The first Blu-ray and DVD edition of Solo Levelling had shockingly poor sales in Japan, despite the game’s immense popularity worldwide.
Official data from Oricon shows shockingly low sales for the series’ first Blu-ray and DVD volume, Solo Levelling, which contradicts the series’ extraordinarily well-performing global popularity.
According to the Blu-ray and DVD sales figures published by Oricon for the week of March 25, 2024, the most popular anime sold that week was Girls Und Panzer Final Chapter Part 4, which racked up 32,614 units. Following with 3,380 copies was Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror [Limited Edition] Part 7, and Gushing over Magical Girls Volume 1, with 8,114 copies. Volume 1 of Solo Levelling must have sold less than 634 units in its first week since it did not rank high enough to be published, in contrast to Mashle: Divine Visionary Selection Exam Arc, the lowest rated Blu-ray/DVD.
Like Solo Levelling, numerous popular anime, like Undead Unluck and Shangri-La Frontier, had poor sales. Although the popularity of an anime on Blu-ray and DVD tends to indicate whether or not it will get more seasons, two shows that have already confirmed second seasons are Shangri-La Frontier and Solo Levelling. Many believe this is a continuation, and Undead Unluck has also confirmed that a major announcement would be made on August 1, 2024.
Japan May Not Be the Only Country Where Solo Leveling’s Anime Is Popular.
Although the reason behind Solo Leveling’s poor performance in Japan remains a mystery, remarks made by Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini indicate that this was always a possibility. Speaking with The Verge, he brought attention to the fact that “sometimes certain stories might not be something our partners might be able to create and produce primarily for the Japanese audience.” He continued by saying that Crunchyroll should invest in Solo Levelling because of its wider viewership.
On a global scale, Solo Levelling has been far more successful. Among the season’s most well regarded series, Solo Levelling was featured on MyAnimeList, the largest anime database in the world by anime count and boasting a 95% user base outside of Japan. Also, the show’s retention percentage among viewers who had already begun watching was incredibly low.
As stated on Crunchyroll, the anime Solo Levelling follows the story of Sung Jinwoo, the world’s weakest hunter, who proves that the old adage “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is far from true. Jinwoo returned from a high-ranking dungeon, where creatures cruelly butchered him, armed with the System, a programme that only he could see, which is levelling him up in every direction. He is compelled to learn more about the dungeon that gave him his abilities.
