Warning: slight spoilers ahead, no main plot points but many smaller moments.
Arcane season 2 is now fully released, and it’s probably one of the best written shows out there right now. If you haven’t watched season 1, you really should. But season 2 is better in some ways, and a little worse in others. But if you have watched season one, you will have an amazing experience watching the second season.
The greatest thing about season 2 of Arcane is either the character development or the music choices for the emotional and exciting scenes. Many new characters are introduced in the season but many of the existing characters experience even more life changing events than in season one. Some of the best character development happens with Jinx, who gains a companion who encourages their more revolutionary side but after a seriously tragic event jinx decides to end the cycle, but is then convinced by Ekko to instead be a savior.
The music in Arcane always fits the moment perfectly, from sad and somber to energetic and blood pumping. One of my favorites is Cocktail Molotov by Zand, it gives the perfect amount of emotion that fits the scene and conveys how Vi, who also goes through some character development, is feeling. And just like in season one, some of the songs will invoke some pretty heavy emotions even when just hearing it outside of the show.
Another great part of the show in general is that the animators learn how to do things like martial arts to correctly animate the fights. This is something they didn’t have to do, but it most definitely improves the quality of the fights. This is also enhanced by the fact that each character has a very special style of how they fight, which also reflects their personality. For example, Vi in the first season does not block most attacks directed at her in the first season, but by the finale of season 2, she is consistently keeping her guard up while fighting her opponents, showing how her values have changed over time.
There is one aspect of Arcane season 2 that is a bit unsatisfying, and that is the pacing. This is definitely really noticeable as it feels like many of the climax points are a bit rushed or that side characters are being focused on suddenly without being given that much personality. This has been confirmed by many who worked on the show admitting they had to cut some content to fit the amount of time given for each episode, which was around 40 minutes. I don’t believe this ruins the show, it just makes some of the scenes a bit more dissatisfying then they could have been.
All in all, Arcane season 2 was a blast to experience, and since they confirmed they are making new shows set in the same world, you can look forward to the high quality of writing sometime in the future. Arcane is available to watch on Netflix, and is definitely worth watching, and is easy to binge watch.