{"id":10685,"date":"2021-12-31T11:29:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T09:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/?p=10685"},"modified":"2021-12-31T11:29:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T09:29:07","slug":"arcane-the-first-great-video-game-adaptation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/arcane-the-first-great-video-game-adaptation\/","title":{"rendered":"Arcane \u2013 The first great video game adaptation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Selling Arcane to someone is a difficult job.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou should totally watch Arcane!\u00a0It\u2019s a\u00a0Netflix Original…\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…adaptation of the video game…\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOkaaaaay.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…League of Legends!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean that really complicated looking game that makes all my friends angry when they play\u00a0it, has no\u00a0single player or story mode,\u00a0and\u00a0is\u00a0notorious\u00a0for its toxic community?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that one!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c…sure.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the warranted scepticism the concept invokes, Arcane does something\u00a0that I personally never could have expected from it: it\u00a0is amazing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As the story takes place years ago in League’s official storyline, characters you know might look a bit different.<\/em><\/p>\n

Arcane is a story with a lot going on. There are several different characters that have their own personal problems, and resolving them will have larger consequences on the world around them. Every new decision leads to someone else having to make one of their own, and as the gears start turning, things get out of hand for all sides of the conflict. The story takes place in the city of Piltover, a shining example of the advances of technology and progress with an ugly and unkempt underbelly, or in this case, Undercity. These two communities both have their own factions with different motivations and ideologies, and thanks to them being fleshed out correctly with logical and empathetical reasons for what they believe in, you might have a hard time picking your favourite.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The haunting beauty of Undercity can’t help but make you want to explore it.<\/em><\/p>\n

The big picture is not what you\u2019re supposed to focus\u00a0on, as the show is all about the characters.\u00a0The main emotional storyline about Vi and Jinx, two orphan sisters separated at a young age, and their attempts to reconnect while the world keeps pulling them apart from each other.\u00a0Arcane is filled with characters that all have their personal relationships that clash and change with the rapid story beats and events.\u00a0Villains are not evil for the sake of it, as you learn to understand where they are coming from and how they were formed into what they are now, and the heroes have their own questionable\u00a0ethics and ways of operating. They falter, they grow, but their past mistakes will always come back to bite them.\u00a0No one is perfect, and that\u2019s what makes them feel so human. So many\u00a0times\u00a0I expected\u00a0characters to act one way, usually the worst one, but got gut-punched\u00a0when someone irredeemable suddenly shows more heart\u00a0or sense\u00a0than I\u00a0had\u00a0expected of them.\u00a0When your villains\u00a0deserve more sympathy and understanding\u00a0than many stories\u2019 heroes, you\u2019ve done something right.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Way more menacing than a boardroom and people in suits.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yet all that writing needs a shiny exterior, which in this case has taken the animated form.\u00a0Not just any 2D Rick & Morty clone or 3D children\u2019s show mind you, but maybe the best\u00a0mixture of both in\u00a0animation\u00a0history.\u00a0The closest thing I can think of that shares\u00a0Arcane\u2019s\u00a0aesthetic is 2018\u2019s Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,\u00a0with the slight difference that\u00a0Arcane\u00a0just\u00a0blows it out of the water. What makes that remarkable is the fact that Spider-Verse\u00a0was a 1h56min movie, while Arcane is nine full episodes, 40 minutes each. The amount of work, love, and\u00a0detail\u00a0poured into every frame and scene leaves you in awe\u00a0as your eyes sweep over the huge backgrounds of\u00a0Piltover\u00a0and Undercity, and action scenes\u00a0suddenly mix up animation style and technique as the show throws a whole music video at your face out of nowhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2D effects of smoke and flame and energy and whatever you can think of look gorgeous in combination with the 3D models of the characters and environments, which on paper shouldn\u2019t work and still makes everything look unique. You could take any shot in the series and immediately recognize its origin, as nothing you will find on TV or streaming services looks like Arcane.\u00a0The directors Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord of\u00a0Fortiche\u00a0animation studio should get medals for their\u00a0gorgeous shots that just beg for you\u00a0to use them as\u00a0your computer\u2019s wallpaper, and which are going to\u00a0stick to your mind as shining examples of what animation can do\u00a0in the right hands.\u00a0As\u00a0someone who always liked cartoons as a kid and still watches anime and the like as an adult, Arcane made me giggle and\u00a0jump for joy\u00a0so many times as\u00a0a new artistic choice or music enhanced fight scene appeared.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My computer’s new wallpaper.<\/em><\/p>\n

There is one thing I must confess, however. I have played League of Legends. Like, a lot. Not in recent years, but in\u00a0the\u00a0past when characters like Vi and Jinx were first revealed and released.\u00a0I have a history with them. I\u2019ve played them, watched their character trailers, listened to their voice lines, et cetera, so seeing how they became those characters I like hits harder.\u00a0I know the history and geopolitical status\u2019 of\u00a0Runeterra,\u00a0LoL\u2019s\u00a0world, so to see that world in the flesh for the first time is something different for me than it is for someone\u00a0who has no connection to League.\u00a0Even so, I wish that anyone even slightly interested in Arcane would have the courage to watch it, as it doesn\u2019t need\u00a0LoL\u00a0to stand on its own two feet. Arcane is not\u00a0just some promotional product or tie-in made for fans to gawk over. It\u00a0is a great series that will likely be remembered as one of the best Netflix will ever be associated with. Arcane made me laugh and cry,\u00a0but most importantly,\u00a0it made me remember why\u00a0my preferred form of art\u00a0always has and will be\u00a0animation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pictures used:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Header: Promotional picture from<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.riotgames.com\/en\/news\/global-arcane-premiere-co-streaming-and-rewards<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First picture: Promotional picture from<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/www.riotgames.com\/en\/news\/global-undercity-nights-broadcast-co-streaming-and-rewards<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All other pictures used are screenshots from the show.<\/em><\/p>\n

Title: Arcane<\/p>\n

Directed by: Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord<\/p>\n

Written by: Christian Linke, Alex Yee<\/p>\n

Available on Netflix<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This series has no right to be one of the best things I have ever watched. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":10790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[1145,1523,1553,1554,1187,1067],"class_list":["post-10685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-animation","tag-arcane","tag-league","tag-legends","tag-lol","tag-netflix","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10685\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}