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Very few anime manage to reach a universally cherished status. Although iconic series such as Dragon Ball Z and contemporary hits like Jujutsu Kaisen enjoy widespread popularity, they often provoke debate and don’t quite achieve a flawless rating among critics and fans alike. Passionate discussions and inevitable backlash within the anime community make attaining a perfect score on any platform a near-impossible goal.
The storyline of Jinwoo’s transformation from the weakest character in the Solo Leveling universe to one of immense power is captivating, though not entirely groundbreaking in concept. Despite this, Solo Leveling boasts an impressive 4.9-star rating on Crunchyroll, backed by the highest number of 5-star reviews of any anime available on the site. This achievement is notable, especially with its staggering 940,000 ratings, surpassing other renowned series like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen. The tremendous reception of Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll highlights the often differing opinions between fans and critics.
Brought to life by A-1 Pictures, the animation in Solo Leveling delivers striking visuals that enhance each intense battle Jinwoo confronts. The appeal of an overwhelmingly powerful protagonist conquering every dungeon with ease is significantly amplified by the exceptional art direction that supports the narrative.
Solo Leveling’s Production Doesn’t Have Any Weak Spots
Animated by A-1 Pictures, Solo Leveling‘s visuals speak for themselves through each battle Jinwoo faces head-on. The concept of an overpowered protagonist soloing every dungeon he enters while hardly breaking a sweat wouldn’t be nearly as enthralling without the art direction to back it up.
Fights like Jinwoo’s battle against the Ant King have precise art direction and use bold colors so that every punch lands with impact. According to Atsushi Kaneko, each Solo Leveling episode has around 10,000 frames maximum, with “Are You The King of Humans?” from Season 2 having 17,000. The red and blue colors help the Ant King and Jinwoo stand out atop a dark purple background that’s meant to set the battle’s tone, driving home why it was such an important victory for Jinwoo and humanity alike.
In Solo Leveling Season 1, Jinwoo fought Igris in one of the series’ most complicated battles. The choreography looks crisp to the viewers, but there were numerous moving parts behind the screen to make Jinwoo’s battle against the red knight linger in fans’ memories. CGI in anime can go extremely well or fall flat on its face. This battle shows A-1 Pictures correctly utilizing CGI and having the risk pay off in the end.
According to Nao Kudo and Shota Minami, the series’ CG leads, Sony asked them to use moncopi. Solo Leveling is the first anime to use this technique. Moncopi is a technique where the staff wears a motion capture device. Each movement is sent to a 3D software and it cuts down on animation time for the series. It’s also a helpful technique for battles where several characters are involved or for animating large groups — particularly, Jinwoo’s shadow army. A-1 Pictures’ willingness to experiment with new technologies and avoidance of shortcuts, the studio’s craftsmanship is always on full display.
Perfect Timing Fueled Solo Leveling’s Monumental Success
Timing is everything. Upon Solo Leveling‘s premiere, audiences were already growing exhausted with modern battle shonen anime’s dominant trends. Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer are beloved series, but they’re full of dense lore, complicated power systems, and non-stop emotional trauma for their characters. Solo Leveling offered the same high-stakes action as these series, but with the opposite effect in terms of how long it took for Jinwoo to go from the weakest hunter of all mankind into an overpowered beast who can take on every dungeon by himself and leave just in time for dinner with his family.
It’s also a huge strength for Solo Leveling that, unlike other battle series, Jinwoo is never sidelined for characters that might steal the show from him. Instead, he has the same impact as someone like Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen in that fans actively wait for him to show up and defeat the bad guys, ultimately saving his allies in the process. The difference is that Gojo isn’t the protagonist in JJK, but Jinwoo is Solo Leveling‘s main character — and he definitely radiates main character energy in every situation.
Solo Leveling provides instant gratification for those who want an immediate power-up and don’t care about how much plot armor it takes to get there. The series is straightforward, making it accessible for new viewers and veteran anime fans alike. Despite what anime snobs have to say about Solo Leveling, it’s clear that the audience genuinely enjoys its straightforward approach to the narrative. It calls back to the days of Dragon Ball Z where fans had to believe that Goku could solo every anime universe. Modern-day fans can make the same arguments about Solo Leveling‘s Jinwoo, unironically or otherwise. Powerscaling arguments will always dominate online anime fandoms, especially on Reddit and X.
In The Era of Review-Bombing, Solo Leveling’s Success is Organic
Review bombing has become an expected part of any theatrical, gaming, or streaming service release. Solo Leveling‘s sustained 4.9 rating on Crunchyroll feels authentic, and the magnitude at which this has been achieved proves that the series fills a gap that fans feel the industry has been missing for too long. Other series like The Apothecary Diaries and Gachiakuta have achieved similar ratings, though not to the caliber as Solo Leveling. All three of these series are changing the game in their own way.
Solo Leveling, in particular, never saw a rise to meteoric success that instantly collapsed under critical complaints. It peaked and continues to become even more popular through social media compilations of Jinwoo aura-farming or fans comparing his strength to other overpowered heroes like Dragon Ball‘s Goku. Solo Leveling’s record may never be beaten. Solo Leveling perfectly aligns with the state of modern anime fans; it delivers consistency and brilliant visual spectacle in a way that allows for the debates online communities thrive upon.
- Release Date
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2024 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
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Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
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Genta Nakamura
Yoo Jin-ho