#vi liveblogs

[spectershaped]

Yet another thing that I recently realized about Umineko (spoilers ahead)

Among the rules of the Rokkenjima “board” there’s one that states that characters can’t do things that are out of character for them. They can act rashly and irrationally but it must be rooted in their own knowledge and characterization.

And yet, there is one character that seems to skirt the line on that rule - a character whose capriciousness, self-indulgence and volatility are so infamous that practically any action they are assumed to have taken by the other pieces can be excused as one of their pranks or whims or fits

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s precisely the character that has never been actually present as a piece in the board when the game starts

[mandareeboo]

I love Jayce and Vi's dynamic so much tbh. They barely know each other. She robbed him as a teenager and almost killed him. They went on a battle bender together. He probably thinks he's her best friend. He probably is.

[eerna]

I need to find the person who decided Cait will go from a rich girl ashamed of her privilege and trying her best to make the world better, to someone who weaponizes her social and monetary capital for selfish goals that contribute to the oppression of the lower classes, the MOMENT she goes from heiress to leader. and give them an enormous kiss right on the mouth

[francesderwent]

trying to find a nuanced way of explaining that Arcane is not about how privilege makes you inevitably incapable of seeing injustice when it happens to people you view as other. it’s about the slow descent into selfish utilitarian corruption (Jayce) and fearful grasping of indiscriminate power (Cait) that happens step by step by step to people who were initially horrified by it. it’s about decent people who want to do the right thing suddenly starting to view those different from them as other because it’s easier, after everything they’ve suffered. it’s about how the bad things that happen to you can twist you beyond recognition if you let them—and it could happen to anyone. you could let the world turn you into a weapon. you could develop blind spots. you could lose the ability to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s the voice of your fears. and every instance of us-versus-them thinking makes that slope slipperier.

[flickerintwilights]

I love how when they find this place from Vander's old life, it's Jinx - only Jinx - who's able to really look at it and think about it, because Vander and Silco's histories are so inextricable from each other. Of the sisters, she's the only one who knew both of them. So Vi turns her back, but Jinx sits down with the letter.

[dreadedender]

Vi is so fucked, caught between two genocidal blue-haired bitches othering the other side.

[inkperch]

I-

The Powder-Vi Isha-Jinx Stillwater connections.

I'm losing my fucking mijnddde

[applebuttercringe]

Episode 5 immediate thoughts

Spoilers ahead!

-Oh hey it's the big guy who used to be on Caitlyns strike team.

-Get em Vi

-Jinx is betting on Vi's fights

-Average lesbian breakup experience

-Did she dye her hair black? Or did she just cry enough eyeliner onto herself that it turned it black?

-THE SISTER REUNION

-Vi is reminded by the shimmer tear that Jinx isn't fully in control of herself.

-Proud of Jinx though for being able to be in Vi presence without a breakdown

-Last time they saw each other Vi was fully ready to kill Jinx. Most brutal fight in the series. Now they can work together? Thats kinda rushed.

-Caitlyn using her detective skills again!

-"Peacekeeping operations" Yeah right Caitlyn.

-Caitlyn is full on racist

-Full on fascist

-The Caitlyn stans are gonna be fighting for their LIVES trying to defend her.

-This is the first time we've seen Mel not collected, or at least put together and considerate.

-ELORA!!!

-Mels brother?

-Mels brother!

-Well Vi got over basically all the Jinx stuff pretty quick.

-I mean this is basically what both of them really wanted, to be a family again, and it was achieved with very little ceremony.

-Did Jinx find out the mushroom aren't toxic by eating them? Does she eat every new thing she finds just to check?

-If Vi thinks this is Jinx lying why would she follow her?

-"BITCHMITTENS"

-Typical sibling behavior

-Vi is a child hitter confirmed. Considering Jinx's lingering trauma from Vi's reaction to the explosion in S1 Ep3, I'de think she would have a worse reaction to Vi hitting Isha.

-Whaarwhick is more savage than any beast in Noxus? Knowing Noxus from league I find that hard to believe.

-Wait, did Silco kill Vi and Jinx's parents? Is that why they split? I need to rewatch this frame by frame.

-Singed holding his daughter

-Singed real name is Dr. Reveck

-If Mel and Kino are surprised Ambessa has a love child, were they her hatechilds?

-Mel herself is a magical maguffin for the cult running a foreign nation. I thought she was just a super cool girlboss.

-Jinx is a jacket sniffer.

-Was Vander in love with their mom? I thought he was their adopted dad, has he been their bio dad the whole time?

-Vi defending Jinx 🥺

-Is that Singed daughter on the record Felicity is playing.

-Oh no young Silco is hot

-Felicity sounds like Jinx when she says "working up the nerve"

-That one tweet was right, Arcane music is horrifically literal.

-I don't care if it's rushed. This scene is straight out of a feel good fix it fic and I love it. Happiness and family for the Zaun sisters!

-Is this Salo after being healed by Viktor?

-Knew it

-Jayce, where ya been buddy?

-Viktor broke Jayce out so he could come see him. I mean it is probably not Viktor, it's the hexcore taking people over, but still.

-And once again the dynamic is reversed

-Just leaving Ekko and Heimerdinger in their huh?

-JAYCE STRAIGHT UP MURDERED HIM! HOLY SHIT! WHAT!?

-I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST GONNA BONK HIM TO KNOCK HIM OUT!

-WTF HAPPENED TO HIM!

Overall: Ok, so this felt rushed. The last 4 acts have been tearing these sisters apart, entirely centering on the traumas and outside forces that keep them from being a family. Then Jinx shows up and it takes one sentence to get Vi back, granted Vander being alive is big news, but Vi thinks Jinx is lying to her. Why wouldn't she be mad at Jinx?

Jayce straight up murderred a guy, I wish we got to see more of how he got to this point.

Caitlyn is still as much of a dictator as she has been all, but she does get consistently worse.

Mel is in a totally different story now.

Things are only looking up for Jinx and Vi.

Even with it being rushed I do like Jinx and Vis story here, I want happiness for them , sue me. But I don't see how they could possibly meaningfully redeem all the other characters in the 4 episodes left. Which means I think Arcane season 2 might not be peak anymore, entertaining? Yes. Interesting? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Peak? Maybe not. I still love it, but the cracks are showing.

[partyhatking]

ARCANE S2 EP 7 SPOILERS

THE PINK STREAK IN POWDERS HAIR FOR VI SOMEONE SEDATE ME

[stealerofthe2ndbraincell]

ARCANE ACT 3

LIVEBLOG TIME! 🎉🎉

(Once again, more like a reaction then a live blog but sssh)

S2 Ep8: Killing Is A Cycle

Mel in the Ebenezer Scrooge chains again (I know it was Jacob Marley that was in the chains throughout but still) :(

THIS TRANSFORMATION IS SO COOL.

Would be a bit cooler if she wasn't screaming bloody murder throughout but I get it.

They really took some of the excellent bits of her design and decided to really lean into them more for this.

I kind of wish the internet hadn't fucked over the word "empath" cause that made me giggle.

We can't see the sorceress from here but is she meant to resemble the girl from Mel's backstory?

I need to stop pausing to say this immediately before it happens.

Okay so it isn't her, duly noted. I would suck in a fight against this thing.

Did it really say "yeah you're cool but you can still be stabbed, so how powerful are you actually 🙄🙄".

Calamity and Red seem to be associated strongly cause I immediately thought of Breath of the Wild.

I'm living for this backstory.

She must be so cold.

It's all coming back :((

OH SHIT VIKTOR'S IN THE ORB NOW.

God. That's terrifying. Viktor is suddenly extremely terrifying to me.

I'm surprised Ambessa isn't remotely surprised at him mentioning Jayce. He was probably missing for months at this point.

"I will evolve all those willing" so everyone? Everyone in your cult, Viktor? Because they're a literal hivemind so I doubt he'd have much problem.

VI I MISSED YOU.

YOU DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE THAT ISHA FLASHBACK OMG:((

Why does it look like a pokeball? That's so distracting lol

God Maddie is failing across the board, it's embarrassing, girl...

This argument between Cait and Vi was so deserved to be honest.

Maddie is probably hearing all of this...

I never considered Jinx would surrender.

Is Jinx not eating?

Damn what if you just punched me in the gut wow...

Her nails bleeding HURT me so much

"no amount of good deeds can undo OUR crimes" I'm so interested in the "our" from Caitlyn....

Jayce, love ya, but I am not on your side in this argument.

Although, Mel I think calling him and Viktor a "wise investment" in this moment is probably not the move either but still

I was slightly concerned that Jayce's flashbacks (? Would that be the right term for these) would stop once Viktor was "killed". Apparently not.

I'm happy for this turnabout.

I thought in Act 2 he reminded me of S1 Jinx and I'm pushing with that idea now.

Oh nevermind. He almost shot Viktor again.

I know it is very likely one of his followers and not actually Viktor, but damn that robot waist line lmao

Poor Mel probably has very little clue what's going on right now.

I'm distracted by Jayce's design tbh. The black and red colour scheme is sooo nice on his new look.

....

...Well that caught me off guard...

He STILL wants Jayce to be his partner WHAT :'(

"My partner died in this room." OUCH

MEL, MY GIRL!!! 👏👏👏👏

I want to be more enthusiastic for her, but she looks borderline in pain whenever she uses her magic so far :((

WHY ARE YOU PURPLE, JAYCE??

WAIT SO WAS VIKTOR WAITING TO SEE IF JAYCE WOULD JOIN HIM BEFORE STARTING THE EVOLUTION?

After last episode I legitimately, for a second, thought Silco was still alive.

He's not a nice person at all obviously, but in Jinx's hallucination he seems to sound harsher to her?

I did not need to see her spit that out up close.

Wait. It actively fell from her mouth where is it?

O W

I AM SO SCARED, JINX. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO "BREAK THE CYCLE"

Is there a reason Mel needs to wear the cloak?

"You will never be a passenger". Listen , I was actually hoping for more from my Jayce and Mel interactions. Both scenes they feel very off-kilter and standoffish of each other. A lot more tense then before (for understandable reasons considering what they both just went through) that I was hoping would start to heal.... but has'nt. However, that line hit.

I am obsessed with the designs of these background characters.

Am I missing something? Who is that playing that random piano??

I feel bad. I don't recognise him.

This entire sequence hurts.

OH. Wait I think I get the inclusion of the piano man. I hope I do otherwise I've just completely forgotten a character lol

[basicbats]

why does this other world makes me emotional as fuck

[spectershaped]

Happy pride month

[mandareeboo]

I think Maddie provides a lot of the basic comforts Caitlyn needs. Warmth, companionship, support. She's a great woman, really. For most people, landing Maddie Nolen would be the highlight of their careers. Great girlfriend material.

But Caitlyn needs someone who knocks her upside the head (metaphorically), who remembers back routes through slums and can stitch a wound shut while laughing at her bad luck. She needs someone who can keep her honest, who reminds her of the bad things she's unintentionally doing along with the good. She needs Vi.

[eerna]

episode 3 beginning with Cait hearing her mother say "The people of the underground deserve to breathe" VS episode 3 ending with Cait telling Vi she is just like the rest of the underground and punching her in the stomach, leaving her breathless and sobbing in the dirt

[mentalmeles]

Maybe I'd feel better about the way things ended if this season hadn't felt so Jayce and Viktor focused. Like. I love them and that whole plotline was super cool and gay and I appreciate it, but I thought Arcane was supposed to be mainly Vi and Jinx's story. And yet, when it mattered most, it felt like they were shoved to the sidelines almost entirely.

[flickerintwilights]

New intro is eating!!! Fascinated by the overall visual style / cleanness of the outfits and painting (& like that transition to the title card? So clean), very different from s1. Little thoughts:

Vi descending and Jinx rising is an excellent visual

Ekko and Viktor getting placed much much earlier this time, I really love the Viktor card / framing the shot is just well composed

Ambessa not in white, where the others are (and Viktor's mask is) - also, holding a rose. Black Rose, anyone? hahahaha

Jayce (and Ambessa holding the rose) is now where Mel used to be, under "tell you you're the greatest".

Mel gets a very dramatic and final placement, and the way the lighting is emphasized / spotlight is cast (plus the hands, oh my god) is making me very very very anticipatory. We (Mel stans) are so back this season

Lesbian breakup

Caitlyn appears to have... a crown shadow? Sorry don't look at me I can't see that thing without thinking about Sauron from Lord of the Rings

Timey wimey stuff with Ekko! + s1e7 reference

Mel angry. Have I mentioned how good I think we're going to be eating

I'm so curious what that light in the second A is meant to be, aahh