The best tragedies leave me wondering if only. For example if only Mercutio didn’t duel Tybalt maybe both Romeo and Juliet would have survived. Or if only Jay Gatsby didn’t yearn for the past so much then maybe he could have lived peacefully with his wealth. However it can’t happen because a character’s downfall is the inevitability of the tragic form. The “Arcane” series is a tragedy.
Three years ago “Arcane” became one of the few TV shows that broke through the curse of bad video game adaptations to the screen. “Arcane” was a prequel to Riot Games’ action strategy video game “League of Legends.” The first season was a drama set in a highly political world. The show was animated by French animation studio Fortiche and won four Emmys and garnered 100% on the tomato meter, Rotten Tomatoes’ critics rating scale.
The second season came out last November on Netflix. Co-creator Christian Linke said in an interview with the digital entertainment magazine Collider that this season would be the last. But I wondered if this season would achieve the same masterpiece quality as season one.
The first season focuses on two orphaned sisters: the older sister Violet, nicknamed Vi, and the younger sister Powder. Due to a series of misunderstandings and circumstances, the sisters are pulled apart from one another. Vi ends up working with Caitlyn, a police captain who is the daughter of one of the governing politicians. The two take down the crime boss Silco, who rules the undercity. Powder becomes Silco’s adoptive daughter and changes her name to Jinx.
However when the sisters reunite, they have to grapple with their relationship and that they are fighting on opposite sides. The season ends with Silco’s death and Vi losing her sister. Jinx, in her grief, launches an attack on the government.
Season one left me asking if only Vi had a conversation with Powder before they were separated, maybe Powder would have never become Jinx. The era of instability that is ushered in by the attack could have been averted.
But if this era of instability hadn’t started, then season two would not exist.
Season two is a masterclass in visual storytelling. Animation studio Fortiche used a combination of 3-D and 2-D animation with the flexibility to switch up art styles to fit with the music and enhance the expressions of the characters. As a result it makes these if only moments more emotional.
One of the first scenes of season two is a perfect example of this. We see the state funeral of Caitlyn’s mother who dies in Jinx’s attack. The entire funeral scene is in shades of charcoal grey, except Caitlyn and the casket. Taking out the color creates a mood of sadness and isolation that Caitlyn feels, despite being surrounded by thousands of people who attend in solidarity.
The scene is further enhanced with the beautiful strings and vocals of the background song “I can’t hear it now” by Freya Ridings.
As a result of these moments, the “Arcane” series is beautiful, emotional, and most of all devastatingly tragic–a masterpiece
