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The adaptation forThe Beginning After The Endcannot catch a break from anime fan criticism recently. After its first few episodes showcased lackluster and often unintentionally wacky animation moments, disappointed fans took to comparing it to other series to emphasize the difference in quality.
One of the most popular comparisonsviewers have been making is to the recently successful anime adaptation ofSolo Leveling. Compared to the treatmentSolo Levelinggot,The Beginning After The Endadaptation seems comically inadequate. Here is what some fans say about TBATE and whySolo Levelingkeeps coming up in the discussion.
TBATE Versus Solo Leveling
Two Highly Celebrated Manhwa
Solo Levelingjust concluded its second season, culminating in the amazingly animatedfight between Sung Jinwoo and the Ant King Beru. The recency and quality of this adaptation is one reason that the TBATE anime is suffering under comparisons between the two.
The Beginning After The EndandSolo Levelingare both seen inthe community of manhwa enjoyersas some of the greatest reads the genre has to offer. Since the two are now going back-to-back in consecutive anime seasons, it is only natural that fans are comparing these series. Unfortunately for TBATE fans, the animation quality is not even remotely close when compared side-by-side.
“I don’t have words.” -Reddit user Only_Knowledge_1963commentingon a direct fight scene comparison between TBATE and Solo Leveling.
These comparisons have spawned the usage of mocking nicknames like “The Frame After The End” or “Solo Framing” to describe the lack of animation quality felt in the TBATE adaptation. Unhappy watchers of TBATE have not held back on their opinions of the show’s animation shortcomings.
“Solo leveling literally has 30 frames for every 1 frame in tbate lmao”- Reddit user MadOliveGamingcommentingon a TBATE comparison post.
“More like hundred.” -Reddit user uuio9replyingto MadOliveGaming.
Some fans continue to hold out hope that the animation will improve in future episodes, but based on trailers and previews, it does not seem like anything will noticeably change in future arcs of the story.By the end of Season 1, TBATE will have 24 episodes, making it another good 1:1 comparison to SL’s 25 episodes over two seasons. This means that constant comparison between the two series will likely continue, as there is plenty of material to compare every week’s latest TBATE episode to inSolo Leveling.
Why the Comparisons Won’t Stop
The adaptation of popular manhwa and similar webtoon-type series has been a recent trend in the anime industry. Unfortunately, the adaptations besidesSolo Levelinghave often been met with mixed reactions. Season 2 of theTower of Godanime was panned by fans online over its animation quality, andA Returner’s Magic Should Be Specialfaced similar complaints when its first season aired in 2023.
Because of this track record, manhwa fans are increasingly wary of series for failing to live up to their expectations when the anime adaptation comes along.The Beginning After The Endis the latest flashpoint for this struggle to see popular manhwa series adapted with the respect fans feel that they deserve. In this struggle, it seems likeSolo Levelinghas emerged as one of the top of manhwa to anime adaptations and acts as a benchmark of quality when comparing other series.
However, there may be a case to be made that fans are hard to satisfyno matter how the adaptation ends up going. WhenSolo Levelingfirst started airing, there was some discussion that it too lacked the proper animation quality worthy of its status as an elite manhwa. Nevertheless, it has now become the standard used to compare other manhwa adaptations to see how they measure up.
“I have words: it’s perfectly acceptable. The animation may not be top tier, but everything else is great. 1 aspect should not be enough to ruin a show for someone who really loves the source material.” -Reddit user ImMarkJrcommentingon the Solo Leveling and TBATE comparison.
