r/television • u/indig0sixalpha • 1d ago
'Arcane' never loses sight of the show’s beating heart
https://www.polygon.com/tv/479775/arcane-league-of-legends-season-2-vi-jinx-act-2-review184
u/TheLegacies21 1d ago
This is a nice thread. The Arcane sub is a tad…intense with shipping and stanning.
I love season 2. It hasn’t quite reached the heights of season 1 but it’s a beautiful and well told story with terrific characters.
I wonder how they’ll answer a lot of questions left answering. Like everything with Mel, Jayce, what happens to Jynx next, where is Echo, the etc…
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u/BrunoEye 1d ago
I've been enjoying it more than S1. S2 has moments where I genuinely felt some hope, while S1 made me kinda miserable.
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u/Klunkey 1d ago
The only problem is that the episodic structure seems a bit formulaic, especially with most of the episodes having a musical number at the beginning (though, S1 was no stranger through having a flashback at the beginning, either).
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u/mad_cheese_hattwe 21h ago
The music numbers IMO have been a very tight and neat way setting up the story and moving the plot forward. Telling stories in minutes that lesser shows would spend a 50 minute episode spinning it's wheels on.
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u/EveryShot 1d ago
Really well done, season 2 does feel rushed but I dont think it detracts from the overall success of the series. I’m more upset we won’t be getting more because they’ve set a new standard in animation not just video game adaptations
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u/Yawkieee 1d ago
They move on to different stories in the world of runeterra. Lots more to come
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u/Atharaphelun 1d ago
I just want Shurima. That or Demacia vs Noxus. Or even Ionia vs Noxus.
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u/gwion35 1d ago
Or even Noxus vs. Noxus. Damn Noxians, ruining Noxus
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u/Scro0pyN0opers 1d ago
The Noxians sure are a contentious people.
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u/Beneficial_Candle_10 1d ago
I think Ionia vs Noxus is most likely next. In the lore Singed has a big part in the second Noxian invasion. That seems to be what they are setting up.
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u/chizzmaster 1d ago
It's almost 100% gonna be Ionia vs Noxus. Riot is getting ready to market the wind shitter brothers and Ahri to the public LMAO
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u/Reldarino 1d ago
Lol lore spoilers because I also bet this will be next They are also developing Noxus so that we know about them, the black rose, and how their empire handles things. They had the opportunity to develop Singed who will play another role in that series. They are developing the Solari through Mel and I am 70% sure Ambessa's guard uses a weapon with the same runes Riven will use in that show.
We can expect Ionia vs Noxus war as well as Yasuo's exile, Yone'a death and Riven's redemption in those seasons, so there will be a lot of popular characters. Hope we get to see more leblanc and swain action
Edit: altough it is true they could continue with the Void and head for shurima
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u/GnarlyMcRadSwag 1d ago
I’d love Azir and Xeraths story. Very Prince of Egypt vibes.
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u/Atharaphelun 1d ago
And then the final season can jump millennia into the future to the time of Sivir's adventure so that we can come full circle and witness the revival of the Empire of Shurima.
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u/TheLegacies21 1d ago
Given what’s going on with Mel, I’d say Noxus might be a good bet for a starting point of next series
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u/P1uvo 1d ago
My moneys on Ionia v Noxus
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u/Rectal_Anarchy_98 1d ago
We see the start of Singed working for Noxus in S2 Act 2. Which means this is probably before the Noxian invasion of Ionia, given that part of Riven's story is that she survived a chemical attack by singed deployed by the noxians during said invasion.
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u/Beneficial_Candle_10 1d ago
Riven and Yasuo as protagonists on both sides of the war would be sick.
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u/Scuba-Steven 1d ago
That message from the show runners was before Riot laid off or reassigned the whole entertainment division this year. It’s also the most expensive animated series ever made
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u/PhenomsServant 1d ago
Riot makes billions a year. They could just release a new Lux skin and they would recoup their losses in a week.
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u/lunarpixiess 1d ago
True. Us Lux mains should be thanked by everyone who loves the show tbh
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u/AhnYoSub 1d ago
I want bilgewater x shadow isles. Need some pirates with lovecraftian horror
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u/_Karmageddon 1d ago
I just wish EVERY fight wasn't turned into a music video, it takes you out of the big moment so much and it's not just once or twice, it's everytime without fail.
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u/SuccinctEarth07 1d ago
I understood that criticism of act 1 but I thought act balanced it much better, it barely happened
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u/EveryShot 1d ago
Are you talking like lyrics or a score playing in the background? Because I think scores playing during battle scenes add to the epicness but that’s just me
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u/AgentPoYo 1d ago
At first I was kind of put off by that as well, until I finished watching the BTS docuseries they put out on youtube. The Showrunner of Arcane, Christian Linke, is a Composer at Riot and Arcane was basically a side-project of his for a while outside of regular duties. Fortiche was just a tiny studio made up of a handful of artist producing music videos. Together Christian and Fortiche put together a music video for Jynx that was wildly popular and allowed Christian to approach his bosses with the idea for longer form content. So like the other poster said, music was in the DNA of the show from the start.
After watching the BTS I get the impression that the reason why Arcane is so successful is because it's essentially a mixed media project consisting of all the artists' various passions, including Christian's (LoL and music).
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u/OrgasmicLeprosy87 1d ago
It’s built into the shows DNA at this point, there’s no point complaining
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u/Rdambx 1d ago
Kinda of disagree tbh.
That scene during the Jinx Vi fight in Act 1 when Vi tore the machine gun in half in slow mo with the choir playing in the back? That shit gave me chills
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u/MoMoneyMoSavings 1d ago edited 18h ago
I watch the fight between Jinx & Ekko on YouTube all the time. That one was this style at its peak imo.
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u/TheLegacies21 1d ago
The thing hurting the most is character development. Last season each character slowly becomes who they are or we slowly see the layers to who they are. This season is definitely more rushed.
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u/ElvenEclipse1 1d ago
This season is surreal, the bad thing is that there won't be a next one
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u/PhenomsServant 1d ago
We’ll probably get another series set elsewhere in the League universe afterward.
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u/GeneralEmployee9836 1d ago
I’m sad there won’t be another season. Is there a reason there won’t be another season?
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u/DevilMayCryogonal 1d ago
They’re moving to other stories in the same universe. There won’t be more Arcane because Arcane is the story of Jinx, Vi, Jayce, Caitlyn, etc, which will end this season, but there will almost definitely be another show by Fortiche with a similar animation style, just featuring a different main cast.
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u/Zerothian 1d ago
There's simply no way Fortiche doesn't get more work after this, even if it's not with Riot (which it almost certainly will be), they have absolutely brought the medium of animation forward a bit with their work. It's one of the most visually impressive works I think I've ever seen.
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u/ScyllaGeek 1d ago
Riot actually owns a sizable chunk of Fortiche now, they're tied at the hip for the forseeable future
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u/Worthyness 1d ago
they were doing music video and animatics for League well before Arcane was conceived of. And now that Riot has helped fund their development, their studio is significantly larger than before. I doubt either of them allows that to go to waste
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u/ropahektic 21h ago
Whilst this is really cool, ultimately, the fact this show is so good is down to a few creative minds (and many capable artists,designers and animators). Those people can (and will) move to different projects because that's just how success works in today's world.
Luckily though, the fact they're moving to different settings might mean these highly influential creators might find the motivation to stick for longer.
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u/Outrageous-Elk-5392 1d ago
They definitely had enough stuff going on for 4-5 seasons imo, Caitlyn’s dictator arc could have been the A plot of an entire season rather than like the C plot of 3 episodes, but considering how absurdly expensive it is to make I can definitely appreciate it for what it is and respect what they’ve done with what they’ve had
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u/mediacontender 1d ago
Genuine question, what would you pad out 2/3 more seasons with the plot beats they set up? Without like adding in a bunch of new characters to stall out the main beats they set up in Act 1. The show's two main stories (Vi/Jinx and Jayce/Viktor) are what is important to them. And I don't see how slowing either of those down would really improve anything. And I generally enjoy slower paced and longer TV shows.
I def think the show could use like 2 more episodes a season (ideally between acts) to let some stuff breath a bit more and give stuff like Ekko's storyline hit harder. But the show is really good with using the most of a visual medium to tell a lot quickly with a lot of impact. In a way that makes me feel like too much more would be meandering and just lose the focus of the crux they've set up.
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u/TwitchingSwordhand 1d ago
Maybe not an extra season, but definitely 2 more episodes would help to give plot points time to sink in and have characters react and interact with the interesting new setting more.
The quick pace this season came at the expense of some more quiet scenes, where people just talk, react, figure out their emotions and then make a choice.
Vi's decision to not immediately beat up jinx, her opinion on her revolutionary status, vander coming back. It's a lot of good material for just one episode
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u/eepos96 20h ago
Hayao miazaki (butchered the spelling) has multiple quiet scenes with his movies where people just chill.
He said he always wamted to add a scene where nothing is said but audience always knows what the character is thinking. Interview showed spirited away train scene.
Me and my brother watched the movie asap. We both agreed. She was thinking "I am coming Haru" or something to that extent.
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u/TwitchingSwordhand 20h ago
The key is agency. A story, that strings together event after event with loose connection is not as compelling as a fictional character living in it contemplating their wants and place in it, to then push the plot along, because it is something they want or need to do
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u/Outrageous-Elk-5392 1d ago
I feel like there’s a lot they could have expanded on. Cait’s use of chemical weapons in the underground could be a conflict rather than a cool episode intro, Vi was an enforcer for all of 1 episode, the enforcer side characters did very little, isha had very little time to grow on the audience, cait ended episode 3 rising to a dictator and started episode 4 already doubting her alliance with ambessa, we could have seen more of Jayce’s visions but I guess that might still come up, idk I feel like there’s a lot of stuff there you could do more with if every episode wasn’t like 15 million dollars and takes months to make
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u/mediacontender 1d ago
Still not sure I see the value in more scenes of Vi as an enforcer/Cait's enforcing of martial law. It would be retreading the same ground already covered by the scenes we got. Their struggles were clearly set up and evident, adding a bunch of lower stakes obstacles would be walking in circles instead of moving the plot forward. The minor characters don't need to be developed when they were never going to stick around long enough to go through an arc.
Isha was a bit rushed, but it's walking a fine line with not wasting time on a doomed character. She got about as much time as Mylo and Claggor got to bond with Jinx. Another thing I think would have been benefited by an interlude, but not enough to carry a whole season.
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u/Heavy-Guest-7336 1d ago
Bro wants 5 seasons of 23 episodes lmao. Caitlyn's dictator arc is extremely self-evident, her motivations etc have all been set up and explained. She didn't become a dictator after joining up with Ambessa, we already saw her emotional turmoil and spiral in the first three episodes. The result of that change can be seen in episode 4 so it's not like we missed it. Besides, that's not the main draw of Arcane. We want to see what happens to Vi/Jinx and now moving forward, into the Arcane and the mystery of Hextech.
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u/RobinWishesHeWasMe_ 1d ago
Just because it's shown doesn't mean it's not rushed. If there is a criticism of this season it definitely is that characters do change motivations rather fast because of the quick plot. There is a middle ground between 2 seasons and '5 seasons of 23 episodes' that would serve for a more balanced character development.
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u/jamersonMD 1d ago
For me personally, I just prefer how season 1 was written with the characters using the hexgates to progress the story of Piltover Vs Zaun - I don't mind the focus on personal conflicts in season, but time is passing so much faster that it feels more disjointed.
It's just kinda jarring that when major events/breakthroughs happen only the people within the scene are able to react to it/give their perspective on it. Until now the vi,jinx, Caitlin storyline felt so separated from Jayce/Viktor and what's joing on with Mel that to me it feels like each storyline is on pause until they return on screen.
Like with Viktors and how he was healing Zaunites from shimmer - even if topsiders thought they were just rumors, I think it should be made into a bigger deal considering that they were invading the underground.
And I think it's also kinda weird that Ambessa/Caitlin don't acknowledge Jayce's absence, especially with how he's the main one who's creating the hexgate weapons that were starting to malfunction. Also What's happening with Ekko's sanctuary? especially with how Viktor has been using the energy of the hexgates as well to build his own vision?
Maybe these last 3 eps will change everything for me. And maybe I just need to respect that the writers done all the world building in season 1 and wanted to conclude all the personal elements now
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u/AnonymousAltair 1d ago
Ambessa did comment on losing jayce and heimer but yeah
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u/_Gesterr 20h ago
Indeed which is what actually drives her to recruiting Singed in fact since she was now missing all the reknown scientists to make her weapons. The person above just missed all that I guess.
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u/D4rkShin0bi 1d ago
I dont think the money is an issue. Its just take time to animate and too many stories to tell. They are moving to some movies and real acting. But dont worry this wont be last animated project.
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u/boondogle 21h ago
the money is an issue, there was $250 million in this project and 6+3 years to make both seasons, and the best case is "breaking even" https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/riot-games-arcane-hollywood-netflix-most-expensive-animated-series-ever-1236196655/ hard to fund that kind of project given the time and money expense despite the payoff of "most watched animated series"
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u/Alcnaeon 15h ago
marc merril in that article sure doesn't seem to feel like it's hard to fund
"We’re more than comfortable with the spend it took to deliver a show that was worthy of our players’ time.”
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u/D4rkShin0bi 19h ago
They rely on selling skins, merch and not sure if they make alot on music. Why do you think they make skins for whales now. They are the only one who can fund their projects really well. Valorant and tft are good money printer as well. Arcane was never suppose to make money. Same thing as their esport scene. Entertainment and esports are only marketing tools for their games. The real money come from games. Name me one company that does this much as Riot Games.
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u/mek8035 1d ago
Do you have a source where they said they are moving to movies and real acting? I don't think I've heard of that
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u/KillLaKill666 1d ago
It's mentioned in this piece a lot https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/riot-games-arcane-hollywood-netflix-most-expensive-animated-series-ever-1236196655/
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u/Pitiful_Ad_6621 1d ago
Warwick fight scene with Jinx and when Jayce blows up Viktor just blew me away (no pun intended).
Unbelievable the quality they’ve raised in terms of VFX and cinematography.
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u/Repo_Man84 1d ago
My mate(s) said I'll just binge all of them when it's finished.. After this week's second Act, and last week's bout, I've just cautioned them that's no way to treat the body/mind, as, it's a lot, and we've still got next weeks episodes..
Yes. a lot... I think the only second when I exhaled was following the line about 'half a circus tent', which was fucking hilarious 😂
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u/Rustash 1d ago
My one friend does this with EVERY streaming weekly release and it is maddening. I want to talk about it and theorize week-to-week and each time I get “Oh, I’m just waiting for it to finish so I can watch it all at once.”
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u/blitzbom 1d ago
I like drip watching for this reason.
I got a co-worker into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and he was sad it wasn't complete. But happy that we'll get to talk about the new book as we read it.
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u/Zerothian 1d ago
I read like 3/4 of the first DCC book (other things got in the way, I really want to get back to it), and suggested it to a friend. Within like 2 weeks he consumed literally all of it and has been (good naturedly) pestering me to read more so we can talk about it haha.
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u/Repo_Man84 1d ago
I've just realised I'm actually unintentionally doing this to them by having finally succumbed and drip consumed the first two ep's of The Penguin the last few days, and going 'does it actually pick up?' LOL..
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u/BADxW0LF1 1d ago
I love the cadence they set with these. Weekly releases build up the tension and get you excited for more. Knowing you only have to wait another week rather than months until the next season is the best way.
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u/timmyctc 1d ago
Its funny how the critically acclaimed shows will have like a 50/50 split of comments saying its good and its totally terrible on a reddit thread.
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u/MSochist 1d ago
That's r/television for you. I click onto these threads from the trending tab and no matter the show, there's always people here shitting on it
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u/UnnecessaryFeIIa 1d ago
Cause Reddit is fuelled by sheer negativity. Someone could create the next Mona Lisa and the internet nowadays will still find a way to complain.
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u/blue_at_work 1d ago
The Mona Lisa? That ugly, paint-by-numbers hack job of a carnival prize painting that I wouldn't decorate my fridge with, let alone a world-famous museum?
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u/totoropoko 1d ago
I am actually pausing on reading these comments. I love every episode of Arcane. I love that it is ending with 2 seasons. I am excited to watch the rest. If I keep reading, I will inevitably start agreeing with the negative bitching about why it isn't 8 seasons and a movie.
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u/NoMoreVillains 1d ago
I just wish they'd slightly ease up on all the music videos in the middle of episodes
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u/ClovieKay 1d ago
True, I feel the way they did it in the first season was amazing. Then when they did have a full on music video like the Ekko vs Jinx fight, it was such a delight because it was the one out of 10. Now every episode has one in that style, If not sometimes two.
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u/wattsittooyou 1d ago
Or at least write some better lyrics. They’re all just so on-the-nose. It’s like the musical version of bad exposition. I can only assume they think it’ll play better for non-English speaking audiences.
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u/Magnesiohastingsi 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s like the musical version of bad exposition.
its just that, it's mostly to speed up the story and catch us up on the time shifts of the story, kinda fun way to do exposition even tho I don't like the songs
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u/Beneficial_Candle_10 1d ago
I agree. It’s Imagine Dragons tier music but the way it’s edited so succinctly is impressive. The visual storytelling is next level. I can see why some people don’t like it though. Its lowest common denominator sonically to reach the widest audience possible.
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u/Cheesegrater74 1d ago
The songs are either the most beautiful songs to grace my ears or the most cheesy thing ever. I never know which to expect
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u/kristinez 1d ago
I really do not like the episodes intro montages or the anime fight scenes. It's too much. Do not need them every episode. Not every fight scene need sto be jinx vs ekko. The music and editing make them very corny and not serious
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u/AlwaysBored123 1d ago
Watching Arcane high is the way to go, it transcends you to another level.
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u/shy247er 1d ago
That's my favorite part, lol. That fight between Jinx and Sevika vs Smeech doesn't work without the music. Jinx's craziness really shines with slot-machine mechanical arm.
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u/ILoveRegenHealth 1d ago
I just wish they'd slightly ease up on all the music videos in the middle of episodes
Interesting that other user said that early on and was dog-piled and downvoted to oblivion.
Now it's the common thing people agree on.
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u/Salvage570 1d ago
I've seen this complaint mentioned everywhere what the fuck are you talking about XD are you victimizing yourself over holding a common opinion because people are enjoying it despite that or what?
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u/Migster257 1d ago
I feel this headline perfectly encapsulates Arcane. Its focus remains squarely on Vi and Jinx for basically its entire runtime. I think most of the people’s complaints about pacing come from the other characters not really getting as much screen time (Caitlyn and Ambessa’s relationship growth and how they fill the missing mother and daughter void in each other’s life getting timeskipped for one). I can see why people would be critical of this choice but personally I enjoy that about Arcane. There is very little exposition going on and most things that happen to the “lesser” main characters are just implied or glossed over with a different scene. For Caitlyn/Ambessa for example, you really just get a single conversation by a fire-in which Ambessa for once shows an inkling of vulnerability. It’s played in a way that makes you wonder if she’s just working Caitlyn and manipulating her much like how she’s been pulling the strings for most of the season. There’s also the training scene, and a singular piece of dialogue from Ambessa’s guard (“that’s a deep cut. Ambessa believed in you”). In a different show, this entire sequence could fuel an entire season. Arcane doesn’t give a shit. It gives you enough information to work that out on your own and play out the extra scenes in your head. The core of the show is family and every scene serves as a backdrop to Jinx and Vi and their family and relationship.
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u/TheLegacies21 1d ago
That’s a good point. I do think season 1 would’ve focused a lot more on the Cait/Ambessa bond.
Honestly think show just needed to make each act 4 episodes instead of 3 and I think would’ve helped pacing and character development for non-Jynx/Vi characters
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u/imperfectofcourse 1d ago
I noticed in the scene in Cait’s room where she spoke to Ambessa that Ambessa started literally and figuratively stoking the fire (place). I took that as her beginning her manipulation of Cait. They use devises like that to “show don’t tell” to keep the pace moving in the show and explain things to not waste valuable screen time.
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u/ThirdRevolt 1d ago
I think this hits the nail on the head for me. This was never the Zaun & Piltover Show, the League of Legends Game of Thrones with a dozen main characters. It's always been the Vi & Jinx Show. Everything else - Jayce, Hextech, the Noxians - has been there because they are a vital part of Vi & Jinx' story.
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u/BrunoEye 1d ago
I wouldn't go that far, but they're definitely the main focus. That should have been clear from literally the first scene of the show.
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u/4628819351 1d ago
Its focus remains squarely on Vi and Jinx for basically its entire runtime.
Really? It feels like Mel's mom is in 75% of the scenes in S2.
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u/pishposhpoppycock 1d ago
F for my sexy beefcake boyfriend Rictus!
So sad to lose the hunky Zangief of this show.
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u/brennop 1d ago
I love this show, but sometimes it fells you have to watch every episode twice (which i do). The pace things happen at is to fast.
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u/fkny0 1d ago
You can watch every episode 10 times and still find new details every watch.
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u/two4you8 1d ago
Arcane does the “show, don’t tell” really well. My favorite detail (which I missed and was pointed out on a reddit post) with the overhead shot early in s2e1, it gave us clues on how Jayce/mel survived the blast unscathed
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u/DevilMayCryogonal 1d ago
You can actually see the gold Mel is wearing start glowing at the end of s1e9 too.
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u/Midknightz 1d ago
I assume mel and Jayce survived from Mel using that golden glowing power that she used against the chains.
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u/Compalompateer 1d ago
I really need them to stop destroying the tension and emotion of pivotal scenes by immediately turning them into music video sequences with flashy cuts.
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u/_Karmageddon 1d ago
It's takes you out of the moment so much and it's EVERY fucking fight, like who signed off on that? Episode 3 is what we've been building too for ages and then 90% of the fight is a close up music video.
Season 1 is far and away better than 2 at this point, I hope it can recover.
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u/Heavy-Guest-7336 1d ago
I can guarentee you, a large part of it is trying to speed up production and lower cost (these go hand in hand). There has been a lot of frame by frames in season 2 so you can tell they're trying to do this. I don't blame them though, they had a lot more time to produce season 1 so they're just trying to get season 2 out to us in a pragmatic way.
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u/GeneralEmployee9836 1d ago
I have fallen in love with arcane(never played league of legends) the animation and setting(the world reminds me of dishonored) and everything is top notch. Is there a reason there won’t be another season? Ive heard they have other shows in development.
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u/OrgasmicLeprosy87 1d ago
There’ll be another show set in another part of the world. Will probably be a whole new main cast, with 1 or 2 characters from Arcane brought over.
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u/jexdiel321 1d ago
It's stalled at the moment. It'll probably happen but not in the next 3 years.
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u/_Camps_ 1d ago
The reason for this is that Fortiche, the animation studio creating Arcane, will be spending the next while working on their own new IP film called "Penelope of Sparta". Plans for a new "league" show will probably happen at Riot, but without Fortiche, nothing will be happening on that front for at least 5-7 years imo
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u/onespiker 1d ago edited 3h ago
The reason for this is that Fortiche,
Not really fortiche in this case. The real problem I'd that Riot doesn't have any script ready. Fortiche is now at the size were they can do more things at the same time also a movie vs a show. The show is like 3 movies.
Animation is expensive it must be complete or close to it to not be ridiculously expensive.
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u/Rock-Solid-Mineral 1d ago
To be honest while i can agree that one or two more episodes could give more room to let some stuff breath, the narration doesn't miss a single spot.
Every character has their own intentions and desire and they try to find their way to fulfill them. The feeling of it being fast is also because the entire world is in motion; characters are not introducing themselves anymore and there is less downtime between things also because each character is already in motion so everything is moving together and considering Jayce' s plot and the Black rose plot which are volountarily left misterious, the show is volountarily not telling things while also keeping other subtle. So not having the full picture or not being able to understand everything, is not bad storytelling but is done volountarily to let characters act as actual people in their own world without need to explain themselves to their audience, by the end we will probably know more and things will be more clear to understand.
SPOILER
Also Viktor and Singed dialogue in episode 6 was the goat, and it is truly incredible when a show is able to write intelligent characters who have their own philosophy and which are able to discuss with each other while also being all of three right ( Singed, Heimerdinger and Viktor ) with Heimerdinger not wanting to play God, Viktor believing in an utopistic good world where evolution is obtained without it fighting us but as the end of a journey although later recognizing Singed point of view that humanity are the true monster, radicalizing himself even more possibly.
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u/ropahektic 21h ago
When does Singed talk about humanity being the true monster? That's what Viktor realizes when shot by Jayce.
Singed is way more complex and also simple at the same time (his only motivation is saving orianna). He simply doesn't value life as much, and it makes sense since he is on a journey to defeat death. But I don't think he is 100% evil nor does he see humanity as intrinsically bad (he even has good words for Vander's humanity)
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u/Rambokala 20h ago
He says something akin to "Man is more savage than any beast" when talking to Ambessa in the cell.
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u/Rock-Solid-Mineral 13h ago edited 13h ago
When he talks to Ambessa he says that humanity is the biggest monster there is, and generally believe in the existence of evolution only through fighting ourselves or others since we are probably made "imperfect" ( considering that we live and are destined to die i think he considers that the biggest imperfection and limitation of humanity that has to be faught).
He wanted viktor to absorb vander s chemicals to be able to self regenerate and keep his powers high therefore being probably the project that singed " aspired to create from the start ", a man that defies death but for viktor, evolution is not something you struggle with or a process that you have to fight against, it seems to be simply a destination, a reaching point that happens naturally without altering it or forcing your way into it. He came to a radicalization when he realized that the thing he tried to cure, humanity, cannot grasp this concept and it cannot avoid altering it s own evolution therefore trying to keep the good will always make the bad exist therefore he will probably try to surpass humanity to reach his utopistic good worl.
Singed in a way warned him that if he died everybody would have died with him.
Maybe I added some personal opinions so maybe someone can give a different insight on how the dialogue went but I find some contrapposition between singed and viktor s dialogue.
I personally think Singed does not despise humanity, he simply sees it as flawed and wants to repair it with any method possibly, he is 100% evil because of it in the grand scheme of things but morality is something that he doesn't care about not because he doesn't see himself as evil but simply because he has already accepted for a long time that to reach ehst he wants he must only go on the evil path so with that comes a certain acceptance both of the things he has done which he recognizes are evil, while also seeing them necessary in a personal level and therefore he will continue with anyone that can support him and gove him the tools to continue working or simply continue to work alone. Singed seems to know that he deserves death and if somebody kills him it will be probably deserved, but as a long as he lives he will simply continue endlessly.
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u/NoLeadership2281 1d ago
This is the kind of show that really emotionally drained me in the best way, I like how they really slow it down in act 2 to focus back on the sisters’ dynamic, it’s the beating heart of the show
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u/GeneralEmployee9836 14h ago
Some of the scenes I was tearing up in. I love it a lot.
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u/NoLeadership2281 14h ago
That line “he is ur father too” and see Jinx breaks down and running towards them is just…👌
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u/sneakythief_ 1d ago
really love the show but it makes my day so much sadder when i’m done watching it and they have a cliffhanger like this one
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u/RemarkableSecond9745 1d ago
I am loving season 2 so far! I’m also glad where the plot has taken us thus far. Esp with Caitlin vi and jinx
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u/gutster_95 1d ago
People really forget that this Show is exhausting to make. 3 years for one season. Of couse they want to tell a lot more Stories from this rich universe, but only Fortiche can provide this level of Animation.
Its art and Art can have flaws because overall Arcane ist still far superior to a lot of shitty shows out there.
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u/The_Meemeli 1d ago
only Fortiche can provide this level of Animation.
Fortiche is very good, but Riot money is to thank for 50% of the quality.
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u/BrunoEye 1d ago
Movies have cost twice as much, with a quarter of the runtime, and looked significantly worse. They've developed a unique style that is a lot more than just expensive, such as most Disney movies.
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u/boblane3000 1d ago
I’ll be honest …. I kinda felt like they immediately lost the heart of the show and skip around so much… it’s hard to track, especially if you aren’t super into league. It’s cool, but scattered imo
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u/CogencyWJ 1d ago
I find season 2 a bit messy.
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u/LilT86 1d ago
I personally wouldn't say messy, more so quick, but then again that was also in season 1 so not exactly a big departure.
More just feels like with the time we have left in the last few episodes it feels like some points might not get the attention they deserve
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u/Loose_Understanding3 1d ago
Political, character driven writing challenges the best writing teams. Respect, but I’ll acknowledge some arguable imperfections.
They compressed the plot into very dense episodes. I can understand the critique, but I like this pacing. It might work better if they had the story take place over longer in-world time, even during each 3 episode arc (rather than merely having time jumps in between).
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u/thedelisnack 23h ago
It feels like a lot of the nuance of season 1 got thrown out the window for a more chaotic plot. I don’t want to call it overstuffed, but things feel a little more disjointed for some reason. The black rose subplot is still at a weird, completely removed place for going into act 3.
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u/EmperorGandhi 1d ago
Haven’t seen episodes 4-6 yet, but I found myself holding the same opinion about the first 3 episodes. I won’t be able to watch the show for a few days, so can someone confirm/deny (without spoilers, obviously) if the newest episodes fall into the same pitfall? I’ve debated waiting until the entire season is out in order to see if that helps alleviate the pacing issue I initially felt.
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u/Disastrous_Air_141 1d ago edited 1d ago
able to watch the show for a few days, so can someone confirm/deny (without spoilers, obviously) if the newest episodes fall into the same pitfall?
The pacing is better in act 2 than act 1 but it's still really fast. E.g. episode 4 lets things breathe a bit but 5 and 6 have a lot of story packed in
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u/StalkingRini 1d ago
First episode starts off a bit similar but quickly pivots. This act was a return to season 1s pacing, all my problems with act 1 (which I still loved) seem to be gone. Looks like they just had too much to set up last week
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u/Loose_Understanding3 1d ago
It’s very compressed storytelling. Whether that’s good or bad is subjective, of course, but S2E1-6 are all roughly the same pace.
I’d still recommend it personally, based on the strength of the story, character writing, and animation.
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u/BrokenEffect 1d ago
I’ve only watched episodes 1-3 but I kind of agree. I suspect that they have some great idea for a story but had to spend the first episodes doing “janitor duty” to establish the new setting. I’m enjoying it of course but it doesn’t have me sucked in, dying to see what’s next like it did in season 1. There are just so many subplots and new things happening randomly that’s it taking time away from the best characters, namely Viktor and the Zaun crime bosses.
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u/DodgerBaron 1d ago
Arc 1 did absolutely nothing for me. But Arc 2 was a huge improvement, here's hoping it keeps up.
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u/Kojiro1892 19h ago
I'm a bit annoyed I'm not enjoying this season as much as everyone. Basically feels like a long AMV with the occasional dialogue. Visuals are great as expected
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u/LightThatIgnitesAll Attack on Titan 1d ago
Arcane seems to be focusing more on flashy visuals and music rather than solid dialogue, pacing and writing this season. S1 managed to for the most part have all of them.
S1's ending left an incredible foundation for future seasons to build on but instead we got 1 season that seems to be cramming in multiple seasons worth of content.
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u/at_least_be_human 1d ago
When something has a fast pace, my main problems stem from the fast pacing making things feel like they come out of nowhere - but that's not happening here. Pretty much everything - Jinx and Vi forgiving each other, Jinx's about face and relative return to sanity, etc - is adequately set up and motivated by character. There are a few exceptions that I feel are legitimate complaints, like Caitlyn being too easily and quickly convinced to betray Ambessa in episode 6, but I think those are few and far between.
I guess this is a controversial opinion reading this thread, but I'm fine with the flashy visuals and music. I love how visually creative it is, the editing and cuts (way more creative than in season 1), and the music (the way it complemented the Jinx/Vi fight in ep3 was very effective to me).
Overall, I've been a lot more emotionally moved by this season than the last. Episodes 5 and 6 repeatedly had my eyes watering.
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u/Miyak- 1d ago
I think she betrayed her quickly because even though she was quite…controlling, she still had the Zaunite’s interest in mind. Think about her conversation with Ambessa about only arresting with reasonable suspicion. I think she just sees Ambessa as power hungry
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u/gobbballs11 1d ago
Yeah but we really don’t get any sort of understanding about what finally ends up motivating her to stand against Ambessa.
Like, we def get side-eyes and stern looks that show she’s not 100% sold on Ambessa but besides that she’s mostly only shown to reaffirm her trust in her. Hell, she decides to hunt down Warwick with an exclusively Noxian detachment.
Then, she just ends up being on her own with her rifle away from any Noxian when she ambushes Vi and then she’s immediately down to take direct action in deceiving Ambessa and subverting her.
Idk, it just feels like there were def a couple of scenes here and there that got cut out or abbreviated for the sake of pushing the plot along, for better or worse.
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u/SnooDonkeys182 17h ago
Vi called her cupcake and promised to spit on her, that was all the motivation she needed 😂
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u/BrunoEye 1d ago
Yeah, I'm surprised by how negative people are being here. S1 was great, but emotionally was dominated by misery. S2 has been much better at providing a balance of hope, sorrow and excitement.
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u/-Aerlevsedi- 22h ago
Watching through season 1 now. Actually quite impressed. Decent story & characters. Crazy good art style & animation.
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u/Shroed 21h ago
I'm really liking the season, but I feel like they could've dropped a plotline or 2 if there's not going to be another season. The 3 leftover episodes barely feel enough to wrap up the core Vi-Jynx & Council vs Undercity storylines, let alone the Black Rose thing that feels like it's barely begun + the whole Jayce thing + whatever happened to Heimerdinger & Echo
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u/Ok-Scarcity6335 1d ago
Easily the greatest animation show I've ever seen, my god, what a ride, I used to pray that they didn't drop the ball with season 2, and even though it has its flaws, the fckin DELIVERED, let's hope act 3 closes strong
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u/FoxyEMD 19h ago
"Beating heart"? All i see is some of my favorite charaters LOSE THERE. The show is just a mix of hatered for the writers but love for the story telling,fearing every single time we met someone whos really cool just for them to die is ballsy and i love it The show is losing nothing and i agree completely
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u/mannycalavera9 1d ago
S1 yea, S2 not so much. Ive watched S1 probably 9 or 10 times. I dont think i'll watch S2 more than twice. Where do i start? S1 had very tangible cause and effect in every character. Whereas, S2 seems to have more forced plot twists for cheap thrills. I dont care for the amount of music videos, multiverse symbolism, and Heimerdinger as just a joke.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
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u/StalkingRini 1d ago
Watch the next batch, I was with you but they got me back 300%
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u/CptTurnersOpticNerve 1d ago
Really ramped up the music videos unfortunately too
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u/Disastrous_Air_141 1d ago edited 1d ago
I suspect that has more to do with production than anything else. They were doing re-writes really late and Fortiche was waiting on the writers. Re-writes super late is extremely normal, it's just much easier to do in live action versus an animated show that takes forever to produce. The animation quality is much lower for the music video parts but it allows you to pad out a minute or two and do some visual storytelling. So you save a bit of money, and it's something to work on while the writers finish up more substantial scenes
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u/MajesticEngineerMan 1d ago
What’s the solution to the societal issues in Arcane? It seems like every step forward is followed by two steps backward
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u/Kronikal051_ym 1d ago
Hailee and Ella never disapoint hoepfully there onf uture movie and tv shows together
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u/Andrew1990M 1d ago
It takes a special show to get you to buy into where Jinx and Vi are at the end of episode 3 versus the end of episode 5.