Arcane 1x3 'The Base Violence... ' - FIRST TIME WATCHING - REACTION - COUNTDOWN to SEASON 2!

[@VVhit3]

Silco sympathized with Powder in the end because he felt the same old betrayal between him and Vander.

[@3Kings_Industries]

Hahaha, "Im so old now, i just start crying" Nah bro, thats good writing and a firm grasp of your humanity. Buck up Paladin.

[@lafatte24]

Nono... it's also an age thing. I'm in my 30s and I cry at Shrek. Something broke in me after the age of 28ish. I cry at everything now.

[@PickledShark]

This entire show is phenomenal, especially episodes 6 and 9, but episode 3 in particular is the most narratively perfect piece of fiction I’ve ever seen. When I first saw this, I distinctly remember thinking “I didn’t know storytelling could be this good”. It’s jam-packed with top tier character, plot, and world building, but it does it in such little time. It’s just so damn efficient at everything. There are some shows that don’t develop as much in an entire season as this did in one episode. Loving your reaction so far. I too am a guy that tears up easily in things like this. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Subscribed!

[@gustavgustav2670]

Vi's reaction is perfectly understandable. She's barely, what, 14, just fought for her life, is hurt, exhausted and just seen her two adoptive brothers and father figure be killed infront of her, primarily caused by an explosion caused by her sister who she explicitly told to stay away for her and their safety. You can't blame her for acting how she did - it's easy to say she could have acted differently, but then that's what makes this show great.

[@nokta7373]

And the second she realized what she was doing to Powder, she did what every sane smart and caring person would do, instead of going down a dark path, she steps away for a second to collect herself. At that point she still very much loves her sister, she's just angry and hurt and needed a moment. Can't really blame her for her reaction.

[@onegemini420]

To add to your point. Clagger had made the hole in the wall, it looked like they all might have escaped if Powder had stayed home like she was told. I do not blame Powder, she loves her family as much as any of them and she had no way of knowing how effective that bomb would be. She also would have had no way of knowing that they might have escaped without her. But it is just salt in the wounds and another reason Vi reacted the way she did because she saw the way out that Clagger had made, if not for the bomb. - In my opinion Vi's reaction seemed genuine and despite how we all deplore violence especially against children. Vi succumbing to the maelstorm of pain and grief and lashing out and slapping Powder is a forgivable offense. When that rage and pain Dissipitated enough for rational thought and she realized Powder was in trouble, her very first thought was to go back. - I'd also like to point out the officer who captured Vi stopping her from going back, probably saved her life and maybe Powder's. Vi was in no condition to go back and face all of them, especially when she could not face them one on one like on the bridge and with the metal fists. If Powder had seen her return dispelling the thoughts of abandonment and then saw her sister killed. She likely would have thrown her life away as well. - This show was just so amazing and emotional.

[@mazesmth5058]

Did you watch the reaction? Cuz he said the same thing...

[@gustavgustav2670]

​@mazesmth5058 Yup, was agreeing with him.

[@gugugugu1300]

What? I am sorry but if Vi is 14, Arcane story and character design go from top tier to trash, simple as that. There is no way in hell that Vi's design,voice, character and interactions with other people matched someone younger than at least 16 years old. Just one example: there is every reason to believe she is older than Milo and Claggor, and these two are at least 15.

[@td4637]

I am still and consistently awed by how well Fortiche animated Powder's facial expressions in the scene where she goes from happy that her grenade worked, to slowly realizing something might have gone wrong, to having the truth of what happened crash down upon her.

[@WarpReactor]

100% agree unworldly animation (especially in the scene you mention). Thank you for watching, my friend!

[@nullunit]

and that they didn't shortcut it by using mocap. The animators there are top tier talent that respect the medium and still use the old methods just like the origins in 2D. Just folks in a room making faces and striking poses to try and figure out what would be dramatically appropriate.

[@cavalryscout9519]

This episode is the one that made me love Arcane. The writing isn't just good, it's confident. It takes massive confidence to write characters people love, and then let them screw up. What Vi and Powder did is understandable, and you can forgive it because the writers have shown us their good sides too, but they really, really screwed up. It's not that they were misunderstood - Powder should not have been there at all, and Vi shouldn't have hit her. Our protagonists ruined everything. That doesn't just take good writing, it takes writers that know they are good. The animation style stands out because quite a bit of it is hand-drawn. The backgrounds are 2D hand-drawn, and the characters have hand-drawn textures and coloring over a 3d model. It's a lot more labor-intensive than traditional CG, and gives a much more organic look.

[@cthulhuwu_]

Silco was Vander's best friend, his right hand man, before their falling out. You'll notice that Silco maimed Vander's right hand when they first fought, the same hand that Vander used to try and strangle Silco again in this episode. Poetic.

[@vikingmoose4577]

The most tragic thing about this episode is that if Powder had stayed behind and not done anything, they all would've escaped and lived to fight another day. She didn't know of course, but that's the tragedy of being a "Jynx".

[@scirrhia_kruden]

The thing that blows me away the most about Arcane is its efficiency of storytelling and its just incredible, damn near immaculate construction. It's so intricately crafted front to back, back to front, and you can really tell the entire thing was very painstakingly written and storyboarded before anything was set in stone, not just the overarching plot but every single scene. That's nearly unheard of for a TV show, and it has such a huge impact.

[@blackshard641]

"Jesus Christ, is this show good." I had a feeling it would affect you the same way it affected me. Your reaction was almost point for point the same as mine when I first watched. I cannot possibly describe the cold horror and helplessness I felt when Vi was taken and Powder was surrounded by Silco and his gang. And when Powder is embracing him? The sound design is utterly *phenomenal.* The patter of rain on canvas. The soft crackle of fire in the background. You can almost feel the cold air and sopping wet warm hug of this sobbing, pitiful, helpless child. I don't know about you, but for me it hits the protective instinct hard. So when Silco said, "it's okay" in such a soothing voice, I was floored. Not only did the show pull off the greatest narrative sleight of hand I've ever seen (hero origin? nope, villain origin), but this seemingly one-dimensional mustache-twirling villain had unexpected depth. Was there manipulation in his words? Absolutely. But it's about a lot more than that. Silco is a fascinating character. Can't wait for next episode. I know it doesn't seem possible, but the show somehow manages to keep getting better.

[@td4637]

Yup. Mine too. I also felt weirdly protective of Powder almost immediately so this episode was shocking to me. I also knew nothing about LoL going in so this did not go in any way how I thought.

[@minkalampinen9519]

Yeah, this show is something else. Practically one of a kind. Brutal, even grimdark but never stupid or unrealistic. Storytelling and character arcs are just on a different level entirely.

[@Ulmaramlu]

"Please work this time. Please work." Me: oh no

[@Rainoth_Rai]

Watching the reactions to this episode is always so surreal. It's always that moment when everyone's saying "Please let it work. Come on Powder. Make it work this time" and then the writers deliver on this wish in the most brutal way possible.

[@sergioaccioly5219]

Just reminding everybody that before this episode, Vi's worst day of her life was watching the dead bodies of her parents in ep. 1. Since this episode, that day took second place.

[@helldvan]

Arcane is following rule of "grimdark" not in a sence its all doom'n'gloom (as many people misrepresent it) but in a sence that characters are punished for a good intentions. Yes its heartbreaking but its create a really good drama and emotional investment. And yeah, of course, the writing in Arcane is incredible. Its made by people that are passionate about it and those people are not really following the "rules of filmmaking". Funny enough they are completely new for this.

[@samiam5859]

The base violence also refers to the violence that is caused when Jayce and Victor are experimenting with the magic crystal and the rebellion they do to be able to prove that it works the way they say it does. It is essential because it will also change the course of Piltover in the coming years.

[@jaives]

FYI, Mel's last name is Medarda. This first trilogy really sets up what kind of show you're watching. From zero expectations to unbridled anticipation knowing that it only gets better from here.

[@aranthur]

In this exact situation, Jayce was specifically recreating the spell he saw as a child, a teleportation spell. And he succeeded, just smaller, because he teleported a small object across the room Also, yeah, it's important to remember Vi is only like 14 and in the most horrific and emotional moment of her entire life. She lashed out in a way she definitely shouldn't have, but you can tell from the way she looks at Powder's blood on her hands she IMMEDIATELY regretted it and walked about 20 feet away to calm down for a minute so she wouldn't hurt Powder further when she went back for her

[@Ockerlord]

Yeah, at this point she clearly cannot think and putting any blame on her for actions she has no control over doesn't make much sense. Her problem is, that she never learns from this. For her punching things is the only thing she does to solve problems.

[@BattleAngelFan99]

@@Ockerlord The immediate lesson she learned is don't hit people you love. Then she was in prison where all she had was her fists.

[@BattleAngelFan99]

Yeah, Vi lost control of her emotions, losing everyone despite her best efforts, and it was something her sister did, by disobeying her no less, and after Vi realized she had just hit Powder, she did the correct thing in that situation, go a distance away so she can regroup her thoughts. Remember too, she's exhausted. She just fought and defeated several fighters that outweighed her and then survived an explosion and watched most of her family die, again. What this was was understandably bad decisions from someone as young as Powder and a lot of bad luck. I remember when I was pretty young, maybe 12 or so, I had a moment where I was pretty cruel to my brother and was forced to confront it by my grandma. Now mind you, she was always soft-spoken to me and my siblings, but that time she was angry at me. It really hit me and I did have a cry about it by myself, not that she had gotten angry with me, but because I knew what I had done to my brother was wrong, and I was seeing myself at that moment as she did, and I hated what I had done and how it must have made my brother feel. At that moment, I felt only a fraction of what Vi must have been feeling. This was an awesome reaction and I had to subscribe to you, man. You're real. A lot of reacters aren't. Not to coach you, and disregard my advice because what do I know, but you could maybe get by talking less while watching something, but maybe that's harder than I think it would be, having to remember things you want to mention later. You're not commenting after every single sentence spoken in the series like some do, so that's a good thing. Again, don't listen to me if it ruins your formula, because like I said, it's a good reaction. Maybe fixing what ain't broke will break it. :D

[@biancast.2420]

You make a good point about Vi’s age and also it’s important to remember that even though she acts tough and strong she’s also just a kid who lost both her parents and had to become a parental figure for Powder too so both she and Powder have a tonne of unresolved trauma too. I think in the moment, from Vi’s point of view, she had closed the door, Milo got Vander free, Claggor bust a hole in the wall, they were almost out and Powder was supposed to be home safe through all of this. And then everyone dies and it turns out that it was Powder’s explosion that caused everything to derail. I can understand her outburst in the moment perfectly. What I really love though is that she has a moment right after hitting Powder and yelling at her where she looks at her hands and seems to remember what Vander told her about violence. You can see she fully realises that her grief and anger should not be taken out on Powder in that moment and she actually makes a very mature choice: to step away for a moment and calm down... But of course, as with any great tragedy, small choices compound and have monumental consequences that could not have been prevented. It’s such an incredible set-up for a story.

[@wtimmins]

I also love Viktor, his charisma, his logic and forthrightness, and his jokes (this isn't my bedroom!)

[@rapamune]

The storytelling of Arcane is quite similar to that of The Expanse. It slows down when needed and speeds up appropriately depending on character interactions with respect to the overarching story lines that inevitably intersect. Cannot wait for season 2 :)

[@rodentnolastname6612]

How to pull the heartstrings of an old man? Put children in danger

[@blackshard641]

You're not wrong.

[@kempkennedy3542]

There is some great music in these episodes that really help sell the mood. Just wait until the end of E9... Another masterpiece of sight, sound, and emotions!

[@mercilessidioms]

"Don't charge!" If only. To quote Vi talking to Powder in Ep. 1, referring to her own fists: "I've got these." Vi's straight-ahead directness is her strength--and her weakness. That's the basic template for characters in the show. "What makes them different" does indeed make them strong--but it also makes them over-reliant on one approach, gives them tunnel vision, and not incidentally, leads to most of the drama that makes the story so good. You get to see which characters start to move past their own limitations in this season with fresh eyes. I envy you a little bit. 🙂

[@PickledShark]

This entire show is phenomenal especially episodes 6 and 9, but episode 3 is the most narratively perfect piece of fiction I’ve ever seen. When I first saw this, I distinctly remember thinking “I didn’t know storytelling could be this good”. It’s jam-packed with top tier character, plot, and world building, but it does it in such little time. It’s just so damn efficient at everything. There are some shows that don’t develop as much in an entire season as this did in one episode. Loving your reaction so far. I too am a guy that tears up easily in things like this. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Subscribed!

[@batu5180]

Yes, you were right about the arcane thing. It is a power source, it depends on the person what to use it for. Use it for power generator? Invoke magic through it? If so what magic? Etc. And you were right about the uses of the rune, it is the instruction, the code if we were to talk in programming terms. You construct the runes, it does things for you. Jayce was trying to mimic the magician indeed, and thus he invoke teleportation, but because he doesn't have any target location in mind he just kinda hover around. I like how you notice that right away, the first reactor I saw who understood it, and I've watched hundreds of arcane reactions

[@charlestonjew7587]

Powder- "Why Did You Leave Me?!" Vi- "Because You're a Jinx! Do You Hear Me?!" future Powder- "You think you know what a jinx is....?"

[@ArtificialSelection]

Yo, I'm really loving your commentary and reactions! Love how much you wear your heart on your sleeve as you go through this for the first time. So many of us were similarly unprepared for Episode 3. Thanks for all your hard work entertaining us!

[@ArtificialSelection]

Oh, and minor thing, but noticed your Arcane Playlist is "in reverse order" (i.e. latest episode first). Makes it harder to use the playlist to binge watch your series. Just an FYI. All good and looking forward to the taking the rest of the trip with you and looking at some of your other reactions! Thanks again!

[@helldvan]

I am so love this... its never get old: Please work! OH NO!

[@sylviacottrell502]

Counselor Moderna 💉😆💉 RE: Vi’s violent reaction to Powder, I read that scene as Vi regressing to a more emotional/childish part of herself due to the immense trauma of what had just happened to them all. Of course she’d never intentionally leave Powder, but in that moment all her rage and helplessness took over :/

[@hawke5311]

The cold open of episode one: Super dark creepy childhood singing... This eludes to the type of show you are going to see. Episode 1 and 2: Forget that cold open, it's a lighthearted action adventure, we promise... Episode 3: Remember when we said it was lighthearted... We lied. You claim to not trust anyone because you expect betrayal. Little did you know it was the narrative that was going to betray you! Muhahaha!

[@Thanaeon]

"Jesus this show is dark." ...he says BEFORE Vi and Powder have their little chat. That scene where both Powder and Vi totally lose their shit is just mind-blowing. And you can see both of their perspectives. Vi is just absolutely done and out of her mind with grief, exhaustion, anger and frustration. While Powder is ecstatic at her inventions finally working and, she thinks, proving her worth. Only that's not how it actually went down and Vi is NOT ready to see her being absolutely giddy and proud of what she did. So for a brief moment, at her very lowest, she loses it. And before she can go back to fix things, she's captured. I've rarely had feelings as strong as I had when I first watched this scene. This is the make or break episode - if a person isn't absolutely hooked after this, the show is not for them. (And I don't understand them. :D )

[@Animaniac0451]

You begging the powers that be that Powder's bomb actually works moments before it does...

[@blackshard641]

This show is SO good at eliciting exactly that feeling.

[@Morbacounet]

I also cried. This episode hits like a train. The asshole cop is called Marcus and the councilor is called Mel Medarda. Jayce explains how Hextech works in episode 2 : it's a way for people who don't have magic talents to access that power. It's like flying : (most) birds have a natural talent for flying but we can compensate with machines. In episode 2, Jayce and his mom levitate and are teleported by the mage. He recreated the effect with his device.

[@privatecaboose250]

Yes it was Powder's fault partly cause it was her bomb that killed Mylo and Clogger. Vander maybe not Powder should have stayed away cause the team was getting out on their own but because of Powder's bomb.

[@BruceRKF]

I am not certain they would have gotten away. I believe it was bound to be a disaster as soon as Vi, Mylo and Claggor entered Silco's base. It is more way more tragic this way, especially for Powder, but at least Vi did survive. Maybe if Powder had not been there, everyone would have died, even after Claggor had broken trough the wall. A case of "doomed if you do, doomed if you don't" after that for Powder. My reasoning: Remember that Silco and his goons were down outside the building pretty quickly when they found Powder. I am not sure a weakened Vander and a bunch of teenagers could have escaped from them, never mind from a shimmered Deckard...

[@eduardfazakas5278]

Actualy you can say its also Vi's fault it was her idea to not tell Vander about the Hex crystals so goes both ways

[@nathannelson463]

Well, getting invested and just crying at anything -- -- I mean, I've watched this show through probably 10 times on my own, and many dozens via reactions -- this episode still makes me cry every time. I just hits hard. On the bright side, while it hits hard, the show is a lot more upbeat from here on. It has more moments, but it's not ALL doom and gloom, and it's an incredible journey. RE: Hextech - you kinda have the magic system right, though it's never spelled out in detail. There are some montage kind of things with them trying to create the right runes, and etching runes into various things, kinda like a puzzle, trying to get the right reactions. It's not well explained, but what's there seems to fit what you describe. There's a TON of lore around League of Legends, and a bunch of us have theories about some deeper significance of the crystals. That said -- maybe don't dig TOO far into League lore until you're done with the show. There's definite spoiler material to be found. Regardless, as always, thank you for the reaction, and I'm VERY MUCH looking forward to the rest.

[@battlebugplays]

One of my favorite episodes of television. Im a sucker for a tragic story arc. I also didn't see it coming. I don't watch a lot of animated content so I was NOT expecting it to get this dark esp when kids were the MCs. It was nice to see a reactor not blame Powder for what happens this ep. poor kid was just trying to help, so heartbreaking. I appreciate how thoughtful your discussions are and how empathetic you are with the characters. Great reaction! Im so glad the algorithm suggested your channel.

[@frustratedsquirrel]

It's always so interesting to see who sides with who when it comes to this episode. Some people immediately rush to Powder's defense and condemn Vi for striking out at her, even though most people would do far worse if they were in her situation. Others find Powder annoying from the start and condemn her in this situation in spite of the show going out of its way to try to make her sympathetic and explain why she's a product of her environment and toxic positivity (on Vi's part, mostly). I'm in the latter camp, but it's still incredible how well-written it is to the point where it seems to be such a clear split in how viewers react to this lesson.

[@blackshard641]

(said before the episode) "The acting has been top notch." Ohhh, you thought the first two episodes have top notch VA?

[@SpectreNUT]

Two things that still stay with me in this episode.... 1) Vi slapping Powder STILL hurts and makes me cringe every time I see it....... 2) The end music is absolutely DEVASTATING and makes me teary-eyed every time

[@minkfi5652]

You're in for a world changing experience with this show

[@ellip4565]

The show doesn't straight up tell you how magic works instead you have to piece it together using very missable dialogue and visual cues, and you seem to be an expert in doing that like damn it's actually impressive. I see that you've already completed season 1 so this may not be useful but it wont be spoiler at least, anyways I just wanted to share my interpretation of the magic in Arcane The magic stuff is most confusing in act 1 but here's what I got from it after analyzing all the dialogue and the frames. Jayce believes one can use the hex crystals to induce magic using runes but he hasn't figured out how to stabilize it, it's like exciting an electron to a higher energy state but also making it stable at that state. Viktor comes by and suggest they crank it, give it a dangerous amount of energy and see if it works, because he takes risks and he didn't hear Heimer say is was impossible just that he wouldn't do it. The window shattering meant it worked, it did some sort of magic and not just an explosion. now they would only need to turn it to the correct energy level so they can input some runes. The wizard guy in ep.2 performed two spells- levitation and teleportation. Jayce tries to replicate the spells and is successful, we see him levitate and we see the gear teleport a short distance. Later in ep.5 Viktor mentions that they've been trying to discover runes that invoke specific effects but he wants to go beyond single functions, in ep.7 he says he's tried every combination of runes with no success. So yes your theory is correct, the combination of runes form spells such as levitation and teleportation. Also, we see that the hex crystals can generate combustion or electrical energy, but levitation and teleportation are the only "magic" used in hextech. The hex gates teleport and Vi's gauntlets levitate. It could be the case that they are the more complex spells and nothing they've discovered on their own was as complex. I believe that the safe and efficient extraction of energy from the hex crystals is what they have managed to refine, and it's what Jinx was trying to achieve in order to "crack" it. The spell function she used was some sort of propulsion which could be considered energy extraction/conversion, but she had to figure out how to stabilize it, as seen in ep.5, and build or incorporate it into a functional weapon that could harness its power. Viktor believes that the arcane, and by extension hextech, can think and adapt. In ep.5, he describes the hexcore as hextech that evolves. So, he is trying to create a device that could possibly combine the correct runes to produce a spell that the user needs, it could learn and adapt to the user. Once he receives the bad news, he seems to be searching for a combination of runes to produce a life or growth spell with the help of the adaptive hexcore, but he runs into a sort of law of equivalent exchange situation. We see that shimmer has growth properties and is used as medicine, so the hexcore was able to adapt to Viktor's needs and heal his leg. But when it took a life, it became "alive".

[@lbgherkin]

No apologies necessary! If you don't shed a tear at the end of Arcane episode 3, your soul is a small black cinder.

[@ohnhai]

Me watching this reaction. Nope.. Just wait. Ha, you are gonna regret saying that. Yup, very dead. I’ll miss her voice too. Yes. It Marcus. He’s a dick Nope. Hah…. Back to regrets soon. Yeh. That was a huge mistake by VI You are gonna regret saying that.. Oh. An uplifting note? You think you found one…. You scared for what comes next? You should be….

[@spice8631]

ayyy, ima need more of these asap. loving the series

[@wtimmins]

I have probably seen dozens of reactions to Arcane at this point, and this episode makes me tear up every time. (And anyone who has seen many reactions have probably seen that comment from me in most of them. ;)

[@sergioaccioly5219]

I'd known since first watching the show that Vander stopped drowning Silko to take Vi and Powder in. It was just now that I realized that they unknowingly saved his life. I feel some sympathy for Marcus. He was a self righteous fool, but will live all his life, from this point on, stuck in his own personal hell. And for the record, once you start to know Silko, you'll understand that one thing nobody can ever accuse him of is cowardice. This episode is probably my favorite in television. What does it tell about me?

[@3Kings_Industries]

With the opening, and all the characters really, there were multiple skins, some of which could appear to be the 'evil twin', in typical gaming nuance. You use to be able toncheck our the various skins they would sell for each character. I dont know if the game allows you to access the skins w/o the client installed.

[@3Kings_Industries]

Oh man, this show is soooo good!

[@davidgipe997]

And now the show has shown its strong gripping power! I'm glad you sre enjoying it so far even if its intense. It only gets more quality from here. ;)

[@markchapman5811]

I wish these reactions came out a few weeks ago. I just rewatched the season a to get ready for season 2.

[@TamNguyen-zs3gc]

Welcome to the World of " League of Legend " ( Runetera universe) ! ❤❤

[@vonbuki3389]

I always retreat to the explanation of the Obelisks in 2001 for Hextech - What do they do? whatever the story demands of them. Btw - im enjoying your reactions immensely for the various shows & y'know - you dont have to dress in character for every one of them ^^

[@merodeadorNocturno]

I wish I could say it gets easier kiddo, but I'd be lying... Great reaction.:)

[@drhapi5308]

And that is why she’s called Jinx.

[@DarkBath]

Yeah man i get the age and crying thing, i dunno why, i feel like maybe you kinda stop trying to be/feel a certain way and so become more open with your emotions. Or maybe it's just the experiences you eventually accumulate and also (hopefully) become more compassionate. And with this show specifically, i cannot understand how many people watch it WITHOUT crying, old or young.

[@absentia6164]

Told you lol

[@XennialGeek]

You should consider not using this complex, detailed, moving background in your videos. It kills the KZbin compression, because of the too low bitrate and your videos lock really muddy and bad.

[@WarpReactor]

Appreciate the advice, my friend! Unfortunately, like a fool, I recorded all the reactions before putting them on KZbin. Rookie mistake on my part.

[@XennialGeek]

@@WarpReactor It still is a great video. Your reactions are always entertaining and your attention to detail, not to mention observation and analysis skills are second to none. Keep up the great work!

[@3Kings_Industries]

Ever since SPIDERMAN INTO THE SPIDERVERSE, this style of animationnhas been Blowing Up !!! You should add the Award winning limited series BLUE EYE SAMURAI to your watch list for more awesome, and quite beutiful, animation that uses a similar technique, while expanding the ability to portray classic artistic beauty amd Phenominal storytelling.

[@lucasmatos5701]

Vi's only mistake was hitting her once and not twice, cmon man she KILLED THE FAMILY, they were OUT and she ruined everything