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    • Arcane Season 2 Acts I and II Review: Still legendary
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    Arcane Season 2 Acts I and II Review: Still legendary

    Vaseline Posted on

    As with season 1, Netflix will release season 2 of Arcane in three episodes every Saturday between November 9 and 23.

    The first season of Arcane was a masterpiece, a work of unparalleled animation and cinematography, with great characters and a gripping story that built a unique and lived-in world, whether you recognized all the references to League of Legends or not. Expectations for the sequel are sky-high, and – at least based on the first six episodes – it looks like lightning can strike twice. Acts I and II of Arcane Season 2 build on everything that was great about Season 1. Yes, this is still one of the best shows out there, animated or otherwise.

    If the first season was about the looming conflict between the citizens of Piltover and the years of oppression that led to hostility and hatred, the first two-thirds of this season is an all-out war. Lines are drawn and the situation escalates with each episode, showing how a leadership that chooses brutality leads to a radicalized population. Arcane continues to pack a lot of plot into a short space of time, with several storylines affecting all of Piltover – and this time even reaching beyond the city limitsx.

    The story remains centered around the characters and their individual arcs, keeping these episodes from feeling overcrowded or overwhelming. Hailee Steinfeld gives a great performance, capturing Vi’s anger and vulnerability. In Steinfeld’s voice, you can hear Vi’s struggle to determine her place in the conflict, and whether she should join the people who killed her parents or whether Jinx (Ella Purnell) should continue to torment others. Meanwhile, hard times force Caitlyn (Katie Leung) to make some difficult choices, showing just how difficult it can be to uphold your ideals while holding on to power. Leung is the MVP of the season’s first arc, portraying the subtle ways Caitlyn’s outlook has been influenced by her time in the Undercity, her time with Vi, and how they collide with a lifetime of prejudice and outside influence from the Noxians . Then there’s Jinx; Purnell’s performance continues to amaze thanks to the layers of conflict and sadness it encompasses. Jinx undergoes the greatest transformation in Acts I and II when she becomes a symbol for Zaunian resistance, and must decide whether she is a force of chaos or whether she stands for something or someone.

    While Arcane isn’t the most nuanced show when it comes to commentary on inequality and systemic oppression, the second season (at least from what I’ve seen) features stronger writing, especially when it comes to portraying its themes without resorting to broad attempts. with “both parties have their points.” The place where the story falters is with the character of Ambessa Medarda, a simplistic antagonist with fairly predictable actions and motivations. But without knowing where her story leads in Act III, it’s hard to criticize the show too much for this.

    As great as the story and characters are, it’s studio Fortiche’s animation that makes Arcane a once-in-a-generation TV event. Not just in the action, but in the quieter moments of grief after the attack on the council: the way Caitlyn breaks down after bottling up so much pain and emotion, the subtleties of her facial expressions, her body language that betrays her true feelings. The Fortiche team deserves credit not only for the spectacle, but also for the way they portray the characters; the way they move and emote is at the same time grounded and realistic, but also impressionistic in the way that only animation can be. In a comic moment that catches Heimerdinger by surprise, his eyes dart from one side of the room to the other in confusion and panic. It borders on the cartoonish, but remains based on emotion – and it is breathtaking to watch. This also extends to the entire world of Arcane, with Fortiche applying live-action cinematic techniques and influences to Arcane that make it unique among animated projects. The animators put limits on what the camera can do and where it can be, adding to the level of visual realism and groundlessness.

    Still, this is an action-packed show – which was exciting in Season 1, and even more so in Season 2. As Arcane takes us from street-level brawls to super-powered titan duels (as more fan-favorite League of Legends champions join the fold), the punches come harder, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones and bodies hitting the hard ground. It all has a weight that’s often missing from 3D animation (and even most CGI-assisted live-action fights). And yet there is also a fluid movement that conveys the superhuman abilities and larger-than-life presence of many of the characters, especially Jinx. The references don’t stop with the characters on display: there are plenty of callbacks and easter eggs steeped in the games’ lore, and even some meta references designed to surprise long-time fans – keep your ears open for a particular theme song.

    The huge leaps that season 2 makes from the solid foundation of season 1 are most noticeable in the music. Riot Games has a history of making music videos to promote their games; it’s part of what gives their characters and worlds a unique identity. While the first season of Arcane had a great soundtrack, this season is practically a musical. What can’t be expressed through dialogue alone is stated in songs like “Renegade (We Never Run)” and “Cocktail Molotov.” While this can sometimes be distracting, a more inspired choice is to use music to provide exposition alongside cool visuals. Several episodes open with a montage, accompanied by a needle drop, explaining how our champions’ actions affect Piltover, or with backstories that would diminish the show’s momentum if explored mid-show. This comes in handy as there’s not only a ton of plot to get through, but even more world-building – especially around the magical part of hextech and the consequences of tampering with natural forces, which broadens Arcane’s horizons considerably.

    Vaseline
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