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In just a short time since it started airing,Solo Levelinghas seen a meteoric rise from an unheard of anime to topping streaming charts, by that metric possibly becoming one of the most popular anime of all time. During the airing of Season 2,Solo Levelingsurpassed the likes ofJujutsu Kaisen,Demon Slayer, and evenOne Pieceto become themost rated series on Crunchyroll.
For the upcoming Crunchyroll awards,Solo Levelinghas been nominated for a whopping 10 out of the 24 categories, which include: best new series, best main character, best animation, and, of course, anime of the year. However, isSolo Leveling’s rapid success a completely good thing for the future of the show? Will it be able to live up to the increased expectations that come with being a major player in the spotlight?
Increased Pressure to Be Good
With more eyes onSolo Levelingcomes increased pressure for future adaptations to be of a similar quality. Other anime series in the past have suffered under this pressure to live up to an initial spike of enthusiasm, but have faced the wrath of fan disappointment.One Punch ManSeason 1 was ina similar situation to the currentSolo Leveling, but it lost momentum in the several years it took for later seasons to be produced. This led to fan souring, and many fans feel that Season 2 and the upcoming Season 3 are disappointing follow-ups to the original anime release. The emotions of love and hate are often closely related, and someone’s intense love for a series can easily be the fuel for hatred when expectations are not met.
There also seems to be a trend for plucky newcomer series to foster a dedicated anti-fan base, who feel like the popularity of a series is underserved and become a loud chorus online. This happened to series likeSword Art OnlineandRe: Zero, whose popularity made them targets for criticism as more of their content had to come out in an environment of increased fan expectations and pressure. Although we don’t like to admit it, how a series is perceived by others can affect the enjoyment of our favorite show. A rapid rise in popularity makesSolo Levelinga bigger target for increased hate, which will put additional stakes on the production team to deliver a high-quality product for fans.
The Series’ Future is in Question
A Surprise Hit Means Less Planning For the Future
TheSolo Levelinganime rocketed past expectations to become one of the most successful anime series of this decade, possibly of all time, but this kind of unexpected success comes with drawbacks. One of these drawbacks is that there seems to beno plan in place for an immediate Season 3. Season 3’s release date has still not been announced, despite Season 2 ending at the end of March. This could mean a potentially long wait for the follow-up, and the team that works on it might be different. In a recent Q&A, Aniplex producer Sota Furuhashihoped that Season 3 would not comeuntil the 2028 Olympics to give the animators a break.
“I think more than anyone, I am anxiously awaiting a Season 3…I would like to give animators a little breathing room. Let’s wait until the next Olympics (2028) to see what is going to happen to Season 3.” -Sota Furuhashi.
Unfortunately, the way the anime industry works, studios and teams sign contracts to work on shows andcan be booked with work for years in advance. This means that a show that wasn’t planned to be continuously worked on must either wait a while to be produced or change hands. While it would be better for fans if the series were planned to be worked on until the material was fully adapted, the realities of business mean that animation teams cannot commit to such an endeavor unless there is a sure success on the way.
In conclusion, while it’s good that the show entertained so many people, it being a surprise hit means there is now uncertainty in how the series will continue, as well as a risk for positive sentiment to turn against the show,as fans have to wait in that uncertaintyfor a greater length of time.
Solo Leveling
Cast
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
