Wakey-Wakey!! - Solo Leveling (season 1) Review
I love a good shonen anime, and when it comes to some of the genre's greats, my favorite part of a shonen series is the training arc. Like when Naruto perfected his ninja way with Jiraiya or Ichigo learned to harness his innate shinigami powers with Urahara. These training arcs make up the cornerstone of a hero’s journey before a major story arc. What I loved the most about Solo Leveling was how it felt like the entire series is a training arc.
Solo Leveling is the manwha (Korea’s version of Japan’s manga) turned anime sensation. Part power fantasy, part hero’s journey, part gamified manifest destiny. Solo Leveling follows the exploits of Sung Jinwoo, infamously known as the world’s weakest hunter. In a world where hunters battle monsters, Sung Jinwoo gains a unique ability and becomes one of the strongest, conquering even the mightiest dungeons.
It’s an interesting take on the weak gaining strength trope. After seemingly falling in a dangerous dungeon, Sung Jinwoo unlocks the power to “level up” his abilities, something no other hunter is able to do. In this world, when a hunter “awakens” their power level is set, aside from some who manage to have re-awakenings, when a hunter is given a rank that is generally the rank they are stuck with. In this second life, Jinwoo is given the ability to improve his stats, complete daily missions to level up, and even discover new skills. Basically turning this once hapless hero into a game-breaking main character. It’s clear that this series was written by gamers for gamers. The writing’s on the wall with how Solo Leveling handles gaming tropes like stats and skills, armor, weapons, inventories, and even in-game menus that only Sung Jinwoo can see. Dubbed as “the system” this complex augmented reality UI allows Jinwoo to level up and earn rewards, while also tasking him with missions complete with penalties that range from forcing Jinwoo to undertake a penalty quest to outright killing him if he fails to complete what the system asks of him.
I’ve watched episodes in both Japanese (the original) and English dubs, both of which featured an impressive cast. I have to point out that Jinwoo’s English VA, Aleks Le, performs remarkably. Hands down one of the best English VA performances for an anime in a long time.
The first season of Solo Leveling ends on an exciting note, hyping me up for what comes next. The season features an exciting power fantasy that accurately portrays experience farming, leveling up and gaining skill points, leading to the thrill of facing a boss. The stunning visuals, captivating soundtrack, and intriguing world-building explore how the emergence of magic and monsters would impact our modern world.
VERDICT: In a sea of isekai gamified anime stories, it’s nice to see an anime like Solo Leveling instead apply it to a world unlike our own. This series is an absolute must-watch for any anime fan. For those who want to read more, you can always look up the original manwha… something I did after the first episode. While I knew what was coming, the episodes after were still just as exciting.
