Arcane Is What Western Media Needed
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Yes, I really did finish the show yesterday, and it made such a strong impression on me, I just had to make this video basically straight away.
Well done, Riot Games. Well fucking done.
0:00 - Intro
3:05 - My Apprehension About Arcane
4:15 - Story
6:42 - It's Not Really An Adaptation
10:31 - Characters
14:31 - Animation & Music
18:02 - Closing Words
18:44 - Outro
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#arcane #videoessay #review #analysis #adaptation #leagueoflegends - Hry
The first video of 2022, and my first real attempt at going in the direction my channel was originally meant to go. Hopefully whoever watches this video enjoys it. Let's see how this goes...
The style honestly comes from the concept art chops that riot has. If you look at the backgrounds, they are beautifully painted glorified png’s ala FF7 from back in the day. They used still images with a few 3 d background assets and that’s how they saved money while making the show look as good as it is. Besides a couple of blocky buildings and 3D assets the backgrounds themselves? 2D.
Because of this however they had to model the 3D assets with painterly “defects”. take Mel’s metal armor that surrounds her body for example, in the scene ins the second act of the show where Mel was talking with Jayce about heimerdinger, you can see that the light reflections on Mel’s armor are all painted in. Even when the light is shining on the metal part of the armor the armor doesn’t follow the rules of physical light.
Wether intentional or not, these sorts of imperfections help blend the 3D model characters into the loosely painted 2D world that they had built. Quite the old technique if we look at the history of videogames and what they needed to do in those days to make a believable world. But with todays technology, I think that we are currently looking at an example of what tools creators actually have when it comes to 3D and 2D animations.
This and spider verse are on the cutting edge of creativity with regards to the use of 2D and 3D assets.
It's eye popping how perfect Arcane was in so many different areas. I have seen video essays about this show from all sorts of perspectives from musicians, animators, writers, psychiatrists, gamers, anime enthusiasts, music enthusiasts, lgbt, and even conservatives. It's almost unthinkable that a show can have praise heaped on it from every single angle like this. And I think it's only possible because the creators were confident enough to tackle everything it touches in a mature and respectful way.
It's an amazing story, presented in an amazing way. That's something anyone from any perspective can appreciate
I agree. As someone who actually enjoys the games (I know, cringe), I love how they're handling the characters. Riot games tends to be careful with things like their cinimatics and projects, and it was nice knowing that the love and care they put into those also transferred into Arcane. The story handles things that I feel other studios and shows miss the mark on (ie. representation and mental health, even character growth), and they do it WELL. I seriously enjoy this show and look forward to the next season.
Can u recommend some video essays pls?
Indeed, and I feel like they didn't preach at the audience or push an agenda. They showed you the world, they showed you the characters, they showed you how the characters acted and reacted, and they let the audience decide for themselves.
There were so many times where I was conflicted, because I could see where both sides were coming from, why they were doing what they did, and why they were opposed to each other. And to me, that's a mark of good storytelling and writing.
@@moniquita720 PROGRESS: an Arcane Video Essay (ft plushies) by honey bat is a good one!
When Vi asks "Wanna see how that ends?" I love how you can hear the leather of her outfit tighten up as she gets tense. She would have killed that kid!
I don't think that that's necessarily true. You see him look to her right, where her friends are. He could have easily poked that knife into her eye, but didn't do so because he would have been gutted by mylo and claggor right after.
@@p0p4 That was her point though. As soon as that kid introduced a knife into the mix, somebody would inevitably die. Probably him, even if he managed to stab Vi first.
@@p0p4 what a dumb comment
In Riot defense , when you say they were not known for good stories, this is wrong, It was always there. And not just stories.
Yeah i found that remark pretty unfair but he said he was not really familiar with League's lore so its ok
I see what you mean but I think it's right to say that they aren't "known" for it, even if it's their strong suit. People with only the faintest idea about league know it for the game itself and probably the reputation the people that play it have specifically, and might not realise there is much of a lore at all.
It's like saying the company Nokia isn't well known for making rubber boots and tires. Which it is, but you just didn't know about it because of all the cell phones that also happened.
@@ayaya5888 maybe from an outside POV but if you've interacted with the community in any way, people always say how trash the balancing/game is but praise the lore/event/cinimatics/skins(and accompanying lore)
It's quite easy to see how Riot doing good with their story, just by looking at Runeterra Lore cards description, really.
...well.. Except the Ruined King event. That's just nah.
I would disagree with Riot not being good with stories. The lore covers 10 regions that are completely different from eachother, there are over 150 champions who fit in that world with their own pages of stories. Graphic novels or just novels. Whole CZcams channels dedicated to cover the stories that Riot produces. It's not like Fortnite, not even close. Riot could have made a show about any of the regions other than Piltover and Zaun, and that would be just as good as Arcane.
I agree with this, and I hope we get more of a semblance of new regions other than just name drops in season 2.
Now explain Seraphine and Kaiss
@@agreatmanlookingtotheright what about them?
That's not what he said. He said it's not what they are known for. Very few league players themselves hardly know the lore in depth. or even basic lore. When most people hear League they imagine it just like it is, top down, competitive and toxic community. Whereas we hear of a game like Witcher and most people automatically think of the story. So no, he's right. Story is not what most people think of when they hear League of Legends.
@@alicheacoetzee5765 dude witcher was adapt from books
"League of Legends is not known for it's story"
*Necrit has entered the chat*
But in all honesty, it's a valid apprehension to be worried about video game adaptations. We've all been burned one too many times.
I mean, they aren’t known for it, even though they’ve made good stories, unless you’re a league fan, you probably wouldn’t stumble upon their stories out of the blue
This video perfectly encapsulates how I felt watching the show and trying to pinpoint how I would describe it to those wary about watching animated shows vs live-action. It's not an anime, it's not even anime-esque or heavily inspired by Eastern styles of animation or art. It's from the West, it's based on a Western IP, with a Western feel, but it has heavy mature themes that both adults and kids can be enthralled by, and it has the emotional tact and expert writing of any live-action show (it toppled Squid Game on Netflix) or mature animation (that we're so used to only coming from the East).
Avatar: TLA is the golden example of a show with Eastern traits from Western creators, and what I've always held in the highest regard of what an animated show in the West should learn from in terms of storytelling, world-building, and character development going forward. But for whatever reason, these said shows that do surface from great creative minds that want to innovate in the Western animation medium (Infinity Train, Gravity Falls, Amphibia, The Owl House, etc.) end up on "kid" channels (where they can inherently be restricted in tone or ideas for the younger demographic) and are severely overlooked, looked down upon, or cancelled despite how brilliant they may be. Meanwhile, the rest of animated show creators on larger platforms do the same "adult-humor = mature and worth watching" stuff; people eat it up; we get no closer to seeing Eastern animation quality storytelling as the social norm for Western animation.
With Arcane, it's on a platform that is clearly getting it pushed to eyes to not be overlooked, and is achieving a mature feeling show in animated form, with a Western identity intact. It truly can be the show that Western animation starts to learn from, and for me, a show that can finally dethrone Avatar: TLA if it retains its quality to the the very end. I had just binged Invincible before Arcane and felt similarly, but Arcane really did push the boundary of the medium more than I could've imagined.
Completely agree 💯
Don't forget the french had a big part to play in making it too! Fortiche also made some contributions to the writers too
All true. But you missed one very important animated western show that (at least in my opinion, and A LOT of people seem to agree) redefined the limits of what "a cartoon" can be, albeit in very a different way, namely Bojack Horseman.
While it probably didn't draw as much attention as Arcane, and its following was significantly smaller, it was huge all the same and there's no way people in the industry didn't learn a thing or two from it.
@@AthenaTennosN Yep, very true. I haven't seen it yet, so couldn't speak on it, but have heard nothing but praise about it. It teeters on the edge of that "adult situation animated shows" trope, but I know it has substantially more to offer than said kind of shows. Definitely another kind of inspiration for the West to learn from 👍🏿.
Arcane is probably the most incredible thing I've ever seen on a screen. The amount of talent, skill, and technology that has culminated into this show boggles the mind and has made me reevaluate what is possible in art. However i tell my friends about it and the general response i get is "o, its a cartoon?...I'm ok"
either get new friends, or haggle them until they watch it
@@haakke man ive tried the haggle haha
It's funny that you said the visual is its own character as Ekko and Jinx had their own visual styles.
Ekko with his rap opening and fight with Jinx while Jinx with her scribbles, film grain, and distortions of reality.
I dunno about Riot not making good stories to begin with. Just not in the general eye.
League has a lot of short stories and extra lore in the bios. Not all of them are a hit, but there’s some good writing to be found there. It’s only ever alluded to in League proper and you won’t hear it over the sound of your angry ‘teammates’.
But it does exist so long as you care to look.
A lot of people also don't realize how good most of their cinematics are for champion releases and stuff. Even back in 2014 (i think it was) they had great ones like Demacia and Noxus cinematic.
czcams.com/video/vzHrjOMfHPY/video.html
@@Hydro_homie
That’s not so much about story writing, that’s about design and animation.
Narratively A New Dawn is confusing and makes little sense as to what purpose each character has being there.
What are characters like an Ionian Vastaya, a Targonian Aspect, a Bilgewater thief, The Hand of Noxus and his gladiatorial brother and a tithe collecting terror from Bilgewater’s deeps doing in what looks like the jungles of Ixtal?
Leona is narratively tied to Mount Targon and the conflict between her Solari and Diana’s Lunari. What would bring her so far away and with such company?
Nautilus preys on captains and trespassers of the oceans near Bilgewater, so what’s he doing in the middle of a jungle?
Darius is concerned with Noxian military affairs, none of which that I know of include Ixtal. Or even Shurima for that matter. Makes even less sense for Dravrn since he’s the arena champion in Noxus.
Jax I can understand as a wandering Icathian, since Ixtal borders that region.
Zyra and Rengar I understand since Ixtal is their home.
But practically everyone else has no narrative reason to coincide.
@@rustkarl I’m like 100% sure I said their cinematics are good lmao I didn’t once mention the story lol it’s suppose to advertise gameplay not story hence the nexus at the end.
I normally would be hesitant of video game adaptations for the reasons you mentioned, but Riot is known for their GORGEOUSLY animated music videos, which made me trust Arcane to have lot more to have quality, especially after seeing the Enemy music video.
I disagree on the point that league isn't known for it's stories. Half the lore community doesn't even play the game any more or never did. They are still there entirely because the lore is so good. It isn't just trying to sell the game to you, it's selling you stories for all these different characters, some of which will never meet, and telling them well.
I started playing because of the lore. I stopped for a variety of reasons, but the lore was the interesting part.
Arcane is what everyone needed. It's a fucking MASTERPIECE! I've never seen a show do what Arcane did, I've never felt a show like Arcane. It broke me into a thousand pieces and my normal strategy of watching until it doesn't, did nothing but make me feel it more. I know someone who watched only the first episode and said, "It's kind of slow, didn't you think?" I responded with, "I can't give you an honest opinion, because my heart hurts knowing what I know. It's beautiful."
I am obsessed, not a little obsessed. I am absolutely obsessed. I don't think I knew that that word actually meant.
Edit: I am almost horrified that supposedly Riot Games is wanting to go live action. They need to just make adult-based animation. It's a genre that doesn't really exist in mainstream US. They could, easily dominate that. Live action just won't be right. So many characters will be so wrong in live action. (I think)
League of Legends has AMAZING LORE!
This show is still on my mind and I've just been watching other people's reactions to relive the feeling. I really enjoyed this video and you nailed what makes the show work and wonder why we can't make more stuff like this in the west. Like you said, it's left more to live action. I've tried to recommend Arcane to people but I get that push back of it being a cartoon or animated thing and they won't bother looking. SAD.
Well too bad for them because Arcane's season 1 is better than 99% of the series that we've seen in past 10 years or so
My father-in-law is like that and will not watch it because it is animated. Yet he follows Rotten Tomato scores when choosing a show to watch. Spouse and I are like "this show is 100% critic and 97% fan score."
"Animation is for kids or comedy."
Inform him of the TV 14 rating. He doesn't care.
Semblance of Sanity, Blind Wave and YaBoiRoshi were very cool to follow
@@biazacha Already watched Sanity's and Blind Wave's but don't know YaBoiRoshi. I'll check it out.
It'd be nice to see you tackle more cartoons like this, in addition to adult fare such as Primal, or even anime-esque properties such as Dofus or Wakfu. Even wannabe-anime stuff like Steven Universe, Miraculous Ladybug, Korra, Star vs the Forces of Evil, High Guardian Spice, the newest Voltron, or She-Ra could make for interesting case studies as to what Western media is missing and how some fail to capture what made anime so popular at the turn of this century.
Good suggestion. I've not seen any of those shows except Korra and a few episodes of She-Ra, but perhaps it'd be something to consider
wait- “wannabe-anime”?
@@eliefhr Did he stutter?
@@yatakarasu98 eh those shows aren't really wannabe anime, they're just cartoons with eastern influence, that's like calling anime wannabe cartoons or wannabe action movies cause they take inspiration from the west
@@yatakarasu98 wait -THATS A HE?
This was not a video I expected to see in my subscriptions, but I am very glad it is. I loved Arcane and I completely agree this was the exact sort of show that we badly needed. Your breakdown on why it's not a true adaptation and how that made it work over other adaptations was very insightful. Great video. I'm glad to see you diversifying your content.
you know the unsatisfying feeling of watching an adaptation for a game you liked?
i noticed people have the exact opposite reaction with arcane and league. it’s such a strength for the show that league never had a story and it’ll definitely reshape the way i see game development as a method of storytelling from now on
edit: btw i mean the actual gameplay itself isn’t following a story. lol lore is great, but you barely get it from just playing alone
I really think Arcane and Legend of Vox Machina will bring some much needed awareness to studio execs that animation can be for all ages
Interestingly enough, the lore of League of Legends was actually changed for the purposes of Arcane. There were a few small things like originally, Jinx and Vi weren't confirmed to be sisters, although there were hints. But there were more major changes too. For instance, originally, Viktor wasn't crippled, and he had very different motivations. I also know that the interactions between Jayce and Viktor were different (though I forget by how much), and I'm pretty sure Jayce's backstory and general personality were different too (though again, I forget by how much). Riot actually let the lore to the game be changed to produce a more compelling narrative. Originally when it came out, the lore remained the same and Arcane remained not canon, but eventually (I think by the time the final episode came out) the lore had been officially changed in game. I don't actually know if Riots intent was originally to change the lore in game or if they were going to leave it not canon though.
If anything I think this actually proves your point better. Not only was the story (and to some extent the actual lore) that the show was based on already very vague, it was still changed to make the show as good as possible.
Nice video. So much of the commentary on Arcane is not so great, so thanks for dropping something on the other side of scale. It's particularly nice to see the 'it's not _really_ an adaptation' point being made.
The only oversight, with all the well-deserved praise your throwing around, is failing to name Fortiche, the French studio that did the animation.
It was a big oversight. I feel stupid for not bringing up something so important. And thanks, I'm not sure what the other videos are like but it's good to know this one is enjoyable
Dude wha? Like 99% of comments are positive and the negative ones don't even have an argumentation because there's literally nothing to criticize lol
Honestly, Riot's stories are really good. The lore of LoL is incredible and has so much depth to it - they just made the decision to separate the game from the world it is set in, which I think was certainly the right thing to do. There are many people who follow the lore without ever touching the game.
Arcane is the best Animated Media I have seen for some time now whether it be cartoon or anime.
I think it's time Japan catches up to the West when it comes to 3D and Vfx where Japan is severely lacking.
One thing I can take from all these analysist of Arcane videos is that it's obvious that they haven't read any of what riot has put out, some of the best story telling and world building I have read for a videogame, on par with the Warhammer universe I would say. The stories are very character focus and leaves the reader to connect the dots with the history of the world these characters inhabits. It is most exciting when you can connect timelines with character's journey, a subplot thrown in thinking it was just a way to introduce certain characters or conflicts to the story turns out to be an aftermath of another character's action. The more you dive in to these lore, you can accurately tell if a story is set in the past or present depending on the location, landmarks and even the reaction of the locals towards strangers or magic/arcane.
To me, I was not surprised that the story was good, more surprised that they dived deeper in to these character's and their motivation and not somehow messing it up like many other game adaptations have done before. I do admit some lore elements were change which did catch me off guard but not enough to fully immerse myself with the world of Ruenterra all over again.
So yeah give the lore a chance , and if you want to read stories centered around Piltover and Zaun I recommend reading Jayce and Viktor's lore, Warwick is a good 5 minute read and also Blitzcrank. If you're looking for a different setting I recommend the Lux comics issue 1 to 5.
Many of these stories are written by warhammer writers. Like darkin one
An advantage is also that Arcane delivered a lot of fan service in a non disruptive manner. A lot of small details on walls such as posters masks and so on reference a lot of previously material that fans can notice or go digging for to enjoy, all the while it doesn't disrupt the scenes and narrative
Having a very small amount of backstory actually helps.
They have lore but they could say more arcane says more.
Jinx in game calls her mini gun pow piw
Great video
I'd say the animation is amazing BECAUSE it is not motion captured definitely not despite. The fact that it isn't bound to reality gives the animators more artistic choice to build character. Plus the amount of smear frames and broken bones during the animation to get across the power (or lack thereof) is incredible when going frame by frame. That's why it feels so good and so right
i had huge trust on riot when they said they'll be making an animated show. they had already proven themselves in their animatics and shorts that they are capable of telling a story through animation. but i was still surprised at how good arcane came out to be. it went above my already high expectations
Now we watch as large companies try to replicate arcane's success and fail immeasurably
Arcan is what media in general needed
I think a clear distinction that people need to make about other video game adaptation and comparing it to Arcane is that while it did raise the standard, one thing that people don't acknowledge about videogame adaptation and why they don't work is that the majority of them are LIVE ACTION.
Don't get me wrong the writing and characters are outstanding in Arcane and thats one of the best parts about, but what also makes it faithful and really beautiful is that its animated and lets not act like that doesn't enhance the experience. I mean the mortal kombat 2d animated movies were alright and while the Rachet and clank movie was underwhelming at least it felt faithful.
This is why majority of videogame adaptation fail because i can deal with an average story if it looked beautiful but sadly thats not the case sense a lot them are live action. Live action most of the time can't replicate movement,expression and emotion as good as animation for me, and while there are expections of ok live actions movies like the sonic movie, it still stands that the majority of them are not good and whenever people bring why videogame adaptation are terrible 90% its live action ones. People also probably didn't give Arcane a chance because of the reputation of videogame adaptation and while i can completely understand, lets also acknowledge that the ones that are constantly bad and the ones that people keep bringing are live action adaptations.
And this is why i love Arcane and thats what makes it better than other Videogame adaptation that people don't realize. It embraces animation to fullest to bring the world and characters alive just as i was expecting it too. Its feels just like the beautiful cg trailers of league of legends but better. Its sucks because people probably didn't give Arcane for being animated sense there are people out there that look at animation as just "cartoons", and not take it seriously sense it's not live action which is why you see so many videogame adaptation try to be live action. Who knows maybe the mario animated movie can be bad and prove me wrong, but Arcane prove me right on the key essentially of bringing a videogame and anime adaptation to life is to make it what it had life in the first place, and thats animation.
then explain sonic you idiot
@@Josh-hh4kp Sonic is an OK movie, not a masterpiece. Just because a few ok ones exist doesn't automatically negate what I'm saying between animation and live action. And when other videogames live action adaptation like Mortal Kombat annihilation,mortal Kombat 2020,live action resident evil movies, warcraft,assassins creed and Street fighter movie still exist, my point still stands.
That’s not true. Batman proves that animation is not the only way to adapt stories from a drawing/animation medium. Also making it animated also takes away because why watch an animated show when you can see it animated in the game. Live action is more appealing for adaptation just because it feels real unlike games.
I'm still watching this video, but I felt compelled to share one of the things that really stuck out to me right at the top: how the eyes move. The attention to animation, down to how the characters' eyes move, jitter, reflect, deepen or not, etc. highly elevated what was thankfully a well written story. It was just a bonus that the rest of it was actually great!
Hands down, the best scene in the whole series for me. Something about the tempo, the emotional beats, the fighting style…it just works so well.
I watched it in full 3 times I was so honestly surprised and elated to find a new world to get sucked into. Reminded me of watching Avatar as a kid but more mature
Great video! Arcane has raised the bar for animation and storytelling in general, and I am so grateful for it. Can't wait to see what they bring with s2!
Imo Riot is known for their very compelling Music/ Art/ Stories - - in stark contrast to how horrible they can be when it comes to game balance. In fact we are still waiting for them to release an anime based on their skinline Star Guardian (different universe from arcane) e.e
Regarding the characters having their own little ticks and gestures you mentioned - you may have seen this already but I saw an interview with the animation lead and he mentioned that there was a camera in the room filming the voice actors as they delivered their lines, then the voice actors ticks and gestures were integrated into the animation - it ends up making every character feel real, distinct, and consistent, because they're integrating the subconcious gestures and movements of the voice actors, an example they gave was Mel's expressive eyebrows coming from voice actress Toks expressive eyebrows, or the way Ella Purnell gurned and contorted her face delivering Jinx's lines.
Thank for a fantastic video that I can actually use to get friends into the show without spoiling anything (so long as I don't let them actually WATCH the video). Excellent analysis of every single element Arcane does well. Which is all of them.
I appreciate your kind words. It's funny cos I didn't intentionally avoid spoiling things but I wanted to talk more about the general craft rather than the specific of the story. I'm glad you feel it's worth recommending but I would say when I mention Ekko vs Jinx that might be a bit of a spoiler
@@NextGenNovelist Oooh good call thanks! Was too invested in the video to pick up on possibly ruining my whole master plan.
4:41 oh buddy this the part where I disagree. The lore of League is quite expansive and rich with characters ,so people keep playing LoL because their favorite champions have fleshed out backstories (except for the recently released champions, honestly fuck those charcters) . Lore and storytelling have been so well integrated into LoL , you cannot deny fact that this game is known for it's storytelling. Heck , i'd say the Lore is on par with League's Esports scene.
I play League for its lore and for Kled (my most favourite character. They did so good writing for him). I feel like the storytelling saved the game's bad reputation for its toxicity and balance. League's lore is undeniably amazing.
when it comes to western social media they won't listen, because they are too busy playing politics and hate.
I'm new to L.O.L. and I Know Jinx because of cinematic trailers and music videos. all of them are amazing
Hammer Down
This breakdown was amazing! You phrased everything so perfectly!
I'd recommend you also watch their cinematics. Their last one "The Call" was just so beautiful!
Animation and music wise.
I’m always glad to find non-League fans opinions on this great show. My family seems to have the very western point of view that only comedic animation is “adult”, and I’m not someone who watches much animation in general, but it’s frustrating recommending something that I KNOW they’d like but they’re dismissive of it, despite the overwhelming positive reviews.
I hate comedic animation. I dislike comedies in general with few exeptions actually. I like dark themed series and animation.
I think the thing that works the best is the characters. Characters are really needed to push a show forward and I think what most shows miss is they either focus too heavily on one character or they focus too heavily on one aspect of a character. Arcane manages to use all the characters (even the bad ones) really well. You may not like a character, but you can understand them. And thats what really works.
it's unfortunate that some people thinks League doesn't have a great story because all of the great stories of League are hidden in their website among mountains of short stories and comics
I haven't watched Arcane yet (I know, I know!) so I can't watch this but I'm sure you have some interesting things to say so I'll be back when I finally watch it
Edit: Okay I seen it now and jesus it was fucking amazing! I came back to watch this straight away cos I just needed to hear your take on it and you said everything I would say and more. I'm glad you posted this cos it sorta gave me a kick to actually go and watch it, and now I'm wondering why I left it so long
It definately won't be a waste of time!
Great Essay, good analysis! Very well put together and not just 70% summary like so many other 'reviews'.
Something I actually find funny is how for years and years under every single cinematic and trailer, people commented "Make an anime, make a movie, etc etc" and I always thought "yea that would be great" and then it happened with the reception being far beyond what I could have ever imagined. Truly amazing.
I think fans expected it to be pretty, as the shorts and cinematics Riot has put out for years have always been gorgeous, but hold less than crumbs of a plot. Even then, the animation quality still surpassed expectations, and as you've argued, the story is spectacular as well. Also, I think they chose to hide fan service as easter eggs instead. There are small things like musical themes we recognize or items you can buy in-game hidden in set designs.
Great video and very well said!
Viktor will take control of ZAUN with an almost fully mechanical body
This is so interesting to watch, especially after you’ve seen Dota’s Dragon’s Blood, which did the opposite of a lot of the things you praised Arcane for. Starts out with an exposition of shit that happened long ago, iconic characters already in their iconic forms to be recognizable, characters who are just there because they’re recognizable and not because they are essential to the story, etc.
Interesting. I'd seen it on Netflix but didn't watch it for the same reasons I wasn't going to watch Arcane, but if it did all that I'm not surprised it didn't get the good press Arcane has gotten
@@NextGenNovelist Yeah, it was a bog standard fantasy, nothing new or interesting. The most interesting thing there was the villain, who also loved his daughter and is the reason he did what he did.
Surprised I've never seen this channel before. I like your voice.
and its animated by french people, you're welcome B)
Yeah I feel dumb for not mentioning that smh
@@NextGenNovelist nahhh lol its fine it's not important at all
I knew the show was something monumental from the opening scene. Not a drop of dialogue but the animation, non-verbal story-telling, music, intuition and labor of love clearly in it, culminating in one of the most emotional punches in a short time without any real knowledge of the characters - well, it made it's mark.
I loved the whole thing but let me just say: I have played league since 2012, and I have been immersed in the lore. as such, the moment riot started dropping cinematics, I begged for a TV show.
And let me tell you, every riot cinematic is mind blowing. Most of the people who knew LOL were having very high expectations about this series. A little not because they kind of butchered the lore in a previous event, but still, at least in animation quality, OST, and plotline we all knew it would be great.
When it was announced I felt as if my wished had been heard and I've been waiting anxiously for the release. When I tell you, that my expectations were so so so soooooo high and they still got surpassed in so many levels it's ridiculous.
Also, people who play do connect riot with a story background.
Just stating this because thoughout the video you said a lot of times that riot isn't known for the story and that no one expected it to be good.
I hope Arcane is a pioneer and becomes the expectation instead of the exception
Good analysis. Agreed on all fronts. I watched this show because I like animation and fantasy stuff... when i saw the trailer I wasn't expecting much but I thought it just looked beautiful. Then I watched it. Best show I've seen, animated or not. I hope this raises the bar for other properties because this is truly the next level of story telling. I've watched it through three times now and cant' stop watching these reviews and reaction videos.
Amazing analysis .
Man I am loving that dark souls music in the background ❤️
One thing I would like to add is that the LoL lore is huge, the MOBA part is just the mechanical game with sprinkles of the huge lore. Great video!
I had exactly the same preconseptions about Arcane!!! But so game-changing!
12:20 with the jinx moment I knew something would go horribly wrong, but I hadn’t heard of jinx before because I hadn’t played arcane. A good show from a game makes the show easy to watch without playing the game. Also cool video! I enjoyed watching it, and I like how you explain stuff.
Bojack Horseman is a show that seems to use animation to tackle more heavy themes. I can't shut up about my love for that show
Great stuff, your best video imo.
Thanks man. I appreciate that!
Love the analysis, and I love what Arcane did, I hope it leads to more shows rising to the occasion! What sucks for me is that I actually wanted to make an animated show in this exactly style a while ago, but I didn't have the resources to make it happen. Either way though, animation is my medium and I hope that one day I can make a contribution that's as amazing as Arcane
As a fellow artist (though more of a writer since I can't draw or animate to save my life lol), I relate and do all I can to try and contribute something meaningful to whatever medium I'm part of. I hope you manage to achieve what you want someday
@@NextGenNovelist Thank you! And I hope the same for you!
Casual arcane gameplay going on as we discuss this important matter
Infinity train is something I will recommend of you're into good characters based story telling.
Arcane Season 1 is Perfection. It really is as simple and as beautiful as that.
With the trying to figure out central characters and stuff, Arcane started production right after Ekko came out and he came out like 5 months after Jinx. They already had their main characters but they just had to wait to release Ekko before they announced it.
Also if you haven't seen this let me bless you with it. It's a beautiful cinematic that came out right as arcane started production
I too would have passed over it had netflix not had those auto-play trailers when sitting on a title. It caught my interest in a way i didnt expect so I said, "fuck it, lets watch it." one binge later and I'm so glad I had
I was lucky to have that small bit of understanding that jinx existed but I didn't make the connection at first either. Than I was like, ohhhh. But arcane is so amazing because you still think of the backstory versions of the charecters as the real versions. Like I still though of Jinx as Powder for most of the series. It kind of tricks you that the backstory will just be the main plot, you get used to it, and than it pulls a 180.
first show where the whole soundtrack made it into my playlist
Summarising, if Valve wants to make a Portal movie, they need more than just a producer, they need the whole team.
3:30, Yes, it is. Watch Get Jinxed music video, watch their character animation or watch any of their numerous lore videos, you would have to be an incredibly skeptical person to doubt any company that they hired.
For us casual and general viewers, it is true that when we think of LoL we don't think about the story. To most of us, it's just "that" game people play and talk about and we see cosplay of. Arcane has definitely got our interest, As a fighting game enthusiast, Project L is raising the interest even more for me.
My only concern with Arcane is that Season 1 has been great because it has heavily stood on a narrative based more in the social and political problems of the characters and two societies. But once it jumps into the more niche and fantasy aspects of League of Legends will it hold as an amazing piece of adult storytelling? Quite the challenge
Well made video
the show just feels like the creme de la creme de la creme. like a 4 star dinner where everything is crafted from scratch with perfect attention to every detail
Arcane looks like a moving painting.
Looking at the character introductions and various animations they've made over the years I think you could actually expect them to make something as good as arcane. Even though they're only 3 to 5 minutes long they tell me a better story than some movies I've watched
A lot of entertainment in the west suffers from stagnation in the creative and ambitious categories that make for great stories. Most Mainstream media in the west, is headed by big corperations that just want easy profits whilist doing the least ammount possible to acheive results. The one's pioneering new series of entertainment are small idependant studios that are usually turned down by the big studios due to their ideas being different than the 'safe' formula that they use to tell their cookie cutter stories. Look at Helluvaboss, there's no way that their series would've gotten picked up by adult swim or netflix without having the majority of the show's themes cut out and boiled down. The big companies want you to appeal to what they think is best, instead of appealing to the audience that loved your pilot episode.
For western media, the best writing is still live action dramas and comedies, and if they’re animated, it’s usually for kids or teens. And a lot of people prefer animation so I get why they might be disappointing
eh I agree a lot of things were done well, and I agree that not starting in the characters video game form was used to the maximum, while viewers unfamiliar with the characters get a great story regardless, Riot took the maximum out of leaving bread crumbs for people that are familiar with the game, to have fun hunting for easter eggs or spekulation about various characters origins.
However, Riot has a lot of material about its universe and characters, and Arcane while adding to some of it, and telling a mostly new story, absolutely does this by trampling over the stories it already told, most notable being Singed whos double persona has been scraped, Viktor who suddenly got a death plot pushing him to experiment, to Jayce who is a lot nicer and more sympathetic for example. Riot at some point decided that making the characters fit into the story and telling the story is more relevant than the current lore. And I think the fact that they managed to carry the story of Jinx and Vi so well, and that people were seemingly starving for something like this, allowed people to look past that. For me personally the change to Viktor was disapointing and to some extent annoying. I found his characterization in the lore a lot more interesting as a character compared to a desperate dying scientist.
And my concern going forward definitely is there. The best part of season 1 was the first arc, the story that was the least based on the characters as they exist in LoL universe. The further it goes more cracks being to form and we see them resorting to weird shortcuts and crappy tropes to keep moving. Like giving Marcus a daughter that serves no point except so she can be threatened by Silco in an attempt to humanize Marcus and pull at our heart strings. Or the weird scene where Mels mom basically SAs Jayce but no one treats it that way (ngl it was a bizarre scene that took me out and had me remember the massive setlement Riot had payed out for shitty treatment of women in the work place).
Again Jinx and Vi were done so well and they absolutely hard carried the show, tho it gives me a lot of questions about how season 2 will go or how it will be handled.
I think you are missing that Riot actually has extensive lore already made. So it's not that we weren't expecting it. Most players of the game don't care about the lore, but those that do, myself included have been salivating over the idea of a show for long before Arcane was announced. And since the source matterial ranges from decent to phenomenal and the artwork had always been world class, I think it is even more impressive that with expectations like those they still managed to blow everybody's minds
Slight point about the part about adaptations and medium: I think one of the most important things to ask yourself, as a creator of an adaptation (or any creative work), is "why are we doing this?" and to be aware of the medium. A live action film is different from an anime, just as a video game is different from a film/series. Using BioWare as an example: would Mass Effect really work as a movie/series, if the story was translated 1:1? I personally think the RP aspect and that you, the player, is making choices is a huge part of why the story works. You got to consider the story you want to tell, the emotion you want to convey, and decide on how to best to that given the medium the story is told in. This is where many adaptations, I have seen, error.
Your reasoning for why adaptation do aways don't work makes me worry for what Netflix is doing Avatar, the last Airbender 😰
tbf I'd argue that Arcane is actually more of a book adaptation than a video game one, it draws much more from the text lore and cinematics than it does the game itself
That's like saying something isn't based on true events just because the movie was based on what was written down.
The game came out first, the lore was then based on that game. It is based on the characters and themes that you'll find within the game (mostly their voice lines), and then more in depth through their backstories in the lore.
I also have trouble finding stories that captivate or hook me in the beginning in a way that can showcase what kind of story a d how good it will be. Been watching more anime than anything else that I have really enjoyed. Western media has only a few shows or movies that have been great in the last few years. So glad we have Arcane ❤️. Love stories in all mediums (read books) and have a passion for fictional writing. This has made me a bit picky at times compared to peers of mine. I can't wait to see more of this story and the beautiful animation.
Nice video
So many things make Arcane's production such a special case, it's hard to have hope that it can be indicative of a general change in the industry. Arcane was essentially a glorified Mac and Me but they are selling the cool characters in their video game instead of McNuggets. Problem most other animations are being made with the return on investment within x time mentality and that can never compete with Riot making an animation because they don't know what else to do with the profits they already have.
I hope this becomes the Citizen Cain of western television like Avatar was close to being
Why did this particular video game lend itself to being so well adapted to an animated series? Because the world of Runterra, as imagined by Riot, is fantastically rich in interwoven lore...but.. and here's the key.. none of that lore makes it into the actual game, other than a few lines of dialogue between champions that have a history of friendship or animosity.
The game takes place OUTSIDE of the lore of the champion stories. The game takes place in a battleground that outside forces have placed the champions into for the match, basically. So, none of the rich backstories are affected by gameplay in any way, and they are available for adaptation in the same way a book might be.
As an example, one of the recent lore drops for the Pantheon character is an epic struggle where he loses his god-like powers, finds himself in an utter freefall of despair, wanting to completely abandon his struggle against the tyrannical "aspects" (god-like beings that basically toy with the humans of Runeterra like the old gods of earth did... think God of War-esque)... NONE of that struggle makes it into the game.. it isn't represented in game other than in possibly character skins or occasional dialogue lines.. the plot of the game itself is always the same.. 5 champions battling 5 other champions to win a match.
This means that the backstory for that Pantheon character is available as an unsullied well of possibility.. for comics, or a different game setting, or animated adaptation. There is no shoe-horned video game plot to adapt. I also say a "well of possibility", because the entire lore story for each champion is a few pages of (usually) well-written description of what happened, not an exhaustive book, more like a small chapter of lore dropped for that champion, describing key plot points, interactions with other champions, etc, and can be the core plot points of a more fleshed-out interpretation in any other chosen medium.
This is what makes Runeterra such a great potential for adaptation.. hundreds of fairly deep characters, many with compelling backstories interwoven with those of several other characters, but with enough slack in those stories to allow for a ton of flexibility in telling them in more detail without conflicting with the existing lore as written.
A good analysis. There is only one thing I find is a bit lacking in it it's the time aspect of the production. Fortiche studio managed a result of that quality in part because they took the time required to do it ( 5 years I think ? ). And time is obviously something big companies are very reluctant to give nowadays. For instance Arcane was nearly axed several times by Riot if I'm not mistaken. I'm certainly glad they didn't in the end, but it makes me feel that, for this reason, shows like Arcane are going to remain exceptions sadly.
yeah the majority of producers dont have enough love for their craft to make more arcanes.
when is comes to trying new show i follow the three episode rule.
lets not pretend like there is something as visually stunning anywhere else
I don't know how to judge, whether if arcane is good or bad, but, i think it was good because I finished it and still waiting for season 2
Have to say I think skylanders did good too, it has a 3D animation series too. I liked it😀😁
Of course I like arcane more but skylanders is worth watching I think. (I have played skylanders twice in my childhood but it is not based on the game really at all)
I think part of the proble with the lack of originality and good animated adult content is in part due to the stigma in the West that animation is for kids thanks to Disney's proliferation , but also because the people who make animated shows aren't willing to be bold very often. Even within the anime industry, we only get a few gems a year or every few years, and most of it is mass-produced crap. It's just anime has a good foundation thanks to their collection of incredible works from the 80s. In Japan, there's no stigma about animation, so they produce more gems, whereas here in the West, that stigma is just starting to fall away. As a result, we're only recently getting more high-quality adult animated shows like Castlevania, Invinsible, and Arcane. We'll always have to wade through corporate and mediocre sludge regardless of where it comes from, but the gems will always shine through
I love this video so much.If you don't mind,I would like to ask your permission to share this video to the other website in China for the embarrassing reason that CZcams is blocked from accessing in China.Of course, I will give sources of the original website.Thank you very much.
an HBO series about Halo, from where the books start to where the games have brought it
it would take years obviously, but they could pull off a crazy new wave of media it done correctly
and at this point in history i feel like we are ready in terms of experience and technology... please give me 10/10 quality Halo show plz
Amazon's Invincible fits the same mold I think.
Thanks
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