Frieren and Solo Leveling are two household names in the fantasy genre. Each has a massive following, but they capture their viewers in completely different ways. While Solo Leveling thrives on non-stop action and power progression, Frieren offers a slow, meditative, and emotional journey. In short, Frieren is the exact opposite of Solo Leveling, and that’s what makes it so special.
Anime fans often compare Frieren and Solo Leveling, especially after the latter won Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year award. Despite this disappointing loss, more fans agree that Frieren is laps ahead of Solo Leveling when it comes to plot, character development, and emotional storytelling. It’s this anti-Solo Leveling approach that ultimately gives Frieren strength and lasting appeal.
Solo Leveling Is Anime Of The Year, But 1 Show Far Surpasses It In Quality
Solo Leveling won the title of anime of the year, but fans believe this one series deserved the title more.
Solo Leveling Is an Explosive Power Fantasy Anime
The Formula of Solo Leveling
- Solo Leveling is fast, explosive, and exhilarating.
- Solo Leveling is hyperfocused on Sung Jin-Woo's meteoric rise to power.
At this point, it’s very clear that Solo Leveling is the ultimate power fantasy anime of the modern era. It has everything a power fantasy anime needs, from explosive fights and major power-ups to powerful villains and a main character who doesn’t know how to stop growing stronger. Each episode of Solo Leveling shows just how fast and satisfying Jin-Woo's fights are, leaving the audience in awe.
No wonder Solo Leveling quickly captured the hearts of viewers. On top of having a simple and straightforward plot, it doesn’t have any complicated mysteries or schemes that require its viewers to think hard. Instead, it’s just pure action and power progression, with the audience watching Jin-Woo transform from being the weakest E-rank hunter in Korea to the strongest in the world.
The system uses me, and I use the system.—Sung Jin-Woo
Moreover, A-1 Pictures did a very good job bringing Solo Leveling to life. The fighting sequences involving Jin-Woo and the formidable shadow army were consistently smooth and fluid, turning the anime into a visual spectacle. Most importantly, fans of Solo Leveling find satisfaction in Sung Jin-Woo's intense fights, especially when he defeats powerful opponents in style.
Frieren Is the Anti-Solo Leveling
Frieren Refuses Solo Leveling’s Formula
- Frieren rejects Solo Leveling’s approach to fantasy storytelling.
- Frieren highlights the importance of time, human life, and memory.
Solo Leveling’s closest rival, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, otherwise known as Frieren, takes a completely different route. From the beginning, the setup was different, with Frieren telling the elf mage’s journey after the Demon King was defeated. From one episode to another, Frieren shows what happens to the heroes after they successfully stop the forces of evil.
Instead of using the same formula as Solo Leveling, with Sung Jin-Woo grinding levels, growing stronger, and defeating opponents, Frieren follows its titular protagonist travelling from one village to another, learning the importance of time, legacy, human lives, and relationships. Rather than putting Frieren in the middle of nonstop battles, the anime places her on the road of self-discovery.
It's best to live without regrets.—Frieren
Additionally, Frieren is a slow-burn anime, which means it requires its audience to value patience. The story unfolds gradually, with Frieren and her party meeting new faces and traveling across changing lands while facing challenges that are less about strength and power and more about compassion and empathy. In other words, they became the heart of the story.
Fans Need Both Solo Leveling and Frieren
Solo Leveling and Frieren Complement Each Other
Without a doubt, Solo Leveling and Frieren represent the duality of fantasy anime. Solo Leveling is all about power and progression, whereas Frieren is all about purpose and self-discovery. Both of these anime have proven to be entertaining in different ways, making them must-watch shows. For those who want explosive battles with an overpowered main character at the center, they could watch Solo Leveling, while those who want to slow down and breathe could switch to Frieren.
Together, Solo Leveling and Frieren deliver what fans crave from fantasy anime. They need these shows to find beauty in the contrast, where one story celebrates overwhelming strength, while the other embraces quiet introspection. They are two sides of the same coin, showing the range and the full spectrum of the fantasy genre. At the end of the day, it’s up to the fans to decide which one resonates more deeply with them.
For now, Solo Leveling and Frieren are the biggest anime shows in the fantasy genre. While Solo Leveling Season 3 is not yet confirmed, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 will arrive in January 2026.
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Solo Leveling
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widgetDisplay card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
- Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
- Writers
- Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
Cast
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Taito BanSung Jin-woo -
Genta NakamuraYoo Jin-ho
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong's popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widgetDisplay card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end- Release Date
- September 29, 2023
- Network
- Nippon TV, YTV, FBS, Chukyo TV, RNB, FCT, STV, KNB, HTV, YBS, RAB, TVI, YBC, UMK TV Miyazaki, TSB, MMT, TeNY, RNC, NIB, KKT, KTK, NKT, ABS, JRT, Daiichi-TV, FBC, RKC, KYT, KRY
- Directors
- Kento Matsui, Kota Mori, Takahiro Natori, Morio Asaka, Lim Ka-hee, Taku Kimura, Ken Ando, Hirotaka Mori, Ayaka Tsuji
- Writers
- Tomohiro Suzuki
Cast
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Atsumi TanezakiFrieren (voice)
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Kana IchinoseFern (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingFrieren: Beyond Journey's End is an animated adventure-drama series based on the manga series created by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe. Following her parties' victory against an all-powerful demon king that threatened to destroy their world, Frieren, an elf, attempts to find her place in a new world with an undetermined future fifty years later.
