Through Blisters and Bedrock

Arcane Part 2

Photo: Image of the Character Vi(Violet)

Image of the Character Vi(Violet) Photo courtesy of Bethel Ameha.

Season two of “Arcane: League of Legends” has a successful rollout of their second and final season so far. On Nov. 16 the second act of season two was released on Netflix with much anticipation. Act One was a solid exposition for the rest of the season, setting up interesting character arcs and storylines. Fans of the show were excited to see what it was building up to, and it did not disappoint.

Episode Four: Paint the Town Blue

Episode four, “Paint the Town Blue” begins with a music video montage displaying the aftermath of characters Caitlyn and Ambessa rising to power, and the effect it had on Zaun and Zaunite citizens. Additionally, during the first few scenes of the episode, the developing relationship between Isha and Jinx is explored. 

After a plan for a peaceful memorial goes wrong, Jinx must accept her fate as the “savior” of Zaun and go help her people. Although the first half of the episode was a little bit rushed, the second part is where “Paint the Town Blue” really finds its footing. Specifically when they introduce the character Warwick and emphasize the threat he poses. 

Senior Bryan Joseph talks about Warwick and how his scene was the most impactful. “Finding out who Warwick is was a really hard-hitting plot point,” Joseph said. “I genuinely really love that scene.”

“Arcane” effectively raises the states for the rest of the season during this episode, and although there were some plot points that could have been fleshed out or explored a bit more, the story and the characters were still very strong; 9.2/10.

Episode Five: Blisters and Bedrock

Episode five, “Blisters and Bedrock”, opens with the reintroduction of the character Vi in the aftermath of Act One, as well as exploring a new relationship dynamic between Singed and Ambessa. Additionally, we finally learn what happened to Mel, although the reality of the situation isn’t what most people were expecting. 

Due to extenuating circumstances, Vi and Jinx have to work together again, which predictably, doesn't go very well initially. However, Jinx and Vi must put aside their differences, and eventually learn to trust each other again.

“Blisters and Bedrock” is filled with beautiful, captivating imagery and incredible original songs and scores. Senior Winnie Turkson explains how the flashback scene was the most emotional part of the episode. “The standout moment [from episode five] was the flashback where they played the song “Remember Me” in the background, that was so good,” Turkson said.

This episode was filled with several emotional moments but overall had a slower pace. Although the reunion between Vi and Jinx felt a bit rushed, especially given the conflicts they had earlier in the series, the beautiful art style, and well-composed scenes make up for it; 9.4/10

Episode Six: The Message Hidden Within The Pattern

Episode six, "The Message Hidden Within The Pattern" is the big crescendo of all the storylines episodes four and five have been building up to. At the end of the episode, reunions, conflicts, and magic all come together in a huge fight.

One of the most notable things was the impact of Isha’s character on the story and the characters. Bryan Joseph talks about the best scene with Isha in episode six. “I loved the scene with Isha’s song in the background since it was in Chinese,” Joseph said. This added so many layers since her character doesn’t talk, and the song was in a language many viewers don't understand; in both cases, their intentions and emotions were conveyed beautifully. 

The animation is amazing, as always. However, in this act, it was especially beautiful. Whether it be the color grading and shading in the final scene, or the watercolor montage in episode five, everything was captivating. Winnie Turkson expresses how impressed she was with the animation in this act. “It’s amazing, all of the frames are like a background,” Turkson said.

This episode was filled with many notable, emotional, and heartbreaking moments, making it almost as impactful as the notorious episode, “The Base Violence Necessary for Change;” 9.6/10.

Act two was outstanding, but there were a few problems with pacing that resulted in a few pivotal moments being rushed. However, one thing that became very pronounced in this act the “Arcane’s” overarching theme that love itself is not moral or immoral, but the actions people do for love are was emphasized in this act. Both Singed and Ambessa make crucial decisions motivated by love, however the morality of those decisions should be questioned. Caitlyn’s line, “why is peace always the justification for violence?” highlights the questions surrounding morality.

Overall Act Two set the bar for great storytelling, cementing it as one of the best-animated series ever and I hope Act Three continues this positive momentum and takes its time finishing this amazing story. I’d rate this act a 9.4/10.