Fist Games spent six years making the League of Legends animation "Battle of the Twin Cities," which wrapped up its first season in mid-November, with reviews and audience word-of-mouth through the roof.
Originally, I thought it was a fan welfare-oriented anime; after all, there are numerous cases of game-to-anime adaptations flopping, and it's not uncommon to see only the fanbase left to circle the wagons.
But the Battle of the Twin Cities is really an example, a start in the Douban rating once soared to 9.3, Rotten Tomatoes is also 100% fresh, IMDB also has a high score of 9.5, and in the Netflix ratings, has topped the top of the 52 countries in the United States region of the rankings, but also has risen to the second place, has exceeded the burst of fire in the previous period of the "squid game," to become the Netflix No. 1 on the ratings chart.
Undoubtedly, "Battle of the Twin Cities" has succeeded, and Fist has once again created a breakout product in the entertainment field following games and e-sports. And Lin Song, vice president of Fist Games, has said at the premiere ceremony that "Battle of the Twin Cities" is both a beginning and a milestone, and it will become a new plan for Fist Games in the next ten years.
1. Story Beginning: Twin Cities
One story, two cities, since ancient times everyone is no stranger to this kind of artistic expression of opposites. The twin city-states represent a natural dramatic conflict, the upper class and the lower class, the boom and the bust, and no matter what era the audience is in, this is a story beginning with a very low threshold of acceptance and understanding.
"Battle of the Two Cities" similarly decides to focus its opening on the two city-states of Pilotwolf and Zuan, introducing the sisterly tale of JINX and Vi, whose image and bride's brother are highly favored by alliance players, to open the door for viewers with a conceptual backdrop that's closer to reality.
The "Twin Cities" in the title "Battle of the Twin Cities" refer to "Pilot Wolfe" and "Zuan" in the Land of Runes. They are located in an isthmus in the middle of the two continents, and due to their favorable geographical location, they have been the gateway to trade activities since ancient times, and their ports and businesses are very prosperous.
The former, Pilotwolf, is known as the "City of Progress". Because of this, the local Family Chamber of Commerce has been able to generate untold wealth, which in turn has allowed them to fund many new and exciting endeavors.
As a result, countless inventors with lofty dreams gathered here, hungry for world-changing technology, and they inadvertently fueled the rapid growth of Pilotwolf.
The latter, Zuan, is a different story. Here, toxic industrial effluents flow, murky haze is everywhere, and the dirty streets are littered with garbage and industrial waste.
While Zuan has always been in chaos and accordance, it is still prosperous and lively. Because it has the largest black market on the continent, many of the goods destined for Pirtwolf end up flowing into Zuan's black market. The inhabitants of this place were a mixed bag, covering all religions, high and low, and there were even many exiled scientists who were engaged in dangerous experiments.
In fact, Piltwulf and Zuan were originally one and the same, and Zuan was even a step ahead of Piltwulf. But endless ore mining and industrial construction eventually triggered the backing up of the sea, washing away the oldest parts of the city. As a result, the powerful and wealthy abandoned Zuan and turned their attention to the Pilotwolf region.
Over time, the two grew into separate cities with very different cultures, with Pilotwolf representing the light of the earth and Zouan the darkness of the gutter.
But the appeal of a tale of two cities is never more than a superficial conflict, and the many facets of each individual are often most realized in the midst of the tearing. As positions and interests change, and growth and misunderstandings occur, the characters are gradually fleshed out, which makes even the most casual viewer unconsciously invest in these characters who used to only exist in the game, and gives the quality of the whole series a good review.
2. Sincerity: A feast for the eyes
But how did a fan-focused work like this become so popular around the world? Let's take a look at some of the data of this animation creation:
First of all, the production process of up to six years, there are tens of thousands of original background paintings, more than 7,000 lenses, a **** 9 episodes, 40 minutes an episode of this production costs up to 10 million. Uniquely, this animation, all the scenes are pure 2D hand-painted, no modeling, that is to say, this is a painting by a 2D, and then through the use of 3D characters of this stylized rendering, in order to achieve the 4K film, available in this visual effects experience.
When the movie premiered, some people defined the animation as "reaching the ceiling of current animation production," which basically means it's Fist Entertainment's biggest hit in years.
Fist Entertainment is quite sincere, every frame is silver, so the production can not be good? We can see other anime, there are times when there is a slightly big scene, and start heartbreaking pop-ups: the funds are burning.
The anime's quick camera switches and production are so well crafted that even if you don't understand the setting of the hero's worldview, it's a visual feast in itself, and that, in turn, lays the foundation for good work.
The company that creates the animation determines the level of production as well as the aesthetic taste of this animation work. The creative team of this animation work is Fortiche from France, which is a small studio established only 12 years ago, but they have cooperated with Fist Games as early as 2013, and over the years, they also created a lot of things such as the character animation of Jinx, the kda combination 's music video and the 2018 S-Series promotional animation "rise", among other works.
While graphically, Battle of the Twin Cities shares some similarities with this modern day American superhero animation, such as Spider-Man and other animated Marvel films, which are drawn in the more mainstream 2D3D style of today, viewers with a foundation in the arts will see shades of those who have a European artistic illustration style in Battle of the Twin Cities.
Of course, after all, is hand-painted, one is not those CG modeling rendered light pollution, the second is more able to control the picture of the primary and secondary structure to attract attention, giving people the feeling like in this pleasing to the eyes of the illustration move up just, very comfortable, at the same time, the character portraits of the oil painting feeling of the strokes, more close to the sense of realism in the picture of the light and shadow hue, is not like the U.S. style Superhero animation is so jumpy, but pay more attention to the unity of the tone and atmosphere of the backdrop, the sense of hierarchy is also stronger, this kind of light and shadow tones, but also more can highlight the Twin Cities street scene, as well as the differentiation of the different social classes.
3. Generation Rift: Character Interaction
The six-year gestation of League of Legends gave birth to Battle of the Twin Cities, but it wasn't just a treasure made by fine craftsmanship and offered up to guests to look at; it was the initiator of the realization of League of Legends' next huge ambition. In a way, Battle for Two Cities carries League of Legends over the rift between two generations of users and does everything in its power to prevent the world's biggest MOBA game IP from falling into the gray trough of its life cycle.
Because of the animation's detailed portrayal of the game's characters, the topic of the film's protagonists has also been a hot topic of discussion on the Internet, and many players have chosen to graft their feelings about the characters into the game, and they have manipulated their own favorite characters, staging an interactive version of "Battle of the Battle of the Battle of the Battle of the Battle of the Battle of the Cities" in Summoner's Canyon.
According to data site lolalytics, since the "Battle of the Two Cities" episode began airing, the rate of appearance of the main characters has risen dramatically across all segments of the game - something that is clearly out of character for the game's ladder ecosystem, which for the most part follows the principle of the strongest being the most important.
This shows that, as an official spin-off of a game that took six years to create, the positive driving effect of Battle of the Two Cities on the motivation of game users has been phenomenal.
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the emergence of Battle of Two Cities has brought to life the story of the world that League of Legends has been laying out for years. In this age of entertainment abundance and media accessibility, there's no better form of hooking young pop-culture enthusiasts than an oft-appropriate, tightly paced animated episode.
"I've never played League of Legends can I understand Battle of Two Cities"
is a common question on the Internet, and the answers below are often in the affirmative. Indeed, Battle of Two Cities was not designed from the ground up to be limited in its audience.For veterans of the game, it's a thrill to see the villains who used to move with the mouse and keyboard and play fixed lines in turn on the screen, doing their favorite tricks. And "Battle for Two Cities" also adds a big dose of emotional conflict; no matter how much backstory you've previously read about the Land of Runes, watching these characters laugh, cry, hate, and regret brings a visual implantation in the viewer's brain about the characters' personalities and the environment of the world as a whole.
Conclusion:
The company in the world that dares to invest so much and is willing to spend so much time to make animation for the game can't think of any other company except Fist. League of Legends has accompanied so many people from middle school to society, and has been hot, it seems to have its own reasons, that is, constant innovation.
In "Battle of Two Cities," you can see the struggle and the cooperation, you can see countless hatred, and you can feel the sincere and touching feelings. There's a lot of detail in the movie, and the "League of Legends world" that it portrays is worth exploring again and again.
"Battle of Two Cities" is both the end and the beginning. With such a strong track record, Fighter Games will undoubtedly be investing more in this area, perhaps in the future. With the "League of Legends" animated episodes continue to enrich, it can become the next Marvel may also be possible. I'm looking forward to it.
Also in November, the CEO of Fighter Games tweeted about the progress of the second season of "Battle of Two Cities," with the good news: you don't have to wait six years, and the bad news: it won't be here in 2022.
Travel distribution center to create a full treasure trove - play the height of Japan's highway service stations last issue of Japan's airports have been entertaining us, and this issue, this imaginative and good at the details of the service to the limit of the country in the highway rest stops of the over-the-top outstanding performance and once again open up a new horizons for us. In Japan, highway service areas (サ`ビスエリア in Japanese) are divided into PA and SA. PA is the abbreviation of Parking Area, which only provides restrooms and parking services, while SA is Service Area, which combines stores and restaurants, and is more in line with our impression of rest stops. As far as we know, there is a rest and dining facility every 50km on highways other than Hokkaido. A typical SA has a huge rest room with air conditioning, a gas station, a parking lot, restrooms, a restaurant, a kiosk, vending machines, and other infrastructure, as well as chain stores such as McDonald's, Starbucks, and 24-hour stores. The information desks are also a reflection of the detailed services provided by the SAs in Japan, where the sites and landscapes are very much integrated with the environment, and the functional facilities are the most complete and user-friendly, such as diaper-changing and breastfeeding for babies. In the service area, people can get all the information they need in a timely manner, and they can get free access to beautiful traffic maps, traffic knowledge and safety promotional materials, tourist information on the surrounding scenery, and so on, and there are even little puzzles on the folding bins made of recycled paper to relieve boredom. There are also dog walkers, children's areas, and smoking areas in the service area. In recent years, Japan's highway service areas have evolved even further from the traditional concept of a service area, incorporating rest areas, commercial facilities, children's amusement parks, parks and hot springs, and resource libraries, resembling a commercial complex in a large metropolitan area. The service area, which was originally used only for resting, is now being transformed into a place of entertainment and recreation, and is becoming increasingly popular. In particular, since the privatization of Japan's road corporations in 2005, highway revenue has become increasingly important, and service areas have begun to diversify their services to meet the needs of a variety of customers. As of 2015, not only SAs, but also a number of PAs with distinctive features have made it to the list of Japan's top highway service areas, showing a blossoming development trend. Japan's national highway service area ranking list (as of 2015) 1, Fujikawa (Fuji River) SA (Tomei Expressway), Mount Fuji, night view 2, Kariya (Kariya) PA (Ise Bay Coastal Expressway), 60m-high Ferris wheel, natural hot springs, luxury bathrooms with sofas 3, Taga (Taga) SA (Meishin Expressway), highway inn rest rooms 10 Taga (Taga) SA (Meishin Expressway), 10 hours, 735 yen, Japanese sauna and massage 4. Tokumitsu PA (Hokuriku Expressway), integrated with Matsuhito Seaside Park, seawater bathing, camping by the sea, barbecue, hot springs, indoor swimming pools, bicycle service area 5. Awaji SA (Shinya Road Narumon Expressway), Ferris wheel at 135 meters above sea level, Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and the night view of Kobe, Awaji Beer 6. Sunagawa SA (Doyo Expressway), direct access to Hokkaido Children's Country, 11 exercise machines, children's recreational facilities 7. Maesawa SA (Tohoku Expressway), the highest level of Maesawa Beef Cuisine in the nation's highway service area, putt-putt golf 8. Miyajima SA (Sanyo Expressway), Itsukushima Shrine pagoda shape, Miyajima Island style, Seto Inland Sea oysters 9, Komagatake (Komagatake) SA (Central Expressway), Southern Alps, Central Alps scenic overlook, dog walking area 10, Igei (Igei) SA (Okinawa Expressway), Okinawa's only SA, Heianza Island, Miyagi Island, Igei Island, scenic views, New Year's Day sunrise viewing destination, free binoculars Hanyu (Hanyu) PA Onihei Edo Office (Oniheiedodokoro) (Tohoku Expressway), Edo style from "Onihei no Kokoro", Edo period street scenes and food, "Ryogoku Hirokoji" specialty goods counter, Yorii (Yorii) The Little Prince PA, Provence, South of France, the world of The Little Prince and its author, St. Exupery (Exit). The world of "The Little Prince" and its author, St. Eckerd Sopery (Source: /) Below is a list of some of the more recognizable SA/PA in Japan in recent years, in no particular order of preference. The Edo-style Hashio PA, located along the Tohoku Expressway from Tokyo to Tohoku, opened in December 2013 after remodeling, and among the many PAs, the "Onihei Edo Branch" Hashio PA stood out and attracted a lot of attention. Among the many PAs, "Onihei Edo Branch" Hashio PA stood out and attracted much attention. It recreates the world of the famous novel "Onihei no Kobo" and is also known for its TV series, and its roof is designed to look like the sky, with day and night changing every 15 minutes. In addition to the Edo period style streetscape and buildings, it also reproduces the restaurants from the novel and the specialty shops of "Ryogoku Hirokoji" (a famous downtown area in the Edo period), and includes a variety of traditional Japanese snacks, and is designed in such a way as to make you feel like you're in a place of your own, both visually and viscerally. Hanyuu PA Onihei Edo (Photo courtesy of NEXCO East) ★ Yorii PAvkoshi Driveway The architecture is modeled after the theme of The Little Prince, and although it is small in size, you can enjoy not only authentic French cuisine, but also dishes that appeared in The Little Prince. The illustrations from the manga are reproduced to a high degree. When Halloween comes around, the waiters cosplay as various characters and put on a great show. ★Shin Tomei Hamamatsu SA Hamamatsu, Japan's "home of music," has a service area that is known far and wide, and is designed with music in mind. In addition to the piano keyboard, the building's exterior is filled with the flavor of music. Careful viewers can see that the indoor tables and chairs resemble musical notes and melodies, and details such as pillars are decorated with piano keyboard elements, reminding people everywhere that Hamamatsu is the home of music, and that you are here. This rest stop on the ★Kami_SA Tomei Expressway is characterized by its walls. There are 3D paintings on the walls inside and out, which are fun and educational and very popular with children. I'm sure even the adults will stop and take a look. ★Awaji SA (淡路SA) In Japan, highway service areas (サ`ビスエリア in Japanese) are divided into PA and SA. PA is a shortened form of Parking Area, which only provides restrooms and parking services, while SA is Service Area, which is a combination of stores and restaurants, and is more in line with the image we have of rest stops. Kariya PA (刈谷PA（刈谷ハイウェイオアシス）Kariya PA is also a rest stop that looks like a large amusement park. It has a 60-meter high Ferris wheel, which is not as exciting as the Awaji SA Seaside Ferris Wheel, but it is a very luxurious setup for a PA, and it is also equipped with a hot spring, shopping, a carousel, a variety of small amusement rides, a large-scale children's playground and a children's adventure forest, and so on. It's really a bit of a misnomer to say it's just a PA. ★Suruga Bay Numazu SA New Tomei Expressway This is a coastal rest stop that uses a Mediterranean-style architecture, and in addition to food and drink stores, there are also stores for daily necessities and automobile items. At first glance, it looks more like a resort hotel. ★Otsu SA Meishin Expressway Road Otsu SA was the first expressway service area in Japan, and when it opened, it was a simple resting place with only a parking lot and public **** toilets, but now it looks like a shopping mall, with the first and second floors being food and shopping floors, and the third floor being an observation deck, with a great view of Lake Biwa (Biwako). In the summer, the fireworks display attracts local residents. Here we can feel that when the highway service station is attached to the theme style elements, like a theme park, was injected with a new soul in general, it is no longer just a collection of facilities to meet the basic needs of travelers on the way, but let travelers enjoy in the stay in the experience of the ubiquitous surprises, travelers are also willing to pay for this type of scenario, which in itself is also a promotion of the area where the service station is located and the strengthening of the cultural impression. It is also a kind of promotion and cultural impression of the region where the service station is located. Service areas that have introduced a variety of recreational facilities and businesses that take into account the characteristics of their location have become a harmonious place that integrates with the surrounding social and natural environments, is closely related, and is free of barriers, and has become a micro-tourism destination that offers travelers a variety of experiences, even though it is an adjunct to a closed highway. ★Mount Fuji SA Fujikawa SA on the Tomei Expressway is the most popular Japanese highway rest stop and is located at the foot of Mount Fuji, with a natural beauty that is unmatched by any other SA/PA. ★Yoshibi SA Sanyo Expressway The representative color of this rest stop is "green". You can catch beetles, grasshoppers and butterflies, watch fireflies, fish and catch snails in the small river. The old pagoda, which can be seen from afar, is even more symbolic. The overall attractiveness of the rest stop is also enhanced by utilizing the scenery. ★Komagatake SA Komagatake in Hokkaido has a very beautiful landscape. Komagatake SA has a special dog playground and a cafeteria where dogs are allowed. According to the results of a survey conducted by the Japanese government on car travelers, 49.7% of them visit popular highway service areas either exclusively or on their way to a car. Also, 51.8% of the respondents answered that they would like to participate in a sightseeing program around the service area. Service areas used to be just a "passing point" on the way to the highway, but now they are becoming a "destination" for many people who are traveling by car. As a matter of fact, Japanese highway service areas have been emphasizing on specialization, selling local specialties and vegetables, and increasingly focusing on local specialty stores and restaurants with local characteristics. Therefore, it is very common for Japanese people to drive to the highway service area to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Going for a drive in the highway service area has gradually become a regular micro-trip in the life of local people, and is gradually jumping to a major protagonist in people's holiday life, becoming a place where businesses must compete. Author|ShenyiTu source|Web graphic editor|Xia Xiao aca