User blog comment:ArrwCtchr/Character Development./@comment-9090085-20131019043246/@comment-9090085-20131020000523

OK, I see that I messed up what you were trying to say - I was a little confused as to what parts were about Jaune's "arc" and which were the story as a whole. To that end, here is my reply:

There is little rising action. You're right, very little has been done to set-up Roman as the main antagonist; beyond that he is planing something big that likely involves a lot of people and Dust, which could effect Beacon and/or Vale City, and might happen during the Vytal Festival. not much.

You point out that an Ursa, even a big, elder one, wasn't much of a threat, and you're still right; but maybe that's the point - showing that for all Cardin's big talk, like most bullies, he (and his team) are cowards at heart. It also serves as a major confidence booster for Jaune, who until now hadn't even killed a beowolf.

But when you say that the Ursa should have come without warning to "change the status quo", I could argue that throwing "shocking swerves" (events with little/no foreshadowing) out constantly will quickly turn themselves into the "status quo", I will instead argue this:

RWBY doesn't seem like that kind of show.

In fact, RWBY seems to be going out of it's way to allow attentive viewers to anticipate plot points, often just before bringing that point up: Glenda mentions Forever Fall is full of Grimm; Cardin is in the window below Jaune and Pyrrha(people did miss this); Ruby identifies the Boarbatusk's weak point; the paintings around the Death Stalker's cave; the giant feather of the Nevermore; even Jaune's inability to recognize Pyrrha, which is the first clue of the "shocking swerve" of this arc. It's not just the show ether: the Malachite Sisters are standing next to Junior before he waves them off - they attack Yang latter in the Yellow Trailer. and in the Black Trailer when Adam says "Perfect", you can see the Spider Droid walk along the ceiling behind him and Blake before it attacks.

And this leads to a personal point for me: some people(and I'm not saying you're one of them) went into RWBY expecting a completely original show, doing things no show had ever done before.

I came in looking for a cliche storm.

I expected a show that reveled in over-the-top Anime Physics, Anime Character Design(hopefully with with hidden depths), hordes of souless monsters our heroes could kill without remorse or regret, and other such malarkey. And I wasn't disappointed in that regard. If anything, I might have gotten lost if they just threw things in out of left field, seeing as people are being thrown off by explanations of Aura and Semblance.

It might be that difference in expectations(and the interesting characters) that allows me to so deftly ignore the lack of plot development.

OK, maybe the style is pretty hand hold-y, but that people still miss these signs means it may be an adequate style of writing; not good, perhaps, but not necessarily bad, per-say. We could have this "climax" be the build up to something bigger. And if you still want a "shocking swerve", here's a possibility:

We have been lead to believe(however clumsily) that Roman Torchwick is the main antagonist; but when his plan is thwarted, "Crimson" reveals herself to have be using Roman, and that she is the real main antagonist. Just a thought.