REVIEW: ‘Solo Leveling Season 1’ Is Full Of Action And Growth

Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) was one of the most intriguing anime coming into the winter 2024 season. Solo Leveling Season 1 delivers on the hype with plenty of great action and character growth. The series is based on the hit Manhwa and novel series of the same title by Chugong and illustrated by Dubu (Redice Studio).

Solo Leveling Season 1 follows the story of Sung Jinwoo (Taito Ban). Jinwoo is known as the weakest hunter in the world. Hunters are professionals tasked with entering ranked “gates” to destroy the monsters within and keep them from entering the real world. Jinwoo’s lack of ability makes it nearly impossible for him to succeed in this profession.

The reason Jinwoo is so easy to root for, though, is what motivates him. His mom is in the hospital dying, and being a hunter is the only way he can afford to keep her alive. He is also responsible for caring for his younger sister who wants to go to college eventually. This is a lot of weight to put on such a weak man’s shoulders, but he presses on.

That perseverance pays off pretty quickly in Solo Leveling Season 1. Jinwoo, after seemingly dying, is granted the ability to level up his strength. This video game-like mechanic dramatically changes Jinwoo’s life. Now he has a chance to become one of the strongest in the world. But that new strength comes with all sorts of struggles.

Most prominent is the fact that Jinwoo likes to be alone. He doesn’t want anyone to learn about his new power and doesn’t want to be the center of attention. The series introduces Yoo Jinho (Genta Nakamura) as a way to force Jinwoo to open up. Jinho has his own struggles and needs Jinwoo’s help to succeed. The two start off as a partnership of opportunity but slowly grow into a real friendship.

This relationship is the catalyst for much of Jinwoo’s growth. He is reluctant to work with Jinho at first but slowly warms up to him. He even turns down several chances to abandon Jinho and team up with more powerful allies. Jinwoo is loyal, and his quest for strength is a pure one. His motivations are to help his family and anyone else close to him.

Jinwoo is easy to root for because of his personality. He isn’t egotistical even when he gains immense power. Instead, he tries to keep others out of the crosshairs and often comes to the rescue. There are moments in Solo Leveling Season 1 that force Jinwoo to show his true power to save others. Watching him balance his desire for anonymity and his need to help others is fascinating. It also isn’t easy for him.

He has to reckon with his new power and how it fits with his personality. It forces him to grow more reliant on others. He also becomes more introspective as the season advances. He can’t just do everything alone, something he realizes by the end. Seeing him unburden himself from his own lofty expectations is an absolute delight.

Jinwoo’s new abilities make him unrecognizable as Solo Leveling Season 1 progresses. He starts off looking weak and timid, but by the end, he is physically transformed. He carries himself with pride and is absolutely ripped. This new appearance makes it even harder to hide his abilities.

Thankfully, A-1 Pictures and Production I.G. don’t really want him to hide his powers. The animation in Solo Leveling Season 1 displays the full extent of his new abilities. He is insanely strong and the quality animation shows it from the start. The way he slices through low-level enemies is impressive. He cuts through them like butter, and the animation makes their fear of Jinwoo palpable.

As Jinwoo’s challenges get harder, the animation quality flexes its muscles even more. The battle with Igris the Bloodred in the penultimate episode is the crowning moment of the season. Igris is the first enemy more powerful than Jinwoo. His movements are lightning-quick, and his attacks are powerful. It is the first moment when Jinwoo seems like he might actually lose.

But Solo Leveling Season 1 never lets Jinwoo get too close to death. This is a power fantasy series, after all. It would have been nice to see him struggle for just a bit longer than he does. He only has one real moment where the situation is dire. Even then, he quickly gets out of it and breezes on through. Hopefully, the challenges increase in future seasons and pose a true threat.

Solo Leveling Season 1 does struggle with pacing at times. As many as three different subplots are happening alongside Jinwoo’s story, and several episodes struggle with when to cut between these stories. These subplots are really interesting but can be hard to follow when they constantly cut back and forth. Thankfully, the pacing improves as the season progresses.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is action-packed with great character moments that enhance the power fantasy. Jinwoo is impossible not to root for, and the allies he makes along the way are just as endearing. It will be interesting to see how the series progresses from here.

Solo Leveling Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.