Solo leveling tells the story of Sung Jinwoo, the protagonist of the series, who goes from being extremely weak to become the strongest hunter in the world by constantly leveling up. Solo leveling the web novel and Manhwa were already incredibly famous, but the series' popularity skyrocketed with the TV anime adaptation. Looking back on the series, the TV anime from Aniplex and A-1 Pictures successfully turned the series from an average story into a global phenomenon.
That said, some fans wondered why Solo Leveling was adapted into an anime from Japan. After all, it is a story from South Korea and many Japanese manga had to be adapted instead. In a recent interview with FirstPost on May 18, 2026, Solo Leveling producer Atsushi Kaneko reveals why he and the studio took on the anime project.
Atsushi Kaneko's new interview reveals that solo leveling became an anime because of Sota Furuhashi
Recently, Crunchyroll held a massive event that took place in Mumbai, India at the Comic Con held on May 9-10, 2026. The event saw some big highlights specifically for the Solo Leveling series. Japanese voice actor Sung Jinwoo Taito Ban was present as well as A-1 Pictures producer Atsushi Kaneko. With these icons of the Solo Leveling franchise present, it was only a matter of time before key details about the story's production were revealed.
On May 18, 2026 First post revealed excerpts from their interview with Solo Leveling producer Atsushi Kaneko, and some questions yielded interesting answers. Most notably, Kaneko was asked how the Solo Leveling anime first came about. To answer this, he explained that the idea first came from within Aniplex, specifically from Sota Furuhashi, the studio's producer.
Atsushi Kaneko elaborated afterwards, saying that he greenlit the decision not for any complicated reasons, but simply because he felt it would be successful and create an interesting movement. Kaneko went into this project blind and his faith in the series definitely paid off.
“There was a fixer 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 that there would be a chance to create an interesting movement with it.” — Atsushi Kaneko, Comic Con
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Kaneko's hard work has succeeded in putting solo leveling on global radars
Solo leveling success today is undeniable. The series debuted on January 7, 2024 with 12 episodes. Its second season was released not long after, on January 4, 2025, with a total of 13 episodes. The series became an instant hit, as seen on the Crunchyroll platform. Solo Leveling became one of the most watched anime of 2024 and 2025 and remains Crunchyroll's highest and highest rated series at the moment, approaching 1 million.
Its success might make sense today, but it was still a surprise to many, even the people who worked on it. When First post asked Atsushi Kaneko if he expected the series to be a worldwide success, Kaneko answered honestly, saying he had no idea it would become so big. It's not the first time he's mentioned it.
“Honestly, no. I had no idea it was that big.” — Atsushi Kaneko
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The future of Solo Leveling Season 3 and the involvement of Atsushi Kaneko is moving forward
Solo leveling is currently extremely popular, but the series has more potential that has yet to be tapped. In Japan, Solo Leveling still can't compete with the big anime-like One piece, Narutoor Dragon Ball. This was mentioned by Atsushi Kaneko himself earlier during Anime Expo in an interview with ScreenRant.
“Solo leveling is not that widely accepted 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 there is a third series, that's when I really want to break that boundary.” — Atsushi Kaneko
That being said, even though this series isn't at that level yet, that doesn't mean it won't ever reach greater heights. Solo Leveling is experiencing insane growth and its popularity shows no signs of abating. The next big popularity milestone for the franchise is likely to come with its upcoming animated project. Not at the moment Solo leveling project is confirmed, but we definitely hope that Season 3 will be announced soon enough.
While a Season 3 of Solo Leveling would be amazing, a theatrical release seems more likely, based on a leaked report from A-1 Pictures in 2025. As fans of Solo Leveling, we could be looking forward to the release of another animated project in 2027, which is incredibly exciting, especially after the long wait. Given the previous success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, the new film 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.
