[Slight spoilers for Season 1 of “Arcane,” with a few minor allusions to Acts 1 and 2.]
In 2021, Netflix released the first season of its most successful animated show in Netflix original history, “Arcane.” Now, three years later, the second (and final) season is finally coming out. With a $250 million budget for both seasons, Riot Games and Fortiche have come together to create what I consider to be one of the most well-thought out and beautifully animated shows in TV history. They have shown this show such care by taking sufficient time to perfect every detail, from the animation, to the plot, to the music, to the incredible voice acting.
It is clear to see that Fortiche loves pushing the limits this season. Not only does each micro expression convert tremendous emotion from each character, but they literally go above and beyond using animation techniques other than their main three-dimensional rigs. In the first episode there is an entire sequence completely animated with hand-drawn charcoal (apart from the characters they highlight in the scene in the typical style in color). It is the first scene we see after the remastered title sequence to the song “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons. The shaky, yet intricately detailed graphite strokes perfectly capture the emotion of the scene, but I won’t spoil what that scene is. Just know, this is not the last time that a different animation style will be used to forward a motif of emotional juxtaposition this season.
If you know me, you know that movie and show scores tend to give me goosebumps. The “Arcane” score and soundtrack are no exception to this. Since they dropped the soundtrack feature list in September, I’ve been impatiently waiting to see just how crazy this season would be with artists like Ashnikko, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Stray Kids, and (my favorite) Young Miko featured. All I’ll say is, they don’t disappoint. With original songs and some spins on old ones, this season has got me in absolute awe of the crew’s compositional intelligence.
Finally, I don’t want to give away what is happening in this season just yet. However, if you were a fan of the first season, here’s a quick synopsis of where Season 2 starts. Without missing a beat, we’re back in the council board room, seconds after Jinx’s missile hit. We see who from their last meeting was struck, and who was left without a scratch. Caitlyn and Vi work together to try and hunt down the aforementioned shooter, but, surprise, surprise, the task is easier said than done. We get more in-depth backstories to each character, we get introduced to some new ones, and most importantly, we get to see how war and the arcane inextricably complicate the lives of our beloved cast.
This season has had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I have laughed, cried, screamed in horror, and no doubt irritated my friends with how much I want to talk about it. I often forget this is a show based on the video game, “League of Legends.” If that fact has been holding you back from starting this show, please know that I am not a fan of the game, nor would I ever consider myself one. It is not integral to your understanding of the show and not an indication of its quality. “Arcane” is a testament to the hard work and true artistry of the animation industry and writers worldwide. If you watch the show for any reason, let it be because of the strokes it has made as one of the most popular shows in the world right now.
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