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Solo Leveling has taken the anime world by storm in recent months, following up what was already a strong debut in 2024 with a masterful second season in 2025. A new record was broken with each passing episode, and the climactic Jeju Island arc introduced several powerful Hunters from other countries who may have larger roles later down the line. Beyond its action, the arc helped to expand Solo Leveling‘s world, and proved that protagonist Sung Jinwoo is near unparalleled in strength by any other human.
However, the involvement of Hunters from outside of Korea also spawned some chatter from the anime-watching community about topics that fans of Solo Leveling‘s source material were likely already familiar with. Some questioned the author’s intent behind making Japan an antagonistic force of the arc, and began focusing on the dynamic between the series’ Korean and Japanese Hunters. Luckily, series’ creator Chugong already shared his thoughts on the controversy, and even responded with a telling, “Where on Earth is this coming from?”
The Jeju Island Arc Has Opened the Door to Controversy
Solo Leveling’s Latest Arc Was a Hit, But Has Led to Some Questions From Fans
Many fans credit the Jeju Island arc with the title of Solo Leveling‘s best, as its explosive action and expansion of the series’ lore, alongside the addition of other Hunters and the arrival of the fan-favorite Beru, are equally entertaining and vital for further developments to come in the series. The anime’s adaptation of the arc, despite having needed to cut some content from its source material in order to fit within the second season, was equally acclaimed by viewers. However, like its source material, it opened questions regarding the dynamic between the Korean and Japanese Hunters.
While the ants posed the main conflict for the Hunters sent to the island, the Japanese Hunters planned to trap and eliminate the Korean Hunters during the raid, and then frame the incident as some tragedy. Goto Ryuji, Japan’s strongest Hunter, was in on the plan, and all was going well enough until Sung Jinwoo stepped in to turn the tide to save everyone from the unexpectedly powerful Beru. Later in the series, Japan is forced to rely on Jinwoo’s help again, when they no longer have protection available to them.
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These developments, in both the source material and now the anime, have led to the rise of a belief that Solo Leveling is an anti-Japanese story. It isn’t all that surprising, given the way the country and some of its people are portrayed throughout the series. However, when the series’ author and creator, Chugong, was presented with this notion, he responded with shock and disbelief, and denied any sort of intention to paint Japan in a negative light.
Solo Leveling’s Creator Addresses the Controversy
The Series’ Author Denies that Solo Leveling is “Anti-Japanese”
When presented with the idea that Solo Leveling is somehow anti-Japanese, series author Chugong vehemently denied the allegation. The creator would occasionally post on sites hosting communities of Solo Leveling fans, like DC Inside, and it was there he addressed the claims. He said, “The notion of hating a country just because an evil character comes from there.. Where on earth is this coming from??”
Clearly, the notion took him by surprise, and he further commented, “Then are all authors who write stories featuring Na**s, Germany haters?” Relations between Korea and Japan have long been complicated by a history of colonization, wartime atrocities, disputes over territory, and other issues, which have led to frustration from both sides aimed at the other. Considering Chugong’s comments, it’s likely that fans might have read into Solo Leveling and found something that wasn’t fully there.
He also wrote, “It’s true that some Japanese characters in my novel were evil, but there were also kind ones such as Self-Defense Force members who risked their lives to protect the people, and there were many kind citizens who expressed gratitude to the hunter who came to help them from a distant country.” He left the topic off by writing, “I don’t hate or despise any particular country. The same goes for the protagonist of my novel,” before expressing that the only regret he had about the section was not making Goto stronger.
Solo Leveling Is Heavily Censored in Japan
Key Characters and Settings Are Changed in the Japanese Version of Solo Leveling
While Chugong was clear about there being no intention for Solo Leveling to carry any sort of anti-Japanese themes or rhetoric, the Japan-localized version of the manhwa makes major changes to the source material. The location of Seoul, South Korea, has been changed to Tokyo, while the names of major characters have been altered into traditional Japanese names. For example, Sung Jinwoo has become Mizushino Shun, Cha-Hae-In is now Kousaka Shizuku, and Yoo Jinho is Morobishi Kenta. Fortunately, A-1 Pictures kept their adaptation true to the original, featuring both the characters and settings as they were intended.
The Jeju Island arc is likely the most critical of Japan that Solo Leveling gets, and fans shouldn’t expect any major changes to the anime going forward. However, despite the author expressing with certainty that nothing he wrote carried any anti-Japanese sentiment, the series’ source material is drastically changed to showcase the country in a better light. During the Jeju Island raid in particular, the original antagonistic Japanese Hunters are changed to originate from some other fictional country.
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Like any other immensely popular anime property, Solo Leveling isn’t immune from becoming the center of controversy. Fortunately, the only major belief surrounding the series has already been addressed by the creator, who continues to deny any notion that the series is anti-Japanese in any way. A-1 Pictures has yet to confirm a set release date for Solo Leveling Season Three, though given the anime’s massive success, it’s all but certain a continuation will be on the way very soon. Until then, fans can check out the completed source material either in novel or manhwa format.
- Release Date
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January 7, 2024
- Directors
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Shunsuke Nakashige
- Writers
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Noboru Kimura
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Taito Ban
Shun Mizushino (voice)
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Genta Nakamura
Kenta Morobishi (voice)
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