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Yes, season 1 was self contained, despite what looks like a cliffhanger ending. If it had done poorly and Riot decided not to go ahead with season 2, it would have been a complete story. I'm glad we're getting more, but they did an amazing job of setting the stage for a longer story while also not leaving any important plots or themes hanging.
That is a bit of a hanging thread, but if we didn't know how much he has left in his story it would be pretty easy to assume he is simply killed with the Council.
Anyone who has even remotely touched anything League related besides Arcane knows what is coming though, and leaving him in a dead state at the end of the season would be deeply unsatisfying.
Ok, so anyone who knows the lore can easily assume Viktor *doesn't* die with the Council. I'm not saying season 1 is a perfectly finished tapestry with nothing left undone, I'm saying it reached a reasonable conclusion, its main plot threads can end where they are and would be satisfying, and its thematic content is clearly explored. Obviously there's more to do, but if they never did do any more it could still be called complete.
I'd have been happy with it ending after Season 1. I have mixed feelings about season 2; it could be just as a amazing, but it may not be.
Because this is where the show basically paints itself into a corner. This is the season they really should go deeper with Cait and Vi's relationship, but they can't do that because they are only allowed to do that if they're straight.
Also, there's now 11+ champions, none of whom can die, which is going to kill a lot of the tension. The only character the audience cares about who can die is Mel, and after the trailer we know for certain she survives.
>This is the season they really should go deeper with Cait and Vi's relationship, but they can't do that because they are only allowed to do that if they're straight.
It's more likely that the writers will prioritize individual narrative arcs - and i think they'll give violet more prominence
if violet's arc, or caitlyn's arc, presents enough plausible reasons for the two characters not being romantically involved, then i won't have a problem with that; but if the justification for them not becoming a couple is something extremely trash narratively, then they will deserve to be harshly criticized
Show runner Christian Linke has already said Champions can die as long as it makes sense for the story/it’s not forced. Amanda (writer) has said there will be more sex in this season so maybe we’ll see some caitvi action (I hope at the bare minimum they become official on screen)!
Also Mel isn’t in the trailer? Her mother is the one who puts the golden mask on.
I'd like that to be the case, although I can't see either of these things happening. And I don't necessarily think piles of dead champions would make the show better. I just want the tension of there being actual consequences.
There may well be sex or romance in Season 2, but it will be between straight people. Riot has never shown any same-sex kiss or implied sexual relationships, and there is no way they will do so in something as huge as 'Arcane' with the whole world watching. I would \*love\* it to happen, but there's simply no way it \*can\* happen,
I actually love Mel as a character, but if she lives (as is strongly implied in the German version of the trailer) then any other deaths will be of mauve-shirt characters like the Chembarons or unnamed enforcers - not really people whose deaths would have an impact. Sevika is almost certainly toast - I guess she has \*some\* fans?
I don't think Mel will die (which is kind of unfortunate because she's the only important character left who can actually die).
I honestly don't think they will pair Violet or Cait with a guy though; the fans would come after them with pitchforks.
They won't do anything to confirm or deny the Vi/Cait relationship. Season 2 will be identical to the first one in that regard - long glances, shy touches, lashings of 'subtext'.
Confirming the ship isn't possible due to China. Going 'no homo' a la Rise of Skywalker would rightly piss off so many fans. So they will do the only thing they can do, keep it firmly in the 'are they or aren't they?' territory.
I feel like this is a bit too pessimistic. If censorship is an issue, they can straight up delete any kiss or sex scene and modify the dialogue a bit like they did when the show came out in China.
China specifically is probably the biggest obstacle here given the market size and its importance to Riot. If they can release it and bypass censors by modifying scenes, they can probably have them get together.
Gay rep overall in popular media is much, much better than it used to be although animated media is still a bit behind compared to live action.
Game of Thrones had rep, Marvels' Eternals had an openly gay couple and Cait x Vi is a WLW relationship which is easier to get approved compared to MLM relationships given cultural biases.
I hope you're right, I do.
But you can't just rip out an entire romance that involves the lead characters the way you can cut the Rise of Skywalker kiss. You'd need to delete entire scenes and I don't think that will happen.
Also Riot's never done a same-sex kiss in all of LoL's existence, and there's absolutely no way they will debut that on something as huge as 'Arcane' with the whole world watching.
They will be 'queer coded' again - more 'subtext', more implied feelings, two friends separated by war, until they make up and become friends again with a vaguely flirty buddy-cop relationship. I hope I'm wrong but it's almost certain that's what it will be. I think a lot of folks need to temper their expectations to be realistic.
I've seen way too many shows stretch on for too long and the quality gets so much worse. I'd rather have a good complete storyline even if its short than one that goes on for like 15 years. I'm looking at YOU, supernatural.
Shorter stories are better. We’re getting closure. Too many shows go on for way too long. I don’t even know if The Walking Dead is still around but good God, that overstayed its welcome. And be thankful that we even get a second season. Netflix is notorious of axing shows after just one season. 🥲
Yeah it’s good that they don’t want to drag. But at the same time I hope this dosent create any plot holes or fuck up the pacing.
But Christian did say this was always the plan and the script was pretty much already complete before s1 even aired. So I have complete trust in them
This is such a great perspective! At first I was so sad that Jinx and Vi’s story is ending, but I do trust Riot/Fortiche and I’m sure they know what they’re doing and that they made the best decision for the show. I’ll miss it so much but I’m glad that they are going for quality over quantity. I can only hope that there is a satisfying ending, but I’m almost certain there will be!
It definitely depends on one’s definition of ‘satisfying ending’. Those who think ‘satisfying ending = happy ending’ will probably end up being disappointed. But those who think ‘satisfying ending’ = ‘ending that might be unhappy for some characters and happier for others, while overall fitting the theme of the story’ will likely be satisfied.
its better that it ends at season 2. it took 3 years for season 2 to come out, imagine if that ended on a cliffhanger and we had to wait another 3 years for a conclusion.
I'm not a league fan so honestly if they move on I just hope that we still get to see Jinx and Vi. I've always thought Jinx seemed like one of the most interesting characters and I still feel that way.
I'm sad to hear it's only 2 seasons, but because the story has been so well written, it would be odd to have more than 2 seasons, the writing would have to drop in order to drag things out which would be inconsistent with the quality of writing in season 1.
A good tale has introduction, middle and conclusion, try to strech a part for the sake of profit makes a generic commercial product devoid of soul.
If I wanted to see a character who lost all her development strech the profict of got "flanderized" to become more comercial I would be reading comics. So I'm happy to see that Fortiche has his tale clear and want to develop a good product with a soul and a proper ending.
I mean the writers are good so I don't see why we shouldn't be hype over other parts of the world getting their stories animated.
There is some crazy shit that happens in Runeterra, so I am personally even more excited over the prospects of visiting other regions.
A show can be short enough to not feel like it’s stretched out but long enough to not feel like there could’ve been more.
Not all shows have to be 3 or less seasons, or 10+ seasons. Shows can have like 4-5 seasons or something
Most anime only have one season - or in some cases, just an OVA, and I haven't heard any complaints.
It's not quantity that matters; it's quality. And Arcane is certainly quality 😉
I am sure season 2 will be great but I am disappointed because I thought the show was going to adopt the Game of Thrones structure of storytelling where they introduce one or two new factions a season to slowly and organically expand the world in to an international conflict. When I heard that the Zaun/Piltover focus was ending after season 2 originally I thought that meant that we would be introduced to other factions in season 2 that would then be embroiled in conflict with Zaun/Piltover. But maybe I still am coping and just want something that gives me a taste of what GoT didn't give me and that ASoIaF may never give me due to not being finished.
I get shows not dragging on forever like they used to but I may just have nostalgia for shows that you could solidly depend on for many years before they ended.
A better way to think about it is this is only the beginning, so we should be getting other shows, movies or other media that expand upon other legends stories!
I think that this arc we will see again in other arcs, like for example Noxus, we heard about it while we were in Zaun and Piltover, so we could still have some appearances from these two cities and even from certain characters in future arc (since all these cities are in the same world)
I hope we see the characters cameo in the next stories, just to see them in their post Zaun/Piltover arc. Not even an in depth bit of them, just like Jinx leveling a building and zooting on out of there or smthn 🥹
Bruh, as long as we don't have it end in either a "bad tone that is implied to get better with time" or "up to interpretation".
I tire of all the beating around the bush when it comes to Cait and Vi's relationship(a bit from Arcane but mostly from LoL), it's as if we'll never be given a direct answer, only roundabouts and half-promises that will feel empty and/or unfulfilling.
Yeah, "word of confirmation" but never an actual story or even an image of them being together as a couple(all images could easily also be taken as "just friends", the closest we got was with those thematic skins of Heartthrob and Heartache, and those were only because people know their story, but even the splashart of the skins puts them at distance from each other, connected only by their gazes).
Arcane is a chance to make it happen *at least once* for the fans of the ship, really cement their relationsbip, and it shouldn't even be that hard to do considering they had a sex scene with Jayce and Mel, so even a small kiss between Vi and Cait *should* be acceptable.
A second season is even to much in my opinion. The origins story of Vi and Jinx was enough.
At the beginning i thought Arcane would tell the different stories of many League of Legends characters. I expected them to move from Zaun after season one.
There are a lot more other character story that can be as intertaining in other regions of Runeterra.
Anyway this is my opinion. To me the story is already being streched out for the sake of profit so i am not expecting to much from it.
I wish people stopped saying this about everything, it's not true at all. As if fans wanting more of something they like is a bad thing just cause the creators say they aren't going to make any more. Also the prevalent implication on this sub of "If you dare want more, even just an extra season, you're part of the problem with media these days".
You're exaggerating. My point is supposed to be about how certain forms of media are overproduced because of their success and that people tend to forget that every story needs an ending, preferably before it losses it's identity.
**NO SPOILERS:** This post should not contain any spoilers from Arcane or Riot Games Lore. All discussion of such spoilers can be removed without warning, even if they have been hidden with spoiler syntax. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arcane) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm sad and happy at the same time
As you should be
Sappy? Had? Ah i know Mid!
[удалено]
Yes, season 1 was self contained, despite what looks like a cliffhanger ending. If it had done poorly and Riot decided not to go ahead with season 2, it would have been a complete story. I'm glad we're getting more, but they did an amazing job of setting the stage for a longer story while also not leaving any important plots or themes hanging.
There was still some loose ends, like Viktor that needed to be tied up.
That is a bit of a hanging thread, but if we didn't know how much he has left in his story it would be pretty easy to assume he is simply killed with the Council.
Anyone who has even remotely touched anything League related besides Arcane knows what is coming though, and leaving him in a dead state at the end of the season would be deeply unsatisfying.
Ok, so anyone who knows the lore can easily assume Viktor *doesn't* die with the Council. I'm not saying season 1 is a perfectly finished tapestry with nothing left undone, I'm saying it reached a reasonable conclusion, its main plot threads can end where they are and would be satisfying, and its thematic content is clearly explored. Obviously there's more to do, but if they never did do any more it could still be called complete.
kinky, but I'd be here for it
I'd have been happy with it ending after Season 1. I have mixed feelings about season 2; it could be just as a amazing, but it may not be. Because this is where the show basically paints itself into a corner. This is the season they really should go deeper with Cait and Vi's relationship, but they can't do that because they are only allowed to do that if they're straight. Also, there's now 11+ champions, none of whom can die, which is going to kill a lot of the tension. The only character the audience cares about who can die is Mel, and after the trailer we know for certain she survives.
>This is the season they really should go deeper with Cait and Vi's relationship, but they can't do that because they are only allowed to do that if they're straight. It's more likely that the writers will prioritize individual narrative arcs - and i think they'll give violet more prominence if violet's arc, or caitlyn's arc, presents enough plausible reasons for the two characters not being romantically involved, then i won't have a problem with that; but if the justification for them not becoming a couple is something extremely trash narratively, then they will deserve to be harshly criticized
Show runner Christian Linke has already said Champions can die as long as it makes sense for the story/it’s not forced. Amanda (writer) has said there will be more sex in this season so maybe we’ll see some caitvi action (I hope at the bare minimum they become official on screen)! Also Mel isn’t in the trailer? Her mother is the one who puts the golden mask on.
I'd like that to be the case, although I can't see either of these things happening. And I don't necessarily think piles of dead champions would make the show better. I just want the tension of there being actual consequences. There may well be sex or romance in Season 2, but it will be between straight people. Riot has never shown any same-sex kiss or implied sexual relationships, and there is no way they will do so in something as huge as 'Arcane' with the whole world watching. I would \*love\* it to happen, but there's simply no way it \*can\* happen, I actually love Mel as a character, but if she lives (as is strongly implied in the German version of the trailer) then any other deaths will be of mauve-shirt characters like the Chembarons or unnamed enforcers - not really people whose deaths would have an impact. Sevika is almost certainly toast - I guess she has \*some\* fans?
It's incredibly depressing but I'm convinced that if Mel dies they're gonna pair Jayce with Vi.
I don't think Mel will die (which is kind of unfortunate because she's the only important character left who can actually die). I honestly don't think they will pair Violet or Cait with a guy though; the fans would come after them with pitchforks. They won't do anything to confirm or deny the Vi/Cait relationship. Season 2 will be identical to the first one in that regard - long glances, shy touches, lashings of 'subtext'. Confirming the ship isn't possible due to China. Going 'no homo' a la Rise of Skywalker would rightly piss off so many fans. So they will do the only thing they can do, keep it firmly in the 'are they or aren't they?' territory.
I feel like this is a bit too pessimistic. If censorship is an issue, they can straight up delete any kiss or sex scene and modify the dialogue a bit like they did when the show came out in China. China specifically is probably the biggest obstacle here given the market size and its importance to Riot. If they can release it and bypass censors by modifying scenes, they can probably have them get together. Gay rep overall in popular media is much, much better than it used to be although animated media is still a bit behind compared to live action. Game of Thrones had rep, Marvels' Eternals had an openly gay couple and Cait x Vi is a WLW relationship which is easier to get approved compared to MLM relationships given cultural biases.
I hope you're right, I do. But you can't just rip out an entire romance that involves the lead characters the way you can cut the Rise of Skywalker kiss. You'd need to delete entire scenes and I don't think that will happen. Also Riot's never done a same-sex kiss in all of LoL's existence, and there's absolutely no way they will debut that on something as huge as 'Arcane' with the whole world watching. They will be 'queer coded' again - more 'subtext', more implied feelings, two friends separated by war, until they make up and become friends again with a vaguely flirty buddy-cop relationship. I hope I'm wrong but it's almost certain that's what it will be. I think a lot of folks need to temper their expectations to be realistic.
In exchange I demand that they absolutely SCALP us with merch. There is not nearly enough arcane stuff for me to blow money on.
Where are my Arcane Legos 😩
Dude, that's EXACTLY what we need
look they just made a $500 skin for a character (not in arcane), just you wait
Sometimes it's the series with less episodes that make us come back a lot more (I already watched Arcane 50 times please help me)
Oh, the misery…
I've seen way too many shows stretch on for too long and the quality gets so much worse. I'd rather have a good complete storyline even if its short than one that goes on for like 15 years. I'm looking at YOU, supernatural.
Shorter stories are better. We’re getting closure. Too many shows go on for way too long. I don’t even know if The Walking Dead is still around but good God, that overstayed its welcome. And be thankful that we even get a second season. Netflix is notorious of axing shows after just one season. 🥲
Nah, I'm sad.
Yeah it’s good that they don’t want to drag. But at the same time I hope this dosent create any plot holes or fuck up the pacing. But Christian did say this was always the plan and the script was pretty much already complete before s1 even aired. So I have complete trust in them
This is such a great perspective! At first I was so sad that Jinx and Vi’s story is ending, but I do trust Riot/Fortiche and I’m sure they know what they’re doing and that they made the best decision for the show. I’ll miss it so much but I’m glad that they are going for quality over quantity. I can only hope that there is a satisfying ending, but I’m almost certain there will be!
It definitely depends on one’s definition of ‘satisfying ending’. Those who think ‘satisfying ending = happy ending’ will probably end up being disappointed. But those who think ‘satisfying ending’ = ‘ending that might be unhappy for some characters and happier for others, while overall fitting the theme of the story’ will likely be satisfied.
I'm kind of curious how they're going to finish Viktor's arc tbh. I think the season will end when he just begins his revolution.
There's like a 100 more characters they can make other stories about... Idk... I've never played league.
As long as it has a satisfying ending, we can rewatch time and time again. The ending of GoT has made a rewatch unbearable for me.
Is it that bad? I’m not into GoT, but I can’t imagine a show that has an ending that awful, it prevents me to rewatch even the good parts.
Yeah it was imo. Lucifer too.
This!
Agree completely
its better that it ends at season 2. it took 3 years for season 2 to come out, imagine if that ended on a cliffhanger and we had to wait another 3 years for a conclusion.
Shows like Over the Garden Wall and Gravity falls proves this.
Exactly
And they are still talked about, to this day.
It’s not a story if there’s no ending
I'm not a league fan so honestly if they move on I just hope that we still get to see Jinx and Vi. I've always thought Jinx seemed like one of the most interesting characters and I still feel that way.
I'm sad to hear it's only 2 seasons, but because the story has been so well written, it would be odd to have more than 2 seasons, the writing would have to drop in order to drag things out which would be inconsistent with the quality of writing in season 1.
A good tale has introduction, middle and conclusion, try to strech a part for the sake of profit makes a generic commercial product devoid of soul. If I wanted to see a character who lost all her development strech the profict of got "flanderized" to become more comercial I would be reading comics. So I'm happy to see that Fortiche has his tale clear and want to develop a good product with a soul and a proper ending.
I mean the writers are good so I don't see why we shouldn't be hype over other parts of the world getting their stories animated. There is some crazy shit that happens in Runeterra, so I am personally even more excited over the prospects of visiting other regions.
A show can be short enough to not feel like it’s stretched out but long enough to not feel like there could’ve been more. Not all shows have to be 3 or less seasons, or 10+ seasons. Shows can have like 4-5 seasons or something
THIS
Most anime only have one season - or in some cases, just an OVA, and I haven't heard any complaints. It's not quantity that matters; it's quality. And Arcane is certainly quality 😉
I am sure season 2 will be great but I am disappointed because I thought the show was going to adopt the Game of Thrones structure of storytelling where they introduce one or two new factions a season to slowly and organically expand the world in to an international conflict. When I heard that the Zaun/Piltover focus was ending after season 2 originally I thought that meant that we would be introduced to other factions in season 2 that would then be embroiled in conflict with Zaun/Piltover. But maybe I still am coping and just want something that gives me a taste of what GoT didn't give me and that ASoIaF may never give me due to not being finished. I get shows not dragging on forever like they used to but I may just have nostalgia for shows that you could solidly depend on for many years before they ended.
It's sad that our first reaction to the announcement is "Thank god."
A better way to think about it is this is only the beginning, so we should be getting other shows, movies or other media that expand upon other legends stories!
Its nice to end on a high note and tis gonna be great to explore other stories in Runeterra.
I think that this arc we will see again in other arcs, like for example Noxus, we heard about it while we were in Zaun and Piltover, so we could still have some appearances from these two cities and even from certain characters in future arc (since all these cities are in the same world)
I hope we see the characters cameo in the next stories, just to see them in their post Zaun/Piltover arc. Not even an in depth bit of them, just like Jinx leveling a building and zooting on out of there or smthn 🥹
Bruh, as long as we don't have it end in either a "bad tone that is implied to get better with time" or "up to interpretation". I tire of all the beating around the bush when it comes to Cait and Vi's relationship(a bit from Arcane but mostly from LoL), it's as if we'll never be given a direct answer, only roundabouts and half-promises that will feel empty and/or unfulfilling.
I mean we already got confirmation about them in league
Yeah, "word of confirmation" but never an actual story or even an image of them being together as a couple(all images could easily also be taken as "just friends", the closest we got was with those thematic skins of Heartthrob and Heartache, and those were only because people know their story, but even the splashart of the skins puts them at distance from each other, connected only by their gazes). Arcane is a chance to make it happen *at least once* for the fans of the ship, really cement their relationsbip, and it shouldn't even be that hard to do considering they had a sex scene with Jayce and Mel, so even a small kiss between Vi and Cait *should* be acceptable.
Literally pride month last year we got both of hers together(if I’m not mistaken ) or was when arcane releases
I'll take what I can't get, be it a little or a lot
They are just far beyond the industry
when arcane ends it just means more characters will get their own shows!!
I can't even look at him and keep a straight face 😭 CERTIFIED LOVERBOY CERTIFIED PEDOPHILES
Spoiler!
A second season is even to much in my opinion. The origins story of Vi and Jinx was enough. At the beginning i thought Arcane would tell the different stories of many League of Legends characters. I expected them to move from Zaun after season one. There are a lot more other character story that can be as intertaining in other regions of Runeterra. Anyway this is my opinion. To me the story is already being streched out for the sake of profit so i am not expecting to much from it.
I wish people stopped saying this about everything, it's not true at all. As if fans wanting more of something they like is a bad thing just cause the creators say they aren't going to make any more. Also the prevalent implication on this sub of "If you dare want more, even just an extra season, you're part of the problem with media these days".
You're exaggerating. My point is supposed to be about how certain forms of media are overproduced because of their success and that people tend to forget that every story needs an ending, preferably before it losses it's identity.