The worlds of anime and Korean webtoons come together with the arrival of Solo Leveling, Chugong's story about a group of magically-endowed hunters who protect humanity from interdimensional monsters.   

While the original web novel was first adapted into a webtoon by the late illustrator Dubu, this anime series introduces the story for the TV audience. Get ready to follow Sung Jinwoo's journey from a lackluster hunter to a powerful force and his quest to learn about his powers. Season 1 of the series takes us into the dungeons where unspeakable horrors await, and introduces factions of government officials, healers and hunters of various ranks. 

If you're a fan of the manhwa, you won't want to miss in the action fantasy come to life. Here's when and where to stream the premiere of Solo Leveling, and how a VPN can aid your streaming experience. 

Read more: Best Anime Streaming Services for 2024

When to watch Solo Leveling

The series will debut on Crunchyroll for premium subscribers on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 9:30 a.m. PT (12:30 p.m. ET) for viewers in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and more territories. New episodes will stream weekly, each Saturday. The show will air its first installment in two cours, so viewers will be able to watch more than 20 episodes during the next few months.

Read more: Best Streaming Service of 2024

Crunchyroll is home to thousands of anime titles, including simulcasts, on-demand releases and originals. You can sign up for a free account to stream ad-supported content on the service. Just note that not all titles are available with the free version, and there is a wait for new releases. However, anime fans who want immediate access to new episodes should opt for Crunchyroll's basic $8 ad-free premium subscription. You can upgrade to $10 or $15 a month for more features. There's a free 14-day trial for new subscribers. 

How to watch Solo Leveling from anywhere with a VPN 

Perhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream Crunchyroll while away from home. With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the anime series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming, too.

A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that's passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are legal in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list such as Surfshark or NordVPN. 

If you're looking for a secure and dependable VPN, our Editors' Choice is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on multiple devices and provides stable streams. It's normally $13 per month, but you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% -- the equivalent of $6.67 per month -- if you get an annual subscription. 

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our review of ExpressVPN.

Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation, and choose a country where Solo Leveling is streaming on Crunchyroll. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the episode on more than one device, it's possible you'll need to configure each one to ensure you are signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you're ready to open Crunchyroll to stream. 

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and you've picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.