![Being captain means a lot to Larson, having played basketball for his entire life. When asked about who their biggest competitor was going to be this season, Larson was very confident.
“[We have] No competitors,” Larson said.](https://ballardtalisman.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/brewster-color-1200x800.jpg)
In the aftermath of a lost fight in season two, episode three of “Arcane,” one of the main characters, Caitlyn, says that she “had the shot.” Fortiche, the animation studio behind the show, had the chance to create an incredible second season following the critically acclaimed first. But because of episode limits, time constraints and cutting the writer’s room down to just three people, they narrowly missed their target. Despite its faults, “Arcane” season two’s animation, music and content made it an absolute blast to watch.
Based on the popular online multiplayer game “League of Legends,” the plot follows two sisters, Vi and Jinx, and two cities, Zaun and Piltover. While Vi and Jinx are pulled apart from each other through traumatic events in their childhoods, the tension between Zaun and Piltover mounts as drugs sweep the lower-class former and new technology called Hextech revolutionizes the upper-class latter.
In the second season, the story shifts from one about two sisters and two cities to one packed with magic drivel, forgoing character development and connections for a cautionary tale about the big bad evil that is technological progress. Vi in particular suffers a steep decline in character depth, her growth shown in vague montages and her role in the story shrunk so much that sometimes she feels like just a plot device to advance others’ development.
The finale episode, clocking in at 50 minutes, was intended to be almost twice the length and it shows. The resolution of many character’s stories feel rushed and half-baked, since almost every plotline was shoved aside to make room for that of Hextech and its creators. It’s similar to the slow degradation of the plot and lackluster ending of “Lost,” which either ignored loose ends or tried to hastily tie them up, to the audience’s dismay.
However, “Arcane” has its great points, too. The fact that one of the current most popular shows on Netflix right now has a lesbian couple as its main relationship is incredible. Netflix, as well as numerous other streaming services, are notorious for cancelling and underfunding LGBT shows and movies; so it’s hopefully a step in the right direction that “Arcane” has been so successful in heavily featuring many queer characters.
From “Fantastic” by King Princess to “To Ashes and Blood” by Woodkid, almost every song in the show both adds to the scene it’s in and can stand alone as an absolute banger. It’s telling how good the soundtrack is, given that “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” by Stromae and Pomme broke the record for most streamed French song on Spotify within 24 hours of its release.
In addition to its audio landscape, “Arcane’s” animation is jaw-droppingly smooth and creative. Although it’s 3D animated, it has a painted quality to it where many scenes look like they could be hung in a museum. It expertly uses impact frames, bright colors and different animation styles to convey symbolism and plot points, similarly utilized in Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
While it definitely had its flaws, I find myself not caring about “Arcane’s” weak points simply because of how much fun I had while watching it. The visuals, soundtrack and characters made it an especially enjoyable experience and, along with the medium-transcending animation and care with which it handles its queer stories, a show that will go down as one of Netflix’s best.
