W
henRiotGames
announceditwas
makingan
animatedTVshow
twoyearsago,it
madesense.After
all,LeagueofLegendstrailershave
beenafascinatingapexofexcellent
music,animation,andalluring
charactervignettes.Whowouldn’t
wanttoseeRiot’stakeona
sprawlingepisodicstory?But
unlikethetrailersthatlaidits
foundation,Arcaneisn’tjusta
gorgeousbitofanimationsetto
somebangin’tunes.It’salsoa
character-drivenstoryabouta
familytornapartbyambitionand
oppression.Andforco-creators
AlexYeeandChristianLinke,
Arcaneisalsoadreamthey’vebeen
workingonforoversixyears.“It’sbeensuchaninvestmentthat
there’sjustalotofexcitementand
giddinessforpeopletofinallyseethe
thingsthatwe’veknownforsolong
andneverreallybeenabletoshare
withanyone,”Linkesays.
“Itisthesenseofhavingthis
hundred-poundbabyfinallybeing
deliveredtotheworld,”Yeesays.“The
reliefthatIamanticipatingfromthat
issomewhatsupersedingthenervesof
itbeingjudgedbyeveryone.”
Ifyou’renotatallfamiliarwith
LeagueofLegends’charactersor
widerbackstory,havenofear:Arcane
isthebestentrypointintoRiot’s
weirdworldevercreated.It’saHowtwoco-workerswitha wilddreamcreated
ARCANE.ByStevenMessnerPUNCHING UP
beautifulpieceofsci-fantasyabout
twosisterstornapartbythetectonic
shiftsofscientificdiscovery
happeninginthetwincitiesof
PiltoverandZaun.Overthreeacts
eachcomprisingthree40-minute
episodes,Arcaneexplorestheorigins
behindsomeofLeagueofLegends’
mosticonicheroes–andjustlikeits
primaryheroine,Vi,Arcanedoesn’t
pullanypunches.
Havingseensixofthenine
episodes,IcansafelysaythatArcane
isthebestanimatedTVseriesI’ve
seeninyears.It’snotjustthelavish
animation,buthowit’susedtotellan
intimateandtragicstoryoftwo
orphanedsistersnamedJinxandVi
whoarepulledinoppositedirections
byforcesbeyondtheircontrol.Italso
hassomeofthemostkineticfight
scenesI’veseeninanimatedTV.And
forLinkeandYee,itwasthechance
tobringlifeintocharactersthathad
beenlivingintheirbrainsforyears.ORIGINSTORY
ItmightsurprisethatYeeandLinke
arenotestablishedshowrunnersat
all,andthatArcaneistheirfirst-ever
crackatmakingaTVseries.Infact,
whenLinkeandYeestartedatRiot,it
wasworkingincustomersupport
roles.Beforelong,though,Yeewas
promotedtoacreativedesigner
positon,helpingtoconceivenew
Leaguechampions,whileLinke
becameacomposerwhoworkedto
definetheaestheticofLeague’s
championtrailers.RIOT TV MUSIC GAMESRIOT GAMES