RWBY (pronounced ‘Ruby’) is a CG animation series made in the United States that has gathered the otaku’s attention in Japan. The first three volumes all got Japanese-dubbed versions, with the Blu-ray of Volume 1 released in 2015, and Volumes 2 and 3 in 2016. The anime even got a limited two-week run in theaters in Japan. RWBY was created by Rooster Teeth, a production company based in the United States.

The main staff members are otaku who love Japanese anime, and the series’ total number of views on their YouTube videos has exceeded a hundred million.The original English version of Volume 4 is currently being distributed on YouTube.

It has been announced that the re-edited version of RWBY Volume 1-3 titled ‘RWBY Volume 1-3: The Beginning’ will be broadcast on TV in Japan! In commemoration of this broadcast, a ‘RWBY Volume 1-3 Blu-ray Box Set’ with all three volumes will also be released. In the bonus disc, a special version of Volume 3 will be included with voice actress Megumi Toyoguchi voicing Pyrrha Nikos (As Toyoguchi took a break for maternity leave, Pyrrha was voice by Shizuka Itoh in the original dub of Volume 3.)

The anime’s greatest-hits album RWBY Volume 1-3 Best Vocal Album will also be released in the near future. This album will include songs selected from the Original Soundtrack Vocal Album of Volume 1-3, including the anime’s opening theme. It will also have a bonus track released only in Japan!

To celebrate this special occasion, the four cast members of the Japanese dub of the show shared a few comments!

Comments by Cast Members

Please tell us your thoughts and impressions on RWBY. Also, how did you feel when you first heard that the show will get broadcast on TV in Japan?

Saori Hayami (Ruby Rose)

‘I think that the anime has a very good and speedy tempo. The characters are all unique, so it is fun to imagine about each of their relationships. The anime includes both serious scenes and funny scenes, so the viewer will never get bored.

In the past, the anime was shown in theaters only, but this time it is to be shown on TV, so I’m very excited that people will get to know more about Ruby and her adventures.’

Youko Hikasa (Weiss Schnee)

‘The large-scale story and battle scenes of RWBY are amazing, and I think this is something unique to cartoons created in the United States. We can also feel the love towards Japanese anime from this show. It is is like the “hybridization” of America and Japan. As the story progresses, the CG images become more and more beautiful, so I hope the viewers enjoy watching both the growth of the characters and the change in the animation. By getting televised, I hope the world of RWBY is to be watched and enjoyed by many more people.’

Yuu Shimamura (Blake Belladonna)

‘When I first saw RWBY, I felt the entertaining American aspects along with the respect towards Japanese anime. I think RWBY has both classic and new elements, and I thought this was very interesting. I was very surprised when I found out that it would get a TV broadcast. I hope this becomes a great opportunity for many people to know about RWBY.’

Ami Koshimizu (Yang Xiao Long)

‘I am happy that there will be a chance for more people to watch this fantastic show. I hope the number of RWBY fans will increase in the future.’

Please tell us your thoughts on your characters.

Saori Hayami (Ruby Rose)

‘Ruby is very innocent, cheerful, and honest. She always thinks about her friends and works hard to achieve her goals. That’s how I see her. She is so expressive, and her facial expressions keep on changing in just few minutes. There are many scenes in which she speaks very fast, changing her emotions in every line, so I sometimes get nervous when I’m reading the script.’

Youko Hikasa (Weiss Schnee)

‘Weiss is a typical heiress. She feels that she is the most superior person who should be No.1 at everything. This does not mean she is selfish, but she has strong pride in herself. However, after she meets Ruby and the other girls, she starts to mature and show her cute aspects. As the story moves on, Weiss becomes friendlier, and she even tells jokes. It is always fun to voice her honest side.’

Yuu Shimamura (Blake Belladonna)

‘Blake, the character I voice, is the quiet lone-wolf girl who looks cute in her black-and-white clothes. However, as the story progresses, the viewer starts to find out about her inner feelings. After dubbing three seasons of the anime, Blake has become a character who even appears on the package of the Blu-ray discs, but in the story, she starts off as a character who suffers discrimination. She holds many realistic problems and troubles inside herself.’

Ami Koshimizu (Yang Xiao Long)

‘Yang Xiao Long is a friendly entertainer who also shows older-sister type aspects. However, as the story develops, she starts to show various sides of herself and becomes a more human-like character.’

RWBY’s TV anime will start in July. Can you please say something to both the fans who are waiting anxiously and to the people who do not yet know about this show?

Saori Hayami (Ruby Rose)

‘I believe that RWBY has achieved this opportunity to get broadcast on TV thanks to the support by all fans. Thank you so much, everyone. For those of you who have never seen RWBY before, I hope you take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy the great show. Please look forward to watching and learning about the unique world of RWBY!’

Youko Hikasa (Weiss Schnee)

‘For everyone who has already watched RWBY at theaters or on Blu-ray discs, now it is the time to enjoy watching it on TV. Please watch it with your friends and family. For the first-time viewers, you’d better watch out! You will definitely become a fan!’

Yuu Shimamura (Blake Belladonna)

‘When I first found out about this news, I felt, “Wow, RWBY is going to be aired on TV… it’s like… it is a show of mutual love.” When I say “mutual,” I mean between so many people. I think both the fans and first-time viewers would get to feel that love if they all watch the TV anime. As the story moves on, the images become more beautiful, so please look forward in watching RWBY’s TV anime!’

Ami Koshimizu (Yang Xiao Long)

‘RWBY is an anime with a strong base on Japanese anime, but also includes non-Japanese ways of expressions and entertainment. It is a hybrid of Japan and the US! Don’t worry too much about the settings and rules, and please just enjoy watching it with a flexible feeling!’

Official Website and Official Twitter

RWBY Web Portal http://rwby.jp/

‘RWBY Volume 1-3: The Beginning’ Special Website http://rwby.jp/thebeginning/

RWBY Official Japanese Twitter Account @RWBY_JAPAN

(c)2017 Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC.