After 2 Years, Solo Leveling Becomes Crunchyroll’s Biggest Anime Ever

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Originally a web novel by Chugong, Solo Leveling has become incredibly popular worldwide, especially thanks to its anime adaptation created by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. The first season of the anime premiered on January 6, 2024. While the original Solo Leveling series, based on the Manhwa, was fairly niche, the anime has massively boosted its popularity, breaking records on Crunchyroll.

Solo Leveling reached a major milestone on May 27, 2026, becoming the first anime on Crunchyroll to receive over one million ratings. This came after the series didn’t win Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, but it quickly made its own impact with this record-breaking achievement, which is expected to stand for a long time.

Solo Leveling Officially Breaks 1 Million Ratings on Crunchyroll on May 27, 2026

Crunchyroll has become a leading anime streaming service outside of Japan over the past ten years, offering a huge selection of both popular and lesser-known shows. While it has a vast library, the 2024 anime Solo Leveling has really broken through and become particularly popular.

Atsushi Kaneko, speaking at Mumbai Comic Con, explained that Sota Furuhashi of Aniplex first approached him with the Solo Leveling project. He decided to work on it because he felt it had the potential to become something truly special and engaging.

Against all expectations, Solo Leveling has become a massive hit on Crunchyroll. Produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex, and adapted from the South Korean story by Chugong, it made history on May 27, 2026, becoming the first anime to reach over 1 million user ratings on the platform. No other anime has ever achieved this level of popularity, and currently, none are close. Remarkably, despite the huge number of ratings, Solo Leveling maintains a consistently high score of 4.9/5, making it one of the top-rated anime available on Crunchyroll.

How Sung Jinwoo’s Story Set This Unprecedented Record With Just 25 Episodes

I’m honestly blown away by how huge Solo Leveling has become on Crunchyroll! When it was first announced, I don’t think anyone predicted this level of success. Korean Manhwa usually don’t get this much attention – they often get overshadowed by Japanese manga. But Solo Leveling really broke through, and it’s all thanks to the incredible story by Chugong. He’s a master at crafting a story that just grabs you and doesn’t let go – it’s fast-paced, full of action, and feels effortless!

The incredible success of the Solo Leveling anime wouldn’t have happened without the dedication of the team at A-1 Pictures and Aniplex. The show’s amazing animation and direction were key – without that quality, it might not have gained much attention. Even the studios weren’t sure how popular it would become, but their hard work clearly paid off, turning it into a global phenomenon, as Atsushi Kaneko recently noted.

Atsushi Kaneko, speaking at Mumbai Comic Con 2026, expressed his surprise at how incredibly popular Solo Leveling has become. He said, “I honestly had no idea it would reach this level of success.”

The fight between Jinwoo and the Ant King really put the series on the map. Its fantastic direction, amazing action, and thrilling moments were key to making Jinwoo’s story as popular as it is now.

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Solo Leveling Is Set To Consolidate Its Number 1 Spot On Crunchyroll

Currently, no other series is expected to surpass the incredible record set by Solo Leveling. As of May 27, 2026, One Piece – a fantastic story with over 1100 episodes created by Eiichiro Oda – holds the second-highest number of ratings at 815,000. However, that number is significantly lower than Solo Leveling’s total.

While the late arrival and widespread piracy of One Piece might explain some of this, it doesn’t diminish how successful Solo Leveling has been. Even Demon Slayer, a hugely popular anime from the 2020s, has fewer ratings – only 744,000 – compared to Solo Leveling.

The popularity of Solo Leveling is expected to keep increasing, especially with a new animated project in the works. While not officially announced yet, this project will likely be either a third season of the anime or a full-length movie. Fans can look forward to even more exciting developments in Sung Jinwoo’s story, including major story arcs like Double Dungeon and the International Guild Conference, which promise battles even more epic than his fight against the Ant King. Solo Leveling is poised to break more records, and its already impressive viewership numbers will likely continue to climb.

You can now watch all 25 episodes of Solo Leveling, produced by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures, on Crunchyroll while fans eagerly await Season 3.

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2026-05-28 00:34