Arcane (2021-2024) Review
9/10
Number of watches at time of review: around two and a half
synopsis
Tensions between two neighboring cities escalate as seen through the story of two sisters fighting to have a better life.
spoiler-free review
What is there to be said about Arcane that hasn’t already been said? Praised for its distinctive visual and musical style, the series is a wonder. It’s truly worth watching it just for the visuals alone, but that’s not to say the joys of it stop there. Seeing the lives of its characters unfold is a gripping experience, and the way the story plays out will leave you on the edge of your seat, desperate to know what will happen next.
spoiler review
When talking about Arcane, I think the first things that springs to everyone’s mind is the visuals. The main art style developed for the series is extremely striking and unique, and immediately pulls the viewer into the world. The combined use of 2D painted backgrounds and 3D characters layered with more 2D effects ends up creating an eye-catching, gorgeous style.
Not only is the style used for the bulk of the show stunning, the art team utilizes the medium to bring in other art styles for specific scenes that really stand out and elevate the feelings of the scenes. Some choices examples: in episode one of season two, when we see Caitlyn at her mother’s funeral and she, Vi, and her mother are the only ones in color, with the rest of the people and environment in a charcoal-esque lower frame style that makes you feel Caitlyn’s grief; and when Viktor is helping Vander remember his past and the sequence is done in what appears to be watercolor, which emulates how Vander sees those scenes in his mind.
Another standout piece of Arcane is its music. The original score by Alexander Temple and Alex Seaver is incredible, and works perfectly for the show. There's so much emotion behind the score, and it's such a wonderful aid in telling the show's story. Then there's the soundtrack for the show, all songs created for Arcane by popular artists including Imagine Dragons, Woodkid, Ashnikko, Strommae, Marcus King, and more. The moody, punk vibe in most of the songs fits perfectly with the visual style of the show, and the songs that aren't in that category are generally heart-wrenching emotional ballads that work incredibly well with the heartbreaking story of the show.
Speaking of the story, the writing in Arcane is incredible. The main characters feel like fully fleshed out people, and even with characters who don't get much screen time there's this feeling that they have their own lives apart from what we see on screen. None of the characters are perfect people (though the… severity of their flaws ranges), and even with the antagonists you can see where they're coming from and what their motivation is. A perfect example of this is with Silco: though his actions are reprehensible, his motives are perfectly understandable: he wants freedom for his people who have been oppressed for centuries. Though this is the wish of the first season's main antagonist, it is a hope that many of the protagonists also share. Vi, for example, says very clearly in the first season that she wants Powder to have a better life than she was afforded, and that she's willing to fight for it. The difference in how we view Vi and Silco comes in because of how they handle this idea: where Silco schemes and uses people to his advantage, killing innocents in the process, Vi tries to talk sense into the Topsiders before resorting to violence.
These characters could not have come to life in the same way if it weren't for the incredible voice actors who put so much love and passion behind them, even those with small parts. The emotion put behind every line is perfect, and watching the actors in interviews you can really tell how much they care about these characters and the world they inhabit.
Another piece of Arcane that's part of what makes the show incredible is its parallels. Something that's easily missed when watching the show for the first time, and even on a rewatch sometimes the viewer needs to really be looking for the parallels to notice them, but once realized they add a whole other layer of meaning and love to the show. One easy example is that there are multiple shots with almost the same exact rhythym and composition of Jinx/Powder walking. When Jinx is first introduced in episode four of season one, we first see her shoes as she walks through the smoke caused by her explosion, and that shot is reused in episode seven of season two when grown-up Powder walks into the dance. It's a heartbreaking reminder of how different things could be with just one change, and how Powder and Jinx are the same person, just under different circumstances. Another parallel is that in the first episode of the series, we see Vi save Powder from falling, and she pulls her up to the rooftop. Then in the very last episode, Vi catches Jinx as she's falling, but isn't able to pull her up to the platform with her. There are so many parallels scattered throughout the show, and it shows the forethought put into the project.
One last piece of Arcane's magnificence is how all the animation feels real, and characters feel like they have real weight to them. It's easy with animation to make characters seem like they're just floating around, and like physics are different than in our world, but in Arcane every character and item has weight to it. Each punch will make the viewer flinch because of how real it seems, each jump feels treacherous because gravity has real consequences in the world of the show. That sentiment, of things having consequences, extends out to the writing as well. Characters get real consequences for their actions, and it makes the whole show feel real and grounded.
personal connection
When I first watched Arcane I was immediately in love with it and its characters, but in the years between seasons I didn’t rewatch the first season or even think about it that much besides doing the occasional drawing of Jinx. When the second season came out, however, something about it just drew me into the world more and I had it on the brain 24/7. Even now, months after its release, it’s at the front of my mind a lot of the time. I attribute this, in part, to the love I have for the second season’s soundtrack. While I liked the songs from the first season, none of them really connected with me the way the songs from the second season did. Having the soundtrack on repeat made me think about the series more often than I would have, and gave me a strong urge to rewatch it, which I have done now (and I’ve watched certain commentary videos on the second season about half a dozen times).
I connected so heavily with Jinx and Isha (And I dabbled in League of Legends a while back so I already knew of Jinx and liked her, but we're not here to talk about League), and watching their tales unfold was so important to me. The rest of the characters are also super compelling, and there was no storyline I found boring, which made my interest in the show more than it would’ve been if there was a weak spot. Plus, I’m always a sucker for sapphic love stories, so Vi and Caitlyn’s arc was thrilling for me to see.
Another thing that drew me to the show was the art; as an artist, there’s nothing better than something that inspires me to create, and Arcane really hit that sweet spot of making me want to draw. It helped reignite the passion I have for art when I was in a bit of a lull, in a way that few things are capable of doing.
final thoughts
There's truly something in Arcane for everyone: whether it's stunning visuals, incredible music, well-written characters, gorgeous shots, or something else. So much love and passion from the team behind the show created something truly wonderful to behold, and the care put behind it is evident in every frame and every second of audio. There aren't many shows made to this standard with as much work behind it, and I truly believe showing Arcane support is important if we as an audience wish to see more incredible animation and wonderful storytelling.