The anime adaptation ofSolo Levelingtook the hit manhwa series to another level, and it even improved upon the few issues that the Webtoon had. Nobody could have predicted just how massiveSolo Levelingwould become.It broke a ton of records, showcasing one of the most popular manhwa series in an amazing light for everyone to enjoy.
Sung Jinwoo’s anime debut was amazing, and somehow, the second season was even better.The anime adaptation is nearly flawless, and it even improved upon a few key areasthat the manhwa might have done better in.
There’s no mistake: theSolo Levelingmanhwa is unreal. It’s solid from beginning to end, and even features a cathartic epilogue that a lot of other series should really use. Even with its quality, theSolo Levelinganime showed that somehow, Jinwoo’s story can get even better.
7The Anime Makes Jinwoo Seem Killable
Jinwoo Is Untouchable in the Manhwa
There aren’t many flaws in theSolo Levelingmanhwa. Jinwoo, in the anime, has a few moments where it looks like he might not win the fight that he finds himself in. One of the biggest examples of this is his fight against the leader of the Ice Elves, Baruka.
Baruka is so strong that Jinwoo is forced to call upon two ofhis strongest Shadows, making Baruka fight three vs. one. It’s an amazing fight that shows that even though Jinwoo is quickly becoming one of the strongest characters around, there are still a few obstacles in his way.
In theSolo Levelingmanhwa, Jinwoo is untouchable.There are few moments where a villain is actually stronger than him, and most of the strongest villains in the series can’t even hold a candle to the Second Shadow Monarch. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but it is a noticeable change that the anime makes.
6Crunchyroll Shows off the Fights
The Best Solo Leveling Fights Are on YouTube for Free
It turned out to be a hugely succesful move as the fights fromSolo Levelinghave generated close to 100 million views on their YouTube channel. While most people might think that this would discourage people from subscribing and watching the full series, the opposite turned out to be true.
With a free preview, audiences were able to see just how goodSolo Levelingis. This isn’t the manwha’s fault necessarily, as there’s no real way to show the manhwa on a YouTube channel, but it’s still an amazing move that makes theSolo Levelinganime adaptation even more accessible than it already was.
5Jinwoo Has a Clear Goal Earlier in the Anime
From the Beginning, He Wanted to Cure His Mom
The manhwa ofSolo Levelinghas a fewdifferences from the anime adaptation. One of the biggest differences is Jinwoo’s motivation for the first portion of the series. In the manhwa, when he obtains the ability to get stronger, he doesn’t really have a clear goal until he reaches the Demon Castle.
He wants to get stronger in the manhwa, and when he reaches the Demon Castle, he learns that he might be able to cure his mother of her Eternal Slumber Disease.In the anime, however, he sets his mind to finding a cure for his mom almost immediately.
Again, it’s not the biggest mistake fixed from the manhwa, as Jinwoo doesn’t even think that his mother’s disease can be cured. His motivation streamlines his character arc in the anime, giving him something to focus on much earlier than in the manhwa.
4The Anime’s Hype Is Unreal
Episode 23’s Ending Couldn’t Have Been More Hype
Hype is a word that’s become overused in the past few years. Everyone wants to be hype, companies want to sell hype, and anime series desperately want to be known for having the most hype moments around. In a world where everyonewantsto be hype,theSolo Levelinganime adaptation is the textbook definition of what hype really is.
At its core, an anime series isactuallyhype when it generates so much excitement that fans cannot wait for the next episode.Solo Levelingdid that and more, as anybody who watched the series while it was airing can tell you how brutal it was to wait for the next week’s episode.
Few moments were more hype than Jinwoo’s arrival on Jeju Island. The Korean S-Rank Hunters looked like they had lost all hope, and right before they were overrun, Jinwoo’s Shadow Soldiers appeared. With a single word, Jinwoo let the world know that the fight was far from over.
3An Episode Dedicated to Jinwoo’s Mom
Jinwoo Deserved Some Time with His Family
Jinwoo’s entire goal in the first half of theSolo Levelinganime is to find a way to cure his mom. She’s been in a coma for four years because of the Eternal Slumber Disease, leaving both Jinwoo and his sister Jinah without both of their parents. While there isn’t a cure for the disease, Jinwoo doesn’t care.
He dedicated himself to finding some way to cure her, and his hard work paid off. After ascending the Demon Castle and defeating one ofthe strongest villains inSolo Leveling, he finds a cure for his mom.Solo Levelingis no stranger to emotional moments, but none were as cathartic as the revival of Park Kyung-Hye.
TheSolo Levelinganime adaptation rightfully dedicated an entire episode to the revival of Jinwoo’s mom.It was a beautiful episode that saw part of Jinwoo’s family reunited at last, and Jinwoo’s tears showed that all of his efforts were absolutely worth it.
2Longer Fights
Solo Leveling Is at Its Best When Jinwoo Is Fighting
Shōnen anime series bring a lot of great things to the table, but they’re at their best when they’re showcasing high-flying action sequences.Naruto, Dragon Ball Z,andBleachare some of the best shōnen series of all time, and they know that people come for the fights.
TheSolo Levelinganime knows what people want to see. Jinwoo’s fights always take center stage.It doesn’t matter if he’s fighting the leader of the Ice Elves, a high-orc shaman, or the King of the Demon Castle; his fights are going to be well-animated, choreographed masterfully, and take up a sizable portion of the episode that they’re in.
The fights in theSolo Levelingmanhwa are great, but they’re made even better by A-1 Productions' top-tier animation. Jinwoo is always looking good, his Shadow Soldiers look menacing, and the long fights only make the anime adaptation even better.
1Incredibly Fast Pacing
The Solo Leveling Anime Doesn’t Have a Single Skippable Moment
A lot ofthe best anime of all timerun into issues with filler.Naruto, One Pieceand more feature episodes that are entirely skippable, slowing down their pacing to catch up to the manga that they’re based on. TheSolo Levelingmanhwa is already finished, soSolo Levelingdoesn’t have this issue in the slightest.
Not only is there no filler inSolo Leveling,there’s not even a single skippable moment.Solo Levelingfeatures some of the most rapid pacing in anime, giving viewers a visual spectacle every time they tune in. There are few, if any, anime series that can boast a zero-filler record, andSolo Levelingdoes it right.
Solo Leveling’sanime adapts almost everything from the manhwa too. It’s an impressive feat from A-1 Pictures, and it’s an accomplishment other anime series should follow. Filler is almost never good, andSolo Levelingmakes sure fans will never debate over whether they should watch non-canon stories featuring Sung Jinwoo.
