Solo Leveling, after its highly acclaimed second season finished airing this past winter, might just be the hottest anime in the United States. While airing,the series broke a handful of streaming records, and eventually took home the Crunchyroll Anime of the Year Award in May. In terms of sheer popularity, few shows have bestedSolo Levelingthe past couple of years.
However,that isn’t exactly the case in other areas of the world. It’s become well-known thatSolo Levelingisn’t nearly as popular in Japan as it is in the United States. The series failed to even crack the recent rankings ofJapan’s top ten most viewed anime of the year.
Though some have offered potential explanations for this phenomenon, usually pointing towards political reasons for its lack of success, there’s one major factor that seems to be continuously overlooked.
Solo Leveling Has Enjoyed Great Success in the U.S., But Not in Japan
Anime’s Latest Smash-Hit Series Isn’t as Universally Loved as Some Might Think
In the Western world, few shows have been able to matchSolo Leveling’s near-unprecedented rise in popularity. After an impressive debut showing in its first season, the series' follow-up sent the message thatSolo Levelingwas here to stay, and legions of fans turned out every week to show their support on social media and streaming services.
Though season two concluded months ago, discourse surrounding the series is still hot, helped by its recent andsomewhat controversial Anime of the Year award win. In Japan, however, that isn’t quite the case, withSolo Levelingfailing to crack a number of popularity polls and rankings.
Though the anime series is produced in Japan by A-1 Pictures,the source material is actually written by the South Korean web novel author Chugong, and many of the events of the story take place in South Korea. Relations between the two countries have been complicated by a long history of colonization, territorial disputes, and war crimes.
Fans ofSolo Levelinghave been quick to point to that long and complicated history as one of the major reasons forSolo Leveling’s lack of success in Japan. In fact, Chugong himself once had to address and shoot down rumors that his series peddled anti-Japanese sentiment.
However, there’s a strong chance thatSolo Levelingis struggling in Japan for another, far simpler reason than fans might think.
Solo Leveling Isn’t as Novel in Japan as It Is in the U.S.
America’s Favorite Anime Just Isn’t All that Special to Japanese Audiences
Solo Levelinghas attracted U.S. audiences en masse with its gorgeous presentation and solid level-up-based power system.Much of its lore and universe are pretty standardfor a power fantasy story, but its action and visual quality just cannot be denied, and Sung Jinwoo’s underdog backstory helped quite a bit to get viewers on his side early.
Those qualities have launchedSolo Levelingto the top of countless popularity rankings in the U.S., and its upcoming third season appears to be one of the most anticipated follow-ups in recent years. In Japan, however, despite the jaw-dropping presentation throughout the series,a standard power fantasy setting and premise might just not be enough to cut it.
To Japanese audiences, who are surrounded by power fantasy stories in easily accessible web novels, manga series, video games, and other forms of entertainment,Solo Levelingjust didn’t stand out much.
To American audiences, who generally sway towards shōnen battle stories,Solo Levelingoffered something fresh and fun. To Japanese audiences, who are surrounded by power fantasy stories in easily accessible web novels, manga series, video games, and other forms of entertainment,Solo Levelingjust didn’t stand out much.
That isn’t a knock onSolo Levelingin any way—in terms of power fantasy anime, there aren’t many other shows offering the same sort of quality. However, when an audience is exposed to similar tropes in stories at seemingly every turn,it takes a bit more than a high-quality presentation to truly make an impact.
Solo Leveling May Not Be Most Popular, But That Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Good
Solo Leveling Has Become Controversial in Recent Months, But It’s Still a Quality Series
Solo Levelingmight not be the world’s most popular anime series—andit has undeniably received quite a bit of criticismin recent months, but the show is still good. Visually, few other titles have been able to stand up to the work done by A-1 Pictures, and the series' action sequences never fail to impress.
In terms of character writing and the narrative it delivers,Solo Levelingdoesn’t quite match the quality of other currently airing anime series. As a complete package, however,it would be difficult to label the show as anything but a massive success.
Solo Levelinghas had one of the most impressive 18-month stretches in anime history, and it currently stands in elite company in terms of popularity in the United States. Unfortunately, it just hasn’t quite hit the same mark in Japan, but that doesn’t take away all that it’s achieved thus far.
Solo Leveling
Cast
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
