Its kind of amazing how good this is, and it had every indication of being absolute garbage.
>Based on MoBA Property (League of Legends)
>Western Animation
>Netflix Original
Like if you saw that shit you'd run. But it is honestly the best Western Animation I've seen in the modern day. The animation is beautiful and the art style is actually inspired. The script is pretty good as well, shockingly. I guess it makes sense as this took like 5-6 years to fucking make, but it was worth it. My only complaint is that
it isn't a fully complete story and ends on a cliffhanger. It is in 3 acts with 3 episodes a piece, so you've got nine 40+ish minute episodes which is really good.
The French studio that did the animation really outdid themselves. I mean, I never thought I'd see Western Animation again that is beautiful to look at. That being said, it feels like it is just a 'Part 1' of at least a 2 part or even 3 part series. We're already getting a second season, but the thing is this took 5 or so years, and with its popularity, people are going to want it sooner rather than later. So I just hope they don't rush into things and take their time.
The irony is that Riot games helmed this themselves, which is hysterical honestly. I still can't believe this was good. In 2021, I guess shit can still surprise me. (Though people are bitching about the Vi/Cait pairing, because it doesn't go hard enough into the gayness, which is hysterical for me. Because its obvious that their relationship is a slow build and they both have a lot of baggage to get over. Can't please some fucking people. Though it is screenrant, so they're already a bunch of tasteless faggots. I mean the cinematography of when they're lying on the bed reverse to each other in the fetal position to show that they're from
opposite worlds. Like holy shit. There's also a spectacular shot of Vi in the last episode, where half of her face is split between a bridge and another between the bars, indicating she's trapped between two worlds). People have become really film illiterate and incredibly stupid. Leave it to the French to restore my faith.
It is just how good this show telegraphs meaning with its cinematography. Like holy shit, how is a video game Western animation this decent? It kind of boggles my mind really. And there's not a lot of
It has nice reference and Easter eggs, but it is not actually crammed with shit that it gets obnoxious but it also doesn't cram it with a massive amount of the roster. There's like, what...Jayce, Vi, Caitlan, Ekko, Viktor, Heimerdinger and Singed. So 8 out of 140 with cameos by 2 or 3 more. And they're all pretty well developed and it doesn't get bogged down with throwing constant references. Its quite faithful to the story it wants to tell (A class struggle between two different worlds, primarily. This is represented between Vi and Jinx, with the colors red and blue respectively). It keeps the hero roster small and doesn't let it get in the way of the story, with the heroes being smaller than some of the larger and more important characters not in the games. (The Sherriff Marcus or Silico and Vander). They're all used as needed and not pointlessly thrown in. Each of them has a role and a purpose to play.
Honestly, it does exactly what it should: Plays fast and loose with the small amount of lore and tells a compelling story built around it with fun little references that is nothing like modern day storytelling where seemingly every scene must be crammed with constant references to the property. It treats its audience with intelligence and has as much visual story-telling as textual. It doesn't feel the need to go out of its way and say shit and is very good at 'show, don't tell'. Its better than even modern movies at doing this shit, which is frankly, telling of the state of the modern film industry. God, Hollywood is such fucking garbage these days.
Arcane even turned her into my favourite LoL character (Jinx being a very close second).
