After a three year long wait new episodes of “Arcane” were released on Netflix in November as part of a second, and final, season to wrap up the animated series. The first season of the show was well loved upon its initial release in 2021 and earned a surprising 97% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, leaving the second season of the fan favorite highly anticipated.
The 4 time Emmy award winning show is based off of League Of Legends (LOL), a multiplayer online battle arena video game that was released in 2009 by Riot Games. Riot Games worked with the French animation studio Fortiche to create “Arcane” and, according to Variety, spent $250 million producing and promoting the show, making it the most expensive animated series ever made.
“Arcane” is set between the cities of Zaun and Piltover; the former being an underground crime-ridden city, and the second being a wealthy utopia. The plot mainly follows sisters Jinx (voiced by Ella Purnell) and Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) as they navigate conflict between the cities and themselves.
The series masterfully weaves together immersive storytelling with a phenomenal mix of 2D and 3D animation. The visual contrast between the dark and gritty atmosphere of Zaun and the clean and bright look of Piltover is gorgeous and symbolically reflects the prominent themes about classicism, corruption and duality present in the plot.
Season one of “Arcane” mainly focuses on the childhood and backstory of Jinx and Vi while the second season delves into larger conflicts between the two cities and its inhabitants. Although the first season of “Arcane” is nothing short of groundbreaking–season two somehow manages to be even better.
Every aspect of the show from the animation, to the fight scenes and especially the characters are enhanced in the three act continuation. “Arcane” doesn’t hold back from creating complex characters that become the worst versions of themselves when faced with making difficult decisions. By the end of the series no character can wholly be defined as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and their choices prove to hold heavy consequences.
Each episode in the second season also features music that adds an incredible amount of lyrical depth to the already visually stunning scenes and stellar writing. Songs from prominent artists such as Twenty One Pilots, King Princess and Imagine Dragons greatly elevated the show’s moments of action and emotion.
However, the major shift in pacing between the first and second season ultimately detracted from the show’s overall brilliance. While season one takes its time to walk through conflicts, introduce plot points and build (or destroy) character relationships, season two speeds through just about everything.
Scenes with important events passed by quickly without allowing much time to process what happened, making potentially emotional or intense moments in the show lose their meaning. By the end of the series it felt like several movie’s worth of actions had been crammed into only nine episodes and, while it was artfully done, it caused many viewers to believe rumors that the show was initially supposed to run for five seasons.
Aside from emotional value, the rushed pacing greatly affected the overall storytelling. Several decisions made by main characters were built up to seem as if they would become major plot points only to be resolved quickly later on. Even though all the conflict had been ‘fixed’ by the end of the second season the fast paced ending made it feel far from satisfying and generally left much to be desired for many viewers.
Despite its flaws, “Arcane” is still an incredible viewing experience. It’s easy to see the love and care that both the writers and animators put into every single aspect of the show. “Arcane” manages to be entertaining for viewers who have never heard of LOL and players who are already familiar with the game’s world and characters. While each forty-ish minute episode passes by quickly, the amount of detail packed into each minute makes the series worth rewatching again and again. For now at least, there is truly nothing else like “Arcane” and whether you are a fan of well crafted storytelling or unique styles of animation, I highly recommend giving the show a chance.
