oscar Pine, and he’s looking for Ruby Rose. This sets the team on edge, given their experience with Tyrian, but before Oscar can explain, an absolutely plastered Qrow joins the gang, exclaiming that he’s “found him!”

Hey, remember when I said this?

Face the wall and spread ‘em, Qrow, you just lost your dick-having privileges, and if you touch another teenager while drunk, the hands are going next.

I’m serious, we just came back from a scene of a possibly-drunk dude getting handsy with 18-year-old Yang, and getting punched for it, but this happening on Qrow’s part is supposed to be funny. I get that he didn’t grab anyone’s ass or anything, but that was still way too hands-on for my comfort. Especially with the fact he’s voiced by Vic Mignogna, legendary groper-of-teen-girls at cons.

*shudder*

Ruby storms downstairs, agitated by noise interrupting her comic book reading, and expresses exasperation with Qrow’s drunkenness.

Oscar remarks on Ruby’s silver eyes, and in light of the current situation, imma slap a big “don’t like that” on there. But at least we’re getting to the point of this scene, which is Oscar joining the gang, with the revelation of Ozpin living in his head like a parasite, which a drunken Qrow finds hilarious.

The episode ends, and we get our episode opening intro for this Volume. It’s set to “The Triumph”, which is the lyrical opposite of “When It Falls”. Let’s see what it’s packing, hmm?

First, a crow or raven approaching the city of Mistral. Then shots of Ruby in a forest, Weiss on her airship, Blake in Menagerie, and Yang in the woods with her bike. The first three girls are shown grabbing their weapons, while Yang rides towards the screen. The next shot is of RNJR and Qrow with Oscar in their cushy Mistral house, and Oscar brandishing the cane as Ozpin’s silhouette passes over him.

Then we zoom in on the gears in the cane, which transitions to a scene of red, spiked tentacles ominously approaching Professor Lionheart at his desk as Watts’ face looms in the background. We see Adam and Hazel standing next to each other in a room, and then cut to Blake and Sun on a rope bridge on a floating market, looking unenthused.

At Raven’s camp, a woman with short hair and tattoos glares up at Cinder, and a raven flies at the screen, showing Raven and Yang with their backs to each other, neither one looking happy. In a candlelit room, Ilia is approached by Fennec and Corsac.

The next scenes take place in a small assembly hall, with Weiss summoning her giant knight, and Nora and Ren fighting Hazel. Outside, Blake fights Ilia, while back in the hall, Yang fights Mercury. The girls are finally rejoined as one, in time to be menaced by a huge, looming Salem. Cue “created by Monty Oum”.

*mouth thinned in anger*

Not that many promises in this intro, as the first third of it was things we’ve already established and the first half was people just standing around.

We’ll have to continue later, though, since we’ve reached enough pages that we can’t fit another episode in here.

Oh! Almost forgot—our requisite double points, since neither SSN nor Winter were seen this episode.

Love to Be a Part of It Someday: 33 (+2)

Counts:

Jaune: 31
It Was Right There: 16
Fauxminism: 23
Hypocrisy: 20
Reliable Leaders: 19 + 8
- Prowling Wolf Fallacy: 8
Threatening Enemies: 15
Love to Be a Part of It Someday: 33
Your Fight Scene Sucks: 58 + 20
- Evisceration Evasion: 20
Ill Logic: 62
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Veil: 19 + 10
- Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge: 4
- Band-Aid Brigade: 6
RSVP: 32
Road to Nowhere: 9
Y.A.S. Queen: 9
Rooster Tease: 15
LuLaRwe: 9
The Lovegood Fallacy: 4
How to Piss Off Gay People: 8
Invisembl: 2