It’s no stretch to say Solo Leveling is one in all, if not the, greatest anime of the winter 2024 Anime Season. Between its stellar animation, gripping plot, and notable tweaks to the standard Shonen motion framework, there’s greater than sufficient to entice nearly all of anime followers.
Solely bolstering all that is the terrific English Dub, and we received the prospect to sit down down with the English ADR Director Caitlin Glass and Sung Jinwoo Voice Actor Aleks Le to speak in regards to the dubbing course of for Solo Leveling. Each had a lot to say when it comes to the present’s recognition, the alternatives dubbing presents, and the way they’d promote it to anybody who hasn’t hopped aboard the bandwagon.
![Sung Jinwoo braves the deadly caves within a dungeon in Solo Leveling](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Solo-Leveling-Sung-Jinwoo-Cave.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Twinfinite Employees Author Keenan McCall: How does it really feel to be half of what’s arguably the largest present of the season?
Aleks Le: Surreal. Yeah, yeah. Fairly surreal. It feels actually good.
This can be a actually humorous occasion for me as a result of I bear in mind strolling round Anime Expo and seeing all of the merchandise and trailers and seeing everyone hyped for the present, and I used to be like ‘that’s a extremely cool present. Whelp, I’m in all probability not going to get in it. I hope everyone has time watching it, guess I’ll test it out later down the road too.’ And you realize, right here we’re.
So undoubtedly nonetheless lots to course of for myself personally. But it surely feels actually good to be on such a artistic and excessive scale challenge as this one.
Caitlin Glass: I’ve truly been engaged on Solo Leveling in pre-production for near a 12 months now, so it’s actually thrilling. I used to be over the moon again once we lastly received to announce the forged in November. Aleks was with me at Anime NYC and I used to be like ‘lastly! Whew!’ Like, with a sigh of aid, I can lastly discuss in regards to the factor! And now that it’s popping out and individuals are watching it and everybody’s into it, it’s simply all the pieces that you just work for, you realize?
![The party raiding the Cartenon Temple are shocked at the events transpiring in Solo Leveling](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Solo-Leveling-Shocked.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Keenan McCall: Have you ever encountered any particular challenges both with dubbing or placing collectively the dub for Solo Leveling given there’s a pre-existing hype and the entire fandom surrounding it?
Aleks Le: I feel the problem with regards to dubbing any collection at all times is to ensure we seize the intent of the unique Japanese efficiency. And on this case, the intent was very intense. The Japanese Seiyuu, Taito Ban, did an unimaginable, unimaginable job on this challenge and I simply needed to make it possible for each element, each nuance of his efficiency was understood and introduced over to an English talking viewers in a approach that didn’t really feel unnatural.
I needed to hold his vitality and his enthusiasm for this position, and make it possible for nothing was misplaced in translation and in that course of. And Caitlin and I labored actually onerous to take an even bigger have a look at the place the story is and the place it goes and form of simply think about the grand context of all of it to make it possible for what we’re doing suits inside the timeline and what we’re doing additionally aids how the story is being instructed.
Caitlin Glass: I feel I attempt to not take into consideration the followers till I’ve to. As a result of in the end, my job as a director is to uphold this creation — this property, this story — that belongs to another person, the creators of it. And to make it possible for what we eat maintains their intentions. In order that’s at the beginning, and I feel that if we do this, the followers can be happy. As a result of they already just like the supply materials.
However then, I additionally understand that there can be an entire wealth of those that haven’t learn the (Solo Leveling) net comedian and that by no means heard of it earlier than. And they’re experiencing the hype from everybody else they usually’re going to leap onboard and watch this factor as a result of their buddies are, as a result of it’s the subsequent large present. So for them, I need to ship the absolute best product.
However as soon as once more, once we have a look at what I’ve to work with in each what’s given to me and the actors that I’ve to work with and the engineering workforce, I do know that they’re going to adore it as a result of it’s spectacular. It’s a top-notch present.
![](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Solo-Leveling-Jinwoo-Next-to-Mothers-Bedside-1.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Keenan McCall: Are there any particular Solo Leveling moments you guys are particularly trying ahead to, both for voicing or directing, both from studying about it or understanding followers are actually trying ahead to them particularly?
Aleks Le: There are too many on this present to anticipate truthfully. There’ve been so many cool moments that we’ve gotten to do already, and I really feel like with every new second comes not solely a way of pleasure but in addition a number of nerves. So sooner or later, we’re form of getting right into a territory the place it’s a brand new aspect of Jinwoo that we haven’t seen earlier than and I feel that’s actually thrilling for me to consider what that’s going to be like. So I’m actually excited to see the place we take it.
Caitlin Glass: I don’t need to spoil an excessive amount of of the particular, cool issues that Jinwoo will get to do, so if I can, I’ll talk about different occasions within the story and perhaps my favourite moments as I used to be studying the Manwha earlier than I even knew that I’d be directing it.
There was a considered ‘oh, if this had been an anime, this may be actually superior.’ I actually love Baek Yoonho lots, and once we get the form of large reveal of the extent of his powers — which has been spoiled just a little bit for us in episode one, the animators determined ‘let’s let followers see this cool factor!’ and I used to be actually surprised, like ‘oh! There it’s!’ And so I look ahead to once we get to see that, like absolutely. And his encounter with Hwang Dongsoo particularly. I don’t know why, however that one’s on my thoughts.
![Sung Jinwoo unleashes the extent of his powers in Solo Leveling](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Solo-Leveling-Sung-Jinwoo-Powerful.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Keenan McCall: This one’s geared extra towards Aleks particularly. So Jinwoo has a fairly wide selection of feelings in Solo Leveling. He’s not likely a one-note character such as you may see in another Shonen choices or motion collection. How has that impacted your method to voicing him? Have you ever actually tried to humanize him, or lean someway together with his feelings?
Aleks Le: I feel one thing that’s actually particular about this character to me is that there’s at all times the saying that ‘this character feels extra human as a result of he has flaws,’ however I’ve by no means encountered a personality the place I felt the difficult and completely different inside struggles so carefully resonate with my inside struggles.
So for me, this character on this Shonen setting is seen to be a hero, seen to be the hero of his personal journey. However in a approach, I additionally really feel like he’s making an attempt to get what’s his, you realize? After dwelling a lifetime of ridicule or mockery, he’s actually looking for his place on this new world.
And generally that’s not at all times executed in good religion, and that’s what I actually like about it. There’s a number of misguidedness towards how he perceives the world simply due to his circumstances, and I really feel like these are classes folks need to be taught on their very own. And it was thrilling for me to see an anime character come to phrases with these ideas, and I used to be like ‘Wow, it is a lot extra of a remedy session than I believed it was going to be’ once we had been recording a few of these moments.
I used to be notably excited to see that this character was not essentially egocentric, but in addition very adamant about how he desires to be handled and the way he desires the world view him, and the way he desires to vary himself in order that he will be higher not just for himself however for the folks round him as effectively.
![Solo Leveling Group](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/solo-leveling-first-episode.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Keenan McCall: This one is extra particularly for Caitlin. Have been there any particular tones or overarching themes you’re making an attempt to actually assist the voice actors convey with all of their performances? Solo Leveling warbles between that energy fantasy or motion really feel and extra dour, down themes of Jinwoo making an attempt to return to phrases with ‘I used to be weak, I’ve change into sturdy’, that kind of factor. Is that one thing you’re holding in thoughts whilst you direct the voice actors, or are you letting all of them uncover their very own characters?
Caitlin Glass: Properly, I can’t simply allow them to run wild (laughs). Primarily as a result of, except for Aleks who has a lot display time, typically dub actors depend on the director lots to assist information them. As a result of everybody has entry to the manhwa, however nobody’s anticipated to go and browse it. The truth is, you by no means understand how an anime could also be tailored in a different way from the supply materials. So understanding it too carefully, and wanting to stick to it so particularly, can work in opposition to you once you’re within the sales space.
And so it’s form of good to have actors are available in with a contemporary slate and be like ‘who is that this character? What am I doing?’ and allow them to take within the Seiyuu’s efficiency and take up it and switch it round into one thing in English.
I feel one thing that I at all times do as a director whatever the present is to floor everybody’s performances in actuality. As a result of anime themes are at all times so fantastical — with such as you mentioned the ability fantasy or it may very well be something, they’ll have magic — circumstances are at all times so excessive, and it’s straightforward to get misplaced in that and never be capable of hook up with it. You’ll be able to’t droop your disbelief that far if the voices are additionally simply doing ridiculous stuff and being too cartoony.
And so the primary factor for me is holding everyone sounding human, and giving a cinematic efficiency general.
![Solo Leveling Architect Smiling](https://twinfinite.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/solo-leveling-architect.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Keenan McCall: Should you needed to describe Solo Leveling or summarize it in a nutshell to somebody who hasn’t hopped on board and began watching the dub but, what would you say to them?
Aleks Le: I’d say the tagline of the present: “No matter kills you makes you stronger.” I feel that’s a extremely cool line, and I’d inform them ‘watch this. This man will get crushed the hell up, however then he wakes up and he’s actually cool.’ (laughs) That’s my approach of convincing my buddies not less than to observe the present.
Caitlin Glass: (Laughs) I’d be like ‘watch this. There’s this wimpy dude after which later he’s going to be actually scorching.’
Aleks Le: (Laughs) That’s legitimate, that’s legitimate.
Caitlin Glass: And the music’s good.
Aleks Le: And the music’s good, and the animation’s good. (Laughs)
Caitlin Glass: (Laughs) However on a critical notice, there are issues in regards to the story that I don’t assume even I linked to or they hadn’t actually hit me or resonated with me till I heard Aleks carry out them, and it made me go ‘that’s why we dub issues.’ It issues to listen to them in your personal language to be able to join with them extra deeply.
And within the Cartenon Temple when (Jinwoo) is dying and simply form of screaming in opposition to the truth that it’s taking place, I feel once I learn it I used to be going ‘yeah no, that sucks, that blows’. Till Aleks carried out it, I didn’t grasp how a lot worse it was as a result of he had executed basically all the pieces proper, all the pieces proper, and that is what he will get anyway.
And man, how many people have skilled one thing like that? To not the purpose the place we’re about to die, however in our personal private lives or in {our relationships}? In all of these areas? And I used to be overcome by that feeling of simply awfulness and the way unfair and unjust this was. And that’s how I knew, I used to be like ‘man that is simply Episode 2. We’re going to have the perfect time on this present. That is actual.’