If you have a Netflix subscription, then there’s a chance you’ve heard of a show called Arcane. It released near the beginning of November, and stormed the Netflix charts to claim the top spot for most in-demand tv show. At the same time, it’s perfectly reasonable if you’ve never heard of it until now. For some reason, outside of those who are already in-the-know, Arcane is flying under a lot of people’s radars.
This is, speaking plainly, a crime. Anyone with even a remote interest in fantasy, animation, or just excellent television in general owes it to themselves to watch Arcane. If you have a Netflix subscription already and haven’t watched Arcane…watch Arcane. If you don’t have a Netflix subscription…get one so that you can watch Arcane. It really is that good.
And, for once, I’m not the contrarian when it comes to Arcane. The show is liked by 98% of Google users, has a 100% critic Rotten Tomatoes score and a 98% audience score, and has received glowing 10/10 and A+ reviews across the board. Most tellingly, the show has settled into an IMDB rating of 9.3, putting it in the same echelon of shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire, and Avatar the Last Airbender. This is no ordinary show.
So what makes Arcane a veritable masterpiece? Well, geez…where to begin?
Let’s state the obvious first, while pausing to note that just because it is obvious does not mean it is less important: Arcane is breathtakingly gorgeous.
The visual animation created by Fortiche Production is nothing short of transcendent. The incredible mix of three dimensional modeling and hand-drawn animation lends the show an eye-catching style unlike anything else. The painterly aesthetic is the icing on the cake, and any singular frame of this show looks like a lovingly crafted piece of art. It’s incredibly easy to lose yourself just watching the scenery in the background, because there is never a single second that isn’t just gorgeous.
To see Arcane in motion is like watching magic unfold before your eyes. The characters move smoothly but with real weight, lending the high-octane action scenes an authentic presentation. Every single miniscule facial detail is captured from the characters (eyes flicking nervously, lips curling to pronounce each and every syllable, jaw tightening in anger, etc.). You’d be forgiven for thinking that motion-capture was used to record the character models, but it wasn’t. The animators are just that dedicated to their craft, striking the perfect balance between realistic constraints and animated freedom.
There’s a few reasons why this show took over six years to create and release upon the world, and the insane effort put into the visuals stands chief among those reasons. This is THE new standard for animation on television, and it blows all previous animated works out of the water. Even hundred-million-dollar budget Disney/Pixar films could learn several lessons on character modeling and 2-D animation blending from Arcane. This is groundbreaking stuff, and shows just how amazing a finished project can be when the people most qualified at their jobs are allowed to pour their hearts and souls into their work without executive meddling.
But Arcane isn’t just a pretty picture. Oh no, it’s SO much more than that.
The eclectic ensemble of heroes and villains presented in this show is exceptionally strong, fleshed-out, grounded in relatable experience and realism, flawed in very human ways, and infinitely sympathetic. They may very well be the best cast of characters put to the screen. Never once does the characterization and development falter or overstep. Each new twist in the intertwined fates of these engrossing characters is measured and executed flawlessly…even if the end results may be heartbreaking.
There’s the grizzled, world-weary bartender Vander, who gave up his lifelong dream of revolution when he realized how many were being hurt or left behind in that dream’s wake. There’s the sickly scientist Viktor, who struggles to maintain balance between scientific progress and reckless abandon, all while struggling with his own incurable illness. There’s the driven enforcer Caitlyn, who unearths a conspiracy of corruption in her desire to escape from a constricting life amongst her upper-crust family. There’s also the smooth-talking councilor Mel, who builds up an empire of trust and alliance to spite the war-mongering mother who cast her aside for being “weak”.
And to even begin to mention the fiercely aggressive Vi and her bombastically precocious sister Powder? There’s hardly enough space on this entire blog to espouse on how excellently these two characters are written, and how unforgettably the show portrays their ever-shifting relationship. A relationship which forms the emotional crux of the show, and which is tested time and again by the manipulative crime lord Silco. Silco is unbelievably amazing in his own right, and receives so much characterization and development your jaw will drop. If Arcane can do so much for one of its villains, just imagine how incredible every other character is.
For as amazing as the characters are, they pair wonderfully with the well-written, quick-paced story. Arcane is a story told across nine episodes, and neatly divided into three acts (each act, of course, being three episodes). Each episode runs roughly forty minutes. The first act services as the world-building introduction to the characters and setting, act two heightens the drama and stakes by fleshing out character relationships, and act three explodes with a cataclysmic reckoning for the fate of this world.
The conceit of the world involves the rich, technologically gifted city of Piltover, and its rundown and gritty sister city of Zaun. The denizens of Piltover do everything they can to ignore or otherwise repress Zaun, even as Zaun spirals further into drug and crime-fueled degeneracy. The cities are on the brink of war, and this impending calamity is presented to the viewer through an inventive steampunk style, an equal mix of wonder and grime.
Vi and Powder, orphaned sisters struggling day-to-day to carve out a life for themselves in the slums of Zaun, form the emotional core of Arcane’s beautifully tragic tale. Through loss, perseverance, separation, betrayal, and seven long years apart, these sisters cling to their love for each other against all odds. However, the world in which they live has a way of changing even the strongest of people, and the reckoning of their relationship shifts the twin cities forever.
But none of this would work without a stellar voice cast to bring the emotional beats, humorous asides, and nail-biting tension to life. Thankfully, Arcane delivers in spades, bringing the best voice acting performances of any animated show ever. A majority of these performers act circles around most live action television too!
Kevin Alejandro (Jayce), Katie Leung (Caitlyn), Harry Lloyd (Viktor), and Toks Olagundoye (Mel) all turn in top-notch performances that nail the delivery of every single line. Jason Spisak (Silco) is utterly enrapturing, as he effortlessly captures the scheming and conflicted revolutionary underworld leader. And Hailee Steinfeld (Vi) and Mia Sinclair Jenness/Ella Purnell (young and old Powder, respectively) put out career-defining vocalizations deserving of any and all awards possible. Jenness, in particular, gives devastatingly raw emotion in the climactic ending of episode three.
Honestly, the audio elements of Arcane are just fantastic across the board. The voice acting is awesome, and so is the soundtrack. Half of the soundtrack is performed by contemporary pop and rap artists, but with songs written exclusively for Arcane. Each of the songs matches the theme and characterization perfectly, and none feel out of place. The original orchestral and synth compositions also highlight the emotion and intensity of every single scene, whether that be a frenetic foot chase or a somber revelation.
The sound mixing and utilization of audio effects is also in a class of its own. Droplets of rain, pounding footsteps, and explosive detonations all resonate in a single, unified, audiophile’s dream come true. In particular, the dissonant cries of those inflicted with the corruptive drug Shimmer and the echoing knells of the majestic Hextech magic truly stand out as finely crafted sound effects.
Now, for those of you out there who may have heard of Arcane but have chosen not to watch it, there’s a particular sticking point that might be giving you trouble. Yes, it’s true that the show is technically based off the universe of an extremely popular video game, League of Legends. Well, I’m here to decisively confirm that you do NOT need to know a single thing about League of Legends to enjoy and love Arcane. Not a single thing!
The story of Arcane is a prequel to the world that players of the video game may know, but it doesn’t wear its prequel trappings like most ‘nostalgia bait’ prequels and reboots. Arcane is interested in telling a gripping, emotionally investing story no matter the individual viewer’s knowledge of the world and its lore. Characters are properly introduced and explored, and the twin cities are expertly fleshed out. Those detached from League of Legends will miss nothing jumping blind into Arcane.
See, Arcane is a show that respects its viewers, and by extension, it does expect a certain level of attention and care from them in return. The cities of Piltover and Zaun are lived in, and the action of the story drops right into the thick of things. There’s backstory, but not mountains of boring exposition. There’s a flashback or two, but not everything is blatantly spelled out for the viewer. A degree of interpretation and inferencing is required to watch this show. You learn something new every time you watch this show, whether it’s picking up on subtle character development, or noticing a new element of visual storytelling. Your reward for care and attention is a richly constructed universe that doesn’t treat its audience like a child, and it also doesn’t hold back.
This isn’t the happiest show to ever be created…not by a long shot. But, it also isn’t an oppressively dour and depressing sequence of traumatic incidents one after another. To reemphasize an early point I made, Arcane’s story and characters are just so real. There are highs, and then there are lows. Breathtaking success and heart wrenching agony in equal measure. If there’s one warning I could give before going into this show, it’d be to be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions unlike any else.
If it sounds like all I’ve done is gush excessively over how amazing this show is…that’s because that’s basically all I’ve done. I mean, it’s a true statement after all. I could hardly think of a single serious critique to level at the show. Maybe a certain character could’ve gotten a bit more screen time. Maybe there was an action scene that went on for a beat too long. Maybe there was a small joke that didn’t land. Compared to the vast ocean of perfection that is Arcane, these complaints are pathetic little droplets.
It’s almost hard to put it into words without sounding like hyperbole, but truly, what other recourse is left for me? Is Arcane the most beautifully animated television show of all time? Yes, yes it is. Does Arcane have the most powerful vocal performances of any animated show? Yes, yes it does. Are Arcane’s characters and world perhaps the most richly detailed and developed in all of television? Yes, yes they are. Is every other single element of Arcane just as phenomenal? Yes, a million times yes.
Is Arcane a masterpiece, and as close to perfect as any show could ever hope to be? Yes.
Having finished my fourth watchthrough of Arcane (and countless hours spent thinking of the show and pouring over reviews and analysis articles/videos by fellow internet creators), I’ve reached a decision as to where I would slot Arcane into my ‘Top 10 Shows’ list, if I ever were to redo that article.
It would be NUMBER ONE. There’s simply no question about it.
If you never pay heed to this silly little blog again, at least hear this: watch Arcane. I promise that you won’t regret it.
10/10
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 