With all of the hype and publicity surrounding Solo Leveling, you might expect a show with deep, meaningful character exploration, complex drama, and a thoughtfully created cast of fascinating allies and enemies. But that is not the case. Solo Leveling is a story of a person who undergoes a transformation from being weak to reawakening a powerful new version of himself, one that continues to grow stronger as the story progresses. However, both the protagonist and the side characters have very limited backstories—in most cases just enough to identify them. Compared to highly popular cerebral dramas like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and The Apothecary Diaries, it’s interesting to see a series like Solo Leveling with very linear plotting and minimal introspection being nominated for Anime of the Year. But Solo Leveling succeeds by unapologetically leaning into what it does best: action.
Solo Leveling is an anime based on the Korean manhwa of the same name. It’s set in a near future version of Korea where trans-dimensional portals appear randomly in urban places. Hunters are magic-equipped people who are trained to enter the portals (referred to as dungeons), kill the creatures inside, and take as much of the treasure/gems piled inside as they can. Once the key creature/demon is killed, the portal will close and life in the neighborhood can return to normal. The dungeons are ranked based on the danger inside and the hunters are ranked based on their strength. Sung Jinwoo is a comparatively weak, kind-hearted but naïve, bottom-ranked hunter who does dangerous dungeon hunting work to earn money to take care of his teenaged younger sister. Their father is absent and their mother has been in a coma for the last few years. In the opening episode, Jinwoo joins an ill-fated hunter team for a low-ranked dungeon. However, the dungeon turns out to be far more dangerous than expected and, after a lethal injury, Jinwoo is reborn with new and growing magical powers. The series is about him secretly getting stronger under the guidance of a videogame-style message screen that only he can see. He later connects with a rich corporate playboy, Yoo Jin Ho, who want to prove himself as a hunter. Jin Ho pays the expenses of the dungeon raiding so that he can work with Jinwoo as he continues to get stronger. Jinwoo is motivated to progress in the game system to earn an elixir that will revive his mother. He eventually becomes a necromancer who can revive and control creatures and warriors he has killed in battle.
Over time, his appearance changes. His height increases, he is more well-built, his voice gets deeper, and even his face changes, becoming more angular. Despite the initial uneven pacing of the early episodes, the show gains momentum as Jinwoo gets stronger and less fearful. As he changes physically, he also becomes more stoic, cynical, and cold. He has no deep friendships or bitter rivalries. There is no romance (in the first two seasons) and, unlike many anime, there is no significant social commentary, cleverness, or even much emotional depth. With a few exceptions, the appeal of the show lies primarily in the addictiveness of the escalating adventures. In the second season, an elite team of hunters is introduced. They provide some much needed character interest for the series. The second season drops hints about Jinwoo’s long lost father and about the mystery of why Jinwoo is able to become as strong as he is.
The process of dungeon raiding is an interesting concept with the hunters basically walking in, killing the residents and stealing their property. No one really attempts to engage with those living in the portal spaces and no one has any moral hesitation about colonizing their property. There is no attempt at diplomacy or compromise since the creatures are alien and different. Even when the residents are humanoid and conversant, they are still mostly dismissed and disrespected. The show is designed with a video game aesthetic allowing it to ignore those kinds of real-world moral scruples. Later in the story the plot shifts to an island overrun with giant flying ants. We also get a culture clash between the Japanese hunters and the Korean hunters with the Japanese characters portrayed as arrogant, angry, and egotistical. It’s an interesting cultural shift from the usual anime paradigm.
For Jinwoo, every new obstacle becomes a stepping stone to bring him to a higher level and, since he knows this, he remains calm and motivated by challenges rather than fearful. His ability to align everyone he has beaten to his service makes him seem almost invincible. As a result, this is a series which is better enjoyed stacked up and binged. The appeal of the narrative lies in the bingeworthy fun of watching him calmly become wildly stronger in each episode. However, the single minded pragmatism and nonstop action make the occasional thoughtful and affecting moments stand out. In the second season we get one episode of him becoming truly emotional in a tear-jerker scene. In a later episode, we see him help one hunter team deal with the loss of a beloved colleague. Those moments stand out as deep connections in journey of otherwise stoic power.
While recent seasons of other popular anime have been filled with thoughtful, cerebral, or emotional storylines, Solo Leveling gives us a straightforward, reliable, and ultimately kind, action hero experiencing an increasingly exciting adventure. An outrageously strong character doing outrageously strong feats in the face of outrageously devastating odds feels strangely cathartic. And, that makes the show enjoyable, even for those of us who prefer deeper character explorations.
The Math
Nerd Coefficient: 7/10
Highlights:
- Escalating, addicting action
- Linear, video game storytelling
- Outstanding animation balances limited character explorations
