Solo Leveling side story announces release date

Ahead of the expected springtime release of the Solo Leveling anime adaptation, a side story has been announced that has received a release date to begin serialization. The plot details remain unknown as of this article’s writing, but fans can expect it to focus on a character other than the mainline series’ protagonist, Sung Jinwoo.

Solo Leveling fans are excited about the news, which is seemingly the first mention of a side story based on fan reaction. However, the announcement also comes as a surprise to the fandom since Jang Sung-Rak, aka Dubu, one of the two writers of the original webnovel, passed away last year.

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Solo Leveling side story is set to begin serialization in a matter of days, but no plot information has been currently available

As per Twitter user and reputable general anime news source @AniNewsAndFacts (ANF), the Solo Leveling side-story will begin serialization starting on Saturday, January 21, 2023. ANF also specifies that the serialization will be a weekly one, matching the pace of the original series.

While some fans seem confused about whether ANF is announcing the project to be an anime or manga, the use of the term “weekly serialization” heavily implies it to be a manga. More specifically, the medium will likely be webtoon, just like the mainline series is. Other popular webtoons include Tower of God, The God of High School, and Noblesse.

The aforementioned three series, as well as the mainline Solo Leveling series, all have or will be turned into anime adaptations as part of the Crunchyroll Originals lineup. This project is a collaboration between Crunchyroll and Webtoon to bring some of their most popular series get their respective anime series, with all of the adaptations thus far being met with rousing success.

It’s currently unknown who will author and illustrate the upcoming side story. The webtoon adaptation of the series, which was originally a webnovel, was written by Chugong (a pen name) and Jang Sung-Rak, then penned as Dubu. While Chugong is likely to return, Dubu, unfortunately, passed away in July 2022 after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Thus, a change in art style is likely for the upcoming series, both out of necessity and out of respect to Dubu’s work on the original series. Considering the original webtoon saw a division of labor in writing and illustration, it’s unlikely that Chugong will take over both roles for the upcoming side story.

However, this is all speculative, with the only information on the upcoming series being that it will begin weekly serialization on Saturday, January 21, 2023. Nevertheless, fans are incredibly excited and can’t wait to dive back into the franchise’s world once more.

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Be sure to keep up with all anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.