Arcane: League of Legends
Platform: Netflix
Release Date: Nov. 9, 2024
Directors: Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord and Bart Maunoury
Genre: Action-adventure, adult animation, drama, science fantasy and steampunk
Rating: TV-14 (language, violence)
Our Rating: A+
Based off of the successful roleplaying game known as League of Legends, Arcane is an animated series that follows the story of two orphaned sisters. The series, as well as the game, was created by Riot Games, a company most known for developing some of the most popular video games in the industry. The series that was first seen as a cash-grab and publicity stunt stunned viewers in its short nine episode first season. To fans’ excitement, the much-anticipated second season of the show began airing on Nov. 9. Since then, craze over the show has continued from both long time fans and first time watchers in spite of some flaws.
When watching Arcane, it is incredibly clear that Riot Games knows that they are doing. Crisp animation, smooth fight scenes, airtight storyline and heavy emotional storytelling all make up the fictional piece. Although viewers have undeniably enjoyed this, it brings into question how Riot Games have, in their first film-making venture, completely shocked the animation scene.
Some have cited the budget allocated toward the show’s creation and production: a grand total of $250 million. Although this figure may seem out of line at first, it does not compare to other large animation companies who spend three to four times the per-episode budget. Arcane leaves absolutely no excuses for large animation companies. The demand is there, so companies must deliver.
“In all honesty, I was really skeptical about Arcane as a series. I had not played or known much about League of Legends, so a show surrounding it was not appealing to me. After having it recommended to me, however, I watched it and understood that it was much deeper than just the game. The story was incredibly emotional and the quality made it compete with some of the other animated shows I had watched, which I found shocking after I was told it was [Riot Games’] first animated production,” junior Liam De-Jong said.
When is comes to the pacing of the second season, however, it does feel that the budget was being stretched. The major plot points in this season, most notably Caitlyn’s rise in political power and Victor’s ascension to a god-like status, felt incredibly rushed. Caitlyn’s shift from the side of the stereotypical “good guys” to a dictatorial figure felt so promising and exciting when it came to seeing change in the storyline, but just a couple of episodes later, she was back where she started. It felt counterintuitive to develop such a potentially game-changing arc just to essentially get rid of all that character development. Season two was all about manipulation and guile, but it seems it may have gone too far with giving fans false hope in the potential storyline shifts.
“Some of the developments in the story were honestly shocking, but they did not really deliver. I was excited see how Riot Games would continue to build on certain characters that felt quite static in the first season. Unfortunately, some of those changes did not play out how viewers hoped they would. So, while the plot twists and whatnot where promising in the moment, the intended long term effect on the storyline was not there,” junior Gabriella Arango said.
Despite the rushed nature of the season, Riot Games’ effort to discuss intricate plot points to bring some clarity to the storyline did not go unnoticed. This clarity was given after the first season where some viewers felt like they had not received the full picture and were left utterly lost in the story.
One feature of the series in specific, however, truly shined through: the musicality. Riot Games did not spare a single dime in the production of quality tracks to accompany both the harsh fights scenes and the comforting family moments. When the track fades in, it signals the start of a noteworthy scene and a powerful plot point. The blend of techno, rock, blues and more perfectly encapsulated the depth and variety in the storyline. It can be generally agreed that both the quality of the music and its strategic use is absolutely unmatched.
“The scenes in Arcane were already so well done, the music just elevated them even more. [Riot Games] really could have used any generic music or not put that much focus on something that is overlooked a lot of the time, but its clear that the budget was well spent in that area. The emotions on every scene are perfectly matched with the tracks; no music feels out of place or unnecessary,” junior Carmen Howell said.
Unfortunately, Riot Games have firmly held that their second season of Arcane will be the finale. Fanatics have been rightfully disappointed. Arcane was a fresh sip of water in the desert of entertainment modern animation companies had left. The series not only impacted Riot Games users, but those who had been newly drawn in by the allure of the world of Runeterra, proving its success. However, all hope of more content from this world has not been lost. It has been theorized that Riot Games has simply ended the story of Arcane in order to shift focus towards a Marvel Cinematic Universe-esque model where they can expand on individual stories with more depth. Additionally, novels on popular Arcane and League of Legends characters are already in the works allowing fans to continue enjoying the story of Arcane.
“Although I am disappointed that Arcane is ending off when us viewers wanted to see so much more with the whole new cast of characters, I am also excited to see what steps Riot Games takes to continue building on the world. If the rumors of spin-offs of Arcane are true, I am confident that they will deliver once again,” junior Arango said.
