“Arcane” season two takes the cake

River Allsen, Reporter

December 4, 2024

“Arcane: League of Legends” first swept through screens worldwide in 2021. Starting strong in season one with nine episodes, season two concluded the saga with an epic finale three years later. The show racked up the points and hit hard with a whopping 100% Tomatometer score and shining reviews. Eurogamer projections portray the series as a smash hit, earning the top streamed show on Netflix in 60 countries.

November 26, 2021, “Arcane: League of Legends” premiered. With nine episodes each about 45 minutes long, the series revolutionized modern animation. Racking up the ratings within a week of airing, this series carved out a name for itself in the hearts of fans all over the country. Now, three years later, fans sing praises to the show’s second season.

Projected to arrive in November 2024, producers did not disappoint. Season two flaunts flashy new animation styles and a sensational soundtrack. The season held Netflix’s number-one slot in the platform’s Top Ten for three days. Earning a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes for seasons one and two, this season raised the stakes for future animation projects. With 34 million views within the first day of its release and a total of 120 million global hours watched, the series raised the quality standards for Netflix series, both animated and not.

Season one introduced the volatile relationship between two sister cities, which mirrored the relationship between the main characters. The series draws major plot points and inspiration from the popular first-person shooter game, “League Of Legends.” Sweeping fans through intense political drama and heartbreaking family issues, season one climaxed with a perfect cliffhanger to lead straight into season two, setting the stage for tragedy and the opportunity to tie up loose ends.

Season two took every established plot point and loose end in stride, beautifully illustrating a uniquely striking narrative. Creating a suspenseful atmosphere with a multitude of dimensions, season two kept fans on the edge of their seats for the final nine episodes, providing the show with an exceedingly satisfactory conclusion.

The series kept fans guessing with complex family dynamics, intense political themes and an outstanding soundtrack to back the tragic story. The show used a combination of two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements to create a striking and unique art style, keeping viewers engaged and curious. Using the dynamic colors to create an interesting juxtaposition between mother and daughter and truly taking advantage of the 250 million dollar budget. Fans claim they could watch the show multiple times and still miss details because of the complicated color theory paired with multiple detailed settings.

“I think [the show] used color theory really well, differentiating between the Undercity and the Topside with different lighting and color schemes. Their animation style is really unique and interesting. Like how they animated Jinx [season one antagonist] more choppy and sporadic to show her instability,” sophomore Matheus Correia said.

The show’s first season hit with a heavy hand, and season two left no room for disappointment among fans of the show. The first season finished production after nearly seven years of development. Season two, produced in less than half that time, managed to live up to the first and exceed all expectations. Leaving fans satisfied with a beautiful, albeit upsetting, ending, the series continuously took fans by surprise with convoluted plot twists and intense action. It earned a mature audience (TV-MA) rating with its coarse language and graphic fight scenes, which only increased the shock value.

“I think the music really helped enhance the storytelling; it added emotion and drama to the scenes. The beginning of season two showed a lot of different storylines that kind of confused me at first, but then when the final act came everything made sense. The story concluded beautifully and made a great ending,” sophomore Morgan Lackey said.

The general consensus among fans stands that season two exceeded expectations in regards to revolutionary animation and an outstanding story. With record-high viewing numbers and a 100% Tomatometer score, fans leave this series with a satisfied kiss goodbye. An award-winning soundtrack and dynamic characters only touch the tip of the iceberg in regards to why fans think so highly of the series. Season two lived up to expectations, and while the fans hate to see “Arcane” leave, they love to watch the show’s legacy walk away.

The Chant’s score: A+

About the Contributors

River Allsen, Reporter

River Allsen is a sophomore at NC and an ambitious new addition to the publishing team for the 2024-2025 school year. Allsen joined The Chant in hopes of improving their writing skills and gaining valuable interviewing experience as well as learning as much as they can about the world around them and understanding the views of others. Allsen enjoys writing poetry and literary analyses. While Allsen can commonly be found with the NC colorguard after school during rehearsal, during their free time they enjoy spending time with friends, eating a plethora of snacks and working on their poetry. Allsen hopes to study anthropology in college and is excited to learn new things from their experience with The Chant, shedding light on new subjects and forging new relationships with a wider range of people. Find them on Instagram @bruhitsriver.

Zia McKinney, Media Team

Beginning her first year on The Chant as sophomore at NC, Zia McKinney joined the Media Team in hopes of using the platform to express herself creatively through art and writing. She aims to gain the building blocks to further her knowledge and education for greater opportunities later on in life. She can be found just about anywhere there are plants growing, her love of gardening shining through into her art. She enjoys hanging around her friends, and can always brighten any bad day with her energetic personality. Her hobbies include visual art, such as comic style illustrations, painting, crocheting, sculpture, costume design and character design. Find her on Instagram and various other online platforms as @arijoystudios.

Citlalli Vela, Media Team

Citlalli Vela, a magnet senior, joined The Chant’s Media Team to pursue her artistry. As a little kid, she used drawing to portray her emotions and the current fandoms she obsessed over. Today, she designs logos for organizations around NC such as NC Rally, magnet, and the website Github. After school, Vela spins with the NC Color Guard and is President of the Greenhouse Gang. She enjoys horror movies, scrapbooking, music, shopping, and mindlessly scrolling the Internet. This year, she aims to expand her art skills, improve her photography, and experiment with new mediums, all while having a fantastic first year on The Chant. Find her on Instagram: @citruscitlalli_.