(Warning: This article will contain spoilers for RWBY, including all the way through Volume 3. If you are not caught up on RWBY, you can watch the entire series on RoosterTeeth.com.)
Rooster Teeth's biggest animated show since Red Vs Blue has been a rollercoaster ride since the very beginning. What started out as a light hearted show about four girls training to be huntresses has turned into a serious revelation about the dangers of the world. After bringing in a large fan base mostly due to the lovable nature and the connectability of the characters, show writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross have gone after the hearts of the fans in a very Game Of Thrones-esque way - by killing off characters people have attached themselves to.
The first one was Penny Polendina, who was beginning to get more development as a character. Many adored the lovable Penny for her bubbly personality, and just when fans were hoping Penny would gain a much larger role in the series, she was quickly split into four pieces.
Then came the death of Pyrrha Nikos, who had been a vital part of the RWBY story for three volumes. Just when RWBY fans thought the relationship between her and Jaune Arc, which had been teased for three volumes, was about to happen, Pyrrha gets an arrow to the chest, and is turned into a cloud of dust. Fans were rightfully reduced to a sea of tears, so Rooster Teeth did what was only fair.
Give them a cute, non canon series of comedy skits featuring their characters in every day situations. Genius.
RWBY Chibi offers a complete change in tone from the main story - in fact, it offers a change in just about everything, from show layout to art work and everything in between. The only thing that keeps the show connected to its namesake is the characters and the background. The show involves characters from RWBY and it takes place at Beacon Academy. Everything else is unrecognizable from the main show. Instead of one long running story, Chibi features episodes that are a series of short sketches. Instead of focusing primarily on action, Chibi's focus is on comedy. Instead of taking itself seriously, Chibi routinely breaks the fourth wall and reminds viewers that there is nothing at stake.
Fan Reaction
Fans have been somewhat mixed on RWBY Chibi. For some, the campiness and the non-canon nature of the show is too much to digest. Others see the show as pandering to a younger demographic, even though many of the jokes within Chibi are adult in nature. Some fans would rather not see the characters in situations that have no effect on an overall story arc.
The majority of the reaction, however, has been positive. While there may be no long running story in Chibi, the show gives fans content to consume while waiting for Volume 4. It also, once again, shows off the talents of the voice actors in the series, as every voice actor from Volume 3 returned for Chibi. Even Neath Oum, who lives in Japan, returns to voice Lie Rin. Of course, the biggest moment of Chibi might be the reveal of dearly departed Pyrrha.
"Nothing bad ever happened! EEEVVVVEEERRRRR!!!" Nora screams into the camera, effectively breaking the fourth wall in the most comedic way thus far. Indeed, since the show has no canon connection to RWBY, Pyrrha can be alive, Yang can have two arms, the Beacon can remain completely in tact without having to worry about constituently. It is also great to once again hear the voice of Jen Brown, who put a lot of love and passion into her role as Pyrrha.
The show is certainly not for everyone, and it is not recommended for anyone who does not have any prior knowledge of the RWBY series. For fans, however, it is worth it to give it a chance. After leaving Volume 3 on such a down note, it is nice to have a palate cleanser before the stakes get ramped up in Volume 4. It will also be a good show to go back to when Shawcross and Luna ultimately break the heart of fans once again.
The entire RWBY Chibi series to date can be viewed on RoosterTeeth.com. Rooster Teeth FIRST members get to view the episodes one week in advance. The episodes are also available on Rooster Teeth's YouTube channel.
