Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style
If you like watching spectacular CG fights but you're looking for something a little more crafted and deliberate than random SaltyBet Mugen matchups, you might want to catch up on Monty Oum's latest project, RWBY, an original combat-focused series with an undeniable "magical girl" anime influence.
Oum is best known for Dead Fantasy, a set of spectacular CG shorts (available on his YouTube channel) pitting various heroines from the Final Fantasy franchise against the bombshells of Dead or Alive in jaw-dropping cinematic combat sequences. His animation and fight choreography made Dead Fantasy a must-watch for game fans... Or really anyone with an appreciation for computer animation and digital artistry.
RWBY, made in partnership with Rooster Teeth, is a an evolution of what Oum's done before, and it shows.
It still features a cast of female characters kicking ass and taking names, but this time they're original characters operating inside of an ongoing storyline. Students at a prestigious school are handpicked and trained to fight the monsters and criminals that plague society using all manner of magically and technologically enhanced weaponry, all in the hopes of joining the ranks of the Hunters/Huntresses. Think of it like Dead Fantasy with a healthy dose of Attack on Titan... And maybe a little dash of Sailor Moon for flavor.
I'll admit that my feelings on the series so far are a bit mixed, but I'm optimistic. Though the writing occasionally leaves something to be desired, it has a great sound track by Jeff Williams (available on iTunes) and a lot of potential. More to the point, Oum's technical work is flawless, as always, so I'll definitely be sticking with this show for a while. I've embedded two of the four available trailers for RWBY here, so if you would like to see the others, check out a few preview panels, or catch up on the first three episodes head over to Rooster Teeth's RWBY playlist.
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TweetIris Ophelia (@bleatingheart, Janine Hawkins IRL) has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and with pop culture/fashion maven Johanna Blakley.
Looks great, I always enjoyed Oum's Dead Fantasy series, and it is a smart idea to move to original characters that can be merchandised :)
Posted by: Damien Fate | Monday, August 12, 2013 at 03:20 PM
Looks great, I always enjoyed Oum's Dead Fantasy series, and it is a smart idea to move to original characters that can be merchandised :)
Posted by: Damien Fate | Monday, August 12, 2013 at 03:20 PM