Blu-ray and DVD sales in Japan have revealed a surprise for fans of the anime " Solo Leveling Oricon data shows surprisingly low sales for the series' first Blu-ray and DVD volumes.
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According to data from the Oricon website, from March 25 to 31, 2024, the anime "Girls Und Panzer Final Chapter Part 4" topped the list with 32,614 copies sold. In second place was "Gushing over Magical Girls Vol. 1" with 8,114 copies, followed by "Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror [Limited Edition] Vol. 7" with 3,380 copies.
On the other hand, "Solo Leveling" failed to achieve a prominent sales position, and no concrete figures were even released. The lowest-ranked Blu-ray/DVD volume, "Mashle: Divine Visionary Selection Exam Arc Vol. 1," indicated that "Solo Leveling Vol. 1" (released on March 27) likely sold fewer than 634 units in its first week. "Solo Leveling"'s low sales were compounded by those of other popular anime, such as "Undead Unluck" and "Shangri-La Frontier."
Blu-ray/DVD sales as a sign of whether an anime will receive future seasons, with both "Shangri-La Frontier" and "Solo Leveling" having already announced second seasons. "Undead Unluck" has also confirmed a major announcement on August 1, 2024, and many suspect it will be a sequel.
While it's unclear why "Solo Leveling" didn't fare as well in Japan, comments from Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini suggest it was always a possibility. In an interview with The Verge, he noted that "sometimes certain stories may not be something our partners can create and produce primarily for the Japanese audience." He then cited the franchise as a series Crunchyroll would be worth investing in given its broader audience .
Internationally, "Solo Leveling" was much more successful. On MyAnimeList , the world's largest anime database, which also has 95% of its users outside of Japan, "Solo Leveling" was among the highest-rated series of the season. Furthermore, it had a surprisingly low abandonment rate among viewers who had already started the series. The low sales of "Solo Leveling" in Japan may be disconcerting to some, but it demonstrates that an anime's success can vary significantly by region and target audience.
Source: Oricon News
