The Legend Of Vox Machina vs. Arcane: Which Fantasy Show Is Better

The streaming world has a lot of different animated fantasy shows that you will surely like because they are based on popular games. Of course, it is difficult not to compare Amazon’s The Legend of Vox Machina with Netflix’s Arcane. Both of these shows have their own origins that cater to the tastes of fans of their source material. But as good as The Legend of Vox Machina and Arcane are, which fantasy show is better?

Arcane is the better show, despite the fact that The Legend of Vox Machina is the more entertaining show. The reason is that Arcane splurged on the animation and the music while also delivering a more meaningful overall plot without compromising the individual character depth and development.

The Legend of Vox Machina is great and all and is ridiculously entertaining. But not a lot of animated shows can stand up to the sheer masterpiece that is Arcane, which is a gorgeous creation that mixes artistic creativity with a great storyline. All that considered, it is best to look at their strengths and weaknesses so that you will understand which is the better show.

Animation

When it comes to the animation that comes with The Legend of Vox Machina, you get the standard 2D-animated series that you often see in many different western fantasy shows. Of course, The Legend of Vox Machina was able to bring to life the many battle scenes and gory effects that make the show very entertaining in its own right. And while it might not have used a newer type of animation, simplicity is the key to this series.

One of the biggest strengths of Arcane is its animation because of how it was able to bring to life an amazing show using CGI 3D animation. The colors and the different sights and sounds in all of the scenes and not just the fights are brought to life by the amazing animation team behind this series. Probably the only weakness it has is the possibility of giving you a headache due to the strobing effects, but that only means that Arcane’s animation is top-notch.

There is nothing wrong with the standard 2D animation, and the truth is that The Legend of Vox Machina was animated amazingly, especially in the fight scenes and its use of color. However, 2D animation usually takes a backseat to CGI 3D animation in terms of overall effects. That is why Arcane takes this round.

Points: Vox Machina 0, Arcane 1

Music

Similar to its animation, Vox Machina uses simplicity in its favor because of how it comes with the usual kind of background songs that you often get from fantasy shows. Don’t get us wrong here because the music that The Legend of Vox Machina used was originally composed for this series, but the songs do take a vanilla kind of approach in the sense that they don’t stand out.

Riot Games and Netflix splurged on Arcane’s music. Its opening song already takes the cake when it comes to its music because it was beautifully done by the popular band Imagine Dragons. On top of that, the different scenes in the series use a blend of hip-hop and alternative songs that were composed and recorded by various artists, such as Bea Miller, Ramsey, and many other familiar names in the music industry.

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Arcane’s music is probably the best when it comes to animated shows because of how it was able to use the right songs for the right moments while also making use of the talents of some of the best recording artists we have today. That is why there is no doubt that Arcane gets another point here.

Points: Vox Machina 0, Arcane 2

Plot

The overall plot of The Legend of Vox Machina revolves around a group of for-hire adventurers that are as dysfunctional as it gets because they all have their different strengths and weaknesses, but they don’t necessarily work together. This band of misfits was officially hired by the sovereign of a kingdom after they successfully slew a dragon. And their adventures focus on the many different quests that they were asked to do by the leader of the kingdom himself.

Arcane is a story that focuses on a lot of different aspects and various storylines because of how it doesn’t only follow a single group of characters. Instead, the plot follows the different stories of the different characters that are just as important as any other protagonist in the story. The overall plot covers a lot of issues such as classism, the morality of science, and the relationship between siblings. And while it follows different subplots, they all come together to form an amazing story.

The Legend of Vox Machina is a fun story that tickles the fancy of those who love Dungeons and Dragons and other quest-related fantasy stories and games. But Arcane’s story is a work of art as well because of how you see the different subplots developing at their own pace while contributing to the overall plot of the series. There is no doubt that this point goes to Arcane.

Points: Vox Machina 0, Arcane 3

Character Development

The Legend of Vox Machina has a lot of different characters in one single group because of how the show focuses on the story of the Vox Machina band of adventurers themselves. As such, it is difficult to highlight the individual stories and growth of the characters themselves because you often look at them as a collective. Then again, we are still early in the series, and that means that we are yet to see a lot of character development.

One of the best things about Arcane is that it was able to use an ensemble of different characters that each have their own subplots in the series. Arcane follows each individual story of the characters while showcasing what they went through and how they grew from their own experiences. This means that the character development is truly evident in Arcane from start to finish.

Arcane takes this round because it is a finished series that has fleshed out the stories of all of the characters masterfully. Meanwhile, The Legend of Vox Machina is yet to show us the growth of its individual characters.

Points: Vox Machina 0, Arcane 4

Entertainment Factor

The Legend of Vox Machina is pure entertainment because you will already get the laughter you need from a good show in the first few minutes of the first episode. Its characters contribute to the overall comedy of the show without compromising the flow of the story. Of course, it is also a gorefest that provides plenty of mature themes and bloody scenes, which warrant its TV-MA rating.

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Arcane doesn’t focus on comedy because it centers more on action and drama. There might be a few funny scenes here and there, but the entertainment factor really isn’t its strong point. That’s why it isn’t the best show to watch if you have friends over and you just want to have a good laugh while binging the night out on the couch. But the good part is that Arcane is more suitable for different audiences because it has a TV-14 rating.

Even though Arcane has an amazing story that will truly captivate anyone, it doesn’t have the pure entertainment factor that The Legend of Vox Machina has. There is no doubt that anyone will laugh out loud at the first scenes of Vox Machina, and that’s why this show gets a solitary point here.

Points: Vox Machina 1, Arcane 4

Critical Reception

As of this writing, both The Legend of Vox Machina and Arcane are rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, even though Arcane has been wiping the floor with Vox Machina up to this point, that doesn’t mean that it is that much better. The critics love The Legend of Vox Machina as much as they do Arcane, and that means that both of them are great shows in their own unique ways.

Points: Vox Machina 1, Arcane 4