Adult Swim Co-Creator Sheds Light on Arcane and Its Long History

Netflix has created plenty of original animated series in its past, with the likes of Castlevania, Seis Manos, Yasuke, and Bojack Horseman being just a few of the many shows in its roster. However, recently, the streaming service made big waves via the release of a series that takes place in the world of League of Legends, Arcane, and surprisingly enough, the co-creator of Toonami and Adult Swim had some thoughts to share regarding what it took to create this hit for Netflix.  

For those unfamiliar with Arcane, it follows the story of two sisters who are torn from one another thanks in part to a war that is brewing between the city of Piltover and the underground world of Zaun, with the latter seeing its residents struggling to survive while the former’s population revels in their wealth and privilege. Presenting fans with nine episodes over the course of its first season, Arcane has become a fan favorite by blending some jaw-dropping animation, beautiful storytelling, and intricate character work that takes characters from Riot Games and breaths new life into them, which exploring their individual backstories.

While Arcane didn’t air on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, co-creator and Executive Producer of Toonami, Jason DeMarco, took the opportunity to explain how long it took for the popular animated series to hit the streaming service of Netflix and how the lengthy production time is uncommon in the world of animation:

“Nah Arcane DID have a big budget- I know how much it was- and they had SIX YEARS of development, which most shows will never ever get. To be clear- that doesn’t mean the show isn’t an amazing achievement (it sure is!), but it has no lessons to bring to the world of CG anime.

No anime studio can afford to throw development $$$ at a team for more than half a decade! And if Arcane was going anywhere but Netflix, where ROI doesn’t really matter, the economics wouldn’t make any sense for a studio. It’s definitely a miracle- but it won’t be a bellweather.”

What do you think of DeMarco’s take on Arcane? Are you hyped for the eventual arrival of season two? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of League of Legends. 

Via ClarkNova1