Disciplines
Screenwriting
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Arcane (2021) is an animated show based upon the popular League of Legends videogame that has quickly risen to popularity. In the four months since its release, it has already won nine Annie awards and amassed a large fanbase of gamers and non-gamers alike. This popularity is due to an artful combination of animation and writing. The smallest details speak a story of their own, each scene ripe with symbolism and parallels. In this analysis, I will look at these parallels and how they add to the story without saying a word. The parallels serve to tie the multiple storylines together, aiding the audience’s ability to draw connections between characters and the conflicts they engage in. However, these parallels also create a cyclical story. The protagonists face their conflicts head-on with the intention to change the world while the parallels tell the audience that, like Sisyphus, they will forever be doomed to repeat history.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
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Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Analysis of Parallels in Arcane
Arcane (2021) is an animated show based upon the popular League of Legends videogame that has quickly risen to popularity. In the four months since its release, it has already won nine Annie awards and amassed a large fanbase of gamers and non-gamers alike. This popularity is due to an artful combination of animation and writing. The smallest details speak a story of their own, each scene ripe with symbolism and parallels. In this analysis, I will look at these parallels and how they add to the story without saying a word. The parallels serve to tie the multiple storylines together, aiding the audience’s ability to draw connections between characters and the conflicts they engage in. However, these parallels also create a cyclical story. The protagonists face their conflicts head-on with the intention to change the world while the parallels tell the audience that, like Sisyphus, they will forever be doomed to repeat history.