RWBY is turning into a franchise, possibly the first franchise from a web series. A few months ago, Lost in Translation looked at the first RWBY novel, EC Meyers‘ RWBY After the Fall. A follow-up novel, RWBY Before the Dawn by the same author, is due out July 2020. Merchandise is available, including Funko Pop! figures. Add on to this a video game, a comic mini-series from DC Comics and two separate manga lines. One of the manga lines is a series of anthologies, each volume focusing on a different character on Team RWBY. The other is a 2015 release by Shirow Miwa and published by SHUEISHA. VIZ then received the English language rights to the manga in 2016.
While RWBY is up to its seventh series, interest in the show began early. The 2015 publication of Miwa’s manga came between seasons 2 and 3 of the series. The manga picks up on some threads left by the trailers – Red, White, Black, and Yellow – and season 1. Team RWBY doesn’t just have to deal with Grimm. There’s also rivals at Beacon Academy and mobster Roman Torchwick to deal with. Team RWBY isn’t alone, though. Team JNPR – Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren – are there to help.
With a series early in its run, getting details right is key. Character design is the first thing audiences will notice, especially when going from one visual medium (animation in this case) to another (manga). Helping the transistion between media is RWBY having an aesthetic similar to /anime/, Japanese animation. Fans are already prepared for the art style. The personalities of Team RWBY are brought over without problems, as well. Ruby is young, unprepared, but is willing to step up to be a hero. Yang is boisterous, ready for action. Blake is reserved, slowly opening up with her new friends. Weiss is warming up to her teammates as well, though her icy exterior comes from different reasons than Blake’s. The four are recognizable in appearance and action.
In fact, all the characters are recognizable, even those with limited screen time in the manga like Penny. Even the Grimm behave as expected, though with a nice twist to challenge Team RWBY and Team JNPR. After all, there has to be a surprise or two.
The manga gives more details about dust, the magic powder used to power the weapons used by Huntresses and Hunters. Weiss, being the heir to the Schnee Dust Company, provides most of the info, as is fitting. Not everyone wants to hear it, but the info is out there for readers. The first part helps fill in details that audiences of the animated series might not have received.
Miwa’s RWBY is very much RWBY, especially as it was in 2015. A snapshot of a series that continued to evolve. The manga may not reflect what RWBY is now, it is a reflection of what it was and is still worth a read.
