REVIEW: ‘Arcane: Bridging the Rift,’ – Thoroughly Explores Animation Creation

In November of 2021, Riot Games released its first animated series based on its successful video game, League of Legends. Since that release, Arcane has won numerous awards as it has become recognized as a breakthrough achievement in animated storytelling. Nearly one year later, Riot Games is giving its fans a glimpse behind the curtain at what it took to bring the show to life with Arcane: Bridging the Rift.

After having watched all five entries into this documentary series, I am left with an overwhelming sense of awe that anything animated is ever actually made. Having received such an in-depth look at the steps, setbacks, and struggles that went on behind the scenes of Arcane, I cannot fathom how anyone could manage to bring so many singular elements of storytelling and presentation together to form one, cohesive whole. But that’s what the folks at Riot Games, Fortiche, the animation studio responsible for the show’s visuals, and countless others did to bring the sights, sounds, and personality of the show to viewers around the world. A monumental task, with game-changing results.

Largely guided by the showrunners themselves, Arcane: Bridging the Rift‘s look behind the scenes of the Arcane‘s six-year development never feels anything less than authentic and genuine. The highs and lows of the series’ creation are explored as the documentary takes the viewer along the journey.

The first pair of episodes in this series initially deliver broader scope looks at the show’s early development. Laying the groundwork, deciding on the animation style, and figuring out exactly what story to tell all come through in the early entries of this series. The immensity of the project comes through here wonderfully. With Riot never having done more than short videos before, no one there had any experience crafting a longer-form narrative. The hurdles that had to be overcome as the burgeoning crew come to grips with just how much had to be done is intimidating, to say the least.

Once the groundwork is out of the way, Arcane: Bridging the Rift focuses more closely on the major elements like animation, music, voice work, and sound design. With each element getting an extended, in-depth look into how it was initially approached, how it evolved, and how it finally came together in the end. The creative process is shown in all its glory, hardships, and lucky coincidences throughout these deep dives.

All this builds up to the finale, which wraps with a look at the worldwide release of the series and the immense critical and fan approval. The grand premiere, the worldwide advertising campaign, and hope for the future of the series cap off the documentary with a heartfelt and uplifting send-off.

If you are a fan of Arcane, or really just artistic creation in general, and are interested in getting a glimpse behind what the six-year process to create a medium-defining project looks like, you owe it to yourself to check out this documentary so you can better appreciate what a production team goes through to create the art you love.

Arcane: Bridging the Rift is streaming now on YouTube here.