Review: RWBY Vol.9 “A Cat Most Curious”

Overview

Team RWBY joins up with the Curious Cat and, in return for hearing about Remnant and Team RWBY’s adventures, the Cat agrees to help undo the Red Prince’s shrinking spell. Reaching a garden-like acre, the group loses track of the Cat but meets the caterpillar-like Herbalist, who engulfs them in an incense smoke cloud where they are individually confronted by past versions of themselves…

Our Take

In the tradition of Alice in Wonderland-style stories/retellings and reinterpretations, We now get our obligatory Cheshire Cat and Smoking Caterpillar equivalents for this Volume/Season of RWBY known as “The Curious Cat” and “The Herbalist”. But unlike those aforementioned retellings, the story within RWBY’s universe makes no mention of the existence of the Caterpillar which even catches them off guard when the Curious Cat storms off without them and this is seconds after warning Team RWBY not to go in anyone’s house without him.

It’s here when the plot reaches some deep introspection when they encounter hallucinations of their younger selves that proceed to ask deep questions while offering all of them an “easy way out” of sorts which isn’t just reflective of the show and characters but even in our own lives. As individuals, It’s equally important to understand who we are now, come to terms with our past, and have a clear idea or goal of the direction we are headed and want to take…

Overall, the journey of self-discovery continues with Team RWBY as they go through this journey without any civilians to save or monsters to kill. And looking beyond the weird-ass shit that’s going on with Neo or the yet-to-be-revealed fate of Jaune. Weiss, Yang, and Blake were able to figure themselves out and give unique answers, yet Ruby still needs to get more help for her personal “Hero’s Journey”. And hopefully by the end of this volume/season with her friends, Ruby herself will come to terms with who she really is and how far she has come.