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Solo Leveling
The Solo Leveling anime franchise is continuing with a theatrical film, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, currently in production by A-1 Pictures and set to pick up after Season 2.
Synthesized from 5
Yomimono stories · updated
7h ago
The Solo Leveling anime franchise, adapted from Chugong's webtoon, has moved into a new phase with the announcement of a theatrical film. At Anime Expo 2026, Crunchyroll revealed Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, a film that continues the story after the second season. The film is produced by A-1 Pictures, with Tao Tajima directing and Tomoko Sudo returning as character designer. Co-producers include Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C Media, and Kakao Piccoma. The first season debuted in January 2024, followed by a compilation film in late 2024, and the second season in January 2025.
The franchise's success has been notable, with the webtoon accumulating 14.3 billion views worldwide and over 1.22 billion page views in Japan on Piccoma. However, the adaptation has also drawn critical attention. Anime Feminist published an analysis arguing that the Japanese localization removed Korean identifiers, changed locations from Seoul to Tokyo, and gave characters Japanese names. The analysis focused on the Jeju Island Arc, where the original story's anti-colonial allegory was rewritten, replacing Japan as the antagonist with a fictional nation.
A-1 Pictures producer Atsushi Kaneko stated at Mumbai Comic Con 2026 that the studio did not create the anime with a global audience in mind, treating it as a domestic Japanese production. He said the staff simply aimed to make something good. The film's announcement came alongside other Crunchyroll reveals at Anime Expo 2026, including the Ghost of Tsushima Legends anime and several other series.
Key facts
- Film title
- Solo Leveling: Beyond the System ↗
- Film director
- Tao Tajima ↗
- Animation studio
- A-1 Pictures ↗
- Character designer
- Tomoko Sudo ↗
- Japanese voice actor for Shun Mizushino
- Taichi Sakai ↗
- Webtoon global views
- 14.3 billion ↗
- Webtoon page views in Japan on Piccoma
- over 1.22 billion ↗
- Producer statement on audience
- A-1 Pictures producer Atsushi Kaneko said the anime was not made for overseas fans and was treated as a domestic Japanese production ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Release
- movie · 2026 · worldwide · 2026-07-06
- Noted
- Solo Leveling made history as the first Korean work to win Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year award · 2026-05-30
- Noted
- was the most-watched anime on the platform in 2024 · 2026-05-30
- Noted
- 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. · 2026-05-17
Connections
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Claim activity
When a claim about Solo Leveling was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed a 1 pictures produces solo leveling May 28 · source
All coverage
10h ago
Crunchyroll held its annual showcase at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 6, announcing a theatrical film continuation for Solo Leveling and the first character designs for the Ghost of Tsushima Legends anime. The Solo Leveling film, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, will pick up after Season 2 and is produced by A-1 Pictures with Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C Media, Kakao Piccoma, and Crunchyroll. Ghost of Tsushima Legends is directed by Takanobu Mizuno with HAYATE Inc. overseeing production, scripts by Satoshi Maejima and Gen Urobuchi, character designs by Takashi Okazaki, and animation by KAMIKAZE DOUGA. In a surprise segment, Dave Grohl appeared via video message to announce that Nirvana's "Breed" will be the opening theme for The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All, which premieres in early 2027. Other reveals included the Kagurabachi anime's first character design sheet for Chihiro Rokuhira, a trailer for the Here U Are manhwa adaptation, the sci-fi series Fate Rewinder for April 2027, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5 for next year, Aoashi Season 2 for October 2026, and several other new series including Dengeki Daisy, Gacha Girls Corps, Magical Buffs, The Vermilion Mask, and Overgeared.
3d ago
Crunchyroll announced at its Anime Expo 2026 panel on July 3 that the Solo Leveling series is getting a new theatrical film titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. The film continues the story after the second season and is currently in production. A promotional concept video and teaser visual were released. Studio A-1 Pictures returns to animate the film. Co-producers include Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Netmarble, D&C MEDIA, and Kakao Piccoma. Tao Tajima is directing the film and also serving as director of photography, editor, and colorist. Tomoko Sudo returns as character designer and key animator. The Japanese voice cast includes Taichi Sakai as protagonist Shun Mizushino. The first season of the anime debuted in January 2024, followed by a compilation film Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- in late 2024, and the second season in January 2025. The webtoon, based on Chugong's novel with art by the late DUBU, ran from March 2018 to December 2021 and has accumulated 14.3 billion views worldwide, with over 1.22 billion page views in Japan on Piccoma.
May 31
CloverWorks announced a regional tour of its POP UP SHOP 2026 event, starting January 16 in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, followed by Nagoya in February and Kochi in March. The pop-up shops will sell merchandise for series including My Dress-Up Darling, Wind Breaker, Bocchi the Rock!, Spy × Family, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and others. Limited quantities of past release goods and books will also be available. Each venue will display reproduction artwork and production materials, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the studio's animation process. The tour begins at Ebetsu Tsutaya Books (January 16 to February 4), moves to TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Noritake in Nagoya (February 13 to March 2), and ends at Kochi Tsutaya Books (March 27 to April 13). Stock and exhibits may vary by location. The announcement was made on January 9, 2026.
May 30
Anime Feminist published a detailed analysis examining the Solo Leveling anime adaptation, focusing on changes made for its Japanese release and their connection to historical anti-Korean sentiment and Japanese imperialism. The piece notes that Solo Leveling made history as the first Korean work to win Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year award, and was the most-watched anime on the platform in 2024. However, the analysis highlights that the Japanese localization removed all references to Korea, changing locations from Seoul to Tokyo and giving characters Japanese names. The article argues these changes mirror Japan's colonial-era "Japanization" policies, which sought to erase Korean language and culture during the 1910-1945 occupation. The analysis focuses particularly on the Jeju Island Arc, where in the original story Japanese hunters betray Korean hunters in a plot that parallels Japan's historical treatment of Korea. The piece states that the Japanese version of the arc was rewritten to remove this anti-colonial allegory, with the fictional "De Facto Nation" replacing Japan as the antagonist. The article calls for more historically informed discussion of these changes among anime viewers.
May 17
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.