Anime webtoon artist Jang Sung-rak (of Solo Leveling fame) has died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage, Redice Studio announced today (Monday, 25 July 2022).
He was the illustrator behind Solo Leveling, a South Korean web novel authored by Chugong.
An alternative translation of the series’ name is Only I Level Up. Jang Sung-rak was the illustrator, signing off as Dubu.
What do we know about the Solo Leveling artist’s cause of death, and how have people reacted following the news?
Solo Leveling artist Jang Sung-rak artist dies
Redice Studio, of which Jang Sung-rak was the chief executive, announced via Twitter this morning (25 July 2022) the death of the artist known as Dubu.
Find the obituary the studio shared below, written in Hangul (the Korean alphabet).
The meaning of the document, as translated by Google Translate, is loosely as follows.
On 25 July 2022, the artist behind the anime web novel series Solo Leveling, Jang Sung-rak, “suddenly suffered from ill health”.
What was Jang Sung-rak’s cause of death and will there be a funeral?
The Solo Leveling artist’s cause of death was a cerebral hemorrhage while suffering from chronic illness, One Sports reports.
Anime Corner reports the same. He apparently had a long-term, incurable illness, and his health “suddenly deteriorated”.
The Redice obituary adds that Jang Sung-rak’s funeral will take place “according to the wishes of the bereaved family”. Only members of the Solo Leveling artist’s family, and some acquaintances, will be able to attend.
His health had been an issue for some time, it seems. Fans of his art were wishing Jang Sung-rak a speedy recovery as long ago as June 2021.
Solo Leveling ended at the end of last year
Gamer Braves wrote in December 2021 that Solo Leveling would end its story on the penultimate day of the year.
It ran for close to three years from its debut in March 2018 and ended after 179 chapters.
The outlet noted at the time that there had been a “hankering” among fans – for “at least two whole years” – for an anime adaptation of the story.
Plans for a game, a film, and a drama adaption have also been in the works, it added, despite “actual teasers” being “scarce at best”.
It is, therefore “truly unfortunate”, the same outlet noted following the death of the Solo Leveling artist, that Jang Sung-rak will not be around to see his work evolve in the future.
Tributes flood social media following the sad news
Numerous Solo Leveling fans – and fans of Dubu’s other Redice projects – have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to the late artist.
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One thanked him for creating “such iconic manhwa”. ‘Manhwa’ is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons, while outside the nation the term tends to refer specifically to South Korean comics.
“Solo Leveling introduced many to this medium”, the fan adds.
Another describes his work on Solo Leveling as a “masterpiece”, another as “one of the most beautiful pieces of fiction ever”.
“You will never be forgotten even after your death so I hope you may rest in peace.”