The popular anime industry, which has traditionally relied on adapting manga and light novels, is now drawing inspiration from manhwa (South Korean comics), with recent remakes of manhwa such as Tower of God, The God of High School, and most notably Solo Leveling. Based on the webtoon by Chugong and Dubu, Solo Leveling is directed by Shunsuke Nakashige and written by Noboru Kimura, and is currently the biggest anime hit of the season.
Set in a world where society is disrupted by the sudden appearances of “gates” through which monsters from other dimensions enter, Solo Leveling follows supernaturally-gifted humans, or “hunters,” who are sent to neutralize the threat. Hunters, organized into “guilds,” are hired by the government to raid the “dungeons” within these gates in order to defeat the beasts before they emerge. Hunters are also able to earn extra income by picking up “loot” and mining for “mana crystals” within these dungeons.
The series centers around E-ranked protagonist Sung Jin-woo, who is infamously known as “The Weakest Hunter of All Mankind,” despite persisting in his line of work as the sole breadwinner for his family. Things take a dramatic turn when he is brutally destroyed by godlike, statuesque beings in an S-rank dungeon. Jin-woo is mysteriously resurrected by a divine force and awakens in a hospital bed, able to see the world through the lens of a gaming system. He becomes the only being able to exponentially level up and become the strongest character in the game.
With dynamic action and adventure that’s gorgeously rendered using a seamless combination of 2D animation and CGI, Solo Leveling executes Jin-woo’s journey to the top with expertise and never rushes his rise. However, the series falls short when it comes to the lack of emotional depth from the supporting characters, who function mainly as plot devices for Jin-woo’s journey. Despite this, Solo Leveling exhibits narrative surprises, a brisk pace, and visual spectacle, making it an addictive anime that deserves all the hype it’s getting.
Solo Leveling season 1 is available on Netflix and Crunchyroll now
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