The recap episode of Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll hasn’t gone down well with fans. Many viewers didn’t like the idea of a recap episode so early in the season, and it shows in the platform’s like-to-dislike ratio. Currently, the episode has way more dislikes than likes, with less than 31,000 likes but over 65,000 dislikes.

This ratio marks the lowest point for Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll, setting a record that the creators surely didn’t want. Fans have been eagerly waiting for new episodes and seeing a recap instead has disappointed them.

They’ve been vocal about their disappointment, expressing concerns about the delay in releasing new content.

Understanding the Reaction to Solo Leveling’s Delay on Crunchyroll

The decision to air a recap episode instead of a new one didn’t sit well with fans, leading to a significant decrease in the like-to-dislike ratio on Crunchyroll.

This dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that instead of episode 8, viewers got episode “7.5,” essentially a recap of previous episodes. Aniplex, known for deploying recap episodes in the past, also used this approach in the anime Mashle: Magic and Muscles.

The reason behind this recap episode seems to be the health condition of the main voice actor, Taito Ban, who plays Sung Jin-Woo in Solo Leveling.

Ban recently tested positive for COVID-19 and updated fans on his condition through social media platform X, apologizing for any inconvenience caused and expressing gratitude for their support.

It appears that the Western audience wasn’t aware of Ban’s situation, leading to their displeasure with the recap episode on Crunchyroll.

Nevertheless, episode 8 has now been released, and fans were notably impressed by the animation quality provided by A-1 Pictures.