The Screen Scribe

Finally got to watch Act 2 last night, and like Act 1, I was blown away by almost everything in the three episodes. Act 2, however, is a very different beast to the opening act. While Act 1 focused on the aftermath of Jinx’s murder of three council members and the resulting political turmoil that unfolded into an all-out war between Piltover and Zaun, Act 2 does what Arcane always does: flips expectations and surpasses them.

Act 2 puts Vi and Jinx back in the narrative driver’s seat and relegates much of the other characters and plotlines to the background in favour of refocusing on the sisters and their fractured, complex and complicated sibling relationship. The war promised in the climax of Act 1 is brushed past in the time-skip, whether for good or ill (and many may complain about the speed of this) but I think Act 2 delivered exactly what was needed: a slower, more focused examination of where Vi and Jinx now find themselves and bringing them back together for an emotional family reunion as they attempt to rescue a lost family member.

We do get snippets of our other favourite characters, Mel is revealed to be alive and well but captured by the still very mysterious Black Rose faction, though some interesting details are revealed as to what their end goal might be. Caitlyn, after a cooling off period, is beginning to doubt her newfound position and relationship with Ambessa Medarda, whose own motivations remain clouded as she strives to obtain Hextech weaponry, presumably to combat the Black Rose. There is a lot more to this story than I think can be covered in the final Act. A Noxus show in the works possibly? We hear nothing of Jayce, Ekko or Heimerdinger and they have been labelled as disappeared, until Jayce suddenly reappears, rugged and ragged and looking like he has literally walked through the gates of hell. Victor, despite lacking screen time, becomes a pivotal figure in Act 2, as the magical technological messiah figure of the Fissures. It is a riveting narrative for Viktor and I’m excited to see what path it goes down in the final act.

The visuals were again absolutely stunning. Fortiche has no fear in experimentation and deliver breathtaking backdrops, inventive and colourful collages, and superbly crafted fight scenes that are not just a rehash of what came before. It’s honestly some of the most visually and aesthetically stunning animation I have ever seen and, even though we still have Act 3 to go, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest animated shows in history. And I don’t say that lightly.

And in typical Arcane fashion, it delivers some truly heart wrenching moments that only it can do. There are two scenes in particular that left me choked up and stuck in my head for hours afterward. The climax to Act 2 is as emotionally devastating as anything it has done before and sets the stage for a gripping final Act that has a lot of ground to cover, but I have no doubt it will be a worthy end to what has become one of my all-time favourite shows.

5 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.