Solo Leveling, the world’s most popular webtoon, has been read by millions of anime and manga enthusiasts, and the number is still growing. Usually,live-action adaptations of Korean webtoonsare produced because they are more successful, as Netflix never fails to prove. Still, in recent years, there have been various anime adaptations, such asTower of God,The God of High School, and the recentLookism, which emphasized societal issues. When it was announced that there would be aSolo Levelinganime the previous year, fan community discussions and speculations erupted like wildfire.
Given the webtoon’s out-of-this-world artwork andbreathtaking battle sequences, the anime has the potential to become one of A-1 Pictures' most outstanding productions, if not one of the best adaptations ever done. Unfortunately, despite the buzz, a few factors could prevent it from becoming as successful as the fans hope. Although it is true that we have yet to see an official trailer or teaser other than an announcement video, these are the reasons why we believeSolo Leveling’s adaptation may go wrong.
Choosing A-1 Pictures Over Ufotable
Even before the anime was announced, people speculated on how the webtoon would be adapted. With the studio behind such groundbreakinganime series asDemon Slayer,Fate, andThe Garden of Sinners, it was largely assumed that Ufotable would be the company to adapt the source material. The reason for this is primarily due to the fact that none of these anime shows had a truly groundbreaking storyline, instead recognized for their spectacular action sequences and other visual elements. The animators have worked tirelessly to provide the best animation possible, resulting in visually stunning anime episodes. The same can be said forSolo Leveling, whose artwork is among the best, and possibly only Ufotable is capable of producing content of this caliber.
Related:The Most Visually Stunning Anime, Ranked
Obviously, there are lots of anime studios out there capable of producing truly excellent animation, such as MAPPA, Production I.G, and Bones, but Ufotable consistently outperforms them in terms of animating manga panels—both precisely and brilliantly. During the initial contact between the servantsinFate stay/night: Unlimited Blade Works, we see a confrontation between Gilgamesh and Berserker, which depicts the core of Ufotable’s style of animating shadow-like characters. As we all know, the webtoon is an essential characteristic of shadow panels since the main protagonist can summon shadow soldiers.
In contrast, A-1 Pictures is responsible for some of the most artistically impressive anime series, includingFairy Tail,Your Lie in April,Sword Art Online, andMagi. Although it is well known for obtaining the finest value from any manga, this may not be the case forSolo Levelingbecause it is all about the quality of illustrations and matching them with impeccable visuals—which is more of Ufotable’s domain than A-1 Pictures, which excels in light character designs and pretty visuals.
The Complications of Jeju Island Arc
The webtoon’s Jeju Island Arc contains several iconic moments that ultimately became essential to the main protagonist’s character development. The entire Chimera ant invasion, and the inability of Japanese and Korean S-rank hunters to stop it, made the main character’s entrance one of the webtoon’s most memorable moments. It contains multiple incredible battles and heartbreaking moments, but how it was handled in the webtoon may present issues in the adaptation.
The webtoon was created in South Korea by a Korean studio. Therefore, there were no issues because it is rather natural for Korea and Japan to criticize each other in novels and films. The anime, on the other hand, isbeing handled by A-1 Pictures, a Japanese animation studio managed by ex-Sunrise producer Mikihiro Iwata. Given how the Japanese government was depicted during the Jeju Island Arc, it is quite likely that they will rewrite the entire events surrounding the arc, which, although providing viewers with a new perspective on the story, has the possibility of ending inadequately.
Related:15 Animes That Stayed True to the Manga
The Ending & Failing to Remain Faithful to the Original Comic
Despite the webtoon’s lousy ending, people did not criticizeSolo Levelingmuch because the pros outweighed the flaws. Sung Jin Woo’s journey from the world’s weakest hunter to becoming the strongest being in the universe as the Shadow Sovereign is a rewarding experience. There have been several anime shows, includingTokyo Ghoul,Rosario Vampire, andDeadman Wonderland, that failed to remain authentic to their source material and were poorly received by audiences.
Furthermore, the webtoon only has 179 chapters. Thus, it’s highly improbable that it will air for more than one or two seasons. So, how they choose to alter the ending will have far-reaching consequences for the success or failure of the anime. As a result, every major arc in the webtoon iscritical toSolo Leveling’s success, and changing them without staying true to the original material would result in a bad adaptation, as what happened withThe God of High Schoolwhen the anime cut out a lot of the first season’s substance.
Nonetheless, given the quality that A-1 Pictures delivers, and considering the popularity ofSolo Leveling, the creators would be careful to avoid any missteps, particularly those that could transform the adaptation into something questionable. In any case, only time will tell ifSolo Leveling’s new adaptation becomes one of the highest-rated anime, competing withFullmetal Alchemist BrotherhoodandAttack on Titan, or if it follows in the footsteps ofTokyo Ghoul.
