Animation studio A-1 Pictures wants hit series Solo Leveling to reach the global popularity of One Piece and Dragon Ball, producer Atsushi Kaneko revealed.
Speaking in a recent interview with ScreenRant, Kaneko stated that the studio is setting no limits on its ambitions for the franchise. He explained that executives intend to transform the adventures of main character Jinwoo into an intergenerational icon and a permanent classic within the shonen genre.
The dark fantasy action series has already established itself as the most-watched anime on the global streaming service Crunchyroll. In Western markets, the show has enjoyed widespread commercial success and strong viewership following its debut.
Reaching the stature of established juggernauts such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto represents a massive hurdle. Those long-running franchises have spanned decades of manga chapters, hundreds of television episodes, and global merchandise empires that define modern Japanese animation.
Global Success Versus Japanese Market Standing
Despite its fast rise in Western countries, Solo Leveling has not yet achieved mass phenomenon status within Japan. Kaneko acknowledged that the series remains less widely known in its domestic market than overseas, leaving significant work ahead for the production team to build equivalent momentum at home.
To narrow that gap, A-1 Pictures is preparing a major push for the upcoming third season. Production is already underway for the new season, with the studio pulling out all the stops to deliver high-end animation and expanded storyline scale.
Feature Film Release and Box Office Ambitions
The studio is also planning a major cinematic release for 2027 titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. The feature film will mark the franchise's first major theatrical outing as A-1 Pictures aims to test its theatrical strength in Japan and worldwide.
Industry reports indicate the movie is being positioned to compete directly against Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle, the next film installment in the wildly successful Demon Slayer franchise. A-1 Pictures hopes a blockbuster theatrical showing could dramatically shift Japanese public perception of Solo Leveling.
Adopting a high-budget theatrical strategy mirrors the path taken by recent anime hits that translated box office dominance into mainstream cultural status. Demon Slayer previously shattered theatrical records across Asia and North America, demonstrating the power of event cinema releases for modern anime properties.
Studio Turnaround and Streaming Access
The expansion comes shortly after A-1 Pictures successfully navigated out of recent economic difficulties. The Tokyo-based animation studio, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex, previously produced major hits including Sword Art Online and Fairy Tail before taking on the adaptation of Solo Leveling.
For viewers looking to catch up on the story so far, the first two seasons of Solo Leveling are available to stream online on Crunchyroll. The platform currently offers a seven-day free trial period for new subscribers wishing to watch the series.
