Arcane embraces queer aesthetics, but settles for a maybeship
Since Arcane, Riot Games’ first foray into television, debuted in November, it has received adoration and praise across the board from critics, particularly in its handling of yet another video game adaptation. Missing from much of the criticism is any nuanced consideration of the show’s queer narratives. Many fans of League of Legends enjoyed seeing Caitlyn and Vi interacting, and were similarly excited about the potential for romance between the two. But the show, foregrounded by the AAA game space, offers more of the status quo.
Arcane establishes a world that confusingly borrowsqueer aesthetics and dabbles in queer coding, while never fully committing to the existence of LGBTQIA+ characters. Piltover is the gilded city full of magic Victoriana upper crust. Zaun, the seamy underbelly, is full of Mad-Max-meets-Paris-Fashion-Week types, pointing to how the show uses gender nonconforming “otherness” to define that space. Giving Vi an updated appearance that skews well into butch territory feels like a part of this, with her undercut and tattooed muscles. However, the upper classes of Piltover are not entirely free from a more subtle version of this, like Councillor Salo, who exemplifies queer coding with his sassiness and penchant for wine.
In contrast to this, the show seems to relegate any overt gay behavior to spaces that look like bawdy houses. Set around different brothels in the Lanes, the first and fifth episodes are the only times we see people engaging in intimate queer behavior — the latter being mostly behind closed doors, hinted at as Caitlyn and Vi wander through the hallway. The first episode also contained a transphobic sight gag that gave some viewers pause. It’s a common trope to portray queerness as
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