Solo Leveling is already the season’s biggest anime, ranking number one in popularity on MyAnimeList’s Winter 2024 catalog with over 400,000 members and a score of 8.45/10 (as of episode 5’s release). The series also takes the second spot on Crunchyroll’s all-time popularity list, beating out series like One Piece, Frieren, and Spy x Family.
Although Solo Leveling gains an edge in popularity lists due to it being new, many reasons suggest the level of hype the series has gathered is here to stay. Not only does Solo Leveling live up to its pre-production anticipation with A-1 Pictures sparing no effort in animation, but it also does much more in terms of world-building, storytelling, and character development. Bringing all these elements together, it is clear why Solo Leveling has quickly become Winter 2024’s biggest name in anime.
10 Overwhelming Anticipation Is Well-Met
Solo Leveling lives up to the high expectations set by the manhwa
Solo Leveling already gathered a substantial following for its manhwa, long before it first entered the thoughts of anime fans in 2020. Starting with Tower of God’s release in April 2020, a deluge of manhwa-sourced anime adaptations flooded the industry, including The God of High School and Noblesse. With these series’ success came speculation on how Solo Leveling, a title with much more hype and influence, would perform as an anime. Subsequently, an intense wave of anticipation rose by the end of 2020 and even continued until the anime’s release in 2024, which fortunately, did not disappoint.
9 A-1 Pictures’ Art Doesn’t Lose Out to the Manhwa
From sakuga to stills, A-1 Pictures does it all
The production studio of Solo Leveling’s anime, A-1 Pictures, played an enormous role in the series’ success as a piece of animated media. With the manhwa’s art already being colored and featuring detailed art that is attentive down to the smallest line, A-1 Pictures faced high expectations for quality.
However, the studio doubled down and produced animation that takes action to the next level and knows when to add a hint of serenity. Whether it is the sakuga level production in scenes like Sung Jin-Woo’s battle with the King of the Swamp in episode #4, or the tantalizing introduction of Cha Hae-In stopping a purse snatcher in episode 1, Solo Leveling’s animation leaves no room for complaints.
8 Language and Culture Controversy Raised Waves
The Japanese version of Solo Leveling is localized
Following news of Solo Leveling’s imminent release as an anime, A-1 Pictures announced that in addition to the original release being dubbed in Japanese (which was expected because A-1 Pictures is a Japanese studio), there would be localization changes made to Solo Leveling, such as translating characters’ Korean names into Japanese and having the story take place in Tokyo instead of Seoul. This raised outrage on all fronts, which simultaneously boosted awareness and anticipation for the series.
Considering the tumultuous history between the countries of Japan and Korea, such a move by the studio directors is highly controversial on an international scale. Secondly, the story of Solo Leveling itself is heavily rooted in geographical specificity and Korean patriotism, which caused fans to fear the anime veering completely away from the manhwa. Luckily, the localization changes were only applied to Solo Leveling‘s release within Japan, but the topic still raises many questions.
7 The Winter 2024 Catalog Is Built For Solo Leveling to Thrive
There is conveniently no overlap in premise or theme from any other anime
In addition to Solo Leveling’s own merit earning it a spot as one of the biggest series of the Winter 2024 anime season, the overall series line-up acted as a springboard for Solo Leveling’s success. Without competition from similar series and other highly anticipated adaptations, a large portion of seasonal anime fans are pushed toward this remarkable series. Although this season features titles such as Mashle’s second season, Tsukimichi’s second season, and the third season of Classroom of the Elite, there are not many currently airing anime more alluring than Solo Leveling.
6 Manhwa-Style Game Elements
Solo Leveling explores a more Korean style of gaming
Solo Leveling offers anime fans something that isn’t available from Japanese source material and that no manhwa has introduced to the medium of anime so far. With the introduction of its unique game elements, system, and interface, Solo Leveling injects a Korean flare into incorporating RPG into fantasy, and sometimes reality.
Traditionally, anime has taken RPG-influenced fantasy in the direction of isekai like Sword Art Online and Overlord, where the premise is to get stuck in the game itself. However, Solo Leveling offers a new perspective of a hero who has received the advantage of a game interface within the established universe. When Sung Jin-Woo is given the opportunity for growth when everybody else’s power is seemingly fixed, an exciting story of development unravels, which is one cause for Solo Leveling’s rising success.
5 The Main Character Dies Early Idea
Sung Jin-Woo is pushed to the brink of death without clichés
The modern implementation of plot armor suggests that it is impossible for protagonists to die near the first episode, or at all, but Solo Leveling finds a way to not only make it work but paint a premise that has never been seen before. Although there are classic series like Yu Yu Hakusho that pull off this idea perfectly, this sets a high bar for any other series that wishes to spark surprise by prematurely killing the main character.
Instead of exploring the line between reality and afterlife like Yu Yu Hakusho, Solo Leveling aims to portray a more metaphorical rebirth. With graphic art and mature themes, the remarkable first couple episodes of Solo Leveling show the pitiful weakness of its protagonist in a dungeon filled with menacing statues that can kill at the drop of a hat. After Sung Jin-Woo reaches the brink of death, less than a second from his heart stopping, a mysterious system offers him a second chance at life, beginning the second awakening of the story fans will not want to miss.
4 The Anime Connects Both Manhwa and Web Novel Fanbases
The Solo Leveling franchise has been expanding its influence since 2016
Solo Leveling’s web novel released its first chapters in 2016, garnering immense popularity that warranted a manhwa adaptation in 2018 that painted the story in convincing colors. As a result, the manhwa took to even greater heights, raising the name of Solo Leveling to be one of the most well-known titles in the industry, and for good reason. By the time manhwa adaptations started making their way to Japanese anime, Solo Leveling’s franchise had already gathered an immense and passionate community. A big factor in the anime’s success is its ability to flawlessly bridge these three separate mediums.
3 World-Building Is Fantastically Realistic
Solo Leveling references Korean geography, politics, culture, and more
Solo Leveling is urban fantasy at its peak, as the fantastical elements of gates, monsters, and hunters often take place right amid the bustling metropolitan landscape. The essence of the fantasy system also specifically makes it so that this is the case. This level of continuity with reality allows the story to not only resonate deeper with audiences, but it provides reference for the characters who inhabit the world.
Solo Leveling features locations such as Jeju Island, which is featured in the prologue of episode 1, and Hapjeong Station, which Jin-Woo enters as an instant dungeon in episode 4. These details not only ground the anime’s settings, but set up for potential political turmoil as the Solo Leveling world is given space to expand.
2 Easter Eggs and Early Character Introductions
Early appearances give long-time fans much-needed anticipation
With Solo Leveling’s anime being the third iteration of the story, following the manhwa and the web novel, there is much to consider concerning freshness. A challenge raised for A-1 Pictures is how to bridge the gap between long-time fans and new fans, and create both fresh content without diminishing the original storyline or material. To this question, the anime answered impeccably, as the series introduced a series of Easter eggs, foreshadowings, and early character introductions.
Characters such as the beloved Cha Hae-In and President Go of the Hunter’s Association made brief appearances in episode 1, whetting the taste buds of anyone who has knowledge of these characters. Furthermore, their introductions were swift and informative, as each gave needed context to the greater Solo Leveling world, which is one advantage an animated medium can provide over manhwa.
10 Most Overpowered Manhwa Heroes of All Time, Ranked
The most overpowered manhwa heroes are a manifestation of accepting the positive nature of plot armor and its ability to enhance a story.
1 Sung Jin-Woo Is the Perfect Protagonist
Sung Jin-Woo is a hidden dragon, underdog, and overpowered hero all in one
The driving force of Solo Leveling, Sung Jin-Woo, is the biggest contributor to the anime’s success. He creates a combination of protagonist features that has rarely been seen before. Beginning as the weakest hunter, Jin-Woo’s sorry stature is thoroughly exposed, and it’s clear that once awakened, there are little to no chances for strengthening. As a result, when Jin-Woo is presented with a system that can help him grow like one would in a game, he becomes a protagonist who quickly develops, but needs to keep secrets, and eventually fits into the overpowered protagonist archetype, but uniquely so.
Furthermore, the series’ reference to One-Punch Man is both endearing and thought-provoking. Jin-Woo’s daily quest is exactly the same as Saitama’s alleged training regimen: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run. With this, Solo Leveling pays homage to the original master of overpowered protagonists, but incorporates its own game-like twists. To the audience, it conjures the thought experiment of how Saitama’s mysterious training arc could have resembled Solo Leveling in another universe. Such curiosity born through Jin-Woo’s character is the biggest factor in boosting Solo Leveling to the top of this season’s anime.
WATCH ON Crunchyroll
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- January 7, 2024
- Cast
- Aleks Le , Justin Briner , Rebecca Wang , Dani Chambers , Michelle Rojas , Kent Williams
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
- Writers
- Noboru Kimura
- Directors
- Shunsuke Nakashige
