Arcane is a 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 MAGNUM OPUS

[@codeyvo]

To me, Arcane S2 is a flawed masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.

[@tyguy477]

@@sombodi200 Nothing in any published definition of masterpiece requires or even suggests that the medium in question has to be perfect or flawless. Arguably nothing is flawless or perfect, especially when subjectivity is involved. The amount of people pedalling this ridiculous qualifier online is re-tarded.

[@codeyvo]

@@sombodi200 I guess you missed the entire point of Viktor's final speech.

[@leonardooliveira843]

​@sombodi200 You are so wrong, lol. The concept of "Perfection" in art is very subjective. One can argue that there are no perfect masterpieces.

[@leonardooliveira843]

​@sombodi200 Arcane can be considered a masterpiece in many aspects even tho it's not perfect.

[@chrishaven1489]

......Sure. But I do think it's important to point out and discuss those flaws, with the hopes that the creators don't make those same mistakes again. Because rushing this season like they did is deeply disappointing to me

[@bloppyzefish6932]

Thing about Isha was, I KNEW she's a character created to die. I was bracing for it, but when the montage hits I still teared up... Even though I tried not to get attached to Isha, Isha did bring out the best of Jinx, the part of her that wasn't destructive.

[@vatop1304]

I really didnt care for that character and I was glad when she was out of the story, and gave more time to better characters.

[@mcrain1283]

yep I still don't understand why people are pretending that they knew Isha will be unalived

[@TheBenfm24]

I was personally floored by how clearly Powder's love for Ekko was conveyed through her eyes during the dancing sceen.

[@saliuarts]

12:20 i'd argue animation does expressive emotions better than live action, because of the greater control the animator has over every twitch, every muscle and every deliberate action, especially in seinen(animes with serious adult themes )

[@MSpotatoes]

The facial expressions in this show were some of the best I've ever seen.

[@chrishaven1489]

Sure. But the counterargument to that is time. It's a lot easier and faster to capture a really good live action performance than to animate it

[@MoonWeasel23]

My only main issue was Mel and Ambessa having a very very rushed conflict. Jinx and Vi’s stuff felt just fine to me. I still loved the first season more, but this is still and insanely good season. Better than 99% of other shows and media.

[@murdockfiles9406]

Your only complaint? They rushed EVERYTHING, but I agreed that Jinx and Vi was the best developed by far in the entire season. Viktor's whole arc was the worst for me considering how suddenly he became deified and then toppled, before becoming an actual god.

[@CzarsSalad]

​@@murdockfiles9406and you have no issues with season 1 when all of these problems were rooted from the unnecessary storylines

[@shadowone01x99]

I disagree on the "rushed conflict" between Ambessa and Mel. I liked the inclusion of Black Rose. (1) It explains WHY Ambessa left Noxus to visit Piltover. Mel has been suspicious about her mother's visit FROM SEASON 1. (2) Provided character development for Mel (3) And sets the groundwork for the next animated project which will build on what happened between Leblanc/ black rose, Mel and Ambessa. If the black rose angle never happened, Mel's powers would NOT have FULLY activated and Jayce would have died in the council room when Viktor's "glorious evolution" white-bot was strangling Jayce to death. (4) The Black Rose is participatory in the story as a major SUB-PLOT tied to TWO major characters (Ambessa and Mel) which is much better than getting a random 2 minutes after credits scene that only hinting the black rose at the end of the season final episode.

[@chrishaven1489]

The Jinx and Vi stuff was missing a few character beats, imo. Vi turned on Jinx a little too quickly for me in the first act. I felt like I needed to see Vi bonding with the other enforcers first and then seeing Jinx kill/harm one of them before before Vi decides that Jinx needed to be killed. Apart from that, I thought the Jinx Vi teamup was awesome. My biggest problem with Mel's story was all the magical stuff. I thought she was super-interesting in the first season. Then they replaced all that interesting character-building with all the magic stuff and that kinda turned me off. I loved Ambessa's character, but I really wished her and the Noxians were a background conflict instead of a big enemy that everyone needed to take down. It kinda sidelined the deeper, Piltover vs Zaun conflict that was built up from the first season. I also thought Ambessa's character was interesting.....right up until Mel and her met up again after the disappearance. Ambessa being a total villain for the sake of her family, I always thought made her nuanced and interesting. Then that fell by the wayside, and she just turned out to be just another bad guy's bad guy. I was kinda disappointed by that.

[@shadowone01x99]

@chrishaven1489 Vi did NOT turn on Jinx "too quickly". It was all building on season 1.

[@neilhannan5112]

They needed a Season 3 I don't care if I had to wait another 3 years 😢

[@thanatoswaker2778]

There will be no season 3, but other lol based shows are confirmed.

[@carlosmendozapiano]

They needed to not cut the time on the last episode from 1 and a half hour to 4 minutes

[@Jrdn357]

@@carlosmendozapiano There's absolutely no way that it was originally an hour and a half. They wouldn't have animated an hour and a half worth of content and cut a third of it for no reason. It would've been in the episode. No way they just wasted millions of dollars and months of work animating all that.

[@dwaynemorse5000]

Not even another season, I think 1 more act would’ve solved most issues

[@carlosmendozapiano]

@@Jrdn357 they did and Netflix asked them to make it shorter

[@mrink8822]

I feel like this could have worked so well as a three-season series. The act 2 ending could have served as the season 2 finale with more buildup, specifically for Jayce. We could have seen what happened to him and better understood why he was against Viktor before the whole shootout. Additionally, showing what Caitlyn had done with Ambessa instead of just being told. Maybe Ekko and Heimerdinger's story could have been left for season 3

[@mannythegrandfather2291]

Eh, Jayce was just fine for me tbh. We pretty much got his motivation and how that drove him to act. I think, for me, Caitlyn and Mel's characters what could have been given more time to breathe

[@chrishaven1489]

@@mannythegrandfather2291 Yeah, but Jayce was barely a character in this season

[@GladwinAbel]

@@chrishaven1489I feel like Ekko who I think is the mvp of act 3 and the true hero of arcane barely felt like he had any screen time sure everyone loved ep 7 and his bits in act 8. But Jayce has more than Ekko so I don’t know what more you need. I think arcane tries to make use of screen time by showing pivotal moments of character development and growth and that can feel like some character are being done dirty because they’re not that interesting.

[@tlozmeowcatz7991]

Definitely not imo. The series works very well at doing a lot with a little amount of time. An extra season I think would've messed with the pacing in the opposite direction if they really decided to just stick with this story line and not do any others (and if they added others they'd need to resolve those too in the same season). I think given a few more episodes it would've been perfect, but already with what they did I think it's a phenomenal show, even if some storylines could've used a bit more time to breathe.

[@alexiavya722]

it seriously just boils down to “amazing content squashed into to little space.” There’s also plenty of scene that should have been knitted between other moments earlier in the season. So many changes that feel like season defining changes that only get an episode or two of screen space because they kept the story to two seasons instead of three. Which I can appreciate that there’s so much change, but you do need the calm to balance the storm. The emotional of a life time of tragedy can never compare to single moment of trauma. Also, a personal issue is the amount of montages going on. Made it feel like I actually got mailed the story instead of actually watching it. The show also feels like it needed an epilepsy warning. My head genuinely throbbed with pain after watching many episodes in the season.

[@smittyjjensin558]

The first 2 acts should have been 1 season. The third act easily had enough content for one.

[@chrishaven1489]

I actually think the first act should've been one season. The second season should've been about Vi chasing down Jinx and being conflicted about helping Caitlyn or 'fixing' Jinx and the tensions between the two cities rising as the chase goes on. Then the season ends with Vi making her choice, and her fighting Jinx. Then the third season focuses on them teaming up to save Vander

[@blairsinclair1797]

​@@chrishaven1489agree with this.

[@anthonyburke5147]

​@@chrishaven1489 that would be way too slow. This season just needed one more act at least

[@CheepsAhoy69]

I feel like character motivations changed too quickly and there were a lot of things I was kinda confused about with the story, I don’t need everything explained but it shouldn’t be confusing

[@heheshshdbsjshjswkqfi]

what youn didnt understans? Catlyn changes to help vi not lose her father for exemple, what did make you confuses? There are for sure moment were_ it was confhsing but you have the roll to understand most of them, i think in arcane everhing makes sanse but its unexplained so that u nave to pick up the piecws

[@CheepsAhoy69]

@ the confusing parts mainly had to do with the hex stuff. You said a good example of motivations changing quickly with Caitlin, the last time we saw her interact with Vi they had major problems. Then they just come up with a plan together in 30 seconds pretty much. That’s just an example but it happened pretty often characters switching up like that

[@Microplasticindulger]

@@CheepsAhoy69agreed. Another example would be heimerdinger. He was kicked off the council and when he met ekko it seemed like he was on the path to be more grounded and help the everyday people in zaun, yet he didn’t even get an arc in s2. All he did was help ekko get back to their own reality then gone. So much potential character developments lost.

[@duxfot6998]

The biggest problem is trying to tell a magical worldending apocalypse together with a grounded classism between the two cities. It was a great finale for arcane plot but cant say the same for piltover vs zaun.

[@carlosamado7606]

They needed a 2nd season with Jinx still being evil. The city distracted in their war and Viktor power grows. Maybe people got enough and wanted to just save themselves. Then on season 3 both understand what's at stake, Jinx slowly gets better (but needs a bit more crazy) and they end up destroying Viktor. In the end Jinx recognises the powder in her but while she is better she knows her psyche is complicated and she leaves her sister, not out of hate, but out of love. Maybe she isn't fully healed yet but she wants to recover. She just doesn't know how to because she gets destructive. So maybe in 4th season we see her going to another location and finding key characters that will aid in that.

[@neutral_narr]

Too much happened and not enough time in Acts 2 and 3. It could have used another season or two, but it was still a good experience.

[@chrishaven1489]

I reckon it only needed one more season. 4 seasons is too long. And I reckon the conflict from the first act could've been spaced out for the whole season, with the Jinx Vi fight as the climax. Then the 3rd season could be Jinx and Vi being forced to team up to find and heal Vander while Caitlyn's having her dictator arc, trying to chase them down.

[@tylerblue9691]

Everyone saying comments like this need to remember we should trust the writers and show runner. This was always the plan: 2 seasons, 18 episodes

[@chrishaven1489]

@@tylerblue9691 ......No. The season was rushed. No amount of gaslighting is gonna convince me otherwise. I do trust the writers. I don't trust the numpty who thought it was a good idea to have 2 seasons instead of 3.

[@neutral_narr]

@tylerblue9691 they even acknowledged that it was too short

[@slyrxccoon]

Your analysis is the one I agree with the most. Basically slightly rushed season, but still amazing. I feel like many people complain way too much with their astronomical expectations.

[@neutral_narr]

Nah, people could criticize it. Art doesn't exist just to be praised but to be examined heavily; what works exist should be compared to what doesn't. Also, it wasn't slightly rushed it straight up ignored many elements of the first season.

[@slyrxccoon]

@neutral_narr I never said art should not be criticized. I suggest rereading what I said. And by the way, not everything need to be addressed for a series/film/game to be good. And literally every main character get a satisfying ending.

[@za-ir5ni]

Eh, it's more than "slightly" rushed. Like there's A LOT of missing info/conversations that should have happened throughout. They went away from what made the first season so great for a grander more ambitious plot that lead to sloppier writing.

[@neutral_narr]

@slyrxccoon no shot you saild everyone got a satisfying ending with only 50 mins. Come on, you could enjoy the series and admit, yeah, there should have been more time dedicated to the characters.

[@blacktigerpaw1]

​@@slyrxccoonJayce and Viktor were literally written out of their own stories. The f.uck you mean everyone got a satisfying ending?

[@14loosecannon]

My favourite Netflix show, live action or animated. Season 2 was a bit rushed though and I wasn't always a fan of how they transparently used montages and pretty on-the-nose music to convey some plot points. Would have also preferred more focus on Jinx and Ekko rather than Cat and Vi, especially in part 3, but that's a minor issue

[@mariebourgot4949]

Agree with everything except for the last sentence. Cait and Vi is a pretty major plot point, so I would've prefered a bit more Jinx and Ekko too, but not less Cait and Vi. :)

[@SinematicClips]

one thing people miss about ekko convincing jinx at the start of the finale is that she looked at the time machine and saw the small monkeys and must've put it together what actually happened and that went against her whole belief in ep8 thats theres no good version of her, ive heard a few complaints that we didnt see actually her getting convinced to help but we really did, and yeah the music videos are a bit divisive but imo the only unnecessary one is in ep3 i would've preferred to see Vis personal conflict with using the gray against her own people but tbf it wouldn't have added too much to the story so im not mad about it

[@TheMightyPika]

btw Viktor's face splitting and befoming the Machine Herald mask is one of THE most ingenious transitions to a pre-existing design to have EVER been made. Chef's kiss.

[@Zombieworm98]

I didn't even realise Season 2 was the last one. Sure it ups the stakes and resolves most of the conflicts but it just feels not over.

[@lynthir6323]

because it's not. Arcane is the first entry into this animated universe and more is to come. The next show is expected to be taking place in Noxus, though it won't be named Arcane, it'd still be in the same universe and essentially a continuation from where Arcana left off.

[@JoeEver123]

Yep and they said they wroted an open ending for the viewers to decide like if Jinx is dead or not

[@Zephirite.]

@@lynthir6323 Arcane is over, but the Riot Cinematic Universe isn't.

[@josephdent6825]

Because there’s many stories to tell in this universe. The Story of Zaun/Piltover is over. But not this universe nor the characters

[@TheGeneralGrievous19]

Credit should go to Riot & Fortiche, not Netflix. I personally think S2 of Arcane was great, but worse than S1. S2 had it's problems but I would still rate the show as a whole very high myself, even 10/10. It has grest characters, stirylines, animation, music - a masterpiece. 👏

[@vrtlmuwu]

Babe, wake up! Supercuts posted an Arcane analysis video!

[@Heylon1313]

why call her Cat-Lin? We hear her name dozens of times in the show. Fantastic video btw

[@Jack-x8v]

10:28 Bro it’s pronounced Kate-lin not Cat-lin. This is not game of thrones you goober.

[@kyochan2880]

Arcane has solidified itself as my favourite show of all time. I knew it when I saw the masterpiece of a scene with powder and ekko dancing, the perfect time/multiverse done right. He gave up heaven, what could've been for his own world while Jayce fought against what cannot happen. 11/10 phenomenal episode, and I would've preferred it ended there and allowed for S3, but alas, it remains my favourite show of all time! ❤

[@chrissolace]

You really said it perfectly. Yes, it would’ve been better with a few more episodes (maybe one more act) to flush out the story beats in between. But due to budget, they probably could’ve, yet they were still able to deliver all the story beats they needed to, impactfully and efficiently (and even letting certain scenes still breathe out and not feel rushed in the moment). 11:18 And I was thinking the same thing with the montage/time skip with Zaun vs Piltover. It would’ve been nice to see it actually go down with one episode, but in having it be a montage instead was a creative decision that still got the idea across.

[@kwakuafari1889]

Wow. This was a perfect summary and explanation of season 2 and rhe entire series. Season 2 definitely needed a couple of more episodes for some of the plot to breath more but it still made sense where everyone ended up. The character writing is still amazing.

[@cannonfodder4376]

This is the first video I have seen that dives into what made Season 2 a bit different in Season One, why it is such and the contexts for why that is the case. I am in general agreement. What I found remarkable about Arcane is how efficient, concise yet effective its storytelling is. Every scene adds to the story and is connected to the central themes and threads. Via microexpressions, short but sharp dialogue, music and cinematic framing it tells what it needs the audience to know in a few seconds. It never has to use more scenes to explain and flesh out every little thing cause that is not what the story needs. It is lean yet full and powerful. Yet while it worked to virtual perfection with Season One, which was a character focused story about their intimate tragic struggles in this divided city and richly made world; I think it was a bit insufficient for Season Two. Sequels tend to inherently become more plot heavy as the scope and stakes escalate and it showed, the season had to handle new plot drivers in the form of the Noxian intervention and Viktor's drive toward the apocalypse and more. In addition it had to handle the new character arcs for these plots as well as the characters and themes from season one. With only nine episodes, without say more time per episode (5 - 15 min), one or two more episodes per act or even another act to balance character intimacy and arcs with plot developments and provide some breathing room to better address some of the themes from season one like conflict between the cities, neither gained to both their detriments. With this efficiency they did well as you noted but it does not surprise me that it justifiably sort of came across as rushed. Without more time for intimacy, to give things time to breath, for things to be internalized and explored, it does feel these events on screen seem separated from a story core that was not quite there like in season one. Season Two looks to me very much a product of the preplanned two season story that they had in their internal vision, much of it was already baked in plot wise and structurally. The problem appears that while season one was rewritten to its great benefit to be intensely character focused and be narratively tight and thematically and emotionally interwoven, it appears they might not have realized season two would need the same treatment to carry on more effectively where season one ended until too late to change. What they needed was just that extra bit of time but that could not have been planned for all those years ago when the contracts were signed and work began in earnest. Still all in all, a remarkable piece of storytelling when considering their limits. I think more should take lessons from such efficient storytelling and I am sure Christian and Alex will be learning lessons from how this all went. The best video on the subject, fantastic.

[@samy7174]

I still don't get how the season storyline about the war between Piltover and Zaun and Zaun fighting for their independence was so focused on in season 1 but not in season 2. I don't like the direction of season 2's storylines it became so convoluted and not understandable for people who didn't play the game (like me)

[@NotreDanish]

I feel like the difference between season 1 and season 2, is the difference between a theater scene that is spotlighting it’s characters vs displaying the entire stage without the spotlights on, and showing how everything is connected

[@witcherpie]

this might be the only show where they do blow up the story out of proportions at the finale, but it still works

[@blacktigerpaw1]

As a Marvel plot it does..

[@ronb2008]

I think part of the problem, and I posted this on a couple other videos, was a key S1 writer named Ash Brannon, who also wrote and co-directed Toy Story 2, wasn’t available this season due to other projects. He was apparently quite involved with the writing process in S1, helping nail down the story for over a year and given writing credit for all 9 episodes. He also directly wrote The Base Violence Necessary for Change. Now there's no way to know for sure how much of an effect this had, but I wouldn't be surprised if the absence of an experienced and talented writer like Brannon played a role in the rushed storyline that many felt.

[@ronalddepesa6221]

What problem?

[@bigjoh02]

I dont think that it would've solved the rushed part of it, there was simply too much to tell in 9 ep of 40 min

[@murdockfiles9406]

@@ronalddepesa6221 Season 2 rushed a lot of story arcs which clearly needed more time to flesh out. THAT problem

[@georgehills8183]

I doubt that was the issue. It was mostly the same people in the writing room and they understand the pacing issues people have mentioned. Season 2 just had much more story to tell and wrap up within the same time frame as season 1. No matter how experienced this writer may be, I don’t think it would have made a difference.

[@za-ir5ni]

​@bigjoh02 Even then someone like him would have written all of that more competently.

[@bobisuncanny2760]

15:03 Freak that ramdom Kara theme from Detroit Become Human mixed with Arcane visuals gave me too much happinness at the same time, my body can't take it. I almost passed out

[@MSpotatoes]

I agree it could have been longer, but i have to admit it's a bias because of how much i love the show and its characters. Sometimes, things have to end, though. I even love how little some things are explained, like wtf is the black rose? It's all a very cool roller-coaster.

[@chrishaven1489]

The show definitely needed to be longer. If the show worked with 2 seasons, I'd be happy with 2 seasons. But it very clearly needed another season

[@Jrv175]

​@@chrishaven1489 the show "worked" with two seasons tho. Just because it could have benefit from being longer, doesnt mean it didnt work. Sadly this type of animation takes a very long time to make (+money)

[@chrishaven1489]

@@Jrv175 The fact you had to put "worked" in quotation marks speaks volumes. Season 2 was a boat with holes patched over with duct tape. Just because it didn't sink doesn't mean the boat works. And whether or not the boat floats is a debate I can wait 3 more years if it meant we'd get a cleaner, better written story. And considering they spent $250 million on this season, I don't think money was the issue. Money's only an issue if they wanted to add more episodes onto the season. But a whole other season would require a separate budget, something riot was always gonna give because they were always gonna work on other projects beyond Arcane.

[@Jrv175]

@@chrishaven1489 lmao you really think I used quotations marks because I dont think the show worked? I did because its delusional to think this show didnt work. It was incredible, not many shows have reached this level of greatness. So far I mostly see complaints about how short it was, which is not a bad flaw considering all the fuck-ups that other great shows make

[@chrishaven1489]

@@Jrv175 From a narrative perspective, it didn't work. A lot of characters made out-of-character decisions, important plot and character beats were missing, there were several sudden character 180s out of nowhere. You enjoyed the show, that's fine. You do you. But to suggest the season had no problems or flaws, then you're the one that's delusional.

[@doryedouard3786]

I was waiting for this vid…love your videos man great work. 👍🏾

[@Ulick3]

So much of what makes this season good is either just implied or so deeply hidden that you have to actively search for it to realize it exists. Having subtleties that enhance the story are great, but the subtleties here are things that I’ve found either make or break entire beats of the story. Which is only a problem because there is not enough time for ideas to be fully fleshed out so the details have to be condensed to fit within the run time. Give it one more act or one more episode per act and I guarantee it would have been GOATed

[@bxnykenzero]

EFAP called and said you "drooling for a squeaky" By itself it's like a 7. Compared to season 1 it's like a 5. This season moved so fast that it was jarring. Three or four good songs with amazing visuals isn't enough for me to love it. Agreed the one or even two more acts could have helped out a lot

[@paulkyle]

Felt so disappointed. The way the writers abandoned Piltover vs Zaun storyline in favor of some flying robots and foreign warmongers. Not enought time and effort spent on Vi and Jinx. I felt so betrayed. Episode 7 was great though

[@CzarsSalad]

They should not have added Medarda and the Noxians in Season 1. That subplot was cringe.

[@chrishaven1489]

@@CzarsSalad I didn't have a problem with Medarda and the Noxians. Ambessa being there to stir sht up and force the Piltovans to develop more hextech weapons, I actually thought that was interesting. But then they turned her into an Avengers villain, and that downgraded the writing quality so much. They really should've remained a background threat

[@chrishaven1489]

I hated how much of an impact the foreign warmongers had on this season. I don't mind the flying robots, I just wished they didn't come out of buttfk nowhere. Viktor's story was cool.....then he flipped into ultron for some reason. I get Jayce blew a hole through his chest, but I feel that transformation needed more time to decay instead of the sudden 180 that it was. Going from pacificist Viktor to warmonger Viktor in the blink of an eye is not a change I appreciate

[@StrictlySealed]

Nvm what they did to Silco’s character! The guy was loyal to a fault yet he’d attempt to kill the two kids that his alleged best friend killed

[@uwayn9829]

Still 9/10 instead of 10/10

[@Jeremygilron]

I think all of us will look back and even all the people who are saying that season two is rushed and realize that the writers were able to bring everything into the most efficient and incredibly cohesive conclusion to the show and I can fully imagine a reality where we had a third season and the same people saying that it was too rushed in season two would be complaining that it dragged on if there were three seasons. I also would love to just see more of these charactersand would love any more extra time I could spend in this universe, but at the same time leaving us frothing for more while also delivering such a satisfying and conclusive, and to the story, which then leaves us ready and waiting to dive back into this world once the next show pops off.

[@Traffydrhart]

If GOT made bran more like S3 Viktor would've been so cool. But God love arcane amazing(diverse) characters, good story and animation

[@Lexyvil]

I just wish we saw Mel's reaction to Jayce's disappearance, and how Sevika managed to gain the trust of the Chem-Barons. That, and have Vi's input on Isha's sacrifice, since she probably knew she was close to Jinx. It's a lot of details like that I wish the show had. An extra episode would have helped. I'm just glad the co-created addressed the rushed aspect, and I hope the story in the next show is more carefully paced.

[@eternalbalkanpodcast]

Great analysis and very well put! I agree with many of the points you make, I also think Arcane is a masterpiece of our time with all its flaws and imperfections and will be long remembered and cherished. Cheers!

[@Echo-dv8ie]

Never expected this video. ❤️

[@Jack-x8v]

I saw the strange font in the title and thought you got hacked again for a second lol

[@falconknight4964]

Absolutely insane show as a whole, my favorite scene had to be Viktor exploring Vander’s psyche and trying to find the man within the new monster was just beautiful to watch, with “Remember me” in the background

[@chaldea_]

This is one of my favorite analyses of yours. Arcane is so fucking GOATED. Masterpiece is definitely the correct word.

[@jonk3714]

I loved it but i was also disappointed. I thought we got get lots more Social Warfare and Commentary over a longer period, where both sides were right in their own way. I didnt want there to be a direct villain but Ambessa and Viktor basically just became evil villains. It was beautiful and i wanted way more of it. It concluded too quick for me.

[@WindowLife.]

I think arcane as a whole is amazing, I don't think season 2 ruins that or even significantly effects it. It's not as polished because of the pacing, the writers have even stated the final episode was meant to be 1hr 30m, which is 30 minutes of cut content. But the pacing to me doesn't dimish the quality, it just COULD have been better had this been improved. If season 1 is a 10/10 season 2 is a 9.8/10 imo. I find the idea of an entire 9 episode 3rd season to be a bit of an exaggeration, maybe another act, but an entire season might begin to drag out.

[@za-ir5ni]

I think once you go back and dissect the season, you're gonna notice more and more of the problems because of how rushed it is. There are A LOT like plot holes, character assassinations, retcons, missing info and conversations, wasted characters, etc. This season will not hold up well

[@CzarsSalad]

​@@za-ir5niif you really want to fix the season, you have to go back to season 1 because all the flaws in Season 2 are rooted from the unnecessary storylines in season 1

[@za-ir5ni]

@CzarsSalad I mean, not really. It's not S1's fault S2 didn't weave together the seeds of those storylines well. And really if just Ambessa and Black Rose was cut out, that would be fine.

[@WindowLife.]

@@za-ir5ni I disagree having already rewatched both season it's in fact the opposite for me my appreciation of season 2 has only improved, and I actually prefer a lot of the character writing especially for Vi, Ekko, Cait, Victor (Kinda) and Jayce compared to season 1. I've heard many times there's “character assassinations and based on experience it seems to be the case people are mistaking character assassinations for their head canon of what a character should or will do being wrong.

[@za-ir5ni]

@WindowLife. I don't think you actually critically analyzed the writing then because there are undeniable problems with some of those characters you listed for example. Cait especially who is completely inconsistent. One moment terrorizing the undercity, the next already teaming up with Vi. Jinx immediately became chill and all her trauma disappeared after meeting the plot device known as Isha so she got assassinated. Heimerdinger was completely shafted and became a dumb comic relief character. It's retconned that Silco knew Vi and Powder's parents when in S1 it was clear he didn't know them. Jayce didn't care at all about the city this season. I can go on.

[@921Ether]

the thing with art is that only the greatest pressure can create diamonds. some of the best works of fiction have been created under constraints (game of thrones season 1 for example). what the writers pulled off with arcane season 2 within their episode limit was nothing short of excellent. would it have turned out differently if given more episodes? maybe yes, maybe no. its important that you appreciate well written art for what it does right instead of wrong

[@Hazelcake]

idk if it's because i unfortunately have played LoL for many years, but i just don't get the hype. it's okay, 6 or 7/10. hate that they gave warwick a weird human face. also, when i realised viktor is vissy T i couldn't unhear it

[@H2Overdrive99]

Amazing analysis and video! Arcane is my favorite show of all time, but I do keep telling myself that I must just need to re-watch Season 2 enough to eventually be ok with how things played out... For every amazing moment that changed my life/wrecked me/uplifted me/etc. I have a feeling that not enough else was shown to give that moment the full impact it deserved. SPOILERS (and kinda long) Two big ones for me: -Ep.3 The procession of Caitlyn being thrust into her position of leadership was unreal. The events that let to this moment, the music buildup, Ambessa's speech, Cait's expression and facial intricacies as she accepts, the idea that she knows that she can use this to avenge her mother and see Jinx's head roll... And then we get confirmation that Ambessa was behind the continued violence at the memorial... I was beside myself with hype to see how Caitlyn would descend into this darker and less humane version of herself, hell-bent on revenge, and then rise up from it and return to the kind-hearted person we know. Now I get that she did indeed have progression back to her true self again, much of it implicit and summed up in the "Paint the Town Blue" MV, but I find it almost unforgivable that we didn't get at least SOME scene, however small, showing Caitlyn's reaction to actually LEARNING that Ambessa, her leader/mentor, orchestrated the attack on her mother's memorial... Maybe I'm being too greedy, but that feels like it would have done a HUGE amount for Caitlyn's arc. (Although there's one single facial expression she shows that may possibly indicate that she learned this) -Isha. I fully understand the opinions of Isha being just a shallow tool for Jinx to become sad and depressed again, but I disagree and am a DIEHARD fan of Isha and her impact on the story. Now again, maybe just my own greed because I want more Arcane, but I would kill for more exploration of Jinx's post-Isha mindset and how she adjusts, and how Vi (maybe also Cait) could have aided her. I feel this would have made their final moments together feel much more impactful. And ultimately, I feel like Isha's sacrifice wasn't honored anywhere NEAR enough. Not having more of Jinx's recovery from it is one thing, but just seeing Mel walk past only a few Noxian burials on her way to her mother's tent made me think (did it really take Isha to kill them? Couldn't Warwick have potentially done that?) I understand that without that massive explosion, all our main characters probably would have died in battle right there, but I am a shameless Isha fan and wish her sacrifice was honored more. For me, NOTHING about Black Rose, Victor becoming basically a God, or the multiverse idea, was interesting enough to take time away from these. I know my expectations probably wouldn't have been realistic within the creators' timeframe/budget/etc. and I still love the masterpiece that is Arcane. Feeling passionate about those personal drawbacks is indicative of how much the show and story made me care

[@stefanoterragnolo6458]

SPOILER My humble opinion...I didn't particularly like Isha. She literally falls from the sky, chased by Zaun goons for...reasons we will never know. She decides to join and love Jinx... someone that during Silco's reign was a very dangerous hitman and mass murderer, feared by many, and Isha follows her and helps her in her plans and battles. She is ready to shoot VI in the face with a gun for Jinx! Ok ok ok, Jinx saved her from the criminals, but there is no costruction to that affection and will of selfsacrifice towards someone who was a feared and possibly hated gunslinger at the service of the Crime Lord of Zaun. Isha paints and draws like Powder, she doesn't say a word or reveal a skill or unique personality that makes her...someone. She's like a child Powder 2.0. who, in the end, sacrifices herself by doing something that will be useless later, since "Vander" survives and take part in the Glorious Evolution. To be fair, I am kinda sad. Isha is used like a tool by the writers to achieve Jinx redemption, a cure to her madness, rather that a real character by her own, that has an origin, motivations, fears, beliefs of her own...even a child can be a well written character. I felt weird due to the fact that she's like...the Cute Card of this show, like Grogu in the Mandalorian. The Cute One who makes you say *AAAAWWWW ADORABLEEE* when you see her on screen....not a character by herself. I am not angry. I am kinda embittered and sad. They did a wonderful job with characters in Season 1. They should have written her better, since she is the main reason for Jinx redemption. Again, my humble opinion. PS Doctor Singed ending was amazing. Well played, evil mad scientist, well played😊 enjoy your happy ending

[@yusufbekcoolman2671]

Totally agree man

[@katsunAC]

you're right, Isha was just a tool for Jinx's redemption

[@LoneWolfInsane]

i did not even realize that they gave isha a name

[@georgehills8183]

Great video! I fully agree with everything you said. Budget and time constraints that meant only 9 40 minute episodes was inevitably going to mean a product that not everyone was happy with. Despite that I can’t see how they could have done a better job. Season 2 had so much more story to tell and had to wrap up the entire series within the same time frame as season 1. I think most people would agree that it could have used more time whether it be a few more episodes or even a full season. While that’s fair, I think it’s also important to understand that these writers have hundreds of other stories they want to tell within this universe, and only a limited amount of time. Arcane has already taken 9 years off their life. While it may be wishful thinking, all I can hope for now is that what they produce in the future can live up to the standard they set. Otherwise it would just feel like wasted potential. Because with more time I think arcane could have been perfect.

[@thanatoswaker2778]

Yea it was rushed. Yet it was masterfully crafted, greatly written and spectaculary executted despite that. People comparing the 2nd season of Arcane to actually bad finales like GOT are deluding themselves.

[@ronb2008]

Oh 100%. I’ve gotten into so many arguments with people saying it’s absolutely dog shit. It’s like wtf are you watching?? It might’ve been rushed but absolutely wasn’t trash like The Acolyte or She Hulk. I’ve also gotten a TON of shit from people who refuse to accept the season has some serious flaws and blindly think it’s perfect. And when I point them out I’m just “never satisfied” or “media illiterate” and didn’t get it. Personally I thought it was decent to good. But definitely not trash and definitely not a masterpiece like S1.

[@paulkyle]

It felt to me sowhat like what it felt to watch GoT finale. I say somewhat because GOT finale is just plain bad and S2 of Arcane has some truly moving stuff but overall felt like a betrayal of what S1 was. Rich and complicated interpersonal and political conflicts. Mages and Mindless robots and larger than life unclear and confusing stakes are such a different and infinitely less interesting thing to focus on in the story I loved (and I still love S1) for it's nuance and richness

[@ronb2008]

@@paulkyle Yeah I agree. I compared it more to S7 GoT. Rushed but decent. Doesn’t hold a candle to peak GoT, but definitely not bad.

[@chrishaven1489]

It's not as bad as the GoT finale. But it has the same flaws. The only difference is GoT didn't have a killer soundtrack patching up its pacing issues. I maintain that if the music wasn't as fire as it was, a lot more people would be hating on this season

[@paulkyle]

@ true. The music did most of heavy lifting for most of Vander's scenes

[@therealnarniarules]

Really surprised about the negativity I’m seeing in the comments. I was disappointed but I was certainly the most negative of my friend group and the comments are making me feel like I’m its #1 supporter lol. My main gripe is the action taking a step back. The last two episodes really crushed it but this season had a huge reliance on slow motion which just doesn’t work for me. It’s a cheap way to add impact to a moment and it felt overused and abused this season. I also didn’t like that it seemed like all Vi needed was to be in a relationship? I don’t feel like she was that close to Cait but one of her last conversations is Jinx saying that “you should be happy, you should be with her.” Idk just felt rushed to me. Otherwise I think this was solid albeit a step down from an elite s1. Episode 7 probably the highlight

[@SelineSnape]

It didn't feel as if she was that close to Caitlyn?! Have we been watching the same show? 😂 They've been attracted to each other from the get go and the main couple. And it's not that Vi needed a relationship per se... it's about finally doing something for herself, allowing herself to want something instead of always being there for others. Letting go of thinking she is responsible for everything and every shitty thing that happens and, for once, pursue something for her own happiness. I think that her arc has a beautiful message. Not overly complicated like some other characters, but it doesn't need to be in my opinion. Learning to prioritize yourself from time to time is pretty important for your health.

[@paulkyle]

Sevika getting seat at the council AND Other councilors being random characters we never met is a perfect example of how S2 abandoned riveting story about Piltover and Zaun in favor of some larger than life messy grandeur simplistic stuff Sad.

[@CzarsSalad]

Ive been saying this for a long time now... Season 1 addition of Medarda will cause alot of writing issues in future season(s). If Season 2 is a rushed masterpiece, season 1 is an overrated masterpiece

[@paulkyle]

Thankfully S1 can stand on its own and even without S2 it feels complete (to me).

[@chrishaven1489]

I'm all for the larger than life stuff but the larger than life stuff should be in the background, not the forefront. And that larger-than-life stuff needed more time to cook instead of interrupting my deeply compelling sister drama and the nuanced classism-struggle surrounding it.

[@paulkyle]

@ exactly

[@tylerblue9691]

This is why season 2 is a 9.5 and not a 10 for me We abandoned the political stuff after the Paint the Town Blue montage. But I understand why.

[@hartshaped]

It’s worth stating that Arcane was always going to be 2 seasons. They intended it to be a 2 season story from the start, Christian Linke said as much, they didn’t anticipate the popularity and success and so only planned to tell their story in 2 seasons, which I guess is because Streaming services are notorious for not allowing shows to tell their full stories across multiple seasons. He also said in hindsight given the popularity then it would have been planned to be longer. Make no mistake though this was all planned from the start and not something they were pressured to do or that they made it up as they went as I’ve seen said on other videos and Netflix didn’t cancel it, they never commissioned it Riot took on the cost and sold the streaming rights for the 2 seasons.

[@filipegomes4511]

first season people had low expectations or didn't know wat to expect and was a huge good surprise and for S2 people want more than it can be delivered, the human mind is never satisfy even wen the work is so well done....

[@atelalafford4794]

while season 1 was heralded as "perfect" by a good amount of watchers, i've actually enjoyed seeing how decisive 2 has been - it's made for a larger discussion of why people enjoy stories, and crafted a general consensus that the worst and most common thing a production can do by this point in time is rush itself. really appreciated your insight, and you giving some grace to why this story, even with its flaws, is still masterfully able to pull off what it did.

[@MolezHD]

Imo i think act 1+2 should have been fleshed out into 9 episodes, with episode 6 actually being the season finale/cliffhanger, then the 3rd act should have been fleshed out over another season. Honestly the 3rd act felt REALLY rushed, they could have fleshed out SO many more aspects of it, that way the emotional beats in the finale would have hit way way harder

[@shadowone01x99]

I will like to add the exquisitely talented EMOTIVE voice acting is utterly incredible.

[@ssoory6343]

I dont have a solo most-favorite character in this show. Whole tiers of how much lovable they are.

[@xfrixor_2132]

This is really close to my thoughts about Season 2. Fortiche gets away with their insane pacing because they almost dont skip anything. Bad pacing would be just skipping how Caits strike team wiped out Schimmer and the chembarons. Instead we got a buildup to The Grey and a music video that speedruns how they used it. In the few cases where we do not see (or even get told) something, the writing beforehand was insane enough that we still know the whole picture. A good example is the skipped Jinx/Ekko interaction after he saves her. There are SO many details in their clothing, the vibe, all the spray paint, Ekkos piercing that we can piece together what they did in the meantime before the final battle based on what we know about these characters. Would it have been nice to see that? Sure. Would it be a gutwrenching scene to see Jinx and even Sevika react to Ishas death immediatly after? Sure but does the plot need that? I think they really walked a thin line but they managed to pull it off. At the end you are left with a show that makes every single frame worth watching. This show set the bar for animation for years to come. Crazy to think that was done by an essentially new studio and written by two showrunners who never did any kind of tv project. This might just be the beginning.

[@erotictaco4281]

It's CAITlyn, not CATelyn. You gotta let Game of Thrones go buddy. lol :P

[@pietrocatalano4285]

I know a lot of people don't like the fact that the ending was rushed, but honestly, I don't mind it at all. Given just how many things they were juggling, I think they absolutely did the best they could with the time they were given (plus, of course, the budget), and I can't fault them for that because I really have no idea of what I'd cut out of this already extremely efficiently streamlined story. Every scene matters, so if you cut one out to favor another, it's probably not going to change the quality of the story as a whole.

[@Jrdn357]

Why do you keep pronouncing her name "CAT-lin"! It's "KATE-lin", lmao!

[@augustussmythe8379]

"There is beauty in imperfections."

[@alanviniciuswanderleytavar4399]

Season 2 clearly has a scoop creep problem, my major problem is the act 2, act 2 is really mess up, and it could be fixed if it was 6 episodes instead of 3

[@Damian-uv4ls]

When I ask myself what would I have done to improve this season, I can only really come up with one very minor, but significant--imo, change. In the final scene of the finale, when Vi and Caitlyn are in her study, I would've zoomed out to show someone was watching them, then had the camera pan around to show that it was Powder from the alternate universe episode (2x07.) That quite literally would've made it a perfect ending for me, though the Jinx is still alive curveball worked as well. So, if I can walk away from a show and only have one minor tweak in my mind that would've been the cherry on top, that's as close to perfect as I could ask for. Could you have spent more time on Viktor/Jayce or Noxus and the Black Rose? Sure. Would it have added anything emotionally? Not as far I can tell.

[@lilchaos9212]

My issue with Act 2 and 3 is that their contents should've been the focus on their own seasons. You could have Act 1 and 2 happening over the same season and further explored the conflict between Piltover and Zaun, the police brutality and slow rise of Viktor's commune taking advantage of the disenfranchised people of Zaun left needing healing in the wake of the civil war. Ambessa taking over as the main enemy of both Piltover and Zaun should've been the finale of that season, with Warwick bringing Vi and Jinx back together in Act 3 as they both deal with the civil war and their places within it. That way, you could flesh out characters like Sevika, the Chembarons, the Enforcers like Maddie, Loris, and Steb, and Echo and his fellow Firelights. We get to see how this conflict hurts both sides, while in the background we see Noxus, Singed, and Viktor's commune grow in power and as threats that will ultimately force Piltover and Zaun to work together. That way, it would organically lead into them all having to come together in Season 3 after Viktor's death and rebirth and Isha's death while also letting plots like Echo in the AU and Mel learning about her magic take place over the seasons rather than being crammed into one season and one episode each.

[@CzarsSalad]

You have money to fund it?

[@vijayanand6650]

Bro mispronouncing Caitlyn’s name. He’s been watching to much Game of Thrones lol.

[@psy_99]

It's a disservice to Riot and Fortiche to call Arcane "Netflix's" magnum opus. They're just the distributor and had no hand in production or financials. Arcane could very well be on Amazon if Riot wanted it.

[@LiliDrawsT]

I feel they missed a big opportunity of fleshing out the duality in Jinx, of how her greatest flaws (Jinx) are also paired with her greatest qualities (Powder), playing into the beauty of imperfection (told by Jayce to Viktor), adding more nuance to our most morally grey character. Maybe show how Jinx, for the first time in her life, became someone's hero rather than a villain in their story. To make this more impactful, we should have seen Jinx become a true villain, as we were promised. Her ultimate villain arc got hinted at in the season 1 finale, after she launched her rocket against the council. We should've seen her become her worst, most destructive form, become Jinx in all its tragic glory, being reckless, killing innocents or just enforcers in Piltover, causing mayhem, maybe making things worse for the Undercity (which would ruin the whole Jinx as the revolutionary arc in the show), be what Jinx was always meant to be and who she has always been (because that's what Silco told/taught her and that's what she has always believed about herself). We can see her tormenting the people in Piltover, killing enforcers, obstructing the peace (we literally see this being said about Jinx in the lore, in her wanted posters), while Caitlyn, with her thirst for revenge, tries to stop her (Vi sees Caitlyn descend further and further with them eventually breaking up, like we see in the show). Jinx committing violenct acts everywhere she goes, completely unhinged. And maybe we see these acts of violence being confused as revolutionary ones by the Undercity, or maybe we just see the Undercity fighting back against the enforcers, because Caitlyn has been sending a lot of them down there, because Caitlyn is dark and vengeful this season (especially under Ambessa's influence, although I hate that this where they took the story)! Playing with the duality and parallels of the show, in a twist dark way, the Undercity is fighting for their peace, in union and as a community, while this unhinged blue haired girl is, in contrast, killing and destroying a city full of innocent people. While playing a punk dark music montage. And then we reach a climax, and the music stops, everything stops, and mid violence, maybe in slow mo, we see a little girl, similar to Powder, shocked by the sight of violence (like we see Powder do in ep 2, with the gang fighting Silco's goons), a zaunite kid, and we hear Powder's singing or song in the background, further showing the parallels of enforcers being seen as monsters to Powder as a girl, and now Jinx here being seen as a monster by this girl and the Undercity people, ultimately dooming herself. Maybe, this finally shakes Jinx out of her violent streak and she, out of breath, looks at this girl, and sees Powder (not literally, just figuratively, maybe through her shy demeanour) and just disappears off in the dark or smoke, while Caitlyn tries to go after her to no avail. This could jump start Jinx's new transformation into a hero, or at least Isha's hero. This would've created a much more impactful and tragic story between the little girl, Isha, and Jinx, and the tragic end we see Isha's life come to. A girl who witnessed the violence in the Undercity, caused by Jinx's actions in Piltover, would explain how this girl became an orphan (killed by enforcers, like JINX!), but then saved by Jinx from the enforcers. Sounds familiar? Silco killed off Powder's family, but Powder jumped onto his arms because she had none else and he ultimately corrupted her. Twisted and tragic ending of Powder, as we knew her. The cycle never ends and history just repeats itself. This little girl should also be afraid of violence, but ironically commits the greatest act of violence of all, much like what happened to Powder, to save Jinx, someone she loves. But it's dark and twisted, much like Silco's and Jinx's relationship was. And instead of the caregiver being killed by accident, this time, it's tragically, the child itself. Because everyone that gets close to Jinx dies, but not Jinx herself, because she is the curse. Maybe in a twisted self-sacrificial way (like Isha does in the show). Because that's how this little girl (and Zaun) interpreted, or misinterpreted, Jinx all along: as a hero. But in a bitter way. Because Jinx is not a hero. And Jinx is a tragic character. And this destroys jinx, who gets her name reinforced into her identity, even further. And , most important of all, the message here should be kids shouldn't be killing themselves. And I find it kind of jarring that Isha dies, despite being a young child. The show also plays on real life parallels, real life issues in our world. Mental illnesses, disabilities, poverty, oppression, ambition of the wealthy and priviledged at the cost of the vulnerable. Showing a child dying because of war should be framed as a very tragic thing. The show did show us Jinx being seen as a hero by the undercity and becoming a symbol for the revolution, but we barely see Jinx do anything to earn it, after her rocket launch, and she's very lost and passive for the most part, except when we see her interact with Vi. Which I think was a nice take also and helped make it more believeable that the undercity would see her as a hero, because she doesn't commit any violent acts against anyone innocent, after missile launch attack against Piltover, which the Undercity interpreted as a revolutionary act. Jinx is also non-political. An amoral character. That's what makes her so intriguing and so hard to judge when she commits these atrocious acts. Vi went through a lot of trauma as well, but we don't give her as much grace as Jinx. Because Vi is a moral character. We needed a closer more personal parallel to this transformation of Jinx becoming a hero, through her relationship with a smaller child. They could've made this parallel of her being a hero to her city, cleaning up her own mess, while doing so to save this little girl (her past) and, in an emotional way, becoming a hero to this little girl, to herself. Which she was. We saw how Isha saw Jinx, as a hero. But it was because Zaun saw her that way, and not because Jinx was HER hero, specifically. I feel this would've worked better if we knew who Isha was prior to being saved by Jinx from the goons. Maybe she had a similar harsh life like Vi and Powder had growing up, maybe this girl was set on a path of doom, of being another Powder becoming another Jinx, continuing the cycle of violence and self-loathing (and setting the undercity into a path of war all over again). I've watched a video from Schnee, talking about how Isha is what Powder could've been if Powder had a mentor who understood her and her strengths. But again, this didn't feel personal to Isha. Rather Isha just felt like a narrative device to further Jinx development. They also hinted at Jinx not wanting to pursue violence for the sake of it anymore after meeting Isha, by how she deactivated the bomb Isha accidentally triggered. But again, Isha felt like she was just meant to be another zaunite kid and not someone who was very closely similar to who Powder was growing up. Making their bond and Jinx redemption even more impactful. Or more tragic. I still love how we see Jinx change because of Isha and how, tragically, Jinx taught her to be a hero. By self-sacrificing herself. Because that's what Isha thought of a hero or what heros do. Another quick addition to this, Isha self-sacrificing could've made us think that's what Jinx would do in the finale. I think it should've been Jinx to end the war, since it was her who started it. It was her who started the cycle of violence again. And instead of sacrificing herself, she disappears. It could be in a similar fashion as Jayce and Viktor through the hexcore, it could be that there's an explosion and after the smoke disappears, we don't see Jinx. No music, no nothing, just silence. And we see Vi confused and shocked at what happened. Where's Jinx? And the audience is left thinking, Jinx sacrificed herself the same way Isha did because that's what she taught Isha. That's what Jinx is all about. And what she has been wanting to do since season 1 (erradicate the bad in her aka Jinx). But maybe through a similar scene as we see Jinx have in the jail cell, she talks to an allucination of Silco, who says the best way to break the cycle of violence is to walk away. Walk away from the pain caused to you. Walk away from your past. Walk away from the people who killed your parents, and from the city who doomed you and your city. Saying, enough is enough. And then we're given a very small hint, on how Jinx might have survived the explosion. And as they're cleaning up after the war, helping the injured and feeling the peace settle in Piltover (and Zaun), we get a hint. Maybe a small piece of Jinx monkey bomb. Which is bitter sweet for Vi, because it was that bomb that killed her family, but also it was this bomb that set everyone free this time around, through Jinx's sacrifice. We can also think, much like the first explosion, Jinx probably survived. Because I think that's what the writers and the show are all about. Redeem the most irredemeable of characters, or character, Jinx. There's also something to be said about the ultimate sacrifice of a character (or a person) being to live your life, in service of others, to redeem yourself of your past wrongdoings or tragedies. I think what ultimately happened, is that the writers shyed away from answering the big questions they asked in season 1. They were bold enough to ask these controversial questions, like can you forgive or still love someone, if they become a monster. But failed to actually answer them in a real, raw grounded way. Because most shows do. Most shows would kill off a villain, or a very mentally ill character. But Arcane wanted us to ask these questions for ourselves. It wanted for us to question these moral dilemmas in our own lives.

[@BalikTrollbane]

Vi is supposed to be a static character for the majority of the show, and arguably the "main character". At her core she always knew who she was. I think of Vander saying "you have a good heart". Vander definitely raised her well, or the best he could. This one sentence basically encapsulates Vi. While others change around her, she remains strong and steadfast in her beliefs and convictions. The tragedy is she has to view all those around her change. Even when she goes into "Goth" mode and tries to fight/drink her suffering away, she never lost that heart.

[@benf2682]

I kinda wanna see the arcane format implemented into anime. 3 ep drops that tie well into itself so that even if it's contained it still feels like you almost watched an entire season.

[@bishbosh4815]

Nah for me it jumped the gun too fast, it went from grounded with fantasy/sci fi elements to bat shit insanity

[@kei7540]

It was never grounded the moment hextech was introduced

[@chrishaven1489]

@@kei7540 The story was still grounded with hextech. A story having magic in it doesn't automatically make the story less grounded. Magic/hextech still had important symbolism in a grounded story. It was thematically synonymous with technological advancement, especially in regards to weaponry. But then that nuanced storytelling went out the window in the final act

[@elsafowl]

I think they did great for what they had planned (even if it was a bit rushed). But the thing is, after watching season 1, I wasn't really expecting season 2 to go all over the place like this. Season 1 was amazing because we had the Zaun VS Pilltover conflict and all of these parallels between characters (with mainly Vi & Jinx at the centre of the story). Season 2 feels like the conflict between Zaun and Pilltover is pushed to the side and is not finished at all by the finale. I'm not asking for a solution to be found between the two by the end, but I wish they at the very least put the focus on these tensions. And while Jinx's arc was great, it feels like season 2 just left Vi behind? She's just... you know, following the flow and trying to keep her family together, but she doesn’t really have an arc in season 2? She doesn't really change like everyone else. Same with Caitlyn: the first arc is brilliant, but we don't see her BE the antagonist. She's already going back by episode 4. Same with Mel and Ekko: they undergo incredible adventures and physical changes, but they don't really change as persons... which is not bad, but if they don't change, at least let them have agency and impact on the story (outside of the finale). Basically, only Jinx, Jace and Viktor had amazing (if rushed especially for the two guys) arcs as main characters, i think. And it's not like I don't care about Jace or Viktor or Mel, but i wish we had more stories and scenes about the sisters, about the Zaun VS Pilltover conflict, and not about this unknown LOL world that we don't care about. Mel's arc is a teaser for another show. Viktor's arc just explains his metal game form. Jace also explains his "man of the future" game dialogues. But honestly, i would exchange all of that for more scenes with Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, Ekko, and the dynamics of topside VS downside. I guess the story flew out of its own world, to reach the LOL universe, but it was too fast. We didn't have time to enjoy our little bubble, and then it was exploding. So yeah, basically, it's very good if we follow this route, but i wish they had followed another route 😂

[@zaramel4694]

12:23 Uh-huh, so the scene in Lion King 1994 when Simba witnesses the whole herd sprinting down the gorge didn’t hold enough raw feeling?

[@dachosens1]

i dont think they needed a season 3, just have some more run time in season 2, based on such already efficent use of time, like i was expecting more toward hour long episodes instead of same 40 minutes toward the end still great though

[@xtuffcookiex]

I'm glad Riot was ambitious with Arcane and took the leap spending as much as they did. As a League of Legends player I'm ecstatic to see people loving the lore and characters that I have for years :) .

[@CylenxswizinSim]

Supercut should also cover Netflix's blue eye samurai

[@DerpthuluFhtagan]

Can we stop talking like netflix had anything to do with arcane? they just hosted it, they didn't take part in making it, all credits go to riot and fortiche, netflix could never make such a good show

[@s0undlesswindp547]

Netflix promotes shit like Paul vs Tyson they wouldn’t be able to conjure anything close to arcane

[@Hey-zb4jq]

The only s2 episode that isn't rushed was also the best: Ep 7 was SO GOOD

[@MikeJones-rh4xk]

This didn't feel rushed to me at all. This season was just about perfect.

[@fragileparadox8658]

Felt a bit more unfocused than rushed imo but that’s just me

[@baummeister]

I loved Arcane, and since it ended, I’ve watched too many reaction videos, critiques, and comments-totally my bad. But here’s the thing: it’s just entertainment. If you didn’t like Arcane, that’s fine-sorry it wasn’t for you. If you did, great! No need to overanalyze it. Was it rushed? Did Ambessa act out of character? It doesn’t matter-it’s done. One exception: if it inspired you to create something similar, then, by the love of Viktor, do it.

[@piquant7103]

Yea they've cut corners and none of those were intelligent or satisfying.

[@nickl9461]

Season 2 was an enormous disappointment to me. The writing was nowhere near the quality of season 1. They took all if my favorite well written characters, and turned them into caricatures of their former selves. Jayce, Vi, Kaytlin, Jynx... all just clown people now. what a damn shame...

[@babygorilla4233]

I think I just need to rewatch? I'm not going to lie I didn't know what was going on on my first watch.

[@bishbosh4815]

Tbf it does all kinda come together in the end, but the delivery of each storyline and character journey and overall direction of the season is pretty messy and chaotic, maybe true to the world itself, but still it just felt like every part, hell every episode was setting something up that the characters were involved in and what their motivations were and who's side they were that was resolved so quickly then moved onto the next thing. Like with Jinx herself, I get she's a kind of chaotic wildcard character that is pretty lost this season, but one minute she's leading this revolution in Vaun, then she's being an adoptive big sister, then she wants to kill Vi, then she "finds" Vander, then she wants to help Vi, then she has a kind of redemption arc, then she wants to kill herself... I just couldn't figure out wtf the direction of her character and her involvement in the story was supposed to be, it was all over the place. I thought we'd spend longer with her as a villain before going on this whole arc towards her being a "hero". I just find it so strange that with some TV shows were complaining that it's too slow and not enough is happening and with other shows it's too fast and too much is happening. I didn't know it was going to be the final season going into it and whenever I was watching something I was just thinking this shouldn't be happening yet. It's frustating that there's about 3 years between seasons and that makes sense, but if this was the old days, we'd happily wait a year for another season. I just feel like this overall story shouldve been told in 3 parts, because the pace at which everything happens this season is mind boggling, half the story couldve happened and been stretched out a bit and taken their time more to set up and develop things properly instead of rushing through it all is a disorienting and confusing way, especially for people who don't know the lore

[@thisistheway2014]

@@bishbosh4815 I agree with you that they resolved it quickly, mostly not shown, but only implied. I heard that the Episode 9 was an hour and a half long, but due to Netflix it was cut down. As for Jinx, in Episode 3, she doesn't want to "kill" Vi. The enforcer squad is hunting down Jinx and she knew that they would eventually capture her. She wanted the die in the vent as planned with Sevika, but got screwed up due to Isha and Vi. - Jinx became an adoptive big sister after Episode 3. It's a timeskip, she subconciously took care of Isha and somehow managed to calm her. - Jinx didn't want to lead the revolution. The Zaunites wanted a symbol to look up for. Jinx only "accepted" it when Isha was captured. - The root of the fued between Jinx and Vi started when Vander died. Jinx wanted to help Vander, not specifically Vi. Instead, Jinx wanted Vi to help her to save Vander. - Jinx wanted to kill herself because of the death of Isha. That anyone closed to her either leave or die. She wanted to end the cycle, thus killing herself. There's a lot of timeskip, and they didn't tell us how long between scenes. It is only implied through animations, dialogue, and the sound effects and musics as well. Rewatch is recommended. Yes, the finale was very fact-paced and they threw a bunch of lore pieces almost all at once. Nevertheless, the whole season is still good.

[@BlastOffer]

Arcane is like a super fun party in a single apartment with amazing friends.

[@HotTakes-ht]

Hands down the best thing to ever come out of League (including LoL itself).

[@Bruvkek]

A show like no one. I love jinx. Love love love that character. Hope she finds peace

[@_weyhxx]

I think act 1 of season 2 should have been in season 1, as ep 10-12. and act 2 and 3 of season 2, as a 12 episode long season 2. This would be the perfect pacing imo.

[@hasspuds]

I just wanted to point out that Netflix is only the distributor (one of two, if I'm not mistaken). They had no creative involvement with the production, all of the credit goes to Riot and Fortiche. It feels wrong to credit Netflix for something they didn't really do much for besides the marketing😅

[@dannydark0117]

Honestly some rushed plot threads here and there and minor pacing issues but this show had no business being this good. It's not only raised the bar for animation alone but for storytelling, world building, symbolism and characters in general. S1 is virtually perfect on every conceivable metric, those guys at Riot and Fortiche are actual wizards who've crafted something for the ages. Can we start to mention it in the same breath as The Wire, Breaking Bad, Sopranos, the golden era of Thrones?

[@melina_0455]

They needed a season 3. So many thematics were just brushed over or not given proper time to be explored. Jinx's healing with Isha, the temptation of religious extremism with Viktor's cult, Mel's return and conflicted identity, Zaun vs Piltover, Caitlyn 's dictatorship....

[@seunlider4006]

Another thing to mention is because they rush to delivery a lot of information they implement non common techniques that increase the hype of each episode. They could screw it but they did an amazing job

[@seunlider4006]

From a financial point of view make sense to finish arcane and arrange a more profitable contract for the next LOL series, especially when they prove with 5 start that they deserve it. Another point is the complexity to 3d modeling and delivery information using only facial expressions... difficult.

[@nerdingout3560]

Why is no one mentioning that there was suppose to be five seasons and it clearly shows, i think season 2 was almost entirely suppose to be about where jace, ekko, highmerdinger and mel went to, season 3 would have been about what was going on between the upper and lower city in the aftermath of jinx' attack on the council(you could even switch those 2 seasons around) season 4 would have been about victors uprising and the final season would have been about the war itself at least i feel thats what was suppose to happen because it very much felt like we sped run aspects of the story that could've been given way more time to cook but i still loved every episode of both seasons

[@sonder_1620]

I don’t agree with the take that arcane needed a third season to properly pace things out. Act one and two were about as good as you can get, as well as Episode 7. Episode 8 and 9 felt a bit rushed but I do feel like that was a result of the lack of groundwork done in the previous acts. I think the show needed only one more episode. Episode 7 is amazing and it needs to stay, but it takes a third of the finale’s time to do it. Make Episode 7 an interlude before the final act and give the rest of it a full three episodes. That would do more than enough to fix the pacing issues. Ex Act One (ep 1,2,3) Act Two (ep 4,5,6) Interlude (ep 7) and Act Three (ep 8, 9, 10)

[@finalGambitShedinja]

the death of Isha could’ve landed HARDER???

[@dertgok9813]

It was pretty hard though.

[@chrishaven1489]

WHAT?! I had plenty of issues with this season, most of them pertaining to its rushed pacing. But Jinx's relationship with Isha was actually one of the few things I loved about this season and her death hurt me immensely. If it went any harder, I'd be hallucinating colours and voices and blowing sht up.

[@alexc1]

Yes, so much harder. And I for one would have loved to be wrecked by what we could have had...

[@onefadedgunner3281]

Season 1 was amazing, and season 2 was even better. It did an excellent job showing how two characters can suffer from the same traumatic experience, but deal with it in different ways.

[@Michael-tn9wp]

Great vid, Arcane is a masterpiece. (Are you a bot, her name is pronounced 'Kate-Lynn', long 'A' sound not short like 'cat'.)