2025 was absolutely huge for Solo Levelingwith the series that was crowned Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Awards by both the fans and the jury. Outside of Japan, the Solo Leveling the hype has been unparalleled. But in Japan, Solo Leveling is nothing out of the ordinary, and many prefer other new anime series over it.
Best Manhwa Like Solo Leveling You Should Read
Solo Leveling features amazing fights, sensational progressions and incredible characters. Here are similar manhwa that embody these stories.
Most recently it was revealed Solo Leveling did not enter Japan's most searched anime titles of 2025which is definitely shocking to many foreign fans. Instead, it was the most watched anime in Japan Takopi's Original Sin, followed by Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and Sakamoto Days. Solo Leveling still has a long way to go to become an iconic series in Japan.
Solo Leveling is nowhere to be seen in Japan's most searched anime titles of 2025
Solo Leveling has grown in popularity abroadespecially with the huge success of its anime adaptation. The series dominated the Crunchyroll Awards, and fans have been eagerly awaiting new projects. However, fans in Japan don't seem as excited.
In Japan, Solo Leveling was not in the top 10 most searched anime titlesand of course international fans can't understand how. Instead, a smaller, but more prominent Japanese series has taken the top spot.
Takopi's original sin dominates searches in Japan in 2025
Takopi's Original Sin has gained great popularity overseas, but even more so in Japan. In the West, it had one of the highest-rated episodes of the year. Meanwhile, in Japan, it ended up being the most searched title online.
It seems fans all over the world can't get enough of the short 6-episode anime that is Takopi's Original Sin. Its premise has fans both hooked and disturbed at the same time, but that's part of the charm.
Solo Leveling: The S-Rank Korean Hunters, Explained
Korea's ten S-Rank hunters stand at the pinnacle of power, each with unique abilities that shape the world of Solo Leveling.
Besides Takopi's Original Sin, other series smaller than Solo Leveling overseas also made it to the rest of the top 10. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Sakamoto Days, The Summer Hikaru Died, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, and Orb: On the Movements of the Earth were all on the list. All of these titles caught the interest of Japanese fans for one reason or another, while Solo Leveling failed to achieve that.
Solo Leveling does not have a dominant presence in Japan
It's no secret to know that Solo Leveling is much bigger overseas than in Japan. Japanese fans for some reason don't seem to care much about the series. Even Atsushi Kaneko, someone who works on Solo Leveling, knows that.
“Although I'm happy with the response, I personally don't think the series is known by everyone at this point. Solo Leveling is not as widely recognized in Japan yet. As a Japanese living in Japan, the anime is not at the level of Dragon Ball, One Piece or Naruto. But if season three happens, that's when I really want to break that line.” – Atsushi Kaneko
One reason for this lack of interest from some Japanese fans may have to do with the lack of good representation of Japanese characters. In the Jeju arc, for example, most Japanese SS hunters were massacred, even their strongest, but it seems Solo Leveling is slowly making its presence known with Season 3 looking to break records eventually.
Source: Google Trends
