Solo Leveling tells the story of Sung Jinwoo, the protagonist of the series who goes from being extremely weak to becoming the world’s very strongest Hunter by constantly leveling up. Solo Leveling’s web novel and Manhwa were already incredibly renowned, but the popularity of this series went on to reach sky-high levels thanks to its TV anime adaptation. Looking back at the series, the TV anime by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures has successfully turned the series from an average story to a global phenomenon.
That said, some fans have wondered why Solo Leveling was adapted into an anime from Japan in the first place. After all, it is a story from South Korea, and there were a multitude of Japanese manga to adapt instead. In a recent interview with FirstPost on May 18, 2026, Solo Leveling producer, Atsushi Kaneko reveals why the anime project was taken on by him and the studio.
Atsushi Kaneko’s New Interview Reveals Solo Leveling Became An Anime Due To Sota Furuhashi
Recently, Crunchyroll held a massive event that unfolded in Mumbai, India at Comic Con, which took place on May 9 to 10, 2026. This event saw some big highlights for the Solo Leveling series specifically. Sung Jinwoo’s Japanese voice actor, Taito Ban, as well as A-1 Pictures producer, Atsushi Kaneko, were both present. With these icons of the Solo Leveling franchise present, it was only a matter of time before key details about the production of the story were revealed.
On May 18, 2026, FirstPost revealed bits from their interview with Solo Leveling’s producer Atsushi Kaneko, and some of the questions brought forward interesting answers. Most notably, Kaneko was asked how the Solo Leveling anime first came to be. To answer that, he explained that the idea first emerged inside of Aniplex, specifically from Sota Furuhashi, a producer for this studio.
Atsushi Kaneko then elaborated and said he greenlit this decision not for any complicated reasons, but simply because he had a feeling it would be a success and trigger an interesting movement. Kaneko went into this project blind, and his faith in the series definitely paid off.
“There was a fixer of sorts involved in getting the project off the ground. It was him, Sota Furuhashi from Aniplex. He was the one who brought the idea to me, and the reason I agreed was… I think I got the impression there’d be a chance to create an interesting movement with it.” — Atsushi Kaneko, Comic Con
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Kaneko’s Hardwork Succeeded In Putting Solo Leveling On Global Radars
Image by A-1 Pictures
Solo Leveling’s success today is undeniable. The series made its debut on January 7, 2024, with 12 episodes. Its second season came out not too long after, on January 4, 2025, with 13 total episodes. This series has become an instant hit, as is evident on the Crunchyroll platform. Solo Leveling has become one of the most viewed anime of 2024 and 2025, and at the moment, it remains Crunchyroll’s highest and most rated series, closing in on 1 million.
Its success might make sense today, but it still came as a surprise to many, even the people who have worked on it. When FirstPost asked Atsushi Kaneko if he had anticipated the series garnering global success, Kaneko responded honestly and said he had no idea it would become this big. This isn’t the first time he has mentioned that either.
“Honestly, no. I had no idea it was so big.” — Atsushi Kaneko
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The Future of Solo Leveling Season 3 And The Involvement Of Atsushi Kaneko Moving Forward
Solo Leveling is extremely popular at the moment, but the series has more potential that it has yet to tap into. In Japan, Solo Leveling still can’t compete with the big anime like One Piece, Naruto, or Dragon Ball. This was mentioned by Atsushi Kaneko himself previously, during Anime Expo in an interview with ScreenRant.
“Solo Leveling isn’t as universally recognized in Japan yet. As a Japanese person living in Japan, the anime is not at the level of Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Naruto. But if season three happens, that’s when I want to truly break that boundary.” — Atsushi Kaneko
With that being said, even though this series isn’t on that level yet, it doesn’t mean that it will never reach higher heights. Solo Leveling is experiencing insane growth, and its popularity shows no signs of dwindling. The next big popularity milestone for the franchise is likely to come with its upcoming animated project. At the moment, no Solo Leveling project is confirmed, but we are definitely hoping for Season 3 to be announced soon enough.
While Solo Leveling Season 3 would be amazing, a theatrical movie seems more likely, based on a leaked A-1 Pictures committee report from 2025. As fans of Solo Leveling, we might see the release of the next animated project in 2027, which is incredibly exciting, especially after the long wait. Seeing the success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle previously, a new movie could be what takes the series to new heights in Japan and even globally.
All 25 episodes of the Solo Leveling anime series can be watched on Crunchyroll.
