I feel like Sky wasn't meant to be much of a character, not due to lack of time, but because we're meant to look at her from Viktor's perspective. He was laser focused on his vision, never got to know her and by the time he noticed it was too late. Sky doesn't get to be relevant to us because she wasn't relevant to Viktor.
Exactly. Skye is there, she's around, she's in several scenes with Viktor and Jayce, even in Viktor's flashback. Nobody pays attention to her, neither our scientists duo nor most of the viewers, and then she dies and it's too late, that's the point.
It might've still been more effective if she had more screentime after the fact, or characters talking about her, so that we as the audience know what was lost even though the characters didn't
I'm wondering if we're going to get some post-death characterization in S2 Either from Viktor reading her notes or her showing up as a ghost. In the trailers it looked like they were "inside" the hexcore somehow. Maybe she's the key to Viktor fighting off the Void's influence.
In one of the extra clips included in the Blu-ray Amanda Overton mentions at the beginning of ep 7 was different. It was a scene showing Ekko founding the Firelights,but also going to try and sake Powder from Silco. Ekko thought she had been kidnapped, but when he arrives Jinx doesn't leaves, and hits him when he tries to pull her out. Her calling him "The Boy Saviour" was probably one of the most hurtful things she could mock him with. I understand why they didn't include this scene but I wish it was still there :( changing the emphasis from their relationship as kids, to their growing apart as preteens.
@ oh I was just saying if riot wants to be money hungry lil goblins at least put out something I would be willing to spend a lot of money for. Definitely not encouraging them to be money hungry lil goblins. You’re right!
the "money money money" theme playing in the background while you shit at Riot never gets old, thank you for talking about the workers it's so important
Things i was expecting: anything but tb skyen yelling ‘arcane is mpreg’ Edit: i’m looking at these over 230 likes and going ‘WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE’ a la patrick star
@@mythcat1273 I did that when I was trying to look at the replies to this comment. I felt instant dread the moment it pulled me to the search. I closed it at fast as I could but the results finished loading first. My eyes were faster than my hands and now my mind has been permanently stained in the same way my search history has. You made this reply to bless me but in its creation, you have inadvertently damned me.
🌝 The amount of detail they put into the characters faces is insane! I was getting choked up watching you breakdown the Ekko and Jinx fight. It’s so tragic 😭
About the victor scene, I too, love the detail of his eye highlight being purple. It’s actually a bit reminiscent of a shot of Powder looking at one of the Hex stones in Act 1 by the way, where the subtle blue glow indicates her fascination and foreshadows how big of a role they will have.
just gonna say rq i absolutely love the way you analyze characters and animation. its made me reevaluate how i both think about media i enjoy, as well as how i design my own characters. also also power play is great, episode 5 was extremely fun to listen to
Well said at the beginning. It's such a shame that the creative minds behind series as beautiful as arcane are the ones to suffer. They create these works of art and the big companies need these people but don't seem to see it or understand what they bring. Love your reviews and showing love to the creative minds behind these companies
3:23:43 I'm also pretty sure that's the same alleyway where Ekko and Powder (and the rest of the gang) played in the Enemy music video, from minute mark and onward, which is a HEARTBREAKING callback for people who watched it
Yeah, I agree with you in 1:51:25 And I don't understand why we never talk about Vi's SERIOUS anger and violence issues like it's a main theme for her character, she has troubles way before Vander dies that girl is so traumatized she legit can't have non violent reaction to the slightest inconvenience I think this happened bc she has clear ptsd from the bridge moment, and being realistic, probably cPTSD as well becahse of a rough childhood (this applies to act 2 and 3). She might always be in fight mode because she's unable to feel safe or rest ever.
*press pause @ **12:32** to type this* • now that’s quality detail work, something so innocuously simple, and so easily looked over, but yet there it is.. a detail that truly defines the work ethics of the animators. Those little details add up to bring together something so beautifully crafted, and appreciated, by the viewers/audience, but could be so quickly glanced over. It’s things like that, is what makes this piece of art so loved.. the passion behind it, the subtle details, and so much more- and, furthermore that’s why this channel is so well loved, even a newbie to this channel can see why it’s so supported due to the owner pointing out said details, and announcing the joy it brings him. *presses play on video to continue listening*
Another takeaway I got from the shot of the mosaic between Jayce and Ambessa is what it says about Ambessa and vulnerability, especially in contrast with Mel. tl;dr the mosaic shows that, even when she is literally naked, there is a line of spears between Ambessa and the nearest threat. Mel is willing to be a little bit vulnerable. She when she took a man she chose Jayce, who is physically bigger than her, close in age, and politically powerful; Jayce, although he never even thinks to harm her in any way, is a potential threat to Mel, and she opens up to him emotionally. She also stands amidst her mother's soldiers with nobody but her assistant to defend her. As an ultimate symbol of vulnerability, she votes to give up control of the undercity. Ambessa, meanwhile, is utterly unwilling to be vulnerable. She brings bodyguards with her everywhere, even into her daughter's apartment. She is utterly reluctant to be candid, even with Mel. When she takes a man, she chooses a politically irrelevant escort half her size and age, who is incapable of harming her, physically or politically (even then, she keeps bodyguards around while he is present). The mosaic drives this point home with what I wrote in the tl;dr.
My reading of the end of the Ekko vs Jinx fight is that Jinx setting off the grenade is an attempt. Perhaps an oversimplification, but I do think that, in that moment, the vulnerability that she shows is not an intentional manipulation. The smile that Jinx gives Ekko in that moment isn't the cheshire grin that she has when enacting violence or the false childish smile that she gives Cait in the end. The smile in their fight scene reads more like an "I'm sorry." Relating this to the idea of the end of their fight scene as an attempt at suicide by Jinx, my understanding of her mental state in that moment was one of totally despondence - Vi has just walked away, her childhood friend has just beat her to a pulp - she was ready to leave. Thus, the smile feels like a sort of melancholy farewell to her old friend.
Never thought I’d ever think about the abusive boyfriend hexcore narrative. Thank you for the brainrot Jokes aside though, viktor’s characterization makes me so sad. Poor baby boy :((( Your analyses are always so good man
Hey, good timing! I just finished the Act 2 episode. Thanks for making this content for us, Skyen, and thanks for spreading awareness of Riot's terrible executive decisions.
🌖 3:52:23 thats how mylo would fire the toy guns. Interesting bc the scene is so full of memory. i dont think Jinx wants to shoot him (that much), especially since he put her in the mindset of 'the game we played' as kids. She fires sideways then at the end she could have simply shot him. Her gun was perfectly lined up. But she hesitates just slightly, just enough to be taken down. 4:16:00 on miscommunication. In that scene in the last drop, what makes it so fascinating to me is that i think powder would've taken it just as badly, if she had stuck around. It's one thing to hear 'there's some things she just cant do'. Vi can easily provide reasons why that's fine (ive got these, youve got those). Its another thing to hear 'powder's my problem'. Being vi's "problem" would haunt her nightmares. So her insecurity sort of saved her from further pain for once in her life. Yeah. Just a musing. 5:01:10 not you calling marcus ontologically evil LMAOO
Jinx painting on Silco's belongings, which are lovingly kept on his desk, and then doing the same with Vi's gauntlets when trying to believe in their reconciliation for the last time... after attacking her and stealing them... she's so full of love but just SO messed up.
5 Hours. 5 Hours of a fantastic and interesting analysis. Seriously, not just as a fan, and fanboying over yah work, but you saw a lot of things that i didn't get, even watching a LOT of times. A lot of writing parallels. One thing that i would like to add to the video and comments in general, is that, the Ekko and Jinx fight artstyle, or better yet the "concept" of that art style, reminded me a LOT of Gorillaz and The Tank Girl comics. Something it's not exactly the same, but something on the almost animated Graffiti, Powder hat, it all reminded me of the work of Jamie Hewlett for some reason. Now, a little scream for the Critters in the audience. I can't bee the only to see the Red Moon 🌕and immediately go "F*cking Ludinus....."
Hi Skyen, I know you probably won't see this but if you do, I just wanted to say I watched all 5 and a quarter hours of this video start to finish and I absolutely love the way you interpret Arcane and articulate your thoughts about it. I really hope you do a similar thing for the animation of Season 2, not exaggerating when I say I could genuinely listen to you talk about the show for 10+ more hours! Of course I know these videos are very time-consuming to create (not only the duration but the meticulous re-editing to get around copyright) so I'd also like to thank you for the immense achievement of getting through Season 1, your videos truly are a gift to the community.
put you on play in the background, heard you say "you've seen the length of the video, the progress bar-" and I tabbed in to be like "how bad could it- OH GODS-"
I agree that the show would’ve benefited from more time to flesh out a couple of things, as you mentioned, like Jayce’s arc in act 1, Ekko and Powder’s childhood friendship, and some actual depth for Skye’s character. But honestly for Skye, the lack of info on her was handled as well as they could’ve imo. They justify not going into her character by showing her almost always through Viktor’s perspective. Her lack of depth then becomes characterization for Viktor, who for a myriad of reasons, abandon more and more of human relationships to obsess over his work. It still would’ve been better to have her be her own character, independently of Viktor though. But yeah I can understand that certain sacrifices had to be made, the amount of work that goes into the animation is so gigantic it would’ve been impossible for the show to fully cover every interesting thread of the rich world the writers created.
26:17 I KNOW RIGHT that was my FIRST THOUGHT when I watched Arcane for the first time and NOONE has mentioned that parallel in the three years I’ve been into Arcane.
you know, a lot of your analysis of how the situation in gaz- I mean, zaun, came to be, could very reasonably be applied to a few ongoing real-life conflicts
Really enjoyed you adopting the more free flow passionate rambling about the final scene of arcane. Very contagious love and appreciation for the show, really helps to hear it put into words the reasons why arcane is such an incredble and captivating show. 🌑
1:22:39 the facial animation on jayce is enough to make me cry. The subtlety in the expressions and the cycling through different feelings that is clearly shown on his face. He is watching in horror and processing it and you can see this on his face due to the skill of the animators.
Quick correction, at 4:52:10 that is not a bullet from jinx. She only shoots at silco, this bullet that nearly hits jinx is one that silco fires as he is being shot. Its hard to tell due to how fast this moves, even frame by frame, but im 99% sure thats how it happens.
Babe wake up! New TBSkyen dropped!! (Seriously tho, thank you, I adore your insight and have been patiently waiting and hoping this would come out soon! Appreciate your effort and work!!)
100x more ecstatic to see this pop up than I am to watch the actual second season, and I'm pretty darn excited to see the second season. You spoil your audience, Skyen. We are lucky lucky folk
🌕So many parts of this made me tear up bc I love these characters so much and your analysis is always spot on. Fantastic work you do, please continue doing it.
Great video as always. Can’t imagine a better way to hype myself up for season 2 than this. One note on the shootout at the end-the one bullet that we see just missing Vi, I’m quite confident is Silco’s shot, which goes wide because Jinx sprayed him with bullets. I don’t think Jinx ever turned her gun on Vi there. There’s a lot of interesting ways to read that moment from Jinx’s POV-is she aware that it’s Vi being threatened, and that’s what causes her to act, or is it just an instinctual response to the sound of the gun being cocked? But I’m quite confident Vi was never in danger from her there. Silco, of course, is shooting Vi in an effort to spare Jinx. He knows how much torment Vi is inadvertently causing her by invoking the ghosts of her past. But, my reading, at least, is that this is Powder’s final (or perhaps penultimate) act, at least for now. She saves her sister by killing her family. A twist on the event that spawned Jinx from the start. It’s an incredible moment. 🌒
33:37 I once was studying literature and the topic was vampiric narratives and there were a bunch of examples about inanimated objects as vampires that formed abusive relationships with the user. So it has historic precedent.
🌛 last year when i found your channel full of multiple several hours long videos of rambling and analyzing arcane frame by frame, i sent a screenshot of it to my friend and described it as my autism heaven. that is still true im in autism heaven rn this is great. this show is great. your analysis of it is great. thank you 🫡
51:14 i think important to note is after viktor asks "you, did this?" he glances away from viktor, looks to the ground as if in shame and a moment of contemplation and clarity, looks up at viktor with this semi-inquisitive and semi-angry looks, as if in "why doesnt he understand?", looks back at the undercity-part of the bridge, and gains back his resolve and answers harsher than before. its like a mini-arc
I just wanted to say “Thank You!’ for all of your efforts with your Arcane and League vids. While I will never play the game, your vids were my entry to the world and the lore which I now adore.
I really love these videos not just for the animation analysis but especially the in depth character studies. They inspire me to create better characters in my own stories and to put more depth into the characters I play in ttrpgs. (Speaking of, I checked out Power Play and immediately followed the podcast after the first episode, really excited to see where the story is going 🌘 )
One other thing I love about how the hexcore is animated and framed is how in almost every shot, the camera work is making it look bigger than it actually is. Not just in the zoomed in shots of it moving around on its own, but also in the shots where other characters are present, it's always placed strategically to seem bigger in relation to the characters, to the point where in the rare points where you get a top-down or side view of it it's almost surprising to realise that it can almost fit in the palm of Viktor's hand. It's a neat little framing trick that I think elevates its scenes by emphasising it and its importance 🌙
🌒 thank you so much for all this delightful in depth analysis mate. It’s been such a refreshing treat to listen to you talk about how much you adore these fine details and just gush about everything you’re feeling so whole heartedly. Thanks a million Skyen
I just realized that Act 3 went in killing off a lot of minor characters that end up deeply affecting the major characters in some way: Victor with Sky, Jayce with the child, Mel with the woman in her dream, Jinx with Silco, Silco with Finn, and finally Vi with Powder
Brilliant video. I'm not huge on picking up on subtext or what's "obvious" to other people in terms of the background details of shows, so these videos are not only entertaining to me, but also informative. The amount of symbolism this show has, and the depth and continuity of it... Its just an incredible show overall. I think my favorite analysis over the entire series of these videos, although especially here since it gets discussed more, is how Jayce and Viktor evolve. I understood their stories at a face value before these videos, but I never drew the lover comparisons from Viktor to Mel, and all those smaller details you pointed out as well, just great stuff.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy and appreciate these animation breakdowns! I'm super excited for the new season and to see how all if our predictions are gonna be wrong lol🌙
Today, I finished watching Arcane with my friend (my second watch, her first) and I wanted to wait for us to finish before I got to this video. I'm glad I did because now I have the act fresh in my mind for all this anaylsis, and I'm already catching so many things I'd noticed on my second watch during this. Thank you for the work you do, Skyen. I will never tire of loving the art that people have made with their own hands, and the appreciation shown by those who share the passion.
Small nitpick in a 5 hour long video: in your analysis at The End, Jinx never shoots Vi. It was Silco who shot, trying to kill Vi: there´s a single shot in that direction, and Silco´s gun is smoking as he drops it after Jinx shoots him. I LOVE THIS VIDEO AND THE HYPE FOR S2 IS EATING ME ALOIVE
The animation expression of Silco are one of my favorites, he's so expressive in a very detailed way, all his scenes are so good, and I didn't catch the hexcore language there, thanks a lot for that, now I enjoyed this more and more 🌑🌕
i'm veeeery happy this video came out, ive watched every arcane animation analysis video and lol music video breakdown and its great to have this 5 hour long masterpiece to draw to u.u thank you sm (and the campaign with the young hero angel seems very cool) 🌙🌙
MADE IT THROUGH THE 5 HOURS and it was worth it! The perfect video to remind me why I fell in love with this show and to get me fired up for season 2. Let’s gooooooo
Absolutely loved the video, was a pleasure to listen to and glance at while loosing at Mahjong. (although I'm surprised you didn't complain about the motion blur during Jinx's anime dash). Thank you so much for making this!
I had a tough week at work, so on Friday night when I noticed you had published this, I hugged my tablet because it was just what I needed. I watched it over the weekend and it was 5 hours well spent. I hope you can feel the love from here. A lot of interesting angles I hadn't thought about, and all the details you pointed out made me appreciate the show even more than I already did. I'm bubbling with excitement for the new season. 👀 I can't believe it's only a few sleeps away.
🌗🌗 I frequently listen to all of your Arcane videos while at work and it always inspires me to take the time the stories I write need. Your attention to details is amazing and is so useful to reflect upon. It's like I'm listening to a narrative class in college again. Thank you for all you do, Skyen!
Only 5 hours? Man, how else am I gonna fill up the rest of my 12 hour shift??? 😝 Always love your insightful reviews. The frame by frame breakdown is incredible and you pick up on so much that I find hard to articulate in the moment. ❤️
Okay, now I've finished this amazing analysis and it was amazing. There was a lot of great observations I didn't really picked up when watching Arcane myself. There are some of my thoughts about characters. 1) I really love Singed, cuz he's a wildcard, we don't know what to expect from him. But at the same time he isn't like an Ursula character, that tempts poor unfortunate souls for his devious plans. No. He's more of an oracle from Greek myths figure. He's just here to help you reach your goal while also warning you about side effects. Everybody comes to him while he quietly sits in his own cave doing whatever he does. And it makes him so much more interesting. Even Singed's character is tied to Greek tragedies lmao. 2) I've never actually thought of scenes with hexcore as dialogue, but this makes so much sense. Tbh, Viktor's story is very tragic and is reminiscent of Icarus' myth. He wants more and more and it is his ultimate downfall. That's why his line about greatness and goodness is so touching. (I lost it at 27:37 😂😂😂) also reenactment of Viktor's and hexcore moments as toxic relationship is both hilarious and very accurate. 3) Yeah, I kind of agree with your take that Jayce sometimes sees the world in black and white. Piltover good, Zaun bad, no nuance. Yet partially because of this thinking people still suffer in Zaun. It's a terrible cycle. Piltover opresses Zaun, Zaunites fight back, Piltovains consider this as an evidence that they are right and cycle repeats. But what Jayce doesn't understand is that no change comes without a price. He wants to be this savior whose morals are good and whose enemies are all bad guys. But bad guys are still people, still kids. It is terrible that it took kid's death for Jayce to realize that he's not doing the right thing. 4) this whole analysis of the ending was amazing. It's sad that there was no winners in this situation. And what solidifies Arcane as a real tragedy is that our beloved characters weren't the only one suffering, and if Jinx didn't fire at council, there is a great possibility that someone else would. Mb later, but it still would've happen. I'll edit if I'll remember anything more to write about. This video is amazing and it's just what I needed to last this week for second season
![It Was Just A Mistake... | ARCANE [1x1-1x3] (REACTION)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JEq71XqI2u0/mqdefault.jpg)
![It Was Just A Mistake... | ARCANE [1x1-1x3] (REACTION)](/img/tr.png)
I love that skyen depicts Viktor and the hexcore in a toxic relationship
It's so fun
Toxic old man yaoi Viktor/Hexcore
11:32
"sacrificing yourself is still a price that other people have to pay" is an insanely good line
I have a quotes book and this is going in there lol
the mel-jayce euphemisms were solid gold ong
“she absorbed a number of things from jayce” 😭
“Caitlyn and Vi don’t have to kiss…”
STFU SKYEN WE WANT SMOOCHIE
I second this!
i gave a like to this comment.
@ ty for your service o7
Not in the first 48 hours of knowing each other! But yes, I do want to see it eventually.
o7
I feel like Sky wasn't meant to be much of a character, not due to lack of time, but because we're meant to look at her from Viktor's perspective. He was laser focused on his vision, never got to know her and by the time he noticed it was too late. Sky doesn't get to be relevant to us because she wasn't relevant to Viktor.
Exactly. Skye is there, she's around, she's in several scenes with Viktor and Jayce, even in Viktor's flashback. Nobody pays attention to her, neither our scientists duo nor most of the viewers, and then she dies and it's too late, that's the point.
It might've still been more effective if she had more screentime after the fact, or characters talking about her, so that we as the audience know what was lost even though the characters didn't
My thoughts exactly!
I'm wondering if we're going to get some post-death characterization in S2
Either from Viktor reading her notes or her showing up as a ghost.
In the trailers it looked like they were "inside" the hexcore somehow. Maybe she's the key to Viktor fighting off the Void's influence.
YES, Probably. That's what I've been thinking for years
In one of the extra clips included in the Blu-ray Amanda Overton mentions at the beginning of ep 7 was different. It was a scene showing Ekko founding the Firelights,but also going to try and sake Powder from Silco. Ekko thought she had been kidnapped, but when he arrives Jinx doesn't leaves, and hits him when he tries to pull her out. Her calling him "The Boy Saviour" was probably one of the most hurtful things she could mock him with. I understand why they didn't include this scene but I wish it was still there :( changing the emphasis from their relationship as kids, to their growing apart as preteens.
They hinted before that a similar scene will be in season 2, so maybe we'll see it.
one of my favourite details that she also mentioned is that jinx hits him in the same way that vi hit powder in episode 3.
If riot is gonna sell overpriced arcane merch, gimme limited edition prints of Mel’s paintings meow plz
God, yes
Why limited edition? why not just prints?
@ oh I was just saying if riot wants to be money hungry lil goblins at least put out something I would be willing to spend a lot of money for. Definitely not encouraging them to be money hungry lil goblins. You’re right!
the "money money money" theme playing in the background while you shit at Riot never gets old, thank you for talking about the workers it's so important
"the frame is animated on twos hehehehe 👹"
Things i was expecting: anything but tb skyen yelling ‘arcane is mpreg’
Edit: i’m looking at these over 230 likes and going ‘WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE’ a la patrick star
God help anyone who accidentally taps on mpreg and has to live with it on their yt search bar forever
Thats me fr
@@mythcat1273 I did that when I was trying to look at the replies to this comment. I felt instant dread the moment it pulled me to the search. I closed it at fast as I could but the results finished loading first. My eyes were faster than my hands and now my mind has been permanently stained in the same way my search history has. You made this reply to bless me but in its creation, you have inadvertently damned me.
I just got to that part and I lost my shit
I saw Arcane, I saw TB Skyen, I clicked.
I didnt notice the video length at first…
You know what you want. The length, you necessarily just grin and bear it.
@@cheslerpark7223 I’d never say no to something lengthy, but this one is a bit of a monster. Really have to take it a bit at a time
I know that these videos are copyright magnets and immensely labour intensive. Thank you so much for the unbridled joy you have provided me
The mariokart effects during the Viktor boat scene has probably ruined that scene for me forever in the best way. 😂
🌕 5 hours Skyen...bro...Bro. Looking forward to your watch-alongs for season 2.
Good lord a 5 hours video. TB, you know your audience too well and I love you for it.
"YEES I FINALLY FIXED MY SLEEPING SCHEDULE LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER NOW"
Skyen uploading a 5 hour video at 9pm: ...
🌝 The amount of detail they put into the characters faces is insane! I was getting choked up watching you breakdown the Ekko and Jinx fight. It’s so tragic 😭
About the victor scene, I too, love the detail of his eye highlight being purple. It’s actually a bit reminiscent of a shot of Powder looking at one of the Hex stones in Act 1 by the way, where the subtle blue glow indicates her fascination and foreshadows how big of a role they will have.
Babe, wake up. Skyen just dropped another mammoth Arcane video.
just gonna say rq i absolutely love the way you analyze characters and animation. its made me reevaluate how i both think about media i enjoy, as well as how i design my own characters.
also also power play is great, episode 5 was extremely fun to listen to
Well said at the beginning. It's such a shame that the creative minds behind series as beautiful as arcane are the ones to suffer. They create these works of art and the big companies need these people but don't seem to see it or understand what they bring. Love your reviews and showing love to the creative minds behind these companies
Execs really do be forgetting who made the world they live in
3:23:43 I'm also pretty sure that's the same alleyway where Ekko and Powder (and the rest of the gang) played in the Enemy music video, from minute mark and onward, which is a HEARTBREAKING callback for people who watched it
Yeah, I agree with you in 1:51:25
And I don't understand why we never talk about Vi's SERIOUS anger and violence issues like it's a main theme for her character, she has troubles way before Vander dies that girl is so traumatized she legit can't have non violent reaction to the slightest inconvenience
I think this happened bc she has clear ptsd from the bridge moment, and being realistic, probably cPTSD as well becahse of a rough childhood (this applies to act 2 and 3). She might always be in fight mode because she's unable to feel safe or rest ever.
Not to mention being in an extremely rough prison from mid teens to early twenties, where constant fight mode was a necessity.
@@featherdragon7894 Fr!!!
@@featherdragon7894 yeah she’s actually doing surprisingly well considering this.
*press pause @ **12:32** to type this* • now that’s quality detail work, something so innocuously simple, and so easily looked over, but yet there it is.. a detail that truly defines the work ethics of the animators. Those little details add up to bring together something so beautifully crafted, and appreciated, by the viewers/audience, but could be so quickly glanced over.
It’s things like that, is what makes this piece of art so loved.. the passion behind it, the subtle details, and so much more- and, furthermore that’s why this channel is so well loved, even a newbie to this channel can see why it’s so supported due to the owner pointing out said details, and announcing the joy it brings him.
*presses play on video to continue listening*
Another takeaway I got from the shot of the mosaic between Jayce and Ambessa is what it says about Ambessa and vulnerability, especially in contrast with Mel.
tl;dr the mosaic shows that, even when she is literally naked, there is a line of spears between Ambessa and the nearest threat.
Mel is willing to be a little bit vulnerable. She when she took a man she chose Jayce, who is physically bigger than her, close in age, and politically powerful; Jayce, although he never even thinks to harm her in any way, is a potential threat to Mel, and she opens up to him emotionally. She also stands amidst her mother's soldiers with nobody but her assistant to defend her. As an ultimate symbol of vulnerability, she votes to give up control of the undercity.
Ambessa, meanwhile, is utterly unwilling to be vulnerable. She brings bodyguards with her everywhere, even into her daughter's apartment. She is utterly reluctant to be candid, even with Mel. When she takes a man, she chooses a politically irrelevant escort half her size and age, who is incapable of harming her, physically or politically (even then, she keeps bodyguards around while he is present). The mosaic drives this point home with what I wrote in the tl;dr.
thats a great analysis! thank you for sharing
solid analysis goddamn
It’s also sweet that Jayce feels safe being vulnerable with her too
My reading of the end of the Ekko vs Jinx fight is that Jinx setting off the grenade is an attempt. Perhaps an oversimplification, but I do think that, in that moment, the vulnerability that she shows is not an intentional manipulation. The smile that Jinx gives Ekko in that moment isn't the cheshire grin that she has when enacting violence or the false childish smile that she gives Cait in the end. The smile in their fight scene reads more like an "I'm sorry." Relating this to the idea of the end of their fight scene as an attempt at suicide by Jinx, my understanding of her mental state in that moment was one of totally despondence - Vi has just walked away, her childhood friend has just beat her to a pulp - she was ready to leave. Thus, the smile feels like a sort of melancholy farewell to her old friend.
Never thought I’d ever think about the abusive boyfriend hexcore narrative.
Thank you for the brainrot
Jokes aside though, viktor’s characterization makes me so sad. Poor baby boy :(((
Your analyses are always so good man
Hey, good timing! I just finished the Act 2 episode. Thanks for making this content for us, Skyen, and thanks for spreading awareness of Riot's terrible executive decisions.
🌖 3:52:23 thats how mylo would fire the toy guns. Interesting bc the scene is so full of memory. i dont think Jinx wants to shoot him (that much), especially since he put her in the mindset of 'the game we played' as kids. She fires sideways then at the end she could have simply shot him. Her gun was perfectly lined up. But she hesitates just slightly, just enough to be taken down.
4:16:00 on miscommunication. In that scene in the last drop, what makes it so fascinating to me is that i think powder would've taken it just as badly, if she had stuck around. It's one thing to hear 'there's some things she just cant do'. Vi can easily provide reasons why that's fine (ive got these, youve got those). Its another thing to hear 'powder's my problem'. Being vi's "problem" would haunt her nightmares. So her insecurity sort of saved her from further pain for once in her life. Yeah. Just a musing.
5:01:10 not you calling marcus ontologically evil LMAOO
Jinx painting on Silco's belongings, which are lovingly kept on his desk, and then doing the same with Vi's gauntlets when trying to believe in their reconciliation for the last time... after attacking her and stealing them... she's so full of love but just SO messed up.
5 Hours.
5 Hours of a fantastic and interesting analysis.
Seriously, not just as a fan, and fanboying over yah work, but you saw a lot of things that i didn't get, even watching a LOT of times.
A lot of writing parallels.
One thing that i would like to add to the video and comments in general, is that, the Ekko and Jinx fight artstyle, or better yet the "concept" of that art style, reminded me a LOT of Gorillaz and The Tank Girl comics.
Something it's not exactly the same, but something on the almost animated Graffiti, Powder hat, it all reminded me of the work of Jamie Hewlett for some reason.
Now, a little scream for the Critters in the audience. I can't bee the only to see the Red Moon 🌕and immediately go "F*cking Ludinus....."
Ayo, fellow Critter on the Animation lovers channel? How's it feel to have excellent taste in Oral AND visual storytelling?
Hi Skyen, I know you probably won't see this but if you do, I just wanted to say I watched all 5 and a quarter hours of this video start to finish and I absolutely love the way you interpret Arcane and articulate your thoughts about it. I really hope you do a similar thing for the animation of Season 2, not exaggerating when I say I could genuinely listen to you talk about the show for 10+ more hours! Of course I know these videos are very time-consuming to create (not only the duration but the meticulous re-editing to get around copyright) so I'd also like to thank you for the immense achievement of getting through Season 1, your videos truly are a gift to the community.
I like how you can see Singed's blind eye still moving back and forth as he's looking between silco and the knife.
put you on play in the background, heard you say "you've seen the length of the video, the progress bar-" and I tabbed in to be like "how bad could it- OH GODS-"
I agree that the show would’ve benefited from more time to flesh out a couple of things, as you mentioned, like Jayce’s arc in act 1, Ekko and Powder’s childhood friendship, and some actual depth for Skye’s character. But honestly for Skye, the lack of info on her was handled as well as they could’ve imo. They justify not going into her character by showing her almost always through Viktor’s perspective. Her lack of depth then becomes characterization for Viktor, who for a myriad of reasons, abandon more and more of human relationships to obsess over his work. It still would’ve been better to have her be her own character, independently of Viktor though. But yeah I can understand that certain sacrifices had to be made, the amount of work that goes into the animation is so gigantic it would’ve been impossible for the show to fully cover every interesting thread of the rich world the writers created.
26:17 I KNOW RIGHT that was my FIRST THOUGHT when I watched Arcane for the first time and NOONE has mentioned that parallel in the three years I’ve been into Arcane.
5 hour skyen video? lets fucking go thats my evening fully booked
you know, a lot of your analysis of how the situation in gaz- I mean, zaun, came to be, could very reasonably be applied to a few ongoing real-life conflicts
Oh that's entirely coincidental, of course, media is never political :)
Really enjoyed you adopting the more free flow passionate rambling about the final scene of arcane. Very contagious love and appreciation for the show, really helps to hear it put into words the reasons why arcane is such an incredble and captivating show. 🌑
1:22:39 the facial animation on jayce is enough to make me cry. The subtlety in the expressions and the cycling through different feelings that is clearly shown on his face. He is watching in horror and processing it and you can see this on his face due to the skill of the animators.
Quick correction, at 4:52:10 that is not a bullet from jinx. She only shoots at silco, this bullet that nearly hits jinx is one that silco fires as he is being shot. Its hard to tell due to how fast this moves, even frame by frame, but im 99% sure thats how it happens.
yes you can also see smoke coming from silco's gun when he drops it on the floor
Babe wake up! New TBSkyen dropped!!
(Seriously tho, thank you, I adore your insight and have been patiently waiting and hoping this would come out soon! Appreciate your effort and work!!)
3:52:35 jinx fires her gun the same way Mylo did when he missed every shot at the arcade
100x more ecstatic to see this pop up than I am to watch the actual second season, and I'm pretty darn excited to see the second season. You spoil your audience, Skyen. We are lucky lucky folk
i LOVE your break down of the viktor/hexcore scenes, its an entirely new but extremely accurate take on it
🌕So many parts of this made me tear up bc I love these characters so much and your analysis is always spot on. Fantastic work you do, please continue doing it.
DA ART KING IS BACK BABY HE NEVA MISS WE'RE GETTING ALL OUR CHORES DONE WITH THIS ONE Y'ALL
"were heading towards the end now" THERES STILL 2 HOURS LEFT moon emoji
I love listening to you ramble about animation so much 🌖
Great video as always. Can’t imagine a better way to hype myself up for season 2 than this. One note on the shootout at the end-the one bullet that we see just missing Vi, I’m quite confident is Silco’s shot, which goes wide because Jinx sprayed him with bullets. I don’t think Jinx ever turned her gun on Vi there. There’s a lot of interesting ways to read that moment from Jinx’s POV-is she aware that it’s Vi being threatened, and that’s what causes her to act, or is it just an instinctual response to the sound of the gun being cocked? But I’m quite confident Vi was never in danger from her there. Silco, of course, is shooting Vi in an effort to spare Jinx. He knows how much torment Vi is inadvertently causing her by invoking the ghosts of her past. But, my reading, at least, is that this is Powder’s final (or perhaps penultimate) act, at least for now. She saves her sister by killing her family. A twist on the event that spawned Jinx from the start. It’s an incredible moment. 🌒
🌕 so glad you were able to get this out before s2. And thank you for helping get me into the show in the first place! Truly an obsession now lol
These are honestly my comfort videos IM SO HAPPY ITS 5 HOURS LONG
Oh, it’s finally here. I love obsessing about Arcane once more
33:37 I once was studying literature and the topic was vampiric narratives and there were a bunch of examples about inanimated objects as vampires that formed abusive relationships with the user. So it has historic precedent.
So glad we finally have this! Thank you so much for all the hard work, it’s amazing to still hear someone so passionate about s1 and the animation! 🌙
🌛 last year when i found your channel full of multiple several hours long videos of rambling and analyzing arcane frame by frame, i sent a screenshot of it to my friend and described it as my autism heaven. that is still true im in autism heaven rn this is great. this show is great. your analysis of it is great. thank you 🫡
51:14 i think important to note is after viktor asks "you, did this?" he glances away from viktor, looks to the ground as if in shame and a moment of contemplation and clarity, looks up at viktor with this semi-inquisitive and semi-angry looks, as if in "why doesnt he understand?", looks back at the undercity-part of the bridge, and gains back his resolve and answers harsher than before. its like a mini-arc
I just wanted to say “Thank You!’ for all of your efforts with your Arcane and League vids. While I will never play the game, your vids were my entry to the world and the lore which I now adore.
I really love these videos not just for the animation analysis but especially the in depth character studies. They inspire me to create better characters in my own stories and to put more depth into the characters I play in ttrpgs. (Speaking of, I checked out Power Play and immediately followed the podcast after the first episode, really excited to see where the story is going 🌘 )
1:29:11 marking this because its a really good line
One other thing I love about how the hexcore is animated and framed is how in almost every shot, the camera work is making it look bigger than it actually is. Not just in the zoomed in shots of it moving around on its own, but also in the shots where other characters are present, it's always placed strategically to seem bigger in relation to the characters, to the point where in the rare points where you get a top-down or side view of it it's almost surprising to realise that it can almost fit in the palm of Viktor's hand. It's a neat little framing trick that I think elevates its scenes by emphasising it and its importance 🌙
🌒 thank you so much for all this delightful in depth analysis mate. It’s been such a refreshing treat to listen to you talk about how much you adore these fine details and just gush about everything you’re feeling so whole heartedly. Thanks a million Skyen
Thank you for taking the time to make this for us and share your enthusiasm for this art ❤
ah yes, arcane was an allegory for mpreg sll along….
lofi skyen radio 🌙 analysis to relax/study to
I just realized that Act 3 went in killing off a lot of minor characters that end up deeply affecting the major characters in some way:
Victor with Sky, Jayce with the child, Mel with the woman in her dream, Jinx with Silco, Silco with Finn, and finally Vi with Powder
This show loves its metaphors and I'm here all for it, truly taking the "subtlety is for cowards" to heart
I'm so happy to have 5 hours of rambling about a show i love
Ayo, I love everything you create, that was so high quality, I'm hyped! 🌛
Brilliant video. I'm not huge on picking up on subtext or what's "obvious" to other people in terms of the background details of shows, so these videos are not only entertaining to me, but also informative. The amount of symbolism this show has, and the depth and continuity of it... Its just an incredible show overall. I think my favorite analysis over the entire series of these videos, although especially here since it gets discussed more, is how Jayce and Viktor evolve. I understood their stories at a face value before these videos, but I never drew the lover comparisons from Viktor to Mel, and all those smaller details you pointed out as well, just great stuff.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoy and appreciate these animation breakdowns! I'm super excited for the new season and to see how all if our predictions are gonna be wrong lol🌙
Today, I finished watching Arcane with my friend (my second watch, her first) and I wanted to wait for us to finish before I got to this video.
I'm glad I did because now I have the act fresh in my mind for all this anaylsis, and I'm already catching so many things I'd noticed on my second watch during this.
Thank you for the work you do, Skyen. I will never tire of loving the art that people have made with their own hands, and the appreciation shown by those who share the passion.
The overwhelming joy I get when I see a 5 hour Skyen video 🤩
I love watching your animation breakdowns also excited to watch the new show 🌙🌙🌙🌔
Small nitpick in a 5 hour long video: in your analysis at The End, Jinx never shoots Vi. It was Silco who shot, trying to kill Vi: there´s a single shot in that direction, and Silco´s gun is smoking as he drops it after Jinx shoots him.
I LOVE THIS VIDEO AND THE HYPE FOR S2 IS EATING ME ALOIVE
The animation expression of Silco are one of my favorites, he's so expressive in a very detailed way, all his scenes are so good, and I didn't catch the hexcore language there, thanks a lot for that, now I enjoyed this more and more 🌑🌕
i'm veeeery happy this video came out, ive watched every arcane animation analysis video and lol music video breakdown and its great to have this 5 hour long masterpiece to draw to u.u thank you sm (and the campaign with the young hero angel seems very cool) 🌙🌙
MADE IT THROUGH THE 5 HOURS and it was worth it! The perfect video to remind me why I fell in love with this show and to get me fired up for season 2.
Let’s gooooooo
Viktor seems to have a tendency for making things sentient
Absolutely loved the video, was a pleasure to listen to and glance at while loosing at Mahjong. (although I'm surprised you didn't complain about the motion blur during Jinx's anime dash). Thank you so much for making this!
Beyond excited to see your long videos like this on s2!!!
I need a dubbed version of the hexcore with sassy tb skyen
I had a tough week at work, so on Friday night when I noticed you had published this, I hugged my tablet because it was just what I needed. I watched it over the weekend and it was 5 hours well spent. I hope you can feel the love from here. A lot of interesting angles I hadn't thought about, and all the details you pointed out made me appreciate the show even more than I already did. I'm bubbling with excitement for the new season. 👀 I can't believe it's only a few sleeps away.
I hadn't considered that the parallel between Jayce/Mel and Viktor/hexcore extended into the scenes in Act 3 as well, genuinely fascinating analysis!
🌗🌗 I frequently listen to all of your Arcane videos while at work and it always inspires me to take the time the stories I write need. Your attention to details is amazing and is so useful to reflect upon. It's like I'm listening to a narrative class in college again. Thank you for all you do, Skyen!
i'd love to see these videos for s2 too! it's just so cool to hear someone get excited about the same stuff i like
Watching your channel is like a vacation for my mind and soul. Thank you for your fun and creative content!🌗🍺⚽️
This... Is going to be my podcast during lunchtime at the job... For a few days! 😅
35:06 The way you described sacrificing blood to the Hexcore makes me think of No-Face from Spirited Away.
5 hours and 15 minutes….good sir you have MADE MY DAY!!!!!!! Will touch back in 5😂
skyen you're an absolute gem thank you for this
wait the fucking MONEY MONEY MONEY remix in the background under the layoffs section is so good
watched it all and i must say, this was f*cking incredible. great work skyen! imma go watch arcane again now
god i‘m not ready for saturday
Only 5 hours? Man, how else am I gonna fill up the rest of my 12 hour shift??? 😝 Always love your insightful reviews. The frame by frame breakdown is incredible and you pick up on so much that I find hard to articulate in the moment. ❤️
Okay, now I've finished this amazing analysis and it was amazing. There was a lot of great observations I didn't really picked up when watching Arcane myself. There are some of my thoughts about characters.
1) I really love Singed, cuz he's a wildcard, we don't know what to expect from him. But at the same time he isn't like an Ursula character, that tempts poor unfortunate souls for his devious plans. No. He's more of an oracle from Greek myths figure. He's just here to help you reach your goal while also warning you about side effects. Everybody comes to him while he quietly sits in his own cave doing whatever he does. And it makes him so much more interesting. Even Singed's character is tied to Greek tragedies lmao.
2) I've never actually thought of scenes with hexcore as dialogue, but this makes so much sense. Tbh, Viktor's story is very tragic and is reminiscent of Icarus' myth. He wants more and more and it is his ultimate downfall. That's why his line about greatness and goodness is so touching. (I lost it at 27:37 😂😂😂) also reenactment of Viktor's and hexcore moments as toxic relationship is both hilarious and very accurate.
3) Yeah, I kind of agree with your take that Jayce sometimes sees the world in black and white. Piltover good, Zaun bad, no nuance. Yet partially because of this thinking people still suffer in Zaun. It's a terrible cycle. Piltover opresses Zaun, Zaunites fight back, Piltovains consider this as an evidence that they are right and cycle repeats. But what Jayce doesn't understand is that no change comes without a price. He wants to be this savior whose morals are good and whose enemies are all bad guys. But bad guys are still people, still kids. It is terrible that it took kid's death for Jayce to realize that he's not doing the right thing.
4) this whole analysis of the ending was amazing. It's sad that there was no winners in this situation. And what solidifies Arcane as a real tragedy is that our beloved characters weren't the only one suffering, and if Jinx didn't fire at council, there is a great possibility that someone else would. Mb later, but it still would've happen.
I'll edit if I'll remember anything more to write about. This video is amazing and it's just what I needed to last this week for second season
YEAAAAAAAAAH i know exactly what i will be doing for the next five hours, love to hear you talk about art, for however long
5 hours the perfect lenght for waiting for my Deutsche Bahn train connection! I am not even kidding I've been waiting for 4 fucking hours now...
I look forward to watching this... piecemeal over the next month!
Love these long form videos thank u skyen
I know this isn't for later in the video, but thank you for the message in the intro, comrade skyen ✊♥🖤