REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling’ Episode 8 – “This Is Frustrating”

Sung Jinwoo’s (Taito Ban) life has taken a turn with the discovery of the Elixir of Life. Now he has a new purpose heading into Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) Episode 8, “This Is Frustrating,” but it won’t be easy. His strengthening is now going to be able to help save someone he loves if he can manage.

One of Jinwoo’s main motivations for working as a hunter is to provide for his mom’s hospital care. She is suffering from a disease known as “Eternal Sleep Disease” and is on life support. The Elixir of Life that Jinwoo discovered allegedly can cure any disease. This gives Jinwoo a new goal; curing his mother.

The problem is that the Elixir has three ingredients that will not be easy to obtain. Jinwoo needs to advance through the dungeon that he previously was not ready to approach. He originally wanted to take his time, but now there is a real sense of urgency for Jinwoo. He is no longer content to be patient since success could bring his mom back.

It is nice to see Jinwoo’s motivations fleshed out a bit more in Solo Leveling Episode 8. The power fantasy appeal of Solo Leveling is enhanced when the main character has a compelling reason to get stronger. In this case, it is clear how much he cares about his mom. Having the chance to save her makes him exponentially more interesting and gives viewers a reason to root for him.

Jinwoo decides that his best chance to get strong enough is to accept Yoo Jinho’s (Genta Nakamura) offer to join him on 19 C-rank raids. On one condition. Jinwoo and Jinho will enter the dungeons alone, with others being hired just to meet a quota. It’s a similar situation to what brought Jinwoo and Jinho together.

Jinwoo is a loner, so deciding to join Jinho shows just how important this is for him. It highlights how, despite his power, he can’t do everything alone. This makes Jinho more important, even though he can’t dream of living up to Jinwoo’s abilities. Still, it deepens the bond between the two and allows Jinwoo to continue to open up in the future to others.

Solo Leveling Episode 8 also takes some time to explore Jinho’s relationship with his dad. His dad is a ruthless businessman who Jinho is desperate to impress. He hopes that creating a guild with Jinwoo in it will make his dad proud of him. Living up to the expectations of parents is always a fascinating dynamic and it works well here. It gives Jinho more depth, making him more interesting as a supporting character.

Despite starting by giving Jinwoo a new goal, Solo Leveling Episode 8 spends a lot of time away from the main character. Ample time is given to the members that will join up with Jinwoo and Jinho. While it is nice to see some returning characters and how their lives are going, it does take away from some of Jinwoo’s urgency.

Aside from some reunions, Solo Leveling Episode 8 also continues to build out more of the world outside of Jinwoo’s direct orbit. The dynamic between the Hunters Association and the various guilds is both fascinating and mysterious. Each is vying for power, ultimately setting up the chance for Jinwoo to tip the scales. There is still so much that is left unexplored here, but the episode does begin to pull back the curtain even more.

While all of that is great, there is something huge missing from Solo Leveling Episode 8. The action from A-1 Pictures and Production I.G. that the series has become known for is entirely lacking and it makes the pacing feel off. Jinwoo has this new quest that he needs to become ultra-powerful for but he sure takes his time getting to it. I understand the need to break up the “find monster, battle monster, level up” formula, but it is a bit of an overcorrection here.

That doesn’t mean Solo Leveling Episode 8 is bad. Far from it, actually. It is genuinely nice to see the more personal side of the series here. There is a lot of exposition that sets up for what will likely be a brutal next episode. Slow builds often pay off well, and it certainly seems like it is going to. It just would have been nice to get a tiny glimpse of the action that is to come.

Solo Leveling Episode 8 slows things down on Jinwoo’s quest for power as he takes his next steps. His sense of urgency is hampered by his need for help and other characters are given more screentime here to flesh that out. Hopefully it all pays off in the next episode.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll, and new episodes of Season 2 air every Friday.