Understanding the Follies of a Craft: Why RWBY Should Learn From Arknights World Building

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     There were once a time when the once hit 3D anime inspired animated show by RoosterTeeth called RWBY (spelled as Ruby) was the talk of the internet. This show that was the brain child of the now late Monty Oum took the world by storm one day was in a way a gem. RWBY's amazing fight sequences and charming world, at least from seasons 1-3 mesmerized fans from all over. But now a days the show has bit by bit dwindled in quality. Especially in the quality of it's world building.

    Talking about this topic is of course something of a hot button topic, because a lot of people still think this show amazing despite its flaws. To be fair that in itself makes sense, because this show has so much sentimental value to bunch of people. But sentimental value will not be enough to improve upon RWBY's quality. Hearing the many complaints that RWBY is known for, mainly in it's characters and world building maybe it's best to take a step back and learn how can they try fix their story. Of course the one thing that can help one person improve upon their work if they were to study other crafts and make that as a sort of guideline to better improve upon your craft.

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   One example that RoosterTeeth can use as this guideline, especially when they want to write world building is from Hypergriff's tower defence gacha game Arknights. A lot of fans of this game would say that Arknights world building is top notch, and this statement has some since. Arknights lore (especially during the main storyline) is very dark and gritty that some might say fundamentally plausible in real life (minus the civilization ending disasters, moving cities, fantasy disease, and cat people or the like). Whereas in RWBY one might say the show has only surface level dark tones and doesn't explore much of the horrors that Remnant's politics and discrimination brings. 

    There are about three points in consideration when discussing about what plot points that RWBY and Arknights lore has in common. These three points are:

 

REMNANT VS TERRA

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  Remnant (The world of RWBY) and Terra (the world of Arknights) has a lot in common with each other. One is that they're both high tech societies that also has a sort of magic system which are the Semblances from RWBY and the Arts from Arknights.

    But one thing that sets them apart is that the countries in Remnant has no connection to real life places, whereas the countries in Terra has some sort of resemblance with real world places regarding culture, politics, or historical events. Not only that the other difference that sets Remnant and Terra apart is the fact that the other is a highly connected and globalized world whereas the other is a high tech society that is forced to live nomadic lives in what one would say a country with wheels and avoid the various civilization ending disasters called catastrophes that threaten to massacre them in any moment in their lives.

    Another thing that sets RWBY apart from Arknights is that the inhabitants in RWBY is divided into two races, the human and the half animal Faunus race. Whereas the inhabitants in Arknights all have animal traits (with the exeption of some of the marine animal based Aegirs such as Thorns, Spectre, Skadi, etc.) with no human race what so ever. 

    The geopolitical climate that Arknights provide is said to be something that most gacha games don't explore. It maybe the fact that a lot states in Arknights is inspired by real life countries (with the exception of Aegir), such as Ursus being similar to Russia, Colombia being similar to the US, Lung Meng being similar to Hong Kong and so forth. Some would see this as not creative enough, but this is proved to be Arknights strength. It is because with real life as a reference the creating a state can be much simpler albeit still has enough room for innovation.

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      Other than that what makes the politics in Arknights so engaging is that we can see what these states impact on the characters and NPCs. Story event during story event we get glimpses on what life and misery is for these people. Such as the racism that Iberia does to its non Liberi citizens, or even worse the overall treatment and discrimination towards people that are infected with Oripathy, Arknights version of the Black Plague. The infected themselves are the main spotlight in Arknights, because of the game's narrative to bring home the suffering of these people.  

THE FAUNUS VS THE INFECTED

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 Previously we discussed what Remnant and Terra is and also glimpsed at what the Faunus and the Infected are. But maybe you're wondering what exactly these two are and what makes them so in common. The answer is simple, discrimination. Both of these works focuses on discrimination and the unfortunate to flat out horrible impact that they cause. But what makes them different you ask? The answer is that RWBY tackles discrimination quite juvenile whereas there is a certain complexity with the infecteds discrimination. 

    The reason why is that the case because the discrimination towards the Faunus are considered black and white that we all know A (which are the people that belittle Faunus) is bad and B (the people who supports the Faunus even when they're wro
ng) is good. Whereas those who are infected by Oripathy are treated badly for sure, but when you think about it again having a group of people with a highly infectious disease that is most certainly deadly and will kill you slowly but painfully by constantly crystalizing you from the inside till you lose most of the things that make you "You" and finally die, people are justified to be paranoid. It makes sense of one state will choose to heavily regulate refugees because of them, or even flat out segregate them because they can't risk their people getting infected as well. But even if that's the case purging suspected infected to even denying them their basic needs are still considered heinous. 

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    This is what makes the treatment of the infected different to the treatment of the Faunus, because only unsavoury racially charged remarks is not enough to hammer home the disgusting aspects of discrimination. We don't see blatant bias that favours the humans in RWBY nor do we see with our own eyes the suffering and poverty that discrimination brings to the Faunus only. That is why the rebel group known as the White Fang is utilized poorly in RWBY unlike The Reunion Movement in Arknights.

THE WHITE FANG VS REUNION  

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     The White Fang is initially a Faunus lead rights group that further devolved into a terrorist organization in RWBY. This group as shown in RWBY is supposed to be the antagonists in the show, with no one in universe ever empathizing with them and understanding while also condemning their way of achieving equality. 

    This in it's self is a really juvenile way of presenting the concept of a rebel group in the first place. What they did can be categorized as despicable from destroying Beacon Academy to the coup in Haven, but then again why do the main characters even the one main character in the group that is also a Faunus not having the heart to empathize them. Of course what it means to empathize isn't always to justify their actions, but instead understanding their frustrations. Which the show never seems to show us the fire of those frustrations and instead apt to tell us a lukewarm of those frustrations. 

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   Not only that but about 8 seasons in we never seen divide within the White Fang or even the with the ones that oppose them. We never seen debate between them that shows us the weight of each sides actions are actually hurting them both in the long run. Instead we are given this cookie cutter black and white morality that condemns the Faunus just because they acted violently when peaceful negotiations never worked for them.

    This of course is different with the Reunion Movement in Arknights. Reunion as its better known as, is also considered a terrorist organization at large. But unlike the White Fang, we see the ruthlessness and also the human aspects of the members of Reunion. They like the White Fang are also frustrated at discrimination, and also used violence because of their failed attempt at peace, but unlike RWBY we actually see the impact and also demented hope that the Reunion Movement gives to the infected. Which is they gave the infected another chance in life where other people denied because of their disease.

    Not only that but we can also see the comradery in a few of their ranks, like the almost familial bond of FrostNova's Yeti Squadron. But even if some of them have bonds in Reunion, it doesn't change the fact that they want revenge on the non-infected and that Reunion is their only means to achieve it. This in itself made a rift within some members, like when Patriot ordered the members that committed heinous acts like torturing or brutally killing unarmed non-infected to be hanged. 

    Points like these are should be used to further enhance RWBY. Because the writing in Arknights, while sometimes is confusing is actually well written and is very detailed when explaining the political climate in their world. Because if you can't pin point how bad the suffering is, the suffering you write will probably be juvenile at best.

     

article written by: Spirit_Lantern