Solo Leveling, the anime series that has shaken the industry since its release has become a subject of controversy just after 4 episodes. According to many sources, the solo leveling opening theme animation was forced to remove the studio credits because of the claims about the studio being involved with some controversial incidents.
While it hasn’t affected the series’ popularity and the love from fans on a global level, Korean fans in particular have expressed rage over the involvement of Solo Leveling anime with Studio PPURI. The studio is claimed to use ‘anti-men’ gestures in its works which have hurt the sentiments of the Korean audience in a major way.
It is also said to be involved with the feminist group Megalia, an online community and social movement of South Korean feminists that began in May and June 2015. The inclusion of Studio PPURI led to the downfall of the stocks of D&C Media, the publishers of Solo Leveling, which is believed to be the main reason for the change in the credits.
Solo Leveling Opening Theme
The well-known K-pop trio Tomorrow x Together (TXT) performs the opening theme song for Solo Leveling in association with composer Hiroyuki Sawano, who is well-known for writing music for hit anime shows like Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, Bubble, and more.
The popularity of the series is evident from the over two million views the Solo Leveling opening theme video called LEvel has received. The video was uploaded by Crunchyroll on YouTube and is one of the most liked opening anime theme songs. The animated version of the popular Solo Leveling introductory song was created by Studio PPURI.
Due to its connections to the feminist organization Megalia and the alleged “anti-men” gestures in some of its works, Studio PPURI has developed a bad reputation in some regions of Korea. This has led to Solo Leveling getting involved in the controversy and ultimately deciding to make a change in the Solo Leveling opening theme.
Solo Leveling Opening Forced To Make a Major Change
Studio PPURI’s bad reputation and ties with the feminist group Megalia have affected the opening theme of Solo Leveling. According to rumors, Megalia uses a sign that, because of its connotations regarding Korean penis sizes, has drawn a lot of criticism.
Many of Studio PPURI’s works have been accused of subtly incorporating this gesture; some even assert that the reference is present in the introduction of Solo Leveling. NewsTomato reported that concerns about the stock market drove the decision to remove the studio’s name from the opening credits.
According to reports, the stock price of Solo Leveling’s publisher, D&C Media, fell more than 6% on January 15 compared to the previous trading day and had a 10% decline that same day due to the controversy. However, this has only affected the domestic Korean distribution of the series, as both Megalia and Studio belong to Korea.
You can watch Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll.
