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The second season of Arcane begins seconds after its celebrated first season ended. The city’s leadership is shattered after Jinx (Ella Purnell) launches her fury on Piltover. Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) and Mel (Toks Olagundoye) emerge from the rubble in shock at the destruction and death around them. The characters of Christian Linke and Alex Yee’s series, based on League of Legends, are broken; some physically, while others are broken in spirit. Every aspect of the awe-inspiring world that the French animation studio, Fortiche, has crafted has its fate tested in a quest for peace rooted in violence. Arcane’s finale is an explosive dissection of power and control, with both sides of this world exerting it similarly. The wrath of sisters, the wrath of the rich and the poor, and the wrath of grief collide to paint this town in ashes, blood, and the color blue.
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The emotional weight that was so lauded about the first season is felt immediately here, and more strongly. Endless praise can be given to the animators at Fortiche for their stunning work, especially in the season’s first episode which establishes a more solemn tone that will permeate the series. Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) looks painfully at Jinx’s destruction, but she’s the only character in color, and the world around her is a colorless sketch. Piltover and the Undercity of Zaun feel lifeless in the aftermath of Jinx’s attack. Vi’s girlfriend and member of the Enforcers, Caitlyn (Katie Leung), is mourning the loss of her mother Cassandra, who died in the bombing. Caitlyn had the shot that could have stopped Jinx, but she didn’t take it. Now, she feels responsible for her mother’s death. Fueled by this loss, she agrees to invade Zaun to search for Jinx, a decision easily made when the scum and villainy of the Undercity unleash more violence in their time of mourning. War is imminent, a reality that Mel’s mother, the battle-hungry Ambessa (Ellen Thomas) is pleased by, after trying to convince Jayce and her daughter to invade Zaun last season.
Arcane Season 2 Review
Meanwhile, the leaderless Undercity is more broken and dangerous than ever before, as the worst of the worst vie for Silco’s chair. The fate of Zaun hangs in the balance, dependent on the Undercity becoming united against its Topside oppressors who are threatening to take over. One person not fighting for that seat is Jinx who is still mourning Silco and carrying immense guilt for being the one to riddle his body with bullets. The character who fully embraced her Jinx persona last season is gone and is struggling to figure out who she is without Silco. Separation from Vi is still heartbreaking for Jinx, her psyche still fractures with images of her sister flashing uncontrollably, but she finds comfort in the orphaned, mute Isha, who reminds her of a part of herself that was stolen. Glimpses of Powder seem to linger, slowly coming to the surface but familiar feelings of betrayal keep Jinx’s psyche fractured when Vi finally puts on her gauntlets again and helps Caitlyn track her down.
Every character in the second season of Arcane is clouded by emotion. This drives the series, especially in terms of an impending war. Attempting to acquire peace becomes a weaponization of grief, which results in the abuse of Hextech. Many, like Jayce, have seen Hextech and its arcane magic as a tool for salvation, while others like Ambessa have seen it as the ultimate weapon. The abuse of arcane and its technologies is infecting the world more than was previously known, and it may not just be the conflict between Jinx and Vi that could risk the end of everything. The biggest war, of course, is the conflict between the sisters. “My sister is gone,” Vi says, but the audience is not so convinced. No matter how hard she tries she must fight a battle within herself to determine who she wants to be. Both Vi and Jinx are haunted by the other, which drives their actions and transformation that goes beyond the first season. But the question remains of whether it’s too late for their relationship to be amended.
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Much like Arcane’s first season, its conclusion (Act I and II were made available for review) impresses in every respect. While this world may now be familiar, its production design and animation remain some of the best works of the medium. Many of the episodes’s opening sequences have a music video style to them, and each song, much like season one’s soundtrack, perfectly encapsulates a deeper message within each scene. There’s an unflinching intensity throughout as the season is quite action-heavy. With showstopping choreography, the fights range from bombastic splashes of color to emotionally fuelled takedowns. New characters are introduced, while all the old favorites return, their roles changing in compelling ways. However, with so many characters and plots, the season can often feel overstuffed and we’ll have to see how Act III is able to conclude all of its threads. No matter how it ends, it will no doubt remain a masterpiece of animation. The second season’s high-octane story reveals an even deeper emotional core, painting a beautiful canvas of family and turning its initial solemn tone into one of hope, building on everything so admired about season one.
Grade: A
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Arcane
Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions.
Release Date: November 5, 2021
Director: Christian Linke Alex Yee
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld , Ella Purnell , Kevin Alejandro
