This post contains spoilers for Solo Leveling.
Summary
Solo Levelingis one of the most popular anime series in the world. It has attained a great degree of fame due to the outstanding animation in the first two seasons. The anime has shattered numerous records already, and it doesn’t seem that any other title will overtake it. However, not all fans are happy with Solo Leveling’s anime adaptation.
According to some, it is not the perfect adaptation because the studio made too many changes and deviated from the source material. Thankfully, fans won’t have to wait any longer to learn the reason behind the studio’s decisions, as Atsushi Kaneko and Sota Furuhashi, the producers affiliated with the anime, have revealed the truth in a Reddit Q&A.
Solo Leveling Producer Reveals Why The Studio Makes Changes
The Changes Are Required To Keep The Flow Going
Solo Leveling Producer Atsushi Kaneko answered the question in the subreddit r/animation. He revealed that the anime staff were in close contact with the original authors. So, they were likely informed of the alterations. Additionally, Atsushi Kaneko said that they kept the audience’s needs in mind. So, the director, producers, and screenplay team coordinated to shape the arcs in such a way that they made the most impact on the viewers.
Atsushi Kaneko: This might sound a little obvious, but close communication with the original authors was incredibly important. At the same time, we also had to think carefully about what the audience would want to see—what scenes would be the most emotional or impactful. Through ongoing conversations with the director, producers, and screenplay team, we really focused on shaping the arcs and moments that would resonate most.
Sota Furuhashi, the Producer at Aniplex, spoke about how the source material is designed to be covered in two to three minutes per chapter. Therefore, adapting the material into a 30-minute anime episode is a challenge.
Sota Furuhashi: The original source material is designed to be consumed in short bursts—around two to three minutes per chapter—so adapting it into a 30-minute anime episode was definitely a challenge. We wanted to make sure the emotional flow stayed intact and didn’t get lost in translation. To do that, we sometimes had to rearrange scenes or add new mini-episodes to help fill in gaps and maintain a satisfying narrative rhythm.
Aside from disclosing new information about how they tackle such situations, the two also revealed the time needed to produce new episodes. Atsushi disclosed that each episode takes around 10 months to produce, and the longer ones take 12 months. He also said that the dubbing process takes 2–3 weeks per episode. From their answers, it is quite obvious that A-1 Pictures put in a great deal of effort to make sure the anime was a hit. Fans already know the importance of having a good studio adapt the source material as it can greatly affect the series.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Update
The Producers Urged Fans To Keep Speaking About The Anime
When the Q&A was announced, mostSolo Leveling fans were hoping to learn about the third seasonof the anime. Naturally, there were a lot of questions in the thread about the next installment of the anime. The two producers answered the question by referencing the Spirit Bomb attack from Dragon Ball. They said that Solo Leveling Season 3 could only happen if fans offered support and energy. Thankfully, there won’t be any shortage of energy as fans are already flooding the social networking sites with their support for the anime. Hopefully, it won’t be long before Solo Leveling Season 3 is announced, or else its fame will start losing steam, which could end up costing the studio dearly.
Solo Leveling’s Popularity Is At Its Peak
Another example of fans' fondness for anime is Solo Leveling’s ranking on Crunchyroll. Currently, the anime has over 700,000 ratings, which is 100,000 ratings more than One Piece. Clearly, fans adore the series, and they will be more than eager to help the studio in any way they can.
Another standout answer from the Reddit questionnaire was related to Atsushi Kaneko and Sota Furuhashi’s favorite episodes. The latter said that Episode 21 stood out the most to him becauseJinwoo’s mother woke up from the Eternal Sleep. He said the moment really stood out because that reveals the emotional side of his journey.
Meanwhile,Atsushi Kaneko’s favorite is Episode 24. He stated that he loved the episode because it brought together an elite level of emotion and animation. Kaneko also expressed his fondness for the dungeon altar scene, where Jinwoo takes a heavy beating and is left on the cusp of death. This scene was rather moving as it showed Jinwoo’s resolute spirit. Fans who are interested in learning more about Solo Leveling and the producers should definitely go through the thread.
