Solo Leveling Creator Responds to Wild Anti-Japan Accusations—But Fans Are Divided

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This article contains spoilers from Solo Leveling Season 2.

Summary

  • Chugong clarified accusations of hating Japan due to his portrayal of Japanese characters in Solo Leveling.
  • Chugong defended himself, stating he doesn’t hate Japan, creating both evil and kind Japanese characters.
  • Chugong regrets not making Goto Ryuji stronger and cooler, but didn’t anticipate the series’ massive popularity in Japan.

Solo Leveling stands out as the most prominent anime derived from a manhwa, garnering widespread acclaim. Yet, its creator, Chugong, has been embroiled in unanticipated accusations of harboring disdain for Japan. However, he has addressed these allegations and clarified the situation.

Creator Of Solo Leveling Shocked At Anti Japan Accusation

Chugong is a Korean Webtoon Author And Has A Few Japanese Characters in His Story

Chugong, who’s behind the popular anime sensation Solo Leveling, is not only the mastermind of this massive series but also actively engages with fans – quite frequently, in fact. However, since most of these interactions occur in Korean, international fans might miss out on these Q&A sessions and valuable insights he shares. Fortunately for fans, the Solo Leveling subreddit often catches these translations and makes them accessible to everyone.

More recently, Chugong delved into a captivating subject that sparked accusations against him for perceived anti-Japanese sentiments within his narrative.

Readers might grasp why some criticisms arise, as the Japanese government is depicted unfavorably during the Jeju Island storyline, with many top-tier Japanese Hunters, including their strongest, Goto Ryuji, meeting their demise without much resistance against the formidable Ant King.

Initially taken aback by these allegations, Chugong responded by defending himself. He argues that simply because a few of his series’ Japanese characters may not be admirable individuals, it does not make him anti-Japanese. In fact, he has also created benevolent Japanese characters, such as the members of the Self-Defense Force. This is the statement he crafted:

“I was surprised by these accusations, but let me clarify. Just because some characters in my series aren’t great people doesn’t mean I hold a negative view towards Japan. In fact, I have also written several positive Japanese characters, such as those from the Self-Defense Force.

“The notion of hating a country just because an evil character comes from there.

Where on earth is this coming from??

Then are all authors who write stories featuring Na**s, Germany haters?

Why is the book being characterized as an “anti-Japanese” novel, considering there are elements such as the emperor bowing in apology that I did not include?

In my novel, certain Japanese characters are portrayed as evil, but there are also benevolent ones like members of the Self-Defense Force who sacrificed themselves for the people’s safety, and kind citizens who appreciated the foreign hunter who aided them. Since these events and characters are purely fictional, I didn’t anticipate my work being labeled an anti-Japanese novel in Korea or even Japan. However, given that I intended to depict villains from a nation with high civic awareness and tolerance for creative works, I chose Japanese nationality.

I don’t hate or despise any particular country.

The same goes for the protagonist of my novel.”

Chugong has made it clear to address any concerns from fans regarding him. He wants everyone to know he holds no animosity towards any country, and especially Japan, who create the animated adaptations of his manhwa series, “Solo Leveling”. It appears that the Japanese people don’t find his work offensive either.

Chugong Says He Wishes He Made Goto Ryuji Better

Japan’s Strongest Could Have Been Cooler

One improvement Chugong feels he might have made regarding Japanese representation was enhancing the character of Goto Ryuji, the top-tier Japanese S-Rank hunter, to make him even more formidable.

Based on his statement, it appears he may have thought about featuring him as the lead character in the series.

In a hypothetical scenario, it’s plausible that had Chugong the ability to travel back in time, he might have endeavored to make Goto Ryuji reach the level of a National Hunter. Given that both China and South Korea possess one such National Level Hunter, this action could have been considered, given the opportunity.

This is Chugong’s statement about Ryuji:

One thing I wish I could change is that, knowing how well my book would do in Japan, I would have made the character Goto Ryuji more powerful and charismatic, even if he couldn’t be the main character.

Initially, I aimed to portray him as cool, yet the challenges he encountered in overcoming his adversaries inevitably influenced the final outcome.

Regardless, this piece has its flaws and errors scattered throughout, yet I hope folks will refrain from fabricating false issues to criticize me.

We are all fans who like subculture, there’s no need for us to fight each other, right?”

Initially, Chugong wasn’t anticipating that his series would gain such a massive following in Japan as manhwas weren’t particularly popular there at the time. As a human being, he didn’t foresee the unusual interpretations some series fans would give to his relatively ordinary depiction of Japan. While some characters could have been improved, the accusations against him are largely unfounded and absurd in general.

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2025-05-03 04:27