Well-written dramaturgy
It's clear from just watching the first season that this is not a show for kids. And while the truths are simple and easy to understand, it's a serious story about growing up, loss, the price of progress, power, and class division.
The important detail that holds the entire series together is that the world of Arcane is alive and believable. The sense of authenticity is achieved through a well-written supporting cast, and every character with at least one line has their own backstory, motivation, and personality.
The world of Arcane has many characters who are connected to each other by arcs (Vi and Jinx, Victor and Jace, Silko and Wander, etc.) It is through their actions that the viewer can better understand the world they are immersed in. It is important to note that none of the characters in the series are clearly positive or negative – at least in the first season.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
One of the main plot lines of Arcane is the confrontation between the oppressed "lower city" of Zaun and the "upper city" of Piltover that dominates it . In the first season, the conflict between them gradually grew, enmity and hatred increased. The second season began, in fact, with a war.
"The lines are drawn, the escalation increases with each episode, and shows how the leadership's choice of brutality leads to the radicalization of the population. Arcane continues to cram a lot of plot into a short period of time, with several storylines affecting all of Piltover – this time, they even extend beyond the city," IGN wrote in its review of season two.
At the same time, critics believe that not all of the plot arcs of the second season are well-written. One of these lines was the story of Ambessa Medarda, who, according to IGN, was made a simplified antagonist with fairly predictable actions and motivations. However, journalists emphasize that it is too early to criticize the series for this – after all, it is unknown how Medarda's story will end.
In addition, the second season has been criticized for its too rushed plot, which does not allow viewers to catch their breath, as well as the introduction of a large number of new characters. However, most viewers are quite happy with the new part of "Arkane": on the Rotten Tomatoes service, the season has an approval rating of 97%.