Solo Leveling's Anime of the Year Win Is Controversial, But Even Diehard Critics Must Admit the Anime Deserves 1 Major Award

Solo Leveling is the undeniable hottest name in anime. Following a highly successful first season in 2024, season two premiered and immediately stole the attention of the anime community, breaking and setting records with ease as each episode passed. Why Solo Leveling has become so immensely popular isn’t exactly a secret. The journey of protagonist Sung Jinwoo from “Weakest Hunter In the World” to entirely overpowered action hero scratches an itch for countless anime fans all over the world, and fans have responded by endlessly singing its praises.

However, not everyone in the anime community is entirely happy with Solo Leveling. Critics were relatively quiet, sharing among themselves the issues they had with the series, until the recent Crunchyroll Anime Awards rolled around and invited the masses to share their dissatisfaction. The series just about swept the awards, winning in a variety of categories including Anime of the Year, causing fans of other shows to become a bit unhappy. Regardless of its most important win, however, there was another category for which Solo Leveling took home the prize, and no one can deny its worthiness.

Solo Leveling Deserved the Best Action Award

Regardless Of Its Other Victories, No One Can Deny Solo Leveling Deserved Best Action

For those searching for blood-pumping fight scenes, endless hype, and all the aura a big budget can afford, there aren’t many better options than Solo Leveling. Few shows are quite as capable of delivering cathartic combat while looking so damn good, and the leveling-up system ensures that viewers are kept entertained by Jinwoo’s endless improvement. Shows like Frieren or Dandadan had excellent fighting delivered in distinct art styles, but none of Solo Leveling‘s competitors can quite compete with the anime when it’s at its best.

Studio A-1 Pictures began production on Solo Leveling in 2021, and it’s clear that years of hard work went into making the series look and feel as good as it does. Aniplex producer Sota Furuhashi recently revealed that over 200,000 frames of hand-drawn animation comprised both seasons one and two, and warned fans that they may have to wait until 2028 to see season three in order to ensure proper care goes into the production. Visually, there aren’t many shows capable of rivaling Solo Leveling, and its action benefits greatly from that quality.

Regardless of how other fans might feel about its other wins, there’s no denying Solo Leveling deserved its name on the Best Action Award. Season one’s final tilt between Jinwoo and Igris is absolutely electric, and the Hunter’s work outside of fights with all-powerful entities isn’t lacking either. From their choreography to their visual clarity, Solo Leveling‘s combat is near unparalleled in the modern anime scene, and its quality only improved throughout the course of season two.

It isn’t only the animation itself that’s impressive, either; it’s also just how stylized the combat is that allows for the series’ action to excel. The use of color is masterful, especially in the fights between Jinwoo and Igris and later Beru, who are separately accented with reds and blues. Jinwoo’s arsenal of attacks makes for exciting action, and the otherwordly abilities of his enemies allow for a sense of unpredictability.

Solo Leveling Is Good, Regardless of Whether It Deserved to Win Anime of the Year

The Series May Not Be Perfect, But It’s Undeniably Great

Sung Jinwoo, Sung Il-Hwan, and Goto Ryuji from Solo Leveling — Custom Image by Diana Acuña

Much of the criticism of Solo Leveling has come directly in response to its recent Anime of the Year award, with fans of shows like Frieren and The Apothecary Diaries voicing their displeasure with the result. The former, after taking the anime community entirely by surprise with its debut in late 2023, likely deserved the award for its emotional depth, crisp visuals, and outstanding soundtrack, but it isn’t really a crime that Solo Leveling was voted the winner. In terms of raw entertainment and a fun viewing experience, the series can hang with the best.

The depth may be somewhat lacking, but Solo Leveling’s strengths more than make up for its writing’s shortcomings. If fans were to be upset over any of the awards, they’d have better arguments for why the series shouldn’t have won Best Main Character or Best Score. Jinwoo is fun to watch, and his fighting ability makes for entertaining fights, but he is written nowhere near as well as characters like Frieren, Maomao, or Momo. Evan Call’s work on the soundtrack for Frieren is outstanding, while the music of Look Back was gorgeously haunting.

Solo Leveling Season 2 ending Sung Jinwoo and Statue of God

Everything We Know About Solo Leveling Season 3: Release Date, Studio, and More

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It can be argued that Solo Leveling deserved those awards far less than it did Anime of the Year, but, unfortunately, that’s the one that kickstarted the recent trend of overwhelming criticism. The series isn’t perfect, but it is undeniably good, and the quality of its action cannot be denied. Few current ongoing shows are as effective at delivering just what its fans are after, and Solo Leveling‘s meteoric rise in popularity is proof of that.

Solo Leveling’s Third Season May Be Further Off Than Fans Are Hoping

There Will Be Plenty of Time For the Hate to Die Down Before Solo Leveling Returns

Fortunately, for those tired of all the hate being thrown at Solo Leveling, there will be plenty of time for it to die down before the series returns. Unfortunately, however, that’s because the anime may not be returning for another three years at the earliest. Furuhashi’s comments about a 2028 release for season three have not been well-received by fans, but the waiting will certainly be well worth it. Great success will lead to a larger budget, which will then lead to even better quality down the road.

If the series is rushed out the door, fans can forget about Best Action Award-worthy fights when Solo Leveling returns, and nothing would be worse for the adaptation going forward. The anime has its flaws, but its action is not one of them, and of all the awards it took home this past May, no one can deny that it deserved Best Action.