So, you've heard me talk about how animated shows and movies don't usually resonate for me. I had that same concern when I started Arcane, even though I generally like the idea of game worlds as a premise for a movie or show. I mean, Dungeons and Dragons was my movie of the year in 2023. But Arcane managed to completely overcome that predisposition against animated content. I absolutely loved this show.
The show was really well-constructed from top to bottom. The different sections of the city felt unique down to their bones, from an aesthetic standpoint of course, but also from the way that characters' behavior changed based on which "type" of people they were around. And you got a distinct difference in the characters as well: their mannerisms, their tone, the way they think about the world around them. And just in general, I love that steampunk magical type setting; it's my favorite type of magic/technology for D&D games, where yes, magic is a thing and it's a source of power, but people can use advanced technology to complement or combat magical prowess.
The first couple episodes focus on the experiences of a band of ragtag downtrodden youths from the undercity of Zaun, and their protective foster father figure, Vander, who is unsurprisingly the character with whom I identify with most: big guy, beard, heroic tendencies. He's not as funny as I am, but hey, we've all got our flaws.
But you can tell right away (even if you weren't paying attention to all the trailers or artwork) that the show centers around Vi and Jinx. And I've got to tell you, this relationship is executed in utterly pristine fashion. The way that this series shows the emotional dependence that Vi and Jinx feel for each other is so incredibly effective. This is one of those situations where sometimes animated series can fall short, but between the expertly crafted facial expressions and just the best voice acting I think I've ever heard, you feel every single moment between them. When things go sideways (that's not a spoiler, it's a TV show, things go wrong), the reactions of each of the characters is so... human. I felt tremendous empathy for Jinx in particular, but both characters are genuine, complex, and incredibly compelling.
Obviously, as you see me writing this now, I didn't watch the show when it was first released. It took me a couple years to come around to it, and this here, this is the onnnnnly situation where I'm okay with there being a longer delay between seasons of a TV show. The two years between House of the Dragon seasons? Fuck off. The like, nine years between seasons of Stranger Things? Get outta here. But this extra time we've had between season 1 and season 2 of Arcane has given me the time I apparently needed to actually watch the show.
And now I'm ready. Season 2 is scheduled to be released on November 2nd of this year. THIS YEAR. When that happens, I'll be watching the episodes immediately.
Can't. Freaking. Wait.
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