Arcane: League of Legends, Season Two (2024)
Arcane’s first season deserved any and all acclaim that it received (read my review). Its highly stylized and detailed artwork and animation, steampunk aesthetic, and rich world-building made for a rewarding and entertaining watch even if you’d never played a single second of League of Legends. Arcane’s second season boasts even more vivid animation, similar to how Across the Spider-Verse one-upped Into the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, it contains far too much plot, essentially condensing what should be two seasons’ worth of storytelling into just one. The central storylines — Piltover and Zaun’s conflict, Vi and Jinx’s battle, Hextech’s development and dangers — are interspersed between new power struggles, family dysfunctions, and arcane (npi) revelations. Subsequently, all of the season’s storylines are underdeveloped and underwhelming. Which is a shame because technically speaking, Arcane sets a new standard for animated series. One of the series’ creators has acknowledged fan frustrations with the “rushed” second season, an openness and transparency that bodes well for any future League of Legends adaptations.
I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.