Four years ago, Netflix created one of its best fantasy TV shows, and it's even better than Prime Video’s ’s three seasons have received critical acclaim, and that's no surprise, since each installment of the series somehow gets better than the last.
But while Invincible is undoubtedly worthy of all the praise, it does have a few shortcomings. That doesn't take away from its allure, especially because the third season fixes much of what audiences took issue with when it came to the second. As one of Prime Video's best animated series, there are very few shows that are as good as Invincible. But another action-packed animated series — this time, from Netflix — was released the same year, and it shares similarities with the popular superhero show. It's also proved that it's better.
Arcane Premiered In 2021 As One Of Netflix's Most Ambitious Animated Projects
Arcane Was Incredibly Expensive To Produce
Netflix has created a lot of expensive TV shows, but none have been quite as ambitious as Arcane. A lot goes into making an animated series, which is why Netflix taking on the beloved characters from League of Legends was a risky venture — especially because there was no way of knowing how the series would be received. Not only did Netflix market Arcane extensively, but the streamer had some big names behind the animation. It also had Imagine Dragons create the theme song.
The Fantasy Show Henry Cavill "Couldn't Stop Watching" Is Even Better Than The Witcher
Henry Cavill, who plays Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, revealed that there's a Netflix original fantasy show that he couldn't stop watching.
However, Netflix wasn't the only company that had a lot to lose. According to reports, Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends, spent over $250 million on producing and marketing Arcane (via Variety). But just because Arcane’s budget was big, it didn't guarantee that it would be a streaming success. If the animated show flopped, it wouldn't have only been a financial loss, but audiences wouldn't have been as excited if Netflix and Riot decided to make another League of Legends adaptation.
Arcane Is Just As Good As Invincible (And Even Better In Some Aspects)
Arcane Remained Consistently Good
Invincible has been hailed as one of the best superhero TV shows, and the rave reviews it's received so far prove that. Prime Video’s animated series is a unique blend of humor, action, nuanced characters, and dark themes that have taken the superhero genre to new heights. Invincible has been consistently good throughout its three-season run, and the next installment in the show will likely continue to shine. That being said, Netflix's Arcane has a few advantages over Invincible.
Similar to Invincible, Arcane has emotional depth, great animation, and action-packed scenes. But while Invincible season 2’s visuals weren't as good as the first installment's, both seasons of Arcane were works of art. Arcane season 2 pushed the boundaries in of its eye-catching animation, which turned out to be even better than season 1. The League of Legends series stands out because of how it effortlessly combines sci-fi with fantasy and the way it fleshes out the characters from the game.
Arcane Only Has Two Seasons, But They Tell A Complete Story
Arcane Concluded At The Perfect Point In The Show's Story
Arcane has two seasons, each with nine episodes. And although some fans of Arcane wanted to see more of their favorite characters, there's no denying that Arcane's storyline was, in a lot of ways, complete. Granted, there were some questions that remain unanswered, such as whether the peace in Piltover will last forever or if Jinx really died. However, those mysteries don't take away the kind of story the creators of the series wanted to tell.
There was no point in drawing it out for too long because it opened it up to changing the very things, like its characters and various plotlines, that make it such a great series.
Arcane season 2 left room for the animated series to continue, there are several other exciting stories in Runeterra that will be fleshed out in spinoffs. It didn't need a longer run like Invincible to tell its original story, though.
Source: Variety
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Invincible
8/10- Release Date
- March 26, 2021
- Network
- Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
- Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa
Cast
Mark Grayson / Invincible (voice)
Debbie Grayson (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBased on the comic book character by Robert Kirkman, Invincible follows Mark Grayson, a seventeen-year-old who leads a seemingly average life save for the fact that he lives behind the shadow of his superhero father, Omni-Man. Mark goes on to develop superhuman abilities, but he must also learn that his father's legacy isn't as glitzy and glamorous as he's been led to believe.
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Arcane
9/10- Release Date
- 2021 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Directors
- Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUYSet in the League of Legends universe, Arcane focuses on sisters Violet and Powder (later Jinx) as they end up on opposite sides of a growing conflict between the wealthy utopia of Piltover and its dark undercity whose citizens wish to break away from their oppressors. Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, and Kevin Alejandro star in this animated adventure.
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