Few shows are like “Arcane.” But there are some that come close and worth checking out.
The second and final season of Netflix’s acclaimed animated series has wrapped, and fans are clamoring for something new but familiar. Netflix actually boasts a number of well-regarded animated series (some also based on video games) that are worth the watch. For fans of some of the sci-fi and time travel elements from the last “Arcane” episodes, a pair of top-tier options exist.
Below, check out seven shows to dive into to help take up the “Arcane”-sized hole left in your life now that the show is over.
Dark
The final episodes of “Arcane” Season 2 dips its toe into the multiverse, alternate timelines, and time travel. If you want a fully immersive time travel experience, then Netflix’s German series “Dark” is unassailable. The series follows a town unknowingly stuck in a cycle of 33-year intervals where actions set in motion bring an unknowing end to the world. The story takes place across all three cycles, with the same characters dealing with themselves and other members of the town at different periods of their life.
There is a pretty steep learning curve to fully understanding “Dark.” But once everything starts to fall into place, it’s a singular viewing experience.
Blue Eye Samurai
“Blue Eye Samurai” boasts a gorgeous animation style to rival the great work apparent in “Arcane.” It’s also a very adult story about a mixed-race samurai who hides in disguise while on a quest for revenge in the Edo period of Japan.
If you want a brutal, adult story with a beautiful animation style, then look no further than “Blue Eye Samurai.” The one downside is the wait for Season 2 will likely rival the long wait between seasons of “Arcane.”
Attack on Titan
“Attack on Titan” tells the story of Eren Yeager and his friends and fellow soldiers in the Scout Regiment, as they fight to reclaim a world overrun by towering and hungry Titans. For the fans who loved the the meticulous plotting of “Arcane” and a focus on a main character whose quest for power and justice leads them down a questionable path, “Attack on Titan” is your next stop.
Like “Arcane,” “Attack on Titan” uses its fantasy setting and wartime mentality to explore humanity in brutal fashion. If the Netflix series had you crying across it’s 18 episodes, buckle up for what four seasons of “Attack on Titan” will do.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Another Netflix animated hit with inspirations from a video game, “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” tracks David Martinez’s journey from being a street punk to a full-fledge Edgerunner in the dangerous Night City. David’s climb up the criminal ladder is offset by his growing relationship with fellow Edgerunner Lucy. If one of the big pulls to “Arcane” was Jinx and Ekko’s relationship, then queue up the one season of “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”
12 Monkeys
Another time travel series, “12 Monkeys” is a TV version of the famous ’90s film. This version goes beyond a ragtag group of people sending someone back in time to stop the release of a virus that decimates the planet, and becomes a story about saving time itself.
The time travel aspect will help scratch an itch left by the final episodes of “Arcane” Season 2, but will also appeal to fans of the Netflix series who were charmed by the solid themes of found family. Those are readily apparent in “12 Monkeys” and make the show shine all the brighter.
Castlevania
Another Netflix animated series on the list based on a video game, “Castlevania” offers a very similar vibe to “Arcane” while being set in the gothic and vampire-riddled setting of Walachia. The series follows noted vampire hunting Victor Belmont, mage Sypha teaming up to take down Dracula himself. Along the way, they side with Dracula’s son, Alucard, to aid them in the fight.
The series earned a number of accolades and praise from critics for its first season, with a second series, “Castlevania: Nocturne,” ready to drop a second season soon.
Yellowjackets
Showtime’s runaway hit “Yellowjackets” will help fill the “Arcane” void for those missing the strong female characters throughout the Netflix series. The horror drama follows a high school girl’s soccer team that crashes in the woods in the ’90s and are forced to battle a cult-like mentality and cannibalism while they fight to survive. In the present day, the survivors deal with the fallout of what they lived through while trying to keep it quiet about everything they did to stay alive.
