by Based on the hugely successful South Korean manhwa of the same name, Solo Leveling the anime has generated a lot of interest abroad. Although the series has received a great deal of praise from critics outside of Japan, opinions within the nation are rather different.
Surprisingly, Solo Leveling, a well-known Japanese website with a critical user population, was unable to place among the top 20 highest-rated anime of the Winter 2024 season, while having a sizable global fan audience. The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has also received average ratings on this platform.
Rather, The Dangers in My Heart season 2 took first place, and it became the highest-rated anime of the season on MyAnimeList.
Mashle: Magic and Muscle, Dungeon Meshi, and Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord came in second, third, and fourth, respectively, just behind.
35th place for solo leveling
At 35th place, Solo Leveling was slightly ahead of Synduality: Noir season 2 and below the anime series Witch and the Beast.
A unhappy critic on the website voiced unhappiness with Solo Leveling, blaming the series’ 7th episode’s cancellation on the protagonist’s unsettling nature.
The anime series Solo Leveling’s reported below-average Blu-ray sales in Japan only served to heighten the disappointment.
However, Solo Leveling has managed to grow in popularity overseas while receiving a lackluster welcome in Japan. Fans all throughout the world have found great resonance in Sung Jin Woo’s journey, as seen by the series’ stellar 8.34/10 rating 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.
