On November 6th, 2021, a new and intriguing show was released on Netflix called Arcane: League of Legends. It was an immediate success around the world, ranking number one in popularity in 50 different countries. By the time the first act of season one aired — as it was broken up and released in three groups, three episodes in each called ‘Acts’ — it had racked up 34 million views and made its way to number one
According to Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent, the first season of Arcane took about six years to make. It’s safe to say that the lengthy project was worth it. After only 6 days of its release, the show reached 34 million views and continued rising while the next two acts were released in the following weeks. Another testament to this show’s unwavering success would be that in 2022, Arcane received four Emmy Awards.
To put it simply, and without giving away too much information or possible spoilers, the overarching theme of this show is very political. A city divided between the upper and lower, the rich and the poor. Life has always been tense between the two. Who knew one act of peril could push the city and its people to the limits of sanity.
Many will recognize the title of this show from the popular 2009 game ‘League of Legends.’
While the show has many characters included from the game, you do not have to play it in order to understand and enjoy the show, making its audience broader than being limited to League of Legends players.
Now here’s the big question, what makes this show so incredibly appealing to its viewers?
“I think what mostly pulled me in is how detailed the world is and the amazing attention to detail. The storytelling is amazing, there’s a lot of likable characters which makes you oddly connected to them and the show. I could watch this forever, over and over,” said 11th-grader Wesley White.
Another student, 11th grader Mat Giovannini said, “The plot is engaging and the characters are intriguing.”
Critical reviews online tended to mirror the students’ opinions. According to IMDb, “Arcane is a masterclass in world-building and character writing. This puts most other television shows to shame in the intensity and detail of its story, and will be remembered as a staple in the development and adaptation of modern fantasy for years to come.”
As of November 22, 2024, only two acts of Season two have been released. The final act of the season, Act three, will be released on November 23rd. It’s a sad truth to say that with current information, this will be the end of the beloved show.
