In the Flesh: Arcane, Season 1

Arcane starts out like a hundred other shows aimed at older kids and teens. A plucky gang of orphans stumbles headfirst into a magical adventure. Old hands reminisce about the fights of their youths as fresh violence threatens. A hatchet-faced villain with a disfigured eye plots to unleash a dangerous drug on an already downtrodden undercity. Then one of the orphans kills most of her own family in a grisly accident, the old hands get wiped out, the villain’s plan pans out, and the show’s altogether darker and more nuanced story gets its legs under it. Christian Linke and Alex Yee’s tale of warring cities and embattled siblings isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but it’s visceral and complicated, concerned with themes of neoliberalism and pacifism, and more often than not it avoids the stasis-based storytelling of so many entertainment franchises in order to cut deeper and explore richer ideas.

More than anything, though, it’s the work of French animation studio Fortiche that puts Arcane in a league of its own. Where other 3D animated series struggle with stiff, clunky, lifeless-looking visuals and the perils of the Uncanny Valley, Fortiche’s blend of traditional and computer animation leans into stylization and hand-drawn backgrounds to create a rich, sprawling world that feels fully alive. Gorgeous hand-drawn plumes of flame and smoke appear almost surreal against a style which feels like a cross between the signature stylized semi-realism of Arkane Studios’ Dishonored and the cel-shaded elegance of Supergiant’s run of hit games. With only a small handful of exceptions — most notably scenes of groups running — the style is totally immersive, the first 3D animated show I’ve been able not just to stomach but to enjoy looking at.

The show’s voice cast is conspicuously light on big names and long on talent, an unusual move for a high-profile animation project these days. Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Fred Tatasciore, Brett Tucker, and the incomparable Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose velvety smoker’s growl makes a meal of the relatively thin character of Enforcer Grayson, only scratch the surface of its roster. Ellen Thomas is a particular pleasure as the salty, sexual Ambessa Medarda, a dangerous imperialist whose wit is as quick as her sword. The occasional arena rock needle drop can feel a bit mall-core, but I imagine the show’s 16+ target audience has a different relationship with Imagine Dragons and co., and with so much to sink your teeth into it’s easy to ignore the little things. Arcane is the real deal.