The global sensation Solo Leveling may have conquered international audiences, but in Japan, its dominance has faced a surprising setback. While the series won Anime of the Year 2025 at the prestigious Crunchyroll Anime Awards — the biggest anime awards outside Japan — it couldn’t secure the same title at home in Japan.
At Japan’s own Newtype Anime Awards, the top honor of “Anime of the Year” went instead to ‘MAKEINE: Too Many Losing Heroines!’ — an anime that’s taken Japan by storm, even though it’s still relatively unknown internationally. Meanwhile, Solo Leveling landed in 4th place, which, while impressive, shows that it still has room to grow in Japan.
🎙️ Solo Leveling Still Reigns Worldwide
Based on a Korean manhwa, Solo Leveling has become the most successful Korean-origin anime ever, surpassing hits like Tower of God. However, in Japan, its popularity still trails behind major domestic series such as The Apothecary Diaries, One Piece, and Naruto.
Even creator Chugong has acknowledged this gap, expressing regret over not giving a Japanese character a stronger role. Meanwhile, director Atsushi Kaneko has shared hopes that Season 3 will help the anime break through and become a household name in Japan.
> “Solo Leveling isn’t as universally recognized in Japan yet. It’s not at the level of Dragon Ball or One Piece. But if Season 3 happens, that’s when I want to truly break that boundary,” said Kaneko.
Currently, Solo Leveling has two seasons — 25 episodes in total — available for streaming on Crunchyroll. While fans eagerly wait for news about Season 3, they can continue Jinwoo’s journey by reading the original manhwa, which dives even deeper into the story.
