Courtesy of Netflix
Spoiler warnings for episodes 1-3.
Season 2 of “Arcane” has some mammoth shoes to fill after Season 1, and it’s safe to say it may be outgrowing them. Act I, the first three episodes out of nine, packs in a whirlwind of events: siblings Violet and Jinx’s long-awaited showdown, Caitlyn and Violet’s kiss, and Caitlyn’s rise to power fueled by the intense grief of her mother’s passing. With Act II and III set to release on November 16 and 23, the season promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, delivering on the show’s thrilling legacy.
From a visual standpoint, Act I maintains the mind-blowing animation that made “Arcane” a hit, pushing the boundaries of 2-D and 3-D animation. Fortiche, the studio behind “Arcane,” utilizes 3-D rigging with 2-D textures and hand-drawn effects to create a world with incredibly rich scenery. This approach enhances fight scenes such as Sevika versus Smeech and Jinx versus Violet, elevating them to a level of action that is dynamic and visually striking, yet still easy to follow. Act I’s artistry doesn’t stop there — the show’s worldbuilding and background composition shine with moments such as Viktor’s religious awakening, masterfully utilizing lighting, symbolism and compositional techniques to surpass the expectations of a typical action series.
Fortunately, Act I doesn’t rely solely on aesthetics to impress, and continues the masterful storytelling we saw in Season 1. Episode 1’s pacing starts slowly to build tension and anticipation for Caitlyn’s descent into grief and fury after her mother dies from Jinx’s rocket attack.
While Caitlyn’s storyline in the utopian city of Piltover dominates screen time in episode 1, episode 2 fleshes out the situation below, in the undercity of Zaun. Former leader Silco has left the city in chaos, forcing right-hand woman Sevika and surrogate daughter Jinx to deal with the aftermath. The plot picks up to a comfortable pace in episode 2 with Sevika and Smeech’s fight and altruistic genius Viktor’s return to Zaun, where he cures shimmer addicts. Episode 2 also highlights the comedic side of Arcane through scenes such as scientist-apprentice duo Heimerdinger and Ekko’s comical break-in into Jayce’s lab, Sevika’s unamused use of Jinx’s fireworks-shooting and slot-machine-esque mechanical arm during her fight with Smeech.
Episode 3 is all about the action as Jinx, Violet, Sevika and Caitlyn fight in the undercity’s ventilation systems. Culminating to a critical point when Violet stops Caitlyn from shooting Jinx, Caitlyn pushes Violet away, echoing Violet’s own rejection of Powder in Season 1. Meanwhile, Jayce, Ekko and Heimerdinger have their first interaction with the cryptic, dark side of Hextech and the Arcane.
We’re also introduced to the Black Rose, an obscure but powerful organization of mages at odds with Ambessa, who continues to pull the strings in the Council, rallying Piltover’s families to declare martial law and raise Caitlyn to the head general.
Throughout all three episodes, “Arcane” continues to do what it does best: develop complex and morally gray characters. Characters make good and bad choices, and audiences are left wrestling with both empathy and frustration as their journeys unfold.
Ultimately, Act I has established Season 2 as a strong sequel that is projected to do its first Season phenomenal animation and story-telling justice.
