Arcane: Work of Art and War

Do you Like the Steampunk aesthetic, war and politics in an age of magic? Arcane fits all of these interests to appeal to the fantasy viewers on Netflix. Arcane season one began streaming on Netflix on November 6, 2021. Season two was released on November 9, 2024. The original conception was in 2014-2015. It took six years just to make Season One. Arcane took three years just to make season two. The graphics for season one started in 2018-2019. Originally there were 15 people working on this project; it went up to about 300 people. When Season One came out it was streamed for 34.17 million hours, and Season Two was streamed 29.6 million times.

Arcane is based on a game called League of Legends. Launched on October 27, 2009 and created by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill. League of Legends is a multiplayer online game. This fantasy game is about two teams of Champions or Summoners. The players goals are to destroy the other team’s base.

Arcane is broken into acts. There are six acts with three episodes per act. Act one speaks about the past of two sisters, Vi, voiced by Hailee Stienfield, and the younger sister Powder, voiced by Mia Sinclair Jenness, who just lost their parents during a war for their independence. They are adopted by Vander who is voiced by JB Blanc. Vi, Powder, and two other boys rob a house and then an explosion happens.

After the explosion, Jayce Talis, voiced by Kevin Alejandro, gets arrested for creating magic. He does not go to jail because the Council admires why he was put in jail, and his mentor Heimerdinger, voiced by Nick Wingert, is on the council. “Magic? Yes! No. No?” The interaction of Jayce in the cell talking to Heimerdinger. Vi is going to turn herself in for the robbery so she can protect her family.

Jayce and his new partner Viktor, voiced by Harry Lloyd, are going to steal Jayce’s notebook to try to perfect the magic and make it work for them as Vi trying to save Vander from the bad guy Silco, voiced by Jason Spisak.

Act Two begins as time has passed and Powder has transformed into Jinx, voiced by Ella Purnell. Through their evil deeds we are introduced to Silco and Singed, voiced by Brett Tucker, and their creation of Shimmer. The underground gang called the Firelights succeed in topping the shipment of Shimmer and the destruction it can cause on their world. An enforcer named Caitlyn Kiramman, voiced by Katie Leung, releases Vi from prison and they go to the undercity. Viktor is dying as well and this Hexcore is messing with his head. “Guns for Hire” by Woodkid plays as Caitlyn and Vi get kidnapped by the Firelights.

In the last Act of Season One, Ekko, voiced by Reed Shannon, is the leader of the Firelights and kidnapped Vi and Caitlyn. Riots happen on the bridge, weapons are made, and to escape Jinx tries find a way out for her and Ekko.  Later that same day Silco is killed by Jinx and terrorism happens, she blows up Piltover.

As Season One came to an end, it leaves the viewer with a lot of twists and turns that leaves them wanting to know what happens to the characters they love.  Not only is the story compelling to viewers, but graphically it keeps the viewer engaged in the action and the storyline.  Going into the next season, the characters in this world prepare for the war that will happen and which side will be victorious.

Final thoughts on Arcane; if you want a show that is violent but still entertaining that the controller or your phone is not an opinion to look at? Then watch Arcane, visit the world and the character and fall in love with the soundtrack of both seasons, as the music adds to the storytelling.