Review: RWBY “The Lady in the Shoe”

A different way to frame things.

Overview:

With Cordovin’s mecha still causing trouble, the team needs to find a way to take it down.

Our Take:

A short episode, overall. I do think this one and the previous one should’ve been combined.

Cordovin continues to be a problem with her giant mecha, but the team figures out a strategic way to take it down. Any sort of colossal being is usually meant to combat something of its same size, not something drastically smaller. Just with their size alone, the team is already fairly well equipped to dealing with the mecha, provided that they move fast.

This assessment ends up being correct; Cordovin’s greatest assets are her cannon and her shields, and those are powered by a small battery. It’s fairly easy to bait the pilot, as Cordovin is highly arrogant and despite her boasts, not exactly tactically sound.

Adam once again proves that he’s the superpowered version of every abusive ex ever. He is still wrapped up in his pain- and granted, it’s not unwarranted pain. We have no idea the specifics of what Adam went through and how it sparked his hatred of humans, but all we need to see is the branding on his eyelids to know that it was something horrible. However, he does what every abusive person does, and turns his pain into blame on another party, that someone else needs to take responsibility. He was once the victim, so he will always be the victim in his mind, He may be bitter that he was kicked from the White Fang, but what he confronts Blake with isn’t that- it’s that she ‘hurt’ him, not through injury, but by defying and escaping his influence. By moving on, Blake proved that Adam no longer has supreme power over her, and so she can’t be his emotional punching bag. She has her own will, she speaks up for herself, she isn’t tolerant of his nonsense, and that he can’t stand.

Yang finally enters the fight to get revenge for her lost arm, but she’s shown significant growth than how she was before. Instead of charging blindly into things and constantly rising to opponents’ taunts, Yang shows a much more level-headed side to her. She is still no doubt fierce but isn’t falling for tricks.

She and Blake also demonstrate that what they talked about in the village is something they’ve truly digested. Blake doesn’t need saving from Adam. Yang doesn’t need saving because of her disability. There isn’t one person that has the role of victim and the other of a savior- they can instead protect each other, as equals.