Arcane Season 2 is here. This hit series, based on the League of Legends universe, has captured the hearts of fans worldwide with its art and emotion.
The question on many of our minds as Arcane Season 2 premiered is: Is the show inspired by anime?
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The answer is yes. But there’s so much more to it. Arcane is a rich choice of influences, including classic anime and Western storytelling, all of which is wrapped in a visually stunning package.
Co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee at Riot Games wanted Arcane to stand on its own. They wanted it to be both a tribute to League of Legends and a universal story. For that to happen, they blended dynamic visuals with a grounded story.
So, let’s explore how Arcane was inspired by anime, the animation style, and the story elements that make this series unforgettable.
Arcane Season 2: A nod to classics
While the how isn’t technically an anime, Linke and Yee, took plenty of inspiration from some iconic anime series. On a Reddit AMA, Alex Yee shared how the mature themes and tone of Arcane borrow from beloved anime of the late '90s and early 2000s.
Classics like Hellsing, Berserk, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Gungrave masterfully bridge the world between childhood wonder and adult reality. And that’s exactly what Arcane achieves too.
Further, the anime influence shows from Arcane’s moody opening scene at Piltover’s Bridge of Progress, which is reminiscent of the brooding tone in Cowboy Bebop’s “Asteroid Blues.”
It introduces us to the series’ dark and gritty atmosphere. Arcane creators wanted a series that didn’t shy away from the mature struggles of its characters. So, they layered this anime-esque maturity into Arcane’s DNA.
Arcane Season 2: A blend of animation styles
To bring its universe to life, the creators collaborated with Fortiche Production, a Paris-based animation studio known for its work on League of Legends music videos. The animation style in Arcane is an intricate combination of 2D and 3D elements, giving it a hand-painted, almost storybook quality.
Fortiche’s artists layered 2D backgrounds, digitally painted like classic anime, with 3D objects and characters in the foreground. This approach allowed them to create highly detailed scenes. The results were that the environments feel real.
Whether you’re looking at the polished grandeur of Piltover or the gritty, neon-lit streets of Zaun, they all see, real. This blend of 2D and 3D makes Arcane look like nothing else on TV.
For character expressions, the animators developed detailed rigs to capture tiny movement, from a subtle smirk to a fierce glare. This attention to detail allowed characters like Vi and Jinx to come alive on screen, and adds to the emotional intensity of their journey.
Arcane Season 2: Plot elements
With the goal of making Arcane more than just “fight p*rn,” Linke and Yee wanted a show that delves into the characters’ inner lives. They avoided making it only about cool battles and Instead, focus on making these characters relatable.
For example, Vi and Powder are two sisters who end up on opposite sides of a conflict between Piltover, a city of innovation, and Zaun, the gritty underbelly struggling for survival.
In Arcane, Vi leads her sister and friends on a mission in Piltover. However, things go horribly wrong. This tension between the sisters leads to Powder becoming the chaotic Jinx. The show goes deeper into their fractured relationship, making us ponder over themes of loyalty, betrayal, and identity.
Arcane’s plot is grounded in emotional struggles that resonate beyond the fantasy setting. It’s not just about heroes and villains; it’s about people trying to make the best out of seemingly impossible situations.
Arcane Season 2: Other influences
According to ONE Esports, besides anime, Arcane also draws inspiration from unexpected sources like Peaky Blinders, the British crime drama. Linke and Yee are big fans of the series. They found its gritty and morally complex storytelling style a good fit for Arcane. With its dark undertones, both shows explore how circumstances shape people in sometimes tragic ways.
Music is another powerful element in Arcane. There are songs by artists like Imagine Dragons, Bea Miller, and Sting. The theme song, Imagine Dragons’ Enemy, became an anthem for the series. It captures Vi’s rebellious spirit and struggle against adversity.
But one of the most emotional music moments comes with Sting’s What Could Have Been, a haunting song that underscores the heartbreak between Vi and Jinx.
Also read - Arcane Season 1 recap: Everything you need to know before season 2
Stay tuned to Soap Central for more updates and detailed coverage.
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