With the release of season two, Arcane has become the first show in IMDb history to have a season without a single episode rated below a 9. The eighteen-episode animated Netflix series is based on the video game League of Legends and had a collective budget of 250 million dollars for its two seasons. The show received an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Animation and a rating of 100% on the Tomatometer. It is safe to say that the show stands out from video game adaptations of the past. Arcane’s success can be attributed to several factors: character building and storytelling, animation and visuals, and a deliberate separation from League of Legends.

Arcane is set in the twin cities of Piltover: the wealthy “over-city” and Zaun, the underprivileged “under-city” overlooked by the higher-ups. The story follows Vi and Powder, sisters residing in Zaun with their adoptive father. The show details the complicated relationship between the sisters and the ongoing battles between the over and under cities. Arcane excels in portraying well-developed characters from both of these regions, detailing three to four storylines at once. In season one, each storyline enhances the viewer’s knowledge of the plot while building on each of the unique characters’ backstories and traits. The story is crafted to allow the viewer to see the evil and good in each and every character, sparking passionate discourse amongst internet communities regarding the morality each character’s actions reflect. Season two was strong in that it no longer had to use precious time building up each character, and could instead focus on how the characters change as the circumstances around them shift.

For the most part, Arcane does a fantastic job at showing the progression in its characters, throwing unexpected twists and decisions at characters who are forced to change who they are to conform to their altered circumstances. Season two did, however, struggle with pacing at times. The world of Arcane is so elaborate and intricately crafted that, sometimes, confining this fairly complicated story to just eighteen episodes makes the progression feel odd. The large in-world time span of Arcane sometimes caused confusion in certain plot elements, such as the duration of time skips and the quick movement from one plot point to another, never dwelling too long on just one thing. Season two shoved a lot at the viewer all at once. But fortunately, the quality of each plot point allows the somewhat overwhelming nature of season two to remain a highly recommended watch.

With Arcane’s first season taking six years to complete, and the second taking three, the twelve-hour TV show had a lot of care put into it—and it shows. It is hard to explain just how breathtaking the animation really is without seeing a clip of the show itself, and I recommend looking up a trailer if you are interested. Arcane’s art style is striking. It uses a mix of 2D and 3D animation, keyframe animation, and hand-painted backgrounds to create stylized characters that are unique from other animated shows. The animation is, to put it simply, stunning. The show has a primary art style, but it occasionally switches to various other styles during certain scenes or portions of them. A great example of this switch is the fight between Jinx and Echo in season one. The childhood friends duel on a bridge, and as they are about to raise their weapons, the art style suddenly changes to a simpler two-dimensional style as it depicts the two fighting as children. The music is upbeat and the kids fight until this music suddenly cuts out and the original style is restored; you realize the gravity of the fight that is actually occurring, dragging the viewer back to reality. Arcane pulls the viewer through art and music countless times throughout the show, and each moment is incredibly effective in grounding the viewer in the world of Piltover and its complex characters.

It is no secret that League of Legends does not have the best reputation. It is one of the biggest games in the world, and, as a result, has a large fanbase. The community is regarded as highly toxic by the internet, accounted for by the higher-than-normal levels of problematic chat messages sent in a given League chat. Despite this, Arcane has been able to rise above the League backlash, entering the mainstream and appealing to those who might have never played or even heard of League of Legends. While Arcane does have ploys to convince the viewers to play League, such as in-game Arcane skins and easter eggs in the show that can only be understood by someone familiar with League lore, the majority of viewers do not and will not play the game. The show requires no previous knowledge to understand and enjoy, so do not be discouraged if you are familiar with the game’s reputation.

I highly recommend Arcane. It is one of the best pieces of media I have ever consumed and nothing seems quite like it. I think anybody who loves action, beautiful art, and a character-focused plot will enjoy the show as much as I have.