To clarify, The Undercity isn't literally underneath Piltover. It's a slum on the south side of the river (on the surface) that extends downwards. So yes, a very large portion of the city is literally underground, but the area on the surface is still part of The Undercity. Though even the surface is at a significantly lower elevation than Piltover. Which makes it under Piltover in the sense that Piltover looms over them from across the river. Come to think of it, the song Powder was singing refers to Piltover as "dear friend across the river".

Its gonna be great watching two people as observant as you react to this show. Some pretty interesting theories so far. ^^

So excited and glad you choose this show, it's perfect for you guys

Ben's "aww" as Powder names her nail bomb 💀💀

The way they animated the characters and their body language is just dazzling. On top of everything else ofc.

Yes! Enemy by Imagine Dragons did come out for Arcane! It was released in a music vid that was kind of a teaser for the show. All original scenes though, 0 shots were reused. It got me so hyped you have no idea xD

Arcane is an emmy and an annie winning show. They swept every award show they were nominated to. Great show.

16:20 👀 Anyway really excited you finally start this series, cause I think you got everything you want here : good animation, story, plot, character building, soundtrack .. I can't wait for next episode already

So, Riot (League's creators) has had a working relation with Fortiche (the animation studio) for nearly a decade now, and the artstyle that Fortiche developed over the years has heavily informed Riot's works in animation when they have been done in-house, which I believe is the case with Valorant.

Omg you two are so good at picking up on the hints. You've unpacked half of E2. Well done. One of the things I love is that they don't do the writing trope of "if you think right, go left instead" but instead go the natural way but then create unexpected consequences.

Enforcer Grayson was voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo. People nowadays usually know her from her great role in The Expanse. She really does have an amazing voice, absolutely fitting for a person in power.

I'm not alone when I say this is one of my favorite animated shows to date. You don't have to be a League player to thoroughly enjoy this series. Looking forward to this reaction!

This show's art is not only top notch, but I love the writing too. The moral complexity of the show is such that no character feels unjustified in their belief, and the characters behave very consistently with their own beliefs. It feels like a real conflict. You got a glimpse of this already, but you will see even more as the character's history folds out, how the characters develop, and when more characters are introduced.

Haven't seen you guys before but I was impressed with how many smaller details you picked up on that a lot of people miss! Looking forward to future episodes.

You're picking up on details so fast .. its nice to see. Excited for whats to come !!!!!!!! :)

The geography of Piltover (and the undercity) is very confusing. But Ben is right. Vi and Powder were sitting on a rooftop at the very highest point of the undercity where Piltover is visible on the other side of the Pilt river that separates the two halves of the city (topside and undercity).

Incredibly glad. This show is absolutely amazing, can't wait for season 2

Funny you mention spider verse, Hailee Steinfield plays Gwen in Spider verse and Vi in Arcane

Unusual hair colors are natural in the Arcane universe, so having pink or blue hair wouldn't be any more incriminating than having blonde or red hair. But yeah, if it was hair dye they'd have definitely needed to cover that up.

A few things about this show you should know. 1. It's of course based off of the League of Legends universe, meaning that many of the main characters in this show are playable characters in League. (and there are plenty of references for hardcore league fans!) Although us League players already know this setting and many of these characters going into the show, the show does a PHENOMENAL job of setting up the story in a way that doesn't bore old fans and yet doesn't confuse others! You shouldn't need any other context going into this, though if you do decide to check out other League cinematics/stories, you won't really be spoiled. The show was made for fans AND non-fans, so it's enjoyable no matter how much you know about the universe going in. 2. CHECK OUT OTHER LEAGUE CINEMATICS. If you thought Arcane animation is good, you HAVE to watch some of the music videos. (you mentioned that this made valorant cinematics look weak....in the same way, though the valorant cinematics are definitely really good, they pale in comparison to many other league cinematics!!) Most of the world was taken by surprise when a show based on a video game reached top charts on Netflix, but us League fans were fully expecting this based on the quality of the cinematics we've already seen. :) One of the earliest ones is Get Jinxed, which will be referenced in this show quite a bit. Some other amazing ones include Awaken, As We Fall, both Warriors cinematics, and SOOO many more. (the first cinematic came out with the song Warriors by Imagine Dragons, and so Imagine Dragons have a history with League content!) There are also a plethora of stories and comics for free on universe.leagueoflegends.com, so if you want more information about a character you love, go see what material exists for them! Some champions have nothing but a little lore page, but most have at least a few short stories and often much more, especially for many of the main Arcane characters. Oh, and music. League's music is beyond incredible, and spans every genre. As you may know, the game of League of Legends gets a lot of hate, but the universe/media surrounding the game is absolutely legendary. 3. In case you're wondering, Arcane occurs relatively recently in Runterra (the League world)'s vast history, but it's still in the past, meaning that this series acts as a sort of origin story for many characters. 4. There are a lot of different regions in Runeterra; Arcane takes place in Piltover/Zaun, which you'll learn a lot about as you watch the show. There's only one season of Arcane right now, but hopefully, we get more seasons in the future, which increase the scale of the story and further incorporate other regions as well! There's enough existing content to create a hundred seasons like this one. 5. The animation for this show is completely unique. There are dev logs explaining the process in more detail, but the quick explanation is that Arcane was animated using 3d modelling, then handpainted over to create a totally new artistic feel. League-related media is always exploring new genres/styles, with all of their content. Have fun! You're in for a wild ride.

I love how Vi's "stfu" face is exact same as Anna's laughing face LOL

I just binge watched the show….. I don’t even know what to say 😶. Can’t wait for you guys to experience it too

You will love this show!

i loved the `ahh yes and the sonic games all based on the iconic sonic movie with jim carrey, ofc` xD

Yess!! I cant wait to see your reaction to the whole show

I know I’m a bit late to the party but I just have to praise your attention to detail while watching the show. I’ve seen tons of reaction to Arcane since it’s come out you are in my top 5 from what I’ve seen in this 1st episode. So good job you two. 👍

Damn, I was incredibly happy to see this reaction come out! I was late to Arcane myself - but I personally found it easily lived up to the hype! Between this, AOT and MT yous just keep picking amazing content to react to!

I wish I could watch Arcane for the first time again. Since I cannot, I enjoy the reactions of others. I envy you seeing it fresh. Well done on catching some fine details. I look forward to your future videos. This is one of my all time favorites. It works on so many levels (art, animation, voice acting, character development, music, sound effects, story...). I hope you enjoy it. I think you will.

i did not expect this!! you guys will love this show im so excited

The poverty and squalor of the Undercity has existed for way longer than since the fighting and failed revolution we witnessed in the opening - Powder is literally singing a song about begging for pittances from their "friend across the river", explicitly stating how they are meek, poor and subservient. A child her age (3-6 maybe?) who knows a song like that has heard it over and over. She's heard it throughout her life, like a nursery rhyme almost. That's not a new song. It's something her parents have heard, too, for long enough to consider singing it to their child. The inequality is already long established at the beginning of the show.

wow, you guys are making a lot of really great observations and asking all the right questions! i always appreciate attentive reactors who delve into every aspect of a show. will be sticking around for the rest of these!

Amazing reaction :) That's really impressive you noticed so many details :)

Subbed. Love your style, really excited for your Arcane journey

Let's F'ing goooo!!!! So glad you guys are reacting to this. Others will probably say the same and you've probably picked up on it by now but you definitely don't need to have played League of Legends to understand anything with Arcane. Can't wait to see your full reaction to this show, it's one of my all time favorites.

Can't wait for your reaction to the entire series. I am sure it will blow your mind.

Ah yes... Arcane... Prepare for roller coaster of emotions and awesomeness...

remember to see the music video for enemy after the 6 episode

I started silently screaming when i saw rhe thumbnail 💓

YEEESS Didn't know you hadn't watched this show. Can't wait for your discussions about this masterpiece of a series

I get your confusion about the last sight of the city, the fact is that the Undercity is not all literally underground. It is built inside an enormous trench and a lot of buildings are just carved out off the rocky "walls" of the trench.

YASSSS ARCANE REACTION

For a basic description of the city; On the north side of the river is the rich folks with all the fancy buildings with vibrant blues and golds and whites. The south side of the city is the impoverished side, where everywhere looks polluted, greys and browns and greens. The north side has all the academic industries and cleaner tech, where as the south side is where all the factories, mines and slums are. On the south side there is a deep fissure that the undercity has been built into, which is where they go down seemingly into the underground but are able to see the sky from some parts, like at The Last Drop bar that Vander runs. In the final shot of Vi and Powder when Vi stands up and looks out over the city she is looking up towards the north side from the south, across the river towards the capital buildings. If you look closely you can see the break in the rooftops where the river cuts through as the distinction between the sides. The fissure is some sort of mining accident but because of it there is a lot of air pollution. While the south siders are accustomed to the bad air quality, the north siders need to wear breathing masks when venturing down that way. This series is really great and making parallels, comparisons and reflections about what makes things different and what makes it the same. I think you guys will pick up on a lot of them.

Found yall through this reaction, I love seeing people get into arcane and I look forward to seeing more of your content, especially the rest of this series

I don't usually wait around for the discussion part of videos from other creators- but I stuck around because of the way you were talking during the video and the observations you made were very interesting; I'm glad I did. That was the most quality discussion I have seen especially talking about more nuanced things like Powder looking at Vi to see how to emotionally respond, the family coming underground to buy something and what that implies, etc I love to see it

22:44 Their faces at this "Feeding Time" freeze frame😮😲 🤣😂🤣

Honestly one of the greatest shows to come out 2022. Live action or animated.

Thanks for sharing your memory in relation to vi via having someone take something away from you (your shoes) as a kid, i felt that.

I loooove love love the art deco/art nouveau distinction between the two cities (also two of my biggest influences in painting)

Loving your reaction, can't wait for you to see the rest of this amazing show! It's a ride! 💯

Great review. Buckle your seatbelts…you’re in for one hell of a ride. Your observations are spot on. Any object they focus on for more than 2 seconds will be important in the future…any person that speaks more than a word or two will have an impact in future episodes. You’re off to a great start…pay attention to the details!

You made some really interesting points about the show foreshadowing things, characters, story etc. Love it when ppl are that observant in reactions. I'm looking forward to watch the further episodes! 😀 Random question, did you ever see the lord of the rings trilogy? There's still ppl who haven't seen it, in case you haven't seen it yet as well I highly recommend to watch it!

Best damn show I’ve seen in a decade. I know nothing of LoL- aside from I have known seeing this show. I believe pretty much all the songs were written for the show. Riot games does that a lot. I’m not going to spoil anything. Keep going. And when your done there is an excellent behind the scenes making of series. Worth every minute.

Awesome!!!!! Can't wait for the next episodes 👀👀

I literally just finished watching arcane yesterday lol! What a surprise to see you react to this!

Some animation info; its 3D (with 3D cameras that acts like actual cameras settings would) with 2D painted textures for for ex. buildings, skins, effects etc. Gives it a gorgeous blend!

12:56 clarification: The water in the undercity is very toxic and they dont have any equipement for diving. This thing is also pretty heavy so getting that it out wouldnt be easy.

I just finished this show on my channel, and now Im ready to dive into my favorite reactors checking it out! I came across y'all in the process and love it! I cant wait to see what you think of it all!!

Absolutely stunning predictions...

I'm so damn excited for this. This was probably the best show of 2021 for me, and the best animated thing I've ever seen! There's a lot of visual storytelling in this one, so I hope you guys try and pick up and dissect as much as you can like you do with the dialogue in AoT! Also to what you said before the reaction, feel free to set your expectations high for this show. It will blow them out of the park regardless by the time you're done with the 9th episode lol.

Waiting for this show from you guys.

Very impressed with your analysis and theorizing! I'm looking forward to seeing what you make of the rest of it. Arcane is the sort of show that rewards you working out this stuff, and the soft world-building is incredible. Very impressed you caught on to the filtered air in the buildings - you can see that Benzo's shop has an airlock door and bubble-glass like windows. My understanding is that the Undercity isn't actually underground, it's deep in a gorge or valley, which is why the air is bad - the runoff of pollution has settled there. There seems to be the side of the river that isn't topside, where Vi and the gang run into Deckard et al, which looked run down but not as bad as Undercity. Presumably that's where Vi and Powder climbed up to at the end. Vi probably had Powder sing the song and cover her eyes to keep her distracted, and concentrating on the song rather than the warzone. It's a schmaltzy song that romanticizes poverty and charity, very Victorian, I thought, and it's probably a Piltover song. Maybe Powder used to sing for pennies? Who could deny those enormous sad eyes a penny? Great worldbuilding anyway. Grayson's voice actor is Shohreh Agdishaloo, who is *fantastic* and is one of the stars of The Expanse which I'd recommend too.

If you're already a fan of Valorant cinematics, then you're in for so much fun. Riot Games (Company that made both League of Legends and Valorant) have made so many amazing cinematics over 12 years it's insane. They've even made music videos. It's why League fans have been asking for a series like this for the longest time. You're in for an incredible ride.

sooooooooo excited!!!!!

No way you guys are watching this. YESS!!!!! This show is like the greatest media gets!!!

Thank you for this reaction, know you wil absolutelt love it, show is a masterpiece

I want that sweater Anna has

Also you guys seem a little confused on the undercity, it's not literally underground lmao. It's just to the south of the topside, that's why they can see the topside from their undercity! Vander even called it "Northside" once when talking to Vi in this episode. I hope someone conveys this to them! Oh and the OP by imagine dragons was specifically made for this show!

Holy shit it's here!

Excited to see your journey on this show!

Please release the next one this was such a good discussion video :D

Aaaaa woooo!!! Super beautiful show, I’m so glad you folks are watching :D

Yessss! Will be watching this entire series with you

omg it's finally happening

An intelligent reaction, with interesting discussion

Okay this is such a fun analysis, can’t wait to see you guys take on the rest of the season

Some explanation of the geography with no spoilers: It takes place in a city super big called Piltover(lit. Over the Pilte, wich is the name of the river). The city is divided into Topside, also called Piltover by itself and the Undercity, or Lanes and one other name that would be a spoiler. It is not literally bellow Topside but it is at a lower elevation and thanks to a really old earthquake the undercity is literally built on the giant fissures that go really deep. Its basically two cities one that built upwards and one that was forced to build downwards. The reason the enforcers use masks too its never stated but its because most ppl from topside cant stand the stench and the denseness of the air in the lanes. It also has a lot of interesting world building from the game that is never relevant to the series. For example ages ago before that earthquake wich also made the river the city was called Oshramazaun and was a port city from a egypt inspired desert civilization called Shurima. Then one day Shurima fell and Oshramazaun too. Some time after that earthquake happened and made a river and the city was rebuilt by people from all over the world as a tech/port city besides the new river that connected to the ocean. The Pilte River.

You guys have the best fans, they only pick the good stuff

No waay I love ur guys channel and I love Arcane letsgoooo

Woah!! Just found this channel thanks to recommendations, but damn you're good at reactions!! Great analysis and predictions! You guys really seem to be noticing all of the details and stuff! Keep up the good work! Can't wait for the next episode!

Ben played the quidditch World Cup game, that game was a lot of fun. I still have a hard copy of it :D

I burst out laughing at that "fuck these guys!". Those specific guys do have... What's that phrase from Deus Ex? "Ethical flexibility".

Vi grabs a board: "That might kill someone" ... but them causing an explosion, one guard potentially dead or a quadraplegic, those guys didn't matter?

2:40 WOHOOOO SHOTOUUTTT

Also, since yall are 2 episodes ahead, I highly recommend checking out the drawn music video to imagine dragons "enemy" sometime between episodes 5-7 to get more of a look at the kids time together and see some of their childhood interactions.

Let’s goooooo this show is goated

You guys are going to love this show Im so glad you chose it.

Great reaction!!! I need the rest of this immediately :)

Damn, Episode 3 hit SO HARD on the patreon.

Loved the reaction, I’m excited to watch the rest of them :)

OMYGOD YES

I was in the middle of another video when I saw this recommended in the side bar and decided to immediately watch this

I really liked your reaction video, was great

Arcane lets go!!

It's the rooftop, they just didn't include their walk up to topside

I'm glad I clicked on the video... you guys seem very clever.

Woohooo here we goo

The song will return, yes. ;)

Grayson aka Da Queen Avasarala. Encase you are into scifi & havnt watched The Expanse, you are totally missing out on hearing more of that fabulous voice! 😁

oh my god theyre not ready

Glad you're starting this series