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Solo Levelingisone of the biggest names in the anime industry at the moment, but that’s probably the case only outside of Japan. Japan is where this anime was produced, and recent comments from theSolo Levelingproducer seem to hint at the anime not being all that much of a hit locally. This has come as a shock to many fans, especially when compared to its international success.
Solo Leveling is a Huge Success Globally
The Series Swept Awards and Broke Records
Solo Levelingwas definitely one of the biggest successesof the last few years, if not the biggest one. Solo Leveling’s first anime season came out in 2024, just last year, and was received very well. Its second season came out this year, in early 2025, and its popularity has only grown since.
Solo Leveling’s story might not be over the top, but the concept and the battles have definitely kept fans wanting more. Its success was certainly not anticipated to be this huge, so it has definitely turned a few heads and shocked many with the staggering growth.
While this success is true for the global stage, it might be a different story when it comes to its Japanese reception.
Solo Leveling Was Received Like Any Other Anime in Japan
It Did Not Blow Up In Popularity In Japan
Solo Leveling’s original media, the light novel, is of South Korean originby the creator Chugong. However, the anime was produced in Japan.
The Solo Leveling anime was, surprisingly, nothing out of the ordinary in Japan. It was received like any other random anime, and did not get the crazy level of success that it did abroad.
This was all revealed by one of the producers of the anime during a recent interview. Here’s what he said exactly concerning this matter:
“The way the Solo Leveling anime was received in Japan was no different from any other anime. So when we learned how the series exceptionally blew up in popularity for our global Solo Leveling fans, honestly speaking, this difference in reaction was very unexpected. It’s not exactly a temporary hype, but I do wonder who reacts more to the episodes first between the Japanese and global fans.” — Atsushi Kaneko
Atsushi Kaneko even talks about how surprising this difference in reception was. It’s not exactly the norm for an anime to do amazingly well abroad but not in Japan. Fans outside of Japan have definitely been carrying the hypefor the Solo Leveling series, but that could perhaps change with the third season, as it focuses more on some major plot points of the story.
Where To Watch Solo Leveling?
Available on Crunchyroll
Solo Leveling has two seasons out right now, one with 12 episodes, and the other with 13, for a combined episode count of 25 episodes available to watch right now. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll for fans to enjoy while awaiting any more news concerning the third season.
