Arcane: League of Legends – Season 1 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review
Summary: A must watch 4K UHD Blu-ray release, boasting higher picture and sound quality, vivid animation, and captivating storytelling.
4.8
Piltover-perfect
Arcane: League of Legends first graced our television screens via Netflix in 2021 and secured a legion of fans, many unfamiliar with the source material, with its vivid 2D and 3D animation style by French studio Fortiche and its compelling storytelling, which, let’s be honest, was not always a guarantee with video game adaptations until very recently.
Given many films and shows distributed on Netflix rarely make it to the physical home media market these days, it’s a pleasant surprise to see Arcane not only make the journey, but get an array of retail Blu-Ray and 4K editions to choose from.
In Australia, where Arcane is distributed by Sugoi Co, there is a standard Blu-Ray (RRP $59), special steelbook 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray (RRP $79), and lavish collector’s edition (RRP $219) with bonus goodies like additional art cards, a poster, a fabric map, resin dice and cooler box. All three editions come with over three hours of special features on a bonus Blu-Ray disc, which include some cool behind-the-scenes breakdowns and making-of featurettes that super fans of the game and the series will no doubt like indulging in, especially with Season 2 on the horizon.
For my review, I was fortunate to check out the 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray edition, complete with limited edition steelbook casing featuring deuteragonist Jinx in a rather menacing but striking pose (the steelbook is exclusive to JB Hi-Fi). All nine episodes of Arcane Season 1 are spread across three discs, with the bonus features all on the fourth disc. All in all, it is a nice looking addition to the Blu-Ray bookshelf for any collection, and the Collector’s Edition looks even better.
Arcane was originally released on Netflix in 1080p (full HD) resolution with HDR10 and 5.1 surround sound support and looked fantastic, but video compression and low bit-rates (a continuing disadvantage of streaming services) dampened the otherwise rich visuals of the show. The physical UHD release aims to be the first time new and returning fans can enjoy Arcane in 4K resolution and Dolby Vision HDR, and while it seems to be more of a 2K to 4K upscale (with appropriately high 100mbps+ bit-rates per episode) rather than a native 4K render, I found the end-result to be a richer presentation with sharper picture quality, a wider color space (without the crushed blacks), and better lighting and shadow detail that makes the stunning animation and artwork of Fortiche pleasantly pop on screen, particularly on my LG OLED TV sets. For PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X users, this is one show to watch on a 4K disc player, as lack of Dolby Vision support on either console means you get a less vivid image with HDR10.
So, what about the content itself?
Arcane requires no prior knowledge of its League of Legends video game setting, as I quickly discovered diving into its first set of episodes, which balances brevity in its writing and cinematic animation to deftly introduce the plight of the fantasy city of Piltover, where younger versions of LoL’s playable characters make up its varied factions and inhabitants, and their complicated history with magic.
The steampunk setting is brought to life with rich artwork and the quality of the story-telling on offer is nothing short of phenomenal, with compelling action sequences, well-paced character mysteries, and emotionally moving voice-acting performances that quickly got me invested in the journey of the two lead protagonists Violet (“Vi”) and Powder (“Jinx”), further enhanced by the talented voice-cast which includes a healthy mix of new stars and animation stalwarts, such as Ella Purnell, Harry Lloyd, Jason Spisak, Yuri Lowenthal, Roger Craig Smith, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and more. The lossless 5.1 sound mix is equally fantastic, though the lack of Dolby Atmos support feels like a missed opportunity for those viewers with better audio setups than myself, so take note.
As someone who did not vibe with League of Legends as a game at all, Arcane has made me seriously reconsider trying it again solely because of what the show’s first season has delivered – and it’s just a step-above most animated series altogether. One thing to note is if you have younger kids interested in watching the series, Arcane is decidedly an adult animation that may require parental supervision, as it touches upon plenty of mature themes throughout its 9 episodes and depicts violent content, which is a step removed from the style of the video game.
The Final Verdict
Arcane: League of Legends is a must-watch TV show for any fan of League of Legends or adult animation in general, and the 4K Blu-Ray release is a stellar offering that delivers a decisively higher-quality viewing experience for those who prefer physical media over streaming services. Released just in time before Season 2’s debut, now is the time to jump in if you haven’t already.
Blu-Ray Details
Film Genre – TV Adult Animation
Label – Fortiche and Riot Games (Production), Sugoi (ANZ Distributor)
Video – 2160p Ultra High Definition (4K UHD editions), 1080p (Blu-Ray edition)
Audio – English, Spanish, French (Dolby True HD 5.1), English (Dolby True HD 5.1)
Subtitles – English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Norweigan, Swedish, Finnish
Running Time – 356 mins
Aspect Ratio –Widescreen (2.35:1)
Region Coding – 4
TV Standard – PAL
Rating – MA 15+
Year of Release – 2024
Primary Format – Movies/TV – Blu-Ray, 4K UHD
About the Author
Nathan Misa A senior writer for ImpulseGamer.com and former writer for MMGN and Ninemsn, Nathan has been reviewing video games and interviewing talented developers since 2012. As a nostalgia tragic eternally tied to the glorious 1990s, he's always playing retro gaming classics whenever he's not entrenched in the latest RPG, or talking your ear off about why The First Law book series is better than Game of Thrones - to anyone who dares listen.
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