4:22 A correction there, it's a netflix exclusive, not to be confused with a Netflix original because that implies it was created by netflix and it wasn't, Riot called the shots and had complete creative control. Netflix is only a distributor of the show. This distinction is important because arcane can be legally watched in china on a platform owned by tencent which are the owners of riot games, and it had a viewrship of130 MILLION in china alone.
Technically speaking a lot of shows that aren't made by Netflix are branded Netflix Originals. A lot of shows that air on network TV in the US and then are exclusive to Netflix in other countries still have that Netflix Original branding when you hit play
Just a little note about Ekko, he doesn't just fight for individuality, he takes active part and nurtures a community. That also is a part of the cure for fascism
This is why he’s my favorite character. He builds community, fosters hope, and tries to pave the way for everyone to live rather than just survive. It’s no surprise that he’s one of the few POC main cast members in the show, while he fights for the members of the working class/poor who are always victims of the systemic violence of Piltover. He’s easily the most emotionally intelligent character in the show and most charismatic as well. I can’t wait to see him in Act III.
@immkk1125 I wish they'd give him the screentime he deserves! I want to see my boy take an active role in creating a new world in the shell of the old. I love that he is actually correcting the mistakes of Vander, you can protect people AND fight back. You can do both, which neither Silco nor Vander understood how to do.
Something I didn't notice until you mentioned Caitlyn's coat is how closely it resembles Silco's jacket. Both articles of clothing have a large, vampiric collar with red lining. Not only does this show her going down a similar path as Silco, a path of revenge and tyranny masked by a facade of protecting her people, but the scene where she puts it on is an inverse mirror of Silco and Jinx. Both Silco and Ambessa foster their proteges' skills and confidence while also bringing out their worst qualities. However, Ambessa is the one wearing the braids while Caitlyn is the one wearing the coat. The symbolism in this show is completely insane.
I wouldn't call it a facade, so much as a justification. Silco and Caitlyn do have good intentions. Their actions are genuinely meant to improve the lives of their people (at least in the long run), but if that means oppressing, killing, or controlling innocents, then so be it, because that's necessary for the greater good. Silco is willing to discontinue shimmer, Caitlyn clearly dislikes and reigns in the Noxian methodology. And when given the chance, they both choose to forego (at least temporarily) taking vengeance.
I think silco genuinely does this for his people. We don't see him indulging, we see him planning and plotting and we also see he takes no power for himself other than to advance his objective. And his objectives are the progress of Zaun. He is at heart an activist, one who definitely think the end justify the means. I think what Silco really represent is how to level the field when you are oppressed is impossible unless you use means that go against the system and rely on doing some bad.
@@afgusti4269 I think that's a great way of putting it, and it explains why Silco inherently fell out with Vander, because Vander was more willing to work with the system but would inherently do nothing to really change the status quo. He maintained peace which allowed most people to lead okish lives, but things would never become truly equal under Vander's leadership.
@@afgusti4269Yes but most his bad was against his supposed own people. Remember when he cornered Vi and Caitlyn at the drug den, he snickered at the poor addicts, teasing them with vials of shimmer, obviously relishing in his power over them - there was no hint of guilt or empathy; he ruined their lives with his drug. Reminds me of Escobar’s claims that he was working for the people’s
@ I was excited for the tension of Cait going against her values and being blinded by rage and grief, only for it to kinda fizzle out as the season went. Very sad
@ Also yeah you just reminded me that she kinda used an old tactic that was used to oppress Zaun back in the day and just straight up gassed them, Vi was cool with it, couple of people mention it and then it never gets mentioned again 💀
I wish there were more episodes so everything could be explored more. act 1 showed so much promise but the amount of story they needed to go through stilted everything
Viktor as the Herald is draped in Blue robes given to him by Jayce. Going by your analysis this is Jayce handing over the ideals of progress to Viktor who [I believe] seems to be trying to do sincere good but beneath the robes we have his purple body which represents his loyalty to the opprssed and the chromatic chaos of the Arcane which appears to be a corrupting influence all of its own.
Funny thing is, Viktor's ingame model has the egzacht same cape, blue on the outside, red on the inside. What I find amazing, that they found ways to use this color symbolism in the series, blend it together with already existing designs and color palettes from the game, and create multiple layers of interpretations as a result.
When people ask why these two seasons cost $250 million. This is the video I'll show them. To see how much work has been put into it. How every detail in frame matters. Amazing work. Amazing presentation.
the theory people associating color with emotions is not a universal thing. it's regional. it has a lot more to do with where and when you grew up. it has to do with your culture and cultural practices. the west might associate red with anger, but we also created the idea that Red is the color or communists and fascists, and that they are our enemies. in the east red has a different connotation, Red is the colour of happiness, joy and celebration. in the west black represents mourning and death, we use it for funerals. yet in some asian nations they use white for funerals.
This is absolutely true! I should have specified more that this is a western interpretation of Arcane primarily because it's made by a Western studio. But from a theory perspective, I 100% agree, and honestly I think that there's significant bias as most of the research done into the topic has been done so in the west. Bias in research is a substantial problem because most studies only use participants from their region, and so regional differences in research are often left undetected.
it's not even a east vs. west or even country to country thing, every colour has a ton of different associations in each region alone, like no one associates red in a romantic context with anger (unless they're forever alone i guess) and white can represent death in western culture too, the flowers at funerals are usually white.
@@ifu138 I found personally that the blue that Cait and the enforcers wear works quite well, as the connotation of blue in my country is for the conservative government. The "progressives" that are actually oppressors use the colour of our conservatives.
I would sat that people associating color with emotions is universal. It is simply what emotions those are that depends on the culture and the context. @pluemas Blue for conservatives and reds for progressives (usually within Socialists) is the usual association for most of the world (liberalism, which is something of a middle ground between conservatism and social democracy, is usually yellow or blue I would say). Americans (and apparently South Koreans) are the ones who have it weirdly reversed.
@@gokbay3057 I do think it makes sense, seeing as the republicans and democrats flipped. They started out the way everywhere else did it. South Korea might have inherited their associations following on from the Korean war.
I loved this video, I only disagreed heavily on Ekko and the perception of individuality. Ekko is portrayed so differently because he doesn’t belong to any of the sides. His individuality is in his ability to see beyond the current system and be the leader of a third possibility. He’s absolutely moved by the collective, not the individual. He denies the current structure by “creating” a new society. Reminded me of Wakanda! How, untouched by the oppressors, it got a chance to thrive. However, unlike (or, in a sense, like) Wakanda, it exists inside a system that cannot be ignored. I think this is proven by the sickening of the tree. While Ekko does want to do his own thing, he can’t. The Piltover system corrupts and will corrupt everything and he will have to fight it if he wants to truly be free. Like the philosopher Paulo Freire said: “No one can liberate anyone else, no one can be liberated alone: people become free in communion”. Ekko will never be free unless Zaun is free, for he is a Zaunite and that will follow him to any crevice and hole he hides and tries to thrive in. Liberation can’t be done individually and understanding that will be his final development, IMO.
Agreed. He's literally a solar punk anarchist. His "individualism" is his ability to not be deluded by either the internalized fascism propagated by Piltover or the class aspiration of Silco's "council" (capitalists just taking advantage of their fellow under dwellers.)
@@Blue-oc2xk there isn’t a false dichotomy, actually, there is a real one that’s proven in Ekkos episode when he chooses to go back to his dimension/timeline, as he gave up his individual happiness in favor of the collective, as he knew there were people depending on him. That is clear again by the last shot when he’s sitting by himself, clearly thinking about what he lost.
@@byejesper I would say you are correct that in the situation with Ekko that his individual desires and his desire to support his community are dichotomous, I think that what the other commenter was saying is that in general "dichotomy" pressumes that the two concepts (individual - collective) are inherently opposed and at odds, and this is not the case. Invidiuals do not exist in a vacuum and are part of a collective, and a collective does not exist without individuals. Sometimes they are at odds but many times they are not. So basically... you're both right! lol Ekko was experiencing a dichotomous relationship between his individual self and collective self. But broadly speaking individuals are not inherently dichotomous to collective action, and vice versa. :)
Something to add about Caitlyn's red choker in her enforcer outfit - during the French revolution red ribbons/chokers were worn sometimes by aristocrats who escaped the beheadings, and sometimes by those who had lost a family member who had been executed. They'd wear a red choker in the memory of the lost loved one. So it's actually not about anger in my opinion, but Caitlyn honouring her mother. I don't think the red/blue use has anything to do with US politics - Fortiche are French, and if there is anything that the French are experts in, it's revolution.
You're the only UA-camr who's addressed the complex main issues in Arcane so far, and I really appreciate that. The well-crafted statements, in particular, demonstrated how much thought had gone into this. I hope to see more of your commentary, as I really enjoy it. 👍🏼
There's plenty of serious youtube videos that have gone into depth into Arcane's various themes. Such as "why does arcane feel greek?", "vi and jinx: arcane' perfect narrative heart" or "how arcane writes women". This isn't the only, nor the first video on the genius and hard work that went into this show. ;)
[spoilers for the rest of the season] this video made me realise how awful it is that the rest of the season almost completely drops this arc of opression, we see zounites unite, under jinxs symbol but it leads nowhere! bc now we are facing god level threat and we have to "unite" with the only consolation to zaun is the possibility that ONE seat in the council will change smth... it diminishes all of this buildup, all of this pain that is shown for a shallow ending for this arc this show deserved to had a whole ass season dedicated to telling that arc fully, with all the characters in it and all the themes being actualized, and then and only then, as the next season or a movie or smth, to have the elements that set up for later projects or for the entrie world of Runeterra, the apocalypse of Victor's making and the threat of noxus. It would also allow for the arc of Victor to shine and build up more naturally, having more then ONE episde on his motivations and ultimete change in them.
EXACTLY THIS. It feels like such a hollow liberal ending where the undercity is essentially given lipservice in that they get Sevika on the council instead of the justice and liberation they deserve. It's sad that this mirrors real-life oppression where those in power co-opt oppressed identities and give the smallest amounts of power to those oppressed to ultimately suppress revolution
I'm disappointed in this as well. I almost wonder if there was some behind-the-scenes meddling to block this topic from being explored further, given the current state of the world. The story had the potential to be VERY powerful if it wasn't neutered by overseers.
@@mushymass9716 THERE WERE SO MANY CUT SCENES, the more I spend time in the fandom the more cut scenes I hear about... its crazy... Netflix and Riot WHEN I GET TO YOU ARGHHH
@@mushymass9716 also after this comment I remmembered one more thing, there was literally like ONE scene when piltover just convinced the entire Zaun to work toghether and they didn't even explain why they just showed the mannequin and Zaun agreed like WHAT. Oh so I guess the opression was the friend we made along the way huh T-T
Not to mention I felt as if liberalism broke itself into the show quite loudly when hearing Viktor directly explain to the audience why the commune, a significant homage to french history, failed. My personal interpretation is Viktor attributed its failure directly to humans and "human nature" argument as he wasn't referencing Jayce alone, and his explanation was not rooted in the material realities surrounding the commune. Through Viktor's reasoning, he felt absolute control was necessary to surpass what he felt of "human nature" qualities were causing the suffering, but Jayce reeling him in that those qualities are what make being human is-- leaving it open to revolutionary thought as it is clear Viktor in the future realized he was wrong..
man i wish s2 actually leaned into these concepts outlined here more... in the end, the impact of its themes was a whimper when it had all the makings of a bang - the symbolism, the colors, the dehumanization of the Herald plot, the fascism of the PiltNox v Zaun plot, the hope in Ekko's sidelined *everything,* etc etc. NONE of it was able to grow into fruition/to create as impactful of a story as s1 did... mann i appreciate this video for focusing on what the creators did right before they had to shove all that cool symbols and themes into a one-season box!
yeah and they represent some of the few rays of light in the world (morally speaking) especially as ekko literally made a sanctuary that allows light to come in and grow plants which is unheard of for the undercity
Seriously, I hadn't even reached the one minute mark on the video when I checked the channel expecting at least several video essays (or dozens really) and saw that this was the first and only video on the channel.
Another thing is that Ekko is the only character wearing orange - his scarf - and as you said, “sunlight, happiness and brightness”: To me this symbolises Ekko’s active push for a brighter future. He is also shown bathed in yellow/orange light in the intro.
After finishing the show and now that the dopamine rush from the things I enjoyed and loved has passed, I really feel like they failed to live up to a lot of the themes you talk about here. In depth, I mean. Season 1 and Act 1 of season 2 provided us with such a delicious blend of spectacle and substance, while the final two episodes were so rushed that it turned into spectacle over substance. Don't get me wrong, the substance is still there! I just wish they had taken a firmer stand on the sociopolitical message instead of mellowing it out in favor of action scenes and beautiful visuals. It rang more hollow than if they had taken the time to dwell on the characters and themes properly. I wish they had put as much care into following up on the color schemes and what they represent. Your final words here about where you thought the show was headed thematically did not line up with what actually followed, which is a real shame. Anyone else agree? This is a very broad take that doesn't really touch on details, it's just the general feeling I'm left with now that a few days have passed.
Also! The part where you discuss the inherent class differences in Jayce and Viktor's color schemes and gradual changes into opposited (gold and purple), and how "purple is the color of the oppressed" is so thematically relevant, and one of the thing I wish they had followed up on more closely. Instead, the final episodes gave us "purple is the color of evil that must be stopped", meaning "the oppressed are not justified in their agenda and must be stopped" in a very Hollywood, Marvel-esque fashion (complete with a predictable Villain and Villain army fight) with is sooo reductive and frustrating. I haven't played the games but after familiarizing myself with just a tidbit of Viktor's OG lore i understand better why fans are frustrated and feel that OP mage!Viktor is a dpwngrade from scientist who voluntarily built himself and his community new limbs and lives and used technology to fight their oppressors. Love show Viktor and how his and Jayce's story ended, but Arcane lore shouldn't be canon. /rant over. Sorry, I have many Thought and Feelings about this show. Love it dearly but it could have been even better, imo.
Agreed. They set up for such an interesting conflict and story about oppression and fascism only to push it aside. This entire season felt like they were setting up for another season that was never coming, so they had to wrap everything up as quickly as they could. Still a good season nonetheless, but it’s such a shame. Season 1 was such a masterclass in writing. Wouldn’t be surprised if the big boys of Riot wanted to move to the Noxus show as soon as possible and cut Arcane off at 2 seasons
Definitely felt the same After I was done watching and the more time I had time to just sit w it and think the less I enjoyed the ending for many reasons. I was always wary of the show dropping that messaging/story and it unfortunately did exactly what I expected and I wish I had been wrong
20:46 A little correction, Ambessa isn't the leader of Noxus she's a general from Noxus. Noxus is led by the Trifarix which is a council of three members each representing one of the three core Noxian tenets. The current council is made up of Swain representing vision, Darius representing might, and The Faceless representing Guile.
This is exactly what I thought the series would be about and also why I was disappointed by Act 3. It's not that it was bad, or that it didn't make sense, or that it was too fast pased and came out of nowhere; it's that they've been setting up a conflict between oppressors and the oppressed that never really came to a head. It's also why I disliked Jinx and Ekko's ending. They are arguably the characters that have suffered most in the show (at least, they are the examples of the consequence of growing up in these circumstances) and neither of them get a "happy ending". Jinx's death, in particular, bothered me because the message seems to be that if you are evil and do bad things, the only way to redeem yourself is through sacrificing yourself. Ekko stops her from committing suicide, but she still lets herself die. Is the message then that if you are depressed and want to die, that's ok as long as it's "for a good cause"? Even if she isn't really dead, that is still the end of her arc in the show. It's telling that of all the characters that do horrible things (such as Caitlyn), Jinx, whose trauma shapes her brand of violence and made it messy, gory, visible, is the only one condemned for it and the only one that has to atone for it. I think that message is very dangerous given the recent rise of facism we are seeing in the world (especially the US), and I also think it goes against all the show has been trying to set up so far. And as for Ekko, although he seemingly achieves his goal of revolution, having to sacrifice everything for it (assuming he is in love with Jinx or Powder and has now lost her) while others don't (Singed and his daughter, again Caitlyn with Vi) leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Not because it is unusual, of course the character that represents the actual revolution and the actual oppression of the Zaunites does not really win at the end. I just dislike that in a show whose main message so far has been about the cycle of violence, toppling the systems of oppression, the color of individuality, etc. that they would still chose to have Ekko "lose". I think a more hopeful, and impactful, message would've been to free him from the burden of the revolution. Even just one scene of him like turning back and gasping or smiling so that you don't really know that Jinx is alive but you still know he got something would've worked. That last part might just be a personal preference though.
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An interesting detail about Mel's color scheme is that it also changes depending on her motivations. She wears a black dress when she needs to show her strong side, for example when she welcomes her mother or when she manipulates Jayce for her own interests at the beginning. And she goes back to white when she shows her honest feelings to Jayce.
That ending phase made me feel bad - "Arcane season two will be about the confrontation between the oppressors and the oppressed...". Would've loved for that to happen, but spoilers, it didn't.
I still think the series would’ve had enough space to do everything they set up in season 1 if they just planned for a third season. Would’ve been a way better idea. It felt like they needed to wrap everything up as soon as possible so they could get to creating the Noxus show
while listening to your thoughts on cait's color themes, i realized the blanket jayce covers viktor with is blue with red lining the inside!! using your arguments, this coloring foreshadows how Viktor's method of utilizing technology/arcane to improve Zaun is actually facism/authoritarianism cloaked in progress, as he eventually decides to take control of everyone and remove their free will in order to achieve "perfection" anyways, this vid gave me chills and even made me cry at one point lol, thank you for your analysis!!!
Something that was missed but i think was important is zaun is represented by art nouveau (nature, dynamics, and rebellion against mass production) while piltover is represented by art deco (wealth, rigid, industrialisation). It is a visual representation of the ideals of the two groups as well as a visual representation of piltover leaving zaun in the past since the art deco movement succeeded the art nouveau movement.
YOUR FIRST VIDEO??? I watched it till the end! I loved your steady and not boring voice. The details and the research that was put into this is incredible! 10/10 video!
In a very brief analysis of the characters, Jayce seems to start as an idealistic petit bourgeoisie who becomes persuaded by the status quo in his assent to a guardian of the system and an imperial bourgeoisie. Silco is strongly national bourgeois, he pushes for change, but not to better the lives for his people (unlike Ekko, the proletarian revolutionary) but needs to unite with them towards a common goal. Katelyn is a cop
I wouldn’t really say Jace is ‘persuaded’, as that infers that his intentions and outlook change, but rather forced into his role by the system he is a part of; that individual will have to conform to the status quo.
honestly would love to see this entire video again but with the end of arcane attached. like you don't have to change a single thing just keep going and ill watch it all again. epic video
Nice video, what I love about color theory is that everything that you said works but at the same time there are different interpretations of those meanings and each story can be written and read differently depending on the pov of who is watching
Just a little detail from France ; in France, blue is the color of nationalism, conservatism and even fascism. Because it recalls the colors of the king before the Revolution. So yes, its the color of the nationalist party Rassemblement National, but it's way broader than this. (Btw, the words "left" and "right" associated with politics come from the French Revolution too ; in the middle of the Revolution and before he was beheaded, the king had the power to refuse any law that had been democratically voted ; he trapped the "jacobins" by asking the deputees to go at his left if they wanted to abrogate his veto-power, and to his right if they wanted it to be absolute. That's historically how the left was formed, in opposition to injustice and despotism, standing against the king and for freedom)(I'll add that, if red is the color for socialism, it comes from France too, it was the color of the flag that shook the police to tell the people to go away before they shot them, it was then associated with the blood of the people that the police shed after that)
The way my jaw dropped when you said this was your first video on the channel! Amazing analysis and a very high quality video dude. I’ll be keeping my eye out for any more media analysis you have to share.
I, like many others, watch a lot of video essays on youtube. So most of them blur into the background and do not catch or maintain my attention. Not so with your video, I was glued to the screen for the entire 30 minutes. Instant subscribe for me
Very interesting, but I wish you went more in-depth. I hope each segment gets more developed in your future videos. Honestly, for a first video, it’s ridiculously good. Can’t wait for the next one - I’ve got high hopes!
oh man this is so upsetting to watch now post-finale. it actually irritates me so much how little the writers stuck to these themes and how little they were fleshed out, but i guess that's what happens when you drop over half your writing team for season two of an incredibly complex show with incredibly complex themes 😵💫😵💫
I rarely comment on yt vid analysis but ur vid is soo well articulated and very nicely put together. Ur pronunciation is also clear and the pacing is nice, not too slow nor fast. Such a great work 👏
"There is no place for aesthetics in authoritarianism." I think you mean there is no room for individual artistic expression of aesthetics. This is an amazing video, especially for being your first one. I'm not engaging out of spite, but appreciation. To add a critical view to one of your points. Hugo Boss nazi uniforms have been considered aesthetic even by those standing against authoritarianism. Soviet art has been blanked on the west. Oh and that white supremacist American movie from back in the day is still by many considered beautiful even though it's racist as anything.
That Darth vader feeling is exactly what I thought! Especially the music in that scene. It sounded like one beat away from breaking into the Imperial March
For a first video, this was really well put together, good enough that I could be busy drawing and still take away exactly all the points you made, enjoying it. Thanks a lot!
i can't resist the urge of commenting on how incredibly fantastic this video is, it gives me hope and a better understanding of the human experience as a whole. Yes it may be dependant on how good Arcane is but it reveals a really valuable layer of it hidden to most. I just love it, thank you so much.
Tiny correction from someone who has: extensively studied the Soviet archive (speaks Russian, German and English), a bachelor in (20th Century) History specifically the Second World War, and who also is a comrade, I can promise you that Lenin is not the comparison for Silco. It is actually Vander, Silco is Stalin (or rather they are Stalin/Lenin the way a modern day westerner would perceive/write them). Crazy enough I thought you’d 100% make that connection when you first mentioned V.I.L. but you left Vander and his part in the (lead up to the) revolution of Zaun out completely lol. The takeover of the Chem-Barons is more comparable to the takeover of revisionists like Chruschtschow or ultimately Gorbatschow/Jelzin. Think about it a bit, lemme know if you’d like some reading suggestions, unless you want to be stuck with what the US State department wants you to believe about Ebil Stalin and his Regime :) Rot Front from former East Germany and thanks for the Video!
Really interesting analysis. Looking forward to seeing more of your future work. Couple of additional thoughts I had: You mentioned that Caitlyn used to have some purple in her outfit before her mother died, when it was replaced by red, and connected it to the purple of zaun. Another possible link is that purple is traditionally associated with royalty, and as heir to the Kiramman clan, Caitlyn has hereditary power and influence, so it makes sense for her and her mother to have a purple colour link, and also for her to remove it when her mother dies as she connects the colour to her. But also while her family influence helps get her into power, she doesn't really use it as justification, leaning more into the the aggression and ruthlessness (red) of Ambessa in her leadership. We also see at 18:46 plenty of the usually rare yellow and orange in the sunset as the scene of the peace deal represents a moment of hope for a resolution to the conflict.
watching this after the whole show, some parts did not pan out lol but the color theory feels like a great basis for something! Great work! If I don't see an updated version, I might investigate it myself
when the video mentioned that there is little to no use of orange and yellow in the background or in the details of the series, it instantly reminded me of the fight scene with warwick in episode 6 that is the first and only scene that this specific tone is used and it’s surrounding everyone, it’s the first time (i think) they use a warm tone to portray the environment of a scene and they choose a violent and tragic one even though the association most people have with these colors are of warmth and happiness and i think it’s a really interesting choice
Great video! I'm glad yt recommended it to me. Crazy this was your 1st upload, it looked great and you made your points across really well. Looking forward for more!
After watching a million easter egg videos I absolutely love this deep dive into other aspects. I mean as if need more reasons to proof it’s the best series of all times… ^^ thank you! Looking out for more content from you!
A wonderful detail I noticed that you failed to mentioned, 18:47 . Wilco and Jayce have the same colors, the same red details and gold accents… but Jayce has the white of freedom, and Silco has the black of power… probably ironically in this sense, neither are as free/powerful as they make themselves believe in this scene.
Love the video. Great analysis of a concept that i had not even thought of in reference to arcane. If i could make one little recommendation: background music. Doesn't have to be loud, doesn't even have to be Arcane or League of Legends, doesn't have to be anything in particular really. Just something so that the pauses between comments don't feel so empty.
OMG this is ur first video!! This is so good and incredibly interesting. I really like ur analysis of the show and how the colors assist it's storytelling. I can't wait to see what other analyses u will produce
This is such a fascinating video that goes into depth on the colours, symbolism and overarching themes that other videos haven't really covered in the same way. It was so interesting to watch and gave me a lot of stuff to think about for my own story ideas, I really want to experiment more with colour symbolism, not just in the meanings tied to colours but in the meaning colours can take on within the story outside of what we may already associate them with. That's something arcane does so well thank you for diving into it like this! :D
I'd love to see your revised version now that the full season is out. Also, I'd love to see your take on Andor--call it a hunch, but I think you'd love it
great video! I like your Mandela comparations to ekko, but even Mandela and his party used violence during their cause, so I'd say both Jinx and Ekko play a part.
Great first video! I love the succinct delivery for your points, though I feel like they'd land better if you gave them more substance by citing more examples within the media rather than general overviews. The pacing flowed well and I'm excited to see more videos from the future. I am most definitely excited for your first multi-hour venture (which I do hope you do one day)
it's funny how i thought you were a super experienced content creator given by the quality of the video, the information and overall production of this video, it was not until the last moment that you said it's actually your first video i realized this. what an amazing analysis!! it went super on depth and really elaborated on points i think most of the fandom did now previously know, thank yo ufor this and please keep making videos!
I can’t believe this is your first video! You’re incredibly well spoken, I’ve never thought about the colors in arcane aside from red, blue, green, and purple. The fact that the writers are telling a story with every single detail of this show has be absolutely FLOORED. Congrats on an absurdly good first video! Can’t wait to see more from you in the future!❤
First video???!! This was so good. Compliments aside I was really looking forward to deeper exploration of these themes that you talked about in Act 3 but we didn't really get much of it- it was more of a united against a common enemy type of deal and they didn't address the conflict between Piltover and Zaun that well...
This is a really good video, and i love watching these to really understand why they made arcane the way it is. I can really understand it and enjoy it now. Thank you for this!
Having seen how the show ends, I find it kinda funny that whenever you were analyzing what we have seen so far, I think you were very on point, but whenever you were speculating about what would come, you were way off. I would be very interested in watching a follow-up video and hear your thoughts about the ending and Viktor's transhumanism.
I was thinking of how good the video was when I heard that this is your first.....my jaw dropped It's amazing that this video with so much quality content is your first one! Keep it up men!!!
Feels strange to release an Arcane analysis video when Act 2 and 3 weren't out yet, but good vid, it was interesting ! Hoping for another one for the rest of season 2 ^^
4:22 A correction there, it's a netflix exclusive, not to be confused with a Netflix original because that implies it was created by netflix and it wasn't, Riot called the shots and had complete creative control. Netflix is only a distributor of the show. This distinction is important because arcane can be legally watched in china on a platform owned by tencent which are the owners of riot games, and it had a viewrship of130 MILLION in china alone.
Thanks for pointing this out! I wasn't aware of Tencent's viewing streaming platform that you and a few others pointed out, I should have caught that.
Technically speaking a lot of shows that aren't made by Netflix are branded Netflix Originals. A lot of shows that air on network TV in the US and then are exclusive to Netflix in other countries still have that Netflix Original branding when you hit play
this is a very ignorant question, but i'm genuinely curious. do they censor the relationship between cait and vi?
@@nougatpersonal LOL also curious about this ^^
1:19 they are not twin sister
Just a little note about Ekko, he doesn't just fight for individuality, he takes active part and nurtures a community. That also is a part of the cure for fascism
This is why he’s my favorite character. He builds community, fosters hope, and tries to pave the way for everyone to live rather than just survive. It’s no surprise that he’s one of the few POC main cast members in the show, while he fights for the members of the working class/poor who are always victims of the systemic violence of Piltover. He’s easily the most emotionally intelligent character in the show and most charismatic as well. I can’t wait to see him in Act III.
he’s the embodiment of radical anarchism
He gives me big Panther vibes in the best way, a grounded revolutionary rooted in community
@ absolutely yeah
@immkk1125 I wish they'd give him the screentime he deserves! I want to see my boy take an active role in creating a new world in the shell of the old. I love that he is actually correcting the mistakes of Vander, you can protect people AND fight back. You can do both, which neither Silco nor Vander understood how to do.
Something I didn't notice until you mentioned Caitlyn's coat is how closely it resembles Silco's jacket. Both articles of clothing have a large, vampiric collar with red lining. Not only does this show her going down a similar path as Silco, a path of revenge and tyranny masked by a facade of protecting her people, but the scene where she puts it on is an inverse mirror of Silco and Jinx. Both Silco and Ambessa foster their proteges' skills and confidence while also bringing out their worst qualities. However, Ambessa is the one wearing the braids while Caitlyn is the one wearing the coat. The symbolism in this show is completely insane.
That's one of the reasons why this show is so great. You just pick up new parallels all the time.
I wouldn't call it a facade, so much as a justification. Silco and Caitlyn do have good intentions.
Their actions are genuinely meant to improve the lives of their people (at least in the long run), but if that means oppressing, killing, or controlling innocents, then so be it, because that's necessary for the greater good.
Silco is willing to discontinue shimmer, Caitlyn clearly dislikes and reigns in the Noxian methodology. And when given the chance, they both choose to forego (at least temporarily) taking vengeance.
I think silco genuinely does this for his people. We don't see him indulging, we see him planning and plotting and we also see he takes no power for himself other than to advance his objective. And his objectives are the progress of Zaun. He is at heart an activist, one who definitely think the end justify the means.
I think what Silco really represent is how to level the field when you are oppressed is impossible unless you use means that go against the system and rely on doing some bad.
@@afgusti4269 I think that's a great way of putting it, and it explains why Silco inherently fell out with Vander, because Vander was more willing to work with the system but would inherently do nothing to really change the status quo. He maintained peace which allowed most people to lead okish lives, but things would never become truly equal under Vander's leadership.
@@afgusti4269Yes but most his bad was against his supposed own people. Remember when he cornered Vi and Caitlyn at the drug den, he snickered at the poor addicts, teasing them with vials of shimmer, obviously relishing in his power over them - there was no hint of guilt or empathy; he ruined their lives with his drug. Reminds me of Escobar’s claims that he was working for the people’s
“Arcane season 2 will be about the confrontation between the oppressors and the oppressed” as good as the season was, man I wish it was
Yeah Caitlyn kinda got away scott free from her nazi arc with minimal reproachment
@ I was excited for the tension of Cait going against her values and being blinded by rage and grief, only for it to kinda fizzle out as the season went. Very sad
@ Also yeah you just reminded me that she kinda used an old tactic that was used to oppress Zaun back in the day and just straight up gassed them, Vi was cool with it, couple of people mention it and then it never gets mentioned again 💀
I wish there were more episodes so everything could be explored more. act 1 showed so much promise but the amount of story they needed to go through stilted everything
agreed
Viktor as the Herald is draped in Blue robes given to him by Jayce. Going by your analysis this is Jayce handing over the ideals of progress to Viktor who [I believe] seems to be trying to do sincere good but beneath the robes we have his purple body which represents his loyalty to the opprssed and the chromatic chaos of the Arcane which appears to be a corrupting influence all of its own.
Funny thing is, Viktor's ingame model has the egzacht same cape, blue on the outside, red on the inside. What I find amazing, that they found ways to use this color symbolism in the series, blend it together with already existing designs and color palettes from the game, and create multiple layers of interpretations as a result.
"We'll be watching your career with great interest"
“We’ll witness your success with great reverence”
"And may your rise be crowned in resplendent glory"
"I see you, dawg."
You sly dog, we'll be seeing ya
When people ask why these two seasons cost $250 million. This is the video I'll show them. To see how much work has been put into it. How every detail in frame matters. Amazing work. Amazing presentation.
absolute cinema
the theory people associating color with emotions is not a universal thing. it's regional. it has a lot more to do with where and when you grew up. it has to do with your culture and cultural practices.
the west might associate red with anger, but we also created the idea that Red is the color or communists and fascists, and that they are our enemies.
in the east red has a different connotation, Red is the colour of happiness, joy and celebration.
in the west black represents mourning and death, we use it for funerals.
yet in some asian nations they use white for funerals.
This is absolutely true! I should have specified more that this is a western interpretation of Arcane primarily because it's made by a Western studio. But from a theory perspective, I 100% agree, and honestly I think that there's significant bias as most of the research done into the topic has been done so in the west. Bias in research is a substantial problem because most studies only use participants from their region, and so regional differences in research are often left undetected.
it's not even a east vs. west or even country to country thing, every colour has a ton of different associations in each region alone, like no one associates red in a romantic context with anger (unless they're forever alone i guess) and white can represent death in western culture too, the flowers at funerals are usually white.
@@ifu138 I found personally that the blue that Cait and the enforcers wear works quite well, as the connotation of blue in my country is for the conservative government. The "progressives" that are actually oppressors use the colour of our conservatives.
I would sat that people associating color with emotions is universal. It is simply what emotions those are that depends on the culture and the context.
@pluemas Blue for conservatives and reds for progressives (usually within Socialists) is the usual association for most of the world (liberalism, which is something of a middle ground between conservatism and social democracy, is usually yellow or blue I would say). Americans (and apparently South Koreans) are the ones who have it weirdly reversed.
@@gokbay3057 I do think it makes sense, seeing as the republicans and democrats flipped. They started out the way everywhere else did it. South Korea might have inherited their associations following on from the Korean war.
“Why must peace always be the justification for violence?” 😮💨 Great video btw, it really resonates with the reality of the world right now
I loved this video, I only disagreed heavily on Ekko and the perception of individuality.
Ekko is portrayed so differently because he doesn’t belong to any of the sides. His individuality is in his ability to see beyond the current system and be the leader of a third possibility. He’s absolutely moved by the collective, not the individual.
He denies the current structure by “creating” a new society. Reminded me of Wakanda! How, untouched by the oppressors, it got a chance to thrive. However, unlike (or, in a sense, like) Wakanda, it exists inside a system that cannot be ignored. I think this is proven by the sickening of the tree. While Ekko does want to do his own thing, he can’t. The Piltover system corrupts and will corrupt everything and he will have to fight it if he wants to truly be free.
Like the philosopher Paulo Freire said: “No one can liberate anyone else, no one can be liberated alone: people become free in communion”. Ekko will never be free unless Zaun is free, for he is a Zaunite and that will follow him to any crevice and hole he hides and tries to thrive in.
Liberation can’t be done individually and understanding that will be his final development, IMO.
Agreed. He's literally a solar punk anarchist. His "individualism" is his ability to not be deluded by either the internalized fascism propagated by Piltover or the class aspiration of Silco's "council" (capitalists just taking advantage of their fellow under dwellers.)
there's a false dichotomy between the individual and collective, and Ekko embodies the potential that exists within that.
@@Blue-oc2xk there isn’t a false dichotomy, actually, there is a real one that’s proven in Ekkos episode when he chooses to go back to his dimension/timeline, as he gave up his individual happiness in favor of the collective, as he knew there were people depending on him. That is clear again by the last shot when he’s sitting by himself, clearly thinking about what he lost.
@@Blue-oc2xknailed it 👌
@@byejesper I would say you are correct that in the situation with Ekko that his individual desires and his desire to support his community are dichotomous,
I think that what the other commenter was saying is that in general "dichotomy" pressumes that the two concepts (individual - collective) are inherently opposed and at odds, and this is not the case. Invidiuals do not exist in a vacuum and are part of a collective, and a collective does not exist without individuals. Sometimes they are at odds but many times they are not.
So basically... you're both right! lol
Ekko was experiencing a dichotomous relationship between his individual self and collective self. But broadly speaking individuals are not inherently dichotomous to collective action, and vice versa. :)
Something to add about Caitlyn's red choker in her enforcer outfit - during the French revolution red ribbons/chokers were worn sometimes by aristocrats who escaped the beheadings, and sometimes by those who had lost a family member who had been executed. They'd wear a red choker in the memory of the lost loved one. So it's actually not about anger in my opinion, but Caitlyn honouring her mother. I don't think the red/blue use has anything to do with US politics - Fortiche are French, and if there is anything that the French are experts in, it's revolution.
You're the only UA-camr who's addressed the complex main issues in Arcane so far, and I really appreciate that. The well-crafted statements, in particular, demonstrated how much thought had gone into this. I hope to see more of your commentary, as I really enjoy it. 👍🏼
I think people are scared to touch it. It's not easy topic to give it justice it deserves through content like videos, I think.
I recommend Schnee’s analysis of themes in Arcane as well
There's plenty of serious youtube videos that have gone into depth into Arcane's various themes. Such as "why does arcane feel greek?", "vi and jinx: arcane' perfect narrative heart" or "how arcane writes women". This isn't the only, nor the first video on the genius and hard work that went into this show. ;)
I disagree. Schnee and IdleScree have both done excellent analyses of Arcane's themes of power corrupting and the relationship it has to real life.
@@Kaipyro67ALT
Okay, that’s your opinion but I still stand by what I said.
[spoilers for the rest of the season] this video made me realise how awful it is that the rest of the season almost completely drops this arc of opression, we see zounites unite, under jinxs symbol but it leads nowhere! bc now we are facing god level threat and we have to "unite" with the only consolation to zaun is the possibility that ONE seat in the council will change smth... it diminishes all of this buildup, all of this pain that is shown for a shallow ending for this arc
this show deserved to had a whole ass season dedicated to telling that arc fully, with all the characters in it and all the themes being actualized, and then and only then, as the next season or a movie or smth, to have the elements that set up for later projects or for the entrie world of Runeterra, the apocalypse of Victor's making and the threat of noxus. It would also allow for the arc of Victor to shine and build up more naturally, having more then ONE episde on his motivations and ultimete change in them.
EXACTLY THIS. It feels like such a hollow liberal ending where the undercity is essentially given lipservice in that they get Sevika on the council instead of the justice and liberation they deserve. It's sad that this mirrors real-life oppression where those in power co-opt oppressed identities and give the smallest amounts of power to those oppressed to ultimately suppress revolution
I'm disappointed in this as well. I almost wonder if there was some behind-the-scenes meddling to block this topic from being explored further, given the current state of the world. The story had the potential to be VERY powerful if it wasn't neutered by overseers.
@@mushymass9716 THERE WERE SO MANY CUT SCENES, the more I spend time in the fandom the more cut scenes I hear about... its crazy... Netflix and Riot WHEN I GET TO YOU ARGHHH
@@mushymass9716 also after this comment I remmembered one more thing, there was literally like ONE scene when piltover just convinced the entire Zaun to work toghether and they didn't even explain why they just showed the mannequin and Zaun agreed like WHAT. Oh so I guess the opression was the friend we made along the way huh T-T
Not to mention I felt as if liberalism broke itself into the show quite loudly when hearing Viktor directly explain to the audience why the commune, a significant homage to french history, failed. My personal interpretation is Viktor attributed its failure directly to humans and "human nature" argument as he wasn't referencing Jayce alone, and his explanation was not rooted in the material realities surrounding the commune. Through Viktor's reasoning, he felt absolute control was necessary to surpass what he felt of "human nature" qualities were causing the suffering, but Jayce reeling him in that those qualities are what make being human is-- leaving it open to revolutionary thought as it is clear Viktor in the future realized he was wrong..
man i wish s2 actually leaned into these concepts outlined here more... in the end, the impact of its themes was a whimper when it had all the makings of a bang - the symbolism, the colors, the dehumanization of the Herald plot, the fascism of the PiltNox v Zaun plot, the hope in Ekko's sidelined *everything,* etc etc. NONE of it was able to grow into fruition/to create as impactful of a story as s1 did... mann i appreciate this video for focusing on what the creators did right before they had to shove all that cool symbols and themes into a one-season box!
13:02 "colors like orange and yellow are almost entirely absent". Ekko and Dr. Heimerdinger are orange.
Key word being "almost". And neither of them have a massive amount of screentime.
And now Isha
And Isha! All 3 of them also consistently have strong themes centering around hope, something often associated with those 2 colors :D
yeah and they represent some of the few rays of light in the world (morally speaking) especially as ekko literally made a sanctuary that allows light to come in and grow plants which is unheard of for the undercity
Holy cow, I did NOT expect this to be your first video
For real
Seriously, I hadn't even reached the one minute mark on the video when I checked the channel expecting at least several video essays (or dozens really) and saw that this was the first and only video on the channel.
Another thing is that Ekko is the only character wearing orange - his scarf - and as you said, “sunlight, happiness and brightness”: To me this symbolises Ekko’s active push for a brighter future. He is also shown bathed in yellow/orange light in the intro.
After finishing the show and now that the dopamine rush from the things I enjoyed and loved has passed, I really feel like they failed to live up to a lot of the themes you talk about here. In depth, I mean. Season 1 and Act 1 of season 2 provided us with such a delicious blend of spectacle and substance, while the final two episodes were so rushed that it turned into spectacle over substance. Don't get me wrong, the substance is still there! I just wish they had taken a firmer stand on the sociopolitical message instead of mellowing it out in favor of action scenes and beautiful visuals. It rang more hollow than if they had taken the time to dwell on the characters and themes properly. I wish they had put as much care into following up on the color schemes and what they represent. Your final words here about where you thought the show was headed thematically did not line up with what actually followed, which is a real shame.
Anyone else agree? This is a very broad take that doesn't really touch on details, it's just the general feeling I'm left with now that a few days have passed.
Also! The part where you discuss the inherent class differences in Jayce and Viktor's color schemes and gradual changes into opposited (gold and purple), and how "purple is the color of the oppressed" is so thematically relevant, and one of the thing I wish they had followed up on more closely. Instead, the final episodes gave us "purple is the color of evil that must be stopped", meaning "the oppressed are not justified in their agenda and must be stopped" in a very Hollywood, Marvel-esque fashion (complete with a predictable Villain and Villain army fight) with is sooo reductive and frustrating. I haven't played the games but after familiarizing myself with just a tidbit of Viktor's OG lore i understand better why fans are frustrated and feel that OP mage!Viktor is a dpwngrade from scientist who voluntarily built himself and his community new limbs and lives and used technology to fight their oppressors. Love show Viktor and how his and Jayce's story ended, but Arcane lore shouldn't be canon.
/rant over. Sorry, I have many Thought and Feelings about this show. Love it dearly but it could have been even better, imo.
Agreed. They set up for such an interesting conflict and story about oppression and fascism only to push it aside. This entire season felt like they were setting up for another season that was never coming, so they had to wrap everything up as quickly as they could. Still a good season nonetheless, but it’s such a shame. Season 1 was such a masterclass in writing. Wouldn’t be surprised if the big boys of Riot wanted to move to the Noxus show as soon as possible and cut Arcane off at 2 seasons
Definitely felt the same
After I was done watching and the more time I had time to just sit w it and think the less I enjoyed the ending for many reasons. I was always wary of the show dropping that messaging/story and it unfortunately did exactly what I expected and I wish I had been wrong
Still really loved season 2, but yeah, that was disappointing
20:46 A little correction, Ambessa isn't the leader of Noxus she's a general from Noxus. Noxus is led by the Trifarix which is a council of three members each representing one of the three core Noxian tenets. The current council is made up of Swain representing vision, Darius representing might, and The Faceless representing Guile.
This is exactly what I thought the series would be about and also why I was disappointed by Act 3. It's not that it was bad, or that it didn't make sense, or that it was too fast pased and came out of nowhere; it's that they've been setting up a conflict between oppressors and the oppressed that never really came to a head. It's also why I disliked Jinx and Ekko's ending. They are arguably the characters that have suffered most in the show (at least, they are the examples of the consequence of growing up in these circumstances) and neither of them get a "happy ending". Jinx's death, in particular, bothered me because the message seems to be that if you are evil and do bad things, the only way to redeem yourself is through sacrificing yourself. Ekko stops her from committing suicide, but she still lets herself die. Is the message then that if you are depressed and want to die, that's ok as long as it's "for a good cause"? Even if she isn't really dead, that is still the end of her arc in the show. It's telling that of all the characters that do horrible things (such as Caitlyn), Jinx, whose trauma shapes her brand of violence and made it messy, gory, visible, is the only one condemned for it and the only one that has to atone for it. I think that message is very dangerous given the recent rise of facism we are seeing in the world (especially the US), and I also think it goes against all the show has been trying to set up so far.
And as for Ekko, although he seemingly achieves his goal of revolution, having to sacrifice everything for it (assuming he is in love with Jinx or Powder and has now lost her) while others don't (Singed and his daughter, again Caitlyn with Vi) leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. Not because it is unusual, of course the character that represents the actual revolution and the actual oppression of the Zaunites does not really win at the end. I just dislike that in a show whose main message so far has been about the cycle of violence, toppling the systems of oppression, the color of individuality, etc. that they would still chose to have Ekko "lose". I think a more hopeful, and impactful, message would've been to free him from the burden of the revolution. Even just one scene of him like turning back and gasping or smiling so that you don't really know that Jinx is alive but you still know he got something would've worked. That last part might just be a personal preference though.
An interesting detail about Mel's color scheme is that it also changes depending on her motivations.
She wears a black dress when she needs to show her strong side, for example when she welcomes her mother or when she manipulates Jayce for her own interests at the beginning. And she goes back to white when she shows her honest feelings to Jayce.
Isha’s eyes are yellow and orange, because she represents happiness for Jinx
That ending phase made me feel bad - "Arcane season two will be about the confrontation between the oppressors and the oppressed...". Would've loved for that to happen, but spoilers, it didn't.
Spoilers
It was more reconciliation
I still think the series would’ve had enough space to do everything they set up in season 1 if they just planned for a third season. Would’ve been a way better idea. It felt like they needed to wrap everything up as soon as possible so they could get to creating the Noxus show
while listening to your thoughts on cait's color themes, i realized the blanket jayce covers viktor with is blue with red lining the inside!! using your arguments, this coloring foreshadows how Viktor's method of utilizing technology/arcane to improve Zaun is actually facism/authoritarianism cloaked in progress, as he eventually decides to take control of everyone and remove their free will in order to achieve "perfection"
anyways, this vid gave me chills and even made me cry at one point lol, thank you for your analysis!!!
Something that was missed but i think was important is zaun is represented by art nouveau (nature, dynamics, and rebellion against mass production) while piltover is represented by art deco (wealth, rigid, industrialisation). It is a visual representation of the ideals of the two groups as well as a visual representation of piltover leaving zaun in the past since the art deco movement succeeded the art nouveau movement.
YOUR FIRST VIDEO??? I watched it till the end! I loved your steady and not boring voice. The details and the research that was put into this is incredible! 10/10 video!
In a very brief analysis of the characters, Jayce seems to start as an idealistic petit bourgeoisie who becomes persuaded by the status quo in his assent to a guardian of the system and an imperial bourgeoisie. Silco is strongly national bourgeois, he pushes for change, but not to better the lives for his people (unlike Ekko, the proletarian revolutionary) but needs to unite with them towards a common goal. Katelyn is a cop
I wouldn’t really say Jace is ‘persuaded’, as that infers that his intentions and outlook change, but rather forced into his role by the system he is a part of; that individual will have to conform to the status quo.
4:25 Netflix isn't available in China, but Tencent Video is, on which Arcane was also released.
To the point about there not really being good guys and bad guys, I’d argue that Ekko and Heimendinger are pretty good
I agree with Ekko, but Heimendinger oversaw centuries of oppression over the lower classes.
Genuinely made me think and dwell more on the story, keep it up would love to see more of your insight
This is actually an incredible video, it feels deep and engaging not to mention incredibly polished for a channel with 17 (18 now) subscribers. 10/10.
This was hella good for a first video
honestly would love to see this entire video again but with the end of arcane attached. like you don't have to change a single thing just keep going and ill watch it all again. epic video
Was just searching for new video essays ab Arcane :)) just wished there were subtitles but you explain everything so well and in detail. Bravo
there are subtitles now!
Nice video, what I love about color theory is that everything that you said works but at the same time there are different interpretations of those meanings and each story can be written and read differently depending on the pov of who is watching
so excited to see your upcoming work
I can’t believe you only have this small of a subscriber base. This is really good and such good quality, you can count me as a new fan
What you've created here is why I don't give up on UA-cam. Thank you for this offering. Very inspiring for work I hope to create soon.
Just a little detail from France ; in France, blue is the color of nationalism, conservatism and even fascism. Because it recalls the colors of the king before the Revolution. So yes, its the color of the nationalist party Rassemblement National, but it's way broader than this. (Btw, the words "left" and "right" associated with politics come from the French Revolution too ; in the middle of the Revolution and before he was beheaded, the king had the power to refuse any law that had been democratically voted ; he trapped the "jacobins" by asking the deputees to go at his left if they wanted to abrogate his veto-power, and to his right if they wanted it to be absolute. That's historically how the left was formed, in opposition to injustice and despotism, standing against the king and for freedom)(I'll add that, if red is the color for socialism, it comes from France too, it was the color of the flag that shook the police to tell the people to go away before they shot them, it was then associated with the blood of the people that the police shed after that)
The way my jaw dropped when you said this was your first video on the channel! Amazing analysis and a very high quality video dude. I’ll be keeping my eye out for any more media analysis you have to share.
I, like many others, watch a lot of video essays on youtube. So most of them blur into the background and do not catch or maintain my attention. Not so with your video, I was glued to the screen for the entire 30 minutes. Instant subscribe for me
a Chanel with 200 sub serving high quality video, thank you.
I have got to know your reaction to the rest of the season!
Very interesting, but I wish you went more in-depth. I hope each segment gets more developed in your future videos. Honestly, for a first video, it’s ridiculously good. Can’t wait for the next one - I’ve got high hopes!
oh man this is so upsetting to watch now post-finale. it actually irritates me so much how little the writers stuck to these themes and how little they were fleshed out, but i guess that's what happens when you drop over half your writing team for season two of an incredibly complex show with incredibly complex themes 😵💫😵💫
Absolutely incredible video, really enjoy the calm and deep analysis
I rarely comment on yt vid analysis but ur vid is soo well articulated and very nicely put together. Ur pronunciation is also clear and the pacing is nice, not too slow nor fast.
Such a great work 👏
"There is no place for aesthetics in authoritarianism." I think you mean there is no room for individual artistic expression of aesthetics.
This is an amazing video, especially for being your first one. I'm not engaging out of spite, but appreciation. To add a critical view to one of your points.
Hugo Boss nazi uniforms have been considered aesthetic even by those standing against authoritarianism. Soviet art has been blanked on the west. Oh and that white supremacist American movie from back in the day is still by many considered beautiful even though it's racist as anything.
That Darth vader feeling is exactly what I thought! Especially the music in that scene. It sounded like one beat away from breaking into the Imperial March
Oh my god! Thank god someone made a review and a critic of Arcane on this light! I have been waiting for this!
For a first video, this was really well put together, good enough that I could be busy drawing and still take away exactly all the points you made, enjoying it. Thanks a lot!
i can't resist the urge of commenting on how incredibly fantastic this video is, it gives me hope and a better understanding of the human experience as a whole. Yes it may be dependant on how good Arcane is but it reveals a really valuable layer of it hidden to most. I just love it, thank you so much.
Tiny correction from someone who has: extensively studied the Soviet archive (speaks Russian, German and English), a bachelor in (20th Century) History specifically the Second World War, and who also is a comrade, I can promise you that Lenin is not the comparison for Silco. It is actually Vander, Silco is Stalin (or rather they are Stalin/Lenin the way a modern day westerner would perceive/write them). Crazy enough I thought you’d 100% make that connection when you first mentioned V.I.L. but you left Vander and his part in the (lead up to the) revolution of Zaun out completely lol.
The takeover of the Chem-Barons is more comparable to the takeover of revisionists like Chruschtschow or ultimately Gorbatschow/Jelzin.
Think about it a bit, lemme know if you’d like some reading suggestions, unless you want to be stuck with what the US State department wants you to believe about Ebil Stalin and his Regime :)
Rot Front from former East Germany and thanks for the Video!
Awesome first video! Look forward to more! Just keep having fun
this is an incredible video analysis!! i was shocked to see this is your first upload, keep up the fantastic work!!
A unique, informative Arcane video essay! I really enjoyed this❤️.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST VIDEO??? bruh props to you man, what a good ass start. super well done
Really interesting analysis. Looking forward to seeing more of your future work.
Couple of additional thoughts I had:
You mentioned that Caitlyn used to have some purple in her outfit before her mother died, when it was replaced by red, and connected it to the purple of zaun.
Another possible link is that purple is traditionally associated with royalty, and as heir to the Kiramman clan, Caitlyn has hereditary power and influence, so it makes sense for her and her mother to have a purple colour link, and also for her to remove it when her mother dies as she connects the colour to her. But also while her family influence helps get her into power, she doesn't really use it as justification, leaning more into the the aggression and ruthlessness (red) of Ambessa in her leadership.
We also see at 18:46 plenty of the usually rare yellow and orange in the sunset as the scene of the peace deal represents a moment of hope for a resolution to the conflict.
watching this after the whole show, some parts did not pan out lol but the color theory feels like a great basis for something! Great work! If I don't see an updated version, I might investigate it myself
when the video mentioned that there is little to no use of orange and yellow in the background or in the details of the series, it instantly reminded me of the fight scene with warwick in episode 6 that is the first and only scene that this specific tone is used and it’s surrounding everyone, it’s the first time (i think) they use a warm tone to portray the environment of a scene and they choose a violent and tragic one even though the association most people have with these colors are of warmth and happiness and i think it’s a really interesting choice
Very happy that this fantastic video landed in my recommended page
Your love of film and design comes through. Can’t believe this is your first video, I’ll be looking forward to more!
Great video! I'm glad yt recommended it to me.
Crazy this was your 1st upload, it looked great and you made your points across really well.
Looking forward for more!
After watching a million easter egg videos I absolutely love this deep dive into other aspects. I mean as if need more reasons to proof it’s the best series of all times… ^^ thank you! Looking out for more content from you!
its pretty dope how well some of these predictions held up tbh
A wonderful detail I noticed that you failed to mentioned, 18:47 . Wilco and Jayce have the same colors, the same red details and gold accents… but Jayce has the white of freedom, and Silco has the black of power… probably ironically in this sense, neither are as free/powerful as they make themselves believe in this scene.
15:50 "revolutions are bloody " laughter from Czechia in velvet revolution
This was an incredible video! I'm looking forward to your take on the rest of season 2
Love the video. Great analysis of a concept that i had not even thought of in reference to arcane.
If i could make one little recommendation: background music. Doesn't have to be loud, doesn't even have to be Arcane or League of Legends, doesn't have to be anything in particular really. Just something so that the pauses between comments don't feel so empty.
OMG this is ur first video!! This is so good and incredibly interesting. I really like ur analysis of the show and how the colors assist it's storytelling. I can't wait to see what other analyses u will produce
This as a first video is insane. Good job man!
right??? crazy
This is such a fascinating video that goes into depth on the colours, symbolism and overarching themes that other videos haven't really covered in the same way. It was so interesting to watch and gave me a lot of stuff to think about for my own story ideas, I really want to experiment more with colour symbolism, not just in the meanings tied to colours but in the meaning colours can take on within the story outside of what we may already associate them with. That's something arcane does so well thank you for diving into it like this! :D
I'd love to see your revised version now that the full season is out. Also, I'd love to see your take on Andor--call it a hunch, but I think you'd love it
This is your FIRST video on the channel? My dude. Freaking masterpiece. Good on you. Looking forward to many more.
Really appreciate this video, though personally I think Jinx is the central character of Arcane.
Also highly interested in how you fit in episode 4-6
great video! I like your Mandela comparations to ekko, but even Mandela and his party used violence during their cause, so I'd say both Jinx and Ekko play a part.
Great first video! I love the succinct delivery for your points, though I feel like they'd land better if you gave them more substance by citing more examples within the media rather than general overviews. The pacing flowed well and I'm excited to see more videos from the future. I am most definitely excited for your first multi-hour venture (which I do hope you do one day)
Amazing videoessay, you have beautifully interwoven color theory, art analysis and interpretation, political history and political analysis.
the title made me subscribe and then the video blew me awayyyy
looking forward to hearing more from you
Such a brilliant essay, fam. Keep pushing
For your first video this is amazing!!!
it's funny how i thought you were a super experienced content creator given by the quality of the video, the information and overall production of this video, it was not until the last moment that you said it's actually your first video i realized this. what an amazing analysis!! it went super on depth and really elaborated on points i think most of the fandom did now previously know, thank yo ufor this and please keep making videos!
This is actually one of the best arcane dissections I've ever seen (I've seen way too many) but this is actually incredible.
I can’t believe this is your first video! You’re incredibly well spoken, I’ve never thought about the colors in arcane aside from red, blue, green, and purple. The fact that the writers are telling a story with every single detail of this show has be absolutely FLOORED. Congrats on an absurdly good first video! Can’t wait to see more from you in the future!❤
Man this is your first video? Well done, great presentation of great points.
Oooooo new channel, thanks for the rec algorithm!
Wow man, incredible video! What a fantastic breakdown, and I think it draws some great parallels to many things we see going on today.
First video???!! This was so good. Compliments aside I was really looking forward to deeper exploration of these themes that you talked about in Act 3 but we didn't really get much of it- it was more of a united against a common enemy type of deal and they didn't address the conflict between Piltover and Zaun that well...
This is a really good video, and i love watching these to really understand why they made arcane the way it is. I can really understand it and enjoy it now.
Thank you for this!
Someone already beat me to the star wars line below but yeah I’m looking forward to seeing what you put out. This was great!
Having seen how the show ends, I find it kinda funny that whenever you were analyzing what we have seen so far, I think you were very on point, but whenever you were speculating about what would come, you were way off. I would be very interested in watching a follow-up video and hear your thoughts about the ending and Viktor's transhumanism.
I was thinking of how good the video was when I heard that this is your first.....my jaw dropped
It's amazing that this video with so much quality content is your first one! Keep it up men!!!
Excellent analysis! Worth commenting that you might want some background music to improve your future videos though
Feels strange to release an Arcane analysis video when Act 2 and 3 weren't out yet, but good vid, it was interesting !
Hoping for another one for the rest of season 2 ^^
More more more! This was so interesting and fun to watch ❤
If this is your first video and so well made already, I genuinely can't wait to see what you come up with down the line
Bro came outta nowhere and dropped a banger of video.!🔥
This is sick. Congrats on a successful first video!
This is a very important video, i hope your words are powerful enough to teach this new generation of one brush, one color, one opinion, one mind.
LOVE THIS SO MUCH so curious to hear your thoughts after all the episodes are released!