Arcane’s animation director was “grateful” that the CaitVi kiss didn’t happen until Season 2: “I don’t think we would have done a good job”

On November 16, 2024By Littum

Only three episodes into Arcane Season 2 and so much has already happened; Mel has been kidnapped by the Black Rose, Ambessa is waging a war, and Viktor has taken to the streets of the Undercity to try to heal struggling Zaunites. Act 1, however, has one big moment that fans can’t stop talking about: Caitlyn and Vi’s long-awaited first kiss.

While viewers have been desperate to see the two express their romantic feelings for each other, animation director Barthelemy Maunoury, who previously worked with Riot Games on League of Legends, was actually thankful that the smooch didn’t happen in Season 1.

In a new interview with TechRadarco-creator and showrunner Christian Linke mentioned that he spoke with Maunoury about the much-publicized embrace after the Season 2 premiere. “(He told me that if we had written it last season, the animation team wouldn’t have been able to do it well because they weren’t technically skilled yet.

“So he thanked us not to!” he joked. “He said ‘I don’t think we would have done a good job. We couldn’t have done it in season one,’ so it was interesting to hear that it wouldn’t have been possible from a technical point of view even if we had wanted to do so.”

Narratively, the lip lock comes at a crucial time for Caitlyn (Katie Leung), who is reeling from the death of her mother in Jinx’s attack on Piltover’s advice, and guilt-ridden Vi (Hailee Steinfeld). “In that moment, We commit to Caitlyn by choosing her over Jinx,” co-creator Alex Yee added. “I think ultimately that’s why Caitlyn takes the lead (in instigating the kiss).

“The relationship between Caitlyn and Vi is something that fans have carried for a very long time, and we knew it was something we wanted to bring to life. (Head writer) Amanda (Overton) really championed that cause and a lot of it specific mechanics of the dynamic she had a large part in.”

IN the first episode of Afterglowa new Q&A-style companion show that sees the Netflix series’ stars and creatives chat about the biggest talking points from each episode, Steinfeld was asked how to act out an animated kiss in a recording booth. “Classic, the back of the hand,” she laughed, putting her hand to her mouth and making kissing noises.

The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2 are streaming now. Make sure you never miss one with our Arcane Season 2 release schedule. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows for inspiration.