RWBY "Critics" and Tropes
Most of the "criticism" of RWBY ultimately amounts to tropes and expectations, not the quality of the show itself.
Now are there legitimate issues with RWBY's story? Absolutely. Pacing, cast bloat, lack of planning, dialogue...
But that's not what people talk about. They talk about the tropes they wanted to see and are mad weren't used.
Why is Adam a bad character? Because "misunderstood and misguided anti-hero who fights for a good cause and gets redeemed" is a popular trope people thought was going to be used and they got mad when it wasn't.
Why do people still argue Ironwood was right? Because "strong man making morally grey choices for the greater good" is a popular trope and people got mad that it wasn't how Ironwood was treated. Never mind that his actions only ever made things worse and that narratively, he exists to show why that kind of thinking fails, it's a trope they expected to see and got mad that it wasn't there.
Why is Ruby a "bad protagonist"? Because "wide-eyed ingenue who gets their idealism broken and has to 'grow up' into a more cynical version of themself to save the day" is a trope they like and expected to see. Never mind that one of RWBY's core themes from the beginning has been rejecting cynicism and embracing heroism, it's a trope they like and got mad that it wasn't used.
Everything the "critics" say about RWBY basically boil down to them not liking the actual theme of the show and getting mad that it wasn't an entirely different show with a completely different tone, genre, and theme that they would like better.