Review: Why Arcane: League of Legends is the best show I’ve seen in a very long time

Over winter break, social media buzzed with nothing but praise for Netflix’s newest animated show, “Arcane: League of Legends.” As someone who is not normally a known fan of niche videogames or the steampunk genre, I originally had very little interest in watching another boring “gaming show” such as Netflix’s attempt with “The Cuphead show” But, as we all do sometimes, I got bored and decided “Why not?”
For some quality winter break entertainment, it was the best decision I could have made.
“Arcane” is based on a 2009 multiplayer computer game called “League of Legends,” which was developed and published by American video gaming company, Riot Games. “League of Legends” encountered many server and gameplay difficulties that initially impacted the success of the game, before it gained popularity after enhancements were implemented, according to ggcircuit.
“Nobody [at Riot] wanted to play the game because it was bad. But they forced us to.” Riot Games producer Jeff Jew told the Washington Post.
The game is now 16 years old and increasing in popularity. Due to its rising fame, millions of fans started demanding a show. They got their wish when Christian Linke, a creative director and composer for Riot Games, released season one of Arcane in partnership with Netflix in 2021.
Broken up into six story arcs over the course of two seasons, Arcane follows the stories of two sisters, Powder and Vi, as they face a myriad of challenges during several years.

Arcane: League of Legends poster | Photo provided
There is a lot to unpack with this show; I could write several articles exploring the beautiful plot writing, character developments that evoke soaring emotion and the absolutely outstanding soundtrack that I have listened to on repeat since finishing the show. However, with a short amount of time on our hands, we can only begin to scratch the surface of how these three key pieces contribute to making it one of the best animated shows to be released within the last decade.
Foundationally, the plot of Arcane dexterously leaves its audience in suspense. Every episode skillfully answers questions from the previous one while simultaneously producing more content to think upon.
“It’s far more nuanced and layered than I was expecting, especially considering this is a video game adaption and those usually range from bad to awful,” Sean Gallagher with ScreenHub said. “… Netflix seems to understand that video game adaptations can’t just be action and set pieces, which is often mistaken in being the defining feature of video games due to the interactive element.”
Moreover, Arcane is undeniably a tearjerker chock full of character and relatability. Not only can viewers observe the two sisters battle their own mental and relational struggles, but they also discover how the characters will grapple with the external issues of political intrigue and war.
According to Rolling Stone, “…Arcane is stunning. The look is a blend of influences, from anime to watercolors. And sequences can sometimes deviate from the house style, so that in a moment of intense danger or emotion, everything might suddenly resemble a charcoal sketch, or the kind of drawing Powder would have made if given an infinite supply of crayons and Pixy Stix.”
Despite being in the background, the show’s soundtrack is unlike anything I have ever heard before. There have been very few movies and shows that I can say I’ve listened to its accompanying score, but if you can’t tell by now, Arcane is an outlier.
From season one’s “Misfit Toys” to season two’s “What Have They Done to Us,” I have not been able to stop listening to this album. The music connects to each scene of the show in intimate and unique ways that put you directly “in the feels.” With an all-star group in charge of production, such as Twenty One Pilots, Imagine Dragons, d4vd and Stray Kids, why wouldn’t it?
Ultimately, I would recommend Arcane to anyone interested. I would, however, suggest watching it on VidAngel due to some mild language and violence. This was a great show, and I hope Netflix continues to produce shows of similar caliber in the near future.
Merritt is the Arts and Culture editor for the Liberty Champion.