Shorts Review: RWBY – Volume 3, World of Remnant 4

For the newest “World of Remnant” we once again delve into the story of the Four Maidens from “Fall” , but with deeper detail told from Ozpin’s Narration and perspective.

And now Spoilers…

While the episode “Fall” told a short “Cliff-Notes” version of the story from Phyrra, Ozpin this time tells his own version of it which is not only detailed but has left fans with a number of questions and hints about who Ozpin possibly is as a character.

It’s a bit inconsistent due to the way Phyrra told her story but this is what the Four Maidens look like in Ozpin’s version:

Winter

Spring

Summer (Who looks like Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7.)

And Fall

And this screen-capture was from Phyrra’s version of the story from “Fall”.

Ozpin details all of the Maiden’s personalities and how they interacted with the wizard. Ozpin places much more importance on developing the audience’s views of each individual, and also shows us exactly how each Maiden effected the old man. His version sounds like he’s remembering something. Not some story that’s been passed down for hundreds of years, but something he directly experienced. He even tries to portray their voices properly by giving us different inflections for each girl.

We even learn that the versions of the details between Pyrrha’s and Ozpin’s stories are different, Pyrrha stating that the Winter Maiden “understands his reclusive nature and urges him to use his time to reflect and meditate” while Ozpin tells us that the old man took it upon himself (with no convincing from the Winter Maiden) to “share in the serenity the young maiden enjoyed.” Ozpin’s version of the story is much more personal, than Pyrrha’s. Ozpin’s version tells us who was the older sibling, and who was the younger sibling. Ozpin’s version is told with emotion, as if he’s trying to get his audience to understand his own attachment to these four young women.

Either Ozpin is a very good storyteller who just so happens to love the story of the Maidens…

Or the centuries old, unnamed wizard- an old man blessed with a bountiful harvest every year as his friends came to fulfill their parting promise to see him- cleaned himself up, shaved his beard, and started a small school to try and train students to help their fellow men in the same way these four Maidens had helped him and to this day he still chooses the next recipient of a Maiden’s powers, while they visit every year fulfilling their own promise to him as well.

In a Small Series of Gifs, here’s some of the beautifully detailed animation of the Maidens Receiving their powers.

The biggest complaint people would have who feverishly follow the series is that they’d probably think there’s literally no reason for Ozpin to have such a detailed account of the Story of The Seasons unless it’s done on purpose as a clue of sorts for fans to speculate and conjure up fan-theories all over Tumblr & Reddit. It’s understandable how Ozpin could’ve narrated the CCTS World of Remnant and the Vytal Festival one and the ones about Aura and Grimm and Hunters, etc. but to have such a detailed account of this fairy tale is confusing. Not to mention we have two different versions of this story: Pyrrha’s version, and now Ozpin’s version.

If they wanted to talk about the Four Maidens they should have talked about afterwards. Like after the maidens left what did they do? Like did they go help others (I’m sure they did)? What happened when one sister died, like how did the powers transfer the first time? How did others find out and be like Cinder, ambitiously desire that power?

Overview.

This is exactly what I wanted from this WOR. The moment I saw it was about the four maidens, I was looking forward to more detail in the story and that’s what we got. It was definitely warm and light-hearted episode despite what has happened recently in the show. I think this is something we all needed.

Artistically the animation was simplistic & colorful and the background music is on-point, well done and everything. It really got me hooked. Click the Soundcloud at the bottom to listen if you haven’t heard it in the episode already. 🙂

https://soundcloud.com/alex-abraham-music/rwbyvol3worldofremnantthefourmaidens

Despite this being a detailed retelling, The writing was not only clever but the plot moving with such thrilling pace and all the characters in the show are being developed and we’re given suitable exposition on the more vague parts of the show. And that particular line from Fall stuck with me: “We do not do things for you because you are special. We do what we can for everyone because we are able.” Beautiful & Profound Words to live by, it’s a philosophy you can at some level appreciate regardless of what religious background you possibly have/don’t have.

While we didn’t really learn much of anything from this week’s WoR, I still enjoyed it. The animation was lovely, and it was funny to hear Ozpin’s voice try to imitate the maidens. Definitely looking forward to seeing if anyone does cosplays for the four of them, and also to next week’s episode where at the moment, nothing is cute anymore and everything is terrible. 😛