Arcane (Show) Thread.

[Totenkindly]

So I picked Arcane back up [Netflix] and started from scratch (only getting two episodes in last time).

I won't even talk about the animation because it's just frankly so stellar, anything I might say will be redundant. You just have to see it. So much craftmanship evidence here, with the art, the music, the voice work, etc.

But story. The first two episodes made this feel more like a world-building series, which is fine. Great characterization, but it had a lot of characters and they were slowly being built and establishing them, the political dynamics of the city, the various factions, who was allied with who, who was enemies of who, etc.

Setting the groundwork for the reintroduction of magic (which wasn't trusted due to how dangerous it was), although now it seems we're looking at a hybrid form of it (tech + magic).

... all of which leads into the latter half of episode 3. I can't talk about it, it's better if you just watch how it plays out. I have never played League of Legends so I do not know the characters of Vi and Powder, but damn, this is how you do backstory leading up to the world of the game. They are only girls in these first few episodes but you could sense who they would become later in life and in the game (I suspect) -- and the back-end of this episode is just jaw-dropping in terms of story points.

Based on the events of episodes 1-2, you can see why all the pieces positioned themselves as they did, and then you can feel the sense of dread building and what might happen, so much foreshadowing (and it helps as an RPG person too, it was the same thing like, "Do not freaking go this way, it's going to be BAD", and then everything just blows. No one is really wrong, but you can see why things likely have gone as they have in the future, and it's just agonizing to watch. Just wow.

This narrative blow-out also flips all my expectations. I have no idea what is going to happen next or where this story is going now.

Just really great. Every so often Netflix actually produces something decent, not schlocky.

 

[SensEye]

So I picked Arcane back up [Netflix] and started from scratch (only getting two episodes in last time).

I won't even talk about the animation because it's just frankly so stellar, anything I might say will be redundant. You just have to see it. So much craftmanship evidence here, with the art, the music, the voice work, etc.

I was just about to scold you nerds for not mentioning this series. I didn't even know it existed until I saw mention of a season two, and as such went to watch season 1.

I'm only two episodes in and I would agree the animation style and the voice acting are excellent. Story seems fine so far.

It's a bit weird it's connected to League of Legends, which is a game I've never played but thought is was some sort of pvp WOW combat style game. That has nothing to do with the story so far as far as I know, but maybe there is some backstory to the video game I am unaware of.

 

[Totenkindly]

It's a bit weird it's connected to League of Legends, which is a game I've never played but thought is was some sort of pvp WOW combat style game. That has nothing to do with the story so far as far as I know, but maybe there is some backstory to the video game I am unaware of.

I'm in the same boat, I know nothing about LoL except there's a large variety of characters you can play as, I guess? It started as a 5x5 PvP setup and you could pick from a range of characters as far as your team composition goes. Some of the setups have secondary objectives or treasure/monsters that you can get/kill to gain powers to use against the other team.

But I was getting an idea what the characters might be portrayed like as grown adults, from the events of the series. But really, they have just taken the framework of the game, I guess, and the archetypical characters you could play as, and basically created narrative arcs for them and their world.

Kind of interesting to see it go in this direction, you'd think a game would be adapted from a book or film, and instead they took elements of the game to develop a much more nuanced series.

 

[GoggleGirl17]

You can fight me if you want.

 

[Totenkindly]

Finished e6 of Arcane.

Jinx is totally fruit loops. Damn.
Like, she's kinda cool but also a loose cannon literally and figuratively.

I like some of the backstories.

Jace is a cutey and has all the moves. I knew that was gonna go there.

Also, I can't help but call Heimerdinger by another name -- "The Lorax."
Not only are they similar in visual conception, but they play the same basic role in both stories.
Like, I just can't help but laugh.

Caitlyn looks pretty straight-laced but she's as bad-ass as the rest.

I really liked the fight between Vi and Sevika (?) in e5.
That felt like an actual brawling fight, aside from Vi never breaking the bones in her hands from bare-fist strikes.
But the moves felt like boxing / brawling moves, and they tired very quickly in their full bodies from that amount of exertion.

Regarding GOT:

I have issues with the finale, too, but not Jon's ultimate fate. I was glad Jon got to spend time being happy among the Wildings, instead of being constantly surrounded by backstabbers while sitting on the Iron Throne. I wouldn't want, it either.

That was definitely where Jon belonged thematically and he will be happier there.

But realistically, Grey Worm and/or a bunch of other people should have executed him.


EDIT: FInished Season 1 of Arcane.

Wow. Hell of a season ending, and I love that I had no idea who would live, who would die, and how it would end.

 

[Totenkindly]

Arcane was pretty brilliant, although the last few episodes might have needed just a little more breathing room. So many arcs were established and completed, and it's the kind of series that could use a rewatch to soak up more detail even if the initial viewing has so many shocks and twists.

@The Cat you should see the wolf in season 2. It's pretty much everything i imagine a World of Darkness werewolf to be. Absolutely terrifying and nuts.

The animation has consistently taken the visual creativity we saw in Across the Spiderverse and raised the bar. So much stuff that was jawdropping and unexpected and frankly beautiful and sometimes unsettling. I snapped this pic last night because they were just showing off:

There's a lot of shots that are "capturable" like that as still frames, but it's essentially even more beautiful in motion. And it's all got emotional grounding.

I'm sad it's over. Just wow.

 

[SensEye]

Do you mean season 2 is over or is that it for the series. I finished season 1 but haven't started into season 2. It's been a pleasant surprise for sure.

In other news, I found season 3 of From to be rather disappointing. The first 2-3 episodes were great, but then it started spinning it's wheels again. By that I mean they introduce new weirdness (more apparitions that aren't the kids, other bits of oddness like out at that farm like place, etc) and they don't move the plot forward in the sense of hinting to the viewer what is really going on, or how are they going to find a way out of there. I mean, make some progress please. The underlying nature of Fromsville is no clearer now than at the start of season 1.

And the whole Rosemary's baby major plot thread from season 3 left me cold. Much ado about 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. I get the feeling the showrunners have no plan. I fear they are going to go in circles in one step forward, one step back mode until ratings drop, then everybody will wake up from a nightmare or some such (i.e. no need to explain anything, we're just done).

 

[Totenkindly]

Do you mean season 2 is over or is that it for the series. I finished season 1 but haven't started into season 2. It's been a pleasant surprise for sure.

Arcane Season 2 is over and the series is now over. They are not doing a Season 3 (not sure if there will be any tangent spinoffs, although I think they have plans for other properties) and all the seasonal arcs are essentially resolved -- even if there's some uncertainty over the fate of certain characters, heh.

 

[Totenkindly]

Lol the Arcane memes have launched

So... I know we had discussed Borderline personality complex in another thread.
Powder/Jinx seems to fall pretty squarely into that framework, especially in Season 1 and early on.

 

[The Cat]

Lol the Arcane memes have launched

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So... I know we had discussed Borderline personality complex in another thread.
Powder/Jinx seems to fall pretty squarely into that framework, especially in Season 1 and early on.

I havent seen the show yet, why do I need therapy?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I havent seen the show yet, why do I need therapy?

Just going by pictures in "What Your Arcane Crush Says About You", I would go with the one on the left, but the assessment is totally false.

 

[The Cat]

Just going by pictures in "What Your Arcane Crush Says About You", I would go with the one on the left, but the assessment is totally false.


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[SensEye]

I have yet to watch season 2. All the relationship stuff was just getting started. Vi (the one on the left) seemed pretty feisty is S1. So I am not sure where this 'wants to get dominated meme' is coming from. I guess the middle girl starts holding the reigns in S2.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I have yet to watch season 2. All the relationship stuff was just getting started. Vi (the one on the left) seemed pretty feisty is S1. So I am not sure where this 'wants to get dominated meme' is coming from. I guess the middle girl starts holding the reigns in S2.

It means what the viewer of the image wants, not the character.

 

[Totenkindly]

Yup, "If you the viewer are into [Girl A, B, or C], then you actually want [A, B, or C]".
Damn, it ain't rocket science. It's just a throwaway meme.

The three women by the way are Vi, Caitlyn, and Jinx.

 

[SensEye]

It means what the viewer of the image wants, not the character.

Doh! I see it now. Makes more sense.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I watched episode 1 of season 1 of Arcane.

I like the way everything looks visually; the world-building is really interesting, and dare I say "cyberpunk" even though technologically it's more steampunk. It reminds me of a D&D session, really. I like the songs, too. I did find the pilot a little slow-going, but it seems the hijinks of band of orphans might have broader repercussions than are initially apparent.

Not a complaint, but an observation: the design of the enforcers was like Darth Vader combined with WWI Prussian officer helmets.

 

[Totenkindly]

I watched episode 1 of season 1 of Arcane.

I like the way everything looks visually; the world-building is really interesting, and dare I say "cyberpunk" even though technologically it's more steampunk. It reminds me of a D&D session, really. I like the songs, too. I did find the pilot a little slow-going, but it seems the hijinks of band of orphans might have broader repercussions than are initially apparent.

Just for comparison, it took me 2-3 episodes to really start to recognize the characters and have a feel for who they were, and to really get into it. Things really kick off after e3.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I watched Episode 2 just now and that worked much better for me. I liked seeing the flip side of the house they robbed and that the situation was nothing like what the gang assumed. I liked seeing the machinations of the council and I was eager to learn about the other kinds of beings that exist in this world. I thought the way you saw more about the workings of the society of Piltover was great. I feel like we don't really know that much about the underground city except for Vander's bar and the fact that people feel they should be fighting back.

How is the underground city run, exactly? How significant is it that Vander was leader of a rebellion? What kind of influence does this extend to the city as a whole? I would like to see that fleshed out more.

I'm reminded of H.G. Well's explanation of the origins of the Morlocks and Eloi just a little bit.

 

[Totenkindly]

I think the use of video reference is a huge benefit to animated shows (and films). Not rotoscoping, but basically animators also serving as de facto acting references -- no different than painters and sketch artists who take model/prop photos to get their lighting correct while they are painting. They test out different acting choices and can build a performance incorporating the best approaches, versus that cookie-cutter shit that Hanna Barbera used to make animation cheap with rotating stylized loops but had little connection to reality (which showed).

RWBY also uses video footage and/or motion capture to get a sense of how to animate scenes and facial expressions, although its art palette is not as complex at Arcane.