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Solo Leveling producer Kaneko Atsushi weighs in on popularity of anime; says it’s not fantasy but future reality
In a roundtable conversation with the producer of blockbuster anime Solo Leveling, A-1 Pictures’ Kaneko Atsushi revealed why the anime chose to start from a different scene than manhwa.
Is anime mainstream? You are presented with this question as you enjoy cosplay, bathe in the exceptional talent displayed by mangakas and animators, and wonder just when will you get over the pizzazz of Solo Leveling. It’s not every day you come by an anime that’s been hailed globally right from the get-go. The anticipation of whose release had avid readers rallying on all forms of social media, awaiting any tiny update. This goes back to our initial question, has the form of entertainment that engaged millions for years, now grabbed the eyeballs of ten-folds this year?
About Solo Leveling
The web novel turned webtoon-inspired anime saw the light of day in January 2024 when it premiered to a roaring response. The story of Solo Leveling follows Sung Jinwoo, a weak hunter in the world of exceptional talent, who narrowly escapes death and proceeds to come across a ‘System’. This unique program allows him to level up his hunter skills unlike those around him who are stuck with their baseline powers. He must now slay monsters and humans in his path, enroute the mission to discover the secrets behind his fate and uncover the mysteries of the dungeon.
Watch Solo Leveling trailer
Interview with Solo Leveling producer Kaneko Atsushi
On a cold morning in Japan, amid the bustling atmosphere of the then-upcoming Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024, I and a few fellow journalists sat down with Solo Leveling producer Kaneko Atsushi. Finding the stage set up a bit too much for himself, he decided to grab a chair right in front of the tight-knit bunch for a truly up-close and personal chat. With a tiny introduction, which he was probably not used to giving, given his long-running career and stature in the industry, we were off with questions and praise going his way.
The skilled producer revealed that the process of working on a high-quality production like this one takes a long time to set pace and then once it gets going, the team works for about 9 to 10 months on each episode. Recalling the changed scenario from when he first began working in this field 16 years ago it took 3 months to complete each part, however complexity of the ever-changing anime industry has increased the period. He went on to say that what happens in Solo Leveling might just become the truth in the future and that’s why it’s not a fantasy to him but an impending reality.
Responding to my question, he caused laughter as I asked him about how Solo Leveling is currently considered one of the most popular anime series in the world. What did he think makes it stand out among fans?
Kaneko Atsushi: I came here today to know why… very difficult to answer but I’d like to talk about the attractiveness of the original Solo Leveling manga (manhwa). The original creator of Solo Leveling was inspired by manga, anime, games, films, dramas and more, and he wanted to output what he inputted to the modern-day young people who watch manga with mobile phones. So I think that’s why this became a big hit. And also I think because the directors and character designers that I hired and asked to do this project with me, I think they were very talented.
He further credited the hand of the internet and social media in bringing global popularity to Solo Leveling.
Noting the many action scenes that impressed the audience, Kaneko went on to say that his own favorites are some of the more subtle ones including a scene with the character Eri Mizuki (Lee Joo Hee) in episode four where she’s merely pondering her next steps and her leg appears “sexy”.
Meanwhile, he also revealed, that the very opening scene in the anime which begins on Jeju Island and has an outbreak of killer ants was not prologued in the manhwa but was chosen to be included in the anime by the writer Noboru Kimura. He thought that since the protagonist Shun (Sung Jinwoo) was cited as the weakest in the society, any impactful action scenes would be hard to come by so the flashback floodgate scene allowed for a strong hook in the first episode.
While it seemed like the fun chat with Kaneko Atsushi had only just begun, we had already interacted for an hour and the Solo Leveling producer left us with an aww moment saying that the most gratifying moment for him working on this release was right now, being able to hear the voices of anime fans from all over the world right in front of him.
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