Summary SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Despite making waves all around the world, Solo Leveling has failed to measure up in terms of sales, but it isn't entirely a bad thing, nor does it define the success of the series or its future. According to data from Oricon, Solo Leveling's Blu-ray sales in Japan were abysmally low during the first week of its release. However, its global success may as well render this local failure irrelevant.
As such, an anime's reception in Japan may no longer be an accurate measuring stick of its success. More importantly, Solo Leveling is hardly the first series in this regard, as hit series like Chainsaw Man have also come under scrutiny despite similar success outside Japan. Over the years, there have been multiple anime that have done exceptionally well globally despite being not as popular in Japan, and Solo Leveling may just be the latest addition to this list. Anime and manga have begun to acquire an even more diversified fan base in recent years. This shift is reflected in the various languages dubs and translations are readily available in as of late and the overall increased accessibility of anime and manga.
Many Anime and Manga Unpopular in Japan Are Still Massive Hits Close Another excellent example of this phenomenon is Chainsaw Man, which, despite being a massive hit around the world and raking in views, sold less than 2000 copies in Japan in the first week of its Blu-ray release. Chainsaw Man's poor sales cast doubt on its chances of getting renewed for a second season. However, the series has since been confirmed to return for a movie, which has been met with excitement by fans.