6 Classic Shonen Anime Solo Leveling Is Objectively Better Than

is the biggest new shonen anime out; hate it or love it, there’s no denying that.

While popular anime like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man have been incredibly successful, Solo Leveling has made a bigger, faster impact than any other series released in the last two years. Its main character, Sung Jinwoo, is quickly becoming a major figure in the anime world, though not everyone is thrilled about its success. A year after Season 2 of Solo Leveling became a massive hit and broke viewing records on Crunchyroll, the anime remains surprisingly divisive – and its rapid rise to fame likely contributes to that mixed reaction.

If you approach it without preconceptions and judge it on its own qualities, Solo Leveling is a truly impressive anime. It actually surpasses many well-known, older shonen anime in terms of quality and feels remarkably modern.

Black Clover is Steeped in All The Tropes Solo Leveling Purposely Avoids

What really sets Solo Leveling apart is its fast-paced action, which breaks away from the slower style often seen in other anime like Black Clover. While Black Clover is still popular, it hasn’t reached the same level of success as Solo Leveling, even after five seasons and over 170 episodes.

Like classic action series such as Naruto, Black Clover tells the story of a good-natured hero facing incredible challenges. While the action in Black Clover is enjoyable, it doesn’t quite stand out like some other shows, and its characters don’t have the same effortless charisma as someone like Sung Jinwoo. Black Clover successfully captures the spirit of older shonen anime, but its reliance on familiar tropes also prevents it from truly breaking new ground.

Bleach’s Original Anime Is Nowhere Near The Quality of Solo Leveling

While Bleach Thousand Year Blood War successfully reintroduced the Bleach series to a new generation, the original Bleach understandably feels dated compared to shows like Solo Leveling. Though it has some great moments, the story loses momentum over its almost 400 episodes. Solo Leveling, on the other hand, keeps you engaged from beginning to end.

While Bleach features exciting battles and a cool power-up system once you’re invested, it isn’t consistently as fun to watch as Solo Leveling. You could say Solo Leveling wouldn’t be what it is today without Ichigo paving the way, but when it comes to the original Bleach anime, the newer series ultimately surpasses it in terms of entertainment.

One Piece is the Literal Antithesis of What Makes Solo Leveling Special

As a huge anime fan, I’ve noticed a massive difference in how One Piece and Solo Leveling handle their pacing. One Piece battles can stretch on forever, sometimes feeling like they don’t really advance the plot. It’s the complete opposite with Solo Leveling! A single episode flies through so many chapters of the manhwa, it’s amazing. Honestly, One Piece is known for dedicating entire episodes to just one chapter of the manga – a style that would be unheard of in most anime today. And let’s not even get started on all the filler episodes!

Unlike the fast-paced, action-packed, and often dark world of Solo Leveling, One Piece is a long, fantastical adventure. While One Piece does have moments of great animation and exciting fights, it requires a significant time commitment – over a thousand episodes – to reach them.

Naruto is Bogged Down By The Exact Kind of Filler Solo Leveling Avoids

The original Naruto series, which debuted in the early 2000s, captivated a generation with its unique ninja-based powers and immersive world, making Naruto Uzumaki a legendary anime character. However, many fans consider Naruto Shippuden to be the stronger part of the story. Importantly, the early Naruto adaptation made several errors that A-1 Pictures specifically tried to correct when creating the Solo Leveling anime.

Early in the popular anime Naruto, a common issue began to appear: filler episodes that didn’t add to the main story. These episodes simply wasted viewers’ time. While Naruto is still a great series to watch, it represents an older style of anime where studios weren’t always careful to respect fans’ time.

My Hero Academia’s Overly Emotional Scenes Are Even Cringier Than Jinwoo’s Hospital Scene

After ten years, the popular anime My Hero Academia is scheduled to conclude in 2026, leaving a significant mark on pop culture. While the series has experienced both successful moments and challenges – with its final season in 2025 being a standout – it hasn’t always avoided common clichés found in older action anime.

My Hero Academia sometimes suffers from problems that Solo Leveling actively avoids, like explaining things too much or using overly dramatic moments that can feel awkward. Additionally, after nine seasons and over 180 episodes, My Hero Academia understandably struggles with consistency, a strength that Solo Leveling maintains.

Dragon Ball Super Relies Entirely on DBZ’s Nostalgia For Older Fans

Although the upcoming Dragon Ball Super remake seems promising and addresses many of the original series’ issues, the initial DBS anime has significant flaws. Dragon Ball paved the way for action-packed shows like Solo Leveling, but Solo Leveling’s anime is consistently fast-paced and exciting. In contrast, DBS often feels slow and unnecessarily drawn out, even considering the brilliance of Akira Toriyama’s work.

Goku’s Ultra Instinct form was a huge hit during the Tournament of Power, but it doesn’t make up for the inconsistent animation quality throughout the 100 episodes leading up to it. Even though fans still debate who would win in a fight between Sung Jinwoo and Son Goku, it’s clear that the Dragon Ball Super anime isn’t as good as Solo Leveling.

2026-05-18 17:42