Solo Leveling is currently on an unprecedented success run that is rivaling many of the bigger fandoms. It recently beat One Piece to become one of the most popular anime on Crunchyroll, which also gave rise to a lot of debates.
Many people are vocal about how Solo Leveling is a decent anime that mostly relies on known tropes and animation. It is not something that should be in the same league as shows like One Piece.
However, what can anyone do when archetypes actually work and are not inherently bad? This is what sells, and Solo Leveling is proving that point with its massive numbers.
Archetypes and cliches work, and Solo Leveling proves it
Many people have made a habit of criticizing archetypes and cliches for no reason, even though they themselves like to see it. A show that follows the trend gets reproached for not innovating or presenting something new.
However, what one cannot deny is that liking something is tied to familiarity. If someone is already knowledgeable about a certain type of trope and has consistently liked to see that kind of thing all their lives, they will automatically love something similar.
This is why, every season, a bunch of generic Isekai anime gets popular even when they do not offer anything groundbreaking.
Solo Leveling embraces its very generic archetypes, like the hero having all the plot armor and not a single threat working against him, and uses it for its advantage. Jinwoo thrives on the fact that no one is stronger than him, and we love to see him win every time.
This familiarity of seeing the hero prevail no matter what resonates with fans, making Solo Leveling work despite it having almost no proper side characters. On top of that, the power fantasy element where a weak person becomes the most overpowered character has always been a hit formula in Shonen.
Does this mean innovation has no place?
It is wrong to think that an innovative show that does not follow the norm will not work. Dandadan became famous because it dared to challenge all the tropes and then refused to follow any traditional route, emerging as a huge success in the process.
This is also the case with unique shows like Dorohedoro or Chainsaw Man, where we meet characters unlike any other we have seen before. So, are they not successful franchises? They have their own level of fame and also enjoy a good deal of critical acclaim.
Thus, rather than debating which one is better, it is more reasonable to just accept that every person’s taste is subjective and it is okay for anyone to enjoy what they like. Solo Leveling fans are valid for enjoying an archetypal show, and others are also valid for liking a mind-bending anime like Odd Taxi.
Comment
byu/This-Inspection-69 from discussion
inanimenews
The majority will always love cliches, and that is not something that will ever change. This is great because if it did, the unusual would lose its uniqueness and become the new normal.
Watch Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll.
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