Solo Leveling Is Anime’s New Hit, But New Data Proves Its More Popular Than Anyone Expected

The Winter 2024 anime season brought with it a wave of strong contenders, but none have dominated quite like Solo Leveling. Adapted from the massively successful Korean webtoon, the series entered the anime landscape with high expectations. Yet, the real surprise is just how far Solo Leveling has surpassed even the boldest predictions. It is not merely another seasonal hit, it is redefining the benchmarks for anime popularity across streaming platforms and fan discussions alike.

While hype often drives early attention, Solo Leveling has demonstrated lasting power. Data from Anime By The Numbers now confirms that its popularity is not just anecdotal or inflated by marketing. In fact, its reach is so wide that it has dramatically outpaced every other anime this season, and not by a small margin. Even the second-most-watched show of the season, The Apothecary Diaries, is not even in the same league. The numbers reveal a phenomenon that suggests Solo Leveling is becoming more than a trend; it is turning into a movement.

A Staggering Gap in Popularity

Solo Leveling Is One of the Most Popular Anime of All Time

According to new analysis from White Box Entertainment, Solo Leveling is currently 45.5 times more popular than the median anime airing this season. That is not just strong, it is a statistical outlier of the highest order. For comparison, The Apothecary Diaries, which is holding strong in second place, is just 14.5 times more popular than the median. This means Solo Leveling is outperforming even its closest competitor by more than triple the margin, signaling an unprecedented level of engagement.   This kind of disparity is rare in the anime industry, where hits often see moderate gaps between each other. The data suggests that Solo Leveling is not just the leader of the pack, it is in a league of its own. Such dominance points to a combination of factors, including an existing global fanbase from the webtoon, high-quality animation from A-1 Pictures, and strong word-of-mouth appeal. Few anime series, even the biggest shōnen titles, have debuted with such a decisive cultural footprint.  

What Makes Solo Leveling So Magnetic?

Why Was Solo Leveling Such a Massive Success?

Part of the show’s explosive success stems from its crossover appeal. As a Korean manhwa adapted into Japanese anime, Solo Leveling attracts audiences from both the anime and webtoon communities. Its premise of an underdog hero who grows absurdly powerful in a game-like world taps into both fantasy escapism and video game logic, resonating especially well with younger viewers across multiple regions. The familiarity of its tropes, executed with top-tier production, gives it a wide and accessible appeal.

Additionally, the anime’s timing has worked in its favor. Premiering during a season without any mega-franchise debuts, Solo Leveling had room to dominate attention. And dominate it did. With data showing just how far ahead it is of the competition, it is clear this is not a short-lived craze. Instead, Solo Leveling has cemented itself as a global phenomenon, and one that could shift how success is measured in the anime industry going forward.