In just a few days, ‘Arcane’ has become a sensation. It has dethroned ‘The Squid Game’ as Netflix’s most popular series, topping the charts in 38 of the countries where it was published, including Germany, Argentina, France, and Russia. It is at ninth position in the United States.

Furthermore, it has received a rapturous response from the general audience and critics. It has a top score on Rotten Tomatoes, with nearly 98 percent positive ratings from the general population. On IMDB, it has a whopping 9.4 rating based on 12,000 user votes.

But, where does ‘Arcane’s’ popularity and loyalty come from? Is it merely because it’s based on a popular video game like ‘League of Legends’ why it’s so popular?

These are a few of the keys to it.

Based on a massively successful video game …

The MOBA ‘League of Legends’ has become the most popular game of its type and the most well-known esport in the world more than a decade after its inception in 2009. With over 120 million monthly players and daily peaks of over 10 million simultaneous players, it’s no surprise that his name is a magnet for instant success. Its most direct competitors, such as ‘DOTA 2,’ still lack similar numbers, as evidenced by the tremendous and immediate success of ‘Arcane.’

… you don’t need to know in depth

Only a portion of the 120 million monthly players are aware of the game’s rich lore, which is not required to enjoy Arcane. In truth, the tale of ‘Arcane’ is set in the world of ‘League of Legends,’ and only Vi, one of the main protagonists, is a familiar face from the game. Powder, her younger sister in the series, has sparked fan speculation, with some speculating that she could be a prior incarnation of Jinx, another regular in the video game.

Fortiche knows what it does

The French firm in charge of Arcane’s creation has no prior expertise with animated fiction, but it is well familiar with the ‘League of Legends’ franchise. It’s videos feature characters such as the aforementioned Jinx, as well as other characters such as Ekko. They’ve also done things like virtual K-Pop group avatars of ‘LOL’ K / DA video clips and even Marvel shorts.

Recognizable style

Fortiche’s virtues include infusing the series with a distinct style and visual, akin to the complexity of the character presentation movies they previously created for ‘League of Legends.’ The style is rich of aesthetic discoveries, and the coloring and design of persons, objects, and settings works especially well in things like the contrast between the light districts of the surface where the drama and the action begin. A place where the characters seek sanctuary with Vander, the series’ father figure.

The presence of Imagine Dragons

Despite the fact that they are not for everyone’s tastes, the Las Vegas band’s popularity is undeniable. They’ve sold over 75 million records globally, were the most streamed band on Spotify in 2018, and their sound is instantly recognizable. They’ve also worked with ‘League of Legends’ before, including their appearance in the 2014 League of Legends World Championship finals and the release of a special album to honor the event. They contribute to the Arcane soundtrack with their song “Enemy,” and the accompanying video, which adorns the series’ credits, is flawless as always, merging images from the series with a virtual version, style “LOL,” from the band.

It is, despite everything, an animated series

Unlike many recent animation series (inspired by video game hits, such as the prequel to ‘The Witcher’ or ‘Castlevania’), where the narrative takes precedence over the visual, ‘Arcane’ is highly aware of the potential of the language it deals with. Perhaps since its base is an action game, yet the expressiveness, gestures, character movements, and scene design are all pure animation, and they correlate with top production companies like Pixar’s visual discoveries.

Netflix doesn’t want us to binge watching

Netflix has made an unusual decision by releasing the season’s nine episodes in three installments, rather than the usual binge-watching or binge-of-episodes format. The next installments will be released on November 13 and 20, respectively, avoiding the platform’s typical binge-watching or binge-of-episodes approach. The irony is that this shift in strategy (which is similar to what HBO Max or Disney + do) has been accompanied by massive success.

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