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RWBY Volume 8 Blu-ray Review

Volume 8 of “RWBY” is strictly for the fans.

In the 14 chapter season 8 (AKA Volume 8) of the Rooster Teeth animated series “RWBY,” the villainous immortal woman Salem has emerged with a plan to attack the world of Remnant. Team RWBY (comprised of Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and so forth) are plotting to warn Remnant about her. Other subplots revolve around the power hungry Cinder, Ozpin’s return, a bomb, the Lamp of Knowledge, Ironwood (the crazed military leader and Atlas Academy Headmaster), character deaths, character conflicts and division, and Grimm Hounds.

The anime inspired “RWBY” has become a cult classic having spawned a legion of fans, merchandise, and (now) 8 seasons and counting. It’s not hard to see the appeal of this CGI animated series which contains powers, ships, relics, magic, creatures, robotics, and strong female characters. As ambitious as the series is, its ambitions are also its shortcomings. In season 8 at least, “RWBY” is an unwieldy series that is cluttered with an overabundance of characters, conflicts, factions, and side stories. There’s too much going on here and characters (and characterization for that matter) get lost in the shuffle. Even Ruby herself seems to take a back seat in parts as characters like Penny and Cinder are front and center. With that said, fans that have immersed themselves into this series for years will likely be on board with the continuation of this animated saga.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 1080p. How does it look? The animation may be a bit stiff and clunky in spots but it looks crisp and colorful in hi-def.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track does the job.

Extras:
* A package of 10 “RWBY Justice League” art cards
* “RWBY” Volume 8 trailer
* 2 video panels- one from the RTX Animation Festival and another from Sundance that celebrates the 100th episode.
* Commentary on all episodes.
* “Talk CRWBY To Me Season 1”- A Zoom conversation with crew members who talk about behind-the-scenes stories . Episodes 1, 6, 7, and 8 are included.
* “Grimm Campaign Season 1”- A 2 episode Zoom RPG game.
* A script 2 screen comparison.

January 10, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Animated Series, RWBY, RWBY Volume 8 Blu-ray Review