Summary
A-1 Pictures has produced over 100 anime titles across various genres over the years, but there’s one genre where they truly excel: action. FromFairy TailtoSword Art OnlinetoSolo Leveling,A-1 Pictures knows how to adapt great action series.
Speaking ofSolo Leveling,this action series proves to be one of the most successful adaptations that A-1 Pictures has ever done. Since this studio clearly knows how to adapt a Manhwa likeSolo Levelingproperly, it only makes sense for them to adapt more action Manhwa in the future. With that in mind, here are some great action Manhwa that A-1 Pictures should adapt afterSolo Leveling.One more thing: This list focuses on Manhwa series that haven’t received an official anime adaptation yet, sogreat series likeOmniscient Reader’s Viewpoint,currently in production at Aniplex, won’t be featured.
7The Knight Only Lives Today
War, Die, and Repeat
Let’s start with the newest addition on this list, a 2024 Manhwa calledThe Knight Only Lives Today. This is the story of Encrid, a lowly soldier who finds himself living in a time loop, repeating the day that he died on the battlefield over and over again. Rather than falling into a deep depression, however, Encrid uses this painful opportunity to sharpen his swordsmanship.
The story ofThe Knight Only Lives Todayis similar to a 2004 Light Novel calledAll You Need Is Kill,which was adapted into a 2014 manga by the same name, which was later adapted into a movie calledEdge of Tomorrow.Both are great stories, but if there’s one thing that makes this Manhwa have a slight edge overAll You Need Is Kill,it’s the fact that you may feel the desperation of the main character in this story, which makes the story even more engaging to read.
6Pick Me Up
Transported to a Deadly Game World
Pick Me Up!is an online action-adventure game where players control their hero as they fight against countless monsters on every floor of the 100-level tower. Han Seojin is in the middle of trying out the game’s brand-new massive event when he is suddenly transported into the world inside the game. He becomes a new 1-Star hero named Han Yslat. Without any explanation at all, he is thrown into the brutal world ofPick Me Up!and has to fight against vicious monsters in order to survive.
The premise of Pick Me Up! is quite similar to the famousSword Art Onlineseries.The main difference between the two is the fact thatPick Me Up!is a much more brutal game than Sword Art Online, which makes the action feel even more intense and terrifying.
5SSS-Class Revival Hunter
Copying His Way to the Top
The story ofSSS-Class Revival Hunterrevolves around a weak, bottom-of-the-F-Class hunter named Confucius Kim. He doesn’t even havethe strength to go past the first floor of the tower.Just when he is about to give up, however, the Tower grants Confucius a unique skill that allows him to copy the skill of his enemy in exchange for his own life.
Luckily for him, the first skill that he copies allows him to turn back time whenever he gets killed. Thanks to this new skill, Confucius can use his unique skill over and over again without having to worry about death. This is the beginning of his meteoric rise into the SSS-Class Hunter.
4The Breaker
An Old-School Martial Arts Story
The Breakeris a story about a high school boy named Siwoon who accidentally finds himself thrust into the mind-blowing world of martial artists known as the Murim. From moving faster than cars to destroying a building with a single punch, this innocent young man is about to learn everything there is to know about this fascinating secret world.
The Breakeris among the early generation of Manhwa, back when this medium was still printed in the black and white paperback, just like its Japanese counterpart, before it evolved into a colorful webtoon that has become the standard these days. From intense action sequences to heartbreaking moments,The Breakerhas it all.If any manhwa deserves the anime treatment, it’sThe Breaker.
3Return of the Blossoming Blade
The Return of a Forgotten Hero
After a bloody battle that takes the lives of every fighter from the 20 strongest Martial Arts Sects on the land, the 13th Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, Cheongmyeong—one of the three greatest swordsman on Earth andthe Master of the Blossoming Blade—finally manages to kill the leader of the Demon Cult, at the cost of his own life.
Unfortunately for him, the world is not done with him yet because 100 years after that fateful battle, Cheongmyeong is born again. This time around, however, he is born as a beggar in a world that has forgotten his deeds and the existence of his beloved Mount Hua Sect. So begins Cheongmyeong’s long and eventful journey to bring the Mount Hua Sect back to the top.
2Eleceed
An Awakened Being and His Cat
In the world ofEleceed,certain people all over the world manage toawaken some sort of superpowers.To maintain peace, they hide their identity and blend in with regular people. One of the strongest awakened people in Korea is a young man named Kayden.
One thing led to another, and Kayden found himself being hunted by other awakened people. In order to recuperate and hide from his pursuer, Kayden decided to turn into a cat. Not just any cat, he turns into a chubby, ginger cat. Luckily for Kayden, he stumbles upon Jiwoo, a cat-loving young man who feeds and takes care of Kayden, not knowing that this ginger cat is actually a powerful person. This fateful encounter changed both of their lives forever.
1The Legend of the Northern Blade
The Story of Betrayal and Vengeance
After witnessing his father—the 4th generation leader of the legendary Northern Heavenly Sect—betrayed and killed by their allies, Jin Mu-Won is forced to endure the indignity of becoming a prisoner in his own home. His enemies won’t kill him because he is the only living heir of the Northern Heavenly Sect, but they also won’t let him roam outside of the vicinity of his house. Those people even go as far as placing guards to ensure Mu-Won stays in his place.
His enemies don’t think much of him because Jin Mu-Won is not a martial artist, unlike his father. He can’t even regulate and manipulate his own Qi. What they don’t realize, however, is the fact that Mu-Won is actually learningthe secret Martial Arts of the Northern Heavenly Sectevery day. He bides his time and endures the humiliation until he can finally master the secret techniques carved upon the walls and the floors of the Northern Heavenly Sect buildings. Once he is ready, he will exact vengeance upon those who have wronged his family and bring the Northern Heavenly Sect back to its glory.
Every title in this list offers its own unique brand of action. Some are hardcore action that utilize grim concepts like death and vengeance, while others have comedy and kingdom-building elements added into the story. One thing’s for sure: each and every single Manhwa in this list has the potential to be as big asSolo Leveling.Hopefully, A-1 Pictures will adapt any one of them in the near future.
