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14 – Volume 3, Episode 1, “Round One” | Table of Contents | 16 – Volume 3, Episode 3, “It’s Brawl in the Family”
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Not much happened in the opening episode of Volume 3 that required a lot of talking. Most of it was a fight scene which had its ups and downs and the characters talking to each other in the fairegrounds. The episode ended, however, on the approaching match between JNPR and Team BRNZ of Vacuo. Let’s check up on them now.

V3E2, "New Challengers"

Volume 2 Final Thoughts | Table of Contents | 15 – Volume 3, Episode 2, “New Challengers”
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Volume Two was a rollercoaster. It was a mish-mash of good and bad, with the good and seemingly-inoffensive often undercut with really bad ideas or messages. I wanted to like it, and there were some salvageable parts and the plot was actually coming together.

With that out of the way, let’s begin RWBY, Volume Three, Episode One:

RWBY (Volume 3)

Written by Monty Oum, Kerry Shawcross, and Miles Luna
Produced under Rooster Teeth

RWBY, Volume 3. Quite possibly the most famous and infamous of all the show's content so far.

It was, depending on who you ask, either where the show peaked or where it tanked to its lowest depths. It achieves its position, wherever that may be, because by late 2014-early 2015, RWBY was a phenomenon. It was immensely popular, with an explosive and boisterous fanbase that, between the buildup of Volumes One’s and Two’s stories, the amazing fight choreographies, and the good music, had been caught hook, line, and sinker, and were now in for the long haul. Plenty of outsiders who had initially dismissed the show were now looking on in interest, wondering if maybe this little oddball series by those comedy gamers was any good.

Unfortunately, before the volume could be released, disaster struck. On January 22^nd, 2015, Monty—the series creator, owner, and lead writer—had a severe allergic reaction during a routine medical procedure, and fell into a coma. Everyone was scared, and despite hopes that he would pull through, he died on February 1^st. Donation funds were sent in en masse to help his family with the medical funds and tribute after sorrowful tribute were created once he was gone.

I don’t know much about Monty Oum. I had never watched any other work of his, and haven’t to this day. RWBY is his only project that I’ve seen, so for me, I had to wonder for a bit if I even had the right to grieve him. I did know that RWBY was his passion project, though, and something deeply personal for him, and that aside, what I’ve heard about him speaks that he was a genuinely kind and thoughtful person and a truly passionate, creative mind. The idea that he could be struck down while in the process of making his dream series a reality shook me deeply, as it did many people. The folders full of documents that I want to see published one day? My dream is to learn animation at college and make them happen myself.

Regardless, after the shock and waves of grief were passed, there were obviously questions about what would happen with Monty’s work, with Rooster Teeth announcing that RWBY would continue in his absence and in his loving memory. If I recall correctly, something akin to “Monty left behind enough material for 20 volumes” was said, though don’t quote me on that. Whether this was a good idea or not, everyone will have differing ideas on. I loved RWBY, at least at the time, and while I wanted it to continue, I also didn’t see a problem with letting the show die with its creator. I have only grown stronger in that opinion since.

There were obviously concerns, of course. Not just about whether there was an outline, a plan in place for the show’s future, but whether or not Rooster Teeth (who basically threw Monty at a scene whenever it required any intense action) would be capable of replicating the quality of his work. This is a lot more objective a concern, and I have to say that the end results swing wildly between “hideous” and “worthy successor”, so make of that what you will—I will be.

Nonetheless, RWBY Volume 3 happened, premiering October 24, 2015, after a year’s hiatus since Volume 2’s end on October 30, 2014. It continued the story and brought it to new dramatic heights…and greater flaws of writing than ever. You can watch the official trailer here.

More than any other volume, I expect this one to be the one that generates a lot of talk. Volume 3 left a lot of people in shock, and a fair few of them quite unhappy. You’ll see that one of them was quite significant, enough so to warrant a spork.

Volume 2 Finale – Episodes 11 and 12 | Table of Contents | Volume 3
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Welcome to the Final Thoughts for Volume 2. As per last Volume’s, and for all going forward (and possibly for other recaps, too), points are not off the table yet.

Volume 2, Third Arc | Table of Contents | Volume 2 Final Thoughts
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Page Count: 21; Gif Count: 41

Last we left off, Volume 2 was finally kicking into gear. So far, we had a food fight, and then a half-baked almost-plot pushed mostly to justify a huge fight with a robot, and then a prom, and then we went to the ruins of a city and had introspection. There is also a dog here.

Finally, Ruby fell right into the villains’ lair and got her ass whooped with pathetic ease by chumps she should’ve been able to take both disarmed and blindfolded. Let’s hope for better from the last two episodes of the volume.

V2E11, “No Brakes”

11 - Volume 2, World of Remnant | Table of Contents | Volume 2 Finale

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So, Volume Two.

The last post was world of Remnant, and the post before that contained the parts of the Volume I hated most. So…it can only go up from here? I suppose? Let’s see what we have in store now that we have “half-baked investigation” and “prom” out of the way.

V2E8, “Field Trip”

Volume 2, Second Arc (Part I) | Table of Contents | Volume 2, World of Remnant
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When we last left off, it was on a note very typical of Volume Two—pissing me off more than I remember. Now we get to the part of the dance prom arc that I actually remember hating. So that will be fun.

Volume 2, First Arc (Part II) | Table of Contents | Volume 2, Second Arc (Part II)
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Alright. So far, Volume 2 is not taking me to happy places. But why stop now?

We ended on a gigantic fight between four girls and a robotic mech.

Volume 2, First Arc (Part I) | Table of Contents | Volume 2, Second Arc (Part I)
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V2E4, “Painting the Town”

Painkillers and chocolate. Yeah, that’s the stuff.