To the delight of both fans and non-fans of League of Legends alike, the second season of Arcane was released on Netflix, with Act one premiering on Nov. 9, Act two recently on the sixteenth and Act three soon releasing on the twenty-third. I decided I would watch it as a new viewer since it seemed like it had an interesting plot and the animation looked absolutely stunning, and I was not mistaken. I was absolutely blown away by the characters, the adventure, the visuals and pretty much every minute detail that built up this world. However, as I watched this dramatic animated masterpiece and analyzed Jinx and Vi’s relationship as sisters, I began to think about the state of our world today. I realized that this fictional world is a perfect mirror into our own distorted reality that can only be classified as a dystopia, where division and unpredictable circumstances have caused the same division we see in this fictional world. Slight spoilers ahead for the new season of Arcane!
A dystopia is defined as an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized and fearful lives. This is the world that we see in Arcane and its two cities, Piltover and Zaun. Piltover and Zaun are like if you had a quarter, and one side was shiny and clean while the other side looked dirty and aged. Piltover is the shiny side of this coin: a rich, prosperous city bustling with affluency and beauty, a booming economy, technological advancements unlike any of its neighboring regions through the use of Hextech and owning the title of being an important cultural center amongst its neighboring regions. On the flip side of this coin is the undercity of Zaun. As a result of the pollution created by Piltover’s development, Zaun and its people are plagued with corroded structures, bodily deformities, and an increasingly worse black market. This manifests division between both peoples: Piltover citizens refer to Zaun citizens as dangerous and disgusting, whereas Zaun’s people believe Piltover’s people have power and privilege that they also deserve.
The reality is that our world is not very different from the world in Arcane. The 21st century alone has shown a multitude of events and changes in society that have caused the same divisive attitudes that we see in the cities of Piltover and Zaun. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic was also the bearer to a rise in hate crimes against Asians; a combination of speculation over the virus’s origin, offensive names used to reference it such as “the Chinese virus,” and an already tangible hatred for the circumstances of the quarantine created a Molotov cocktail that prejudiced people used as fuel to target the health crisis onto Asian-Americans, all while the Asian community had to fight an uphill war to be treated with decency in the United States. Another instance of this is the takeover of social media into our daily lives. With the technology and ability to alter the way we present ourselves and the lives we live, social media has caused a domino effect that has led to an increase in depression in younger generations, unrealistic standards for body image and a space that easily allows the spread of misinformation and hateful speech with little to no consequences to those who spread it. In the show, the main character Jinx basically starts a war with Piltover under the message that the people of Zaun have been mistreated and need to take their power back, resulting in Noxus’ warlord Ambessa to rally Piltover’s military force and begin planning to launch an attack and takeover of Zaun, using Jinx’s crimes to push the idea that Zaun citizens are all selfish individuals who long for destruction.
So, when we consider the idea of what a dystopia is, it’s not that far off from the world we currently live in. The political climate now focuses on power instead of uplifting society, our generation is more insecure than ever, and society is practically screaming for help in times of crisis. Arcane is, in every sense of the word, a mirror pointed at the viewer to reflect on messed up humanity and its ways has become, and I believe that’s just the most important reason as to why you should watch it.