That is why the series can feel confusing if the anime was your first introduction. The characters speak Japanese, and in the Japanese version Sung Jinwoo is called Shun Mizushino. Meanwhile, the web novel and webtoon released on KakaoPage have reached 14.3 billion cumulative views worldwide, and the anime won nine categories at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year. Official Netflix announcement ↗
Official Crunchyroll trailer · Embedded through YouTube. ToYouPick does not download or re-upload the video, thumbnail or frames. YouTube ↗
The weakest hunter starts with a very human reason to keep fighting
Sung Jinwoo begins as an E-rank hunter known as the weakest of the weak. He keeps entering dangerous dungeons because he cannot simply walk away: his mother has hospital bills, his younger sister has tuition to pay, and his job options are limited. Yen Press synopsis ↗
After a near-death experience, Jinwoo gains access to a mysterious System that lets him keep leveling up when other hunters cannot. The dungeons, monsters and explosive power growth deliver the spectacle, but underneath that is a powerless person slowly becoming strong enough to protect the people he loves.
That emotional thread matters. Jinwoo’s growth is not only a game-like number climbing higher. Responsibility, fear, loss and family give the power fantasy something human to hold on to.
“Webtoon” is Korean, too
There is another piece of Korean context hidden in the word itself.
A webtoon is a digital-comics format that began and developed in South Korea in the early 2000s. The term “webtoon” appeared in Korean media and as a service name in 2000, and long-form vertical scrolling later became one of the format’s defining features. Encyclopedia of Korean Culture ↗
Instead of turning pages in a printed comic, readers move down a continuous screen. It was not invented only for smartphones, but the vertical format turned out to fit phone screens extremely well, helping webtoons spread far beyond Korea.
So Solo Leveling is not simply a Korean story that happened to be animated in Japan. It is also a Korean-born digital storytelling format meeting Japan’s anime production system and then reaching a global audience.
How a Korean original became a Japanese anime
The official Japanese anime site credits DUBU (REDICE STUDIO), Chugong and h-goon for the original work and lists A-1 Pictures as the animation studio. Official anime site ↗
So “Korean or Japanese?” does not really need a one-word answer. The story and original IP come from Korea; the TV anime production is Japanese.
Why is Sung Jinwoo called Shun Mizushino?
In Korean and many international releases, the protagonist is Sung Jinwoo. On the official Japanese anime site, however, he is 水篠 旬 / Shun Mizushino. Official Japanese character page ↗
The Japanese version localizes names and some setting details. What we do not have is an official production statement explaining exactly why every change was made. So claims that the Korean origin was deliberately “hidden,” or that the change had a specific political motive, go beyond what the official sources establish.
Which version am I watching?
If the protagonist is called Sung Jinwoo, you are probably watching a version that keeps the Korean name. If he is Shun Mizushino, you are probably seeing the Japanese-localized version.
But Japanese audio does not automatically mean Japanese names in every release. Region, platform, dub and subtitle settings can create different combinations.
Solo Leveling is still getting bigger
The franchise has moved far beyond its web novel and webtoon roots. Netflix has announced a Korean live-action series with Byeon Woo-seok cast as Sung Jinwoo. Official Netflix announcement ↗
Then in July 2026, Solo Leveling: Beyond the System was announced as an anime film continuing the story after Season 2, with A-1 Pictures returning. As of September 16, 2026, a theatrical release date has not been announced. Official Crunchyroll announcement ↗
So if someone asks, “Is Solo Leveling Korean or Japanese?”, this is the clearest answer:
But nationality alone does not explain why the series connected with so many people. Jinwoo begins as someone who keeps getting hurt because his family depends on him. Watching that same person become strong enough to protect others gives all that leveling up an emotional payoff, not just a bigger number on a screen.
From a Korean web novel and webtoon to Japanese animation, and now toward a Korean live-action series and a new anime film, Solo Leveling has become a story that keeps changing form without losing the reason people rooted for Jinwoo in the first place.
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