Arcane League of Legends -Non spoiler review

Hello there! Chica here.

Have I got a show for you. I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm recommending/reviewing Arcane since it's been the talk of town recently. It's been called the best show of 2021 and honestly I understand why. Based off of the hit MMO game League of Legends, Arcane is a Netflix original animated series filled with steampunk action and stunning characters. With so many great things about it, there's hardly time to cover all of them but we'll touch on what I think are the best parts. Let's begin the countdown of my top three favorite components of this amazing show.

The Story

The third best part of Arcane is the story, and that's saying something. Following the stories, and origins in many cases, of beloved characters from the game, Arcane mainly focuses on a tale of two sisters. Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld - Kate Bishop in Marvel's Hawkeye series) and Powder, orphaned by a failed rebellion, struggle to survive in a steampunk undercity while inventors Jayce and Viktor thrive in their sister city of the elite, Piltover. Being one kid of four, and being super close to my siblings, I LOVE sibling stories.

Last week we talked about The Vampire Diaries and its sequels. TVD is, for a greater part of the time, a story of family. It has two brothers at its core, and the show wormed its way into fans' hearts by letting their complicated, dysfunctional relationship be at the center of it all. This, too, is where Arcane shines. Your heart breaks and melts for these sisters. Also, aside from the cool characters and their compelling relationships, the plot and action of the story is set apart. Following the ramifications of rebellion, divided cities, combining magic and science, and not accepting people for who they are - mental issues and all - Arcane sucks you into a gripping tale. Before you know it, you've watched all nine glorious episodes in one night and you're itching for season two.

The Animation

The second best part of Arcane is the phenomenal animation. Excuse me while this film nerd geeks out a bit. This show - this amazing show - has some of the best animation I've ever seen. The fight scenes and weapons, the movements, the cityscapes, and best of all the faces! The detail of facial expressions and personal mannerisms is insane!

This show honestly looks like it used motion capture, and - guess what - it did not. If you don't know what motion capture or mo cap is, it's that thing where actors where black bodysuits speckled with white balls and have a bunch of dots painted on their faces so the CGI equipped cameras can more easily copy their expressions and mannerisms. Director Andy Serkis (Sméagol in LOTR, Ulysses Klaue in the MCU, and director of Venom & Venom 2, etc.) is credited for developing the first great mo cap method. However, James Cameron (director of Avatar and Titanic) developed (and continues to develop) groundbreaking technology of methods of motion capturing.

Anyhow (told you I'm a film nerd), trust me when I say Arcane's animation is utterly beautiful. Despite the incredible animation and great story, the best part of Arcane is next.

(Drumroll please)

The Soundtrack

Yes, you read correctly, the absolute best part of Arcane is the soundtrack (in my humble opinion). Written for the show, the soundtrack features many great and popular artists including Imagine Dragons, Bea Miller, Sting, and Ray Chen. The songs aren't just bops, vibes, and jams; they perfectly fit each scene and further hype up every scene to the right mood. I mean, there's a bar brawl played out to a twangy, rocky, western song, a punky rap beat accompanying a sad but sick fight between two fan favorite characters, and Bea Miller's siren like voice on a cool, creepy tune when the Undercity is first introduced. There's an original mo town style song by Curtis Harding and Jasmine Sullivan called "Our Love"; it plays in a sweet but tense cliffhanger and it instantly became one of my favorite songs of all time. Don't believe me, check it out on Spotify, Amazon Music, or whatever streaming service you use.

Alright, I've ranted long enough. Just please go give this phenomenal show a chance. If it not's your cup of tea then what's the harm? But if it's right up your alley, then what are you waiting for?! Go check it out and let us know what you think, and if you binged it ;)