Shonen as a genre is very tricky if we come to think about the fanbase. One wrong move and fans go with all guns blazing. The fan community in the past few years has gained notoriety for the toxicity and hate culture. But this time, they hit a new low in every sense.
Solo Leveling in particular proved why shonen fans don’t deserve good things. No matter how excellent a series is, the toxic fanatics devalue it nonetheless. This move stirred the pot for the worse among the fandom. But it also raises concerns regarding the rise of toxicity within the anime fandoms.
Solo Leveling Episode-9 sparks controversy among fans
Solo Leveling’s popularity and acclaim is a mere understatement considering its influence on the manhwa and anime industry on the whole. The series is making waves each day with its brilliance. The animation, plot, and characters seamlessly blend with well-written elements, but there are downsides to that.
The series, like most in the shonen genre, isn’t spared from shortcomings or criticism. Aura farming and overhyping are some of its biggest criticisms along with its treatment of side characters. But that is not the case, especially with the second season, and here’s why.
Truly, the second season is a cut above the first in many ways. Yes, the animation is one thing but it features some of the interesting fights from the manhwa. Be it Baran or Ice Bear, Jinwoo’s battle against the foes was pretty impressive. The recent episode, however, struck a nerve among several fans.
Whether it was disgust or anger, we may never know, but toxic fans bombarded Crunchyroll with 2000 dislikes. On r/anime, people responded to this in different ways, with most refuting this behavior altogether. But what exactly happened?
Well, Jinwoo shared a vulnerable moment during his reunion with his mother. It is a tearjerker in every sense, but for fans looking forward to an action-driven plot, it didn’t fare well. Regardless of that, it only points to the rising toxicity within shonen fandoms, which is concerning.
Rise of toxicity in shonen fandoms
Toxicity and concerning behaviours aren’t a first, especially when it comes to fandom. With Shonen, however, it is an all-time high, especially in the past few years. Fans threatening mangakas, review bombing other series, and leaving negative ratings is saddening for the most part.
Little do they realize that they give love and fandom a bad name. This is also strange, especially with how some critiqued the series for lack of character depth. Yet, here we are witnessing a character’s heart-rending and jarring moment with his mother, only to be downgraded by dislikes.
Keeping that aside, it was indeed refreshing to witness fans speak up against it. It is important to know that toxic fans and fanatics do not represent a fandom, however, such actions blot the fan community on the whole. This included both readers and viewers, but that is not all.
Jinwoo’s reunion with his mother was a tearjerker but it also showcased his depth and complexity as a character. Yes, the series is action packed and yes, it is shonen. But its brilliance lies in not following the ironclad rules of shonen and some fans need to understand that.
Solo Leveling served depth and gravity through its MC yet the toxic fan behaviour stands as disappointing on many levels. On the bright side, though, the fandom’s appreciation and faith in the series is truly refreshing.
Solo Leveling anime is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manhwa is available for reading on Tapas.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
