Solo Leveling Producer Says Anime Was Not Made for Overseas Fans
The statement contradicts the common industry assumption that global hits require intentional international appeal, and reframes Solo Leveling's success as a byproduct of domestic-focused craft.
Key Facts
- A-1 Pictures producer Atsushi Kaneko said at Mumbai Comic Con 2026 that the studio did not create Solo Leveling with a global audience in mind, treating it as a domestic Japanese production.
- Kaneko stated that a Japanese production trying to appeal to a worldwide audience misses its point, and the staff aimed to make something good for the domestic market.
- Kaneko said he did not anticipate the series becoming such a big hit and credited the staff's collective effort for the fan response.
- Solo Leveling's first two seasons broke viewership records on Crunchyroll and won awards including an Astra Award.
- A release date for Solo Leveling Season 3 has not been announced.
Reporting from 1 source: Animehunch.
A-1 Pictures producer Atsushi Kaneko stated at Mumbai Comic Con 2026 that the studio did not create Solo Leveling with a global audience in mind, instead treating it as a domestic Japanese production. He said trying to appeal overseas misses the point, and the staff simply aimed to make something good.
A-1 Pictures animation producer Atsushi Kaneko told reporters at Mumbai Comic Con 2026 that the studio did not design Solo Leveling to attract overseas viewers. Speaking in a roundtable with outlets including Animehunch, Kaneko said a Japanese production that tries to appeal to a worldwide audience misses its point, and the team instead approached the adaptation as if it were aimed strictly at the domestic market. He added that he did not anticipate the series becoming such a big hit, and credited the staff's collective effort for the fan response. Kaneko also said he did not feel the need to put a personal stamp on the project, trusting the director and character designers to exercise their own creative vision. Solo Leveling's first two seasons broke viewership records on Crunchyroll and won awards including an Astra Award, but a release date for Season 3 has not been announced.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.