RWBY Volume Seven

[Bob Schroeck]

And with the sneak peak at Team RWBY's new outfits in the Volume Six thread, it's time to start the V7 thread, with the formal announcement of the premiere date.  (This has been out for a week or two now, so I'm surprised it's not been posted here yet.)  Episode one of volume seven will drop on November 2.

Oh, and here's the volume poster, thanks to Entertainment Weekly:

   

[Norgarth]

[Matrix Dragon]

Blakes new haircut... Yang's gonna walk into a wall when she sees that

[Norgarth]

these next 2 are actually on the old side but amusing

the 'alternate takes' of the Team JNPR dance


And a fan's take of the original and the alternates, each set to a different song

[Norgarth]

EDIT:

[Bob Schroeck]

And finally, the official trailer for Volume 7:

[Rajvik]

Qrow, you just had to say something, didn't you.

[Matrix Dragon]

Episode one is up for FIRST members. I also advise against watching the intro until after viewing this ep, because it contains SPOILERS (The ep itself has the intro at the end, as is usual for RWBY volume openers).

[Labster]

I finally signed up for FIRST because hey, I can afford it I guess.  It's a little weird that in order to pay the terms of service say you have to make you real name public, but whatever.

Okay, that is a spoiler, but really, only if you haven't been paying attention or are ignorant of the relevant tropes.  It's really entirely predictable, the most likely way of handling it.  Still worth avoiding the intro to get max feels though.

On the other hand, can I say something about railroading GMs here?  I mean, all eight of them failed their saves, seriously?

[Matrix Dragon]

Okay, that is a spoiler, but really, only if you haven't been paying attention or are ignorant of the relevant tropes.  It's really entirely predictable, the most likely way of handling it.  Still worth avoiding the intro to get max feels though.

Spoiler

Oh, there were a LOT of people expecting Penny to show up this volume in some form. At the same time, almost no one expected it to be in episode one, and more importantly, pretty much everyone I've seen that thought of the idea was expecting it to be a lot more painful from the word go. That it would look and sound like Penny, but it was clearly a new intelligence and soul inside, potentially even one hostile to RWBY and JNPR outright. That fear died the moment Penny saw Ruby, and the S.S. Nuts N' Dolts set sail again (It also helps that shot of her in the opening is so very 'Anime Love Interest Shot')

At the same time though, there's still a lot to worry about. Not only is Watts still out there, with all his potential hooks into the Atlas systems and possibly Penny, there's the question of how she'll react to JNR in particular, and just what trauma does linger. There's a price to be paid for a resurrection like this, and learning it will almost certainly hurt. That said, I'm expecting her to survive. Killing her a second time is too cheap.

On the other hand, can I say something about railroading GMs here?  I mean, all eight of them failed their saves, seriously?

Spoiler

Ah, Team A-SOP. They're very professional, very dedicated, and a shining sign of just how much Ironwoods good intentions are going horribly wrong. Seriously James, you've got a secret police team running around, with clearly unlimited authority to just take people off the streets. They were clearly using the distraction of Penny to get in position to ambush the heroes, rather than HELP DEAL WITH THE GRIMM THAT WERE IN THE CITY. That's a very questionable set of priorities, to say the least. Also, going in shooting rather than identifying themselves as the authorities might just be show logic at work, but it's still worrying.

And on top of that, THEY DIDN'T ARREST MARIA. When this little detail is revealed, she's gonna be there to mock the crap out of you.

Also, let's just note that the team lead has about four different good luck charms. He and Qrow are going to get along like a house on fire...

[Labster]

OK, Episode 2 is out for FIRST, which means Episode 1 is available for everyone else: https://roosterteeth.com/watch/rwby-volume-7-1

My only comment as for now is that it definitely seems like GM railroading in retrospect as well.  I have this big session with all this exposition all set up and you're going where?  Okay.  Let me look at my notes... *grumbles about players* ... okay, I guess technically Maria would know someone in Atlas but... is that a 20?  Okay...  I have no idea what to do so let's throw out a random encounter...  (Oh, I know!)  Now everyone make a Reflex Save, DC 35.  What? It's Atlas overtechnology, 35.  Aw, you all failed >:) >:) >:)

[NifT]

[Labster]

https://roosterteeth.com/watch/rwby-volume-7-2

Did someone slip a pair of yaoi goggles on me or are we starting to see some Qrow ships taking shape?

[Matrix Dragon]

https://roosterteeth.com/watch/rwby-volume-7-2

Did someone slip a pair of yaoi goggles on me or are we starting to see some Qrow ships taking shape?

I think James just REALLY needed to see a friend outside his chain of command. I loved that scene.

No, the Yaoi goggles come with ep 3... along with possibly the most adorable Bumblebee moment yet.

[Matrix Dragon]

If you haven't been getting the comic, you're missing out. It's set during the 3-4 timeskip, with flashbacks to even earlier, with the sorts of little slice of life moments the show doesn't have time to include. Each digital issue is a dollar on Comixology, and it's great. This week, Yang thinks back to a misadventure with Blake. It's cute, sweet, and has property destruction!

[Labster]

https://roosterteeth.com/watch/rwby-volume-7-5

Oh hey, let's have a training montage!  With Jaune being a crossing guard for kiddies.  And a Winter Maiden doing, well, more than the first Fall Maiden we saw.  Plus Bumblebee is even more confirmed, as if we needed more proof at this point.

Honestly, episode 4 has more spoilerables, so I'll let Penny subtly deliver the news:
   

[Matrix Dragon]

Important notes.

Jacques: Utter jackass.
Nora's Hammer: Now has a Flight Mode.
All the mothers: Thirsty for Jaune.
Marrow: Wonderful, playing the fool, gets no respect from Ace Ops.
Jacques: Piece of shit.
Team RWBY: Family.
Penny: Needed her friends to come to Atlas, now has things a bit better for her.
Qrow: Not drinking, better VA.
Robyn: Awesome.
Ironwood: Means well, fucking up on an epic scale.
Winter: Means well, going to make some bad choices.
FNKI: Back!
Tyrian: Jump Scares!
Jacques: Going to give himself a very bad end.

[Labster]

I forgot to mention one detail: My new puppy, a wire fox terrier named Fiona, definitely thinks Nora is the best character. Excited and makes funny faces!

[Bob Schroeck]

Jacques: Utter jacques-ass

FTFY

[Labster]

Oh hey, Jaune finally got a movie date with Weiss! (and Oscar) And it got zero screen time.

Instead we get election scenes, which put me really on edge. I think elections make me nervous just because I spend so much time in politics. There'll be time enough for countin', when the votin's done.

[Labster]

https://roosterteeth.com/watch/rwby-volume-7-7

Oh, cool group photo.  Hey, you got your thumb over that tall guy's face... watts up with that?

[Matrix Dragon]

*Screams*

The second half of this ep has so many feels. Team JNR demonstrate their skill in properly applied chaos. And then there's that cliffhanger...

Also, next week will not have an ep airing, but they have said there will be 'something

[Labster]

Yes, it is much with the feels. I never thought the Beacon food fight would be foreshadowing.

I don't know what you're talking about with the cliffhanger. "It's snowing!" Looks like it's going to be a White Christmas in Mantle.

Some long term predictions:
End of this season: what goes up must come down, combined with the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Several seasons out: Are Team RWBY going to end up as the four maidens? They have family ties to two of them, another one has a mother named Summer. Cinder is the tricky one.

[Matrix Dragon]

I'm still cackling at todays episode so much.

[Bob Schroeck]

...and I'm finally caught up. Between Peggy and Helen being sick at different times, and the holiday stuff, we hadn't gotten together until last night to watch any episodes since the end of November. Catching them in a single block I think made it all hang together very well, too... And yeah, as soon as we saw Polendina had his finger over that one guy's face, we knew who it was. Polendina's revelation on Penny's "something extra" reminded me of a novel I read long ago about a robot who discovered he had a soul where other robots didn't, and what he learned at the end of the book about it from his creators. (I wish I could remember the title and author; I thought it might have been John Sladek's Roderick, but a quick look-up leads me to think it was a different work entirely.)

Edit: Oh, and is it just me, or has Cristina Vee's performance as Robyn Hill changed since the beginning of the volume? In the last episode or two it sounded like she was speaking in a slightly higher register (closer to what I think is her "normal" voice) than she had in her earliest appearances.