r/arcane

I’m rewatching Arcane for the “umpeenth” time and man these writers knew how to write a good story. That last episode really makes you feel for Jinx - or at very least understand her actions better. On second and third watch it really starts to make sense. Then as the s2 unfolds it really makes you realise that her point of no return started when she killed Silco (or arguably when Silco had her “resurrected“ with shimmer just before). Just wish there was more shows out there with such brilliantly written characters as s1. No matter how many times I watch last ep s1 it still blows me away. What a gem.

I heard this song by Harry Styles in a movie the other day and decided that I was finally going to make a music video with my favourite scenes from Arcane!

Even if the soundtrack for the show is amazing, I felt that I needed to use something different in order to stand out.

What do ya'll think? 😊

I also have the edit on YouTube if anyone wants to see it there!

I was making a compilation of every scene that involves Jayce or Viktor in some way, and I made some interesting observations about the way they are portrayed across the two seasons. I think this may also explain why some people felt so unsatisfied with the content of the second series.

NOTE - This post is purely observational. This post will also contain SPOILERS for both seasons 1 and 2 of arcane.

In season 1: Scenes featuring Jayce and Viktor are very evenly spread throughout the season and are often of similar lengths. There is less overall scene length of scenes featuring Jayce or Viktor in comparison to season 2. However, there is a large focus on quality over quantity. The scenes that Jayce and Viktor appear in are used to reveal traits and build a clear image of their character.

Viktor's arc is very character based. This is why I believe many people like Viktor so much in season 1. He acts the way he does because of his life experience and the ways he has been treated. Most of his struggles as a character are deeply related to his personal goals. First his desire to help others in need, and then the urgency to save himself. This focus on character based problems makes him more likeable and relatable. Jayce's arc is also character based. He is so passionate about his work because of how magic saved him. However, many of his struggles are also related to his own naïvety. Because he is so focused on the benefits of hextech, he struggles to see its harms. Because he is so desperate for validation of his work, and is trusting of others, he is easily manipulated. This is what makes him so interesting as a character, as he goes through subtle character based changes throughout season 1.

In season 2: Scenes featuring Jayce and Viktor are unevenly spread throughout the season and are of vastly different lengths. They feature very little in the first two acts, but very heavily in the third. There is more overall scene length of scenes featuring Jayce or Viktor in comparison to season 1.

Viktor's arc goes from character based to plot based. However, there seems to be less quality within scenes. There are many Jayce and Viktor scenes used to fill other character arcs, or scenes that have little relevance to the narrative. Viktor features very heavily in episode 6, yet his motive is still left unclear. He spends the majority of the episode trying to help Vander, all in vain. Except, the plot up to this point implies that there may be some kind of war between Piltover and Zaun. Obviously, Vander would be important in the event of such a monumental battle. However, he never returns back to himself, and no war occurs because Viktor becomes the common enemy. In which case, what was the point of bringing Vander's character back? Jayce's arc sits on the line between character based and plot based. Jayce's arc is slightly more refined. He wants to be able to help Viktor, the partner that he tried so desperately to save. He happens to encounter Heimerdinger and Ekko, which is the catalyst needed for him to meet future Viktor. But, other than this, a lot of the choices Jayce makes in season 2 are based on the information and instructions of future Viktor. Therefore, he isn't given a chance for his character to really shine, because he is not acting entirely of his own accord. However, Jayce also changes as a person, becoming more reflective of how Viktor was in season 1, therefore being more understanding of why Viktor became the way he did.

General / Overall: The majority of Viktor's scenes focus around himself or Jayce. This means he features in less overall scenes than Jayce, who appears in the arcs of many different characters, including Mel, Vi, Caitlyn, Ekko, and many of the councilors. This helps to emphasise Viktor's more introverted personality, in comparison to Jayce. Episodes in season 2 are more frequently shorter than season 1 episodes. This may be a potential reason as to why certain avenues weren't explored. There is a potential that Viktor was being controlled by the arcane, but this is made constantly unclear (using evidence from scenes from both seasons 1 and 2).

Anyways, apologies for the long post. I just wanted to organise the thoughts that had… I hope something I said made any sense. Let me know if anyone has anything interesting to add or any cool observations!

I have been trying to find a longish fic (like from 100k to 300kish words) where jinx and powder from the au world meet, i wanna see a dynamic between them. thx