RWBY (2015 manga)


 * ''For other uses of "RWBY", see RWBY (disambiguation)

This is a fairy tale. A tale of humans and creatures...and magic.

RWBY is the manga adaptation of the American anime web series of the same name written by manga artist Shirow Miwa. It is being published in Shueisha's monthly seinen Ultra Jump magazine with supervision by Rooster Teeth. The first arc of the manga closely followed the storyline of the four trailers, while subsequent chapters will explore original storylines.

The first chapter was released in the Ultra Jump December issue, on November 19th, 2015. It had colored center and back pages, along with additional art from the manga. Subsequent chapters are published on the 19th of each month in the Ultra Jump magazine.

The English translation published in Viz Media's Weekly Shōnen Jump manga anthology and released for audiences worldwide. It had been confirmed that the official English translation would begin on October 31, 2016.

Summary
Like the anime, the RWBY manga follows the members of Team RWBY – Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long – and their adventures as they train to become Huntresses at the prestigious Beacon Academy. The manga delves into the motivations and backstory of the four main characters, giving new insights and context. Many characters from the main series also make appearances. The manga also explains some concepts and elements of the setting, such as the Grimm and Dust.

The canonicity of the manga is described by Rooster Teeth as being "not non-canon" and "canon until it's not". That is, the details are considered canon until they are contradicted by the show. Writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross were also consulted on the manga's writing.

Plot
The first nine chapters of the manga are based on the trailers, focusing on each of the members of Team RWBY in turn. The manga depicts events from throughout the continuity of RWBY in a non-linear narrative.


 * The first two chapters include a scene referencing the "Red" Trailer, followed by Ruby Rose attending Beacon Academy. She defends her friend Jaune Arc from Cardin Winchester's torment, leading to a sparring match arranged by Professor Glynda Goodwitch.
 * The third and fourth chapters cover Weiss' thoughts during the "White" Trailer, as she faces a dangerous possessed suit of armor, while reflecting on her decision to attend Beacon.
 * The fifth and sixth chapters adapt the "Black" Trailer, showing Blake Belladonna and Adam Taurus attacking the cargo train and her subsequent departure from the White Fang.
 * The next three chapters are a retelling of the "Yellow" Trailer, depicting the brawl started by Yang Xiao Long at Junior Xiong's Club in search of a certain individual.

Future chapters of the manga will delve into an original story chronologically set between Volumes 1 and 2.

Characters

 * Manga-only characters
 * SDC President's Secretary

Development
The manga is written and illustrated by Shirow Miwa, whose previous work includes Dogs: Prelude and Dogs: Bullets &amp; Carnage, as well as illustrations for numerous magazines and light novels. Rooster Teeth staff, including Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross, discussed the content of the manga with the team in Japan through a translator. Topics included which characters could be used in the story and how characters should be portrayed to keep them consistent with the series.

The manga is serialized through Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine, with each chapter released monthly (often on that month's 19th day), barring any breaks. Ultra Jump is a seinen magazine; it markets manga series for young adults (often male, but with significant female followings). The artist and author, Shirow Miwa, has experience in writing manga and light novels (including the aforementioned Dogs franchise), often through Ultra Jump.

In late July 2016, it was announced that Rooster Teeth had partnered with Viz Media, a publisher and distributor which licenses Shueisha's properties in the United States, to bring RWBY titles to a worldwide audience. At NYCC 2016 in October, it was revealed that the English translation of the manga will be published in Viz's Weekly Shōnen Jump manga anthology magazine.