Arcane (Not Believe This!)
After almost 4 years and 2 seasons, we bid Piltover & Zaun farewell but not Runeterra.
Video Games aren’t my thing, I doubt a day will come when that will change, but when there’s a cinematic world within or lore accompanying any video game, I tend to be curious about the extent of world-building and exposition the creators have invested to make their imagined world something worth investing in. I am regularly impressed by the care and attention given to these worlds.
Before 2021 I had never heard of League of Legends and I at most showed the most interest in the game lore of Microsoft’s Halo game franchise. Ever since Arcane, things have changed significantly. I’ve become quite versed with the lore of a handful of games and I fear I will only keep reading up about more of them.
Riot Games scored a win when they dropped the critically acclaimed Arcane, soon after that Nintendo presented a much-enjoyed Super Mario Bros while SEGA’s Sonic The Hedgehog has churned out a successful sequel and a well-received spin-off. That’s not forgetting HBO’s The Last Of Us which deservedly has been a TV ratings hit.
Video games are finally getting the right treatment after many false starts and mishandling by Hollywood Producers. I still can’t get over the horrific product Max Payne turned out to be, or the campiness of Street Fighter. However, it has to be said Street Fighter managed to garner a cult following (of which I am a member) despite how terrible it was.
Arcane is (no pun intended) in a League of its own. It manages to centre minor League of Legends characters in a well-built world while presenting relatable situations and story arcs in a fantastical world filled with magic and steampunk technology. A key aspect that Arcane’s story pulls us in with is the dualities on multiple levels, whether that be with the key characters or with the locations or the fortunes/misfortunes of other characters.
Despite the short run of two seasons and the rushed second half of the second/final season, it still presents a tightly wound story that is fast-paced, well-written, riveting and philosophical all at the same time. Arcane presents themes of family, love, forgiveness, the responsibility tied to near-absolute power, free will and trauma. For an animated show, this might seem like a lot to convey, but the geniuses at Fortisch are masters at what they do, combining 3-D animation with 2-dimensional canvasses of a completely imagined world. The scenes of Arcane are well illustrated, shouting and leaping with vibrant colour.
How can we not talk about the music?! From Imagine Dragon’s Enemy to Stromae & Pomme Ma Meilleure Ennemie, the sound of Arcane has entered the zeitgeist, and my guess is it will stay there for a while. Arcane feels like the labour of love by a dedicated collective that was willing to push the boundaries of art in multiple directions & it all pays off.
If you haven’t seen the second and final season of Arcane I hope you make out time to.
