Hollywood, and big media studios around the world, have an infuriating habit of learning the wrong lesson from both successes and failures. Luckily, sometimes a great work of art will come along and flip the script for multiple ailing pieces of the medium at once.
Arcane recently made history by being the first TV adaptation of a video game franchise to win an Emmy. The series won Outstanding Animated Program, beating out heavy hitters like Bob's Burgers, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons, and even Marvel's What If…? It's a huge accomplishment for a great series, but it can also serve as an example to others.
To be more specific, Arcane's sixth episode, "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down" won the Emmy. It's the end of the second act of the season. Its high point is likely near its ending when Vi and Jinx reunite for the first time. It's also the episode in which Viktor approaches Singed and Jayce sees Heimerdinger removed from the council. It bested Rick and Morty's fifth season premiere "Mort Dinner Rick Andre", and "What if... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?". The most unique element of the show's victory is the fact that it is a video game adaptation, which has never enjoyed this particular award. The show's genre is also interesting, as it does come from something of a rare area.
The history of video game adaptations and their gradual rise in cultural cache has been well documented. The early days featured almost non-stop disappointment for fans of gaming, with few exceptions that managed to be decent. TV is generally more prolific in its adaptations of the medium, but also less critically noticeable. The 90s featured a ton of NES, SNES, and Genesis games adapted into charming cartoons, some more tolerable than others. Live-action adaptations like Mortal Kombat: Conquest were almost universally despised. More recent entries in video game series tend to be more respectable. Netflix's own The Witcher was considered a huge leap forward for the medium. Its Castlevania series is easily among the best video game content ever made. But, for every success, there are a few failures and several projects that never made it to the screen. When it was announced that the streaming service would be taking a whack at League of Legends, expectations were not high.
Arcane could easily be enjoyed by someone who had never heard of Riot Games' popular game franchise. Most of that game's fans aren't particularly aware of its narratives and most who only know the basics wouldn't believe that it has one. Most of the story is established in extraneous materials, Arcane now being chief among them. The show doesn't succeed off of any connection to the giant built-in fanbase an adaptation of League might have. It completely earned a fanbase on its own merits, even roping in viewers who actively despise the game. Those making video game adaptations should take heed. The show has good news and bad news, anything can be made into a good adaptation, but even the best material can't rest on an existing fanbase. Arcane works independently of League. Riot's strategy of dumping money into the laps of talented creators so that they can do their marketing for them, rather than obsessively managing every aspect of the brand, is paying dividends.
The Outstanding Animated Program Emmy has been overwhelmingly dominated by comedy series for many years. There are very few exceptions, the most notable one being Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal, which won last year. The award is usually passed between the biggest adult-oriented comedies of the moment. The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, South Park, and Rick and Morty have all held sway over the category for years. 2021 and 2022 saw the prestigious trophy handed to an action cartoon, despite the prolonged and tragic death of the genre in most outlets. Action cartoons have an incredibly tough time making it to the screen, especially on TV. Cartoon Network, Nick, and Disney Chanel are almost exclusively the home of one or two comedy series aimed at six-year-olds. Arcane comfortably suits a slightly older demographic, but still fits into the family-friendly region.
Arcane could've overcome any handicap to reach the level of prestige and appreciation it acquired. It's that good. Beyond the difficulties it faces in its genre, Arcane is a female-led action franchise and its central relationship is a sincere and genuine lesbian romance. From its bold representation to its unique look, Arcane is successful in spite of a number of barriers. The show deserves the praise it's earned and much more, and every space it enters should be made better for its presence. Studios have to learn to trust artists, be bold in their storytelling, take risks with every aspect, and they might come away with something worth celebrating.
