RATING: 4 out of 5
With the long-awaited release of Season 2 of “Arcane,” viewers get to dive into the world of Vi and Jinx for a final time. “Arcane” is a popular TV series on Netflix based on the video game League of Legends. The show is definitely worth a watch, but it is difficult to follow along with relationships and plot twists if you don’t have any background knowledge from Season 1.
Season 1 of “Arcane” ends on a dramatic cliffhanger. The rivalry between the two cities has torn apart Vi and Jinx, and fans are restless to see how their relationship plays out over the next season. Fans of “Arcane” have been waiting for 3 years for a new season. Season 1 was released in 2021 and Season 2 was released as three acts throughout November 2024.
The two main characters are Violet, known as Vi and voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, and Powder, later known as Jinx and voiced by Ella Purnell. The two sisters are on opposing sides of the rivalry between Zaun, a poor city where crime runs rampant, and Piltover, a city where the affluent live.
“Arcane” has amazing visuals and unique graphics. The characters are 3D, but the backgrounds are all hand-painted 2D scenes. Additional effects such as smoke, water, fire, and dust are all also 2D.
The animation style draws inspiration from many different sources, including anime to showcase Jinx’s fighting style. This blend of styles adds uniqueness to the show and immerses the viewer into a video game world that feels realistic.
“Arcane” also has an excellent music selection that perfectly matches the mood of each scene. The show does a great job highlighting the differences between Vi and Powder by contrasting the music that accompanies them.
The soundtrack utilizes repeated lyrics or rhythms to emphasize certain scenes or reference a past episode. Repeated lyrics are also overlaid with different instruments to demonstrate how a character’s beliefs or feelings have changed.
Along with music, Season 2 shows the internal emotions of the characters by matching the setting with a character’s mood, often by adding rain to symbolize their inner turmoil and sadness during difficult moments.
Overall, the show does an excellent job telling the story of Vi and Jinx. It blends heavy, emotional scenes with action-packed drama, making it perfect for a wide range of viewers. It also builds strong characters with their own motives and relationships with each other. The character depth makes the story much more believable because the viewer can understand why a character makes certain decisions.
“Arcane” is a fantastic show that anyone can watch, even if they’ve never played League of Legends before. But it would definitely help to watch Season 1 before diving into Season 2.
Structure:
Season 1 recap, background info (produced by, the time between season, release dates, etc.), season 2 review (animations, soundtrack, plot)