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Arcane Season 2 Review, Acts I and II: Still Legendary

As with the first season, Netflix will release the second season of Arcane in three-episode “acts” every Saturday between November 9th and 23rd.

The first season of Arcane was a masterpiece, a work of unprecedented animation and cinematography, with great characters and a poignant story that created a unique and vibrant world, regardless of whether you knew all the League of Legends references or not. Expectations for the sequel are huge and – at least based on the first six episodes – it seems that 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 not.

If the first season was about the brewing conflict between the citizens of Piltover and the years of oppression that gave rise to hostility and hatred, then the first two-thirds of this season is all-out war. With each episode, lines are drawn and escalated, showing how a leadership that chooses brutality leads to a radicalized population. Arcane continues to pack a lot of plot into a short amount of time, with several storylines affecting all of Piltover – this time even beyond the city limits.

The story remains focused on its characters and their individual storylines, which prevents these episodes from feeling too cluttered or overwhelming. Hailee Steinfeld delivers an outstanding performance, capturing Vi's anger and vulnerability. In Steinfeld's voice, you can hear Vi's difficulty defining her place in the conflict and whether she should ally with the people who killed her parents or allow Jinx (Ella Purnell) to continue to torment others. Meanwhile, Caitlyn (Katie Leung) has to make some difficult decisions during difficult times, showing how difficult it can be to uphold your ideals while remaining in power. Leung is the MVP of the season's first arc, portraying the subtle ways in which Caitlyn's attitude has been influenced by her time in the Undercity and her time with Vi, and how they face lifelong prejudices and outside influences from the Noxians. Then there's Jinx; Purnell's performance never ceases to amaze, thanks to the layered conflict and grief it brings with it. Jinx undergoes the biggest transformation in the first and second acts as she becomes a symbol of the Zaunan resistance and must decide whether she is a force of chaos or whether she stands for anything or anyone.

Although Arcane isn't the most nuanced series when it comes to commenting on inequality and systemic oppression, the second season (at least from what I've seen) stands out for its stronger writing style, particularly when it comes to portraying its themes , without resorting to extensive attempts at “both sides have their concerns.” The place where the story falters is in the character of Ambessa Medarda, a simple antagonist with rather predictable actions and motivations. But without knowing where her story goes in the third act, it's difficult to criticize the show too much for that.

As great as the story and characters are, it's studio Fortiche's animation that continues to make Arcane a once-in-a-generation TV event. Not just in the plot, but also in the quieter moments of grief after the attack on the city council: the way Caitlyn breaks down after taking in so much pain and emotion, the subtlety of her expression, her body language, who reveals her true feelings. The team at Fortiche deserve high praise, not only for the spectacle but also for the portrayal of the characters; The way they move and express emotions is simultaneously grounded and realistic, but also impressionistic in the way only animation can be. In a comical moment, when Heimerdinger is caught off guard, his eyes dart from one side of the room to the other in confusion and panic. It borders on the cartoonish, but remains emotionally grounded – and it's breathtaking to watch. This also extends to the entire world of Arcane, with Fortiche applying live-action filmmaking techniques and influences to Arcane that make it unique among animated projects. The animators set limits on what the camera can do and where it can be, increasing the level of visual realism and gratuitousness.

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 overpowered titan duels (as more fan-favorite League of Legends champions are added). the crease), the blows land harder, accompanied by the sound of crunching bones and bodies hitting the hard ground. There's a weight to all of this that's often missing from 3D animation (and even most CGI-powered live-action combat). And yet there is also a fluidity that captures the superhuman abilities and larger-than-life presence of many characters – especially Jinx. The references aren't just limited to the characters featured: there are plenty of callbacks and Easter eggs tied into the games' lore, and even some meta-references meant to please long-time fans – keep your ears peeled for a particular theme song .

The tremendous progress that Season 2 makes over the solid foundation of Season 1 is most noticeable in the music. Riot Games has created music videos to promote their games in the past. 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 expressed in tracks like “Renegade (We Never Run)” and “Cocktail Molotov.” While this can be distracting at times, using music to present along with cool images is a more inspiring choice. Several episodes begin with a montage accompanied by a needle-punch explaining how our champions' actions affect Piltover, or with backstory that would weaken the show's momentum if explored mid-stream. This is handy, as there's not only a whole lot of plot to sift through, but also even more worldbuilding – particularly around the magical part of Hextech and the consequences of dealing with forces of nature, which broadens Arcane's horizons considerably.

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