Is Arcane Being Rushed?(Act 2 Review)

[@keatonsavage6539]

If Act 2 had two more episodes, I think that could have fixed the pacing.

[@mr.dr0bot731]

The pacing isn't off.

[@music0cool]

@@mr.dr0bot731 Yes it is, and clearly a lot of people think the same

[@BuddyChy]

What are you going to put in those two episodes other than filler? Then it would just feel too dragged out…

[@daz97]

@@keatonsavage6539 I think that's to much Make each episode between 5 to 10 minutes longer imo There wasn't much wrong with it imo, they needed more time for moments not a whole extra load of stuff or anything I don't think these acts where bad, a little rushed but not so dramatic that the whole act was bad or anything It just left a little to much ambiguity, that just extending some moments could have easily fixed

[@jknetwork6211]

I will never understand the point of the drunk homeless guy that hung out with vi. He showed up out of nowhere, joined the enforcers, left the enforcers, hangs out with vi, fucks off and now he's gone? He had one line in his intro like wtf was the point of that character? If it was to be a vandor rip off, we had the real one back anyway

[@TheFamousYakTamer]

Can't really fully judge this yet since we don't have all the episodes yet. Not that I wanna discredit you either, you might be right. But there are yet to be seen scenes in the trailer that include the other enforcer guy Steb, so Loris(shield guy) may also appear.

[@smilingfriend10]

I was wondering the same thing. he could be removed entirely from the show and no one would notice

[@phuckilljoy7191]

No he may be came from another region that join piltover enfocer which make me think he from demacia.

[@ThatOnePotato-Lol]

He was already part of the enforcers before we met him.

[@DjPerry-i4v]

Feels like he’s a guy from the game but his story became cut content for the show

[@Strix2031]

Caitlyn for me was specially a issue since we are told that she has a close relationship with Ambessa and she is a mentor to Caitlyn but honestly i never got a second where i got that impression

[@deandredukes95]

Trying to fit everything in 9 episodes is challenging

[@winifredeghrudje4007]

It’s a shame they went that route. The 9 episode format is killing the potential of great shows. Still love this season though ❤

[@Unworshipediety]

The pacing feels right, sure I want more episodes but that's just selfish. The story & presentation reminds me of a bonkers good novel that you never want to end. It seems, at least to me, to stretch this story out would diminish it. I don't think we need to know every second of every day or every month. Save that sort of thing for 26 episode animes, if you get only 9 episodes per season then blast me with your best shot! It's just so amazing.

[@kienErenYKeHacesEnMikasa]

Nice! U´ve put into words more or less what i was trying to say in another comment! : "Arcane has an amazing pacing for what is aiming to, we need to put into perspective our takes, Arcane isn´t an anime or show that can have 100 episodes or so, they spent 6 years in the first season and 3 in the second, you should treat it like what it is: a miniseries or equivalent of movies. When you see a biopic movie or romcon, you dont say wow its so fast paced! They have fallen in love in 5 min, have kids, break up, and travelled time and die in 1 hour and 20 min. It´s a different medium. One of my favourite things about Arcane is filling the gaps and guess what the characters are thinking when taking decisions or ask who they really are at their core, it happeened in season 1 with Mel until episode 8, with Singed, Jayce and with almost every character. If u are looking for a really good flesh out character arcs, go check some longer shows where they spend time in that to be significant (BB, GOT till season 4, lots of animes, etc) but Arcane is different in that regard. Probably what I just said has no sense but hopefully 20% of what I wanted to say is understandable (this isn´t my language and is hard to express myself, but in my mind was a good point xDDD)"

[@Unworshipediety]

@@kienErenYKeHacesEnMikasa Yeah, it feels like I have to slowly walk over to certain people and tell them. _"This is what a good show is supposed to feel like. This feeling of wanting more, but not knowing if there should be more!"_ The feeling of an awesome show seems so alien to people that they think something is wrong. So they're complaining about the silliest of things. People are so used to hating that they have almost forgotten that shows like this can exist and deliver. (Well, I hope it delivers on the last three eps but, so far so good!)

[@kienErenYKeHacesEnMikasa]

@@Unworshipediety Agree in all! Yeah I hope so!!! Not showing the POV of Jayce before exiting the wild rune has been deliverated and I´m so excited to see what they´ve done! (Ofc Heimer and Ekko too)

[@Unworshipediety]

@@kienErenYKeHacesEnMikasa Yeah, those episodes can't come soon enough!

[@PillowEgg]

Ekko is going to save Jinx. The boy saviour.

[@AelitaVA]

#timebomb !🩵🦋✨

[@Dragonblade722]

Defiantly agree that they needed a few more episodes. Nothing crazy, but I think an act 4 would have been fine. All in all, the writer did a very good job in utilizing the time they had with most of the character arcs. However, if there was one aspect that I feel they needed to expand on, it would be Caitlyn's character and the Caitlyn/Vi relationship. They defiantly needed to expand on fascist Caitlyn and have her slowly realize that what she's doing is wrong before turning sides. It was also jarring that the moment Vi turned up, Caitlyn was immediately throwing googooo eyes at Vi despite the fact that the last time they saw each other they had a breakup so savage that it turned Vi emo. At least the sneak peek seems to imply that Caitlyn is about to get the calling out of a lifetime, but it was still jarring to see Caitlyn, Vi AND JINX fighting together against the Noxians at the end of act 2.

[@BuddyChy]

It really wasn’t jarring at all. Act 2 made it really clear how Caitlyn wasn’t this extreme fascist leader that suddenly flipped sides. She had a hyper fixation on Jinx, but otherwise her ideals and goals remained the same. Of course she would want to help Vi save her dad because she already despised Singed’s practices and Warwick is just a victim of his.

[@iOfTheStormm]

Agree with the music video thing. It was good on the first and even 2nd episodes of the season. But why we've gotten a montage music video to start 5 out of 6 episodes is kinda a bit much. The substance within the montages is great, and the music is also phenomenal, but did we really need so many?

[@Fionalah]

They want every episode to feel like 'Dynasties & Dystopias' now, without really understanding why that was so great.

[@mr.dr0bot731]

Who asked you? Don't watch.

[@mr.dr0bot731]

​@@FionalahI doubt you create anything.

[@amateur-madman3047]

@@mr.dr0bot731Your solution to a drop in quality is telling people to quit the show? Sure, we’ll quit and then you won’t get an ending cuz there’s no money coming in. Sound good?

[@Bunnyhuhu]

When I watched arcane s2 I felt rushed, but something came out of my mind: ekko: here is the thing about time, every single second matters, else you don’t deserve every single second. Would that mean ekko is the main character in act 3 ?

[@abanano-343]

Man, one thing that has me going nuts besides my homeboy Ekko having the spectacular total of 4 seconds of screentime so far this season, is the Jayce hate. I get that your immediate reaction is MAN GTFO, cause everything's all great and wholesome until shit completely collapses in the last 15 minutes of the episode in a classic Arcane fashion (cuz happiness is overrated ig) but saying Vander's loss of control, and Isha's death is Jayce's fault just isn't true. The moment Jinx, Cait and Vi leave the dome, Vander's left alone with Singed (who we later see wasn't unconscious) and that crusty bald ass man injects him with the serum he was making to prevent Vander's identity to take over the beast. The serum was orange, and Vander was literally glowing orange and puking lava and shit. That's the main reason he went nuts, not Viktor's death. He didn't go limp like the other people he'd healed, cause the process wasn't even finished. And Isha died because of the chaos Ambessa's army unleashed on the place, that they were planning to attack even before Viktor died, and becauso of Vander going batshit. Like, there's no direct relation to Jayce in there, leave my man alone he's going through shit 😩

[@Nfficially.]

In fact, i was so pendent on Vander that i noticed in the moment that they left Vander alone with Singed. Vander is more stronger obviosly, but all that it takes is to inject that shit to him by surprise.

[@ΚρανίΩ]

thank you for having a brain dawg

[@Ningamer-bo7ej]

​@@Nfficially.You can literally see singed standing in tent after vander come out in rage form. So yeah he did that is true that Viktor dieing killed this people or maybe they got in some sort of coma we don't know. I think unlike other humans viktor healing basically made vander have more control on himself instead of losing himself to the beast. Or else he would have died just like everyone Viktor healed but his regeneration saved him from it but this bring another question why vander become orange. That's why i think jayce had nothing to do with it it was singed who did this to vander.

[@DiemetaMarfire-nm7xl]

On point bro this was my thought after the first two episodes 🔥💯

[@Fionalah]

Yes. It has to not only pay off the two main plot threads from Season 1 (Vi/Jinx/Cait, and Jayce/Viktor) but then it also has to be the Ambessa Show and waste time on boring nonsense about Noxus that has nothing to do with Season 1 just to set up the next show. They had enough episodes; they just put too much into them.

[@music0cool]

My thoughts exactly!! Very rushed, could have expanded on many subplots. I think even a few "filler episodes" can be useful in developing character and relationships

[@RedRhinestones]

We needed more scenes of Vi's pit fighter era. Vi felt like a side charachter in the second act. I wanted see at least 1 scene(that isnt a music video) of her in which we deep dive into her trauma, her suffering and were showed her hopelessness. Maybe we could see her have a mental breakdown or at least a conversation with the Loris guy about her past and worries and suffering. But because the whole thing is so rushed we only got a 2minute music video. Im not even gonna talk about ekko....

[@CLARENCErr]

You hit it on spot on with your comment. This is happening because Riot realized between S1 and S2 that they need their characters to reach their champion form like RIGHT now. That $250m gotta pay itself off somehow via skins & advertising. The first season had an incredible amount of cohesion across all it's themes & plot-points. Whereas, Season 2 has too many plot points & setups going on at the same time for it's own good. Arcane's plot & story was driven by its characters in season 1. Now in season 2, the story is driven by the plot instead of the characters. Edit: typos

[@RedRhinestones]

@CLARENCErr wait really?? That's why they are doing all that?

[@RedRhinestones]

@@CLARENCErr it's such a shame it turned out his way. It had so muxh potential.

[@kienErenYKeHacesEnMikasa]

Arcane has an amazing pacing for what is aiming to, we need to put into perspective our takes, Arcane isn´t an anime or show that can have 100 episodes or so, they spent 6 years in the first season and 3 in the second, you should treat it like what it is: a miniseries or equivalent of movies. When you see a biopic movie or romcon, you dont say wow its so fast paced! They have fallen in love in 5 min, have kids, break up, and travelled time and die in 1 hour and 20 min. It´s a different medium. One of my favourite things about Arcane is filling the gaps and guess what the characters are thinking when taking decisions or ask who they really are at their core, it happeened in season 1 with Mel until episode 8, with Singed, Jayce and with almost every character. If u are looking for a really good flesh out character arcs, go check some longer shows where they spend time in that to be significant (BB, GOT till season 4, lots of animes, etc) but Arcane is different in that regard. Probably what I just said has no sense but hopefully 20% of what I wanted to say is understandable (this isn´t my language and is hard to express myself, but in my mind was a good point xDDD)

[@Alpha1918]

Honestly, I enjoyed act 2 more than act 1. I just rewatched act 2 as well, and boy was it great! The ending hit harder than I remember as well.

[@leslytenas1980]

Just my opinion but it didn’t felt or feel like it was rushed at least to me not sure about anybody else but that one thing i have.. is with caitlyn i feel like they could've done more with her during "i want to kill jinx" stage because she kinda didn’t or didn’t complete that goal. Thats only thing I had about season 2 but overall i think season 2 was absolutely amazing 😇

[@REAVER117]

Arcane is trying to speedrun trauma.

[@amateur-madman3047]

That’s the problem. It’s happening too fast for the deaths to feel tragic. Vander’s early death in S1 felt tragic because everyone, especially the main characters needed him. Isha bumped into Jinx, & a few days later the kid is sacrificing her life? And how did she know overloading the gun would blow it up? What was her original reason for stealing the hex tech orbs? It’s not like she knew she’d need to sacrifice herself later.

[@REAVER117]

@amateur-madman3047 There is a several month time jump between act 1 and 2, but yeah we don't see that time on screen. I think her stealing the hex gems was just from her background as a street urchin. Maybe she thought it was possible that Vi and Jinx would fight again? I definitely agree that this season needed more, or longer episodes. Let me see some of those Caitlyn war crimes.

[@Why_TABG]

When the biggest problem is that their isn’t enough it must be a pretty good show

[@Zcizamonster]

Good takes. I agree with a lot of what you said in this video. I think it is being rushed this act especially because it’s between A1 & A3.

[@abyssangel76]

250 million budget won't duplicate alone

[@NH-hq7ly]

Everything is explained. People generally don't get it the first time watching. With that in mind, rewatch it and notice subtle movement in their facial expression. They tell you everything without words and long episode, and it's extremely unique. Not everyone enjoy the pacing since we are so used to get everything laid out and stretched out in front of our eyes. Arcane is unique and to the point. As many didn't understand, Caitlyn turned back to the good side is already established in ep4 disagreeing with Ambessa. Look at her expression whenever Ambessa about to pick violence to solve problems. Also many may have missed, Caitlyn caught Ambessa working with Singed in the lab behind her back. Rewatch it and you will understand

[@poneill65]

Definitely rushed narrative, and I think it's a great missed opportunity. Jinx goes from "There is only Jinx, burn it all down" at the very end of S1 to "BooHoo, Silco is dead, I have no purpose" at the very start of S2, and this change takes places OFFSCREEN! Unexplained and unearned. They should have had an actual onscreen contest of wills between Jinx and Ambessa/Caitlin in the first act of S2 and maybe then a softening and hooking up with Isha after seeing the carnage. Maybe a Jinx/Caitlin fight could have ophaned Isha and reawakened powder. After all, Vander went through the same transition on the bridge in the opening of S1E1 and it would have been a nice coming full circle for Jinx/Powder to repeat that. Executing that Jinx character change between seasons was a bad decision and a huge lost opportunity Piltover's enforcers basically subdue Zaun OFFSCREEN between the moment Ambessa "crowns" Caitlin at the end of the first act and the very next moment at the start of the second (we just get a music video and some tagged murals to represent it!). And my head is still spinning from the instantaneous change in Jayce pre-post Hexcore. I know we'll probably get an explanation (beyond the hints flashed at us so far), but I've lived with good Jayce, communicative Jayce for something like 12-13 episodes, only to have him go all berzerker for the last two. I still like the show, very much, but it's a significant step down from S1. TBH, it's hard to imagine a step up or matching, but the step down is large enough to leave a sense of what if, especially as we know this is all there is in this thread of the story. In S1, they gave us a STORY that left us with a visceral sense of "what could have been?". At the end of S2 they're in danger of leaving us with that same sense from the other side of the fourth wall, i.e. about the show!

[@claymore6620]

Cook

[@TheRoyalGherkin]

I think I love you 😢 you just said everything I was thinking

[@katsunAC]

FINALLY! SOMEONE AGREES!

[@amateur-madman3047]

Thankyou. I love the show but you can’t deny they needed more time to tell this story. So much feels like there should have been more set-up. WHERE THE HELL DID ISHA COME FROM JUST TO DIE A COUPLE EPISODES LATER!?

[@pugisherpug4366]

Your first thing with Jinx I disagree with since we were basically shown how she derives purpose from others last season. Act 3 S1 she was just in-between Silco and Vi which added extra confusion for her in what's her purpose and self. Her going from "burn it all down" to "I have no purpose" makes sense in the context that she was fulfilling Silco's last wish basically when shooting the council and she is a character is shown to have attachment/abandonment issues. Earlier in the tea party he said "topside offered me everything, all in return for you. They can all BURN (this is the operative line that links to him also asking her to make a weapon the whole first season leading to her final action). Everyone betrays us Jinx". We hear his words "we will show them all" as she shot at the council which to me said she was doing it for Silco as she herself doesn't care about revolution outside of him and young Vi. By the start of season 2 she no longer has someone to direct her action like she always once had. Even things she did herself like taking the gemstone episode 4 last season was her acting for Silco/vi and what she thinks he/she wanted. She's a very co-dependent and suicidal person as shown in S1 so this all made sense to me. It's not offscreen sense its inherently apart of her character. She jumped into Silco's arms episode 3 as Powder knowing he had a knife because she had nothing. She doesn't have a great sense of self or self preservation. Either way she already started the process with the rocket and was okay watching it burn.

[@keithgordon6836]

There will totally be questions left. We need like 10 more seasons 🥲

[@DigitalFootprintToBeAbused]

Answer to the title: Yes, it's very very rushed/crammed and it hurts the shows quality badly :( Should have been 3 seasons or 5 acts in season 2 at a minimum. I also gotta say I agree with your critiques of season 2 a lot. The music videos and montages in this season were clearly made to save money and time. A lot if not all of them should have been fully animated and full lenght.

[@jungum4734]

I think some time (maybe a year or 2?) passed by between episode 3 and 4. You can kinda see all of the main characters look more "matured". But you can clearly see that Isha grew up. In episode 4, she is not a little kid anymore, but more like a young girl like Powder. I don't think Vi, Caitlyn, and Jinx are teenagers anymore, but more adults. It's a parallel between season 1 act 1 & 2 and season 2 act 1 & 2. Another proof that the story is being rushed without any explanation. I wish at least they put some like "A year later" or something.

[@TheChazas]

Season 2 really feels too fast and rushed, with way to big time jumps and story building, it feels like at least two seasons of content cut for just 9 episodes.

[@raffertykeane-eastwood2046]

If we ain’t getting a 3rd season the best possible scenario will have to be a movie to properly finish the story while also concluding as character storylines as possible, plus imagine the movie level funding for the animation🥵

[@Little-Buster]

Jayce is probably singing: "Oh the misery~ Everybody wants to be my enemy~"

[@JennyferPepin]

Isha means 'one who protects'. We knew what would happen.

[@priincelegiit]

Paint the Town Blue & Renegade my favorite Tracks from Season 2 on my playlists non stop! 😊

[@GETJINXEDq]

Maddie the Rebound

[@rob197982]

Season 2 definitely feels rushed. Personally I think you could have 3 seasons with the sheer amount character plotlines there trying to conclude in 9 episodes. At minimum there should have been 12 episodes split across 4 acts. To me, the pacing in the first season is spot on and I would say is the best animated show / movie I have ever seen! Animated content doesn't normally effect me emotionally but the end of episodes 3 & 9 had me in tears! The only other aminated content that's done that was Hazels death at the end of Watership Down.

[@domo201]

I think 3 seasons would have been perfect. I don’t feel we get enough time to absorb and properly invest in these new characters and the twist and turns of the plot

[@Jus_Saiyan]

Comment sections make me realize people don't know what pacing is.... the way bro keep saying shit is "randomly" happening is wild when every point made was setup and foreshadowed multiple times.

[@Dnnnn23]

Thank you 😭😭😭 its just people need to be an active watcher instead of a passive but ofc that’s what rewatching the season is for.

[@Jus_Saiyan]

@@Dnnnn23 Facts! Arcane is not a casual show in that regard. It's very dense and layered... nothing is used once, they run the same plays just with different characters, and it works!

[@MyMy-mg5yv]

5:40 fr I started calling her Pancake bc she flip/flopped sides so quick this season 😂

[@jacobpena6176]

I feel like I have to remind every KZbin who talks about this show, MYLO AND CLAGGOR WERENT VI AND POWDER'S FRIENDS, THEY WERE THEIR ADOPTED BROTHERS

[@philipdaviddavies9478]

Fast pacing sets urgency of plot… which makes a lot of stuff make more sense…

[@eransagir4701]

The Rose order thing was pretty boring, hope they’ll connect it to the actual story at the end cause i felt like it’s not connected to anything. Btw I know nothing about the game, so maybe I’m wrong and that’s the main finale villain or smth.

[@Made4Fan]

It took them 2 years to produce 9 episodes. They can still make more seasons.

[@BuddyChy]

I think you completely misunderstood Caitlyn’s arc. She flipped so easily because she was never as far gone as people thought she was. There’s no reason to waste too much time with her in that position. The whole thing about Vi being in her “rebel” phase was no different from the time skip in season 1 where she had her “prison arc” where she immediately gets broken out… don’t forget this show isn’t called “Vi and Jinx” or “piltover and Zaun” it’s called “Arcane”.

[@senpapi4511]

I'd rather have this than it being dragged over 5 season

[@marloncarpio8311]

Well, they were gonna make 5 seasons, originally. I guess it was the budget

[@amateur-madman3047]

Yup. 250 million x 4 more seasons = 1 billion dollars on a show that (based on statistics) will probably lose its viewers before all 5 seasons end. Too much money on a risk. I wish they had done it though I wanted more screen time from my favorite characters.

[@mr.dr0bot731]

Netflix cancelled it so yes. It was supposed to be 5 seasons.

[@CorinXV]

That was a rumor they already came out and said it was never suppose to be 5 seasons

[@shavp]

I don't agree at all, and if anything I actually think the story would be worse if they attempted to drag this out any longer than it needs to be because ultimately the story of arcane is not as complex or as complicated as some fans would like to believe that it is after how act 2 ended, it Honestly really shouldn't even take 3 episodes just for the main characters to quickly come to the conclusion that this destructive power does not belong in Humanity's hands especially after they all just witnessed what a small child was able to do with that power

[@AelitaVA]

Omg dude… I thought Arcane was going to have like, 12 episodes because it’s the final season😓 Awwh fuck! Well, my ex told me that & he’s a prick who doesn’t even care about it the way I do! Lol well fuck. I can’t believe we’re only going to get 3 more episodes😵‍💫😓🥺 Balls.

[@gustavo_dingle6865]

8:07 Vi is like 24, and jinx is like 19

[@QuangMinh-kd1bn]

0:55 the Piltover and Zaun isn’t the best lore in League, there are way more better stories: Darkin, The rise and fall of Shurima (Azir), even the What If? version of League (Projects, Star Guardians) has very interesting story

[@ShiningBulbasaur]

Season 1 was perfect. Season 2 is rushed and rides on Season 1 hype. I am unable take seriously new characters that were introduced in this season. Such a wasted potential..There should be 3 seasons at least.

[@CzarsSalad]

The show aint over yet and you fools are complaining about pacing. Let the story playout in full

[@OneUpAnnie]

I found the little kid annoying, all I felt when he blew himself up was relief. I feel like the show kinda fell off the last couple episodes

[@lolaqwedont]

Balls Coballs corballs

[@gustavgustav2670]

No.

[@Luka__1]

Arcane boring ahh hell

[@wamm3770]

How.

[@marloncarpio8311]

Woah bro, you're so cool and different

[@rileyanthony]

Unfortunately netflix called to cancel arcane after season 2 because of the LGBTQ themes in said show as unfortunate as it is but intriguing enough netflix did request more shows that take place in the league of legends world to be made.

[@Viktorious]

Arcane has nothing to do with Netflix... lol.

[@kxlotp5852]

That's not true at all. Netflix simply streams Arcane, it had nothing to do with the creation of it, nor the choice in how many seasons it gets. The creators of Arcane have stated repeatedly that they always planned for two seasons.

[@TheFamousYakTamer]

This is just a complete lie. If you didn't know it was, then at least you're spreading it. Arcane was written as a complete story for two seasons and no more since the start. Also, Netflix doesn't make Arcane so they can't cancel it. They can only choose not to air it on their platform, which would be a horribly dumb decision and it would just show up somewhere else. Never mind all that though, because Arcane was never cancelled. It just knew when to end.

[@alexlazerboy8354]

me in a spreading misinformation competition and my opponent is this guy :😱😱

[@CorinXV]

Yea I’ve never heard any source say this