The final season ofArcanehas finished airing, and the climactic finale has left fans in shambles after the seven-year journey has reshaped the animation world forever. Receiving worldwide praise for its exquisite narrative focus and stunning visuals, the first step into aLeague of Legendsuniverse has made a tremendous splash that has left a memorable experience for all watchers. Seasons one and two ofArcanehave raised the bar for other animated shows that may not be reached for quite some time.
However, when it comes to the expectations and deliveries of each season, some argue that one did substantially better than the other. While both releases are pristine examples of the animation art form, there are takeaways that new watchers and die-hard fans are pointing out. Here are some things that season one ofArcanedoes better than season two.
8The Final Product
Close, But No Cigar
Bothseason one and season two ofArcanehave some of the most innovative productions seen in the animation industry since Batman was animated on Black Paper. With a visual style, audio design, and story focus that melds together perfectly, there is no doubt that love, care, and focus were key resources in the series from start to finish. However, when it comes to the final product and the substance of each season standing on its own merit, season one outweighs season two by a sizable margin. The journey and the culmination of five years of hard work is not something season two ofArcanecould have measured up to easily, and while not at all disappointing, it fell short of its predecessor ever so slightly.
7Dialogue
More Depth Than The Sequel
Arcaneis a masterful creation, and where it truly shines is the way in which emotion is delivered with words. Season two ofArcanehas some heavy-hitting moments that rocked fans to their core. Things coming out that had stayed hidden for years, like Vander’s apology to Silco or Ambessa’s role in her son’s death.
While these moments were incredible when compared to the dulcet tones of Silco dressing down his comrades as they struggle to breathe or Jinx’s cry for help as she bids her old self goodbye, season one ofArcaneshowed true refinement in thewords that were spoken by each character. This is something that takes time and repetition and could not be replicated with such a decreased production time.
6Voice Acting
Impressive Vs. Impactful
The creators, animators, and directors ofArcanemade a meticulous effort to craft the series from top to bottom with the best-in-slot options they could deliver. Especially when it comes down to the voice acting of the show, not only do Ella Pernell and Hailee Steinfeld define Jinx and Violet perfectly, but the entire voice cast from majors like Ambessa and minors like Sherif Grayson impacted the story greatly and left permanent impressions on the series. However, there was a small gap in the early acts ofArcaneseason 2 that did not go unnoticed.
5Story
A Strong Second
The nail in the coffin or the cherry on top of the visual journey thatArcaneseason two delivered left viewers polarized as they bid farewell to multiple fan-favorite characters and felt the impact of each revelation that closed the door on hopeful outcomes. Thefinal moments of Piltover and its inhabitantswere a beautiful dance that brought joy, sadness, and surprise. While there are no complaints about the ending of Vi and Jinxs' journey when compared to the perfectly arced origin of the two sisters, the grounded battle between Zaun and Topside, and the internal conflict between all parties involved, season two trails behind in cohesiveness.
4The Intro
A Missing Classic
One of the shining achievements ofArcaneis its ability to meld storytelling with visual and audio teamwork. The music decisions in both seasons are always perfectly timed and fit the mood of the scene to a T.
The song choices are also high-quality tracks from highly talented artists who put their heart and soul into the series with their beautiful voices. While season two ofArcanemay have upped the previous with better song selection, the original intro of Enemy by Imagine Dragons still reigns supreme as J.I.D’s absent verse is sorely missed.
3Thematic Fights
More emotional Depth And Connection
The studio behindArcanedelivered some of the most breathtaking sequences in animation outside of Japanese animation and lures the eyes to follow every motion, unable to look away. From season one to season two, each battle, exchange, and clash held enormous weight as the build-up erupted into violence.Arcaneseason two had its fair share of bouts that reshaped the story altogether. Still, the series of exchanges in season one were better placed and took full advantage of every single interaction that came before it. Even the final battle of season two, which is phenomenal, stands in the shadow of Vander’s last stand in season one, episode three.
2Character Development
Curated For Story, Not Time
The characters ofArcaneare some of the most magnificently written individuals in storytelling, with not a single one feeling overused, cliché, or forced. The natural and organic flow of every character’s personality and decision-making, whether positive or negative, brings a class of reliability to the series that has never been done.
There is a conversation being had among fans that development is lacking in season two as many characters don’t have as much screen time as they need or deserve, and this leaves a lot to be desired as the final season of the series. Compared to season one, where the true depth of each character is explored and fully fleshed out, the amount of footage that didn’t make it past the cutting room floor makes a large gap between both season’s levels of storytelling.
1Pacing
Carefully Planned Vs. Limited Resources
It was clear from the first three episodes of season two ofArcanethat there was not as much time to put into world-building and build-up as it had already been announced that season two would be the least. While the pacing of the second season was not bad, it was apparent that things were progressing quickly as time skips and jumps between events were frequent. Compared to season one ofArcane’scarefully planned out timeline, season two stumbles the most in terms of its pacing in an attempt to tell a complete story. Hopefully,the spin-off series' get more room to breathe.
