Brandon Sanderson is a prolific fantasy author, so readers can count on his recommendations within the genre — and his praise for Sanderson has been vocal about the issues with bringing epic fantasy to streaming. But there's one series he believes gets it right.
Despite hopes of a Mistborn or Stormlight Archive adaptation, Sanderson's books have yet to make their way to the screen. He has received offers and made progress on certain adaptations, but they've yet to come to fruition. Given the author's criticisms of streaming's approach to the genre, that might be for the best. There are valid concerns about the state of fantasy television, though Sanderson is right about the impressive quality of Arcane.
Brandon Sanderson Called Arcane One Of The Few "Excellent Fantasy Shows" On Streaming
The Netflix Series Is A Standout
During an interview with Polygon, Sanderson reflected on some of the problems modern fantasy shows are facing, from Amazon's The Wheel of Time to Netflix's Shadow and Bone. Overall, he cited a lack of "stability" in the market, recognizing that even series with strong starts can find themselves facing cancellations before they can truly take off. Given the scope of Sanderson's books, it's no wonder this would be a concern. Sanderson also discussed structural challenges, like the lengths of seasons and episodes, noting that even big budgets aren't preventing such issues.
Sanderson believes live-action fantasy has yet to reach the heights of Game of Thrones' earliest seasons, especially in of public response. It's true that most shows billed as the next Game of Thrones aren't nearly as impressive in of quality — and most aren't gaining the same traction with mainstream audiences. However, Sanderson did call out Arcane for doing fantasy right, even if it comes with its own set of challenges:
"There is one excellent [fantasy] show: Arcane. But Arcane costs so much money, and it’s hard to reproduce that with an IP that doesn’t have League of Legends behind it. Arcane, I guess, is proof that it can happen."
While a Mistborn adaptation modeled after Arcane would be fantastic, the animated show hasn't sold Sanderson on going the streaming route with his works. He is right that Arcane is a standout in the genre, though, and that makes it even more disappointing that it's only two seasons long.
The Author Is Right About Arcane & It Proves We Needed More Than Its Two Seasons
The Netflix Show Could Have Gone Much Further
Although Sanderson pinpoints the likely reasons Arcane is only two seasons long — the time and budget it takes to create new chapters of the story — his praise for the series proves why it deserved to continue. Arcane really is a rarity in the fantasy genre, boasting quality and a wide reach, a combination that's difficult to capture. Its storytelling is masterful, from the character work and plotting to the writing and animation. The pacing towards the end of Arcane season 2 could be slightly improved, but that's something that could've been fixed by another season.
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In that sense, Sanderson's right that streaming is still working out how to handle the genre. But giving Arcane even more time to develop as a series would have done wonders for the animated show and any similar stories to crop up after. Spending more time on the story would have allowed the series to build an even greater legacy, offering a blueprint for other fantasy projects, even live-action ones. Fortunately, Netflix can still do this to some extent using Arcane's future spinoffs.
While Arcane Is Technically Over, Netflix Is Producing More Shows In This World
Spinoffs Could Still Feel Like A Continuation
Although Arcane won't continue with season 3, the Netflix series is getting sequel shows and spinoffs that will explore other areas of its world. Co-creator Christian Linke confirmed that Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia are all locations that will be explored in future projects (via GamesRadar). It's possible we'll see familiar faces, too, so Arcane will continue in some manner after season 2 — though it's still sad to say goodbye to the main story after such a short run.
Getting to explore more of Netflix's League of Legends universe almost makes up for it, and expanding the franchise could still have a positive impact on the fantasy genre. Sanderson isn't the only one paying attention to Arcane's success; even Henry Cavill couldn't stop watching it. That makes it probable that other creators will learn from the animated Netflix show.
Source: GamesRadar
Arcane
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Directors
- Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Franchise(s)
- League of Legends
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