DandeLion Animation Studio is adapting the manhwa Eleceed into an anime scheduled for release in 2027. The series is being viewed by some fans as a possible successor to Solo Leveling, the hit adaptation that reshaped how the anime industry approaches popular manhwas and webtoons.
Several studios have rushed to adapt webtoons since Solo Leveling's success, though many of those projects ran into development problems and failed to make much of an impact. Eleceed stands out as one of the strongest contenders to take Solo Leveling's crown, despite having stayed largely out of the spotlight.
A manhwa built on hidden powers
Eleceed is based on the manhwa created by Son Jeho and Zhena, regarded as one of the most highly rated action manhwas among readers. The story is set in a world where people born with special abilities live within an apparently ordinary society, a setup that feels familiar to what Jujutsu Kaisen presented.
The lead character is Jiwoo Seo, a teenager gifted with speed who has spent his whole life hiding his abilities. Fearing he would be treated differently, Jiwoo does not even know that a secret part of society exists made up of people with powers like his own. As with Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen, his normal life is upended once he becomes caught up in that dangerous hidden world.
Concerns after the first teaser
The way Jiwoo begins to learn about this hidden world resembles the process the central character of Jujutsu Kaisen went through in his training as a sorcerer. The main concern about Eleceed's development surfaced when the first teaser was shown at Anime Expo 2026.
DandeLion Animation Studio is known mainly for its work in 3DCG, and that was noticeable almost immediately in the teaser. The webtoon's greatest strength lies in its fast-paced fights and fluid action, qualities usually considered better suited to traditional 2D animation, the style used in Jujutsu Kaisen.
It is still too early to judge Eleceed based on a brief teaser that could differ considerably from the finished series. The anime will not premiere until 2027, leaving room for improvement, and this first look has left many hoping the series will be polished further given its potential to be significant in the coming years.
