You Should Rewatch Arcane's Opening | Arcane Deep Dive

[@slashramble]

Making this video reignited my love for Arcane, I'm very excited for Season 2! Let me know if you have a favourite scene from Arcane you'd love to see covered on the channel one day, I may come back to the series in the future.

[@henriquecosta3775]

Arcane's opening does a lot. But what i found the most interesting is how it works as a contrast to episode 7. Arcane starts with Powder crossing the bridge, many Zaun rebels dead. She walks while singing her lullaby, and we see the pilthover authority (enforcer) killing a Zaunite. In episode 7, we came full circle. This time, it was Powder doing the killing on the bridge. This time Powder attacked Piltover, killing Piltover's enforcers. She even executes one of the enforcers in a way that reminds us of episode 1. And as if she herself sees the similarity, Jinx is singing the very same lullaby as she walks across the bridge

[@FredrikHaugen]

Then Jayce, who's unwilling to haggle when visiting Benzo's shop draws the interests of Ekko. Who follows him home, then giving the information to Vi, who wants something better for Powder. Thereby instigating the heist against Jayce's apartment. Where the blue magic balls are found. After the explosions in episode 7, we see the face of Jayce and Mel, where Jayce's reaction in many ways mirrors Vi, becoming her counterpart by wanting to protect Piltover because of the aftermath of the bridge of episode 7.

[@TheatricsOfTheAbsurd]

Bruh........ Nice. I rewatched the opening scene recently and was thinking their is alot of details in this opening sequence

[@spaceaxolotl6196]

The story starts off showing the enforcers killing the parents of Zaunite children and eventually leads to Jinx one of those children being the one to kill parents of piltover children on that very same bridge tragically continuing the cycle of violence.

[@Blue_nip]

Wow! I never even realized that Powder is the one who hugs and cares for Vi when she finally breaks down. I wonder if somehow Jinx will put aside their conflict to protect her sister again in season 2? Now as Jinx of course, but still. They did say season 2 was about opposites. And that would be flipping it on its head

[@slashramble]

I'm *very* hype to see how that 'opposites' comment plays out as well. Thanks for the comment!

[@blackshard641]

"When the crisis really hits, Powder is the one who takes care of Vi." Remember this for Season 2.

[@VillefortYT]

What an amazing analysis! Especially loved the bit with Powder's doodles foreshadowing her decent into madness. This makes me hype for the opening to season 2. Wonder if it'll have as much visual storytelling as this first one.

[@Ataraxy123]

I recently saw a TikTok pointing out Arcane S1 begins and ends with a young woman crying and seeing their mother killed.

[@littlephrog9745]

I remember when I turned on Arcane for the first time I had zero idea what it was, what was associated with it, and who the characters were. I remember just turning on a show and being blown away by it. Episode after episode was beautiful and stunning, a real treat to watch. But I remember watching the opening scene with my jaw on the floor, it didn't matter how the rest of the show would go, I was hooked. I cannot believe season 2 is almost here!!!

[@carlosbermudez537]

Absolute top tier analysis….excellent video! I’ve absorbed hours upon hours of Arcane centered content, analyzing every facet of this masterpiece. When the topic of “Who created Jinx…? Vi or Silco?” comes up, I picture this opening scene that makes clear Jinx is a byproduct of a lost, hopeless & demoralized society. I love the connections shown here to Vi’s & Vander’s demeanor, motivations & arcs. Bravo Fortiche Studios. Bravo Riot Games. again….truly, truly excellent video analysis of the greatest piece of entertainment media I have ever experienced in my 52 years.

[@slashramble]

Thank you so much, that means a lot! ♥

[@babette5918]

In the original script the show opening was the ep.3 opening of Silco's dialog while being drowned... also a fantastic scene but it didn't introduce the story of the series. This season is about Vi and Powder, not Vander and Silco. Knowing this highlights that Christian (the primary creative and show runner) was thinking hard about making Silco a sympathetic villain. I'm glad that changing the opening didn't detract from Silco's character arc.

[@slashramble]

I think they made the right call there, to be sure. In fact, Silco didn't feel massively nuanced to me until later in the show, which got me looking back to the first episodes and appreciating them a second time for how his nuances were being hinted at well before they were elaborated upon. It was nice that his complexity wasn't frontloaded, in that way!

[@PeachHeadzAddiction]

You need more comments bro, great video!!! I missed all of that, eventho I struggled with these kinda dynamics my whole life! It's crazy, maybe some other people could relate as well, having to comfort their guardian as small children.. that was my dynamic w my dad or not getting to lean on anything and messing stuff up as a result like Vi... I'm glad I saw your video before watching season two in a few days 😁

[@slashramble]

Thanks for sharing a bit of your personal connection to the show, and for the comment as well - I appreciate it a lot!

[@mikulover493]

amazing vid 😭😭😭 cant wait for s2 as well

[@slashramble]

Thanks a bunch!

[@BrokenSoul79x]

1:03 "arcane's opening is perfect". . . Allow me to correct your statement.. _Arcane is PERFECT_ there, that's better. carry on

[@renehoyvik]

I am so hyped for season 2. The animation, the storytelling, and the hours of analasys videos I'll be consuming after each Arc :P

[@slashramble]

@@renehoyvik Haha, yeah, I'll be right there with you!

[@ChrisSTEF_0302]

Viewing Powder/Jinx as a more emotionally "mature" figure than Vi seems to me ironic, but it makes sense!

[@ashleygarcia7822]

the opening scene is what hooked me, it was just so good

[@raxsand2297]

holy shit it is me

[@gustavgustav2670]

Great video.

[@slashramble]

@@gustavgustav2670 Thank you!

[@natebookout811]

Calling Jinx an "anarchist" is a simplistic, albeit useful, way to talk about the themes of a show, maybe, but it's incomplete and incorrect if you want to be accurate about the nature of anarchism. Jinx is a "rebel", true. But "anarchism means being a toxic and violent rebel who only cares about the destruction of society and doesn't ever think about anything else" is an inaccurate and tropey way to characterize it. And, I would argue, is not at all what the show's about. Things like Direct Action, Community Organizing, and Mutual Aid are also based in anarchism, if you look historically at the development of progressive ideas at the turn of the 20th century. And, I would argue, the Firelights represent those aspects of anarchism that are based around solidarity, community action, and building political power. Jinx, on the other hand, is not just an anarchist, but a "terrorist": a violent activist whose enemy is the state's monopoly on violence, and whose goal is the collapse of the entire society that violence is meant to uphold. Arcane is about Achille Mbembe's "Necropolitics", and Jinx's role is to demonstrate the nature of the cycle of violence that upholds "peaceful democratic states" and is built on bones of the oppressed.

[@slashramble]

I understand anarchy as meaning "a society without rulers," as in a society without authority. I genuinely believe that Jinx embodies that concept - that she acts as a force pushing against authority of any kind. Judging from the trailers, it seems she's set on seeing everything burn: she is destruction, first and foremost. A terrorist, as you say, but I'm not sure there's activism in her actions. I feel that Ekko has a much more defined purpose, and I don't think he's adverse to authority. He's a leader, after all. Jinx is not. Perhaps my interpretation of the character is tinged by her appearances in Riot's other products, but if she champions anything at all, anarchy is what I'd assign her first and foremost. A fitting theme for the poster girl of a company called 'Riot'. That said, I do absolutely agree with the last part of your comment - it's well put, and definitely central to Arcane's theme. I'm not familiar with your sources, so I can't make further comment on your reading here. That said, from this first impression, I can't tell for sure whether it tackles the humanity of said peaceful democratic states and the errors they make in trying to right the course too late. I feel like that humanising element is very important in the series as well, given how much time we spend with Jayce and that leadership. Thanks for the insightful comment - it was a good read!

[@natebookout811]

@@slashramble No, you're not wrong using the term anarchist with Jinx, as she's definitely an interpretation of the philosophy if you're willing to accept political violence as an authentic strategy. But not all anarchists have been so willing, historically, is all I'm pointing out. I'd suggest looking into the work of Emma Goldman, or Jane Addams (and her Hull-House in Chicago), for example. And, yeah, the essay by Mbembe absolutely applies too, I think, and I strongly recommend it. Even if you just read the first chapter about "Exiting Democracy," you'll really start to see the parallels: democratic societies have two faces, like the Earth, one "solar," the face of their free public, and the other "nocturnal", the hidden face of their colonial and penal violence.

[@BrokenSoul79x]

it's "e-pit-o-me" not "epi-tome"

[@Vizible21]

Why do you sound like a stereotypical ai voice?

[@sabrina0013]

This video was going soooo well until you mispronounced epitome (əˈpidəmē - a pit o' me) Really loved the analysis though! We love our little blue haired anarchist ♥

[@slashramble]

Ah, thanks for the correction! I'll take it with me for the future. (I use that word too often to be mispronouncing it)