Is this technically an isekai?

AyatoKiris said:
imo it's not.. yea i agree that it has some elements of it, they may raid sum Dungeons that are in a different realm, but the main setting is still in Korea, Earth.
(ik it's a bad example but then Naruto would also be some sort of an isekai if sasuke or someone else travels through different dimensions)
My definition of an isekai is, that one person (or more) must be summoned or reincarnated into another world to call it an isekai

But i'm open for every other example/argument that proves SL could be an isekai

LunaFollows said:
I have to disagree. if anything you can say it's "world travelling", or the Tower Trial type. isekai is semi-permanent, while here it's more like entering a sub realm to beat up people.

Rimusimp said:
I mean he does go into portals for very extended periods of time and it happens rather frequently. Most people consider Gate to be an isekai and it’s very similar to that, just without the conventional isekai world

LunaFollows said:

that's because GATE is literally another world. while I don't really consider it isekai still, it's closer than solo leveling is with the actual aspect of "another world" being a thing. the only other worldly type stuff in Solo Levelling are the Red Gates, which are only temporary, or the Demon Castle, which is a shadow of a future, also temporary. like I said, it's more World Travelling, which is not isekai. isekai is more like a have no choice but to go, or summoned type, or died and can choose to go. the gates are basically Sub Realms from cultivation novels, which is not isekai

Rimusimp said:
Well you have places like
and also isekai just mean literally “another world”, which as you said is a part of solo leveling, it’s just temporary. Even though it doesn’t feel like a proper isekai, it technically qualifies as one

Petrix said:
I don't think Solo leveling would under Isekai. Yes, at start it may feel like it a typical cliche weak getting strong type of Manhwa but as the story progresses, it takes a different and somewhat unique route of development.
The best thing about it is that it tries to explain every event unlike "Oh, I am god and I seem to have made a mistake" or "You are oh so kind person, died to save a total stranger".