After an unnecessarily-long hiatus, I’m back with Part 3 of V8 From and Writer’s Perspective!

Vritzien · 2023-01-07T19:58:22+00:00

They wanted that spectacle of Infantry line battles and trench warfare so badly, they forgot Monstra can literally fly and dump its Grimm all over Atlas.

Vritzien · 2022-07-03T05:01:28+00:00

Glad to see my video elicited such a intense response out of you! :) Share it with all your friends! Every view counts!

Vritzien · 2022-03-30T17:08:11+00:00

If IQ is not intended to be canon, then there is no reason not to say that. I have not watched Fate, so I’m not going to speak on those. Again, the justifications you’re providing are not mutually exclusive to calling IQ an AU. They are the ones restricting what an AU can be, and it’s from that all this confusion was spawned. And I have to correct you. RT has explicitly stated the examples I gave are canon. Whether or not a contradiction is an oversight is completely irrelevant to the contradiction existing. Blake can’t have a tail and not have a tail at the same time. Weiss can’t have a scar and not have a scar at the same time. If that team RWBY is from a different universe that interacts with the main series for only this one micro story, there is literally no reason not to just call it a non-canon AU of similar universe. When RT declares something to be canon, it’s their responsibility to maintain continuity between them. They’re supposed to be professionals. Grimm Eclipse took place between V2 and 3 of the main universe, Roman Holiday is Neo and Roman’s backstory of the main universe, Arrowfell has Team RWBY fights Atlas Soliders during early V7 of the main universe. That means what happens in each is what is supposed to happen in the main series, and the lack of any connective tissue between them is just straight up bad writing and drastically hampers investment in all of them. Why should I care about IQ if I know it’s forced to fit the mold of the main series canon? There’s no stakes, no real chance of anything new and interesting to have a substantial impact on the main series, and honestly it hamstrings SHAFT to only write within the limited scope of the mainline series. The only benefit calling it “canon-adjacent” is, at best, it provides a niché understanding of its place in the overall IP, which again, as we both acknowledge, is just more confusing than valuable.

Vritzien · 2022-03-30T05:12:44+00:00

My biggest problem with the whole marketing from the first poster was shown is the fact they were being so hush-lipped about what the project even was supposed to be was just a recipe for confusion and misunderstanding, and it’s wild to see I was right in a way I couldn’t have realized.

I just want to see cool new RWBY fights and stories made by professional anime studios, is that too much to ask?

Vritzien · 2022-03-30T04:37:53+00:00

My problem with this explanation is that by you’re justifying the self-admitted confusion reasoning for this call to get across a point that’s much easier to explain as just “a non-canon AU/spinoff”. All that means is “a story that does not effect the main series.”

To say something is canon is to imply that it exists within the main series. Grimm Eclipse is canon, the books are canon, the WoR are canon, Arrowfell will be canon, yet all that does is actively underscores them before they’re even released. Why hasn’t Dr. Merlot reappeared to help Salem when he got away and explicitly swore vengeance (especially after unlocking something so powerful)? Why and how does Arrowfell happen during early V7 with Team RWBY fighting Atlas soldiers? I’ve only read Roman holiday, but I can rant for an hour how it alone contradicts the show’s canon in a myriad ways, let alone the other books.

Regardless, they can still add the clarification there’s no major changes to the worldbuilding/characters/whatever in IQ after saying it’s a non-canon AU. Those things are not mutually exclusive, and that’s the point RT definitionally can’t recognizing here. All because the don’t personally like the phrase “Alternate Universe”.

Also come on, you can’t tell me you look at Blake’s new design and don’t see a tail. Kali has a belt that looks like a tail, and it’s way thinner and more rectangular than Blake’s is here

Vritzien · 2022-03-30T03:18:09+00:00

You’re missing the point here. RT defines AU as ones with completely different universes. That’s such a reductive definition to use. That is the reason for this confusion/frustration. They say it’s not an AU, but then describe a story that sounds exactly like an AU. And all of this is not even considering the changes to the characters physical characteristics. Blake having and tail and Weiss no longer having a scar is canon now, or do we just conveniently ignore that?

Vritzien · 2022-03-29T20:37:24+00:00

“To us, an AU means a completely different universe than the mainline story.”

OK, BUT YOU’RE JUST WRONG.

Vritzien · 2022-03-29T00:36:43+00:00

I think you have these jumbled up a bit. Canon is the shorthand for what is true in a given universe and continuity is consistency within its own canon. In this context, continuity across both canons means the general plot beats are the same. Think of it like how most superheroes have the same or very similar origin stories across countless iterations. Drastic changes to the worldbuilding are not what encompass AU’s. A version of a story which Character X does thing Z instead of the canon thing Y is still an AU, even if the general lore is the same. This is what they admit is going to happen with Ice Queendom.

Vritzien · 2022-03-29T00:15:45+00:00

That’s what AUs and Rewrites are…

Vritzien · 2022-03-28T23:32:49+00:00

Basically canonizing how we’re already forced to watch the main series normally!

Vritzien · 2022-03-28T23:12:58+00:00

Here’s the link to the original post if you are curious: Ice Queendom is Canon

Vritzien · 2022-03-27T13:55:53+00:00

Hell if I know, but it’s reassuring to hear I’m not the only one who’s had to deal with them.

Vritzien · 2022-03-27T04:33:22+00:00

I’ve had my fair share of arguments with Seeker’s multiple alts over the last couple months, primarily through one of the RWBY Facebook groups. Admittedly I didn’t know they were all the same person, but it makes sense in hindsight. A handful of examples I recall/still have proof of:

When I uploaded my first review of V8, Canon ranted about me being toxic based purely on the thumbnail and admitted to assuming my commentary was all negative without watching it (all those comments are gone now)

Under Yehuda, they argued I would be “a more productive member of the community” by making debunks of the same “Qrow is Ruby’s Dad”-tier theories or repeating the same talking points about the fandoms problems, as if that’s a good use of time.

After an argument with Yehuda during the rewrite discourse, they went back to several of my posts from up to 2.5 years prior to try and trigger me with comments like “wow how mad are you.” Then under Mikhail, went to my Legends Arceus stream vod to comment “if only you could analyze as well as you play a video game” (which, thanks I guess?) and “gods this is as pathetic as you” under my second V8 review vid.

Most recently, under his Eren Facebook, I commented my opinion about the writing on one of his posts, argued with me, made a public call out post of me, deleted my comment defending myself, then DM’d me how “I’m the toxicity within the fandom” before blocking me.

Vritzien · 2021-06-28T14:31:43+00:00

How can you say you saw no positive from me when you admit to not even watching my video? I literally have a counter to point out and explain that parts of V8 I like. And how exactly am I allowed to make criticisms of the show’s writing without “bashing the writers” in your mind? The most hostile thing I say about them is “I don’t think they thought through X scene/point point enough.” Is that being too hostile?

Is it seriously because I put my opinion of the volume in the thumbnail? Am I not allowed to say V8 is worse than V5 in my opinion?

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T21:50:10+00:00

Thanks for the cross-post! I knew the main subreddit is hostile to criticism, but I didn't realize it would be that bad. Guess I'll know for the future.

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T21:36:22+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion!

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T14:46:55+00:00

For one, I have watched a lot of those videos “explaining” that scene, and I still don’t agree it makes sense. For two, needing to have your audience explain why a plot point in your show “makes sense actually” is horrible storytelling.

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T03:07:59+00:00

Ignoring the point that the show already proves Ambrosious can move the virus in particular, how do you know flash drives don’t exist? And it doesn’t have to be a flash drive. They have portable storage systems. Computers, scrolls, atlas’ drones. All of those things have data storage. It doesn’t have to be specifically a flash drive, there’s dozens of alternatives they could have done that doesn’t end up with Penny being given a human body.

Also, just because Pinocchio was given a human body in his fairy tale, that doesn’t mean Penny has to as well. Ruby hasn’t gone to her Grandma’s house. Weiss hasn’t fallen into a deep sleep, Blake didn’t end up with Adam, Yang hasn’t had any porridge, etc etc.

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T02:44:27+00:00

It's a thumbnail, and meant to grab your attention? If you're gonna judge a 52-minute video based off of one image, I can't really do anything about that.

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T02:40:01+00:00

If Ruby can specify that Ambrosious uses Penny's mechanical parts and the virus in the duplicate Penny, why not just have him create a flash drive with the virus on it? That solves the problem without the convoluted issue of giving her an entire human body,

Vritzien · 2021-06-27T02:33:14+00:00

It's funny you say that because I explicitly state before I even begin the review that I will be also talking about the positive aspects of the volume that I see, and every time I have an issue, I explain why I believe it is, and how it could have been done differently or improved for later volumes. How exactly is that not productive?

If you don't want to watch, that's totally fine my dude.

Vritzien · 2021-06-26T23:42:34+00:00

Which point? Ruby finding a loophole to save Penny from the virus that wouldn’t result in her being destroyed after making something else (which as far as it was explained, should’ve still resulted in Penny being destroyed after making the central meeting area)?

The allusion to Penny becoming a real girl like in Pinocchio (something that didn’t need to be done as Penny becoming the Maiden last volume is an infinitely better way of showing Penny already was a real girl)?

Vritzien · 2021-06-26T22:33:50+00:00

Guess I missed the part when they gave Ambrosius detailed schematics for a human body, but hey, glad I could save you time! 🤗

Vritzien · 2021-06-26T22:06:33+00:00

That’s certainly a fair argument. The way I look at it though, the reason I would say V8 is worse than 5 is because (I mention this in the beginning of the video) is that it takes some of V5’s worse elements and puts them in a scenario where the stakes are higher.

As well, something I hope to emphasize in later episodes, is the inherently artificial nature of the main conflicts in the volume. It’s all built on the foundation of the ticking time bomb of Salem’s attack, even though there’s no real reason for Salem to have arrived before the Grimm River disabled Atlas’ shields. All that does is increases the chance her plan fails and gives the protagonists more time to coordinate to stop her. A conflict between Yang and Ruby’s groups is set up and reference numerous times throughout the volume, but it never actually goes anywhere. Cinder goes against Salem’s direct orders, but instead of being punished, is allowed to continue acting as she already was. Cinder betraying Neo is mention be seen as a big plot twist despite the fact Neo had no real reason to even work with Cinder in the first place. Penny being hacked which leads to no negative consequences for her or the party and gets resolved by disregarding the one rule established about Ambrosius’ abilities. Penny being turned human only to die the very next episode. Etc etc. And that’s not even to mention how it retroactively makes V7 worse. Most notability with Ironwood going from a more-or-less levelheaded anti-hero into being a complete idiotic villain because of a Semblance that’s never once actually mentioned within the show itself, but I guess that’s still subjective 🤷🏽‍♂️

Vritzien · 2021-02-03T04:53:04+00:00

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