RWBY Volume 6 Episode 1 - Argus Limited: Review

The episode starts right out the gate with this amazing train fight (RWBY Volume 6 Episode 1 Clip: Train Fight). The first 5-6 minutes of this entire episode was Miles and Kerry checking every single box of fan complaints: the girls are back together, we want to see them fight together, we want to see Ruby use her semblance and combine with other people, Sun hasn’t been keeping up with his team, where’s Neptune? In other words, there was a lot of fanservice put in the episode by the writers.



The reaction from fans in the theaters when I went to the premiere was fantastic, as was the reaction to the beginning of this episode that people saw at the RWBY-gen:Lock Mega Panel at NYCC. People had the same reactions all over social media, highly praising the episode as one of the best premieres for among all the volumes. Some people, myself included, commented that this was their favorite episode in the entire series.


At the panel, people cheered when their favorite member of team RWBY appeared and laughed at the scene where Yang and Ruby taunt the huntsmen from the train. They also awed when Blake kissed Son goodbye and when Ilia hugged Blake. People went crazy for the scene with Sun’s hero pose. At the premiere, the audience all had the same reaction to when Dudley got hit by the tunnel. 




Episode 1 gives a sample of what this whole series is in general. There is some serious action, some drama moments, plus the cute and wacky antics, like when they’re sitting around at the train station and Ruby brought her gift for Yang, who wants to know what her little sister got for her, Nora popping around while talking about Argus, and Ruby and Yang taunting the guards.  (RWBY Volume 6 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Who Needs Bodyguards?)




The girls address their relationship and the consequences of having been split up and everything that happened in the previous volumes. I am really excited to go into more depth about this, especially between Blake and Yang. The fact that they address this point right off the bat in the scene where Yang goes to grab her scroll from her bag and Blake tries to help her get it. Yang tells Blake that she didn’t have to do that. Blake replies “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yang then says “I’m fine, we’re gonna be fine. It’s just gonna be a bit before things are back to normal. But… I’m glad we’re all back together.” Blake is reassured and happy, as evidenced by her ears perking up, that in time her relationship with Yang will be mended. Blake and Yang’s relationship is definitely going to be readdressed several times throughout the volume (RWBY Volume 6 Episode 1 clip: Blake and Yang).

Yang is still going through some physical trauma. Her shaking hand was not addressed during the last volume. I think Blake will step up a lot more for Yang to help her overcome this. Blake and Yang don’t seem to have any trouble working together, which is evident in their combo move when taking down that grimm, which was one of the highlights of the episode. So much of the combo action that the series is known for was evident during the fight, which is awesome as always. Such as when Blake threw her Gambol Shroud over the grimm to Yang, who punches it straight down into the train and then grabs the manticore by its horns then does a flip and gives it a shoryuken.



This was like when they first became a team back in volume 1, the harmony that was present during the fight with the Nevermore was present in this fight. This was the perfect way to bring the girls back together and kick off this volume with their reunion and this train fight. There were also a few nods to past moments from some of the earlier volumes. The scene where Blake cuts the train car couplings and sees an illusion of Adam on the other train car was an homage to the scene in the Black Trailer where she does the same thing. The scene when the girls are in their bunks in their sleeping compartment aboard the Argus limited recalls the scene from the first volume where they decide to make bunk beds in their dorm room. Lastly, the fight sequence aboard the train in this episode recalls the previous train fights from the end of volume two and the Black trailer. This is one of the best episodes that I have seen in the entire series. I look forward to what the writers and CRWBY have in store for us fans as Volume 6 continues to progress through its story.