RWBY: Ice Queendom’s announcement shocked both fans and critics of the Rooster Teeth original animated series it’s based on, as most were excited based on the involvement ofStudio Shaft and Gen Urobuchi. But with this large production, is Urobuchi’s involvement enough to dissuade the worries people might have about the show’s quality?
RWBYstarted in 2012 as a 3D animated series by Monty Oum at Rooster Teeth, before becoming a hit web series, with writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross carrying on the series after Monty’s tragic passing in 2015. The series tells the story of four young women training to become monster hunters in a modern fantasy world and this new anime seeks to tell an original story based on the web series.Ice Queendomlooks to be a retelling of the original series' beginning,but with an original story after the initial introduction, centered around Wiess Schnee, one of the central characters. Not much is known about this original story at the moment, however, early promotional artwork implies that Weiss - or a different version of her - will be the antagonist.
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RWBY’s Complicated Reception
The original web series was beloved for its colorfully inspired take on eastern animation tropes to create a fun fantasy series with intense and complex action sequences. Monty Oum’s reputation for fast-paced, dance-like choreography earned him a considerable following and despite some setbacks with the art direction, the show delivered on its promise.
In the wake of Monty’s tragic passing, the production had noticeably more significant hurdles, and fans were divided, but many were still invested in the story that he had set up. Without the same attention given to action, critics were quick to point out the flaws of the show, such as its inconsistencies, pacing issues, and contradictory narrative beats.
RWBYis a show that is difficult to recommend to people who aren’t already invested and for many, it is more “anime-inspired” than it is anime, though that’s a whole different can of worms. Still, seeing this series be adapted to 2D animation by a well-known Japanese studio is exciting, almost as if it’s an opportunity to salvage the franchise.
Studio Shaft and Gen Urobuchi
Shaft is beloved among mainstream audiences and otaku alike fortheir work on the artfully indulgentMonogatariseriesas well as favorites such asMadoka Magica. The studio never seems content to create anything conventional, having fostered the talents of such directors as Akiyuki Shinbo. But Gen Urobuchi’s name is particularly alluring.
Urobuchi is the writer ofMadoka Magicain addition to stories likeFate/ZeroandPsycho-Pass, to say nothing of his work on visual novels likeSaya no Uta. He’s a storyteller that doesn’t shy away from darker, more shocking subjects in service of strong themes that some may criticize him of laying on rather thick. Urobuchi’s involvement in anything with an all-female cast brings to mind the suffering that is Madoka, making his part in this RWBY anime particularly intriguing.
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However, it should be noted thatGen Urobuchi is not the writer of this story, even though his name has effectively drawn many to this new project. Anime News Network credits Urobuchi for the “Original Animation Concept,” and MyAnimeList.net doesn’t even credit him for being involved in the project at all. While the latter could be an example of the site not being thorough, it brings into question how involved he truly is.
Tow Ubukata, Writer
If Urobuchi has only written the story concept, and Tow Ubukata is confirmed to be writing the actual story, as he has, then this situation brings back unfortunate memories of the same thing happening back in 2014. After the hugely successful first season ofPsycho-Pass, Urobuchi went on to write the movie, but not before writing a narrative concept for a second season to be written by Ukukata.That season is largely agreed to be the weakestand a strong reason that Psycho-Pass didn’t need to continue.
Ubukata has writtenPsycho-Pass 2and3, in addition to writingGhost in the Shell: Arise, a series that is - once again - largely considered to be alright, but lacking the strength of other entries in the franchise. He isn’t a terrible writer, but compared to Urobuchi,moments of shock value in his storiesare undercut by plot holes and his stories can suffer from lackluster pacing.
Urobuchi’s concept may have interesting ideas accentuated by powerful bullet points in the journey, but without a strong writer to connect those points, the story will suffer. Given the detractors ofRWBYand their thoughts on the story, a writer with a dodgy track record might not be the greatest comfort.
A Promising Staff
Thankfully, the staff at Shaft are nothing if not consistent in their work history and involvement in some of the studio’s greatest works. Directors Toshimaza Suzuki and Kenjirou Okada are seasoned veterans of the studio’s most well-known works, from theMonogatariseries toMarch Comes in Like A Lion. The same can be said of the animation director and character designer, Nobuhiro Sugiyama.
Composing the music for the series is Nobuko Toda, who recently composed the soundtrack forGhost in the Shell SAC_2045, the Netflix continuation of 2002’sStand Alone Complex. Carrying on the torch previously held by Yoko Kanno couldn’t have been easy, and now Toda is tacklingRWBY, a series whose music is often associated with Jeff Williams, the web show’s composer.
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Additionally, the opening theme, “Beyond Selves,” is being composed by Void-Chords (AKA Ryo Takahashi) with vocals by L. The ending theme, “Awake,” is performed by Ruby Rose’s voice actress, Sayori Hayami, and arranged by TK of Ling Tosite Sigure (Psycho-Pass,Tokyo Ghoul). Void_Chords has previously worked on openings such as"The Other Side of The Wall" fromPrincess Principal.
Is The Show In Good Hands?
It’s safe to say that the studio choice is one that makes sense the more thatRWBY’s artistic lineage is considered. The show’s inspirations are not just rooted in shonen, as the allusions to fairy tales and the early commitment to abstract and unique visuals gaveRWBYa distinct identity that - in light of Shaft’s current involvement - bears some resemblance to the studio’s other work.
Background characters being silhouettes so that the lens can focus entirely on the colorful primary characters that dominate the stage is something thatRWBY’s early seasons andMonogatarishare.The emphasis on color and the waythat all characters ascribe to a theme is something that makesRWBY’s base concepts ripe for toying under the watch of a company like Shaft.
In the end, the production looks sound, but the real test will be the story, and whether Tow Ubukata’s script can improve where the original source material stumbled. If that’s the case, thenRWBY: Ice Queendomcould just be the best addition to the franchise.
RWBY: Ice Queendomwill broadcast in Japan and be available for streaming on Crunchyroll on August 08, 2025. However, the first three episodes will premiere on Crunchyroll on June 01, 2025.
