RWBY - Season 1

Okay, so this is a series i've been waiting to start on since it came out. Of course, being the horrible procrastinator i am, i decided to pursue this series when my major examinations are less than a week away. To tell you the truth, i did shy away from this series at first, simply because i heard the words 'American' and 'Anime' in one sentence. I will admit i'm one of those people who consider 'anime' anime only when it's made by Japanese people.

From Wikipedia.org

I would say that RWBY still needs a shit ton of work. It has the potential to evolve into something spectacular, but as of now, i would say that it is pretty okay. But one thing's for sure, is that RWBY is unique.

PLOT - 6.5/10

I would say the story is mediocre at best. Although it is interesting, it is also pretty cliche and predictable. The formula of 'Heroes going on a journey to save humanity' has been so overused that i'm actually quite surprised that RWBY didn't fall flat on its face. This show/anime is indeed enjoyable and was better than what i was expected. But by the time Season 1 was over, i felt that nothing big was accomplished. It spent majority of it's time fleshing out the characters and sorting out the dynamics between the various characters.

CHARACTERS - 7/10

RWBY has an interesting cast of different characters with their own unique quirks, back stories and weapons. However, the characters still feel very cliched and one dimensional. Anime fans will watch this and know what i'm talking about. Alot of them feel like cutout boards of various anime stereotypes such as the tsundere, the ditzy but powerful one, the calm and collected one with a mysterious past, the seemingly promiscuous and flirtatious one and even the useless but lovable character. They still need a lot of character development in order for the not-really-fans to form emotional attachments with the characters.

But one thing is for sure, is that the characters all look very pretty. Waifu material if you will.

ANIMATION: 7/10

Let me just say now, that i am definitely not a fan of 3D animation. I utterly detest anime which try (and fail) to integrate 3D with 2D animation. Or even worse, when they create an anime fully using 3D animation. Cough-Unbreakable robot doll-Cough.

I was pleasantly surprised however, when i watched RWBY. Although there are some instances where the animation feels blocky or chunky, it looks pretty damn good most of the time. The action scenes are glorious and i often find myself replaying those parts over and over. The trailer is a good example of this. I recommend watching the season 1 first and then watching the trailers. I promise it would be a much better experience.

The character designs are pretty good too. The weapons are fantastic and very, very creative. Who knew a scythe could also be a high velocity sniper rifle?

SOUNDTRACK: 10/10

I am 100% in love with RWBY's soundtracks. I recommend watching the series before listening to them, for a bigger emotional impact. Their individual character songs are perfectly suited for their characters. I cannot tell you how many times i replayed 'Red like roses' and 'From the shadows'. Goldstar material, these soundtracks are.

The opening song is nothing to scoff at too. 'This will be the day' seriously gave me an eargasm. 'I may fall' is very touching too, i admit. I have to give credit to RWBY for having such an amazing soundtrack. The voice needs some work, but it is mostly so-so. Not really on par with usual animes but the dialogue is hilarious. This show has comedy down to a T.

Oh, and i just discovered that there is going to be a Japanese dub version. Those who prefer japanese to English would be better off watching that one.

RECOMMENDATION: Would i watch this again? Yes, of course. I recommend this to those who are looking for a short but entertaining series. I suggest those who are looking for complex plots and characters to ultimately stay away.