@riverbanzachamploo9725 Steb's didn't say anything or even have his name said in the entire show!!! Loris's name was said only twice, even Maddie's name was only mentioned 4 times. The lead jinxer Gert's(I'm assuming it's short for Gertrude) name was said in s2e7 3 times in a 6 seconds period, and that was the only time her name was mentioned! Why would people's blame you for not remembering these fictional characters names!
The fact you couldn’t remember *any* of the new characters this season should say more about their writing than your memory imo. I had to sit a minute trying to recall them when thinking of them for the first time after finishing it.
My biggest hot take with arcane is how caitlyn and vi's story felt abandoned and their actions became almost 100% plot driven than character driven. Vi was my favorite character in season 1 but she felt so abandoned as a character in season 2 to the point Jinx, ekko and Jayce took her spot easily. Also what bothers me the most is how caitlyn went from "the people from the undercity need our help" "its citizens living on the street, being poisoned, having to choose between a kingpin who wants to exploit them and a government that doesn’t give a shit!" to "let's gas Zaun because I want to capture the person that killed my mother". She went to the extra mile to even take control of the ventilation ducts created by her own dead mother in order to give Zaun clean air and use them as a gas duct to gas the same people her mother tried to help. And Vi who saw her parents get killed by inforcers let her do that? in uniform? with the same face masks that should bring her flashbacks due to trauma or something like that? Naah. And I feel so sad about it because again, she was my favorite character during s1, but well... the other 3 becames the goats in my eyes so it's 1 character I loved with passion to 3 in exchange. On the bright side, unlike Vi, with all the build up from season 1 they made Jinx, Ekko and Jayce characters that now I love even more than I ever did s1 Vi, their journeys from start to end were just perfect in my opinion.
But the whole thing with Cait makes complete sense, though? She lost her mother, and her grief was the thing that controlled her actions. Both Cait and Vi believed that they were protecting the citizens of Zaun by directing the Gray towards the chembarons, and we, as viewers, don’t really have any evidence of the contrary because we only see them gassing the chembarons and no one else. There’s only one scene, iirc, where we see people that look like civilians, but they’re running away from the Gray - we never see civilians breathe it in. And Vi was against joining Cait, and she only agreed after the attack on the memorial. I mean, Cait would go there by herself anyway, and that way Vi would be able to help and maybe stop Cait if needed. Vi knew she had to do something, so she acted. Sure, Vi could stay in Piltover (or go back to Zaun, I guess) and then just watch Cait do whatever, just without herself involved
Cait was almost blown up twice by Jinx in the academy square attack and bridge, she got kidnapped from her home and, after hesitating to shoot Jinx, gets knocked out and wakes up to her launching a bomb into the council later to find her mom was killed. By that point, Caitlyn's was only grieving but her final straw was the memorial attack that made her want to get revenge. This character arc shows us that Caitlyn was sympathizing with the citizens Zaun's on a surface level because, these events that more or less happen in Zaun due to the oppresion, devastated her when she was on the receiving end to the point she ignores Zaun's plight blinder by her rage. My dissatisfaction mainly lies in how it concluded. We see she feels guilt for the forced occupation in Zaun but we never see her do anything about it besides giving up her council seat to Sevika, which happens offscreen and is so easy to miss if you don't remember that is where Cassandra used to sit a season ago. Imagine how much more satisfying her conclusion would have been if Sevika negotiated to help her fight off Ambessa and Viktor in exchange for a seat at the council and full backing from house Kiramman instead of the Zaunites randomly appearing from behind a smokescreen mid battle. Would have been a great callback to the Jayce and Silco scene in season 1 plus making it clear that Caitlyn was willing to fix her wrongs.
@@vintagenutria5475 I always believed Cait had the right to go after Jinx and want her dead, people forget that Jinx did sooo much more to her than kill her mother BUT where my issue with Cait lies (and Vi to an extent) is that she used her mothers good deed, of using the ventilation system that cleaned up the air to reverse and pump “the gray” back into the Undercity. That’s diabolical behavior. You can argue it was directed at the Chembarons but innocent civilians were still affected. We can’t forget that the gray tends to have devastating and lasting effects which we see in Viktor, not to mention that medical study that Fortiche Studios released going into depth about what the gray does to the body. Caitlyn should’ve never re released that gas, especially after Piltover promised to never use it on the Undercity, and for Vi to join her in doing so…it was disappointing for sure.
@@artxroyalty it’s not bad writing to have a bad guy character, she knows she messed up big time and can’t undo it “no amount of good deeds can erase OUR crimes” but she’s not inconsistent with how she was shown in S1 even as far back as childhood (Jayce isn’t even banished and Caitlyn KNOWS he isn’t crazy but when her mother enforces the status quo and tells her to come inside she immediately and silently falls in line under that authority) her whole life she’s considered the undercity beneath her and after her personal connection to it (her relationship with Vi) is severed, of course she reverts to what she’s done for her entire life up to this point That same passive aggression her mom had to have in order to make the vent system but keep the keys in the family, Cassandra expected her family to be better wielders of life and death than the people impacted by it and that kind of preexisting bias only raises more bigotry. Caitlyn chose to end the cycle but she did bring the cycle full loop from where her mom left off (in her bias she probably saw what Cassandra did as a favor, a little treat that could be revoked as a punishment for acting out, dealing it out as you were forced to take it) Her whole character arc was about realizing that way of thinking was wrong though!
@@healgoth oh I totally agree, I never said it was bad writing. Understanding a character (especially complex ones) and condoning their actions are two different things!
i definitely do not agree with everything you said, but thank you for saying you’re not gonna hate on caitvi beacuse YES. we absolutely have had enough😭 and my opinion on mel, i absolutely love her and i always have. i still honestly do think the black rose subplot was severely underdeveloped but i still do appreciate it in a way beacuse we got to have her becoming this god-like being was honestly awesome. and oh my god give vi more screentime.
i can't get behind season 2 caitvi either. like don't get me wrong, im happy for them but it just ain't my cup of tea no more. it went from being a comfort ship to one that lowkey makes me scratch my head. but i think an even more unpopular opinion i have is that my favorite ship s actually meljay. it's always been pretty unpopular which makes sense considering that it contains two of the most unpopular characters in the show. but yeah i honestly loved the too sm and nobody else gets it.
No no, you’re right. My personal fav is timebomb, but Jayce and Mel have a really interesting dynamic that goes through good changes. It went from corrupt politicians, to two people that value, respect and genuinely care for each other. Went from using each other for politics, to protecting each other FROM politics
this is so true, caitvi was my favorite relationship dynamic in season 1 because i really wanted them to meet in the middle with all their differences but in season 2 it just felt so…. idk. i just didn’t like it at all and while watching i was scared it was just me lol. meanwhile i ended up loving timebomb and meljay sm.
the thing about Jinx's arc this season is that it was believable but the jump from act 1 to act 2 is so quick and drastic it does feel a little bit weird.. we're supposed to fill the gaps of what happened in the timeskip and that doesn't work so well for every viewer because as you said, as much as I love Jinx, she was a bit of a menace last season and this sudden change isn't believable for everyone. I do think this "problem" is also tied to Isha as a plot device and Vi's lack of agency this season. I love Isha, but she was created for a specific purpose when that could have been done with the characters that were already developed during the 1st season, so idk. and Vi... oh Vi, you deserved so much better, I wish we got to see a bit more of her life in Zaun during her pitfighter era besides the music video, I feel like a lot of people barely understand that Vi is severely traumatized from her time in prison because the show didn't spend as much time showing that as it did with Jinx's trauma, for example. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that hated the 'dirt under your nails' line
@@michemicalromance yes! I remember being excited to see more of the “pit fighther” Vi after the clip released because it reminded me of Korra when she went through her mental battle in s4 of “Legend of Korra”. I was soooo ready to dive more into Vi’s mental state with her being stretched thin between Jinx and Cait and it was all rather…lackluster.
I love this break down, I will say that from what I have heard form folks men in particular, The Jayce and Victor thing hits so hard because they many men loved the idea and representation of male friendship with out any sexual innuendos, They also loved and needed the imagery of masculine men, especially those of fathers and what it meant to be a good father, Arcane one did such a good job of representing imagery of men and women very well. We had Marcus, who loved his daughter, Vander, even Silco in a toxic way, but he still thought it was important to be a father. Arcane one did an amazing job representing various types of women, with a beautiful dark skinned woman who was feminine, soft and intelligent who also got to get the handsome guy. A lot of people have a hard time seeing dark skinned Black women in that light, and that is why Mel is getting so much hate. I also love Ambessa, but I know much of the love for her is because that is the only way they want to see Black women. The reason so many people were rooting for Vi and Caitlyn was because their gay relationship wasn't thrown in peoples faces like it was in season two, I'm referring to the gay relationship. I wanted the same thing for Vi and Caitlyn that Mel and Jayce got with their love making scene, they deserved way better than that nasty prison sex scene. Season two writers seemed to have no respect for what was done in season one and it was heart breaking.. I have more thoughts but here is this for now
I think regarding Viktor's change of mind from "there is always a choice" to choice should be removed largely happens at the end of season one, particularly episodes 7&8. There is a specific line in ep7 where Mel says "the choice is yours" to Jayce regarding the construction of weapons, which is when Viktor says his "there is always a choice" line; however, after this we see Jayce make the decision to create weapons and chooses violence against the Undercity. While he later changes his approach, I think this happened at a key point in Viktor's character where he was at a crossroads, and this decision clearly sticks with him. Watching people have choices and consistenly making the 'wrong' ones is a likely motivation for Viktor's change
19:57 my problem with the writing of their relationship is that Amanda literally said that they added some of these shock factor moments for extra drama and nothing else. I think Caitlyn hitting Vi is just out of character because instead of that if she just told her not to come after her and blame her for that day when she didn't take the shot at Jinx and lost her mother would have the same effect in their relationship as Jinx blamed Vi for making her Jinx and now Cait is indirectly blaming her of her mothers passing
ngl, i completely see where you are coming from but mel was my favorite character from season 2. she's honestly my new favorite character as a whole. and i honestly can't explain why. one of my main issues with season was how league lore was expanded on, which sounds crazy but, i came to except that arcane would have only 2 seasons. one of my favorite shows of all times is gravity falls and it only has 2 seasons and they made t work so well. but i expected that they would wrap everything from season 1 one up and give us a satisfying conclusion on everything, like gravity falls did. but instead season two was more so for league fans. it expanded on leauge lore that i frankly didn't know much about. yet for some reason mel still stood out to me in subtle way. i think the fact that she spent majority of the season in backrooms is what made jayce's line so heartbreaking. mel is a force to be reckoned with. she is cunning and steadfast. yet time after time again she is forced into a helpless role where she has little control over her own life or anything around her tbh. from a child cast away from the only home she's ever known to forge a new path, to an adult snatched away from the future she helped built to endure an unbelievable amount of torture. yet despite all the trauma she's endured she will always break free and do what needed to be done. and yeah she's a magical girl now too. I LOOOOOOOOOVE magical girl anime sm. so seeing one of my favorite characters joining raster makes me so happy. im so excited to see more of her in the noxus series. i don't know lick about noxus but im very excited to see my girl again. -side note i also don't like how the creators threw away vi and sevika but i hate hate hate when people blame that on mel. she had less screen time in this season than in season 1 yet everything is her fault??? this for sticking up for her cuz this take always pmo
Silco and Jinx's relationship is likely co-dependent. I doubt Silco told Jinx Vi left her in order to hurt her or worsen her trauma, he did it because he himself was afraid. He was afraid of losing Jinx. I don't think this excuses his behaviour however i do think it makes him human. He's by no means a good person, but he isn't a monster. People fail to realize that Vi wasn't just randomly causing Jinx distress. She was trying to stop her from killing Caitlyn as she was about to finish her. Vi was wrapped up, she didn't know any better than to try to bring Powder back as she's more merciful than Jinx.
This might be unpopular it might not be, I feel like a lot of these issues would’ve been solved if they’d just had a third season. They could’ve absolutely spread the story out across two seasons without stuffing it full of filler. Supposedly they had to cut a stupid amount of content from the final episode, splitting the story across two seasons would’ve allowed for certain parts of the story to be better explored and would’ve given the team working on it a chance to properly tie up all of those plot lines they just kinda forgot about lol Still, season 2 was a masterpiece. Was it better than season 1 as a whole? No. Were there some parts that were arguably better than season 1? Absolutely. So many of the visuals were so absolutely gorgeous especially in the finale. I don’t remember anything like that from season 1 (watch me get roasted). They both have their strengths and weaknesses, season 1 just didn’t have to be worrying about so many different stories all happening at once because of how things were grouped into mostly the piltover and the zaun conflict. Hence why having the series have 3 seasons would’ve been better.
It's kinda funny how you got roasted by your followers for predicting that Mel had protective enchantment at the end of season one when this was actually a common theory and was even spoiled by one of the music composers on their TH-cam channel years ago when he timed the music to her "shimmering armor."
@@KittyBoom360 right! I thought it was a rather common theory and was surprised by the amount of ppl that either stated Mel was definitely dead or the glow was just a reflection off the glass
Jinx is my favorite character, but I personally don't like the Hero of Zoan angle. It wasn't handled well. She killed Silco, threw a manic tantrum, and blew up the council. She literally set fire to both sides and watched it all burn. Yes, emotionally, she suffered. She did end up losing Isha. But Jinx is the one that broke everything, then gets worshiped for fixing it. Reluctantly and poorly, I might add. In the court of public opinion in Zoan, Jinx received no consequence whatsoever.
As someone who loved S1 CaitVi and agrees with the first CaitVi critic mentioned in this video, I was also disappointed that neither of them ever addressed the fact that Vi left Cait in the rain in season one. Like S2E1 they’re suddenly all close again? We know Caitlyn isn’t very openly expressive with her emotions and I think the writers were trying to show that she trusted Vi enough to cry on her shoulder, but personally? I wouldn’t trust Vi that much after she walked away like that in S1. Just my opinion tho
You wouldn’t but Caitlyn obviously would, she stonefaced through the entire funeral and she can’t break down around her dad (he’s not the head of house she is, even if he’s her father he’s still taking it worse than her and is in no shape to be her shoulder to cry on when she’d just have to lock in and carry on anyway) Vi is the ONLY ONE in this entire universe Caitlyn would cry around in that moment, and obviously Vi feels sorry for leaving because she came back (if you wouldn’t forgive her for leaving then Powder/Jinx makes three of you because Vi probably didn’t forgive herself too even if everyone else moved on)
While I agree with your reasoning about Caitlyn’s vulnerability in that scene, I still don’t like the fact that they don’t address it. When Vi goes back for Powder, she’s immediately apologetic. Similar to how everyone’s mad Caitlyn never gives vi a verbal apology, we never see Vi give Caitlyn a verbal apology either. Though it’s possible one or both instances happen offscreen, I just feel like it takes away from their story
52:14 They underestimated her, thought she was weak, malleable, they drank the kool aid on Ambessa needing to protect her from them. They learned later that wasn’t the case, “Clever girl”
“Dirt under your nails” comes from a Spanish saying that alludes to two people that are inseparable. You would say “Oh, person A and person B are always together, they are like /uña y mugre/“ (or dirt under the nail). I hope my explanation makes sense lol
31:51 What I would say, is that the characterization is unfair. Mel was how she was in the first season because everything was under control, she was never in any danger and constantly in her element, season 2 shatters that safety and it’s her finding a new equilibrium with different rules/realities.
I honestly thought that there was going to be a Jayce/ Viktor ship in season 1 and was surprised that he went with Mel. The lack of Sevika being developed was a sad decision. Really could have seen the backstory with her, Vi and Vander would have been great to get why Vi had such a sense of betrayal from her in season 1. Would have subbed the whole Mom, Silco, Vander flashbacks for it. Ekko, Heimerdinger and Sevika should have been on the council at the end. When did you get your artbook? I'm still waiting on mine!
Ekko can't be on the council because Riot milks Timebomb dry and I guess from the interviews that he will go after Jinx in a spin-off. His character will forever be about Jinx from now on :/
Cait hitting Vi and then walking away mirrors Vi hitting Powder in season 1 and walking away. I am sure the writers' intention was to put Vi through the same sense of abuse and abandonment from a trusted loved one that Powder experienced. But I agree with those that feel it seemed misplaced in context, and whereas Vi and Powder struggled to reconcile this event and its consequences for the remainder of the series, Vi and Cait had a single cupcake moment and all was forgiven.
difference is, they were children growing up in a dangerous environment where they had to do things that no children should have to. Cait is a grown ass woman and no amount of grief should make you physically harm someone you claim to love.
@@anothercrappypianist oh yeah, I clocked that parallel almost instantly. It’s just the context with her being an Enforcer from Piltover hitting someone who has so much trauma from Enforcers as opposed to lashing out after your little sister accidentally kills your entire family.
@@artxroyalty thank you. tho the 2 scenes do parallel, too many people try to make it seem like a one to one. even tho the context is completely different.
@@artxroyalty I'm definitely not an apologist for Cait on this one. I was actually making the opposite argument: in a context that's entirely understandable, we spend the rest of the series overcoming the consequence of episode 103, meanwhile Cait's actions in 203 which are much less excusable are handwaved away by Vi without even a conversation. At least not one that the audience gets to see (which is only one that matters narratively).
The art book in the background is perfect! (I’ll add my opinions in edits as I watch the video) I kinda wish we had seen more of season one jinx, I understand why we didn’t, but as someone who saw myself in jinx because of mental health, I wish we had. Idk, I love jinx in season 2 tho. 13:07 nah, hold up, that’s wild to just throw in there. You right but wtf why’d you put my fav pile of ashes there for a sec!? I agree with the “I’m the dirt under your nails” take, yea sure, it was cute and she’s saying she’ll always be there, but it also kinda establishes her as thinking of herself as being much lower than Cait and as being unworthy. 39:07 this is kinda how I see time bomb, I understand where folks are coming from, I just don’t personally ship them in a romantic sense. For me, it’s just a strong platonic relationship and love I loved Isha and she was perfect in all ways, but the background enforcers were so forgettable and unimportant to me. I see so much love for seb and loris, but they literally do nothing 😭 Ok, final thought. Arcane is a freaking amazing show, in all ways. Even if there are things that I don’t agree with about season two (or one) it’s still a great show, it’s still a work of art. So yea, that’s it, love yall! :3
@ ok, but that’s the au, it’s a different world, things went different there. It’s known that Ekko had a crush on Powder when they were little, but not anymore, but then AU happened which made things messy idk. I personally read Jinx and Ekko as platonic, you don’t have too, it’s called an opinion.
@OliveTheLion I hear you, BUT Jinx & Ekko are pictured in that art book holding hands, with her heart drawings placed around them. So take that for what you will. Remember that art book includes Jinx's personal opinions about characters & events.
@ I know, it’s just how I feel, it’s hard to change how you think about a relationship when you’ve been used to it being platonic for years. But you can also love people in non romantic ways. I have had ‘romantic’ relationships with people, even though I don’t feel that kind of attraction, some people experience platonic attraction in a way so strong that it can seem romantic to outsiders. You’re aloud to have your own opinions, that’s the beauty of this show, there are so many ways to interpret things!
@OliveTheLion There were people under the same impression about Miles Morales & Gwen Stacy. And well... we see how that turned out. Just because you may feel they aren't romantic (which is okay) doesn't mean the writers may feel the same. The writers of Arcane would have already confirmed that Ekko and Jinx aren't romantically involved, like they did with Jayce and Viktor. And they had multiple times to make that clear when asked about the relationship between the two.
I really agree with what you say of Cait and Vi. I think it's understandable for Vi to have communication issues, but she's still hurt a lot (and I think that even in the final scene, she wants Catlin to be with her, but she is still badly hurt by her and don't know what to do with all of these). +Vi always blame herself (even for thinks she couldn't control), so I think that self har* and self hate is part of her storyark as well... And I don't want to talk about Caitlyn...
Ekko is the least slandered character in the show. The only critique I've seen of him was in regards to his ship with Jinx, but that's neither here nor there... I hope they know that being against a ship won't stop it from happening if the writers choose to go that route. For example Miles × Gwen.
My main issue with Jinx is that all of season 1 and especially its ending felt like it was cementing the character as some sort of villain, anti-villain or morally grey character and we just didn't see that, its fine for her character to come out of villainy and her psychotic nature, but for her to do so quickly and what felt like with such ease is beyond unsatisfying and makes it hard for me to relate, empathise or be immersed in this new Jinx. Again Jinx (from her perspective and many others) doomed the undercity from its chance of independence by committing her terror attack on the council, she strained tensions between Zaun and Piltover, she killed this great unifier of chem barons (Silco), she murders firelights and enforcers without remorse. And there's little backlash for these actions. Like it would've been cool if their was some sort of tension relating around Silco loyalists like Sevika learning that Jinx killed Silco, or consequences for Caitlyns or Vi's recklessness that led to Jinx being freed(remember Caitlyn purposely left Jinx unguarded so Vi could talk to her), or maybe some of the Jinxers or even Isha having a relatives that died because of the tensions that rose because of Jinxes actions. While we see this theme hover about in the background there are few moments, if any at all where all of this is fully addressed or where it leads to stakes and tensions rising Only a few episodes after Jinx decides that she's Jinx, that she decides that she doesn't want anyone around her because she'll hurt them, only a few episodes after going batshit insane, at the start of season 2 she then suddenly becomes the most sane we've ever seen her, she pairs up with Isha, she entirely forgets about Silco and she even states that "Jinx is dead" I think these criticisms are empathized by the fact that a lot of season 2 (as you say) isn't as grounded in the low fantasy setting or isn't as grounded in the classism of Zaun and Piltover as it used to be. For me if their was a scale from 1-10 where 1 = powder and 10 = Jinx (I know their not entirely different characters but bear with me), Jinx pre terror attack felt like a 6 or 7, Jinx post terror attack felt like she was going to be at least a 9 or 10 but the character we got almost immediately within the first few episodes of Season 2 didn't even feel like pre terror attack Jinx but rather just Powder or some new character who's sort of wrestling with the guilt of being Jinx, which is fine but the way it was handled wasn't satisfying (I cant explain it) it just wasn't satisfying
My unpopular opinion is that even though ep7 in beautiful they could've cut the AU part around 15 min and continued with the og timelines maybe include a few scenes of Sevika finding out about isha and Cait taking care of Vi maybe a heart to heart talk
VIOLYN, as Cait's and Vi's ship name sounds great. Tbh Caitvi, Violyn, and Piltover's finest are all great ship names, but for JayVik, I like for it to stay that way, especially if you're talking about the Arcane version, since with the ship name "JayVik", it gives distinction to its league counterpart, JayVik = Arcane version, VikJayce = League version. It might seem weird, but Giopara and MH have a different personality and dynamic compared to Talis and Viktor's dynamic. Imo it's like to paying my respects to the pre-arcane shippers of Jayce and Viktor since they primarily use and are using VikJayce as the ship name as a indication (especiallt after arcane) that it's the league version of these characters. Alternate ship name for them that I also like are Hextech Husbands (s1) and Cosmic lovers (s2). Also, damn (sorry) where are ya'll finding these toxic shippers. I've seen stories that some shippers are racist, homophobic ( towards both gay or lesbian ship), heterophobic, ableist, and full misunderstanding of the characters' personality (Jayce enjoyers I really feel sorry for ya'll cuz this has been happening since s1). I am primarily a JayVik shipper though, so I've seen complaints about CaitVi shippers making a drama about a Jayvik fic being the most Kudos-ed fic in AO3. And apparently, there's also CaitVi shipper being angry that TimeBomb won in a poll asking which arcane ship is your favorite. Tbh, I know that there are toxic parts, but it always amazes me with the amount of people are seeing that many toxic shippers. I thankfully haven't seen any first hand, cuz oh boy would that somewhat ruin my mood.
It's been weird for me to see some of the hot takes on season 2. Lots I feel like made sense and I agreed with, mostly from a pacing perspective. They needed more time than they were allowed, and I wonder what could have been. On the other side, there have been lots of issues raised I felt like I had watched a different show. I can't tell if some people weren't paying attention, had misunderstandings, or if I'm gaslighting myself into filling in gaps that weren't there. Overall loved it, but wish we had the intended product before corporate intervention.
This opinion is also a theory that you kind of need some understanding of league lore and champion knowledge.......I believe that Ambessa has another child! I think Mel being the child that the Black Rose was looking for, is kind of a red herring. I think Rell is the child LeBlanc wants. It's possible that Mel & Rell are twins, and the line where Ambessa says something about being forced to forsake one child for another, she isn't talking explicitly about Kino.
My unpopular opinion is Vegeta from Dragon Ball has better character development than 98% of Arcane characters. His journey to the side of good is the best in anime history.
Ouh - you'll love the new League Season Trailer that just dropped (for the game season). It's a teaser for the Arcabe sequel spin off series as well... and it's gorgeaous and has your new favourite League character in it... 😁
@38:00 "I'm not against Jayvik. I just personally really loved Jayce and Mel as a couple, and I am always going to be here for melanated queen getting the love she deserves on screen, thats where I am at" I mean Jayce got two hands though, so why should we be pitting bad bitches against each other. They are the "this is my boyfriend, Jayce, and this is Jayce's boyfriend, Viktor."
As respectfully as possible, I gonna express something I've recently figured out about myself, and I don't want to offend you or anyone in any way. I realize that I have a thing for super girlie feminine muscle mommies! I've always liked "Tomboys" but in the last few years, I find myself looking heavily at very toned female athletes and bodybuilders.
My unpopular opinion is that the second series is better than the first... 🤷♀️ And I actually really like the use of ,,music videos". I understand the criticism, but I still like it even more than the first one (and that's a lot).
THERE’S A NEW LEAGUE OF LEGENDS CLIP ABOUT NOXUS WHERE MEL, KATARINA, DARIUS, VLADIMIR AND LEBLANC ARE PRESENT 🤩🤩 Im sorry Im so excited I just watched it and omg I hope you react to it I know you wanted more Katarina content 🚶🏾♀️
She was the head writer of season 1, so it would be surprising to see someone who had a massive role in making the show as good as it was in season 1 say this.
ngl. i also agree with the second one. like don't get me wrong. im glad caitlyn didn't commmit to the dark side but the whole count fagular error was ambessa was cold af. i honestly would have loved her as a villan. like yes it was hurt to see her go down that path, but t also felt a bit jarring for her to switch back so quickly. i knew the writters would never commit to caitlyn being evil, which makes sense cause at her caitlyn is a caring individual but i dunno the way they handled it felt kinda like wasted potencial. i dunno if making any sense but uhhh...yeah
Silco tried to protect Jinx from Vi Silco know what he was doing becouse the some thing has happend him physic and mentality. And when you re-watch scene when he took Jinx on some place where Vander almost killed him. And them you can see that she was mentality better, she did make a weapon and then after Sevica tell her about VI. You can see in that moment mindset change/reset back. -------- Silco loved Jinx and tried to protect her. He knew about her mental illness and what triggers it. When Jinx remembers her family she has ptsd. And he really cares for her. When Jinx kills the firelights and ruin his work Silco blames and yells Shevika but with Jinx he tells her calmly that she was wrong. When Jinx kills the enforcers Silco is angry but he wasnt going to hurt her. And Jinx didnt afraid him. He wanted to impess him. -------- As with crystal when Jinx tried to create the weapon she had ptsd of her dead family. After the scene in the river when Silco told her to get over the past it worked. --------- Jinx continued to make the gun without any problems. All was fine unltil Vi came. When Jinx saw Vi she remembered what she did. Vi didnt know about her traumaand or how to handle it. Vi wants the best for her and keep her safe but she hurts her. I dont blame Vi. She thinks Silco is a monster and he manipulates her in his favor and she has every right to believes. Vi only know that Silco kidnapped Vander and caused his death. And that we can see it clear in the final scene. Silco gave up everything he wanted to protect Jinx. And he didnt get mad when she kidnapped him because he understand how she feels. Vi tries to make Jinx remember but she only make things worse. Silco sees jinx suffering and tries to help her by shooting Vi witch leading to his death. I dont say Silco was right and Vi was wrong the one. And thats the good with Arcane. There are not black and white. Silco tried to kill 4 children to avenge Vander and done many evil things. Also he feared that Jinx would abadon him and thats why he told her some lies. But in the end Silco wasn't the clice villain. He was a complex character with issues and weakness. And Vi wasn't evil or totally wrong. Ηer intentions were good but in the end she would make things worse because she doesn't know the real Jinx.
IMO, Season 2 pretty much let me down. Too much story, too many new characters and not enough time put back into the characters we liked. I also feel that Jinx really should have gone away to appear sporatically as a jink in any confrontation to Zaun and Piltover. She served her role and could have come back later for a redemption of sorts saving Caitlyn for Vi. The story should have stayed more focused on the fight between Piltover and Zaun and dropped most of the Viktor and Black Rose stuff for a later series. Seeing more of how Ekko and Heimerdinger worked together and have to join with Sevika and (in my head cannon) Vi and Caitlyn as well as Jayce and Mel to fight the invading forces of Noxus would have been great. Mama Medarta should have just rolled in to Piltover in the chaos that was left over by Jinx's bomb, which IMO should have obliterated the building and not just make a hole like any other mortar. She would have killed any other council member, and would have killed Jayce as well, but Mel would have saved hiim to escape to the Undercity. Vikor would be captured to work on Hextech that could have started to develop into the calamity that Heimerdinger saw before.
It has been decades if not centuries that Zaun and Piltover have bad relationships . With Jinx's attack on the council , Ambessa should have only be chilling in the background and let all of these people killing each other . In S1 she even said to Mel : "You let the problems of your undercity foster for too long "and she was right .
@graey13 I feel like people are allowed to dislike ships for valid reasons lol no ship is perfect but it also depends on the person. Also Arcane is extremely political and a lot of the ships have these political undertones that you can’t help but acknowledge. It is what it is 😅
@artxroyalty oh, absolutely they are, but imo the point of these ships, and the reason they're so interesting, is because they're messy. relationships in general, in real life, are usually super messy, have conflict, etc, because humans are like that lol. I've always found relationships where they go through hardships, where they struggle and grow apart, and then come back together, where their morality can shake them and their love is tested, to be by far the most interesting ones to read or watch or play. it's not to everyone's taste, but the reason I love caitvi and leodia so much is precisely because their relationships aren't perfect, the circumstances pull them apart, but they're still truly made for each other
My unpopular opinion. Episode 7 and the whole alternate universe thing doesn't work. It feels like a whole different show we are in.... LIKE HOW DID A SHOW WHICH WAS ABOUT CLASS OPPRESSION AND TWO CITIES CHANGE INTO ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AND SHIT? I like both Ekko and Jinx but I would have never imagined them together (this is coming from someone who has never played the games) For me, timebomb does not work!!
About it being phobic to not want to see same sex romance. Would you say it's phobic to not want to see romance in shows/films, at all? Unless it's top notch good? Because for me, I don't want to see any romance, because it's rarely done well for my taste. Like for instance, you mentioned that the writers should focus on Vi/Cait because they have a fan base. That's where I check out, because I want romance to be written well for the sake of the art of great writing with a deep purpose and meaning. Not just because the fans want it. That's when the lazy writing sets in that creates a very low bar, that a demographic of people love. Good romance in stories to me, is super rare.
@@AetheriusComics I feel like you’ve misconstrued my words a bit. I’m simply acknowledging that there are people out there that are in fact homophobic and don’t like seeing same sex couples portrayed in media. If that doesn’t apply to you then I’m not talking about you. If you don’t want to see romance in general, you’re well within your rights to feel that way. Simple. As far as “the writers *should* focus on CaitVi because of their fanbase” I never said that. I said I wasn’t surprised that they decided to make CaitVi endgame considering Amanda Overton (one of the main writers on the show) is pretty open when it comes to talking about how much she enjoys writing their relationship and how huge that fanbase is. This is partly why I agreed with the opinion that it didn’t feel earned, because I felt their romantic arc was nowhere near as compelling and seamless as it was in season 1.
@@artxroyalty I understand what you're saying. I was just wondering what your thoughts were. "I never said that. I said I wasn’t surprised that they decided" You're right. My overall point was that I tend to check out when I know writers are more focused on what the fans want than writing a solid romance. Which I see in hetero writing a lot too, which I hate.
So, actual response to the hot takes, with hot takes of my own in response: Take 1: Jinx's mental health and personality switched up too much between seasons. Nah, fam. Hard disagree. I called Jinx's voices going silent and her being a lot more stable moving forward back when I finished season 1 the first time. She got hit the last time she jinxed her family, and it broke her. So when she got re-affirmed the second time she did it, I knew that was exactly what she needed to start the healing process we see in season 2. Her character was quite consistent between seasons, but she was going through different stages of her mental health journey. Take 2: They should have leaned in more to Caitlyn being a secondary antagonist. 100% agree and covered this in more detail in my other comment on this video. Take 3: Vilyn was deserved but not earned. I don't know if I even agree it was deserved. Season 1 Vilyn was life for me. Season 2 Caitlyn lost my respect due to first asking Vi to become an enforcer, then striking her while in uniform. She was not given enough time to fall or redeem herself for me to go back to thinking she deserved the happily ever after she got. Also, the "make up sex scene" was uncomfortable to watch (and not just because it was comically long). Vi was abused by enforcers in a cage for years, then has make up sex with an enforcer while in a cage? Let's not forget Vi's sister just vaguely told her she was about to off herself. Nah, let's ignore all of that to have some fan service and then move on like none of that trauma or relationship drama happened. Not deserved, and *definitely* not earned. Sad, though. I really shipped them hard in season 1. Take 4: Mel felt like a very passive character in season 2. Girl, yes! Season 1 Mel stole the show ever scene she was in. I was always watching to see what she was cooking up. Yet her whole arc could have been cut from season 2 and the season probably would have been better for it. She was reduced to an info-dump vessel in season 2 - for events that won't even happen in Arcane itself, mind you - and I am still salty about it. Take 5(+): "CaitVi is toxic." Agreed. "Jinx is overrated." Blasphemy at it's finest. "Fan 'invented' Viktor-Jayce romance ship is absurd." Nah, the homo-erotic imagery was consistent throughout. It was definitely intentionally planted in fans' minds. I didn't ship them, BTW, so I am impartial in my opinion on this matter. "Mel is not an interesting character and steals screen time unnecessarily." Hard disagree for season 1, hard agree for season 2. "Sevika is underrated." This isn't even a hot take, but I agree. Sevika is great. "Fortiche hates Vi and loves Jinx." I can see it, and I ain't mad about it either. Take 6: Plotlines are set up then abandoned. Yup. I went into detail about this in my other comment on this video (and several others across TH-cam). 100% agree. Take 7: New characters are introduced then relegated to background clutter. Agreed. Maddie randomly switched up, cause reasons. Loris exists then dies before we are ever given a chance to see him and Vi bond. Throw away characters, the lot of 'em. Take 8: Huge wow moments thrown in without benefiting the story. Oh, definitely. I was *so* mad when gassing the topside had zero impact on the story. We see a kid wearing a mask topside a little later as a subtle nod to it having happened and it's on to the next story beat. I was definitely hoping to see topside struggle to adjust to a taste of life in the undercity, to see that Jinx left a lasting mark on topside that rallies people behind her. But nope, just for a flashy scene. Vander being warrick was essential to the plot, so I don't know what they mean with that one specifically. That is how Jinx and Vi (and by extension, Vi and Caitlyn) get back on the same side. Viktor being the one who gave Jayce the stone was essential to the plot, also, and many people already saw it coming, so it wasn't wow for wow's sake, either. But yeah, there were a handful of spectacle over substance scenes in season 2, just not sure I agree with all of the examples chosen. Take 9: Season 2's "plot" is all over the place. Oh yeah. Too much going on and too few payoffs, let alone satisfying payoffs. Take 10: Character motivations were nuts by the end. Agreed. Viktor has complete control over his super soldiers, and has already expressed his intentions are not aligned with Ambessa's. So what does Ambessa do? She has Viktor turn her soldiers into his minions. What was the end game there?
Highly disagree on your season 2 take of Mel. She was very important to the plot and in us understanding her mother's motivations. I mean, who was Ambessa running from? What were they capable of? Why were they dangerous. Why does Ambessa care about family? Why was she in piltover? Why is she so adamant about having hextech? All those questions were answered in Mel's arc. Also, now about Mel, this arc for her in season 2 had little to do with what made her interesting in season 1 (her essentially being a fox). This was her journey about her becoming the wolf. Every main character in season 1 are the opposites of their season 1 selves. Viktor is now in support of hextech, Jayce wants it destroyed, Heimerdinger starts using hextech technology instead of solely fearing it, Jinx becomes an elder sibling figure and caretaker after usually having others take care of her, etc etc. This arc is meant to be a sharpe contrast to season 1 Mel. It is intentional. Mel had to go through hell and back, question her orgin, her place in the world, all to ultimately become the wolf. And to address the mystery surrounding the black rose, that's also intentional, but if you pay attention most of the questions regarding them were answered. Why did they take Mel? Why did they kill Elora? What did Ambessa steal? What happened to Kino? The purpose of taking Mel's brother's form? How Mel has magic? How Mel's magic work/what type of magic does she possess? The only question that reminds is what is the sole purpose or mission of the black rose. That wasn't answered, but they're a secret organization, so it makes sense why we would potentially find out more about them in the future.
57:10 I'm glad someone said it. When Isha died, I honestly couldn't have cared less. What drove me to the next episode was concern for Jinx and Vi and the aftermath of the explosion. Don't get me wrong, it was a brilliant death scene. But I didn't feel like I was losing anyone. Because the show failed to endear me to the character....because there was no character. Isha was nothing but Jinx's fridge motivation.
Sorry, but Jinx should never have been seen as a "heroic" figure to Zaunites. She was an enforcer for Silco and feared whenever she appeared. She murdered so many people and no one on either side would have been happy to have her on their side because she was never on anyone's side. Like I said in other comments, she should have just disappeared for a bit in season 2 and maybe Ekko could have found her and reached out to her to turn her towards redemption and the final sacrifice without the universe switch. And Jinx shouldn't be implied to have survived to be on the ship sailing away...
@@artboymoy I agree, she definitely wasn’t a hero! Still, the “revolutionary icon” arc they were teasing early on had me excited to see how’d she grow this season. Now I do like your idea of her laying low and then Ekko reaching out to her (which kind of happens) but the writers would’ve never “disappeared” Jinx , she’s too big as a character 😅
You missed something with Caitlyn and Vi. When she was upset about Vi not wanting to be an enforcer, she tried to gaslight Vi by saying that now, she can relate to how Vi feels because her mom was killed. No, she does not relate. Jinx kidnapped her for a day. The enforcers kidnapped Vi for 7 years of her youth. On top of that, Vi wasn't asking Caitlyn to dress up and become like Jinx. Granted, she already has blue hair 🤪 but you get what I mean?
What she said was not about Cait relating to Vi but why Cait would want Jinx dead. I agree that Caitlyn saying she can relate to Vi was stupid, but I blame that on the writers.
where can I submit my unpopular opinion? I got a actual real hot take - Ekko is overrated and I don't like him, he got so much screen time and ended up with a weak and unsatisfying character arc
Ekko? You think Ekko (of all characters) got too much screen time?? Bro was barely in the show and when he was he carried. I realize everyone's opinions are valid, but Ekko slander is never justified to me. He is one of the most pure characters, even leaving behind a world where he got everything he ever wanted because he realized his people needed him. The most selfless character by far and is always standing on business. Perhaps his arc was "weak and unsatisfying" because he was completely abandoned in act 2, and he had the majority of his scenes in act 3 cut. This has to be rage bait.
I may edit my comment as im watching but so far you are only stating facts. Right now i’m at the Cait Vi portion and i agree 100%. I support season 1 Caitvi but Caitlyn at least needed a scene apologizing and recognizing all of the wrongdoing she did to Vi. lol i typed right before you basically said the same. Also same, the dirt under your nails is so blindingly bad i dont think thats unpopular with poc watchers. Mel is my favorite character and i think she was the best written. It seems like they knew what to do with her from the beginning. As a lore nerd, i did notice some other hints before the last scene of season one but i agree that it wasn’t really hinted enough for a watcher who doesn’t know the lore which is at fault of the writers not the average watcher. I get some of the people who might have issue with mel but sometimes i can just tell it’s unwarranted and is just something called anti- I like Jinx, she also very well written and i do have sympathy for her. I’m so exhausted about Jayvik, i love and support it but im getting the ick with some shippers talking shit about Mel and trying to make it seem like she was super classist compared to jayce who literally called zaunites dangerous in Viktors face.
I’m a POC watcher and liked the line 🤷 it’s basic slob/snob dynamic banter, not Vi being bigoted towards herself or her family lol (the literal meaning of the phrase is “the physical evidence of hard work/manual labor, signifying that someone has been actively involved in a task that requires getting their hands dirty, often implying a grounded and practical approach rather than a purely theoretical one” which I think fits perfectly for their situation) “You’re never going to clean me out.” Caitlyn already TRIED pretending the whole thing never happened and couldn’t deny what she knew inside to be true, Vi is poking fun at this and saying she’ll never get rid of her or her true self (not the idealized Caitlyn her parents wanted who never got involved in “real” work and always listened to authority)
@Mialikesthings I really thought she was older than that. I assumed they were closer in age because they seemed so close. It didn't really give me big brother little sister vibes. More like good friends. I haven't personally met too many 24 year old with young teenaged friends, lol.
@@Saprimacy It makes more sense in League. Cait and Jayce are supposed to have a sister/brother relationship. Many people have spoken about how season 2 made their relationship quite dirty.
This is probably gonna get people in they feelings, but here goes nuthin'......TV and Movie characters are people, and just as in real life, there are parts of their story that we don't see. There is hurt, trauma, healing, circumstance, and work that may happen behind the scenes or just outside of our own sight. It doesn't mean that it doesn't happen and that the effects of these things aren't very real. Used the argument "Violyn's" happy ending doesn't feel earned or Mel story doesn't feel earned. There are literally months worth of activity that we are not privy to. Who is to say that Caitlyn and Vi didn't have the convo about laying hands on each other or Mel didn't practice and learn about her powers on her long trip home to Piltover? We don't know and we assume it didn't happen because we didn't see it. That is a very real problem. How many people in real life, cause trouble and create unnecessary havoc because they assume that they have the whole picture when they just don't! So much stuff happens that we don't see. We will have no evidence for something, one way or the other and yet we make these narratives in our mind based on how we FEEL! I need more people to realize a couple things. 1)How a person FEELS about a situation and what actually happened(the actual facts) are not the samething! You can feel betrayed when no one has betrayed you. It some cases, it's the person who feels the most betrayed who did the betraying. This is true for everyone. 2)More things happen that we are unaware of than what we are actually aware of. Again, this true for everyone. There will always be more that we don't know, than what we do know. As people we need to be better at being both patient and curious. We need to seek to find out what happened instead of assuming that already know. Violyn got their happy ending.....they're happy...THAT IS THE POINT!!! Why are we second guessing their relationship? If they were real people, this would be intrusive and rude! I'm not saying we should be vigilant about domestic abuse, but knowing how and when in intercede is key. In this case, it probably isn't warranted. Mel was kidnapped and was gone for months. I presumed she was taken to Noxus's capital, the Immortal Bastion. I'm absolutely positive she had been trying out her new found power and practicing her skills all the way home like a good little piggy. Mel is way to intelligent to have done otherwise. Would it have been nice to see it? Of course, but working in the time constraints that Riot/Fortiche had, it didn't make the cut, as is true for so many other things in S2 of this wonderful show.
@yay29823 This is the difference between an artist and a critic. The artist shows what they WANT you to see, critics judge what is seen or not seen. Mel "earning" her power and Violyn hashing every single pitfall and detail of their relationship WASN'T necessary for the plot! How do we know that? Because the plot was perfectly conveyed without it!!!!!! Again, would this stuff have been nice to see? Absolutely, but it WASN'T necessary to move the plot along or for the story to make sense! We all got and understood what was going on in the show the whole time. What we think of it or feel about it will differ from person to person, but it won't change the absolute fact that none of the stuff cut out or not seen was necessary for either plot progression or plot understanding!
to be honest i never shiped vi and caitlyn something always felt off its just my opinion i watched a video called vi and caitlyn was always a bad ship maybe check it out he explains it very well why they dont work
the new character one is so real. like i got chewed up on tiktok for not remembering a lot of their names but like... they barely spoke.
@riverbanzachamploo9725 Steb's didn't say anything or even have his name said in the entire show!!! Loris's name was said only twice, even Maddie's name was only mentioned 4 times. The lead jinxer Gert's(I'm assuming it's short for Gertrude) name was said in s2e7 3 times in a 6 seconds period, and that was the only time her name was mentioned! Why would people's blame you for not remembering these fictional characters names!
The fact you couldn’t remember *any* of the new characters this season should say more about their writing than your memory imo. I had to sit a minute trying to recall them when thinking of them for the first time after finishing it.
@@The1andonlysharpshooter was it supposed to be said every scene?
My biggest hot take with arcane is how caitlyn and vi's story felt abandoned and their actions became almost 100% plot driven than character driven. Vi was my favorite character in season 1 but she felt so abandoned as a character in season 2 to the point Jinx, ekko and Jayce took her spot easily.
Also what bothers me the most is how caitlyn went from "the people from the undercity need our help" "its citizens living on the street, being poisoned, having to choose between a kingpin who wants to exploit them and a government that doesn’t give a shit!" to "let's gas Zaun because I want to capture the person that killed my mother". She went to the extra mile to even take control of the ventilation ducts created by her own dead mother in order to give Zaun clean air and use them as a gas duct to gas the same people her mother tried to help. And Vi who saw her parents get killed by inforcers let her do that? in uniform? with the same face masks that should bring her flashbacks due to trauma or something like that? Naah.
And I feel so sad about it because again, she was my favorite character during s1, but well... the other 3 becames the goats in my eyes so it's 1 character I loved with passion to 3 in exchange.
On the bright side, unlike Vi, with all the build up from season 1 they made Jinx, Ekko and Jayce characters that now I love even more than I ever did s1 Vi, their journeys from start to end were just perfect in my opinion.
But the whole thing with Cait makes complete sense, though? She lost her mother, and her grief was the thing that controlled her actions.
Both Cait and Vi believed that they were protecting the citizens of Zaun by directing the Gray towards the chembarons, and we, as viewers, don’t really have any evidence of the contrary because we only see them gassing the chembarons and no one else. There’s only one scene, iirc, where we see people that look like civilians, but they’re running away from the Gray - we never see civilians breathe it in.
And Vi was against joining Cait, and she only agreed after the attack on the memorial. I mean, Cait would go there by herself anyway, and that way Vi would be able to help and maybe stop Cait if needed. Vi knew she had to do something, so she acted. Sure, Vi could stay in Piltover (or go back to Zaun, I guess) and then just watch Cait do whatever, just without herself involved
Cait was almost blown up twice by Jinx in the academy square attack and bridge, she got kidnapped from her home and, after hesitating to shoot Jinx, gets knocked out and wakes up to her launching a bomb into the council later to find her mom was killed. By that point, Caitlyn's was only grieving but her final straw was the memorial attack that made her want to get revenge.
This character arc shows us that Caitlyn was sympathizing with the citizens Zaun's on a surface level because, these events that more or less happen in Zaun due to the oppresion, devastated her when she was on the receiving end to the point she ignores Zaun's plight blinder by her rage.
My dissatisfaction mainly lies in how it concluded. We see she feels guilt for the forced occupation in Zaun but we never see her do anything about it besides giving up her council seat to Sevika, which happens offscreen and is so easy to miss if you don't remember that is where Cassandra used to sit a season ago.
Imagine how much more satisfying her conclusion would have been if Sevika negotiated to help her fight off Ambessa and Viktor in exchange for a seat at the council and full backing from house Kiramman instead of the Zaunites randomly appearing from behind a smokescreen mid battle. Would have been a great callback to the Jayce and Silco scene in season 1 plus making it clear that Caitlyn was willing to fix her wrongs.
@@vintagenutria5475 I always believed Cait had the right to go after Jinx and want her dead, people forget that Jinx did sooo much more to her than kill her mother BUT where my issue with Cait lies (and Vi to an extent) is that she used her mothers good deed, of using the ventilation system that cleaned up the air to reverse and pump “the gray” back into the Undercity. That’s diabolical behavior.
You can argue it was directed at the Chembarons but innocent civilians were still affected. We can’t forget that the gray tends to have devastating and lasting effects which we see in Viktor, not to mention that medical study that Fortiche Studios released going into depth about what the gray does to the body.
Caitlyn should’ve never re released that gas, especially after Piltover promised to never use it on the Undercity, and for Vi to join her in doing so…it was disappointing for sure.
@@artxroyalty it’s not bad writing to have a bad guy character, she knows she messed up big time and can’t undo it “no amount of good deeds can erase OUR crimes” but she’s not inconsistent with how she was shown in S1 even as far back as childhood (Jayce isn’t even banished and Caitlyn KNOWS he isn’t crazy but when her mother enforces the status quo and tells her to come inside she immediately and silently falls in line under that authority) her whole life she’s considered the undercity beneath her and after her personal connection to it (her relationship with Vi) is severed, of course she reverts to what she’s done for her entire life up to this point
That same passive aggression her mom had to have in order to make the vent system but keep the keys in the family, Cassandra expected her family to be better wielders of life and death than the people impacted by it and that kind of preexisting bias only raises more bigotry. Caitlyn chose to end the cycle but she did bring the cycle full loop from where her mom left off (in her bias she probably saw what Cassandra did as a favor, a little treat that could be revoked as a punishment for acting out, dealing it out as you were forced to take it) Her whole character arc was about realizing that way of thinking was wrong though!
@@healgoth oh I totally agree, I never said it was bad writing. Understanding a character (especially complex ones) and condoning their actions are two different things!
i definitely do not agree with everything you said, but thank you for saying you’re not gonna hate on caitvi beacuse YES. we absolutely have had enough😭
and my opinion on mel, i absolutely love her and i always have. i still honestly do think the black rose subplot was severely underdeveloped but i still do appreciate it in a way beacuse we got to have her becoming this god-like being was honestly awesome.
and oh my god give vi more screentime.
i can't get behind season 2 caitvi either. like don't get me wrong, im happy for them but it just ain't my cup of tea no more. it went from being a comfort ship to one that lowkey makes me scratch my head. but i think an even more unpopular opinion i have is that my favorite ship s actually meljay. it's always been pretty unpopular which makes sense considering that it contains two of the most unpopular characters in the show. but yeah i honestly loved the too sm and nobody else gets it.
They aren't unpopular. Their ship is just the least interesting. I fall asleep every time they are on screen together.
No no, you’re right. My personal fav is timebomb, but Jayce and Mel have a really interesting dynamic that goes through good changes. It went from corrupt politicians, to two people that value, respect and genuinely care for each other. Went from using each other for politics, to protecting each other FROM politics
this is so true, caitvi was my favorite relationship dynamic in season 1 because i really wanted them to meet in the middle with all their differences but in season 2 it just felt so…. idk. i just didn’t like it at all and while watching i was scared it was just me lol. meanwhile i ended up loving timebomb and meljay sm.
the thing about Jinx's arc this season is that it was believable but the jump from act 1 to act 2 is so quick and drastic it does feel a little bit weird.. we're supposed to fill the gaps of what happened in the timeskip and that doesn't work so well for every viewer because as you said, as much as I love Jinx, she was a bit of a menace last season and this sudden change isn't believable for everyone.
I do think this "problem" is also tied to Isha as a plot device and Vi's lack of agency this season. I love Isha, but she was created for a specific purpose when that could have been done with the characters that were already developed during the 1st season, so idk. and Vi... oh Vi, you deserved so much better, I wish we got to see a bit more of her life in Zaun during her pitfighter era besides the music video, I feel like a lot of people barely understand that Vi is severely traumatized from her time in prison because the show didn't spend as much time showing that as it did with Jinx's trauma, for example.
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that hated the 'dirt under your nails' line
@@michemicalromance yes! I remember being excited to see more of the “pit fighther” Vi after the clip released because it reminded me of Korra when she went through her mental battle in s4 of “Legend of Korra”. I was soooo ready to dive more into Vi’s mental state with her being stretched thin between Jinx and Cait and it was all rather…lackluster.
19:57 Preach! That’s exactly my issue with that sentiment, it was a betrayal of something intimate.
I love this break down, I will say that from what I have heard form folks men in particular, The Jayce and Victor thing hits so hard because they many men loved the idea and representation of male friendship with out any sexual innuendos, They also loved and needed the imagery of masculine men, especially those of fathers and what it meant to be a good father, Arcane one did such a good job of representing imagery of men and women very well. We had Marcus, who loved his daughter, Vander, even Silco in a toxic way, but he still thought it was important to be a father. Arcane one did an amazing job representing various types of women, with a beautiful dark skinned woman who was feminine, soft and intelligent who also got to get the handsome guy. A lot of people have a hard time seeing dark skinned Black women in that light, and that is why Mel is getting so much hate. I also love Ambessa, but I know much of the love for her is because that is the only way they want to see Black women. The reason so many people were rooting for Vi and Caitlyn was because their gay relationship wasn't thrown in peoples faces like it was in season two, I'm referring to the gay relationship. I wanted the same thing for Vi and Caitlyn that Mel and Jayce got with their love making scene, they deserved way better than that nasty prison sex scene. Season two writers seemed to have no respect for what was done in season one and it was heart breaking.. I have more thoughts but here is this for now
I think regarding Viktor's change of mind from "there is always a choice" to choice should be removed largely happens at the end of season one, particularly episodes 7&8. There is a specific line in ep7 where Mel says "the choice is yours" to Jayce regarding the construction of weapons, which is when Viktor says his "there is always a choice" line; however, after this we see Jayce make the decision to create weapons and chooses violence against the Undercity. While he later changes his approach, I think this happened at a key point in Viktor's character where he was at a crossroads, and this decision clearly sticks with him. Watching people have choices and consistenly making the 'wrong' ones is a likely motivation for Viktor's change
19:57 my problem with the writing of their relationship is that Amanda literally said that they added some of these shock factor moments for extra drama and nothing else. I think Caitlyn hitting Vi is just out of character because instead of that if she just told her not to come after her and blame her for that day when she didn't take the shot at Jinx and lost her mother would have the same effect in their relationship as Jinx blamed Vi for making her Jinx and now Cait is indirectly blaming her of her mothers passing
ngl, i completely see where you are coming from but mel was my favorite character from season 2. she's honestly my new favorite character as a whole. and i honestly can't explain why. one of my main issues with season was how league lore was expanded on, which sounds crazy but, i came to except that arcane would have only 2 seasons. one of my favorite shows of all times is gravity falls and it only has 2 seasons and they made t work so well. but i expected that they would wrap everything from season 1 one up and give us a satisfying conclusion on everything, like gravity falls did. but instead season two was more so for league fans. it expanded on leauge lore that i frankly didn't know much about. yet for some reason mel still stood out to me in subtle way. i think the fact that she spent majority of the season in backrooms is what made jayce's line so heartbreaking. mel is a force to be reckoned with. she is cunning and steadfast. yet time after time again she is forced into a helpless role where she has little control over her own life or anything around her tbh. from a child cast away from the only home she's ever known to forge a new path, to an adult snatched away from the future she helped built to endure an unbelievable amount of torture. yet despite all the trauma she's endured she will always break free and do what needed to be done. and yeah she's a magical girl now too. I LOOOOOOOOOVE magical girl anime sm. so seeing one of my favorite characters joining raster makes me so happy. im so excited to see more of her in the noxus series. i don't know lick about noxus but im very excited to see my girl again. -side note i also don't like how the creators threw away vi and sevika but i hate hate hate when people blame that on mel. she had less screen time in this season than in season 1 yet everything is her fault??? this for sticking up for her cuz this take always pmo
100% agree, although Mel was personally my favorite from the jump.
I saw one reel on Instagram with her, and I was like, what show is this?
Silco and Jinx's relationship is likely co-dependent. I doubt Silco told Jinx Vi left her in order to hurt her or worsen her trauma, he did it because he himself was afraid. He was afraid of losing Jinx.
I don't think this excuses his behaviour however i do think it makes him human. He's by no means a good person, but he isn't a monster.
People fail to realize that Vi wasn't just randomly causing Jinx distress. She was trying to stop her from killing Caitlyn as she was about to finish her. Vi was wrapped up, she didn't know any better than to try to bring Powder back as she's more merciful than Jinx.
This might be unpopular it might not be, I feel like a lot of these issues would’ve been solved if they’d just had a third season. They could’ve absolutely spread the story out across two seasons without stuffing it full of filler. Supposedly they had to cut a stupid amount of content from the final episode, splitting the story across two seasons would’ve allowed for certain parts of the story to be better explored and would’ve given the team working on it a chance to properly tie up all of those plot lines they just kinda forgot about lol
Still, season 2 was a masterpiece. Was it better than season 1 as a whole? No. Were there some parts that were arguably better than season 1? Absolutely. So many of the visuals were so absolutely gorgeous especially in the finale. I don’t remember anything like that from season 1 (watch me get roasted). They both have their strengths and weaknesses, season 1 just didn’t have to be worrying about so many different stories all happening at once because of how things were grouped into mostly the piltover and the zaun conflict. Hence why having the series have 3 seasons would’ve been better.
They always intended for the show to be 2 seasons, but had changed a lot of things due to Arcane becoming popular.
It's kinda funny how you got roasted by your followers for predicting that Mel had protective enchantment at the end of season one when this was actually a common theory and was even spoiled by one of the music composers on their TH-cam channel years ago when he timed the music to her "shimmering armor."
@@KittyBoom360 right! I thought it was a rather common theory and was surprised by the amount of ppl that either stated Mel was definitely dead or the glow was just a reflection off the glass
Jinx is my favorite character, but I personally don't like the Hero of Zoan angle. It wasn't handled well. She killed Silco, threw a manic tantrum, and blew up the council. She literally set fire to both sides and watched it all burn. Yes, emotionally, she suffered. She did end up losing Isha. But Jinx is the one that broke everything, then gets worshiped for fixing it. Reluctantly and poorly, I might add. In the court of public opinion in Zoan, Jinx received no consequence whatsoever.
As someone who loved S1 CaitVi and agrees with the first CaitVi critic mentioned in this video, I was also disappointed that neither of them ever addressed the fact that Vi left Cait in the rain in season one. Like S2E1 they’re suddenly all close again? We know Caitlyn isn’t very openly expressive with her emotions and I think the writers were trying to show that she trusted Vi enough to cry on her shoulder, but personally? I wouldn’t trust Vi that much after she walked away like that in S1. Just my opinion tho
You wouldn’t but Caitlyn obviously would, she stonefaced through the entire funeral and she can’t break down around her dad (he’s not the head of house she is, even if he’s her father he’s still taking it worse than her and is in no shape to be her shoulder to cry on when she’d just have to lock in and carry on anyway) Vi is the ONLY ONE in this entire universe Caitlyn would cry around in that moment, and obviously Vi feels sorry for leaving because she came back (if you wouldn’t forgive her for leaving then Powder/Jinx makes three of you because Vi probably didn’t forgive herself too even if everyone else moved on)
While I agree with your reasoning about Caitlyn’s vulnerability in that scene, I still don’t like the fact that they don’t address it. When Vi goes back for Powder, she’s immediately apologetic. Similar to how everyone’s mad Caitlyn never gives vi a verbal apology, we never see Vi give Caitlyn a verbal apology either. Though it’s possible one or both instances happen offscreen, I just feel like it takes away from their story
14:09 Mel ain’t no slouch?! That’s like calling the Grand Canyon a “large hole” 😅
@@greywarden5513 😂😂😂
52:14 They underestimated her, thought she was weak, malleable, they drank the kool aid on Ambessa needing to protect her from them. They learned later that wasn’t the case, “Clever girl”
“Dirt under your nails” comes from a Spanish saying that alludes to two people that are inseparable. You would say “Oh, person A and person B are always together, they are like /uña y mugre/“ (or dirt under the nail). I hope my explanation makes sense lol
I'm sorry but you could never make me hate caitvi or timebomb knowing there's people who ship vi and isha...
@@shimmerxc excuse me-
People are sick in the head
Oh-
31:51 What I would say, is that the characterization is unfair. Mel was how she was in the first season because everything was under control, she was never in any danger and constantly in her element, season 2 shatters that safety and it’s her finding a new equilibrium with different rules/realities.
@@greywarden5513 very valid point!
I honestly thought that there was going to be a Jayce/ Viktor ship in season 1 and was surprised that he went with Mel. The lack of Sevika being developed was a sad decision. Really could have seen the backstory with her, Vi and Vander would have been great to get why Vi had such a sense of betrayal from her in season 1. Would have subbed the whole Mom, Silco, Vander flashbacks for it. Ekko, Heimerdinger and Sevika should have been on the council at the end.
When did you get your artbook? I'm still waiting on mine!
@@artboymoy yes to ALL of this!
I preordered my artbook back in July from Insightful Editions so I got it the first week of December!
Thank you for telling me that I wanted to see Ekko in the council, I didn't know I did
Ekko can't be on the council because Riot milks Timebomb dry and I guess from the interviews that he will go after Jinx in a spin-off. His character will forever be about Jinx from now on :/
Cait hitting Vi and then walking away mirrors Vi hitting Powder in season 1 and walking away. I am sure the writers' intention was to put Vi through the same sense of abuse and abandonment from a trusted loved one that Powder experienced. But I agree with those that feel it seemed misplaced in context, and whereas Vi and Powder struggled to reconcile this event and its consequences for the remainder of the series, Vi and Cait had a single cupcake moment and all was forgiven.
difference is, they were children growing up in a dangerous environment where they had to do things that no children should have to. Cait is a grown ass woman and no amount of grief should make you physically harm someone you claim to love.
@@anothercrappypianist oh yeah, I clocked that parallel almost instantly. It’s just the context with her being an Enforcer from Piltover hitting someone who has so much trauma from Enforcers as opposed to lashing out after your little sister accidentally kills your entire family.
@@artxroyalty thank you. tho the 2 scenes do parallel, too many people try to make it seem like a one to one. even tho the context is completely different.
@@artxroyalty I'm definitely not an apologist for Cait on this one. I was actually making the opposite argument: in a context that's entirely understandable, we spend the rest of the series overcoming the consequence of episode 103, meanwhile Cait's actions in 203 which are much less excusable are handwaved away by Vi without even a conversation. At least not one that the audience gets to see (which is only one that matters narratively).
The art book in the background is perfect! (I’ll add my opinions in edits as I watch the video)
I kinda wish we had seen more of season one jinx, I understand why we didn’t, but as someone who saw myself in jinx because of mental health, I wish we had. Idk, I love jinx in season 2 tho.
13:07 nah, hold up, that’s wild to just throw in there. You right but wtf why’d you put my fav pile of ashes there for a sec!?
I agree with the “I’m the dirt under your nails” take, yea sure, it was cute and she’s saying she’ll always be there, but it also kinda establishes her as thinking of herself as being much lower than Cait and as being unworthy.
39:07 this is kinda how I see time bomb, I understand where folks are coming from, I just don’t personally ship them in a romantic sense. For me, it’s just a strong platonic relationship and love
I loved Isha and she was perfect in all ways, but the background enforcers were so forgettable and unimportant to me. I see so much love for seb and loris, but they literally do nothing 😭
Ok, final thought. Arcane is a freaking amazing show, in all ways. Even if there are things that I don’t agree with about season two (or one) it’s still a great show, it’s still a work of art. So yea, that’s it, love yall! :3
Sorry but how can you see them as platonic when they kiss in AU? They have romantic feeling, they are not platonic.
@ ok, but that’s the au, it’s a different world, things went different there. It’s known that Ekko had a crush on Powder when they were little, but not anymore, but then AU happened which made things messy idk.
I personally read Jinx and Ekko as platonic, you don’t have too, it’s called an opinion.
@OliveTheLion I hear you, BUT Jinx & Ekko are pictured in that art book holding hands, with her heart drawings placed around them. So take that for what you will. Remember that art book includes Jinx's personal opinions about characters & events.
@ I know, it’s just how I feel, it’s hard to change how you think about a relationship when you’ve been used to it being platonic for years. But you can also love people in non romantic ways. I have had ‘romantic’ relationships with people, even though I don’t feel that kind of attraction, some people experience platonic attraction in a way so strong that it can seem romantic to outsiders. You’re aloud to have your own opinions, that’s the beauty of this show, there are so many ways to interpret things!
@OliveTheLion There were people under the same impression about Miles Morales & Gwen Stacy. And well... we see how that turned out. Just because you may feel they aren't romantic (which is okay) doesn't mean the writers may feel the same.
The writers of Arcane would have already confirmed that Ekko and Jinx aren't romantically involved, like they did with Jayce and Viktor. And they had multiple times to make that clear when asked about the relationship between the two.
I really agree with what you say of Cait and Vi.
I think it's understandable for Vi to have communication issues, but she's still hurt a lot (and I think that even in the final scene, she wants Catlin to be with her, but she is still badly hurt by her and don't know what to do with all of these).
+Vi always blame herself (even for thinks she couldn't control), so I think that self har* and self hate is part of her storyark as well...
And I don't want to talk about Caitlyn...
Ekko is the least slandered character in the show. The only critique I've seen of him was in regards to his ship with Jinx, but that's neither here nor there...
I hope they know that being against a ship won't stop it from happening if the writers choose to go that route. For example Miles × Gwen.
My main issue with Jinx is that all of season 1 and especially its ending felt like it was cementing the character as some sort of villain, anti-villain or morally grey character and we just didn't see that, its fine for her character to come out of villainy and her psychotic nature, but for her to do so quickly and what felt like with such ease
is beyond unsatisfying and makes it hard for me to relate, empathise or be immersed in this new Jinx.
Again Jinx (from her perspective and many others) doomed the undercity from its chance of independence by committing her terror attack on the council, she strained tensions between Zaun and Piltover, she killed this great unifier of chem barons (Silco), she murders firelights and enforcers without remorse. And there's little backlash for these actions. Like it would've been cool if their was some sort of tension relating around Silco loyalists like Sevika learning that Jinx killed Silco, or consequences for Caitlyns or Vi's recklessness that led to Jinx being freed(remember Caitlyn purposely left Jinx unguarded so Vi could talk to her), or maybe some of the Jinxers or even Isha having a relatives that died because of the tensions that rose because of Jinxes actions. While we see this theme hover about in the background there are few moments, if any at all where all of this is fully addressed or where it leads to stakes and tensions rising
Only a few episodes after Jinx decides that she's Jinx, that she decides that she doesn't want anyone around her because she'll hurt them, only a few episodes after going batshit insane, at the start of season 2 she then suddenly becomes the most sane we've ever seen her, she pairs up with Isha, she entirely forgets about Silco and she even states that "Jinx is dead"
I think these criticisms are empathized by the fact that a lot of season 2 (as you say) isn't as grounded in the low fantasy setting or isn't as grounded in the classism of Zaun and Piltover as it used to be.
For me if their was a scale from 1-10 where 1 = powder and 10 = Jinx (I know their not entirely different characters but bear with me), Jinx pre terror attack felt like a 6 or 7, Jinx post terror attack felt like she was going to be at least a 9 or 10 but the character we got almost immediately within the first few episodes of Season 2 didn't even feel like pre terror attack Jinx but rather just Powder or some new character who's sort of wrestling with the guilt of being Jinx, which is fine but the way it was handled wasn't satisfying (I cant explain it) it just wasn't satisfying
My unpopular opinion is that even though ep7 in beautiful they could've cut the AU part around 15 min and continued with the og timelines maybe include a few scenes of Sevika finding out about isha and Cait taking care of Vi maybe a heart to heart talk
Season two is ambitious, but to fully develop its ideas, it could benefit from additional episodes or even another season.
Yes! I agree 100%
@@artxroyaltyNevertheless, I believe it provided a satisfying conclusion to what I consider one of Netflix's finest shows.
You wearing those headphones like that remind me of Powder's buns.
@@merodeadorNocturno I remembered they were on my head halfway through the video 😅 had to see it through
VIOLYN, as Cait's and Vi's ship name sounds great. Tbh Caitvi, Violyn, and Piltover's finest are all great ship names, but for JayVik, I like for it to stay that way, especially if you're talking about the Arcane version, since with the ship name "JayVik", it gives distinction to its league counterpart, JayVik = Arcane version, VikJayce = League version. It might seem weird, but Giopara and MH have a different personality and dynamic compared to Talis and Viktor's dynamic. Imo it's like to paying my respects to the pre-arcane shippers of Jayce and Viktor since they primarily use and are using VikJayce as the ship name as a indication (especiallt after arcane) that it's the league version of these characters. Alternate ship name for them that I also like are Hextech Husbands (s1) and Cosmic lovers (s2).
Also, damn (sorry) where are ya'll finding these toxic shippers. I've seen stories that some shippers are racist, homophobic ( towards both gay or lesbian ship), heterophobic, ableist, and full misunderstanding of the characters' personality (Jayce enjoyers I really feel sorry for ya'll cuz this has been happening since s1). I am primarily a JayVik shipper though, so I've seen complaints about CaitVi shippers making a drama about a Jayvik fic being the most Kudos-ed fic in AO3. And apparently, there's also CaitVi shipper being angry that TimeBomb won in a poll asking which arcane ship is your favorite. Tbh, I know that there are toxic parts, but it always amazes me with the amount of people are seeing that many toxic shippers. I thankfully haven't seen any first hand, cuz oh boy would that somewhat ruin my mood.
TikTok and TH-cam are where all the drama is. I wish to go back to the Tumblr days
It's been weird for me to see some of the hot takes on season 2.
Lots I feel like made sense and I agreed with, mostly from a pacing perspective. They needed more time than they were allowed, and I wonder what could have been.
On the other side, there have been lots of issues raised I felt like I had watched a different show. I can't tell if some people weren't paying attention, had misunderstandings, or if I'm gaslighting myself into filling in gaps that weren't there.
Overall loved it, but wish we had the intended product before corporate intervention.
This opinion is also a theory that you kind of need some understanding of league lore and champion knowledge.......I believe that Ambessa has another child! I think Mel being the child that the Black Rose was looking for, is kind of a red herring. I think Rell is the child LeBlanc wants. It's possible that Mel & Rell are twins, and the line where Ambessa says something about being forced to forsake one child for another, she isn't talking explicitly about Kino.
My unpopular opinion is Vegeta from Dragon Ball has better character development than 98% of Arcane characters. His journey to the side of good is the best in anime history.
Ouh - you'll love the new League Season Trailer that just dropped (for the game season). It's a teaser for the Arcabe sequel spin off series as well... and it's gorgeaous and has your new favourite League character in it... 😁
@@69quato the reaction’s up now and it was PEAK!!
Hot take - Vi and Cait didn’t get a happy ending. Their ending was uncertain, full of trauma and grief. Even the dialogue between them feels uncertain
1:09:11 Will go down in history for the visual?
@38:00 "I'm not against Jayvik. I just personally really loved Jayce and Mel as a couple, and I am always going to be here for melanated queen getting the love she deserves on screen, thats where I am at"
I mean Jayce got two hands though, so why should we be pitting bad bitches against each other.
They are the "this is my boyfriend, Jayce, and this is Jayce's boyfriend, Viktor."
Haha def not putting anyone against each other, I just love Jayce and Mel 😂
Please go for the Mel body type with Vi's arms...😅
@@krysisstorm2703 interesting combo…😂
As respectfully as possible, I gonna express something I've recently figured out about myself, and I don't want to offend you or anyone in any way. I realize that I have a thing for super girlie feminine muscle mommies! I've always liked "Tomboys" but in the last few years, I find myself looking heavily at very toned female athletes and bodybuilders.
My unpopular opinion is that the second series is better than the first... 🤷♀️
And I actually really like the use of ,,music videos".
I understand the criticism, but I still like it even more than the first one (and that's a lot).
THERE’S A NEW LEAGUE OF LEGENDS CLIP ABOUT NOXUS WHERE MEL, KATARINA, DARIUS, VLADIMIR AND LEBLANC ARE PRESENT 🤩🤩 Im sorry Im so excited I just watched it and omg I hope you react to it I know you wanted more Katarina content 🚶🏾♀️
THE REACTION’S UP AND IT WAS PEAK!!
Amanda Overton said Vi was reclaiming her prison trauma in the sex scene
I have seen people say this but with no evident proof. Could you please give me the source?
She was the head writer of season 1, so it would be surprising to see someone who had a massive role in making the show as good as it was in season 1 say this.
@Mialikesthings looks like my comment was deleted? she said it on Elijash`s ep8 watch pary with Amanda and Katy. Its a live stream
@Mialikesthings notsoaveragefangirl is the channel
ngl. i also agree with the second one. like don't get me wrong. im glad caitlyn didn't commmit to the dark side but the whole count fagular error was ambessa was cold af. i honestly would have loved her as a villan. like yes it was hurt to see her go down that path, but t also felt a bit jarring for her to switch back so quickly. i knew the writters would never commit to caitlyn being evil, which makes sense cause at her caitlyn is a caring individual but i dunno the way they handled it felt kinda like wasted potencial. i dunno if making any sense but uhhh...yeah
Steals screen time from Sevika….🤨*Looks directly into the camera. “No” 😅 Why would you set up Sevika like that?
Unpopular Opinion: Jinx doesn't have schizophrenia
Silco tried to protect Jinx from Vi
Silco know what he was doing becouse the some thing has happend him physic and mentality.
And when you re-watch scene when he took Jinx on some place where Vander almost killed him.
And them you can see that she was mentality better, she did make a weapon and then after Sevica tell her about VI. You can see in that moment mindset change/reset back.
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Silco loved Jinx and tried to protect her. He knew about her mental illness and what triggers it. When Jinx remembers her family she has ptsd. And he really cares for her. When Jinx kills the firelights and ruin his work Silco blames and yells Shevika but with Jinx he tells her calmly that she was wrong.
When Jinx kills the enforcers Silco is angry but he wasnt going to hurt her. And Jinx didnt afraid him. He wanted to impess him.
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As with crystal when Jinx tried to create the weapon she had ptsd of her dead family. After the scene in the river when Silco told her to get over the past it worked.
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Jinx continued to make the gun without any problems.
All was fine unltil Vi came. When Jinx saw Vi she remembered what she did. Vi didnt know about her traumaand or how to handle it. Vi wants the best for her and keep her safe but she hurts her.
I dont blame Vi. She thinks Silco is a monster and he manipulates her in his favor and she has every right to believes. Vi only know that Silco kidnapped Vander and caused his death.
And that we can see it clear in the final scene. Silco gave up everything he wanted to protect Jinx. And he didnt get mad when she kidnapped him because he understand how she feels. Vi tries to make Jinx remember but she only make things worse. Silco sees jinx suffering and tries to help her by shooting Vi witch leading to his death.
I dont say Silco was right and Vi was wrong the one. And thats the good with Arcane. There are not black and white. Silco tried to kill 4 children to avenge Vander and done many evil things. Also he feared that Jinx would abadon him and thats why he told her some lies. But in the end Silco wasn't the clice villain. He was a complex character with issues and weakness. And Vi wasn't evil or totally wrong. Ηer intentions were good but in the end she would make things worse because she doesn't know the real Jinx.
IMO, Season 2 pretty much let me down. Too much story, too many new characters and not enough time put back into the characters we liked. I also feel that Jinx really should have gone away to appear sporatically as a jink in any confrontation to Zaun and Piltover. She served her role and could have come back later for a redemption of sorts saving Caitlyn for Vi. The story should have stayed more focused on the fight between Piltover and Zaun and dropped most of the Viktor and Black Rose stuff for a later series. Seeing more of how Ekko and Heimerdinger worked together and have to join with Sevika and (in my head cannon) Vi and Caitlyn as well as Jayce and Mel to fight the invading forces of Noxus would have been great.
Mama Medarta should have just rolled in to Piltover in the chaos that was left over by Jinx's bomb, which IMO should have obliterated the building and not just make a hole like any other mortar. She would have killed any other council member, and would have killed Jayce as well, but Mel would have saved hiim to escape to the Undercity. Vikor would be captured to work on Hextech that could have started to develop into the calamity that Heimerdinger saw before.
It has been decades if not centuries that Zaun and Piltover have bad relationships . With Jinx's attack on the council , Ambessa should have only be chilling in the background and let all of these people killing each other . In S1 she even said to Mel : "You let the problems of your undercity foster for too long "and she was right .
these weak caitvi haters aren't going to survive leodia when targon is adapted into a show, I swear to god
i feel like fandoms cant accept ships that aren’t completely perfect atp.
@graey13 I feel like people are allowed to dislike ships for valid reasons lol no ship is perfect but it also depends on the person. Also Arcane is extremely political and a lot of the ships have these political undertones that you can’t help but acknowledge. It is what it is 😅
@artxroyalty oh, absolutely they are, but imo the point of these ships, and the reason they're so interesting, is because they're messy. relationships in general, in real life, are usually super messy, have conflict, etc, because humans are like that lol. I've always found relationships where they go through hardships, where they struggle and grow apart, and then come back together, where their morality can shake them and their love is tested, to be by far the most interesting ones to read or watch or play. it's not to everyone's taste, but the reason I love caitvi and leodia so much is precisely because their relationships aren't perfect, the circumstances pull them apart, but they're still truly made for each other
My unpopular opinion. Episode 7 and the whole alternate universe thing doesn't work.
It feels like a whole different show we are in.... LIKE HOW DID A SHOW WHICH WAS ABOUT CLASS OPPRESSION AND TWO CITIES CHANGE INTO ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AND SHIT?
I like both Ekko and Jinx but I would have never imagined them together (this is coming from someone who has never played the games) For me, timebomb does not work!!
About it being phobic to not want to see same sex romance. Would you say it's phobic to not want to see romance in shows/films, at all? Unless it's top notch good? Because for me, I don't want to see any romance, because it's rarely done well for my taste.
Like for instance, you mentioned that the writers should focus on Vi/Cait because they have a fan base. That's where I check out, because I want romance to be written well for the sake of the art of great writing with a deep purpose and meaning. Not just because the fans want it. That's when the lazy writing sets in that creates a very low bar, that a demographic of people love. Good romance in stories to me, is super rare.
@@AetheriusComics I feel like you’ve misconstrued my words a bit. I’m simply acknowledging that there are people out there that are in fact homophobic and don’t like seeing same sex couples portrayed in media. If that doesn’t apply to you then I’m not talking about you. If you don’t want to see romance in general, you’re well within your rights to feel that way. Simple.
As far as “the writers *should* focus on CaitVi because of their fanbase” I never said that. I said I wasn’t surprised that they decided to make CaitVi endgame considering Amanda Overton (one of the main writers on the show) is pretty open when it comes to talking about how much she enjoys writing their relationship and how huge that fanbase is.
This is partly why I agreed with the opinion that it didn’t feel earned, because I felt their romantic arc was nowhere near as compelling and seamless as it was in season 1.
@@artxroyalty I understand what you're saying. I was just wondering what your thoughts were.
"I never said that. I said I wasn’t surprised that they decided" You're right. My overall point was that I tend to check out when I know writers are more focused on what the fans want than writing a solid romance. Which I see in hetero writing a lot too, which I hate.
51:24! She said the thing! 👑⏱️💣
@@greywarden5513 ZAUN ROYALTY FR
Hey you, did you see the new trailer for the next arcane show? It came out 5 hours ago!
@@MTaszM ahhh yes! I’ve been avoiding clips on Twitter because I’ll be reacting to it tonight!!
@ I’m so exited! Have fun watching it!
So, actual response to the hot takes, with hot takes of my own in response:
Take 1: Jinx's mental health and personality switched up too much between seasons.
Nah, fam. Hard disagree. I called Jinx's voices going silent and her being a lot more stable moving forward back when I finished season 1 the first time. She got hit the last time she jinxed her family, and it broke her. So when she got re-affirmed the second time she did it, I knew that was exactly what she needed to start the healing process we see in season 2. Her character was quite consistent between seasons, but she was going through different stages of her mental health journey.
Take 2: They should have leaned in more to Caitlyn being a secondary antagonist.
100% agree and covered this in more detail in my other comment on this video.
Take 3: Vilyn was deserved but not earned.
I don't know if I even agree it was deserved. Season 1 Vilyn was life for me. Season 2 Caitlyn lost my respect due to first asking Vi to become an enforcer, then striking her while in uniform. She was not given enough time to fall or redeem herself for me to go back to thinking she deserved the happily ever after she got.
Also, the "make up sex scene" was uncomfortable to watch (and not just because it was comically long). Vi was abused by enforcers in a cage for years, then has make up sex with an enforcer while in a cage? Let's not forget Vi's sister just vaguely told her she was about to off herself. Nah, let's ignore all of that to have some fan service and then move on like none of that trauma or relationship drama happened.
Not deserved, and *definitely* not earned. Sad, though. I really shipped them hard in season 1.
Take 4: Mel felt like a very passive character in season 2.
Girl, yes! Season 1 Mel stole the show ever scene she was in. I was always watching to see what she was cooking up. Yet her whole arc could have been cut from season 2 and the season probably would have been better for it. She was reduced to an info-dump vessel in season 2 - for events that won't even happen in Arcane itself, mind you - and I am still salty about it.
Take 5(+):
"CaitVi is toxic." Agreed.
"Jinx is overrated." Blasphemy at it's finest.
"Fan 'invented' Viktor-Jayce romance ship is absurd." Nah, the homo-erotic imagery was consistent throughout. It was definitely intentionally planted in fans' minds. I didn't ship them, BTW, so I am impartial in my opinion on this matter.
"Mel is not an interesting character and steals screen time unnecessarily." Hard disagree for season 1, hard agree for season 2.
"Sevika is underrated." This isn't even a hot take, but I agree. Sevika is great.
"Fortiche hates Vi and loves Jinx." I can see it, and I ain't mad about it either.
Take 6: Plotlines are set up then abandoned.
Yup. I went into detail about this in my other comment on this video (and several others across TH-cam). 100% agree.
Take 7: New characters are introduced then relegated to background clutter.
Agreed. Maddie randomly switched up, cause reasons. Loris exists then dies before we are ever given a chance to see him and Vi bond. Throw away characters, the lot of 'em.
Take 8: Huge wow moments thrown in without benefiting the story.
Oh, definitely. I was *so* mad when gassing the topside had zero impact on the story. We see a kid wearing a mask topside a little later as a subtle nod to it having happened and it's on to the next story beat. I was definitely hoping to see topside struggle to adjust to a taste of life in the undercity, to see that Jinx left a lasting mark on topside that rallies people behind her. But nope, just for a flashy scene.
Vander being warrick was essential to the plot, so I don't know what they mean with that one specifically. That is how Jinx and Vi (and by extension, Vi and Caitlyn) get back on the same side.
Viktor being the one who gave Jayce the stone was essential to the plot, also, and many people already saw it coming, so it wasn't wow for wow's sake, either.
But yeah, there were a handful of spectacle over substance scenes in season 2, just not sure I agree with all of the examples chosen.
Take 9: Season 2's "plot" is all over the place.
Oh yeah. Too much going on and too few payoffs, let alone satisfying payoffs.
Take 10: Character motivations were nuts by the end.
Agreed. Viktor has complete control over his super soldiers, and has already expressed his intentions are not aligned with Ambessa's. So what does Ambessa do? She has Viktor turn her soldiers into his minions. What was the end game there?
Highly disagree on your season 2 take of Mel. She was very important to the plot and in us understanding her mother's motivations.
I mean, who was Ambessa running from? What were they capable of? Why were they dangerous. Why does Ambessa care about family? Why was she in piltover? Why is she so adamant about having hextech?
All those questions were answered in Mel's arc.
Also, now about Mel, this arc for her in season 2 had little to do with what made her interesting in season 1 (her essentially being a fox). This was her journey about her becoming the wolf.
Every main character in season 1 are the opposites of their season 1 selves. Viktor is now in support of hextech, Jayce wants it destroyed, Heimerdinger starts using hextech technology instead of solely fearing it, Jinx becomes an elder sibling figure and caretaker after usually having others take care of her, etc etc.
This arc is meant to be a sharpe contrast to season 1 Mel. It is intentional. Mel had to go through hell and back, question her orgin, her place in the world, all to ultimately become the wolf.
And to address the mystery surrounding the black rose, that's also intentional, but if you pay attention most of the questions regarding them were answered.
Why did they take Mel? Why did they kill Elora? What did Ambessa steal? What happened to Kino? The purpose of taking Mel's brother's form? How Mel has magic? How Mel's magic work/what type of magic does she possess?
The only question that reminds is what is the sole purpose or mission of the black rose. That wasn't answered, but they're a secret organization, so it makes sense why we would potentially find out more about them in the future.
@amahlgrant You have convinced me. I agree with pretty much all of what you said here.
57:10 I'm glad someone said it. When Isha died, I honestly couldn't have cared less. What drove me to the next episode was concern for Jinx and Vi and the aftermath of the explosion. Don't get me wrong, it was a brilliant death scene. But I didn't feel like I was losing anyone. Because the show failed to endear me to the character....because there was no character. Isha was nothing but Jinx's fridge motivation.
Happy New year Aisha. Hope 2025 brings you peace and joy
@@Benjamintheplanet Happy New Year to you too!! Excited to see what I get up to this year!
VAYCE and VIOLYN need to be the official ship names, rolls off the tongue easier
@@RedEveTillDawn hold onnn…why have I never thought of Vayce!??
jayvik and violyn are best imo, vayce sounds like a soap brand
Vayce sounds like it'd be Vi and Jayce, certainly not JayVik. I agree with Violyn tho, it's silly :P
@tamarbaas I mean if you know what you’re talking about then you’ll know it’s Viktor
@@RedEveTillDawn Doesn't stop the confusion, because it's meant to let people know who you're talking about lmao.
Sorry, but Jinx should never have been seen as a "heroic" figure to Zaunites. She was an enforcer for Silco and feared whenever she appeared. She murdered so many people and no one on either side would have been happy to have her on their side because she was never on anyone's side. Like I said in other comments, she should have just disappeared for a bit in season 2 and maybe Ekko could have found her and reached out to her to turn her towards redemption and the final sacrifice without the universe switch. And Jinx shouldn't be implied to have survived to be on the ship sailing away...
@@artboymoy I agree, she definitely wasn’t a hero! Still, the “revolutionary icon” arc they were teasing early on had me excited to see how’d she grow this season. Now I do like your idea of her laying low and then Ekko reaching out to her (which kind of happens) but the writers would’ve never “disappeared” Jinx , she’s too big as a character 😅
Hi Aisha - Happy New Years !
Necrit has a new Vid out , explaining the Black Rose (fyi ... if interested)
Have a great start to 2025 !
@@69quato Happy New Year to you too!! I’ll def go and check it out!
You missed something with Caitlyn and Vi.
When she was upset about Vi not wanting to be an enforcer, she tried to gaslight Vi by saying that now, she can relate to how Vi feels because her mom was killed.
No, she does not relate. Jinx kidnapped her for a day. The enforcers kidnapped Vi for 7 years of her youth. On top of that, Vi wasn't asking Caitlyn to dress up and become like Jinx. Granted, she already has blue hair 🤪 but you get what I mean?
What she said was not about Cait relating to Vi but why Cait would want Jinx dead. I agree that Caitlyn saying she can relate to Vi was stupid, but I blame that on the writers.
where can I submit my unpopular opinion? I got a actual real hot take - Ekko is overrated and I don't like him, he got so much screen time and ended up with a weak and unsatisfying character arc
Ekko? You think Ekko (of all characters) got too much screen time?? Bro was barely in the show and when he was he carried. I realize everyone's opinions are valid, but Ekko slander is never justified to me.
He is one of the most pure characters, even leaving behind a world where he got everything he ever wanted because he realized his people needed him. The most selfless character by far and is always standing on business.
Perhaps his arc was "weak and unsatisfying" because he was completely abandoned in act 2, and he had the majority of his scenes in act 3 cut. This has to be rage bait.
I may edit my comment as im watching but so far you are only stating facts.
Right now i’m at the Cait Vi portion and i agree 100%. I support season 1 Caitvi but Caitlyn at least needed a scene apologizing and recognizing all of the wrongdoing she did to Vi. lol i typed right before you basically said the same. Also same, the dirt under your nails is so blindingly bad i dont think thats unpopular with poc watchers.
Mel is my favorite character and i think she was the best written. It seems like they knew what to do with her from the beginning. As a lore nerd, i did notice some other hints before the last scene of season one but i agree that it wasn’t really hinted enough for a watcher who doesn’t know the lore which is at fault of the writers not the average watcher.
I get some of the people who might have issue with mel but sometimes i can just tell it’s unwarranted and is just something called anti-
I like Jinx, she also very well written and i do have sympathy for her.
I’m so exhausted about Jayvik, i love and support it but im getting the ick with some shippers talking shit about Mel and trying to make it seem like she was super classist compared to jayce who literally called zaunites dangerous in Viktors face.
I’m a POC watcher and liked the line 🤷 it’s basic slob/snob dynamic banter, not Vi being bigoted towards herself or her family lol (the literal meaning of the phrase is “the physical evidence of hard work/manual labor, signifying that someone has been actively involved in a task that requires getting their hands dirty, often implying a grounded and practical approach rather than a purely theoretical one” which I think fits perfectly for their situation)
“You’re never going to clean me out.” Caitlyn already TRIED pretending the whole thing never happened and couldn’t deny what she knew inside to be true, Vi is poking fun at this and saying she’ll never get rid of her or her true self (not the idealized Caitlyn her parents wanted who never got involved in “real” work and always listened to authority)
what does being a poc have to do with that line?? im a poc and i absolutely love that line?? and i do not even have words for other things you said.
@@healgothpreach it monarch
Honestly, it’s half and half with Jayvik shippers. One half worships Mel (as they should), and the other hates her.
@ unfortunately that is not what i’ve seen.
Why is Jayce and Caitlyn disgusting? Not saying I think they work or anything. I just thought they were pretty close in age.
@@Saprimacy it’s disgusting because she was about 14/15 when he was 24
@artxroyalty I didn't know that. I thought they were only a like a year apart tops. Guess I missed that in season 1.
They have a 6-7 age gap.
He knew her when he was 24 and she was 14-15 years old.
@Mialikesthings I really thought she was older than that. I assumed they were closer in age because they seemed so close. It didn't really give me big brother little sister vibes. More like good friends. I haven't personally met too many 24 year old with young teenaged friends, lol.
@@Saprimacy
It makes more sense in League. Cait and Jayce are supposed to have a sister/brother relationship. Many people have spoken about how season 2 made their relationship quite dirty.
This is probably gonna get people in they feelings, but here goes nuthin'......TV and Movie characters are people, and just as in real life, there are parts of their story that we don't see. There is hurt, trauma, healing, circumstance, and work that may happen behind the scenes or just outside of our own sight. It doesn't mean that it doesn't happen and that the effects of these things aren't very real. Used the argument "Violyn's" happy ending doesn't feel earned or Mel story doesn't feel earned. There are literally months worth of activity that we are not privy to. Who is to say that Caitlyn and Vi didn't have the convo about laying hands on each other or Mel didn't practice and learn about her powers on her long trip home to Piltover? We don't know and we assume it didn't happen because we didn't see it. That is a very real problem. How many people in real life, cause trouble and create unnecessary havoc because they assume that they have the whole picture when they just don't! So much stuff happens that we don't see. We will have no evidence for something, one way or the other and yet we make these narratives in our mind based on how we FEEL! I need more people to realize a couple things. 1)How a person FEELS about a situation and what actually happened(the actual facts) are not the samething! You can feel betrayed when no one has betrayed you. It some cases, it's the person who feels the most betrayed who did the betraying. This is true for everyone.
2)More things happen that we are unaware of than what we are actually aware of. Again, this true for everyone. There will always be more that we don't know, than what we do know. As people we need to be better at being both patient and curious. We need to seek to find out what happened instead of assuming that already know. Violyn got their happy ending.....they're happy...THAT IS THE POINT!!! Why are we second guessing their relationship? If they were real people, this would be intrusive and rude! I'm not saying we should be vigilant about domestic abuse, but knowing how and when in intercede is key. In this case, it probably isn't warranted. Mel was kidnapped and was gone for months. I presumed she was taken to Noxus's capital, the Immortal Bastion. I'm absolutely positive she had been trying out her new found power and practicing her skills all the way home like a good little piggy. Mel is way to intelligent to have done otherwise. Would it have been nice to see it? Of course, but working in the time constraints that Riot/Fortiche had, it didn't make the cut, as is true for so many other things in S2 of this wonderful show.
Anything, and I say anything, that is substantial to the plot, should be shown on-screen
@yay29823 This is the difference between an artist and a critic. The artist shows what they WANT you to see, critics judge what is seen or not seen. Mel "earning" her power and Violyn hashing every single pitfall and detail of their relationship WASN'T necessary for the plot! How do we know that? Because the plot was perfectly conveyed without it!!!!!! Again, would this stuff have been nice to see? Absolutely, but it WASN'T necessary to move the plot along or for the story to make sense! We all got and understood what was going on in the show the whole time. What we think of it or feel about it will differ from person to person, but it won't change the absolute fact that none of the stuff cut out or not seen was necessary for either plot progression or plot understanding!
to be honest i never shiped vi and caitlyn something always felt off its just my opinion i watched a video called vi and caitlyn was always a bad ship maybe check it out he explains it very well why they dont work
yeah no that was horrible
@graey13 alright caitvi shipper
@@azulabluewarrioralright caitvi hater???
@@azulabluewarrior oh wow, you didn’t even like them in s1? 😅 I still love CaitVi as a couple, I just prefer their s1 dynamic more than s2