as domestic violence and a detriment to what was otherwise a great depiction of a queer relationship.A central part of the plot was the lesbian romance between Violet and Caitlyn. Writer Amanda Overton stated that they were the main couple “from the very beginning,” but that the lack of an on-screen kiss in the first season led to accusations of queerbaiting.Vi and Caitlyn consummate their relationship in the second season with an on-screen sex scene, which won an Annie Award for Storyboarding. Co-creator Christian Linke claimed that there was an extended version of the scene that was edited down, leading to a petition calling for its release. toryboarder Joséphine Meis stated that there was no extended version of the scene in existence, According to Variety, the love scene was the most-captured scene in Netflix history.Jacob Slankard of Collider took issue with certain moments between the two, specifically with Caitlyn hitting Vi which he regarded

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a rating of 100% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 8.90/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Expansive in scope while hurtling towards the endgame at a rollicking pace, Arcane‘s second and final season is a supremely satisfying capper to an epic saga.”^[45] Review aggregator Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the second season a score of 86 out of 100 based on seven critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.^[46]

While the reception for the season was mostly positive, the show’s pacing and narrative choices faced some scrutiny. In a more critical review for Reactor magazine, Kathryn Porter wrote that “With Fortiche at the helm of the animation, Arcane will always look incredible no matter how good or bad the writing is,” but that although “everyone lands where they are supposed to by the time the series concludes… it is how they reach those conclusions that feels a little hollow in the wake of a far superior first season”.^[7] Rafeal Motamayor of IGN heavily praised the first two acts of the season,^[56] but was more critical towards Act III, saying, “It retroactively makes the entire second season feel lacking, because what’s set up in previous episodes is either ignored or ends up amounting to very little.”^[57] Erik Kain also criticized the season’s pacing, criticizing Act I for its dialogue and the lack of Silco in the narrative,^[58] and describing Act II as “narrative whiplash”.^[59] Kain would describe Act III as “gorgeous to behold” but criticized the rushed nature of the act and finale, especially in regards to Jinx and Vi’s character arcs, describing their conflict as being resolved with “barely an inconvenience”.^[60] Angelo Delos Trinos of Comic Book Resources also noted pacing issues in his critical review of the season, taking aim at the loss in sociopolitical commentary through the season’s choice to have Zaun and Piltover against a common threat in the form of Noxus, stating the path of “least resistance” resulted in the season being “odd and disappointing”.^[61] The character of Caitlyn Kiramman was a point of contention for the season, with Jacob Slankard of Collider criticizing the lack of commentary for Caitlyn’s decision to hit Vi which he labelled as “thoughtless domestic violence”, stating that “it’s too quickly resolved by lip service to the notion of who does and doesn’t get a second chance, with no true confrontation about how their relationship will be repaired moving forward”.^[62] Laura Pollaco of The Mary Sue would attribute issues with Caitlyn’s redemption arc as due to the season’s poor pacing, elaborating that “Caitlyn’s descent into fascism before bouncing back was fast, and Vi’s ability to trust her again was even faster.“

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes Arcane’s first season has a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 9.20/10, based on 30 reviews. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Arcane makes an arresting first impression, combining a spectacular mix of 2D and 3D animation with an emotionally compelling story to deliver a video game adaptation that could become legendary.”^[44] The series also became Netflix’s number-one show in November 2021,^[47] setting the record as Netflix’s highest-rated series so far within a week of its premiere, ranked first on the Netflix Top 10 Chart in 52 countries, and ranked second on the chart in the United States.^[48]

Writing for IGN, Rafael Motamayor called the first season of Arcane a “classic in the making, and the nail in the coffin of the so-called video game curse.” He noted that the show worked for fans of League of Legends and newcomers alike, stating that “the character stories are what keep you engaged episode after episode; the lore is just icing on the cake.” He also praised the voice cast, highlighting the performances of Leung, Purnell, Aghdashloo and Steinfeld, calling the latter performance the show’s standout. Praising the animation, Motamayor called it the “most stunning piece of animation since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and compared it to Invincible in terms of episode structure. He concluded by saying that Arcane “delivers a killing blow to the idea that video games cannot be masterfully adapted… with compelling characters, an endearing story, and fascinating lore and worldbuilding, as well as striking visuals,” calling it a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece” and giving it a 10 out of 10 rating.^[49]

Andrew Webster of The Verge praised the “fantasy-meets-steampunk world” and how no knowledge of League was needed to understand the show. Despite calling Act 1 “a fairly typical fantasy tale” he lauded the animation, saying that “each frame looks like a gorgeous piece of hand-painted concept art; in motion, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen” and that “it’s also a world that feels lived-in and fully realized.”^[50] Matt Cabral of Common Sense Media called the first season “visually stunning” and that it “features the sort of nuanced characterizations, thoughtful storytelling, and rich worldbuilding typically associated with big-budget, big-screen epics.” He also took note of the blend of fantasy, steampunk and sci-fi with emphasis on how the story puts a “fresh spin on the heavily recycled premise.” Cabral concluded that viewers didn’t need to have played League to appreciate the show.^[51]

Reviewing the first four episodes of the first season, Tara Bennett of Paste enjoyed the way that “[the creators] purposefully made an adult animated drama that unflinchingly utilizes violence, adult language, and very dark storylines when needed to make the lives of the large ensemble cast resonate.” Bennett favorably compared the series to Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Castlevania and BioShock. She was also positive about the “nuance and subtle facial movements” of Fortiche‘s animation combined with the performances of Steinfeld, Jenness, Purnell and Spisak. Bennett called “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons “infectious” and that the show is “the new benchmark for what can be done when it comes to successfully translating worthy videogame universes into a different medium