Solo Leveling may have taken the west by storm but, in a surprise admission, it appears Japanese audiences are a little more lukewarm on the shonen sensation.
Speaking on Crunchyroll's The Anime Effect podcast (H/T CBR), the anime's animation producer Atsushi Kaneko revealed that Solo Leveling didn't always stand out in a crowded landscape filled with new anime.
"The way the Solo Leveling anime was received in Japan was no different from any other anime."
Kaneko added, "So when we learned how the series exceptionally blew up in popularity for our global Solo Leveling fans, honestly speaking, this difference in reaction was very unexpected."
Despite only debuting last year, Solo Leveling's popularity has snowballed in recent months. It now holds a pair of impressive Crunchyroll records: most-liked anime and, remarkably, the most-watched anime in Crunchyroll's history.
Revolving around the saga of the "world's weakest hunter", the trials and tribulations of Sung Jinwoo's slow ascent up the monster-hunting ladder suddenly becomes much easier thanks to stumbling on The System, a program that allows him to level up and defeat more fearsome opponents.
Solo Leveling season 3 hasn't been confirmed as of writing, though Crunchyroll has already confirmed it would "continue" on the platform once it has been greenlit.
Speaking to Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival, Crunchyroll head of theatrical and distribution Mitchel Berger said, "We just concluded season 2, which did really well for us, so I’m sure there will be more content in future."
Berger added, "We’re not sure exactly when, but it will be here and fans will continue to see the story."
For more, check out the best anime and best anime movies you should be watching right now, plus all the latest on Frieren: Beyond Journey's End season 2.
