Crunchyroll’s Most Underrated Anime Of The Year Has Outperformed Solo Leveling

by

2025 was a huge year for Solo Leveling, and it won Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Awards, as chosen by both fans and the judges. While Solo Leveling has become incredibly popular worldwide, it hasn’t made as big of an impact in Japan, where many viewers prefer other new anime series.

It was recently revealed that Solo Leveling wasn’t among Japan’s most popular anime searches for 2025, which surprised many international fans. Takopi’s Original Sin topped the list, followed by Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and Sakamoto Days. Solo Leveling still needs to gain more traction to become a truly iconic series in Japan.

Solo Leveling Is Nowhere To Be Seen In Japan’s Most Searched Anime Titles of 2025

Solo Leveling is becoming increasingly popular internationally, largely thanks to the success of its anime. The show performed very well at the Crunchyroll Awards, and people are excited for what comes next. However, audiences in Japan haven’t shown the same level of enthusiasm.

Surprisingly, Solo Leveling wasn’t a top search for anime in Japan, which many international fans find hard to believe. A different, though still popular, Japanese anime series is currently number one in searches.

Takopi’s Original Sin Dominates Searches In Japan In 2025

Takopi’s Original Sin has become very popular, especially in Japan. While it received high praise and a top-rated episode in Western countries, it became the most searched-for title online in Japan.

The anime series Takopi’s Original Sin, despite only having six episodes, is incredibly popular with viewers worldwide. Its unusual story is both captivating and unsettling, and that’s exactly what people seem to love about it.

Several other series, like Takopi’s Original Sin, which aren’t as popular internationally as Solo Leveling, also ranked in the top 10. These included Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Sakamoto Days, The Summer Hikaru Died, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, and Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. These titles all managed to capture the attention of Japanese readers, something Solo Leveling didn’t do.

Solo Leveling Doesn’t Have A Dominant Presence In Japan

It’s well-known that Solo Leveling is much more popular outside of Japan. Fans in Japan haven’t really embraced the series, and even someone involved in creating it, Atsushi Kaneko, is aware of this.

I’m happy with how well the series is being received, but I don’t think it’s a household name just yet. In Japan, ‘Solo Leveling’ isn’t as popular as anime like ‘Dragon Ball,’ ‘One Piece,’ or ‘Naruto.’ As someone living here, I can see that. I’m hoping that with a third season, we can really change that and reach a much wider audience.

Some Japanese fans might not be very interested in the series because of how Japanese characters are portrayed. For instance, in the Jeju arc, many of the Japanese hunters, even the most powerful ones, were killed. However, Solo Leveling is gaining popularity, and Season 3 is expected to be very successful.

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.

Read More

2025-12-12 01:34