This Chinese Anime is Going to Dethrone Solo Leveling as the Best Isekai Anime of the 2020s

Solo Leveling has absolutely dominated the anime landscape since its 2024 debut. Crunchyroll officially confirmed it as their most-watched anime of the year, and its second season premiere in 2025 shattered platform records. Most impressively, though some records were previously held by its own first season, others saw Solo Leveling lap shōnen anime like One Piece and Demon Slayer.

The Korean manhwa adaptation set a new bar for what non-Japanese source material could achieve. However, a major contender from China is set to arrive this summer, potentially continuing the non-Japanese anime export excellence trend: Lord of the Mysteries. The upcoming anime adaptation of the Chinese steampunk story is not only poised for anime greatness, but to potentially lap Solo Leveling‘s reign as the latest anime sensation.

Lord of the Mysteries: A Victorian Steampunk Anime Epic is Coming Soon

Beyond Gaming Mechanics to Cosmic Horror

Solo Leveling takes a relatively tired anime conceit— video game progression systems — but executes it to the highest degree. The Lord of the Mysteries anime, which is based on the web novel of the same name and due to drop on July 7, 2025, doesn’t try to reinvent the well-worn wheel of RPG mechanics. Instead, it swaps those motifs in favor of something more ambitious, transporting viewers into an immersive steampunk, fog-shrouded Victorian world, where ancient rituals, Tarot cards, and cosmic entities dictate characters’ fates.

No XP is grinding in Lord of Mysteries. Rather, the main character Klein Moretti (technically Zhou Mingrui trapped in Moretti’s body) gets thrust into a new supernatural society, forced to navigate its complicated hierarchy. With a bounty of lore and meticulously detailed mystical world-building, The Lord of Mysteries is primed to provide anime audiences with a simpler alternative to Solo Leveling—something that relies less on elevating already over-saturated themes and tropes, returning instead to tried-and-true fantasy storytelling.

Solo Leveling vs. Lord of the Mysteries

read more

B.CMAY Pictures hasn’t cut corners on the visual presentation either. The studio responsible for The King’s Avatar has put forth a stunning one-two punch of 2D character animation with atmospheric 3D environments. The third trailer, released on March 4, 2025 (cleverly timed to coincide with protagonist Klein’s birthday in the story), showcases production quality that rivals anything coming from Japan’s top studios.

Lord of Mysteries Adaptation Didn't Get Fast-Tracked, and That's a Good Thing

Production Has Been A Slow Burn

These days, most of the successful adaptations that get the anime treatment undergo a fast-tracked production process, leaving the project susceptible to underwhelming results and delays. Yet Lord of Mysteries has enjoyed a measured production process and a mindful marketing strategy indicative of a long-term vision rather than a quick cash-in. Rather than chasing trend momentum, Lord of Mysteries seems to be getting the treatment of a prestige piece—one that prioritizes worldbuilding and adaptation integrity.

Lord of Mysteries Production Timeline

• August 8, 2021: First key visual revealed at Tencent Animation Conference
• August 8, 2023: First promotional video released, exactly two years after initial announcement
• August 10, 2024: Second trailer unveiled, showcasing improved animation quality
• August 11, 2024: Limited preview event held for selected fans (per Lord of the Mysteries Wiki)
• Late 2024: Official Weibo confirmation of 30-minute episode runtime
• Early 2025: July 7, 2025 premiere date announced through Tencent Video’s programming schedule

When asked about the source material and what it means to audiences, Lord of Mysteries creator, Cuttlefish, explained, «When the readers directly read my novels, they can learn or understand something from these stories through their own efforts and interpretation, instead of me directly injecting some sort of philosophy and forcing readers to accept it. I will not clearly tell the readers what kind of stance or philosophy that I support. I hope, that through my descriptions and writings, the readers can come to their own conclusions naturally, from the bottom of their heart.» Time will tell if the adaptation will honor such audience empowerment, but the care with which the production has unfolded is a promising indicator.

The Promising Creative Team Behind Lord of Mysteries

In B.CMay and Ke Xiong We Trust

Despite launching only in 2017, B.CMAY PICTURES has rapidly established itself with 27 productions that consistently outperform expectations. Their adaptation of Mo Dao Zu Shi scored an impressive 8.68 on MyAnimeList—a rating that surpasses many celebrated Japanese anime—while The King’s Avatar amassed nearly 385,000 member registrations on MAL, an indicator of significant global appeal.

B.CMAY PICTURES – Notable Productions

read more

Director Ke Xiong also has hands-on expertise that can only benefit Lord of the Mysteries. The animation vet previously served as director, storyboard artist, and art director for multiple hit series. The studio’s experience with both action-packed sequences and supernatural/historical settings makes them perfectly positioned for LOTM’s Victorian steampunk world. With Tencent’s financial muscle behind the production, the trailers already showcase animation quality that appears poised to set new standards for Chinese animation on the global stage.

Ke Xiong – Directorial Credits

read more

The Anime Revolution Comes from Outside Japan

Solo Leveling and Lord of Mysteries Make For a Trend

Solo Leveling succeeded by taking a simple pitch— a sharp power fantasy with fast pacing and familiar tropes — and hitting a home run with it. Despite its simple story format, its clear Dragon Ball inspirations and impressive animation help it excel. But Lord of the Mysteries swings towards different fences; a tightly plotted supernatural thriller built on hidden systems and narrative misdirection. Its author, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, called it “a legend of the Fool,” referencing the Tarot symbol of disruption and transformation, and now the series has the chance to disrupt and transform the animation landscape.

In the waves of steam and machinery, who could achieve extraordinary? In the fogs of history and darkness, who was whispering? I woke up from the realm of mysteries and opened my eyes to the world.

Firearms, cannons, battleships, airships, and difference machines. Potions, divination, curses, hanged-man, and sealed artifacts… The lights shone brightly, yet the secrets of the world were never far away. This was a legend of the “Fool”.

— Official Lord of Mysteries introduction

Anime success no longer runs exclusively through Japan. Korea made its move with Solo Leveling. China is next with Lord of the Mysteries, a project built for global traction and long-form storytelling. July 7, 2025, isn’t just a release date—it’s a line in the sand. The center of animation is moving, and this series may push it further.