Rating: 9/10
When the first season of “Arcane” was released on Netflix, it took the streaming service by storm, easily becoming not only one of the most viewed series but also one of the most critically acclaimed and well-loved projects it’s released. The series scored 100% with critics and 97% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes upon its release and was in the top 10 most-watched series in 89 countries.
Based on the popular multiplayer fantasy video game “League of Legends,” “Arcane” broke away from Netflix’s standard for animated series. It created a visually distinct animation style, allowed for episodes beyond the average 20-minute runtime for animated shows and created a complex world and characters that didn’t shy away from darker themes.
After the first season’s massive success, fans were desperate for a second season that continued the quality of the first. When it was announced that the second season would also serve as the show’s finale, the pressure for “Arcane’” to deliver mounted even further. Now that the final three episodes of the season have been released on Netflix, the question is, did it deliver?
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
The answer, to the relief and excitement of fans, is yes. Season 2 of “Arcane” is both a triumphant return for the series and a proper send-off for the world and characters we’ve grown to love despite a bump or two in the road along the way.
As with the previous season, “Arcane” released its episodes in three chunks. The first third was released on Netflix on Nov. 9, the second third on Nov. 16 and the final third on Nov. 23. This is a unique release schedule for Netflix compared to its usual release of an entire season all at once.
The story picks up right where it left off, following the escalating political conflict between the two fantastical cities of Piltover and Zaun, with our three lead characters, Vi, Caitlyn and Jinx, caught in the middle. With Jinx on the run after launching a devastating terrorist attack on Piltover, Vi and Caitlyn must work together to stop her before the conflict between the two cities reaches a boiling point.
“Arcane’s” animation has always been a talking point for its unique quality. This season expands on that, trying out new experimental animation styles and combining them with music to make its sequences more dynamic.
While this is effective for several scenes, by the middle of the season, it starts to feel repetitive and lose its charm. Thankfully, the last third of the season tones it down and combines music and animation style more effectively to help its scenes pack an emotional punch.
“Arcane” continues to explore meaningful political themes in a fantastical setting populated with advanced technology and larger-than-life characters, dealing with issues of classism, oppression and freedom of choice while never feeling like it’s preaching to the audience.
“Arcane” also proves that it is still a master of character development and relationships, from the tragic sibling conflict between Vi and Jinx, the differing ideals of Jayce and Viktor, the romantic tension between Caitlyn and Vi and even some long-awaited moments for the fan-favorite Ekko.
The release of the second chunk of episodes brought some concerns for fans, with many claiming the series was rushing through important moments and had set up too many plot points for the last three episodes to wrap up.
Fortunately, the series rallied and masterfully managed to pull together the plot and character arcs in this season and the previous one. Things come together so effortlessly it makes it hard to believe that audiences and fans doubted that it could be done.
The final episode, “The Dirt Under Your Nails,” is the finale this series deserved, combining fantasy and sci-fi spectacle with emotionally powerful character moments and thematic resolution to bring a satisfying and earned end to the beloved series.
While this season misses a step or two with its pacing and creative choices, there’s no doubt “Arcane” will be talked about as one of the greatest animated series of all time. And like its characters, it will have earned that respect with its explosive storytelling power.
