Revelations From The Solo Leveling FYC Panel | popgeeks.com
Yesterday at the Television Academy’s Wolf Theatre in North Hollywood, Crunchyroll hosted a For Your Consideration (FYC) screening of its most-watched new anime series, Solo Leveling. If you’ve never heard of FYC screenings before, they’re designed to get the attention of Emmy voters. Episodes 22–24 from the second season were played in their entirety.
After the screening, Crunchyroll executive Travis Page introduced a panel with Solo Leveling producers Sota Furuhashi (Aniplex), Atsushi Kaneko (A-1 Pictures), and Kanako Takahashi (Crunchyroll), along with English voice cast Aleks Le (voice of Sung Jinwoo) and Michelle Rojas (voice of Cha Hae-in). The panel was moderated by TheWrap’s Raquel Harris.
Solo Leveling launched with a simuldub, and producer Atsushi Kaneko admitted getting the English version ready at the same time as the Japanese premiere was difficult, but that it was “a challenge that proved worthwhile once we saw the global response,” adding, “traveling and seeing the fandom first hand reminds me how powerful entertainment can transcend borders—even when it comes from Japan.” “Our job is to balance authenticity and accessibility, so fans everywhere feel seen,” added Crunchyroll producer Kanako Takahashi. Producer Sota Furuhashi revealed that more than 220,000 frames of animation were created for the second season of Solo Leveling: “Maybe by the next Olympics, we’ll be ready for what’s next.”
English voice actor Michelle Rojas said that voicing a Korean character felt meaningful given her heritage, and that it was the first time in her career she’d gotten the chance to do so. Aleks Le also feels a connection to Sung Jinwoo: “As an Asian immigrant, I saw myself in him. Watching his growth and bringing that to life was incredibly meaningful.”
After the panel, Producer Sota Furuhashi (Aniplex) and Animation Producer Atsushi Kaneko (A-1 Pictures) took part in a live Reddit AMA where they answered questions from fans. You can check out that thread at this link. Seasons 1 and 2 of Solo Leveling are streamable anytime on Crunchyroll.
