Arcane

Arcane: An animated SF/Fantasy Steampunk series on Netflix. In the cities of Piltover and Zaun there is unrest, Piltover the upper city literally looks down on and oppresses Zaun. We have gangs of thieves, rebels, steampunk Stormtroopers, magic melded with science. This is serious stuff with great physical and "magic" fights. Also a tale of two sisters falling out and Scientist/Mages battling against the conservatism of the Council who fear the unleashing of uncontrollable powers. It's set in the League Of Legends game universe. Directed by Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord, written by Christian Linke and Alex Yee. 9/10.

This has no right being as good as it is. I mean, it's based on a video game, since when did that ever result in anything better than passable? But despite that this is one of the best shows I've watched in a long time.

I just saw the first episode of the new adaptation of the Wheel of time, and disappointed with that one I looked for something else and just happened to se that this was getting good reviews. It quickly grew on me and I binged the entire season in one sitting.

Arcane does everything right that so many shows and movies get wrong these days. They respect all of their characters, making sure that you understand why they do what they do and makes you sympathize with them. They take just the right amount of time to draw you in to the story and world before having major plotpoints happen, so that you really feel the impact of them. They set up things well in advance and makes sure to give you a proper payoff, so nothing feels rushed or cheap.

And something that is oh so rare these days; they are not afraid to give all of their characters flaws and allowing them to fail, no matter their gender or how powerful they are supposed to be. This is a show with two female main characters that both can overpower anyone, and none of them feel like they haven't earned it. And not once do they feel the need to belittle men to show how cool they are. Pay attention, creators of other shows, this is how you write powerful characters, regardless of gender, that your audience can feel invested in.

A special mention has to be given to the animators. Kudos to you for being able to make characters that can communicate both strong and subtle feelings clearer than most real actors are capable of. And also kudos to the choice of voice actors and music, both are top notch.

All in all a very enjoyable show that gives me a glimmer of hope for future entertainment, looking forward to season 2.

Arcane tells the story of two young orphaned sisters, growing up and getting into trouble in the dual city of Zaun and Piltover.

The series is based on the video game League of Legends, and although it drops you right into this fictional world, the necessary time and care is taken to set up places and characters in a commendable show-don't-tell fashion. Solid character development and world building means it's an entirely enjoyable watch without knowing anything about the game.

The animation is outright exquisite. As an anime fan, I found the animation in Arcane to be leagues beyond anything I've ever seen from an animated series before. There is an incredible attention to detail. It's clear that no artistic talent or monetary expense was spared in bringing the world of Runeterra to life.

Great soundtrack, great acting and a compelling story that doesn't pull any punches when it comes to violence and more adult themes.

So far only the first three episodes have been released, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us!

Beautiful storytelling, great underline currents, and the emotion behind this is just amazing. The story is for everyone, but especially for League of Legends fans. The entire time I was watching it I was trying to piece together who is whom. And some of them are obvious but other ones really make you dig deep and see where they're trying to head.

I truly believe this is a fantastic series, I love everything I've seen of it so far. 10/10 a complete knockout.

It was no secret that this show was something special in the making after its 1st season, but after hearing it would conclude with season 2 I was sad yet exhilarated. The creators could've easily dragged this series on but decided to stick with their guns and end it on the terms they set. I wanted Arcane to be around 3-4 seasons long so the announcement of 2 was shocking to me given how much it took the world by storm in 2021. But it gave the creators the freedom to go all out with its final season and hold no punches, and I'm sad to say it was still very rushed and lacked the character drive of season 1.

Season 1 of Arcane shattered boundaries by setting the stage perfectly with only 3 episodes, then proceeding to commit and deliver one of the best 1st seasons in TV history along with the likes of GOT, AOT and True Detective. The final season in comparison felt very lackluster, lacked focus, and above all had poor execution. Some of the writing decisions on paper seemed brilliant, yet seeing them play out was another story. The contrast of care put into characters in season 1 & 2 was night and day. The story surrounding Viktor & Jace, arguably the two most important characters in the series, needed much more time considering the stakes yet their story, like much of this season, feels like it comes and goes.

Despite my complaints one of the best aspects of arcane is its animation. Studio Fortiche brought a whole new level of creativity that can't be boxed into any category. It's a breath of fresh air and adds a unique look into this story. But I'd argued that the writing in season 1 is what made this show a must watch. In hindsight it doesn't hit the same knowing where the story goes, but it still holds weight with its characters that are unique to that season. I'd also add that many aspects of season 2 act 2 were great and it was the highlight of the final season.

While there are some all time great female characters in TV like Kim Wexler & Annalise Keating to name my favorites, it's not often when both leads of a show are female characters and are also written very well. The dynamic of Violet & Powder is one of the best in Arcane and the performances of Hailee Steinfeld & Ella Purnell / Mia Sinclair Jenness only further invoke the emotional appeal of these characters that have so much depth in that regard, despite the execution with these two not seeing its full potential in the end.

If you're recommending a show to anyone, this is still a good one due to the fact that it hooks you with an all time great TV episode just a couple of episodes in, and only has 2 seasons that give you little to no room to breathe. While I'm disappointed with the lack of care in the back half, I understand that others experiences could differ from mine.