Following the release of League of Legends in 2009 and its acclaimed reception, fans anticipated the release of a sequel movie or a series. Luckily, Netflix saved the day by releasing Arcane, which is set in the League of Legends Universe. The series has nine episodes, and the best part is that you don’t have to play the game to understand it.
Netflix has done a phenomenal job of making the story expansive. They have created a storyline that will leave you wanting more until the last episode. You may not let go of the remote when watching this series, especially if you have played the game and love animation.
Keep reading to learn more about Arcane: League of Legends, which may be the push you need to watch this series.
Arcane: League of Legends Summary
| Release Date | November 6, 2021 |
| Number of Series | 1 |
| Number of Episodes | 9 |
| Released on | Netflix |
| Production Cost | $21 million |
| Awards Nominated | 21 |
| Awards Won | 16 |
| Box Office | N/A |
Synopsis
Arcane is a fictional TV series set in a fictional world. So, expect humans and humanoids as there aren’t any limitations in a fictional universe. This series is set in Piltover, a city where all the drama unfolds.
Arcane’s first two episodes occur 20 years before the show’s actual timeline. It features two sisters, Vi and Powder, who lose their parents and turn to theft for survival. After their parents died, the two sisters lived with Vander, who cared for other city orphans.
However, Vander is kidnapped and killed, prompting the sisters to split because Powder goes away with Vander’s killer. The killer raises Powder as her daughter and even gives her a new name, Jinx. After Powder left, it’s not clear what happened to Vi as the show doesn’t reveal it. Elsewhere in the city, Jayce is producing an illegal drug called Hex Tech, which the city council shuts down.
©HunmanArt/Shutterstock.com
Twenty years later, many things have changed in the show. Jinx’s adoptive parent now runs the city and is forcing the residents to consume his drug called Shimmer. Caitlyn, a member of Jinx’s adoptive parent’s organization, suspects something is wrong in the city and commences her investigation.
She asks Vi for help, and they work together to destroy the organization and free the city from its oppressors. While these events unfold, Jayce is still pushing the council to legalize his Hex Tech drug.
Characters
Here are the characters in this TV series.
Main Characters
- Violet, also called Vi
- Powder, also called Jinx
- Jayce
- Caitlyn
- Silco
- Vander
- Viktor
- Mel Medarda
- Ekko
- Cecil B
Supporting Characters
- Sevika
- Mylo
- Claggor
- Huck
- Benzo
- Deckard and Salo
- Grayson
- Finn
- Elora
- Sky Young
- Babette
Production History
Linke and Yee first pitched the production of Arcane: League of Legends to Riot Games in 2014 and 2015. The project took six years, including writing, production, and animation. Riot Games, a video game company, and the League of Legends’ original developers decided to have the TV series produced internally but worked with other stakeholders to fund and produce it.
For example, Riot Games worked with Fortiche Productions, a French company that creates animation characters in games and music videos. The company also worked with the main cast when production commenced, but Riot Games revealed their names in 2021.
©Diego Thomazini/Shutterstock.com
Riot Games announced the series production in 2019 during the game’s 10th anniversary. The company revealed that its main goal was to release several seasons of the Arcane TV series. Riot Games planned to release the TV series in 2020, but the emergence of the pandemic forced the company to release it in 2021.
Before its release in 2021, Netflix announced that it had picked up the show. The first episode was available for streaming on Netflix on November 6, 2021. When the first season ended, Netflix and Riot Games announced that season two was in production and would be released in 2023.
Public Reception
Most people had positive reviews about Arcane: League of Legends immediately after its release. Rotten Tomatoes gave the TV series a 100% approval rating. The website’s reception was because of the show’s good first impression and one of the best 2D and 3D animations.
They also praised the writers for their articulate writing as the show had a good storyline and borrowed some elements from the original video game. On Netflix, the show was ranked number one immediately after its release, making it one of the best series on Netflix. It was also in the top ten most-watched shows on Netflix in at least 52 countries.
Other people praised the TV series for accommodating those who have played the League of Legends and those who haven’t. They contended that even though this TV series is based on a video game, the writers have done an amazing job of ensuring the story is free-flowing. Ultimately, it makes it easy for non-gamers to appreciate the show.
Many publications and reviewers concluded that Netflix’s Arcane may be one of the best-animated TV series based on a video game.
Award Nominations
Arcane: League of Legends was nominated for several awards after its release. Some of these award nominations include:
- Annie Awards. The TV series was nominated for nine categories and won all of them.
- Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Arcane was only nominated for one category, but they didn’t win.
- Billboard Music Awards. Netflix’s Arcane was nominated for the best soundtrack, but they didn’t win.
- British Film Editors Cut Above Awards. Arcane was nominated for the best animation series category, and it won.
- Golden Reel awards. This TV series was nominated for one award, and it won.
- Hugo Awards. Arcane was nominated for the best dramatic presentation and didn’t win. However, people voted for this TV series, making it the most outstanding animated program on television.
Winning an Emmy Award
On September 2022, Netflix’s Arcane won an Emmy award for Best Animated Program. Many people had tipped this TV series to win an Emmy on its first nomination because it had many viewers. It also became the first streaming-exclusive TV series on Netflix to win an Emmy award and competed with other notable animation shows, such as The Simpsons.
Many fans voted one of the episodes on Arcane as the best episode in an animation film at the Emmys. Their winning episode was when Vi tried to unite with Jinx, who was hostile to her because she was working with Caitlyn.
Some personnel involved in the show also took home various awards. For instance, Julien Georgel, the art director, and Bruno Couchinho, the background designer, won various awards at the Emmys.
Conclusion
Arcane: League of Legends is unique, and every storyline is well crafted. Each character is special, and the writers effectively depict each character’s strengths and weaknesses. There are also some amazing action fights, which make this TV series even more interesting.
Though the TV series is fictional, it captures some real-world problems people face today. For instance, there is a drug business in the show, the use of guns in war, family ties, and the lack of awareness among the majority population, which is common in today’s society.
Arcane: League of Legends is a must-watch TV series that will keep you engrossed throughout the nine episodes.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Alexander Holstad Fjeld/Shutterstock.com.
