Arcane (2021)
“It’s a sad truth that those who shine brightest often burn fastest.” – Heimerdinger.
Arcane (2021)
Created by: Christian Linke, Alex Yee
Written by: Christian Linke, Alex Yee
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro, Jason Spisak
Netflix’s surprise video game adaptation, Arcane, is one of the best-looking things I’ve ever watched. I know nothing about League of Legends, I know nothing about any of the characters, I have no particular affinity for animation outside of Disney/Pixar, but this was incredible. So much so that it’s single-handedly convinced my cynical brain of the endless potential of animation.
The show follows two orphaned sisters, Powder and Vi, who grow up in Zaun, the repressed and downtrodden undercity of the affluent Piltover. When a scientist from Piltover learns how to harness arcane magic, both cities enter a decades-long war of attrition, fighting over the power to rule all.
Split into three acts, the show is impressively cohesive, linked by engaging character development and dialogue. It’s a proper adult fantasy drama, with the writers happy to tap into violent, distressing and sexual content to further enhance the story. The flexibility of animation results in incredibly cinematic and creative action sequences, and the sound design was perfect for the world they created.
The visuals speak for themselves - you can pause at any frame and you’d have a world-class screensaver. The animators were happy to experiment with different elements of animation – switching from the three dimensional mapping to more graphic 2D ‘cells’ during some fight scenes. It’s impactful and beautiful – probably the best looking thing I’ve seen since Spiderman - Into the Spider-Verse.
In other words, if you’re interested in fantasy or action, give this a try.
Rating: 9/10