Arcane is an animated series available on streaming service Netflix. It is based on the popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, League of Legends. For those who have never played the game, you may feel there is no reason for you to watch Arcane but it has won over many non-League of Legends fans.
Following the release of the show on Netflix, the viewer figures have been rising. After the release of Act 2, Arcane rose to number one in the viewer charts in 52 countries, which is a tremendous achievement. Even when the first act was released, Arcane was hugely popular and topped the Netflix charts in 38 countries. So, what is it about the series that has made it such a hit with viewers and why are non-League of Legends fans enjoying the show?
The quality of the animation is superb. This is where Arcane outshines many other animated series on Netflix, including others based on video games. The blend of 2D and 3D visuals is perfect and you can see from the first scene a great deal of investment was made to bring Arcane to life. Even if you have little interest in animated series and the League of Legends game, it is worth watching Arcane just to see the quality of the visuals, they are fantastic.
In terms of the storyline and the characters, you do not have to play League of Legends to know what is happening throughout Arcane. Yes, most of the characters featured in the series are available in the game and there are small aspects of Arcane which fans of League of Legends will notice that may be missed by those who have never played the game. However, there is plenty to learn from Arcane, even for massive fans of League of Legends. The series delves into the stories of the characters and viewers will learn more about the characters from watching Arcane than playing League of Legends for hours at a time.
Arcane is set in the world of Runeterra, which ties in with League of Legends but there is no need to have prior knowledge of the world or the game. There has been plenty of background information available via the characters and the politics of the world for fans of the League of Legends game but they have never gone into great detail and always left room for more. This is where Arcane steps in and tells the story of sisters Vi and Jinx. Interestingly, no one knew for a fact, even the most hardcore of League of Legends players, these two characters were sisters until the show was released. That is a good example of why you do not need to have played the games excessively to watch Arcane.
The reason Arcane has been so successful is because it appeals to a much wider audience than League of Legends players. Arcane is an epic fantasy story boasting exceptional characters, superb storytelling, and hard-hitting action. The action scenes are some of the best ever produced in an animated series. If you have any interest in animations, you must watch Arcane simply to appreciate the action sequences. These all combine with the stunning music to produce one of the best animated series in the history of television.
There is no doubt having a sound understanding of the characters in League of Legends will enhance the experience of watching Arcane. Seeing some of the characters on screen for the first time and understanding a bit about the relationship between them certainly adds another dimension to the series but this can work in reverse.
Having watched Arcane, it may pique your interest to investigate playing League of Legends. There has never been a better time to start playing the game, which has millions of players around the world. League of Legends is free to play, so you can try it without having to spend any money, meaning there is no financial risk by trying the game. The competitive side of League of Legends is massive and there are tournaments played across the planet. The leading League of Legends players have formed teams and compete against each other for huge prizes. Such is the excitement around League of Legends tournaments, it is even possible to bet on LoL and the world’stop online bookmakers have all introduced League of Legends betting odds.
Having watched Arcane, you are sure to be intrigued about the League of Legends game and what it is like to play. As highlighted above, you do not have to play the game to understand and enjoy Arcane. Nonetheless, having watched the series, you may want to try the game and feel what it is like to control the characters and explore the world.
