In celebration of animation

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

In the age of soulless CGI and Disney’s monotonous, bug-eyed, bobble-headed animation style, it’s rare to watch something and feel immersed in true art. Arcane set out to change that with a two-season run that not only brought to life a unique story of family, economic inequality and the consequences of so-called progress, but did so using just about every art style imaginable to celebrate the beauty of animation.

The show — based on the game League of Legends — centers on the class disparity and power dynamics between the utopian city of Piltover and the undercity slums of Zaun. Following the death of their parents in a failed revolt, Zaunite orphans Powder/Jinx (Ella Purnell, Fallout) and Violet (Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit and Hawkeye) attempt to survive and protect their found families in a world of crime, corruption, drug use and violence.

Of course, that’s just the beginning. The two sisters grow up, grow apart and come crashing back together over the course of the show, exploring both the characters’ mental health and the consequences of growing up in poverty in a world where “might is right.” 

A screenshot from Arcane, currently streaming on Netflix. Courtesy image.

Tensions escalate as inventors Jayce (Kevin Alejandro, Southland) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd, Game of Thrones) harness the power of the arcane — magic previously held by mages — leading to new, deadlier technology.

The plot — which follows multiple groups scattered throughout the cities — is addictive, to say the least. Creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee don’t shy away from the violent realities of oppression or moral dilemmas that arise when attempting to change inherently corrupt systems of power.

Much to the shock of Disney executives everywhere, these delicate themes would not be nearly so impactful, nor the characters so believable, had it been filmed as live action.

There’s a trend nowadays to remake formerly animated stories, abandoning what made them beautiful in order to mine the most money using the least effort. Arcane stands against the idea that animation should be replaced with CGI to make stories more “realistic” and palatable to adults.

French animation studio Fortiche uses the medium to enhance Arcane’s storytelling, adding depth to the characters and layer upon layer of symbolism to the visually stunning show.

Using a combination of 2-D and 3-D animation, the artists create a cohesive world while switching between various art styles to portray the characters’ viewpoints.

For the traumatized Jinx, who struggles to hold onto her sanity, the standard animation is overlaid with graffiti-like, neon scribbles that evoke both punk art and middle schoolers’ doodles. Her style shifts as she grows and eventually compliments and contrasts with Isha’s (Lucy Lowe, Wish), an idealistic girl who sees the world through a mix of delicate pastels and simplistic crayon art.

The frame rates and animation style also shift to reflect characters’ internal struggles and highlight integral moments — seamlessly switching between depicting the world in charcoal, watercolor, comic-book styles and more. The animation also ties into the original soundtrack created by a slate of artists like Eason Chan, Stromae and Imagine Dragons, all of whom are at the top of their genres.

With such an emphasis placed on Arcane’s visuals, audiences will appreciate that the series doesn’t fall victim to the common pitfalls that plague the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes, among others — and I don’t just mean poor writing, cliches and expensive gimmicks. No, I mean the colorless, gray-and-flannel costume design that makes the protagonists blend into the drab, dark backgrounds.

From their outrageous hair to the shapes and colors of their outfits, the characters in Arcane are a pleasure to watch, and each detail gives new insight into their arcs. By paying attention to every little element, the writers and animators created a lush, vivid series that appears alien on the surface yet feels more real and tangible than most live-action projects.

Arcane is one of the most human stories to appear on screen in years because it leans into the medium and embraces the fantasy that animation lends itself to. All other creators should take note.

Stream Arcane on Netflix.