Arcane (2021)

[Arcane: League of Legends]

Director: Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
Studio: Fortiche Production
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro
Episodes: 9

Synopsis:
A group of street thieves unwittingly inflame tensions between the Piltover Topsiders and the undercity of Zaun when they rob the home of a researcher trying to channel the power of magic through science.

Impressions:
As recent trends in my reviews demonstrate, I've largely given up on Western media, but there was so much buzz around this series that I had to check it out for myself and I'm glad I did. I know very little about League of Legends, but a lack of prior knowledge about the franchise is no bar for entry. I credit the writers for making it so accessible, focusing on a rather small slice of characters from the game so as to properly flesh them out and not succumbing to the temptation to bog things down with loads of cameos for cameos' sake. It strikes a near-perfect balance of fanservice (by which I mean delivering content from the source for the delight of the fans, rather than what the term typically means when I'm talking about anime) that is rewarding for those in the know without being obtrusive to those who are not.

Storytelling has degraded quite a bit in a lot of media in recent years, but this series manages to tell a surprisingly mature and nuanced story. Many a hack writer would go for easy generalizations and low-stakes conflict due to power imbalance, but you'll find none of that here. Neither side of the conflict is unduly lionized or demonized. The best characters have their flaws and the worst have their redeeming qualities. Situations take turns for the better or the worse in ways that are informed by the characters' qualities, good and bad. This should be basic stuff, but too few writers seem to understand that these days. The odd couple pairing of Vi and Caitelyn does a good job of handling the mutual prejudices of the upper and lower classes, Jinx's madness is compellingly portrayed, Jayce's conflict between idealism and ambition works well, and Silco is a very well-realized villain. Indeed, I'm hard-pressed to find any serious fault with the story and characterization. I honestly feel spoiled when I think of what we get here compared to most writing these days.

The production values are through the roof. There is a nice painterly quality to the art, which makes it look like moving illustrations rather than the plasticky feel of a lot of CGI. 2D elements are blended in to good effect. Action set pieces are well-crafted and fight choreography is hard-hitting with every scrap having its consequences. Some of the stylistic choices aren't to my taste, but the visuals are distinct and I can recognize the quality even if they don't always line up with my own aesthetic preferences. As for the music, I don't consider myself all that qualified to comment. A lot of it isn't really my thing, but it seems to fit well enough. Apparently there are a lot of people who object to the OP song, but I may be giving it a pass due to favorable association.

In conclusion, this series is amazing. Good luck finding anyone who expected something this good to come out of a LoL adaptation. The only downside for me is that the bar is now set ridiculously high if the studio chooses to continue from here. I highly recommend you see this and if there's a home release, it certainly warrants a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It