Made by gamers (RIOT) for gamers, but, also, is a stand alone piece of art for people, like me, unfamiliar with the game, LEAGUE OF LEGENDS. The series is visually stunning in 3D and 2D animation with beautiful attention to detail. There is incredible world building, an engaging story line, music that serves as narration and a stellar voice cast. I give this series a 9 (superb) out of 10. {Steampunk Fantasy Adventure}
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nancyldraper22 November 2021
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stevebondi10 November 2021I am a newbie to the source material, but the first 3 episodes of this show blew me away! And, now having seen the whole first season, my rating remains even more solidly a 10! :-)
Groundbreaking/beautiful animation, awesome environments, spectacular cinematography, cool musical choice, compelling characters, great voice casting/acting, and some interesting Sci-Fi/Fantasy lore! :-)
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS SHOW!!! :-) -
Tactrix7 November 2021Beautiful 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. -
Pairic19 November 2021Arcane: 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.
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djurrepower7 November 2021I watched it with my parents who don't know anything about league's universe. I have been playing league since 2010, So my opinion may be a bit biased.
But my parents were pleasantly surprised. They said that sometimes it was a little clear that this series is more aimed at a young adult audience. Some usage of the pop songs, and the villian being a little over the top mustace twirly.
But overall they enjoyed the first 3 episodes and wouldn't mind watching the rest in their own time.
As for me. I loved it! It was everything I hoped for and then some. Riot's art department was always on their A game. And with the track record from Fortiche I knew this had very little chance to blunder.
Knowing Riot's art department it has an excellent story, well written charaters and a lore rich world to take elements from. All in all, this show comes together very nicely. And shows some of the best talents Riot has to offer.
9/10: Amazing. -
garabedian1238 November 2021I have heard of it but never played it. When i first turned this on and saw kids i immediately turned it off and sighed "not another kids show". But then i kept watching and realized this is not a kids show. It just has kids as characters. But wow it got dark and good.
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svederen7 November 2021Arcane 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! -
Never in my life have I watched anything that has captivated me in such a way since Breaking bad, Game of thrones and Attack on titan. I mean I've seen lots of excellent shows but this kind of absolutely perfect series which transports you in this way are so rares. Arcane is grandiose, perfect, absolutely flawless. The characters the narration the perfect pacing these magnificent visuals this series is absolutely incredible and addictive.
The storyline gives us ample time to get to know and understand the characters personal background which reflects in how they act and respond to the storylines.
The characters are complex enough for us to get a genuine attachment to them, which results in a constant curiousnes of wanting to know how our favorite characters fare in the overall storyline.
The characters let's talk about them. Oh my God... The characters are extraordinary, no unnecessary, useless, or filler characters. You'll love and remember each of them for a long time. You won't forget the name of any. You might even find yourself empathizing and respecting the main antagonist so much. Every character here has their own story, motivation, purpose, and personality without exception.
The characters, world, visuals, directing, just all of it is perfect. The emotional weight that this series has is also just unlike anything else, things are seriously just so so heavy. From the artwork, to the musical score, to the intense storyline and relationships between characters that will break your heart.
This show tells a dark and twisted story of love, family, betrayal, and power, and it does it in the GREATEST way possible. I can't wait for season 2 i know it's going to be best thing of 2024 ! -
I feel like it's fair to say that it's difficult to adapt anything to the silver screen/TV these days, not that there hasn't been plenty of movies/shows that have tried and failed. But Arcane is proof that it can be done, and be done exceptionally well. By the time you reach the season finale you can tell that the ending was thought out from the start. Even giving depth to the villian Silco who seemed two dimensional at the start, but growing to care and love a little girl, showing that even the darkest soul can have a heart. It has been a long time since I've been truly impressed by a series(animaton or otherwise) and the fact that it came from out of nowhere makes it all the worthwhile. The amount of work that went into the details is outstanding. This is an animation that Riot Games and Fortiche Productions can be proud of.
The fact that it follows multiple story lines and there all unique in design is no easy task to pull of, but the writers rise to the challenge. Mark my words Arcane will pave the way for future adaptations. I loved the characters and there motivations made sense, they made mistakes, they grew and some lost sight of reality, This is testament to the writers knack for building the foundation to flawed and vived characters. It's a bitter-sweet feeling that an animation can have so much depth while most live-action characters feel like there hollow and without soul.
Story: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 Visuals: 10/10 Pacing: 9/10
Overall: 9.5 /10. -
jasminn_tan21 November 2021As someone who had never played the game before, this was a great introduction to its lore. The story was riveting and the pacing was perfect. And the amazing animation and soundtrack just enhanced the entire viewing experience. The VAs did an incredible job as well, particular the VA for Powder/Jinx.
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clawudiu-640488 December 2021I think this is the best animation because it has all the elements: graphic design, music, world building, character building and last but not least, the realest character emotions I ever saw.
It's a must see show. -
albertfelicity7 November 2021I've played league for a considerable amount of time but haven't been playing for the last few years. I've always thought a well made movie of the universe would break records, but they were too late to do it by the time the Arcane was announced. Still, I appreciated this late but welcome effort.
For some reason, everything I saw before watching made me think that it will suck. The animation style looked horrible, storyline seemed extremely boring. Target audience seemed to be kids, and it honestly seemed like a series that only will appeal to the die-hard fans of the game, whom would watch the series no matter how good or bad it was. This was what I thought UNTIL I actually gave the series a chance and watch it.
Boy, they really nailed it. Animations were well polished and really good. You really feel the athmosphere in the universe. Storytelling couldn't be any better. I'm so proud of these guys. I really hope they continue making a good job in the upcoming episodes.
I'm so glad that I didn't say "I would have made it better If I did it" about the series, and I usually say that about what I watch, at least about some aspects. But I know how hard this job was to pull off and they made an incredible job. -
aleksandardjapa-605-3455355 February 2022The animation is amazing but everything else is mediocre. The music in some of the scenes felt off while the story was cliche and predictable. The characters were one dimensional and their relationships felt forced, the dialogue was porly written and the only thing that gave the characters emotion was solid voice acting and great animation.
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Tweekums25 December 2021This animated series is set in the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun. The former is a utopian city where citizens have an easy life with access to all the latest technology; the latter is a dystopian, squalid underground city whose inhabitants struggle to survive. As the series opens we are introduced to a group of youngsters, from Zaun, led by a girl named Violet who enter Piltover and steal from a house belonging to scientist Jayce Talis. Violet's little Sister, Powder, takes several glowing blue crystals... as they flee the scene she drops one and it explodes destroying the building. The group are now hunted, and following her loss of other items Powder is considered a Jinx. In what follows we are introduced to more key characters; an underworld crime lord named Silco; Caitlyn Kiramman, the daughter of a city councillor who later joins the Enforcers (Piltover Police) and Viktor; a young man who works with Jayce in his investigation of finding practical uses for magic. Over the course of the series there will be changes in characters as events impact on them and dynamics change.
I must admit I know nothing of the games on which this series is based so can't say how it compares... however I can say, based on the first season, as a standalone piece of entertainment it is pretty amazing if you are a fan of the genre. The opening episode got me gripped with its amazingly realised world and interesting characters. Events in the third episode leads to major changes for our protagonists; several years pass before the next episode and when we return things are more intense... the loss of certain characters makes one wonder if anybody is safe. Some characters are clearly our heroes and others are set up as villains but morally they are more shades of grey rather than black and white. The animation is fantastic; in crowd scenes everybody seems to be moving naturally. The character designs are good; they have a slight anime feel, although that might be down to Violet and Powder having pink and blue hair respectively. The voice acting is also impressive; it never felt cartoony. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody who enjoys sci-fi with a steampunk aesthetic; even if you aren't usually a fan of animation I'd recommend giving it a go... I can't wait for season two! -
jhuebel7 November 2021I'm not a League of Legends player. In fact, I know almost nothing about it. But this show is fantastic. To say that the opening scenes of the first episode were "gripping" is an understatement. I don't often start on the edge of my seat with a TV show-- animated or live action.
(UPDATE 1/14/2022: Rewatching the show for the second time and the opening scene still puts me at the edge of my seat, holding my breath. Wow.)
The animation is well above average for a TV series. It's atmospheric in ways that most animated series don't even try. This isn't just another Star Wars-style animated series. It feels distinctly unique.
The characters are also really interesting. Again, I know nothing about League of Legends. But based on the series description, I'm assuming at least a couple of these characters become a league champion? Ultimately, I have no idea what that really means. But I'm interested in finding out.
And that's why I think this series is really successful. I don't know anything about the source material, but after just the opening scenes of the first episode, I'm invested in finding out more.
10/10 easily. I would give it that score just for the first few minutes of the series alone. -
zsxpcgmv7 November 2021I'm not a big league of legends player but I deeply appreciated the animation, storyline, and music of Arcane. This is one of the best animated series I have ever watched. My wife has never player league of legends and she loves the arcane series so far.
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arabnikita27 November 2021Arcane (2021)
I have never played a single minute of League of Legends in my life but I always knew how influential this online game is. Normally, I wouldn't have paid attention to this series but considering the 9.4 on IMdB, I had to check out at least an episode to see what is so incredible about it. Starting of in a rather casual way, I wasn't too impressed with what I saw in that first episode, but the cliffhanger made me want to see what would happen next. Once I climbed that cliff, I was immersed into a fast paced steampunk world that had a lot to offer and many more cliffhangers to be experienced.
The animation style of this series is best described as taking 6 buckets of paint, throwing them into a 10,000 volt transformer and stepping into the electrical blend of colors to be engulfed in the sheer awesomeness. As you adjust to this dynamic animation, you wilk see a story of an inventor, an underworld crime boss and a girl who wants to find her sister. All of these characters find themselves in the middle of a political intrigue that involves a utopian city and a rotten underbelly with it's social classes striving to achieve their goals by any means necessary. To top it off, there is plenty of emotional stuggle between family, friends and enemies.
While all the technical, sound and visual aspects are second to none, it is the characters that made me want to come back to this series again and again. The show is irresistible to watch and the two reasons for that are the masterfully crafted intro that got me pumped in the beginning of each episode and the nail-biting cliffhangers that made me want to see hiw the story continues. Whether you like videogames or not, this show will grab your interest and won't let up until the final second. At that point, you will be anxiously waiting for season 2 which I hope will come very soon.
Movies.shmovies on Instagram for movie and TV Show reviews. -
Movi3DO21 November 2021Here's to the new us.
League of Legends (LoL)' first project in expanding its own cinematic universe is done. The story between sisters, rich and poor, loyalty and betrayal, peace and war, and everything in between.
There's a common saying that LoL's big budget went into animation instead of balancing the champions in game, and this couldn't be more right. I did not expect this masterful level of animation. After each episode, they found more ways to wow audiences with amazing visuals and transitions. The fighting scenes were hard-hitting and jaw-dropping.
Even though the series wasn't fully canon to the original lore, it's still an intense story that set up an interesting universe. Not gonna lie, the first act didn't impress me too much, but episode 4 afterward got me entirely on board. My only problem with the story was that I just couldn't get enough of it. I wanted more and I don't like waiting.
Just as cool as the animation was the characters. Many character dynamics fascinated me and made me realized how much I needed them. I'll admit that some characters were straightforward, but not all of them were predictable. Some still surprised me until the very end. The directions for all characters were incredible.
Overall, even though the game was a love-hate relationship, Arcane was for sure all love, and a phenomenal step in setting up LOLCU. 8.5/10. -
dennis_braun14 December 2021My wife (not interestet in gaming at all) and I (long time LoL Player) both totaly loved Arcane.
Characters are well written and the character development is on point. -
candicelee827 November 2021Some ppl are going to prob go nuts, but please bear in mind I am strictly a console gamer.
I have never even heard of this game before and after researching what the game is about, I will probably never play it... it's just not my kind of game.
But with that being said... what a great show!
Felt like Hugo mixed with Alita mixed with Elysium mixed with a hundred other movies out there but it was well done, entertaining, beautifully animated, and well casted.
A definite watch for anyone that loves a more mature animated series. I hope they make another season. -
kythia9 November 2021This is a piece of art, pure and simple. Every frame is a painting ready to fill a museum. The story, the characters, down to the little details. I laughed, I cried, and I wanted to be there for every moment.
Give me more! -
shawnyu6428 November 2021But also one of the best show to date.
Everything Arcane has to offer is just amazing. It has beautiful graphic, kick-ass scores, gripping story and most importantly, characters you actually care.
My only complaint? I need to wait a year to watch season 2! -
TokyoGyaru5 February 2022I found myself skipping ahead on Jinx's parts after a while. Simply put, she gave my nerves a workout. I find it VERY telling that Mel, the most nuanced character, is disliked by viewers, meanwhile. But we all know how that goes. I watched, waiting for something to validate the dislike for Mel and only found business as usual as far as fandoms go when it comes to...certain female characters. And that's not to say that the story about the sisters isn't compelling. But Jinx's manic pixie dreamgirl nonsense gets grating after a while, like a teeth-setting mix of Tank Girl and Harley Quinn. And they didn't fully earn her madness. The build-up was too sudden, and it was a bit irresponsible. They should have instead showed that she had resentment earlier on, showed her keep being denied instead of her sister keep making excuses for her, but, no. ONE time her sister denies her (to protect her life, mind) and she starts freaking TF out. Then, after causing the death of their friends and receiving a mild rejection in the heat of the moment, acts like "I don't know her"? Sorry, Mariah, I don't buy it. If she was in her 20s when it happened, I might be able to believe it's possibly paranoid schizophrenia, as that is the age where it usually presents itself. But a little kid? Not saying it can't happen, but if anyone was good for it, it was Vi, not Jinx.
The show is fine; it didn't reach my emotions at all (which are usually rather accessible), but it impressed me on a technical level and in some of the storytelling. The animation and character design are GORGEOUS (it's what the latter Berserk series should have done). (Shoutout to the tastefulness of the love scene with Mel and Jayce, BTW. Well done, though not earned.) But I found myself mostly caring about everything but the sister story. Not saying it was a bad story. Just, the people on the periphery were more interesting for me. But to each their own. Since people haven't been making a habit of coming back to life, my favorite character, Silco, was killed by my least favorite character, and I feel a way about it. Silco saved Jinx's life (taking her to the doctor after the bridge incident), always backed her up when no one else would, yet a few words in a musing is enough to turn her? What else could he have done to prove himself?? A clever, cold, fascinating character...sucked into the vortex of a tasmanian devil of toxicity. A waste. Jinx is that toxic family member who uses their trauma and/or mental illness as excuses to keep hurting you despite you always trying to help them. Been there.
Also, let me just throw this out there: They weren't quite subtle enough at times with Silco and Jinx for me not to catch it. I don't know what they were playing at, but they know good and well what's inappropriate. I'll leave it at that.
I am a gamer, but I've never played League of Legends, so I'm not a fan who will get the most benefit from this (but shows and movies must appeal to the wider audience, so it's a moot point). It's not bad; it's not mind-blowing, but it is an attractive game adaptation that's apparently pleasing fans of the game and entertaining to casuals like me. If they'd been given a few more episodes for the season, they could have had more time to develop certain things.
P. S. I usually like a Netflix soundtrack, but, man, was this one off! I was legitimately surprised at how bad the soundtrack was outside of two, breathy indie-to-Netflix-esque songs (which still seemed missplaced). The opening theme is the worst of them all. -
I've watched the entirety of season 1. Like the rest of the majority, I've found the visuals and sound design to be top. For me, that's where the positives of the whole experience come to a halt.
I've found the characters Jayce and Vi to be especially underdeveloped considering their time on screen. Their motives and decision making was either nonsensical or nonexistent, leaving me completely baffled. I also found really problematic the way the writers chose to explore these characters, with childish behaviours which where unfortunately enabled by the plot, and in the end being unredeemable because of it.
Shockingly poor writing. This is by no means a 9/10. It's quite unfortunate since the world of Arcane is beautiful and exciting with so much untapped potential. Riot should hire some heavy hitter writers and bring this to life. Unlikely if people keep giving this 10/10 though.
I rate it 5/10 because of the visuals but mainly because I find the world of Arcane extremely compelling.