I just watched the first four episodes of Solo Leveling, and to say I loved it would probably be a huge understatement.
Adapted from a popular manhwa, it has a lot of dedicated fans, and understandably, there’s been a lot of hype around this anime – I’m here to tell you it definitely did not disappoint.
I’m still reeling from the awesomeness I witnessed in just the first four episodes, and while I’m still gathering my thoughts, it seems like this might very well be the anime of the year.
Like many other anime in this genre, we have a male lead (Sung Jin Woo) who is very much an underdog, living a pitiful life worsened by the fact that he’s the sole provider for his home but lacks the physical strength needed for his chosen career path.
Solo Leveling is set in a world where individuals are categorized into two broad categories: ordinary citizens and Hunters. Hunters have powers that enable them to subdue monsters that emerge from dungeons and portals.
Hunters are further divided into five categories based on their power levels: S, A, B, C, & D. Unfortunately, our male lead belongs to the lowest category (E), so he gets injured in every mission and is even given the moniker “the weakest hunter in the world”.
He needs money to keep his mother, who’s on life support due to a disease related to the monsters from portals, in good health.
Hunters make money by vanquishing monsters and trading their life essence, and with Jin Woo being the weakest, he often misses out on the best rewards until one day he finds himself in a hidden cave facing a malevolent spirit.
Despite being ridiculed and underestimated, he decides to rely on his intelligence to survive the spirit’s test in the cave. Afterward, he finds himself on a hospital bed and discovers that monitors only he can see looming above him, and he soon begins training to become stronger.
Throughout his training, the monitors reward him for completing tasks, and he levels up by defeating beasts and monsters. By the end of episode 4, he’s single-handedly subdued a level B monster – a significant feat for someone who struggled with physical exertion just weeks before.
What I really love about this anime is that even the ensemble cast delivers personal drama, with strong potential for multiple compelling characters to emerge by the series’ end.
And Jin Woo is one character I would root for over and over again. You can tell that his intermittent mania is informed by the fact that he never wants to be downtrodden again, and I loved that he could see his efforts pay off.
I’ve practically been glued to the hashtag on TikTok and according to those who have read the manga, Jin Woo is going to become even more iconic in the coming episodes and I’m absolutely seated for it.
I’m keen to see what happens after this and while I have a lot on my plate without the added task of reading, something tells me I’ll convince myself to check out the manhwa sooner or later.
For those who haven’t started Solo Leveling, you can watch all four released episodes on Crunchyroll right now with subtitles and dubs in different languages.
Are you watching Solo Leveling? What are your thoughts so far? Is it an anime you plan to watch until the end? And who else is annoyed that we only get one episode every week? Let me know in the comments!
