On July 3, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that Solo Leveling is getting an anime! Most details are still under wraps, but the anime will release in 2023 on Crunchyroll!
Crunchyroll will be streaming Solo Leveling in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS.
If you love Sword Art Online, Naruto, or any story where the underdog turns things around and mops the floor with the enemy, do not miss out on Solo Leveling!
What do we know about Solo Leveling?
Shunsuke Nakashige is directing the anime at A-1 Pictures.
Noboru Kimura is in charge of the scripts, Tomoko Sudo designs the characters, and Hiroyuki Sawano makes the music.
Solo Leveling or Only I Level Up began as a web novel on Kakao’s digital comic and fiction platform KakaoPage on July 25, 2016. Yen Press began publishing the novels for English readers on February 16, 2021.
Korea has all 13 books and one side-story since April 18, 2018, but the final chapter came out on December 29, 2021. The webtoon adaptation can be found on Webnovel since May 7, 2020, Tappytoon since June 4, 2020, and is also available on Tapas.
Yen Press has combined the chapters into four books in all of their full-color glory. In addition, Netmarble Corp. is developing a mobile role-playing game in Korea.
Solo Leveling is getting a live-action adaptation. There’s no word on the cast, staff, or when it will release, but it’s being produced in the United States.
Message from the creator and the artist of Solo Leveling!
“About six years ago when I was writing the very beginning of Solo Leveling, if someone had said to me, ‘The novel you wrote will become a comic,’ I bet I’d have told them to stop pulling my leg. But now, I’m told that it’ll be animated?! Seriously, stop pulling my leg!… But these days, I’m feeling excited and thrilled. Since I’m still half-doubting that this is real, I want to see Jinwoo and the other characters get animated soon and feel relieved. I’ll keep working diligently while looking forward to that day.” – Chugong, Author
“Solo Leveling is finally making its anime debut. It feels like only yesterday that we got the offer for the anime adaptation. I feel so overwhelmed when I think that the anime is really being created right now. This is all thanks to you fans who love and support Solo Leveling. I’m filled with gratitude. Thank you very much. Also, please support the animation production team. If this anime gives new enjoyment to the readers, I’ll be very happy.” – DUBU, Illustrator
Many thanks to Crunchyroll for translating this message from Chugong and DUBU.
Is Solo Leveling worth the hype?
While researching this article, I’ve noticed that many people compare Solo Leveling to Sword Art Online. This isn’t a bad comparison, but several differences exist between the series.
Its been over a decade since the gates appeared, and monsters began crossing over and causing death and destruction on Earth. But some people started to develop abilities that enabled them to fight back.
Jinwoo Sung is one of these people, but not only is he Rank E, the lowest rank, but he’s known as the weakest Hunter of all humankind. But this changes when Jinwoo and the party he joined find themselves in a rare double dungeon, and most of the part dies.
Jinwoo should have died, but he sees a mysterious pop-up window that changes everything. Now Jinwoo can level up and change his rank.
A feat that’s impossible for everyone else because ranks are assigned once you awaken as a Hunter. You can gain better equipment or tools and increase your strength.
But going from B to A, for example, is impossible. So what makes Jinwoo special, and will humanity defeat the monsters once and for all?
Sword Art Online spends most of its time in a game world, and the original story trapped Kirito and his friends inside one. Kirito’s life wasn’t in danger until then, and he was a capable player from the start.
Both characters face death and fearful odds, but I believe Jinwoo’s story is more potent. Once Kirito beats the game, he has a choice to live everyday life, but Jinwoo doesn’t have that option.
The monsters keep coming, and even if you don’t travel through a gate, the monsters will eventually cross over.