User:Drag0n/sandbox/Arcane

Arcane (titled onscreen as Arcane: League of Legends) is an adult computer-animated action-adventure streaming television series created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee for Netflix. Produced by Fortiche under the supervision of Riot Games, it is set in the League of Legends fictional universe, and primarily focuses on sisters Vi and Jinx. The series was announced at the League of Legends 10th anniversary celebration in 2019, and first released in November 2021.

Premise
Amidst the escalating unrest between the rich, utopian city of Piltover and the seedy, oppressed undercity of Zaun, sisters Vi and Jinx find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing war over clashing convictions and arcane technologies.

Why Its A Legend

 * 1) It stays faithful to the source material that the show is based on. In fact, you do not need to play League of Legends in order to understand this series as it takes place before the events of the games.
 * 2) Unlike High Guardian Spice, most of the characters are likable and have moments where they can be relatable.
 * 3) *Vi and Powder (later known as Jinx) lost their parents in a failed rebellion from Zaun to Piltover.
 * 4) *Becoming a father figure to Powder, Vi, Mylo, and Claggor; Vander wants Vi to understand that she must put others ahead of herself.
 * 5) *Powder wants to be useful on a mission but always screws up due to her age and lack of combat experience.
 * 6) *Jayce wants to develop Hextech to improve lives but is left in the shadows by higher-ups in Piltover who care more about themselves instead of the people.
 * 7) *Silico wants Zaun to be an independent nation but will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
 * 8) Excellent cast with the likes of Hailee Steinfield, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro, Katie Leung, and even the band Imagine Dragons.
 * 9) Speaking of Imagine Dragons, the soundtrack is excellent, especially the main theme.
 * 10) Unlike High Guardian Spice, the show is not afraid to show mature themes.
 * 11) Incredible pacing: The pacing is so incredible, you'll lose track of time.
 * 12) Spectacular animation that it feels like you're watching a painting come to life. What's even more impressive is that while the animation team had some restraints, it still looks impressive.
 * 13) Incredible writing and worldbuilding. No scene feels like the audience are being treated like idiots on not knowing how Hextech or Shimmer works, what Piltover and Zaun are as cities, how magic works in this universe. When the show requires exposition, it doesn't feel boring at all and feels interesting and relevant. Compared to High Guardian Spice where exposition is used a lot, especially in the magic system. What makes this even more noteworthy is that the main writers have never written anything before aside from some lore in League of Legends. In other words, Arcane is literally their first try.
 * 14) Unlike High Guardian Spice, male characters are not demonized and feel important to the show. For example, Jayce and Vi work together to stop a Shimmer Factory in Oil and Water. Not once was Jayce portrayed as useless and incompetent nor Vi being portrayed as overpowered and sexist.
 * 15) Incredible action scenes. Thanks to the animation, the action feels fluent and uses slow-motion very well.
 * 16) Great character development. No character feels like the same when we first meet them.
 * 17) Unlike High Guardian Spice, LGBT representation is used very well between Vi and Caitlyn, and what's even more impressive is that the relationship is relevant to the main plot, as Jinx believes Vi chooses Caitlyn over her.
 * 18) The ending to Act 1. You must watch it as we don't want to spoil it!
 * 19) Overall, the series did so well that a second season has been renewed and the show feels like a superior version to High Guardian Spice.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Mylo is so far the only unlikeable character as he complains about Powder being useless.
 * 2) The overuse of flashing images can be distorting to some viewers.
 * 3) Act 2 is noticeably weaker than Acts 1 and 3.

Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0_tTEZstY&ab_channel=VogJam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GozQCpgJYMg&t=23s&ab_channel=Gigguk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy2pWAUpzQE&t=35s&ab_channel=SarcasticChorus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml97WQMwKB8&t=103s&ab_channel=FlyingWalrus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvU9VEgxUc&t=18s&ab_channel=penguinz0

Reception
Arcane received critical acclaim for its characters, story, animation, worldbuilding, emotional impact, and acting. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 9.10/10, based on 25 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Arcane makes an arresting first impression, combining a spectacular mix of 2D and 3D animation with an emotionally compelling story to deliver a video game adaptation that could become legendary." The series also became Netflix's number-one program in November 2021, setting the record as Netflix's highest-rated series so far within a week of its premiere, ranked first on the Netflix Top 10 Chart in 52 countries, and ranked second on the chart in the United States.

Writing for IGN, Rafael Motamayor called Arcane's first season a "classic in the making, and the nail in the coffin of the so-called video game curse." He noted that the show worked for fans of League of Legends and newcomers, saying that "the character stories are what keep you engaged episode after episode; the lore is just icing on the cake." He also praised the voice cast, highlighting the performances of Leung, Purnell, Aghdashloo and Steinfeld, calling the latter performance the show's standout. Praising the animation, Motamayor called it the "most stunning piece of animation since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and compared it to Invincible in terms of episode structure. He concluded by saying that Arcane "delivers a killing blow to the idea that video games cannot be masterfully adapted... with compelling characters, an endearing story, and fascinating lore and worldbuilding, as well as striking visuals" calling it a "masterpiece" and giving it a 10 out of 10 rating.

Andrew Webster of The Verge praised the "fantasy-meets-steampunk world" and how no knowledge of League was needed to understand the show. Despite calling Act 1 "a fairly typical fantasy tale" he lauded the animation, saying that "each frame looks like a gorgeous piece of hand-painted concept art; in motion, it's like nothing I've ever seen" and that "it's also a world that feels lived-in and fully realized." Matt Cabral of Common Sense Media called the first season "visually stunning" and that it "features the sort of nuanced characterizations, thoughtful storytelling, and rich worldbuilding typically associated with big-budget, big-screen epics." He also took note of the blend of fantasy, steampunk and sci-fi with emphasis on how the story puts a "fresh spin on the heavily recycled premise." Cabral concluded that viewers would not need to have played or have any knowledge of League to appreciate the show.

Reviewing the first four episodes of the first season, Tara Bennett of Paste enjoyed the way that "[the creators] purposefully made an adult animated drama that unflinchingly utilizes violence, adult language, and very dark storylines when needed to make the lives of the large ensemble cast resonate." Bennett favorably compared the series to Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Castlevania and BioShock. She was also positive about the "nuance and subtle facial movements" of Fortiche's animation combined with the performances from Steinfeld, Jenness, Purnell and Spisak. Bennett called "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons "infectious" and that the show is "the new benchmark for what can be done when it comes to successfully translating worthy videogame universes into a different medium."

Forbes noted that the show balances "being welcoming to newcomers who know absolutely nothing about the world of League of Legends, while also satisfying longtime League fans."

Arcane went on to win many awards such as the Annie Awards and the Golden Reel Awards.