Hello! I've seen you mentioning various RWBY reactors in posts. Do you have like a top list of recommendations? Been trying to find more ones that are positive about the show (including the later Volumes).
Well my personal favorites would be:
- Xiao Long Media (V4-9 reactions, honestly probably the reaction I’m most excited to see especially if it’s Bee related)
- KaitoDan (He’s been making videos about Rwby since near the beginning)
- Kiaxet (V3-9, her and Megan are a great duo and were even on the Aftershow for RWBY)
- Eric Reacts (Honestly he needs more attention he seems like such a sweetheart)
- ghoxttherebel (I have never seen someone so absolutely hyped for this show before, he’s guaranteed to make you smile)
- Sirs and Madams/Cheryl Watch Party (They are more for the music, but they’re all great)
- Melissa Hime (Absolute pure soul, gets super invested)
- Liam Catterson (Another guy who seems like such a sweetie)
- Robin Rising (I don’t agree with everything he says but he seems to come at the show from a very fair perspective and I can respect that)
And as for the newer blood:
- Definitely Not Definitive (Almost completely caught up and an absolute delight)
- NSAF (If you’ve seen any of my posts I’m willing to bet you’ve seen the ones about her)
- Open Arms (Another duo, another that’s really into dissecting the music, but it’s really fun seeing Mortius introduce Casper to this show, and he seems to really love it)
- Patrol Nation (Unfortunately his reactions seem to be based on request so I don’t know how often he’ll post videos but his reactions to the first two volumes have been fun)
There’s also What-The-Heck-Is-RWBY that started as a liveblog here on tumblr and then started doing reactions on YouTube instead halfway through V4 to help hopefully speed up their reaction process. They’re great as well.
Hope that was at all helpful to you. I know there’s probably more but these are the main ones I watch and pay attention to.
Tsubasa’s 6 star ranking story is pretty straightforward, but we get to see the Kaitodan being badass so no complaints here.
Chronologically, this quest takes place way near the beginning of World 1. Takuya and Yuki get a glimpse of Tsubasa's memories when they pass by him. He's fighting the mysterious organisation for an artefact, but he's doing it alone? Where are the rest of the Kaitodan?
Scientist (Eiji) is concerned about what Tsubasa plans to do with the artefact so he asks us to retrieve it if things don't look good.
We go looking for Tsubasa, and by peeking into more of his memories, we learn he is collecting the artefacts for his brother's sake.
Suddenly Scientist calls again. The artefact is actually a trap, laid as bait for the organisation to catch Tsubasa. The organisation is about to surround all of us so we've got to gtfo.
But Yuki is hesitant to leave Tsubasa behind. Even with Takuya telling her Tsubasa is a criminal who only works for his own goals (this is world 1 Takuya before character development so he's still a bit of a jerk), Yuki insists Tsubasa's feelings for his brother are genuine. So we help him.
In a flashback, we see a young Tsubasa with his little brother Yoshiaki. While chasing after his brother, Yoshiaki trips. To cheer him up Tsubasa performs a “magic” trick: he makes a flower in his hand disappear. Yoshiaki is delighted and asks Tsubasa to teach him too. But in fact, Tsubasa used his secret power. Unfortunately he was spotted by a henchman of the organisation.
Yoshiaki is now a proper magician. He makes a rabbit appear from a hat but he is sad that the show didn't go as well as when he practiced.
"I guess I'll never be as cool as nii-san...Nii-San, where are you?"
Note that whereas Tsubasa made the flower disappear, Yoshiaki made a rabbit appear. Their powers are fundamentally opposite.
Sadly, Tsubasa knows Yoshiaki is looking for him, but he cannot involve him.
"You are different to me. Stay in that light of the stage. The only one who needs to get his hands dirty behind the scenes is me."
Tsubasa then thinks back to earlier in the day at the Kaitodan base. Rui is curious why Tsubasa is going off alone.
Rui: "We're a team but why are you going off by yourself?"
Tsubasa: "Actually it's because there is a very important mission I want you guys to do instead. Will you do it?"
Rui: "Hehe, well when you put it that way, how can I refuse?"
But actually it's because he knows the artefact is a trap and he doesn't want to involve them.
So we now know Tsubasa was doing all this to protect the ones important to him.
Yuki feels a strong will emanating from Tsubasa's staff. Takuya explains that staff had been with him since a long time ago. Tsubasa then makes a dramatic revelation:
His staff is an artefact! It had responded to him when he first turned into a tamashii, but it is still incomplete. To reach its final form he requests that we battle.
Long story short, we fight and his artefact becomes complete. But now we are completely surrounded by the organization.
No worries though, Tsubasa says cryptically: “It's show time”.
One organisation member suddenly gets knifed. Another is being chased by a chick with a chainsaw. It's the Kaitodan!
Rui tries to make a cool entrance to impress Yuki but is rudely interrupted by Jack, Yayoi and Sumire explain Kouji told them to go wild for their leader's sake, and Kouji informs Tsubasa he and Saori successfully retrieved the artefact using Kana's app (rip Saori and Kana screentime though).
Takuya and Yuki intended to help Tsubasa, believing they were doing him a favour out of the goodness of their heart. But instead they got upstaged by the Kaitodan, awakened Tsubasa’s staff, and even let them get away with both artefacts.
All's well that ends well though, I guess. Scientist says as the Kaitodan were clearly fighting against the organisation, so they probably won't use the artefacts for evil.
Meanwhile back at the base, Tsubasa reveals that he never intended for the Kaitodan to come rescue him. He thought the task he set for them would take the whole day, but it was accomplished in only half the day. Rui explains it was because they noticed Tsubasa was behaving strangely.
Kouji wants to emphasise that although everyone is grateful that Tsubasa saved them and gave them a place to belong, it does not mean they are satisfied being protected and saved all the time. Tsubasa now knows too, that they are not people to be protected, but the nakama that fight beside him.
Rui and the Kaitodan plan to steal an AF as a surprise Christmas present for Tsubasa, but their heist is foiled by Takuya and Yuki...or so he thinks...
To celebrate Tsubasa's appearance in the anime I'm going to write about his Trance form 9* advent, although it actually looks to be more about Rui than Tsubasa...
Trance Tsubasa is a continuation of Trance Yoshiaki. In that ranking quest, Yoshiaki asked Takuya and Yuki to help him find Tsubasa. They ended up in Nostalgia’s hideout where the brothers teamed up to defeat them. Unfortunately due to their opposing powers (Tsubasa’s “disappearance” vs Yoshiaki’s “creation”), they were unable to stay together long. Before they parted, Tsubasa vowed to find a way to subdue his powers so they can be together again.
"It's not goodbye, it's see you soon"
With the reunion, Tsubasa seems to have recovered his true power, and also a renewed keenness to continue to search for a way to be with Yoshiaki, through the artefacts. Rui is concerned when he learns Tsubasa actually went and fought Nostalgia by himself but Tsubasa dismisses his concern because he wants to hurry and find more AFs.
Tsubasa casually mentioning he totally trashed Nostalgia's hideout the night before
After they successfully retrieve the AF, Rui cautions Tsubasa against moving too fast, quoting Shakespeare in the process.
"Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” (This is a quote by Friar Lawrence from Romeo and Juliet)
Back at the base, Tsubasa tells the story of the "clock tower incident", where he had his first reunion with Yoshiaki after more than ten years.
The rest of the Kaitodan are super stoked that Tsubasa finally got to meet his brother, but Rui feels conflicted. What is going to become of them if Tsubasa leaves? It's not like they're actually related by blood, so they won't be able to be together forever.
Truthfully, Rui is a little jealous of Yoshiaki, Tsubasa's 'actual' family
Tsubasa finds Rui and apologises to him. He had underestimated not just him, but Yoshiaki and everyone in the Kaitodan. He wanted to protect them, but now knows everyone is capable in their own right (note parallels to World 1 Tsubasa). Tsubasa acknowledges Rui's skill and wisdom, giving examples of the advice he should have listened to: when Rui was undercover in the circus to keep an eye on Yoshiaki, he told Tsubasa he should have met Yoshiaki at least once. Also, Rui was the one who said going to Nostalgia by himself was dangerous (because it was).
Tsubasa concludes by saying Rui is his precious family, and that will never change.
The Kaitodan throw a party to celebrate Tsubasa's reunion with Yoshiaki. Jack throws bombs while crying. Kana berates him.
Sorry just had to throw a Jack pic in there. He's too iconic, even without showing his character sprite
Sumire reveals an ice sculpture she made...with her chainsaw. Yayoi notes it is of the Kaitodan, although there is no Yoshiaki because they haven't met him yet. Even if Tsubasa can't meet him, that doesn't mean the rest of them can't either right?
Tsubasa is incredibly happy. He tells them of his dream:
“When everything is over, I want to find a beautiful location and set up a base for my family. It'll be a place where you can come and go as you please, and I'm not forcing anyone to stay. But there will always be a home for you to return to."
So the actual story behind the advent isn't terribly interesting by itself, but I find it fascinating to see the similarities and differences with the other parallel worlds.
This family, of course, includes not just Yoshiaki, but all of the Kaitodan too.
Rui is moved to tears. As an orphan abandoned by his parents, to have a chance at a real family again makes him so happy.
Yayoi: "Are you so happy you're tearing up?"
Rui: "Noo of course not (B-baka!)"
And with this, it looks like Rui's character arc reaches an end? All the Kaitodan quests are about the members finding a place to belong but I think this theme applies especially to Rui and Kouji, who were there since the beginning, and were the ones to help Tsubasa find his place of belonging first (are we ever gonna get Kouji's story though lol).
Time for a comparative study!
*SPOILER* warning for Tsubasa 6* ranking, Trance Sumire 9* advent, and anime eps 5 and 6.
Before we start, please note I will refer to the world of the first Shoumetsu/Lost as “World 1”, and the world of the second Shoumetsu/Shoumetsu Toshi 2/the one with the ice pillar as “World 2”.
Note that Tsubasa 6* occurs in World 1, while Trance Yoshiaki and Trance Tsubasa occur in World 2.
First, let's talk about the similarities between the Tsubasa in the game. Tsubasa awakening his AF in World 1 is a direct parallel to him “unlocking” his power after teaming up with Yoshiaki in World 2. Through those battles each also comes to realise the true strength of the people they want to protect.
The difference is that in World 2 he gets reunited with Yoshiaki, while that is yet to happen in World 1. Consequently it feels like the Kaitodan take a bit of a back seat in World 2 (for example, in Tsubasa's 6* ranking, the members actually intervene to bail out their leader, while in World 2, Yoshiaki takes more of the spotlight). However to make up for that, we get to see more of the mental implications on each individual. This is particularly prominent in the case of Trance Sumire.
In Sumire's 9* advent, we see she feels a sense of unease at the changes Tsubasa underwent after the clock tower incident, fearing it might change the current dynamic within the Kaitodan (note similarity to how Rui feels). Also similar to Rui, her fears are allayed by the end and she becomes able to accept change. Essentially we see the trust between Tsubasa and the rest of the members happen along the same vein in both worlds, just in different ways.
The anime draws on a very different set of events. The two biggest changes are Tsubasa's absence, and the nature of Yoshiaki's power.
Tsubasa is missing in the anime, and the Kaitodan is only half of what it is in the game (missing Yayoi, Kouji and Saori). It definitely feels sadder although I do appreciate the details they added to the base to give it a homely vibe.
Without a leader, the Kaitodan are forced to act on their own and make their own decisions. We don't really get to see the impact of Tsubasa on the group, except in a flashback which basically shows the group's founding. Although in a way this does reinforce the idea that each member is perfectly capable in their own right and don't need Tsubasa's protection, the fact they couldn't hold their own against Souma kind of undermines this. Nevertheless, I definitely think Tsubasa's role in the anime is as a guide to help these delinquents find a way to stand on their own.
The other big change the anime made is give Yoshiaki the same power as Tsubasa, instead of an opposing one. Unfortunately they still can't be together because Tsubasa was, first, in an AF, and now he is gone. Rip.
Anyway I think the biggest motive for this change was to fit the storyline the anime was going for. One that emphasises the bond between the brothers, while conveniently resolving the AF plot thread. From a strategic point of view, this means the audience should be invested in Yoshiaki enough to justify his inclusion in the main story going forward, and also the creators don't have any more Kaitodan-related loose plot threads they need to consider, which frees them up to explore other characters and stories in the rest of the anime.
Sooo, the anime made a lot of changes I don't completely approve of, but I can see reasons to agree with them. And the characters do think and act appropriately for that context, which is all that I really need.
When we view these similar plots in combination with each other, I feel we really get a sense of how consistently Shoumetsu Toshi is able to convey its characters and narratives. I can also appreciate how every character, no matter how similar, is a product of their own individual circumstances, something we see clearly in all the parallel worlds.
I just found the design of Tsubasa and, wow, I love him, Who is he?
Yessss!! dw I'm pretty sure everyone is in love with him now. Even Yuki blushes at some of his gentlemanly lines.
Tsubasa is the reliable leader of the kaitodan, a group of phantom thieves. He has the power of "disappearance", which clashes with his younger brother Yoshiaki's power of "creation". So his goal is to find a way to negate that power so they can be together.
Tsubasa had to fend for himself from a young age, because a mysterious organisation was chasing him for his power, and he decided to separate from yoshiaki for his own safety. He later met Kouji and Rui and formed the kaitodan, which has since become a place where people who don't fit the mould of society can belong like a family.
But yeah basically Tsubasa is insanely cool and beautiful in every quest you see him in (my personal picks are his trance form and latest 6 star form).
Kaitodan translates roughly to 'Phantom Thief Group'. They're a ragtag bunch of misfits who don't really fit the concept of 'normal'. They steal stuff and cause trouble. Takuya used to chase them down when he was working as a private detective in the past.
But they are a fun group who care for each other like family. The theme with them seems to be outsiders who finally found a place to belong.
The three founding members are Tsubasa (who exemplifies the gentleman thief trope), Kouji (who is very good at picking locks) and Rui (who can do tricks with throwing knives, and likes Yuki). Other members are Kana (hacker), Sumire (chainsaw princess), Yayoi (has PSI powers), Jack (likes explosives and saying cool-sounding English phrases) and Saori (unfortunately there are like no stories about her yet).
Each of the members is incredibly unique and (imo) very likeable. Their backstories are pretty interesting too.
It’s the Great Pirate Era in the latest parallel world Yuki and Takuya inadvertently stumble into. The pair even get onboard a pirate ship and experience life with the Kaitodan!
This event explores a hypothetical scenario: What if Takuya and Yuki met Tsubasa and company under different circumstances? What if instead of enemies they started as friends? ‘Our Blue’ explores that possibility and hammers home the idea that yes, the kaitodan would make excellent companions.
The plot is rather straightforward and focuses more on developing relationships. Takuya and Yuki accompany the pirate crew to an island to find a secret treasure that will return them back to their own world. The pirates want the treasure for themselves however they also need Takuya and Yuki’s help to fight off Ryouko (who is a Marine in this world). So they form a temporary truce until they land.
Yuki gets along very well with each of the crew members, actively trying to help out around the ship, interacting with them, learning more about them and generally developing a deeper bond.
Takuya on the other hand, is clouded by his perceptions of the kaitodan he knows from his world. He is unwillingly to get close to them. Pirate Tomoko even remarks on how different he and Yuki are in their honesty.
In the end they have to fight the pirates for the treasure, however they do not seem like aggressive enemies. In fact, Jack thanks Yuki for her help on the ship, while Natsuki apologises before stalling them to give the rest of the crew time to find the treasure. Even though they are now on opposing sides of the battle, the pirates won’t forget the bonds they forged on the ship.
What I’ve always found incredibly fascinating about parallel worlds is how in-character everyone remains. It is a testament to very well written characters if you can still identify the traits that make them unique even when they are in wildly different circumstances (Ryouko is still as stubborn as ever, Tsubasa remains a gentleman even as a pirate, Lui still falls for Yuki, Sumire is still chainsaw obsessed etc).
For Shoumetsu Toshi in particular, I am even more impressed at the consistency, because we have seen so many iterations of the kaitodan members. It paints a picture of each member as their own distinct character with complex backstories, quirks and values. Each new event then builds further on this foundation, so we learn more about them bit by bit. Kind of like how you might learn more about someone each time you meet again. (Except you also occasionally meet their past selves, future selves, and them in a different timeline… )
This time was especially valuable in learning more about Sumire, because she is normally so soft spoken. While we’ve seen her past in a previous event already, it was really refreshing to see her interacting with Yuki in a way we would likely never see anywhere else: cooking together, and talking about clothes and jewellery.
Anyway my point is every Sumire in every parallel world is still Sumire, and we can say the same for Ryouko, or Tsubasa or any other character in the Shoumetsu Toshi universe. It also means that it is likely in many parallel worlds, Takuya and Yuki could have been great friends with the Kaitodan…just not ours... :(
Maybe the ‘blue’ in ‘Our Blue’ also stood for idealistic blue-sky thinking…
