ARCANE
Ever have a friend go on and on about their favorite TV show until you’re finally like, “okay, fine, I’ll watch an episode?” That’s exactly what happened to me with ARCANE (trailer here) and my roommate, who’s been besotted since the show debuted in November. And to her delight and my slight petty dismay, the series is actually pretty fantastic. For someone who’s more of a backseat gamer (read: watching and offering useless commentary), the animated Netflix adaptation of Riot Games' LEAGUE OF LEGENDS, is pretty much the ideal watch, focused on character building as much as world building. Centered on the Utopian Piltover and the undercity of Zion, the show focuses on the relationship between sisters Vi and Jinx along with the political landscape of a seemingly utopian city, exploring the emergence of technological and magical advancement that sheds light on existing social inequality and classism. The traumatic past of the characters parallel that of the two cities, and with each episode I wanted to learn more about each and every character—no one is made out to be ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ but just characters who have their reasons for doing what they do. Plus, the visuals, richly rooted in steampunk art, are just stunning.
–Nimarta Narang, Digital Fellow
