REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling’ Premieres With A Bang

With so many new anime series set to hit the screen in 2024, Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) is arguably one of the most anticipated. Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 introduce viewers to the world first created in the hit Manhwa and novel series of the same title by Chugong and illustrated by Dubu (Redice Studio). A-1 Pictures, known for animating series such as Sword Art Online, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, and many others, are responsible for bringing the incredibly popular series to life on screen.

Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 focus on the main character, Sung Jinwoo (Taito Ban), a weak hunter who sits at the bottom of the hunter ranking system. Hunters are tasked with eliminating enemies at locations called “gates” and are classified as S, A, B, C, D, and E-Rank based on their skill and abilities. Jinwoo, lacking seemingly any abilities at all, is even below the E-Rank hunters and is considered the weakest hunter in the world.

This system is introduced quite clearly from the beginning, with a great fighting sequence followed by a voice-over explanation that quickly and easily explains the world of Solo Leveling for viewers. The most important information given here is that, no matter how hard anyone tries, they can’t get stronger once their abilities are revealed. Fittingly, when showing the lowest rank and giving this information, Jinwoo makes his first visual appearance.

After the intro is a bit of a time skip, only three years, which does make it feel a tad disjointed from the main story. Jinwoo is meeting up with a Hunter group to set off on a mission and that could have served as the backdrop for the introduction, giving more weight and importance to the first few minutes of the series. Still, it sets the stage for the weak Jinwoo to show what he is, or rather is not, made of.

The other characters all treat Jinwoo with a lot of respect and kindness, which gives one of the side characters pause to wonder who this guy is and why he is respected. In a way, he is the viewer in this scene, and so when he is told that Jinwoo is actually the weakest hunter of mankind, it is a seamless way to explain more to the viewers in the context of the world of Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2. There is a palpable sense of pity for Jinwoo, both from the other characters and himself. Everyone recognizes his worthlessness, but he still shows up and tries his hardest even though it rarely goes well.

It is easy to see why so many characters like Jinwoo. Sure, they know the missions he is assigned to are going to be easy, but his demeanor from the start makes him endearing to viewers and characters alike. He has that plucky “can’t give up” attitude that makes it hard to root against him, especially since he is working in order to pay his mom’s hospital bills and help his sister go to college. The downside is that he is a complete liability for any team he is working with. The other members of the party, like his friend Lee Joohee, the healer, have to waste time protecting him instead of focusing on their mission, which could eventually wear thin.

Hunters, as we learn in Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2, play a vital economic role in the world. These dungeons contain a substance called essence stones. These stones and other resources found in the dungeons are how the Hunters make their money, but there is more to it than that. The government wants the essence stones as a new energy source, a cleaner and more effective source of energy than gas, coal, nuclear, or any other options. This value placed on the stones and other objects like mana crystals leads Hunters to take more risk than they probably should, but the reaction and the greed to an option presented in Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 makes complete sense.

Higher-ranked Hunters are also celebrities in society. Cha Hae-in is a great example of that. An S-Rank Hunter, when Cha makes her first appearance in the series the regular civilians all flock to see her. She is not entirely comfortable with it, but it does show the immense economic and societal pressure placed on the Hunters. Someone like Jinwoo has no idea how high those stakes can be given where he rests on the ranking ladder, so it is a great way to see how different the levels are both in terms of skill and the way the rest of the world values them.

There is a lot of world-building in Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2, but there is an equal amount of payoff as well. Once things are explained and the main characters are met, the world of Solo Leveling starts to show its darkest sides. The chairman of the Hunters Association mentions that new recruits should be afraid, and boy should they.

Jinwoo and his team enter a second mysterious dungeon that appeared after they cleared the first one and find themselves in a truly harrowing situation. Creepy statues that come to life in brutal fashion show just how violent and bloody this series is going to be. Every moment in this mysterious room is full of dread and truly epic action that brings the party to its knees. It also shows how difficult the challenge ahead of Jinwoo is going to be in his current state.

A-1 Pictures has a very distinct animation style, making Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 feel quite familiar, but they have perfected their approach over the years. This allows the darkest moments to really shine through as A-1’s team skillfully animates not only the action but the way the characters react to it as well. There is one moment in particular where I gasped alongside the characters and felt the fear that was shown on their faces. It was a great example of how well animation can portray serious human emotions and something that is surely going to be a staple in the series as a whole.

While Jinwoo may lack the strength to fight, Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 does show that he is not entirely useless. His quick thinking under pressure allows him to figure out how to escape, showing that he does have some worth, after all. Amidst all of the death and destruction, it is the least powerful who manages to figure it all out. It helps show Jinwoo’s qualities and how he is going to grow as the series progresses. He does not let the situation overwhelm him, which bodes well for his future.

Solo Leveling Episodes 1-2 do a wonderful job of introducing the series through epic action and well-timed explanations. There is so much world-building that sets the stage for things to really ramp up as the series progresses.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll.