Will Solo Leveling Be Overshadowed By One Piece’s Highly Anticipated Return?

Solo Leveling has been celebrating its spot at number one, but will the return of One Piece knock Jinwoo from his throne? Many believe the dark hero fantasy will hold its position, while others are certain that the pirating epic will rise beyond its previous heights after its six-month hiatus.

Those who love both are just happy they’ll still have something to look forward to after Solo Leveling wraps up its second season. Is one destined to eclipse the other, or will this power struggle continue well into the future? With the One Piece anime coming back on April 5th, this is a question that has been on people’s minds.

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Creators. Air Dates, and Episode Counts

Solo Leveling has been garnering a lot of attention since its anime debut in January 2024. Since entering season two, the show has even managed to surpass the anime titan, One Piece. Many see this achievement as merely taking advantage of the latter’s current absence from the lineup.

While the Fishman Island Saga is being re-aired with a fresh coat of paint, it’s understandably not drawing as many viewers as new episodes might. Despite this argument, Solo Leveling‘s climb to the top has been lauded by many as proof of its superiority. Between its gorgeous animation and overpowered protagonist, fans have been clamoring for more. Would this enthusiasm be lessened with Oda’s life’s work back on the playing field?

When Two Kings Clash

What Do They Share In Common?

• Huge Fan Base
• Incredibly Powerful Protagonist
• Themes of Monarchy

Taking a look at these two stories, they seem to have more differences than similarities. Sure, they both star an incredibly powerful hero, but one had to slowly work his way up the ladder, while the other was able to take a shortcut. Moreover, One Piece is a tale of found family and forged connections. Time and time again, fans are shown that Luffy wouldn’t be where he is without friends and allies. Solo Leveling literally states in its title what it’s all about: a one-man powerhouse. Take those two opposing themes and add the emphasis of their dissimilar art styles and vibes, and one has two amazing shōnen titles on either end of the spectrum. It would be easy to believe that their fans wouldn’t overlap, but with both being so hugely popular, that just isn’t possible. Solo Leveling fans are One Piece fans, and vice versa. Would some give up allegiance to one for the other?

Picking a Team

Rivalry between anime fans is nothing new. Anyone who remembers the pirates versus ninjas debate will attest to that. Something about loving a piece of media seems to compel some people to defend it with the fervor of a rabid devotee. This will often lead to power-scaling debates, as well as talk of ratings and viewership. While such arguments can be fun for some, others take things a little too far, allowing for their emotions to peak over simple differences in opinion. Squabbles are already happening with regard to the popularity of these two media heavyweights. Is it truly impossible to simply enjoy both? While some may argue it can’t be done, many and more will do just that.

Why Not Both?

True fans of animation and storytelling are rejoicing right now. When a beloved show was put on hold, a comparable replacement stepped up to fill the void. Even better, when that replacement takes its own break, the former will return, giving fans barely a moment to catch their breath.

Perhaps it could be considered a change of rulers; exchanging one king for another. Why should they go to war when they could work together to keep anime fans entertained? Refusing to watch one or the other would just be denying oneself the pleasure of going on two very different, but equally enthralling adventures. In what reality is that the right choice to make?

Raise Those Flags High

At the end of the day, it’s up to each person to make their choice, but the numbers will be the deciding factor in the end. In all likelihood, these two will be taking turns moving in and out of that top spot for years to come. If both continue to deliver as they have, there could be no other way. Whether one believes One Piece or Solo Leveling is the superior title is a matter of opinion, and the beautiful thing about opinions is that they can’t be wrong. A person’s feelings about something can’t be argued, despite what some might say. Wave that flag of support, whether it’s for the Shadow Monarch or the Pirate King. Both are likely to continue their rise regardless.

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  Solo Leveling
  

  Release Date

  January 7, 2024
  

  Directors

  Shunsuke Nakashige

  Writers

  Noboru Kimura

  
  

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    Taito Ban

    Shun Mizushino (voice)

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    Genta Nakamura

    Kenta Morobishi (voice)

  
  

  
  

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  One Piece
  

  Release Date

  October 20, 1999
  

  Network

  Fuji TV

  Directors

  Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou

  
  

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    Mayumi Tanaka

    Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

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    Kazuya Nakai

    Roronoa Zoro (voice)