MOVIE NEWS – Netflix’s new animated series Arcane recently became the number one streaming show, beating The Mandalorian and Stranger Things.

Arcane, the animated adaptation of League of Legends – our review of which you can read here – has become quite popular in recent weeks. The series is now the number one streaming series in the US. Last week it beat the previous records of Stranger Things and The Mandalorian, which is no small feat.

Arcane is a computer-generated animated series set in the same universe as the popular League of Legends video game. The latter has grown into a vast entertainment phenomenon: originally an online multiplayer game attracting players since 2009. League of Legends is one of the biggest competitive games in the world. The series has been praised by critics and fans alike for its gripping storyline and unique animation style. (BadSector also liked it a lot – but check out the review for the rest!)

Arcane has expanded the story and world of the video game it’s adapting to the small screen. The series is set before the events of League of Legends. The characters in the show live in one of two primary locations. One of these locations is called Piltover, which is a utopia of the upper class. The other location is Zaun, a dirty and run-down city that is home to the lower class.

According to Deadline, for the week of November 13 to November 19, Arcane was the most-watched streaming show in the United States, ahead of such blockbusters as sci-fi horror Stranger Things, whose fourth season will arrive sometime next year, and space opera The Mandalorian, whose spinoff The Book of Boba Fett will premiere this December. In addition to its positive domestic results, the series is also performing well internationally. The series ranks third worldwide behind HBO’s Game of Thrones and Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time. As the two shows with the higher global audience are live-action, Arcane is the most-watched animated streaming show in the world.

For most Netflix shows, all episodes of a given season air on the same day. On the other hand, Arcane takes a different approach: groups of three episodes are shown weekly for three weeks. This method may be one of the reasons for the massive success of the series, as viewers could not watch the whole season in one weekend. Not surprisingly, the producers have already signed up for a second season.

Some may be shocked at what a huge success Arcane has become. However, it is already one of, if not the most critically acclaimed video game adaptation of all time. Most game-based films and TV shows tend to be poorly received, but the overwhelming success of the series is further proof that quality adaptations can be made from this medium. The League of Legends’ large fan base allows consumers to watch the TV show in droves. The series is still available on Netflix.

Source: Deadline