I can say many things about this animation. First of all, it will be praise, lots of praise. On the other hand, I do complain a bit, but not much. However, I can definitely say that this series is outstanding in several areas, and I wish I could say that about everything. All in all, these are not that painful things, but on the other hand ... So many things have been done well, that you regret a bit that not everything has been polished to the end. Certainly Blizzard also regrets it, not only because he ignored the enormous potential inherent in DotA and MOBA games in general, but also did not make a great animated series that they could make with a good studio. Some things will probably be perceived as being picky about small details. And well, I will agree - "Arcane" in some respects exceeded my expectations, but a few times I was slightly disappointed that they didn't go a step further. I am aware that some people are unlikely to agree with my opinion and I will not be surprised because of it, it seems to me that I am a bit too strict. This is because I decided to raise my expectations a bit in the reviews and be more critical. Nevertheless, this is probably (so far) the best translation of the game into the language of the movie. Indeed, it is an animation, in the form of a series, based on a game that, contrary to appearances, is quite easy to adapt (some said that it was impossible due to lore, but IMO even a rudimentary plot from the game would be enough to create a script - "Castlevania" shows it well), so the developers had a bit easier task.
Before watching Arcane, I read a lot of positive reviews about it. From fans of the game, people who played it passionately in the past, casual gamers who don't know the title, pop culture lovers who rarely play it, or ordinary viewers. Such ratings are especially promising when you take into account the fact that we are talking about an adaptation of a representative of a fairly young genre of games. It is true that this is a damn popular production, but it seems to me that it is perceived only among young people - both my peers and those younger by a decade or 15 years. Rather, it is not a title that has established itself in the minds of people older than me. And well, I was not disappointed, in fact I was positively surprised many times. Hopefully, if the minor flaws are eliminated, I can honestly give 10/10 to the second season.
Let me start with two things - age category +16 and the presentation of emotions. With all due respect to the excellent animation, lines and technical performance, but these two aspects impressed me even more. Since I was a child, I missed this age category - we got either too polite series, or those intended for adult viewers. I missed something in the middle - something with some blood and brutality, like the old "Dragon Ball Z", "Naruto", "Bleach", "Hunter x Hunter" etc. and vulgar words like "fuck me", "fuck me", "get the fuck out" etc. Not to mention the little extras like drugs and others that may not be very important, but really help in the reception and allow for deeper immersion. Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are probably very few visionaries who would make a series like Batman The Animated Series. A series that brilliantly balanced on this border, providing interesting content for slightly older viewers (or those young who are bored with cartoons designed for their age). When it comes to emotions, I was wondering about a new form of presenting them or showing the characters' thoughts. I had a pretty similar idea, but to be honest - the creators of this cartoon did it much better than I had planned. We feel pain, sadness, anger, cognitive dissonance and other emotions much better. We can just as easily identify with them - they react like normal people, not cartoon characters, when their reactions are either too polite or too exaggerated, because hey - the show is for adults, so let's use it and add something.
As for the graphics, animation and lines - when it comes to animated series, this is the most beautiful thing I have seen this year. Well, even compared to the cinema films of larger studios, "Arcane" has no reason to be ashamed. Of course, not everything looks perfect, but I think nothing bad will happen if we turn a blind eye to insignificant scenes, where you could afford less attention to detail. There is no known studio with great achievements behind it, the series is broadcast on Netflix, which, admittedly, can spend more money on a product with potential (subsequent seasons of series that have gathered a lot of fans, 2nd season of "The Witcher", "Irishman", "House of Cards "or 1 season of" Altered Carbon "), but usually makes average or good productions at best. It is not without significance that Riot probably contributed some money (after all, such a series is a good advertisement that will bring them new customers and allow them to expand the brand to new markets and media) or at least took care of quality. The whole thing looks beautiful, at times I felt like I was watching a movie, not an ordinary series. There are many details, the animation is fluid, the characters are very polished. Not to mention cell-shading, such as in "Borderlands" games, which adds extra charm and makes the animation age slower.
"Arcane" also brilliantly transferred the universe known from the game to the language of animation. Some were skeptical of the idea, and I said right from the start that it shouldn't be a problem as long as it is handled by a good visionary director and writers who know the lore of "League of Legends". I appreciate it as a player who spent hundreds of thousands of hours on Summoner's Rift, 3vs3 or ARAM mode a long time ago. It is true that I did not catch all the easter eggs, both the visible ones and those on the 3rd set (intended observers), but seeing each of them gave me a lot of fun. Be it those drawn or mentioned in the words of the heroes. This is perhaps the best game adaptation I've ever seen, be it in the form of a series or a movie. It is both faithful to the original and develops it very well. I hope other creators or studios (as well as those who want to adapt the manga) will see "Arcane" and understand how it should be done. As my friend Wojtek said, a really good and experienced player - "I absorbed every second, every scene and I was delighted with the transfer of my beloved game to the TV screen." It's hard for me to disagree with him.
The plot is mainly about two sisters - Jinx and Vi, who grew up in a poor neighborhood of the city. They did not have an easy life from the beginning - they did not have a mother, the father had to leave them at some stage, they had to fight for theirs every day. One had to bear the burden of the leader of a local, small gang, and the other was perpetually slandered and blamed for everything because of her clumsiness and excessive sensitivity. Their lives change a bit as they rob and devastate Jayce's lab, Arcane's third main character. He is an exceptionally gifted student who dedicates his life to the advancement and discovery of science and to help improve the quality of life for the people of Piltover. I will not reveal the rest, so as not to spoil your viewing pleasure, but I can say that the series deals with the topic of social or financial inequalities and it does it very well. We see it in various examples that often evoke sad emotions in us. Of course, this is not just a drama, we can also see the pleasant and joyful sides of life, but they largely give off a bittersweet taste. Overall, I am happy with these aspects, but there were a few elements that disappointed me. I didn't write them down in my notes and I don't remember about them now, but they were not "Dragon Ball Super" errors, but much smaller. Such scratches on a jewel that prevent a fagot like me from enjoying full joy. A few months ago I might not have paid attention to them, but today they bothered me a bit. Don't get me wrong, it is really well written and thought out, my complaint is mostly due to a slight disappointment - so many things have been done so well, so why has it not been worked out to the end? Or the finale, I had high expectations after the excellent, even excellent penultimate episode, and the one crowning the work was disappointing. Too standard and schematic for the quality of this show.
All in all, if you want to watch something great about steampunk, "Arcane" is one of the best titles I can think of. If I had thought longer, I would probably find something else, such as the anime "Steamboy" or two adaptations of "Fullmetal Alchemist", but if you want something fresh, it probably doesn't get any better than this series made with CGI technology. 9/10 and a big seal of quality - you have to watch it if you like this type of animation. It doesn't matter if you know the game or not. It is not essential to enjoy this show.