Binged it in a single day. Literally first words out of my mouth after finishing the last episode were "what the fuck?"
2024 has produced 2 absolutely baffling, and ultimately disappointing sequels to smash hit pieces of media. Folie a Deux went completely wrong and Arcane season 2... I don't even know man. This feels like a sequel to a completely different show than season 1. It's one of the most complex and convoluted stories I've ever seen. There's a shitton of plot elements, twists, reversals and double-crosses that watching it in one day was probably a mistake. It goes so all over the fucking place I don't even know where to begin. I'm probably gonna have to watch it again to see if it makes any sense at all.
Positives though: the show's animation quality hasn't suffered one bit despite the much shorter production time. There isn't as much action as in season 1, but what there is can absolutely stand up to it. The show looks even better than season 1 which I thought basically impossible. There are so many images that are basically moving paintings that the eye candy gets downright overwhelming. The design, colours and cinematography are simply out of this world. Again: binging this was a mistake. The characterization and writing are still extremely strong and you will not have any idea where the story is going.
But hoo man, does this season make some big swings and misses. And that requires getting into spoilers, so...
Like I said, this is a horrifically convoluted story. It feels like character loyalties and allegiances are reshuffled like every episode, and some of it I was having a really hard time keeping track of why. There's a bazillion different plot threads going on at once, and the pacing is just all over the goddamn map. For like half the show you're left completely baffled at some elements which do get explained and reincorporated later, but the show simply goes totally overboard with this style of storytelling. You gotta be really careful when leaving viewers in the dark, plot elements unexplained, or stranding characters for episode after episode. The worst offense in this category is probably the start of episode 8, when we get a whole lot of exposition dumped on us, and you can just feel the writing creaking at the seams in that scene.
Fuck, it's really settling in: this season's a mess. Instead of a continuation of the themes, topics and characterization of season 1 it switches gears entirely, going for astronomically high swings about transhumanism, the quest for power, and morality in politics. Which is fine, but that's not what the first season was about! The story ends up cheapening the amazing ending of season 1 by basically letting Jinx go scot free, no biggie. The obvious looming class conflict between Piltover and Zaun gets basically ditched completely, which is a fucking crime. It's also really depressing. Season 1 was no parade of smiles either, but there were moments of levity and reprieve. Here it's just an onslaught of tragedy, and whenever there's a happy moment you just know it's just the pause between kicks to the stomach.
This season also introduces multiple elements that can completely deflate and break a story, and it doesn't fully get away with them: 1. resurrection, 2. alternate timelines and 3. turning back time. The time travel is kept extremely limited, but I was getting really anxious when they were introducing it, because it also introduces the possibility of the laziest solution to any story ever. Bringing back Vander as a pseudo-zombie was IMO a huge misstep. Not necessarily because it felt out of place, but because it felt like a betrayal of season 1. The first season had a real sense of finality and stakes to it: no take backsies, no do-overs. Introducing resurrection in any form is always going to deflate that sense to some extent, and it just doesn't work here. The alternate timeline episode just felt weird. It's another example of this season's wacked out pacing. It really should have been sprinkled in with the rest of the plotlines instead of being a full episode in itself. Now that I think about it that would have been way better. The plotlines and pacing being so chaotic gives me the feeling that they hadn't really planned this story out, and instead just came up with it as they went along.
Soooooo yeah, a pretty big disappointment, but I probably screwed myself by binging it in one day. We'll see if a second watch proves different.
Having finished Season 2 of Arcane yesterday, I liked it overall, but it definitely has a ton of problems, especially in terms of pacing.
The biggest issue is that the show is still introducing new plot elements and new characters at episodes 7 and 8. We're 80 to 90% of the way through the show and they're explaining about The Black Rose, a secret organization of mages, and essentially adding in a new antagonist to an already packed roster of characters.
The story feels unfocused, like they crammed it all into a single season when they may have planned for it to be a trilogy.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and I suspect that the cost of the animation made it cost prohibitive for netflix to greenlight 2 more seasons even though the first was a massive hit, so they had to truncate certain parts of the plot to make it all work as 2 seasons.
They're definitely setting up for spin offs in the same universe, but I suspect any follow up shows will have reduced animation cost and quality. They couldn't skimp on animation for season 2, but they'll be able to once it's a spin-off.
It's overall good, but the first season created a lot of expectations that season 2 was not able to fully meet.
Definitely would not recommend watching it all in one sitting. 1 episode a day would probably be the best viewing experience.
I pretty much marathoned 3 episodes every Saturday and I came out fine. I do admit the rushed in some areas, but I am still satisfied overall.
Finishing up on The Bad Guys. Great movie and sucks I didn't see it in theaters. I know it's based off a book, but it is a Lupin The Third movie and I love it. The movie is great on its own, and I can wait for the sequel. DreamWorks really outdo themselves with the action and chase sequences. S-Rank animated movie, and can't wait for the sequel!
Having finished Season 2 of Arcane yesterday, I liked it overall, but it definitely has a ton of problems, especially in terms of pacing.
The biggest issue is that the show is still introducing new plot elements and new characters at episodes 7 and 8. We're 80 to 90% of the way through the show and they're explaining about The Black Rose, a secret organization of mages, and essentially adding in a new antagonist to an already packed roster of characters.
The story feels unfocused, like they crammed it all into a single season when they may have planned for it to be a trilogy.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and I suspect that the cost of the animation made it cost prohibitive for netflix to greenlight 2 more seasons even though the first was a massive hit, so they had to truncate certain parts of the plot to make it all work as 2 seasons.
They're definitely setting up for spin offs in the same universe, but I suspect any follow up shows will have reduced animation cost and quality. They couldn't skimp on animation for season 2, but they'll be able to once it's a spin-off.
It's overall good, but the first season created a lot of expectations that season 2 was not able to fully meet.
Definitely would not recommend watching it all in one sitting. 1 episode a day would probably be the best viewing experience.
I think some things really didn't add to the story such as the Black Rose stuff which rumors are saying is the next show. Problematically that entire Ambessa storyline could largely just be edited out or cut back severely the Victor stuff.
I watched season 1 on release and then season 2 on release so largely all I remembered was the war between uppers and lowers and the climax with jinx destroying the council.
I honestly expected those two issues to drive the second season. Instead it was all over the place with multiple endgame bosses. I was never disinterested but there were definitely "checking my phone" moments.
I think some things really didn't add to the story such as the Black Rose stuff which rumors are saying is the next show. Problematically that entire Ambessa storyline could largely just be edited out or cut back severely the Victor stuff.
I watched season 1 on release and then season 2 on release so largely all I remembered was the war between uppers and lowers and the climax with jinx destroying the council.
I honestly expected those two issues to drive the second season. Instead it was all over the place with multiple endgame bosses. I was never disinterested but there were definitely "checking my phone" moments.
Theres a monologue near the ends where she rants that her reason for teaming up with vic and invading is that wars used to be fair fist against fist but magic or something is ruining that...so she wants a super soldier army? Its rambling nonsense.
That said my big problem is that its just too busy and too many switcheroos and excuses for things to happen like when that cadet turns out to be a traitor I just groaned
Theres a monologue near the ends where she rants that her reason for teaming up with vic and invading is that wars used to be fair fist against fist but magic or something is ruining that...so she wants a super soldier army? Its rambling nonsense.
That said my big problem is that its just too busy and too many switcheroos and excuses for things to happen like when that cadet turns out to be a traitor I just groaned
Hey, at least she had more to do than mutton chop guy who just died and nobody cared. Those three enforcers introduced in Episode 1 of Season 2 are one of the most obvious cutbacks from ending the story in this season. You just know mutton chop guy was originally supposed to function as a father figure (with his own tragic backstory) for Vi, but then he proceeds to do virtually nothing and gets killed off with zero fan fair.
Hey, at least she had more to do than mutton chop guy who just died and nobody cared. Those three enforcers introduced in Episode 1 of Season 2 are one of the most obvious cutbacks from ending the story in this season. You just know mutton chop guy was originally supposed to function as a father figure (with his own tragic backstory) for Vi, but then he proceeds to do virtually nothing and gets killed off with zero fan fair.
He gets to use his regular shield once during the memorial raid, but yeah, other than that he gets nothing. But both Maddie and the green guy also get to pose with weapons that we than never see them use. Honestly, green guy makes it out the best out of the three since he's just treated as one of those recurring background characters that you know isn't going to play a big part anyway, like the black girl with the freckles. Whenever they show up you're like 'Hey cool, it's them' and then you move on. With mutton chop guy you're given the impression that something more is going to happen with him, but than it never does.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and I suspect that the cost of the animation made it cost prohibitive for netflix to greenlight 2 more seasons even though the first was a massive hit, so they had to truncate certain parts of the plot to make it all work as 2 seasons.
Honestly, if sacrificing some of the animation quality means that we get better plotted seasons more often, I'm willing to compromise on it. Arcane in terms of visuals is consistently like a 12/10, and IMO it doesn't really need to be when a 9/10 is still incredible. As long as the visual design remains as good, I'll be happy with less over the top showy action or huge setpieces. Season 2 pulled out all the stops with just the sheer lunatic amount of visual creativity, to the point where it felt like too much of a good thing to the detriment of other elements.
There's also IMO a pretty egregious plot convenience in episode 2, where the newly formed spec ops squad almost find Jinx in the abandoned arcade. She stumbles out, clearly gasping for breath, whereupon the mechanical goblin and his goons find her. A fight scene ensues that ends up with literal fireworks going off... and somehow the squad - who can't be more than two blocks away at that point - are completely oblivious to it. I never such a moment in season 1, where I was actively thinking about stuff like that during the scene itself. It's a moment where just a couple of seconds showing Jinx running away from the place would make all the difference, because then it would imply that she'd ran further away from the arcade after her escape.
He gets to use his regular shield once during the memorial raid, but yeah, other than that he gets nothing. But both Maddie and the green guy also get to pose with weapons that we than never see them use. Honestly, green guy makes it out the best out of the three since he's just treated as one of those recurring background characters that you know isn't going to play a big part anyway, like the black girl with the freckles. Whenever they show up you're like 'Hey cool, it's them' and then you move on. With mutton chop guy you're given the impression that something more is going to happen with him, but than it never does.
I finished Nobunagun about half an hour ago! It's great! I am glad the anime ended the way it did! I really don't know they would do a second season. I know people are clamoring for a sequel, but not every anime needs multiple seasons, and the original manga run is not even that long either. The action and dubbing is fully on point! I do admit, the green, red, and purple color palette does get repetitive sometimes when fighting the Evolutionary, but I get the theme they're going for. The action is distinct enough in each episode for it not to be a problem.
Of all the ways in which Sonic has blinked (lids the color of his arms, mouth, stomach and ears or lids blue), the ones voiced by Jaleel White were the worst. What did those animators think the white of his part-cyclops eye was?
The OVA did it too.
But this latest episode is the worst, is grotesque. Two sets of eyelids!
The OVA and Sonic CD eye lids look more clean and polished by comparison and without comparison. The AosTH was known for budget issues and cheap animation, that even little kids would notice easily. I still say Sonic X (especially the 4kids version) is the worse followed by Sonic Underground. Jaleel was a good fit for the time, and I can get used to him any day of the week.
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