The anime adaptation of Solo Leveling, based on the immensely popular South Korean manhwa of the same name, has stirred up quite a buzz internationally. While the series has garnered widespread acclaim outside Japan, its reception within the country tells a slightly different story.
Despite boasting a massive following globally, Solo Leveling surprisingly failed to crack the top 20 highest-rated anime of the Winter 2024 season on Ranking.net, a prominent Japanese website known for its critical user base. Even Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, hasn’t been spared from average ratings on this platform.
Instead, the top honors went to The Dangers in My Heart season 2, which also clinched the title of the highest-rated anime of the season on MyAnimeList.
Following closely behind were Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord, Mashle: Magic and Muscle, and Dungeon Meshi, claiming the second, third, and fourth spots respectively.
Solo Leveling Ranks 35th
Solo Leveling found itself ranked at 35th place, just above Synduality: Noir season 2 and trailing behind the Witch and The Beast anime series.
A disgruntled reviewer on the site expressed disappointment in Solo Leveling, citing the protagonist’s off-putting personality as a reason for abandoning the series by episode 7.
Adding to the disappointment in Japan, the Blu-ray sales of Solo Leveling anime series reported to be below average.
However, despite its lukewarm reception in Japan, Solo Leveling has continued to soar in popularity internationally. Sung Jin Woo’s journey has resonated strongly with fans worldwide, earning the series an impressive rating of 8.34/10 on MyAnimeList.
Crunchyroll’s CEO Rahul Purini highlighted the global appeal of Solo Leveling in an interview with The Verge, suggesting that the series might not have been specifically tailored for the Japanese audience. He emphasized the platform’s commitment to investing in content that resonates strongly with international viewers.
Delving deeper into the MyAnimeList statistics unveils the extent of Solo Leveling’s popularity. With a mere 1% drop rate, the series boasts a membership of over 583,392, with a significant portion actively engaged in watching or having completed it. Impressively, over 75% of members rated the series 8/10 or higher, with a substantial 21.5% awarding it a perfect score of 10/10.
The series has also received acclaim on IMDB, garnering a commendable rating of 8.4 out of 10, further cementing its status as a global phenomenon.
