Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-410526-20160116155944/@comment-26100685-20160116215901

My rundown of this weeks episode

- Taking off the Lazer Team advertisments, Rooster Teeth logos and opening and credits, we have a run time of 8 minutes 41 seconds, the shorted episode so far, considering this volume has had the longest episodes consistently this is a real let down, especially since next week is another World of Remnant.

- Not only did many of us on the wikia predict that there would be a Penny vs Pyrrha fight in the tournament finals when the line up featured in Fall, but many of us also predicted that Penny would be damaged somehow by Pyrrha and her polarity semblence. Now this isn't sloppy or bad writing, but its the 3rd time that plot points have been predicted in advance.

- Minor complaint, but the movement of Mercury's mouth when Ruby looks away looks awful, because its not his smile changing, his mouth is literally rotating below his nose. It looks so unnatural.

- By contrast, the animation on Penny and her swords looks real nice, fluid and smooth.

- Mercury knocking Ruby out of her speed tornado move is surprising as I was under the impression that this was one of Ruby's fastest moves, just how quick are Mercury's reflexes exactly?

- Really don't know  what was up with Pyrrha's weapon deformation. Surely for something that transforms you wouldn't want to bend the components so liberally? Perhaps it was her semblence activating due to her emotions like in the previous episode, who knows.

- The establishing shots of Emeralds face look really bizarre because her mouth just kind of lingers in this half open frown but its minor so whatever.

- Would have been nice to see Mercury actually chase after Ruby when she gains a significant lead, we don't see him again until after Ruby sees Penny.

- Since they've confirmed Emerald's semblence they seem to be using it in every combat instance, but I guess it works for framing all the finalists.

- We have Doctor Polendina, who appears to be troubled by the destruction of his robotic daughter, whilst it's clear that the allusion is to Gepetto and Pinnochio, I can't help but think of Astro Boy and Dr. Astor Boyton II.

- I feel like the Ruby crying scene could have been shot and executed better. I would have had a quick cinematic zoom from Penny's parts to Ruby as she sinks to the floor, her reaction felt way too quick for seeing a valued friend destroyed. Lindsay's performance for Ruby crying sounded more like whimpering than crying, but I understand it's incredibly hard to mimic such a powerful emotion correctly whilst staying in character.

- Cinder gives a big speech about the way the world is run like Roman did to the White Fang. She's speaks ominously because shes an evil person. Moving on.

- The animation of Zwei doesn't seem to have improved. Oh well.

- Emerald walking away looked like she was a little tipsy, she kept tilting from side to side. Whoops.

- So they sensed Grimm were on the move in Fall and only sent out two Atlas soldiers to dispatch any that came near the city and the academy? What?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- The Nevermore standing on the colosseum raises a good point, how long can that shield stay active before it fails?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- When Coco stands up her handbag strap/bullet belt are there, but the actual handbag is missing again like in Fall.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- Ozpin is sending Qrow and Glynda to the city, most likely to help with the Grimm invasion down by the walls, but what about Beacon, the cities defenses already let a single large Nevermore slip through, what's going to happen to the academy when more show up?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- Neo got aboard the airship that was carrying Roman I guess. The last time we saw her she was piloting the ship with Cinder, Emerald and Mercury but okay.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- Surely in military airships are equipped with powerful weapons, would they not also be equipped with a defensive shield like the colosseum to prevent friendly fire?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- Adam and the White Fang arrive at beacon, I am left to wonder what will happen when Adam finds out that this is where Blake ran off to.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">- Both Monty Oum and Shane Newville are credited as lead animators at the end of the episode, I wonder how much they both did.