REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling’ Episode 10 – “What Is This, a Picnic?”

Sung Jinwoo’s (Taito Ban) life is about to get a lot more interesting after the events of the last episode. Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) Episode 10, “What Is This, a Picnic,” deals with the aftermath of Episode 9 and puts a bigger target on Jinwoo’s back.

Solo Leveling Episode 10 starts with two important conversations. First, Jinwoo talks with Lee Joohee (Rina Honizumi). It is a chance for Joohee to think back on her experience as a hunter and how she met Jinwoo. She realizes after watching Jinwoo grow so much that being a hunter is not for her. So she decides to go back home to live with her parents and retire from hunting. Crucially, though, she tells Jinwoo to stick to his offer about going out to eat if he ever visits her hometown.

It is obvious that a relationship is bubbling beneath the surface with these two. The melancholic piano melody in the background adds emotional weight to their conversation. Jinwoo does not seem to be too bothered by Joohee’s leaving. However, he does get excited at the prospect of seeing her again. The building blocks are set for an interesting relationship between the two in the future.

The second important conversation is between Jinwoo and Woo Jinchul. Jinchul informs Jinwoo that he is likely going to be hunted by Hwang Dongsoo. Dongsoo is the brother of Hwang Dongsuk, whom Jinwoo killed earlier in the season. Jinwoo was justified in killing him, but that won’t stop Dongsoo from avenging his brother.

Dongsoo is an S-rank hunter, so he won’t be easy to beat. Jinchul even tells Jinwoo that what really happened does not matter. All that matters is a dangerous hunter with immense power lost his brother. This gives Jinwoo yet another thing to worry about. He is already hyperfocused on saving his mom, but now powerful killers are breathing down his neck. His only option is to get even stronger so he can defeat them when they confront him.

This also gives viewers a deeper look at how the world of Solo Leveling works. S-rank hunters are so powerful that the government doesn’t have any real control over them. They count on S-rank hunters to essentially police themselves. It is not ideal, but it does make sense. There are only so many S-rank hunters out there, so it makes sense that the government doesn’t have the power to stop them. It also leaves Jinwoo on his own trying to deal with the new threat.

Jinwoo is going to have to get a lot stronger very quickly. His best option is the plan to clear C-rank dungeons with Yoo Jinho (Genta Nakamura). He meets up with Jinho and sees that he has put together the bare minimum team required. The team is full of drunks and rejects, not the best party composition. But that does not matter since Jinwoo is going to clear the dungeons by himself anyway.

Here we get a nice little battle montage with Jinwoo and Jinho. They work as a duo clearing dungeons quickly. Jinwoo kills the monsters while Jinho gathers up the loot. It is a smooth machine operating at maximum efficiency. Crucially, they also don’t need anyone else to help them. This keeps Jinwoo’s abilities secret even if the other party members waiting outside have an inkling of what is going on.

The only downside to rushing through all of the dungeon clears is it minimizes the amount of on-screen action. A-1 Pictures and Production I.G. have nailed the action animation so far but it takes a backseat in Solo Leveling Episode 10. The fights are incredibly quick and over before you know it. It would have been nice to see more of the beautiful fight animation while Jinwoo is leveling up.

Instead the episode deals with new characters and their new motives. Jinwoo’s activity has attracted more than just rivals. It turns out the best hunters guilds in the country want to discover who he is and how they can recruit him. Interestingly, Jinwoo is remaining loyal to Jinho for now. Part of that is because he isn’t too excited by the prospect of being in a guild in general. I’d like to think he is also starting to respect Jinho a bit too, even if he still prefers to keep to himself.

Jinwoo needs to be able to trust someone other than himself, after all. Jinho has been a loyal ally and there is no reason the two should not be able to work together. It helps too that the offer from Jinho is higher than anything the guilds can easily justify. It will be interesting to see how this plot plays out as it progresses.

Solo Leveling Episode 10 continues to push the story forward and introduces new twists on Jinwoo’s path. His relationships are evolving and there are now new characters to keep an eye on. Things are continuing to build as the series progresses.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll.