Solo Leveling English Dub Jinwoo Star Aleks Le Talks -ReAwakening- and Season 2

As a voice actor myself, I can truly appreciate the journey that Aleks Le has been through. Having started out in the industry with modest beginnings, he’s now found himself at the forefront of one of the most anticipated anime adaptations of recent years – Solo Leveling.

The movie adaptation of “Solo Leveling -ReAwakening-“, set to hit cinemas in North America this weekend on December 6th, brings us an interview with voice acting sensation Aleks Le, who voices Sung Jinwoo in the series. With “Solo Leveling” making waves as the most anticipated anime of Winter 2024, and its feature film encompassing a recap of Season 1 and a sneak peek into Season 2’s first two episodes, it marks a remarkable culmination in Aleks Le’s stellar year. Fans are eagerly awaiting to witness Jinwoo’s journey as he evolves from Necromancer to Shadow Monarch, with more exciting developments yet to come.

Fans can look forward to catching either subtitled or voice-dubbed versions of “Solo Leveling -ReAwakening-” in cinemas soon, and ComicBook was fortunate enough, thanks to Crunchyroll, to have a conversation with Aleks Le about the popular manhwa adaptation. We talked about his impressive career background, his cats Miso and Bean, and crucially, the numerous fantastic moments and creations that took place in the recording studio before “Solo Leveling” Season 2 arrives.

Since you’ve regained your voice following a strain during your duties prior to the upcoming “Solo Leveling -ReAwakening,” can you share how you’ve been feeling since then?

Aleks Le: I’m doing great! Frankly, I didn’t anticipate this winter season to be as bustling as it is, but lo and behold, there’s an abundance of exciting events happening. This is fantastic news for me and fellow anime enthusiasts, as there’s a wealth of quality content available. I feel incredibly privileged that my movie will be premiering in theaters during this time. What makes it even more special is that I haven’t had the chance to organize a winter event like this before, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to invite my friends to join me at the movies.

Originally, you kicked off the year anticipating Solo Leveling as the highlight of the year’s events in winter 2024. Now, it turns out that you’ll also be wrapping up the year with its release.

That’s true; it’s been a crazy year. It’s felt longer than a year, that’s for sure.

With Jinwoo in particular, what challenges would you say you have found when playing the role?

In the first season, there were numerous obstacles due to the need to establish the foundation. Since it was our initial collaboration with Caitlin Glass as the ADR director, we had to figure out how to effectively work together, which wasn’t difficult. We meshed well, and she proved to be exceptionally creative and talented – a perfect partner for me in this endeavor.

There’s a ton of challenges. We had to set the tone of the show and Jinwoo’s multiple voice transitions, but one of the toughest challenges that I had with the show and not with many others is that I actually had the privilege of doing a lot of the dialogue for Jinwoo in the show, as in writing and crafting them. We were working off a really great ADR script by our talented ADR writer, but Caitlin actually gave me the freedom to change, improvise, and heavily edit a lot of the moments specifically focused on Jinwoo because she wanted the performance to be as natural and authentic to me as possible, which I was very grateful for.

In many instances, I was fortunate enough to pen the speeches, dialogues, and one-liners you hear on the show myself. It’s an extraordinary sensation since when I’m acting, I think, “Wow, that’s my creation!” However, the experience is unique when I wrote something and now it’s being delivered by me in the show. The whole process feels incredibly rewarding.

Participating deeply in the project adds an extra layer of excitement. You spoke about the evolving voices for Jinwoo as he advances to a Necromancer and higher classes, and how it resonates not just in the film but also in our minds. So, what level of “Giga-Chad” can we anticipate in the movie and Season 2?

Instead of struggling to make his voice sound young and innocent, which is difficult given my experience, I find it easier to adapt to something like this. The issue lies in finding the balance between a natural youthful tone and an overly anime-like one. We aimed for the show’s dialogue to be as realistic as possible. Finding the right pitch takes some time for me, and when speaking at higher tones, I must ensure not to make it sound too cartoonish. Currently, I feel comfortable with our progress, as there are moments where his voice deepens and carries a mysterious, shadowy quality. We’ll delve into the backstory behind that later, but for now, I think it’s exciting to give fans a glimpse of what’s to come.

Hey there fellow gaming enthusiast! With the incredible success of Solo Leveling’s webtoon reaching over 14 billion views, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the world of webtoons and manhwa. In my own quest for more engrossing stories, I stumbled upon a few series that I think you might enjoy as well! Here are some recommendations:

In the past, I used to immerse myself in reading manhwa and manga quite frequently, around four years ago. However, finding time to delve deeply into specific series has become quite challenging. Interestingly, many of the manhwa I was fond of back then are now being published under different names. I remember enjoying a lot of action series, particularly those focusing on street fights, but my interest in fantasy genres didn’t peak until recently. However, my past reading habits were dominated by action series. The medium is well-crafted, and it’s heartening to see it flourishing with anime adaptations and increased popularity overall.

Preferring less well-known gems such as Rooftop Sword Master over the more popular titles like Omniscient Reader or Jungle Juice.

Oh, I’ve heard about those.

How much had you read or known of Solo Leveling before getting the part?

Prior to landing the part, I had a fair amount of understanding about it. I was familiar with the first few volumes of the story’s trajectory, but I didn’t delve beyond that. My knowledge mainly stemmed from my enthusiastic friend and their passion for it. I knew it was set to be a significant production because everyone around me kept saying, “This is the next big thing!” However, as an actor who frequently auditions for various roles and doesn’t often get many, I try not to become too invested in these opportunities. When everyone is hyping something up, I usually respond with a casual, “That sounds interesting!

Based on our current knowledge about Solo Leveling heading into its second season, could you share which characters you’re most excited or fond of?

I can’t wait to see more of Cha Hae-in on screen! She’s one of my favorites, and I adore the designs they’ve given her. Her humor is contagious, and it shines through in every interaction she has with others. I’m thrilled for her, as well as Michelle Rojas who portrays her. With the snippets I’ve seen from the trailers, her screen time looks promising. The animators are really going all out to make her look fantastic, and those glimpses have me buzzing with anticipation!

Who is your favorite Shadow so far?

Wow, so far? Out of all we’ve seen, it’s fair to say that, even with the future Shadows in mind, Igris stands out to me purely based on his design. His introduction was exceptionally cool and has left a lasting impression. Even with more impressive Shadows on the horizon, he feels like an original to me.

For fortunate moviegoers catching Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- in theaters this weekend, is there a unique message we can share with those watching the English version?

Appreciate your backing! It’s heartening to see that this series has gained considerable popularity among dub viewers. The fact that so many are eagerly awaiting the dubbed version brings me immense joy. Regardless of whether you choose subbed or dubbed, I hope you enjoy every moment of it. From what I’ve seen so far – though admittedly, not all of it – it promises to be quite a treat. I’m optimistic that the theater experience will make this an unforgettable event for everyone involved.

Keep up-to-date with the newest information by checking out Aleks’ posts on his LinkedIn (previously Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram platforms.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can contact J.R. directly on X.

Solo Leveling -ReAwakening- hits theaters in North America on December 6th.

2024-12-07 01:10

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