This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling series.
Solo Leveling is a story of South Korean origins, originally created by a man fans know as Chugong. Starting off as a web novel, the series has since evolved. It was turned into a manhwa, and now, it’s being adapted into an anime, little by little. Solo Leveling has definitely found great success, but most of it comes from overseas fans. In Japan, the series hasn’t really taken off yet, and it’s probably due to Chugong’s huge mistake when it comes to Japanese representation in his series.
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Chugong definitely wished he had, at the very least, made Goto Ryuji a stronger or more interesting character. If he had, Solo Leveling could’ve potentially had a better reception in Japan. Nevertheless, Solo Leveling can still succeed, even now.
Solo Leveling Creator Regrets Not Writing Cooler Japanese Characters
- Chugong Wrote Goto Ryuji As Japan’s Strongest
- Ryuji Was Not Even A National Level Hunter
Solo Leveling creator, Chugong, is often involved in discussions with the community. Chugong is always answering fan questions, and through that, fans can get a special insight into his ideas and the story he wrote.
Chugong has previously revealed what he believes to be a great mistake he made when writing Solo Leveling, and that is the lack of good representation of Japanese characters.
In Jeju Island, the Japanese S-Rank Hunters were absolutely decimated. Even their strongest, Goto Ryuji, was brutally killed. Chugong really wishes he had made Ryuji stronger.
“One thing I regret is that if I had known my novel would be this popular in Japan, even if I couldn't have changed Goto Ryuji to a protagonist, I should have written him as stronger and cooler.
Personally, I wanted to make him cool, but it ended up like this due to expressing the enemies' strength he faced...
Anyway, it's a work with many shortcomings and mistakes here and there, but I wish people won't attack me by making up things that don't exist...
We are all fans who like subculture, there's no need for us to fight each other, right?" — Chugong
Fans believe Chugong should have at least made Ryuji a top hunter worldwide. After all, countries like South Korea, China, and the USA, all got National Level Hunters. Ryuji could’ve been made into such a Hunter, even if his role in the story wasn’t expanded.
The Lack of Japanese Representation Might Have Affected the Series’ Popularity In Japan
Solo Leveling was always a popular Manhwa series, but its fame really grew after it got a sensational anime adaptation. This anime adaptation has become a hit worldwide, but in Japan, it wasn’t anything mind-blowing.
In Japan, Solo Leveling isn’t the most popular series, while it has taken over Crunchyroll in overseas streaming. This could have been due to the representation Japan got in Solo Leveling.
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Not only were Japanese top-tier Hunters easily killed, but the series had some other controversial moments concerning the country, and it got to the point that Chugong faced ridiculous allegations of being anti-Japanese.
Despite Chugong's Mistake, Solo Leveling Could Still Rise In Japan
While Solo Leveling isn’t the most successful anime series in Japan, it’s still fairly popular. Solo Leveling is still a series that has caught the attention of many, and future projects for it could elevate the series greatly in Japan.
Solo Leveling’s new upcoming movie could be a sensation over there, and Solo Leveling Season 3 could stand out, with its more captivating plot once it airs.
Solo Leveling still hasn’t given up in trying to impress its Japanese audiences, and its Studio is working hard to see it grow in fame, with lofty targets such as surpassing One Piece and Naruto being set by the producers. It is highly unlikely that Solo Leveling will ever go on to reach that level, but at the very least, it can reach much higher levels of popularity overall, and fans hope that it builds greatly on its success in the future.
Solo Leveling has two seasons out right now, one with 12 episodes, and the other with 13, for a combined episode count of 25 episodes available to watch right now. The series can be streamed on Crunchyroll for fans to enjoy while awaiting any more news concerning the third season. There have been no major announcements about a third season so far. Fans can get more Solo Leveling content via the Manhwa.