Excellent video again Tilda Owen. You really caught me off guard with the third option. It never occurred to me that the Firelights community would combine the bright lights, colors and fresh air of Piltover, and the sense of family and community of Zaun (during Vander's time as leader), and freedom into something better. A symbol of hope for Arcane: League of Legends. But you did Tilda Owen. You noticed how hope is seen further through the interactions between Vi and Caitlyn and between Ekko and Heimerdinger, at the bridge and their way home. For seeing this symbolism, I like to comment how remarkable you are. If you're planning to make videos that I suggested, check out these videos as references for Heimerdinger's character and how his newfound friendship with Ekko connect to possible events in Arcane: League of Legends Season 2: - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oLynrZdpt5zOmZs.html - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z9ZmethlqtzKmYE.html Overall, thank you for this video and excellent work on it.

I love the Moulin Rouge comparison, yet another video well done! + the “breaking the gap between both sides” / since it’s on the bridge. That’s something I never thought about that detail !! Very good interpretation.

Great video! This makes me wonder where Mel goes on the spectrum. She isn't from either city and is one of the more corrupt leaders there but her intentions are good. Mel seems to be a more complicated character. She manipulates others for her own favors yet she wants Piltover to succeed and be safe.

you truly are astounding. im taken aback by your truly remarkable ability to encapsulate the themes of arcane and ultimately produce amazing end product.

You could also say that Caitlyn picks up an injured Vi and takes her home (kinda) in episode 5/6. It's also interesting that each person that helps the other home has their preconceived notions rocked in the process.

I love your analysis videos so much, they so such a good job a representing the hope in Arcane. I see a lot of other ppl focusing on Jinx & Silco when analyzing Arcane, & although Jinx is my favorite character & I find Silco & her extremely interesting, it’s such a breath of fresh air to see someone finally NOT talk about the gloom & doom & tragedy of this show.

Damn, I thought that the scene with Sky was the cleaner water of the more upper city kids being right above where it flowed to the lower city (I must've been taking a drink when that shot from below the water was on screen), I didn't realize that they were more or less all Undercity there... so, that means that Sky was presumably a Zuanite who moved into Piltover, not unlike Viktor himself. Worse, it shows that Viktor actually DID get to help Zuan in some ways in his position... but it wasn't in time, or it just gentrified the parts he helped (IE, now that the area was clean, Undercity kids were getting chased away). Piltover really managed to set themselves up to poach the best of Zuan and integrate them into their society so well you don't even realize how many of Piltover's "lower class" characters (which more or less means 'all the ones that aren't nobles') are from Zuan, and even the ones we do get character focus on in Arcane are fairly upper class since Viktor was Heimerdinger's assistant and Sky was also part of that circle.

Your voice is soothing! Thanks for your insight too! please, keep it coming!

Great vids...all of them !! and on the plus side, you have a Very nice speaking voice...

Great! Walcome to the Playground

Excellent video (s, I like them all), Subscribed!

I'm now officially addicted to your videos. Thanks. 🤩

Hi, just wanted to say that I really enjoyed watching your videos. Thank you!

I love your analysis, and your adorable style. I can't wait for season 2, and the videos your going to make on it ;-)

ive stumbled across your content after binging the entire season of arcane last night (it kept me hooked i couldn't sleep until 7 am). you have really great content and all your analysis videos are really thought-provoking and anyone can tell you work really hard on them. thank you for your hard work and thank you for the very insightful and perceptive videos, it makes me love the show even more. i wish i had your mega brain

I just discovered your channel today and its already a favorite of mine I love Arcane and I really like how you analyze and discuss it what you say about it personally to me I really enjoy it more so than other content creators who make vids on Arcane and not to sound creepy but your voice is nice to listen to I just find your content and channel really enjoyable already and I hope you make more videos

One thing I saw in a video that I found interesting is the mention of the music that plays when we first visit the under city (and more specifically the lanes) before and after the time skip. Before the skip, the song that plays is “Welcome to the Playground” which gives off this vibe that life in Vander’s Undercity, while not necessarily *pleasant* is welcoming, community based, and at the very least *livable.* Things could definitely be better, but it’s not really a bad place. After the time skip, the introductory song is “Dirty Little Animals” which is much more wild and unhinged, Silco’s Undercity is a place of degenerates, indulgence, drugs, alcohol and backstabbing, while it’s definitely survivable, it’s not at all a pleasant place to live

I love ur content and ur voice is reaaaally soothing

I like how at the beginning of the firelight "shelter" scene, ekko and vi are standing together in front of Cait, which could indicate that they have similar ideas, in terms of the conversation they were having, but when Cait demonstrates her point of view, vi starts walking towards her, about to be in the middle of these two (ekko and cait, and also to separete them because they were about to fight haha), which also shows vi's individual internal conflict of zaun and piltover and their beliefs of each other. I hope I made my point clear because I don't speak English, but I wanted to comment this. I really like your videos, I watch them whenever I can, I love your thoughts about Arcane and Vi and Cait's relationship. Greetings from Argentina!

Ok. I definitely can't write everything I want in one comment and in one day ))) Let’s start))) The question in the title reminded me of a book I read in school a long time ago. It was Nekrasov “who in russia to live well” or who is happier? Priests or landowners etc? Hard workers decided to find such people and never found .. and the author never finished the book. This question from classical literature exists as a ma'am. My day started by remembering the plot of this book. In other words, it's about class inequality. Polarity again. But after school I read one interesting thought. It is with me now. When we talked about duality earlier, this thought came to my mind, but I did’t write about it. its essence is that between the two extreme positions that you are offered, you need to find and choose the third. find an alternative. And this is a reasonable way out of mental traps. This idea had a big impact on my life. including alternative music, subculture etc. But despite it all, I was’t see the connection with the Ekko community. In arcane we have Piltover and Undercity. The people are “having to choose between a kingpin who wants to exploit them and a government that doesn't give a shit.” Ekko created an alternative. And it's so cool. You're right! The Firelights are different and take the best of both worlds. Thanks for revealing this.

Love Arcane and love your analysis. To me, we can’t really take a side or draw firm conclusions about Piltover (especially) vs the Undercity as entities. The difficulty with Piltover is we see only the very thin uppermost layer of it along with the Enforcement class. Nearly every bit of dialogue comes from counselors, heads of houses, and enforcers. The harbor master and the guy celebrating in the blimp basket in Ep 4 are the only two topsides lines I can think of that aren’t from the rulers of Piltover or their enforcers. The harbor master had a militaristic uniform, so I’m inclined to put him in the enforcement class along with the two operators of the hex gate we see later. Who are the “people” Grayson talks of serving and protecting? Who are the shopkeepers, theatre staff, and university employees? We only see 1 professor and it’s the founder of the city. Surely, there are many others. Do Jayce and her mom represent “the people” prior to his appointment to the council? We never see the Kiramman’s servants. Do they have any? This class isn’t depicted. My long-winded opinion is, in order to choose, we must know more about the topsiders who are not on the council (or the next dozen most powerful people) and are not enforcers. My view is Piltover has many strata and thousands of people who are never really represented. The Undercity has fewer strata, we see most of them and know them much better. Who are in the middle and do most of them reside topside as I think? How good are their lives, and who/what will serve them and the Undercity best?

Pls do more videos. I really love listening

Hey Tilda Owen, I'm was a recent viewer. When I stumbled upon one of your videos, I thought it was another boring analysis that I've heard from other KZfaqrs. I am glad I clicked on it. I was hooked on how deeply you analysed the details and symbolism of Arcane. And I never would have thought of the parralels if it weren't for you. Your videos are very enertaining and it also helps that your voice is very calming. If you don't mind me asking, are you British? I'm sorry if I do get your accent wrong.

Excellent video, I have just subscribed, I would however, like to hear your thoughts on episode 9 the tabel scene. Jynx's ultimatum, the mental breakdown, the heartbreak, the feeling of betrayal, the decision to burn everything. I have dealt with depression and ptsd so I can relate to what jynx is going through.

Great contribution once again. I like the aspects of colour you mentioned. As a men I seem to be to superficial to even mention this facts...so thanks to reminding me.🤣 What stays for me is the question in which kind of community I would like to live with my family. And the answer is clearly Piltover. The people there are save for the most part of their life, medicare is available, you have a job and food on the table, a roof on the top of your house/appartement. No criminals that can rob you whenever they want and even mebers of lower classes can have a good life, have education. On the opposite we have a kind of freedom for the stronger members of the Undercity society, who can protect themselves and take what they need to survive. If you are weak like Huck ( a character with which I sympathize a lot), you need someone like Vander who protects you or you will go down...and the people in the Undercity were only loyal to Vander, not to any of their fellow citizens. This is why Silco was so easily able to change the Undercity in his version of Zaun, which is only controlled by him and his mobsters. I mean the real question is would you like to live with your family safe and comfortable restricted to society rules and laws you might not like or free from that every day in danger getting oppressed by enforcers or humiliated and robbed by criminals? This is a question you can tell everybody in our society also...Piltover society is not so far away from our western system. Would someone of us really like to live in a little village in africa togehter with friedly and open hearted neighbours, sleeping on the ground in mud huds and in danger to be killed by hostile predators or animals? I guess most of us would prefer Piltover. The real question is what you would do if you had no choice, if you live in Zaun with a guy like Silco ruling the city as he likes to and you are not one of the few strong and you have a family to care for? Maybe a question for a new and much appreciated video?😜

0:30 i suggest you watch necrit's videos on this, in his "The world is done" video, he shows a good rendition of Zaun and Piltover which comes from many images from Legend of Runeterra which is canon.

I once made a facetious comment about Caitlyn looking for a Bridge Partner . . . she has, of course, found one in every sense but the one I meant.

God i love your analysis and want more. There are a few scenes that i want your in depth look on the dinner scene especially with that i made her cupcake scene i recently watched a reaction of an LGBT youtuber during that scene and her constant plz dont be that show during that scene kinda made me realise how they played with bury your gays trope there Also the lighting up the signal scene cuz man that hit me i half expected her throw it away it would have been easier for powder by not ever getting a definite answer but instead she lights it and picks the harder option

Ah, I love smelling fissures in the morning. Who needs clean air when you have pollution? Also, clean air makes people snobbier (creating unknown words is a feature of pollution as well). I think I'd choose Piltover as anyone who cares about their lungs. As for the "quality of the people", hardened Undercity people probably wins over the people who got used to take their meals (among other things) with a silver platter. Hardened people solves their problems practically, but in the wrong surroundings and community, creates more problems while making the young ones like themselves, so they are always in the same situation for generations, while softened, maybe entitled people are bringing nothing to the table, just waits for someone make their "progress" for them. And while Piltie kids can still be kids, Undercity kids are just child workers, thieves, sketchy traders etc. , they are not be able to be a kid. They are already adults with relatively 'lesser in pain than the actual adults', even some of them has even more. Hence the endless cycle of problems. If you steal the opportunity of being a kid from children, you'll never find the civilization you've dreamed of when they grow up. Ekko's community trying to become the tree which the one they surrounded. If they can overcome their natural faults, which shaped both Piltover and Undercity, then they may be on to something. Looks like it is the best one, but needs more time (there's a Heimerdinger inside all of us). Well, I don't want to watch Arcane for the fourth time yet (it's too soon) so I'm on the second lap of your videos!

❤️

Piltover and the Undercity. Both broken models, one both needing and repressing the weaker. Silco wants Zaun, but Vander doesn't believe the benefit outweighs the cost, if the method of achieving this goal is violence. Silco takes over and end ups creating an Undercity Piltover. After the timeskip, we do see more wealth (relatively) in the undercity. The chem barons breathe clean air, look clean, look wealthy. They meet where there are flowers. They are the Silco Undercity council. But as Vi mentioned to Caitlyn when at the very bottom of the undercity, the poorest are far more numerous. Silco has created what he hates. Piltover itself has grown even more wealthy, through trade (both legal and otherwise), and that has pushed some wealth into the undercity, but the lion's share still falls into the chem barons' hands. Do the bridges separate, call it 'Downtown' Piltover, and the surface city of Piltover on the 'wrong' side of the river? The Pilties tend to separate themselves from the Undercity through the control of the bridges. Can we call this side of the river Zaun, which encompasses a surface city and the rifts where the undercity lies? The episode 1 basically opens with a heist in the 'University district', but the view from the building tops still looks like it might be on the wrong side of the river. Certainly when Vi and Powder are looking at night over at Piltover centre, the decay around them seems to be on the 'wrong' side, but they're up high, in the clear air. So for me, I say the aboveground portion on the wrong side of the river. The best of both worlds, really. I just don't know what to *call* it.

“They are not two different cities” Yet

I didn't see anyone else comment it so i felt i would help you clarify the nature of the "Undercity". the picture you put up of Piltover on top and the undercity Zaun underneath? that's not figurative. it's literal. in the in game lore Zuan and Piltover functioned as a port trade city that could freely open and close itself to the outside world through giant golden gates called The Sun Gates. regrettably not mentioned in the scene with Jayce and Silco when standing on the border wall. but at one point in history an earthquake took place when the people planned to create a channel through their city to increase trade by blowing up a series of caverns below to open up water flow. the result went beyond expectation. sinking much of the city and releasing toxic gases from below that killed many residents. Zaun rebuilt their city on the surface as well as by digging below. on the other hand Piltover taking advantage of the Sun Gates and water restricted trade, built themselves out and upward only. A shining city of gold towering over the city of Zaun in the toxic gases and chemically polluted caverns below. forever looking down upon the undercity.

Hi, just found your channel and I lovee your takes! Really made me look at scenes from a new perspective. I noticed your comment in your first video about your "crude" editing skills lol. While I think your editing is great, it gave me a weird idea. Do you need an editor for your next video? haha. I've been making Arcane edits for a few months, but I have been wanting to make an analysis video for a while. Just never really got interesting enough ideas for it. I would love that opportunity. You can check out my edits if you wanna see what kind of editing i can do. This isn't a business proposition or anything. I can do it for free if you want. This is just from one creator to another. So what do you think? haha.. If you're not interested, that's completely fine.. Would love to hear back from you

I mean in the urder city are people dieing on the streets .... think is better live on the piltovers side hahah. And the people in the urder city are not freedom at all, then why many characters use masks to cover their identity? Maybe just free to do bad things. Great video as always ;)

What kind of degree do u have cus i might want to work as sth as what you're doing in your vids ❤️❤️❤️

The setting reminds me of YuGiOh! 5D. Two cities divided by corruption and abuse of power, with the unfortunate side being seen as less than human, rather than an essential part of a big picture

I have a question: Is there a good life?

Piltover is good city but has bad people and Zuan is bad city but has good people it's fun in one side and the other reminds me one quote: “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain So it's make sense for me..)) And also is cool and fun how changed my perception and comprehension this video essay.

how vi views piltover is how afghans view america

I really like your videos. If you ever going to need help with video editing free of charge, hit me up, I would be more than happy to help.