Arcane

Arcane is a Netflix original animated show which ran weekly throughout November of 2021, the show was split into three acts, with three to four episodes coming out every week. Arcane is based on the lore of the popular multiplayer online arena game, League of Legends. However, knowledge or gameplay experience of LoL is not needed to be able to sit back and enjoy.

Arcane follows two sisters caught on opposite sides of a war between two cities, the upper ground Piltover, which is utopian, innovative, and prosperous in technology and science, and the underground Zaun, which is dystopian, under the cruel reign of a drug-producing kingpin and riddled with poverty, sickness and devastation.

The series follows two iconic League champions, as they discover and experience the power that could drive them apart.

One thing that immediately stands out about Arcane is its gorgeous visuals. The animation never fails to be crisp, smooth, vibrant, and beautiful. Every character is drawn and animated with a great amount of care and passion, as their every movement and mannerism feels natural and realistic as if observing a real person. The art style is a type of semi-realism, with beautiful pastel-like and 3D textures that effortlessly blend to create stunning landscapes and backgrounds. Action scenes are quick and fluid, but create tension and allow the viewer enough time to process what has happened.

Each character feels like a real person you could know in your life, as they’re all fleshed out with complex emotions, motivations, and personalities. While the actions of some characters are not morally right, it’s hard to hold it against them with just how human they are written. The excellent character writing is subtle yet tells a million words, as Arcane practices the philosophy of “show don’t tell” when telling its story.

All in all, Arcane is an incredible series that is definitely worth the watch. It’s a great wake up call for western animation, and sets a precedent moving forward for what YA animated media should be like. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for both interesting storytelling and unique fantasy worlds.