In the ever-evolving catalogue of TV shows and films available to stream on Netflix, there is a great selection of anime — and anime-adjacent — series to enjoy. With an English-speaking voice cast and an animation style that blends 2D and 3D, Arcane falls under the category of anime-adjacent, but it is the perfect show for fans of anime to get stuck into.
Anime lovers will frequently rave about their favorite show on online forums and platforms such as Reddit, but Arcane is one of the rare series that also gets the critical stamp of approval, with both seasons so far earning the coveted 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
This French-produced animated show is set within the popular League of Legends video game universe, and it is no wonder it has proven to be so successful. While I am a huge fan of anime, and animation in general, this show had passed me by until recently, but now, I finally understand what all the fuss is about.
The great news is that you don’t need to be a clued-up fan of League of Legends to jump straight into Arcane (I’m certainly not!), as it does an incredibly effective job of establishing this world and the key characters. For fans of the game, it also expands upon the lore, providing the backstory for popular champions such as Vi, Jinx, and Jayce.
At the center of the story are orphaned sisters Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (voiced by Ella Purnell), and much of the focus is on the rift that develops between them after the rescue attempt of their adoptive father, Vander (voiced by JB Blanc), goes disastrously wrong.
Vi and Jinx grew up in the underground city of Zaun, under the oppression of the wealthier city, Piltover. When the scientific minds of Piltover dabble in magic to create a technology known as “Hextech,” it not only pushes Zaun further underground, but leads to dangerous clashes between the two cities when the technology risks falling into the wrong hands.
While Arcane incorporates many elements that will be familiar to anime fans — such as class conflict, family drama, and the dangers of magic being used improperly — it stands out particularly for its brilliant worldbuilding and strong character development.
It also effectively balances the action between Piltover and Zaun — there are good, bad, and morally gray characters in both places, making it much harder to try and choose your allegiance. Crucially, it doesn’t take long at all to really care about these characters, and by the time it came to the explosive conclusion in Episode 3 of Season, I was completely hooked.
I’ve watched a lot of anime and anime-style programmes, and Arcane managed to grip me from the beginning. It is rare that a show based on an existing property — particularly one with as many fans as League of Legends — manages to be both accessible to complete newcomers and still satisfy the diehards. The rich storytelling and wonderfully fleshed out characters make this a must-watch for anime fans.
Both seasons of Arcane are streaming on Netflix now.
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