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Austin-based Rooster Teeth Productions has built quite a name for itself on the web over the past decade, especially with its Halo satire series, Red vs. Blue. They also produce a number of other animated and live-action series and shorts, the latest of which is the heavily anime-influenced web series RWBY (pronounced “ruby”). Sixteen episodes, comprising the first half of the first season, have aired and are now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Despite a few shortcomings, it’s an impressive new entry into the genre.
RWBY takes place in the world of Remnant, where humanity is beset by monsters called creatures of Grimm. To combat this menace, young men and women train in teams of four at the Beacon Academy to become Hunters and Huntresses. The titular team consists of bubbly Ruby Rose, her aggressive sister, Yang Xiao Long, snobby Weiss Schnee, and dour human-animal hybrid Blake Belladonna. Each can be identified by a primary color, carries a unique transforming weapon, and spends as much time worrying about grades, boys, and social status as they do fighting Grimm.
This is going to be very familiar stuff to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of anime. From the character designs to the silly humor and sight gags, it can sometimes be hard to believe that this is an all-American production. It’s an interesting example of how the two cultures have come together—and, for the most part, it works, aided by a surprisingly good voice cast.
Where RWBY really shines—and where its greatest flaws become evident—is in the striking animation style. Rendered using a 3-D modeling program, action sequences are amazingly fluid. This hyperkinetic approach blends well with the primary colors and sleek designs to create some of the most exciting sequences I’ve seen in a while. There’s a strong video game opponent at play here, and the guys at Rooster Teeth clearly understand that realistic physics must sometimes take a backseat to the Rule of Cool.
But while the attention paid to these scenes is appreciated, it comes at the cost of flat, drab backgrounds that tend to be an eyesore at best. Whether that’s due to the limitations of the software or Rooster Teeth’s staffing capabilities, there’s no denying that the world surrounding the characters lacks for depth of detail. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means—at least not for me—but it’s probably going to drive some people nuts.
For its occasional missteps, there’s a lot to like in RWBY. The animation is crisp, the marriage of American animation with anime stylings sizzles, and the story—while not exactly the most original—does not fail to entertain. It’s a slick package from a smaller studio, and I can’t wait to see how they’ll develop from here.
Blu-ray Review:
With the Blu-ray release of RWBY, you have the option of watching the episodes piece-by-piece or as a seamless 120-minute feature. Since it’s only half of a season, the former works a bit better, but going into it knowing that the ending will be a bit abrupt makes the all-in-one approach easily watchable as well. The special features menu also includes two commentary tracks: one with the writers and one with the main voice cast. The first is informative, while the second is mostly just a lot of fun.
The extras are a grab bag, but the best bits are the four preview trailers, each focused on one of the main teams. They’re all great examples of the things that RWBY does best, and each is worth watching in its own right.
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