I'm thinking of getting into arcane, I've seen a few episodes, like the dynamic between jayce and Victor - as someone who's seen it... Do they have a happy ending? I'm ok with spoilers, I know vaguely what happens, but I don't want to get super invested in the show if the ending is like, unambiguously sad... Basically, what am I in for if I continue watching? Thanks so much for your time, I love your art! 💜💜💜💜
oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my... that is a COMPLICATED question. cuz... like, since i don't know what you personally look to invest in, or how strongly you feel things, or what you consider "sad" vs what i do, it's a bit hard to answer in way that i think can be useful??? but i'll try!!!
for me, i have zero regrets about the fact that i've watched the full show over twenty times now. does it cause me a lot of emotional anguish every time still? yeah. it's pretty much "emotional anguish" the show. but i am also someone who describes themself as "empathy poisoned" so, like, i very easily feel too much~ to the point where i need to just NOPE out of stuff if it hurts me too much. (i'm looking at you Jujutsu Kaisen) and that might not be true for you. but i also think it's ABSOLUTELY a show worth sticking it out for. even if it's only for the animation and the music! but! even better! every single character will take you on heart-wrenching emotional journey in their own way. just, some definitely get happier endings than others.
but as for Jayvik specifically - would i have liked there to be a world where their ending is more... just... UNAMBIGULOUSLY a cut-and-dry love story??? obviously! i'm a wretched little queer who wants to see their boys get EVERYTHING - but i also don't begrudge the show the very, very beautiful ending that they did get.
throughout the show they both fuck up so much, make the wrong choices so often, and get manipulated by people and forces so far outside of their control that it's little wonder there's so much AU and fix-it-fic written about them. you desperately want better for them. but you also see exactly WHY people ship them. their connection is UNDENIABLE in so many ways and across so many facets. and in the end, Jayce and Viktor choose EACHOTHER over LITTERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. and it's so beautiful that i absolutely sobbed my eyes out.
do they ever say the words "i love you?" or kiss? no. and what becomes of them is intentionally left super ambiguous. so, in the end, you're really just left with the intense melancholy of knowing that all they want - forever - is just to be together. and that's so fucking beautiful that i just can't help but say it's worth it. 100% absolutely worth it.