Interview with the Producers of “Solo Leveling”―The Anime Adaptation Brought to Life by the Collaboration of Aniplex and Crunchyroll [Part 1 of 2]

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  Sota Furuhashi

  Aniplex

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  Kanako Takahashi

  Crunchyroll

The anime adaptation of “Solo Leveling” was initiated through the synergy between Aniplex and Crunchyroll

――We’re here with producers Furuhashi-san and Takahashi-san to talk about the anime “Solo Leveling” which is currently airing its second season. First, could you tell us about your backgrounds and how you got involved with “Solo Leveling”?

Furuhashi: I joined Sony Music Group as a new graduate, and my first assignment was in music sales (Sony Music Marketing at that time). However, I’ve always loved anime since my student days, and I wanted to be involved in anime productions. So, I requested a transfer and was assigned to the marketing department at Aniplex. Afterward, I moved to the planning and production department, and that’s where I am now.

My first encounter with “Solo Leveling” was around 2019, when I started developing an interest in WEBTOON. I thought the manhwa [Korean word for “manga”] was genuinely fascinating, and I felt that if such a visually powerful work were to be adapted into an anime, it would become a truly amazing visual piece. That’s when I initiated the anime adaptation project within Aniplex.

Takahashi: I joined a publishing company as a new graduate and worked on editing manga and novels. However, from that time, I had a strong desire to be involved in anime productions, which led me to switch careers and move to Sony Pictures Entertainment.

At Sony Pictures Entertainment, I initially handled the planning and management of anime song festivals. However, when Funimation (an anime video-on-demand service) joined the Sony Group, I was transferred. Later, after Funimation and Crunchyroll merged, I was assigned to Crunchyroll’s Japan team, and that’s where I am now.

Crunchyroll is focused on the anime video-on-demand service business across various countries and regions, while also expanding into various entertainment ventures. Among these is the business of planning and producing top-notch visual titles based on high-quality source material.

“Solo Leveling” had been gaining even more popularity after its transition from a novel to a WEBTOON, and Crunchyroll had already been keeping an eye on it. We were also considering moving forward with an anime adaptation. At that time, I heard that Furuhashi-san and the team at Aniplex were about to launch the project for an anime adaptation. Given that, we decided to leverage the synergy within the Sony Group and move forward with a co-production.

I joined the project as the producer on Crunchyroll’s side for the co-production. Crunchyroll has offices in 15 locations worldwide, primarily focused in North America, with teams handling different countries and regions. My role is to act as a hub, connecting all these teams to the project.

――Crunchyroll also noticed the appeal of “Solo Leveling” from an early stage.

Takahashi: Yes. Crunchyroll’s service is all about delivering high-quality anime to global audiences in the best possible package. So, we conduct research not only on anime adaptations but also on source materials like manga and novels. Among them, “Solo Leveling,” stood out with particularly high praise, and it was considered a very high-potential IP.

Furuhashi: I had already received reports from Crunchyroll that the original source material was very popular overseas, so from the start, we planned to promote the anime widely internationally.

However, when it came to producing the anime, we didn’t anticipate adapting the animation style or direction specifically for overseas audiences. Since the Japanese animation style has already been well-received overseas, I think A-1 Pictures was already planning on creating “Solo Leveling” in this style and making sure it was well produced.

――The source material for the anime “Solo Leveling” is a WEBTOON. How did you approach the anime adaptation?

Furuhashi: I was attracted to DUBU-san's wonderful drawings. DUBU-san was in charge of the illustrations for the WEBTOON, and the action scenes in it were very powerful. Although we were aware of the high hurdles we had to overcome from the initial stages of planning with A-1 Pictures, we told ourselves, “Let's follow the WEBTOON version closely.”

The same goes for the scenario. One of the appeals of the work “Solo Leveling” is the emotional release of the lowest-ranked hunter gaining the power to level up and take down enemies that were previously out of his league. Many people find this kind of fast-paced story exhilarating, so we aimed to incorporate this characteristic into the anime as faithfully as possible.

Takahashi: In anime adaptations with a source material, there are many fans who place great importance on respecting the title, and I believe this sentiment is universal across the globe. Looking at the current global response to “Solo Leveling,” I can confidently say that the respect and passion the production team has for the source material is clearly being conveyed.

――On the flip side, were there any challenges in adapting it into an anime?

Furuhashi: One of the challenges was the story’s focus on the protagonist’s perspective. The source material is structured to take advantage of the WEBTOON format, with each chapter being compact, allowing for a smooth, fast-paced read.

However, if we simply adapted it directly into an anime, there was a concern that it might come across as repetitive or monotonous in certain parts. So, in the anime adaptation, we made sure to include the psychological depth of other characters and weave that into the story to create a more dynamic structure.

Eleven dubbed languages――Localizing for a global audience

――To expand the title globally, localization for each country and region must have been an important task.

Furuhashi: Since the source material is already being distributed worldwide, we aimed to adapt the anime in the same way. The biggest localization challenge, in terms of adjustments, was the characters’ names.

In the WEBTOON version of “Solo Leveling,” the protagonist’s name was changed to “Shun Mizushino” for its release in Japan. On the other hand, in overseas markets, the character is referred to by his Korean name, “Sung Jinwoo.” After consulting with D&C Media, the rights holder, and the Crunchyroll team, we decided to record both the Japanese version and the overseas version [in Japanese] during the voice-over sessions.

Recording the same episode, the same scenes, and the same lines twice is quite rare, but since this project was aimed at a global release from the planning stages, we didn’t hesitate to put in the effort for localization. We approached it with the mindset of ensuring the best experience for all audiences worldwide.

As with the character names, we also prepared separate names for the places and other elements for both the Japanese and overseas releases. As for the text depicted in the artwork, such as status screens shown in the anime, we decided to standardize them into English.

――The fact that the Japanese voice-over recordings are separated into Japanese and overseas versions suggests that there is a demand for performances by Japanese casts even in overseas markets.

Takahashi: Yes. Core anime fans overseas often feel disappointed if anime produced in Japan doesn’t include the original Japanese voice acting. At Crunchyroll, our mission is to deliver the love of Japanese anime to global audiences, so we wanted to ensure that the overseas version included the Japanese voice track. Therefore, when expanding overseas, we made sure to add subtitles and release the anime around the same time as in Japan.

Furuhashi: We have to make sure that we have enough time for localization, and this has put a considerable burden on the production team. The director and other key creators, as well as the staff at A-1 Pictures, have managed to find the time to localize the animation while pursuing a high-quality product, so we are currently receiving high praise from overseas fans.

Takahashi: We are truly grateful for that. Also, Crunchyroll not only provides the original audio with subtitles but also produces and streams dubbed versions. There is a bit of a time lag between the broadcast and the release of the dubbed versions, though.

――How many languages are you producing the dubbed versions in?

Takahashi: The number of dubbed versions varies depending on the title, but for “Solo Leveling,” we’ve created the maximum number. For Spanish, we’ve made separate versions for Latin America and Spain, respectively and in total, we’ve produced dubbed versions in 11 languages.

A promotional campaign focused on global expansion

――The “Solo Leveling” anime adaptation project has been focused on global expansion from the very beginning, and the first announcement about the anime adaptation was actually revealed overseas.

Furuhashi: Yes, the public announcement for the “Solo Leveling” anime adaptation was made at “Anime Expo” in 2022. “Anime Expo” is one of the largest anime conventions in North America, where both Aniplex and Crunchyroll exhibit at every year. The 2022 Crunchyroll panel became the first public unveiling of the “Solo Leveling” anime project.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the global distribution of anime has become more established, and it’s now more common for information to be released first overseas. However, back then, it was still a rare development. That said, the popularity of the source material was growing rapidly overseas, and there were many voices calling for an anime adaptation. The response from the local fans was apparently incredible.

Takahashi: The venue erupted in applause, like the sound of a rumbling earthquake. You could feel the reaction of “We’ve been waiting for this announcement!” and seeing that made us realize once again that adapting “Solo Leveling” into an anime was the right decision. It encouraged us so much.

――Just before Season 1 was set to air, you also held a world premiere.

Furuhashi: Yes, with the help of the folks at Crunchyroll and Aniplex’s international division, we were able to hold advance screenings in various countries and regions around the world. There was a huge response from the fans, and it was real confirmation that we had created something that was making them happy.

Takahashi: Advance screenings are often held at conventions, but for “Solo Leveling,” we rented out a venue specifically for this event and held it independently. While the source material already had its fanbase, it was still a new anime series, and it’s rare to see such a large-scale promotion for a brand new title. It really made us realize that this kind of event wouldn’t be possible without the high expectations for the anime adaptation.

In the second part of the article, we'll discuss the promotional strategies used when considering international expansion, as well as take a look at the response after the series' broadcast.

world premiere（TOKYO）

world premiere（Los Angeles）

In the second part of the article, we'll discuss the promotional strategies used when considering international expansion, as well as take a look at the response after the series' broadcast.

(To be continued to Part 2)

Text by Hidekuni Shida
Photos by Nozomu Tomita

©Solo Leveling Animation Partners