Spoiler free Student Review: Arcane Season 2

Netflix has fully released Arcane’s second season, receiving critical acclaim by viewers and critics alike, and I think you’d agree with them.

Arcane as a series is based off the hit game League of Legends. To some, hearing this was a major turn-off, as the game is notorious for having a toxic and very unfriendly player base. Don't let this stray you away, however, as the show will leave you blown away with how well crafted its storytelling is. The game is already filled to the brim with interesting lore in a fascinating fantasy world called “Runeterra.” The game has many regions and characters within them, but the regions/nations this show focuses on are known as “Piltover” and “Zaun.”

Season 1 has us following the story of the creation of a magical energy known as “Hextech,” as well as how this invention affects the two neighboring nations and the people within them. Without spoiling too much detail, the ending of season 1 leaves us with the two nations at each other's throats, with a devastating attack being committed on the leaders of Piltover. This places us in a tough position for our main characters.

Season 2 kicks off with the aftermath of the attack and the energy never stops. There are tons of action and incredible moments throughout the first act of the second season. From this point on, every episode feels like its own piece of art. Characters come together to form plans and set up the future of the two nations. We watch as the buildup of negative emotions the cast is feeling comes to a head in the last episode of act 1 in a climactic showdown, leaving you feeling a flurry of different emotions.

Act 2 does not disappoint either. A jump in time takes place between the last episode and now. The animation has only improved, and it continues a theme of almost every episode beginning with an original musical score created by many popular artists, some of which you might recognize. This act places our characters in tight spots as they are all recovering from the showdown in their own ways. This act is tamer in comparison to the first one as there's less action, but the emotions are all that much more intense. Arcane as a series has a way of making you truly feel for the characters and the situations they are put in.

The final act contains the final episode of the series. This act has the best of the previous acts combined. There are all kinds of character development in ways no one would ever see coming. We see the return of familiar faces, as well as some beautiful musical scores created by familiar artists such as Twenty One Pilots and Stray Kids. Everything finally comes together this act, and it's incredibly satisfying to see how everything is wrapped up. The creators of this show keep finding ways to one-up themselves from every act, and this is no different. 

The art style for Arcane is incredibly unique, having been compared to the “Spider Verse” movies, and the music is all originally created for the series. This show is an art piece that I believe everyone should give a shot.

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