Solo Leveling has absolutely taken over the world, especially the international market, largely down to its incredible action and fast-paced storytelling. The series is considered to be one of the very best globally. Anime that blow up in Japan and those that get popular overseas usually overlap, but that isn’t always the case. Solo Leveling, while huge abroad, hasn’t really caught on in Japan, and that's something that has definitely left fans perplexed. While in the West, Solo Leveling got crowned Anime of the Year for 2025, in Japan, the highest-rated anime is actually Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc.
October 23 Will Be a Big Day for Solo Leveling and Frieren Fans
Solo Leveling and Frieren are uniting on October 23 and bringing anime fans the biggest collab of 2025.
Abroad, Black Butler used to be popular a few years ago, but it has definitely gotten overshadowed in recent years by other big series. Japan also seems to be obsessed with the likes of The Apothecary Diaries and Uma Musume, as seen by the voting results on Filmarks for the first half of 2025.
Solo Leveling is Big Overseas, But Japan’s Highest Rated Anime of the First Half of 2025 is Black Butler
- Solo Leveling Never Blew up in Japan
- Black Butler Has Proven to Be More Popular
Filmarks is no small review service. It’s actually the biggest in Japan, and the rankings they put out are reliable, and usually, a good indicator of what series are doing big in Japan. The results for the first half of 2025 are out, and many fans were shocked to see that Solo Leveling, the west’s biggest anime at the moment, is actually nowhere to be seen in the top 10.
Solo Leveling's Biggest Rival Is Officially Over (For Now)
Solo Leveling's biggest rival, Frieren, has reached a sudden stop.
Instead, what took the top spot is actually Black Butler, specifically Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc. This surprised some, as this new season of Black Butler wasn’t a big hit overseas. Black Butler used to be a major series with a dedicated fanbase a few years ago, but many fans abroad have lost interest. In Japan, however, the hype is still very much alive.
“While thrilled with the response, I personally don't feel like the series is known by everyone at this point. 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
Japan’s Other Big Hit 2025 Series
The Apothecary Diaries is Among the Most Popular Anime
Black Butler isn’t the only series to blow Solo Leveling out of the water in Japan. The rankings for the top 10 are out, and Solo Leveling didn’t make the cut. In fact, most overseas fans won’t even recognize some of the series that were big in Japan in early 2025, except The Apothecary Diaries.
The Apothecary Diaries, which returned in 2025 with its second season, has proven to be a domestic and international success. The series has gained traction all over the world, and fans can definitely see why. The storytelling, romance, mystery, and thrill have fans hooked. While it’s only the fifth-highest rated series on Filmarks for the first half, it’s actually the one with the most overall reviews, which says a lot about how mainstream it has become.
Ratings for top anime on Filmarks for Japan first half 2025:
- Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc — 4.46 stars / 948 reviews
- Uma Musume Cinderella Gray — 4.38 stars / 1,024 reviews
- Lycoris Recoil: Friends Are Thieves of Time — 4.33 stars / 1,755 reviews
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man — 4.32 stars / 1,472 reviews
- The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 — 4.27 stars / 6,623 reviews
- Medalist — 4.26 stars / 7,269 reviews
- Shoshimin: How to Become Ordinary Season 2 — 4.24 stars / 1,590 reviews
- Apocalypse Hotel — 4.21 stars / 1,568 reviews
- Fire Force Season 3 — 4.21 stars / 1,074 reviews
- Re:Zero Season 3 — 4.20 stars / 3,190 reviews
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. For fans who can’t wait for season 3, checking out the manhwa might be a great option.
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
- Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
- Writers
- Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
Cast
-
Taito BanSung Jin-woo -
Genta NakamuraYoo Jin-ho
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong's popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
- Studio
- A-1 Pictures
- Creator
- Chugong
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
