Blu-Ray Review: Arcane Season 2 Collector’s Edition Set

Like the anomaly that results from a scientist trying to mechanize magic, Arcane is a freak of nature born out of naivety resulting in Riot Games producing and marketing the most expensive animated series at the cost of $250 million.  The learning as you go approach was frustrating but creatively freeing as there were no preconceive notions though the League of Legends music videos made by French animation studio Fortiche served as the foundation for the montages found throughout the 18 episodes.    Season 2 follows the template established by Season 1 where the nine episodes are divided into three acts separated by time jumps.  The heart of the story remains estranged sisters Powder and Vi and whether reconciliation is possible.  Other characters given significant roles are the grief-stricken Caitlyn clouded by the need for revenge, a disillusioned Viktor seeking to evolve humanity beyond its destructive nature, and the strained mother-daughter relationship between Ambessa Medarda and Mel threatened by a nefarious Noxian aristocratic cabal.

The illustrative style that combines 3D characters with 2D effects and backgrounds remains stylish and fresh while the sound design elevates the visuals into something that feels alive and of the moment. Unlike the perfunctory bonus features that consist of trailers and opening and closing credit sequences without the text, a real effort was made to explain the creative process with each of the three acts getting the individual treatment with in-depth featurettes.  Some unique additions include the extensive gallery of concept art and split screening the storyboards with the final result.  An episode that is held dear to the production crew is the ‘What if..’ episode which though mainly separate from the rest of the narrative determines the fate of two principal characters.  The packaging is anomaly themed for the Collector’s Edition Set which includes three 4K UHD and three Blu-ray discs plus Anomaly resin dice, Viktor’s Gear Enamel Pin, art cards, and temporary tattoos.  This is cool way to conclude a creative journey that took the creators and viewers to unexpected places and demonstrated how dynamic and effective the medium of animation can be in pushing the boundaries of storytelling.

For more information visit about the Collector’s Edition Set visit the offical website for Riot Games.   

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.