RWBY VOL 1: CHAPTER 3 (part 2)

Part 2 of Chapter 3 is Part 2 of Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: First step (part 2)

Having been launched by Ozpin off the cliff into the Emerald Forest, the characters must find ways to land safely.

Everyone lands safely, even Jaune.

We then follow Ruby as she sprints through the forest, looking for Yang. Like the other characters launched into the forest, Ruby must find herself a 'partner' who would be the first person she lays eyes upon. Yang is Ruby's preferred choice, Jaune is useless in Ruby's mind, and Blake gives Ruby bad vibes.

As a result, Ruby ends up with Weiss as a partner. Weiss, however, isn't happy working with the impetuously speedy Ruby Rose until a monster abruptly bursts out of the foliage.

Building on from Chapter 3 (First Step Part 1)

In this episode, RWBY's narrative follows Ruby Rose's story, except for a detour where we see Lie Ren, Pyrrha, and Jaune's landing strategies. Honestly, though, I don't care about the landing strategies; None of them were particularly memorable enough to say anything of worth about their employers.

Ruby teaming up with Weiss is far more interesting as it is character development for the story's protagonist.

We learn that Ruby is practical and willing to forgo a partnership with the 'friendly' Jaune because he is not as combat-capable as she hopes.

We are keeping the 'I like books' part about Ruby's character in Chapter 2, and Ruby believes for a moment that books would be something she could use to bond with Blake. However, Ruby is self-aware enough to know that Blake probably would not like her and that she is not a winning conversationalist.

Interestingly enough, Ruby does not have any thoughts about Weiss one way or another. Even if we ignore Weiss and Ruby's first meeting in Chapter 2, Ruby does not have any problems with Weiss being her partner, and Ruby even goes out of her way to impress and reassure Weiss about Weiss's choice of a partner.

Additionally, Weiss was written without any choice or say in her partner. As presented to her when she first rejects Ruby, Weiss's alternative is Jaune instead of Pyrrha, whom Weiss also met before the Initiation.

It is almost as if Ruby and Weiss had to be partners. The show missed an opportunity to explore how Ruby and Weiss would justify or console themselves about being partners despite their poor first impressions of each other, which is a waste.

Overall, this wasted opportunity does not ruin the episode. Nevertheless, it is a trend of narrative failure or overlooking any attempt to develop the protagonists. RWBY either does not seem interested in developing their protagonists, or RWBY had no concrete idea of who their protagonists were in the first place. As a result, RWBY did not have a plan to maximize screen time to develop the protagonists. As 'interesting' as Jaune, Lie Ren, or Pyrrha may be, they are not, regardless of their likeability.

Conclusion

RWBY seems to be doing its best not to develop its protagonists. Let's see how that strategy plays out.

What I liked

Nothing. It's not that the episode or the story is bad, but nothing worth liking stands out to me.

What I did not like

Seeing the landing strategies of Ren, Pyrrha, and Jaune.