Arcane Season 2 Can Prove Netflix Wrong About Animation

With Netflix cutting back on animated projects, the future of animation looks bleak on the platform, but Arcane season 2 can prove them wrong. It was confirmed that Netflix was shutting down two animated films as well as laying off some of their staff in the department. This continues an ongoing trend of the streaming platform downsizing this department as layoffs and canceled projects also occurred in the summer of 2022. Netflix has had some terrific animated projects over the years, but it has always been less of a priority than their live-action shows. Arcane’s second season may just prove the platform wrong about the value of animation.

Arcane season 2 will release in late 2024, and while this may be a while away, it could make Netflix think twice about any further downsizing to the department. With frequent price hikes as well as the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, streaming platforms will be more desperate than ever for a healthy future. Regaining people’s trust while maintaining their audience is important after recent events, and high-quality shows like Arcane will be crucial to Netflix if they want to stay at the top of the streaming ladder. Animation may not be one of their main priorities, but after Arcane season 2, this may change.

Arcane Is One Of Netflix’s Best Performing Shows

Although Netflix hasn’t put a lot of faith in recent animated projects, Arcane remains one of their best-performing shows. It managed to swoop up four Emmys, indicating its quality among the critics. Arcane’s Emmy win was Netflix’s first animated victory at the award ceremony. Audiences enjoyed the show just as much as critics, with the show sitting at a 9.0 on IMDb, one of the highest Netflix original scores, while Rotten Tomatoes audience score has it at 96%. The show even managed to knock Squid Game off its Netflix number one spot, highlighting just how popular the show was when it was first released.

While the show is based on an already popular IP, it managed to capture the attention of more than just League of Legends fans. The quality of the series is why it became so successful and swooped up awards while also proving to Netflix the value of animation. With all it achieved, it comes as no surprise Arcane is getting a season 2. If it can maintain its quality, the show will continue to be one of Netflix’s greatest creations. The streaming platform has experimented a lot with different genres and shows to find what works, but they may be missing how well animation can do when given the chance.

Another Successful Season Would Prove Animation Is Still Worth Netflix’s Investment

If Arcane can continue the magic of the first season, it would prove to Netflix that animation is still worth investing in. Arcane’s season 1 ending sets up perfectly for another season with plenty still to resolve. The groundwork laid by season 1 creates the perfect opportunity to continue this story and, as such, replicate the same level of success. If season 2 is to a similar standard as season 1, it would cement this series as one of Netflix’s best and would make the platform unable to ignore the genre.

Animated projects can be risky, but when done right, Netflix has nailed them and shouldn’t give up on them. Downsizing this department is a bad sign for their future, as the likes of Arcane, Bojack Horseman, and The Midnight Gospel are all examples of the quality shows they can produce. Animated movies have had a great year at the box office, Invincible season 2 is one of the most anticipated shows of the year, and Netflix not capitalizing on this market would be a huge mistake. There is still hope Netflix will get back to making great animated shows, and Arcane season 2 could be the start of this resurgence.

Sources: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes