It has been quite a year for anime so far. We have seen sequels to iconic series’ like Mushoku Tensei and Demon Slayer, as well as thrilling new releases like Kaiju No. 8 and Windbreaker, to name a few. Today, we are here to review another such addition to this already power packed year, Solo Leveling.
Picture Credits: Crunchyroll
Origins
Solo Leveling started off as a web novel written by Chu-Gong and was also serialized into a webtoon somewhere around 2018. It was only in 2024 that it was adapted into an anime.
Solo Leveling makes a corny plot work
It is nothing you have not seen before. We witness a modern-day Korea where certain portals called gates have opened. These gates connect Korea to another dimension which is mainly comprised of magical creatures like goblins, monsters, and materials like gem stones.
The appearance of these entities coincides with the awakening of special individuals called Hunters – a set of people in the normal world who manifest abilities unique to them to fight of the evil creatures.
To systemize the chaos, the Korean Government establishes the Korean Hunter Association. As people awaken as hunters, they are assigned a rank by this association depending upon the amount of Mana or magical power they have. The ranks range from S-E, S being the highest and E being the lowest.
However, there is a caveat in this world: once a hunter has awakened, they cannot increase the strength they initially gained. Therefore, the rank they are assigned remains unchanged.
The portals that open are also assigned a rank using the same S-E system which corresponds to that of the Hunters.
We observe the existence of Hunter Guilds that recruit exceptionally talented hunters on a contractual basis. Lower-ranked hunters generally operate independently since they do not secure contracts.
The MC, although a hunter, is the weakest of them all and is referred to as “The weakest hunter mankind has ever seen,” so naturally he is assigned the rank E.
But soon he encounters an incident that grants him the ultimate cheat code. He begins seeing holograms with tasks, like those in an online role-playing video game, which are invisible to others. As he completes these tasks, he discovers that he can level up his strength. True to the name of the anime, he becomes the only person in the world capable of doing this.
Where does he go from here now? Well, that is for you to watch and find out.
Season Review and Analysis
Ahem, ahem! Professor glasses please!
I guess our brains have been wired in such a way that we all like an underdog story, and the anime really builds on that. You will see that it focuses on the development of the main character a lot. The entertainment value it brings to the table with that cannot be overlooked. It is highly enjoyable seeing the MC grow day by day.
I found myself grinning and thinking in my head “Evil forces, just wait and watch.”
Although we have an underdog, like in a million other anime, there is a striking difference which makes him stand out. MC’s generally have a lot of guts and that never give up attitude, whereas here we see him being totally aware of his weaknesses. He just goes on missions to support his sick mother and to look after/nurture his little sister.
The animation and battle scenes are just flawless and easy on the eye. Just too good. Get ready for an endorphin release.
It is thoroughly enjoyable, but at the same time, it might be easy to forget once you finish watching. You all must have also come across the fact that some anime just leave a lasting impact and impression, like you keep thinking about it for some time and eagerly wait for further seasons to come.
This lacks that kind of impact.
It needs to be noted that this first season is overly focused on the main character, as it leaves the supporting characters in the shadows. We do get to see a lot of other characters, some who seem less important for now and others who have that special aura, but their stories haven’t been delved into yet.
It also touches upon several potential arcs but fails to build on them, so it is fair to say that it lacks cohesiveness. For instance, we see the start of a romantic bond between the MC and another character but it is not followed upon in further episodes. There are several other instances like this as well.
I am really fighting off this serious urge to tell you about the other arcs that are explored as they really do have the potential to push this anime to a whole another level. We have a mysterious set of Monsters which is passed off like a legend as no one apart from a few hunters witness it, a revenge story to look forward to, maybe a romantic escape as well.
Let me recollect myself a bit here. Phew! No spoilers!
Through all the positives and the negatives, we do have to keep in mind that this is still just the first season. There is a lot of scope when you look at the different aspects of the storyline, and hopefully, we get to see this anime fulfil its potential.
Solo Leveling Season 2 Announced
The second season of the anime titled ‘Arise from the Shadow‘ was confirmed on the same day the first season concluded. The release date has not been confirmed yet. Hopefully, the wait won’t be too long and till then you folks can enjoy the official teaser trailer released by Crunchyroll.
