Hello,finished Arcane,currently being both of these:
The dirt under your nails - ARCANE
- Thread starter Eventua
- Start date
- TV
Tyran
Blatant Product Placement (pro bono)
That too.
Honestly seeing so many other people
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Cait's little giggle. I'm ruined.
Piltover and Zaun uniting to take on a bigger threat wasn't a surprise or anything, they'd telegraphed that some time ago and it's typically how these things play out. What left me pretty disappointed though is that it's not even treated as consequential! When there was more time in the season I was actually expecting Sevika to use the need for their cooperation as a chip to exact sovereignty from Piltover. Instead their involvement feels symbolic at most.
Eventua
Just Me
Mmm...
I genuinely don't know how to feel about it? Season 1 was basically a perfect show so I shouldn't be surprised to find Season 2 kind of disappointing by comparison, although I still enjoyed it *overall*, it's...
Eugh, I dunno.
People's comments about it feeling rushed are very apt, and IMO it felt like it was trying to introduce so many plot threads that by the end it really could've done with at least one more episode. That having been said!
The art, animation, action, and music were of course S Tier throughout and the fact that almost every episode contained at least one fantastic music video baked in was cool as hell. I genuinely enjoyed some of the writing choices a lot and I'm glad that...
Honestly it's less that I think season 2 is bad and more just, like... 8.5 out of a 10? Like still very good, it's just never gonna be able to escape being Not As Good as season 1, which like... is a tough bar to clear lol.
I genuinely don't know how to feel about it? Season 1 was basically a perfect show so I shouldn't be surprised to find Season 2 kind of disappointing by comparison, although I still enjoyed it *overall*, it's...
Eugh, I dunno.
People's comments about it feeling rushed are very apt, and IMO it felt like it was trying to introduce so many plot threads that by the end it really could've done with at least one more episode. That having been said!
The art, animation, action, and music were of course S Tier throughout and the fact that almost every episode contained at least one fantastic music video baked in was cool as hell. I genuinely enjoyed some of the writing choices a lot and I'm glad that...
they seem to have actually been willing to kill off Champions and definitively end their stories, one of the fears I had was that it was going to have characters end up in their perpetual LoL status quo, but no - we got (mostly?) definitive ends for Jayce, Viktor, Ambessa, Heimerdinger, and Warwick, with a probable (but sufficiently ambiguous) death for Jinx, and the other major characters got satisfying enough endings.
Honestly it's less that I think season 2 is bad and more just, like... 8.5 out of a 10? Like still very good, it's just never gonna be able to escape being Not As Good as season 1, which like... is a tough bar to clear lol.
That was pretty depressing to think about. It was great to see a nice timeline version of the Undercity but to think it was that easy all along is a gutpunch all it's own. Even Silco was there, all forgiven. If Heim hadn't been asleep at the wheel of his ivory tower for the last century the entire story could have been averted.
- Location
- Somewhere
I don't think that's the case, actually! We can see that Sevika is getting a lot of side-eyeing by the other members of the council, the ominous three eyed crow referencing a certain character, and most definitely people will still remember Caitlyn unleashing a deadly gas on the Undercity.I really enjoyed it, but I think it could have done with a couple extra episodes.
I also think they avoided actually offering a solution to Piltover's oppression of Zaun in favour of doing the whole "a single outside enemy unites everyone and it all works out in the end". IMO, a smoother path would have been to have Ambessa sidestep Zaun entirely and attack Piltover alone, and then have someone (probably Ekko) convince Sevika to lead a relief force against the Noxian army that arrives shortly after it's broke Piltover's back and they have no choice but to give in to Zaun's demands (which is just them getting a fair say on the council since they aren't Piltoverites).
There is still definitely a lot of tension left over, but that was temporarily muffled by the crisis they were facing. Lots of things are still up to be resolved.
Was an open ending.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I wonder when we'll get back to Piltover and Zaun, and what our routes into other parts of the setting will be.
I thought that the calamity she was referring to was Viktor and the Glorious Evolution, aka The Machines Are Taking Over. Viktor wasn't preparing to stop a calamity, he was preparing to 'fix' humanity. As for the Arcane awakening, perhaps a plot point for future shows, or she is talking about the hextech anomalies.
- Location
- Somewhere
I think that's just a consequence of starting things being easier than ending things. Season 1 basically had free hand to write whatever they wanted and do what they wish. Magic and technology merged together? Sure! Powder's mental state? That's good! Ekko's third faction? Awesome!
Having to follow up on all that when season 1 didn't resolve any of it and left it up for the next one hobbled it. Way too many constraints and loose ends for it to be anything but a lightning quick pace to be finished in just one more season.
Liquid Ink
Contains Sleep Deprived Rambling
Well... I think I might've worked out a major part of why the final episode hardly did anything for me.
Looking at the pacing, there's quite the pileup of events and stakes by the final episode, but the sheer volume of things, characters, ideas, themes, resolutions all crammed in to try and make them all fit... when none of them actually come together to make the ending a truly united effort.
Breaking it all down, none of it matters except Viktor vs Jayce (w/ Ekko assist). Caitlyn & Mel vs Ambessa? Vi & Jinx vs notWarwick? Irrelevant, because whoever wins those respective fights still immediately loses to Viktor's Glorious Evolution right afterwards, as seen in Ep7's bad future. So those fights cannot actually resolve and provide catharsis because Viktor's surrendefeat is the pinacle of drama and spectacle and threat, so anything else must be secondary, slaved to it in resolution. And they can't pull that off, because there's too many characters, too far apart, chasing too many goals.
Viktor is the main threat, so placing him and Ambessa in the same environment where Ambessa is defending him and the rest of the cast have to get through the two of them, and notWarwick, and Viktor's army, in order to stop him from completing the process is so much more narratively neat and efficient. Centered on a single point in a single place, you can still end up with all the same scenes, just happening all together but also affecting one another.
Consider all the characters and what they do and how they work, and consider this entire final battle is a desperate last stand where the characters of Piltover and Zaun are all finally, finally putting aside their differences and working together in a final desperate stand... and then all the characters seperate and resolve their individual issues as far apart from each other as possible.
Appropriately, Ekko is kind of the exception to this and also the reason disaster is averted, but it's still a sad handling of the themes.
Looking at the pacing, there's quite the pileup of events and stakes by the final episode, but the sheer volume of things, characters, ideas, themes, resolutions all crammed in to try and make them all fit... when none of them actually come together to make the ending a truly united effort.
Breaking it all down, none of it matters except Viktor vs Jayce (w/ Ekko assist). Caitlyn & Mel vs Ambessa? Vi & Jinx vs notWarwick? Irrelevant, because whoever wins those respective fights still immediately loses to Viktor's Glorious Evolution right afterwards, as seen in Ep7's bad future. So those fights cannot actually resolve and provide catharsis because Viktor's surrendefeat is the pinacle of drama and spectacle and threat, so anything else must be secondary, slaved to it in resolution. And they can't pull that off, because there's too many characters, too far apart, chasing too many goals.
Viktor is the main threat, so placing him and Ambessa in the same environment where Ambessa is defending him and the rest of the cast have to get through the two of them, and notWarwick, and Viktor's army, in order to stop him from completing the process is so much more narratively neat and efficient. Centered on a single point in a single place, you can still end up with all the same scenes, just happening all together but also affecting one another.
Consider all the characters and what they do and how they work, and consider this entire final battle is a desperate last stand where the characters of Piltover and Zaun are all finally, finally putting aside their differences and working together in a final desperate stand... and then all the characters seperate and resolve their individual issues as far apart from each other as possible.
Appropriately, Ekko is kind of the exception to this and also the reason disaster is averted, but it's still a sad handling of the themes.
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jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
-finishes watching last three episodes-
Damn, that was a ride and a half. Most of it did not go like I expected (gotta watch TBSkyen's reactions when I can, he's going to go even more insane than for the second part
) but I give props to the crew at being unafraid to go in very different directions than existing designs for the characters (and killing/erasing others from existence).
The fact that the big 'final' battle was just a fake-out while Victor and Ambessa had the defenders collective numbers was a nice subversion.
I would have preferred a little more foreshadowing of Maggie turning against Caitlyn/Piltover, but its possible I just missed it.
Damn, that was a ride and a half. Most of it did not go like I expected (gotta watch TBSkyen's reactions when I can, he's going to go even more insane than for the second part
) but I give props to the crew at being unafraid to go in very different directions than existing designs for the characters (and killing/erasing others from existence).The fact that the big 'final' battle was just a fake-out while Victor and Ambessa had the defenders collective numbers was a nice subversion.
I would have preferred a little more foreshadowing of Maggie turning against Caitlyn/Piltover, but its possible I just missed it.
- Location
- Bloomington, IN
Only finished episode 7 so far, but I loved seeing the alternate timeline. I've long been of the opinion that what makes Arcane work as a tragedy is that you can see so many little things that could have gone differently and led to a better end, and the alt timeline just thrusts that right in front of your face.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
And that's the ultimate tragedy. Ekko had everything he could have ever wanted in that timeline, and yet he felt he had no choice but to give it all up in order to go back.
- Location
- The Hague
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Kind of still a bit astonished that they were willing to blow up Heimerdinger.
Dream Logic
An offseason swallow
- Location
- In transit
I feel like episode 7 was pretty much a waste.
Lots of things I honestly hate about this season. I think they went in less interesting directions with everyone's arcs then they might have. Especially given that Season 2 backpedals away from it's political subtext as rapidly as it possibly can by shifting the conflict into Magical BS and interpersonal dramatics.
Oh, and I absolutely loathe that Jinx gets to validate her suicidal impulse but in a heroic manner this time.
Lots of things I honestly hate about this season. I think they went in less interesting directions with everyone's arcs then they might have. Especially given that Season 2 backpedals away from it's political subtext as rapidly as it possibly can by shifting the conflict into Magical BS and interpersonal dramatics.
Oh, and I absolutely loathe that Jinx gets to validate her suicidal impulse but in a heroic manner this time.
- Location
- America
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
THAT! WAS! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In all seriousness that was genuinely a phenomenal ride, so happy I'm alive to have experienced it, and yeah. Arcane is officially my most favorite piece of media of all time.
Love the characters, love the art, love the story, love the music, GOD THE MUSIC!
Just...I'm sure some people are going to have complaints and nitpicks about it, nothings ever perfect, but man I have never come away from something feeling so fulfilled as I have this show.
Hats off to you creators of Arcane, for reminding me that there is still beauty in this world
THAT! WAS! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In all seriousness that was genuinely a phenomenal ride, so happy I'm alive to have experienced it, and yeah. Arcane is officially my most favorite piece of media of all time.
Love the characters, love the art, love the story, love the music, GOD THE MUSIC!
Just...I'm sure some people are going to have complaints and nitpicks about it, nothings ever perfect, but man I have never come away from something feeling so fulfilled as I have this show.
Hats off to you creators of Arcane, for reminding me that there is still beauty in this world
ZerbanDaGreat
Daemon Noble of D E M O G R A P H I C S
- Pronouns
- They/them
I am genuinely extremely surprised by how many people think Jinx actually killed herself. She got sussy and vented like Among Us, Caitlyn stares directly at the Hexgate tower vents on the schematics while fondling a piece of the grenade casing and smiling, then a mysterious skyship with an unseen occupant is seen flying off into the sunset before Jinx Schizophrenia overlays appear. Like this isn't even a copium theory it's plain text. I struggle to think how much more obvious the show could've been that Jinx faked her death and fucked off forever short of having her lean over the side and wave at the camera.
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Dream Logic
An offseason swallow
- Location
- In transit
Honestly I got distracted by my cat and didn't roll back the last ten seconds before credits.
I'm not sure I like that any better. The implications feels less odious but it feels like an even worse conclusion.
I was honestly fine with how Season 2 panned out.
Though my only nit pick is
They were never going to settle the political Piltover vs Zaun stuff in a way that makes vocal members of the audience here on the internet happy while still making sense in universe.
While it's just 1 seat on the council and those old cogs are clearly looking down on the One-Armed Warrior that is Sevika, at least the visuals of the finale made it clear that Sevika at least has Councilwoman Shoola on her side. Shoola was the only counsiler outside of the main focus character that actually stayed for the fight, she was there with Sevika to light the name cards on fire, and in the council chambers Sevika and Shoola are in frame together. Honestly, Shoola has shown herself to be one of the better Councilers both pre and post-attack on the chamber.
Hats off to that Piltovan musician. Probably never fought a day in his life, but damn did her stick through it.
While it's just 1 seat on the council and those old cogs are clearly looking down on the One-Armed Warrior that is Sevika, at least the visuals of the finale made it clear that Sevika at least has Councilwoman Shoola on her side. Shoola was the only counsiler outside of the main focus character that actually stayed for the fight, she was there with Sevika to light the name cards on fire, and in the council chambers Sevika and Shoola are in frame together. Honestly, Shoola has shown herself to be one of the better Councilers both pre and post-attack on the chamber.
Hats off to that Piltovan musician. Probably never fought a day in his life, but damn did her stick through it.
Though my only nit pick is
Loris and especially Steb didn't really get much time. Even background stuff.
Like, all I can figure on Vi's Shield Bro is that; he lost someone in the Rocket Attack on the Council Chamber (we never hear who), he knows when to dip out of the officer stuff, he knows how to knife someone (as he is showing how to people during a montage), and he chose to stick by Vi's side but was also not willing to stay when it was getting to toxic. We DON'T know if he was Piltover or Zaun. He knows how to fight drink/celebrate, but he is to clean and we first meet him in Piltover.
Meanwhile the Fish Man is a complete enigma. I don't think he has ANY lines besides grunts, sighs, and battle noises.
Like, all I can figure on Vi's Shield Bro is that; he lost someone in the Rocket Attack on the Council Chamber (we never hear who), he knows when to dip out of the officer stuff, he knows how to knife someone (as he is showing how to people during a montage), and he chose to stick by Vi's side but was also not willing to stay when it was getting to toxic. We DON'T know if he was Piltover or Zaun. He knows how to fight drink/celebrate, but he is to clean and we first meet him in Piltover.
Meanwhile the Fish Man is a complete enigma. I don't think he has ANY lines besides grunts, sighs, and battle noises.
- Location
- The Hague
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The exact thing you said you didn't like was Jinx killing herself. And she didn't do that. So ...?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Heimerdinger would likely draw the sameconclusion you did, and he doesn't have any counter evidence.
Apparently
Yordles canonically respawn in their homeland if they die, or something. Not sure
Dream Logic
An offseason swallow
- Location
- In transit
Because it feels cheap and makes me feel like an idiot for actually believing they would commit to it. This is one of my least favorite tropes normally and feels just as bad in this case.
Otherwise I genuinely hate that trope and f÷el like this underlines my dissatisfaction with almost all of season 2. Both in larger structural decisions and a lot of smaller stuff that bothered me throughout.
It's the difference between having a capstone that was genuinely awful but worth picking apart and the weariness of wondering if the things you loved most had been an accident all along.
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