The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Ep 2 Review
Last time on the legend of CHADtaro, our hero managed to secure his seventh girlfriend, Kurumi Haraga, the girl with an appetite to rival that of a Saiyan. But despite choosing to date Rentaro, the little Kirby will not associate with the rest of the Rentaro family. Thus, CHADtaro decided to enter them all into an eating contest to help them bond. Can the Family’s stomachs survive the turmoil to come? Find out now on The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You!
An Eating Contest?
As stated above, in order to break the ice between Kurumi and the rest of his girlfriends, Rentaro has them all enter an eating contest, with a special gelato being the grand prize. However, things are easier said than done, as Kurumi rather coldly believes the other girls will only hold her back. To make matters worse, their main competition happens to be a competitive eater…who cheats. They disguise themselves as a giant man to hide the fact that they use a vacuum and food collector to store everything they “eat.” It’s something so ridiculous that even the anime calls itself out on the sheer ridiculousness of it!
Being that this is a food competition, most of the episode’s humor stems from the competitor’s efforts to keep from exploding from eating so much, with each girlfriend going to absurd lengths to win!
Shizuka? She chews boba like she’s a cute little chipmunk?
Hakari and Hahari power through the potential weight gain by remembering the fat will go to the places that matter.
Hilariously, Karane and Kusuri’s part gets cut off to save time.
The Rentaro Family wins (duh)
In the end, the final round predictably comes down to Rentaro and Kurumi’s efforts. Unfortunately, not even Kurumi’s stomach can handle all the food she’s eaten, and she begins to give out. At least, until the Rentaro family pulls through. With the help of their collective stamina, they’re able to bring the cheater to his knees! And then Rentaro just comes in and secures the final win using the power of love and whatnot!
And afterwards, Kurumi and Rentaro celebrate by having their first kiss. And with that, girlfriend #7 has been secured for the Rentaro Family.
So, how was this little outing? Hilarious, but that’s the case for almost everything in this wacky harem anime. If anything, it would be more surprising if it wasn’t silly and over-the-top. However, it may be because of the sheer amount of food being consumed, but this episode wasn’t quite as fun as the previous one. Then again, you can’t expect every episode to be a winner.
Some people think that living for centuries would be awesome. However, what good is getting to live for hundreds, even thousands of years, if everyone you know grows old and dies without you? In fantasy novels, it is the curse of many elves to outlast their fellow mortals, like Memmeln from Zenshu. Even with everything Natsuko knows about the film she’s stuck in, she doesn’t know what drives Memmeln. And that not knowing almost costs them the Nine Soldiers everything in the new episode of Zenshu.
Memmeln is a Void Stan
As Natsuko is working on her drawings, Luke asks a question out of the blue regarding the Void that snuck into the festival last episode. None of them know how that happened in the first place, but Natsuko knows…sort of.
Spoiler alert: Memmeln is part of a group that cast a spell to disguise the Void as the priest. Their plan was to summon the Ultimate Void, but when they do, and Luke killed it, it was revealed to be Memmeln. The problem is that the film never explained why this happened, so Natsuko’s left fumbling for answers, just like Luke.
Which leads to the big “wtf” reveal of the episode: Memmeln is part of a group of elves that are fed up with living. They’ve seen death and destruction too many times over the course of their lives, so they just want the pain to end. In short, they’re trying to create a mass extinction event to embrace death.
While there’s no denying that getting to stave off aging for a century or two would be nice, not everyone thinks of the downsides of such a long life. Live long enough, and everything starts to become a blur. People you know and love die, and you’re left alone. Living that long can be a curse unto itself, something Memmeln is acutely aware of. However, instead of cherishing the time she has all the more, Natsuko points out how self-serving her plans are. And she’s not wrong. It is rather selfish to unilaterally decide to end the world.
So, the big issue is how do Natsuko and Luke convince Memmeln and her group not to go through their plans? Something Natsuko knows well: the immortality of a creator.
Unless you create something really cool!
It can be argued that, besides the existence of the soul, the only true form of immortality is having the world remember your name. And in this regard, great storytellers can wind up being remembered long after they’ve left this world. Homer, Shakespeare, Tolkien, all of them have been dead from anywhere from several decades to thousands of years, but people still remember them. Centuries from now, people might still remember Toriyama, Tezuka, Oda, and the other great mangaka of 20th and 21st centuries. The bottom line is that all these people created characters that, even after they’re dead and gone, are going to be remembered.
So, Natsuko plays into that with her latest drawing. It’s to remind Memmeln and her choir that, for all the suffering and loss that comes with the fullness of time, there are still beautiful things worth cherishing. Granted, she used a boy band heartthrob from an anime she worked on, but that doesn’t take away any of the poignancy. No matter how much destruction and loss the world is filled with, there’s still beauty to be found!
ZENSHU IS SO REAL FOR THIS.
So it had a depressed elf character who was tired of living for too long and watching her friends die. She wanted to kill everyone and to change her opinion Natsuko made her an anime idol boy voiced by Mamochan LMAO
Natsuko and Luke’s plan works. They manage to convince Memmeln and her followers to not give up on life when they can still stan anime husbando’s. The bad news is that seeing them go off together briefly gave Unio the impression that Natsuko and Luke were dating. And Luke’s denial at the end only makes him even more suspicious.
It’s official: Zenshu is shipping Natsuko and Luke, which could be both good and bad. Good, because if it goes through and she gets some character development before waking up back in Japan, Natsuko would have the experience to finish that romance anime she was stuck on. Bad, because it could lead to the story ending far worse if something bad happens. That, and she and Luke would be separated if she went back home. It could go either way.
Clearly, Zenshu is playing the long game and trying to make us invested in how things will turn out, and it could go either way.
Zenshu has now hit its third episode (fourth by the time this is out), and that marks an important milestone. The anime’s reaching the point where viewers will decide whether it’s worth watching or they decide to move onto something else. Thankfully, after a few rough patches, the third episode manages to be its strongest thus far. In addition to further expanding on the world that Natsuko finds herself in by introducing Luke’s designated love interest, the episode hints that what she knows should happen and what will happen might not always add up.
Which is a fancy way of saying that the story might be mixing things up in an attempt to course-correct.
I Respect Natsuko’s Aversions to Fancy Clothes
Thanks to the efforts of Natsuko, two of the tragic events that originally occurred in A Tale of Perishing have been averted. As a result, rather than the joint funeral for Unio and the townsfolk that Natsuko notes would’ve happened, the Last Town’s harvest festival takes place as planned. To her dismay, being the guest of honor also means she has to wear a fancy dress, which she despises, much to Unio’s amusement.
The harvest festival, as a whole, serves as an excellent means of further developing Natsuko and the Nine Soldiers. Natsuko’s disdain for her fancy dress highlights how she wants to live life on her own terms and doesn’t care what others think. Unio proves to be a casanova wannabe who tries and fails to flirt with multiple women, to Natsuko’s amusement. Memmeln refrains from the town’s religious practices because she’s lived so long, she sees them as a fad. And despite his good looks, Luke is shown to be very shy around large groups of women. Which may explain his earlier sexist remarks towards Natsuko.
This is unfortunate, as this episode marks the introduction of his love interest from the film Destiny Heartwarming (yes, that is her real name.) She’s the sweet, sheltered daughter of the town’s mayor, engaged to a wealthy businessman to be the next of his many wives…and that’s it. As Natsuko notes, she’s only there for her and Luke to fall in love…so that when she shows up at the worst possible time and dies, it will break him even further.
There’s a name for characters like this: dead. weight. Natsuko thinks that in her inner monologues, which is likely Zenshu providing commentary on how fans can come to hate certain characters for various reasons. In Natsuko’s case, not only is it because she’s a jinx, but because she’s only marrying that businessman because she thinks it’s the best way to start an orphanage for the town’s children. For someone who values her own freedom like Natsuko, Destiny’s way of thinking offends her to her very core.
In any case, Natsuko tells everyone that they have a month before the Void return, so they can take it easy. However, she’s soon proven wrong when a Void comes in disguised as a priest, something that shouldn’t have happened until later in the story. How this is happening is unclear, but it’s possible the story is attempting to right itself after Natsuko’s interference changed events. And with Destiny in danger and Luke drunk in vodka, she has to come up with another deus ex machina.
WRESTLING!!!
Another amazing Zenshu episode. Definitely one of my favourite anime airing. MAPPA been cooking with this anime original. Zenshu Sunday’s is real. Hyped for the next episode!!!!#全修#ZENSHUpic.twitter.com/CGroZBzgrs
This time, it’s a cat luchador. Which leads to an enjoyable moment where Natsuko provides commentary as her creation delivers a smack down like it’s an actual wrestling match. Say what you want, but someone at MAPPA has a sense of humor.
In the end, another crisis is averted thanks to Natsuko, and in more ways than one. After waking up three days later (which seems to be standard), she finds out her words left a positive impact on Destiny. Not only did she dump business guy and open the orphanage on her own, she decided to follow Natsuko’s example and live life on her terms. And those terms include emulating the cat wrestler, which is hilarious.
Natsuko Hirose. Making bad characters better since 2025.
It was touch and go for a while, but after this episode, Zenshu looks like it can handle itself with the big boys. This is one anime to watch for the winter season of 2025, as there’s no telling how things will turn out. We still don’t know how Natsuko got to this world or why she was brought there, but there are sure to be some theories at work already.
Even if they would be quickly overshadowed in strength by future villains, most Dragon Ball fans remember the Ginyu Force. Their flamboyant personalities, their unique powers, and their love for choreographed posing. The Ginyu Force was Toriyama’s first affectionate parody of the tokusatsu genre and Super Sentai series, AKA the Power Rangers. A tribute to the franchise he’d grown to love from watching alongside his son. Dragon Ball would come to incorporate other sentai parodies like the Great Saiyaman and the Pride Troopers, but the Ginyu Force are the most iconic. Therefore, it’s perhaps fitting that Toriyama’s last gift to Dragon Ball would include yet another sentai parody among the antagonists. And while it’s easy to see that Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Shin, Glorio and the others will mop the floor with this new group, they’ll still be fun to watch.
After their detour in the last episode, the hero’s party is back on track for the First Demon World. Unfortunately for them, Gomah already knew they were coming and planned ahead. Not only did he pull back the bulk of his forces to the First Demon World to defend him, he had Degesu shut down Warp-Sama across the entire Demon Realm. Whatever world its inhabitants are in, they’re now trapped there. In addition, he’s mobilized his elite forces, the Gendarmerie Force. AKA, the Demon Realm’s version of the Ginyu Force.
From the outset, a longtime Dragon Ball fan see Toriyama’s love of tokusatsu and sentai oozing off the Gendarmerie Force. They’re essentially Demon clones of the Ginyu’s, right down to their friendly nature and love for synchronized posing. The only difference between them and the Ginyu’s is that, unlike Frieza, Gomah has zero tolerance for their hammy nature. Given how he already knew how strong Goku was as an adult, and seeing how strong he and his allies are as kids, his intolerance is understandable. He’s taking the threat seriously, but his best soldiers care more about getting chips and giving candy to kids (Kuu and Duu.)
It doesn’t take a genius to know that, while they might put up a good fight, the Gendarmerie Force is going to lose to the combined force of Saiyans, Namekians, Demons, and two super-geniuses. The one upside is that, unlike the Ginyu, the Gendarmerie might stand getting out of this mess alive. That would be a nice change of pace; one last way for Toriyama to show his love of the sentai genre.
This feels like a cop-out
Meanwhile, thanks to being stuck on a planet of giants, it’s only now that the party arrives at Warp-sama. Thus, it’s only now that they learn that Gomah shut Warp-sama down, and with the barriers connecting the Demon Worlds up, they look to be trapped. At least, they do, until Neva reveals he was the one who put the barriers up to protect the Second World from thugs and snooty elites and brings it down.
As impressive as this feat is, with Piccolo even saying Neva deserved his legendary status, it feels too much like a deus ex machina. The heroes traveling with the one who created the Demon Realm’s Dragon Balls is believable, as that has happened in the past. But for that same person to be the one who created the barriers separating the Demon Realm? That’s pushing it, and it feels like Daima only did to save fans time by slogging through an episodes-long fetch quest. Normally, that would be a good thing, but in this case, it might have done more harm than good.
Firstly, consider how much time Daima’s spent in the Second Demon World. Now compare it to the time spent in the Third Demon World. The Second World is nowhere near as well explored as the Third, and that’s a problem. This is the first time outside the games and supplementary material that fans have gotten a look at the Demon Realm. The show should try and build it up as much as possible, not rush through it like this!
What makes it worse is the revelation that Daima will be ending in February with twenty episodes. Considering how this series is Toriyama’s final contribution to the world he created, many fans might not be ready to say goodbye so soon. However, it’s out of the fan’s control, with the episode seeing the party of Saiyans, Demons, Namekians, Kai, and human making it to the First Demon World…and losing their plane again.
Gomah’s preparations seem to have borne fruit, as the second the group arrives, they’re immediately beset by the Gendarmerie. The episode ends with them running from the sheer force of numbers, and they’ll likely be in for a tough fight. As exciting as that sounds, though, and as funny as the Gendarmerie Force is, it doesn’t change the fact that this episode feels rushed. That could spell bad news for the ending and, ultimately the legacy, of Daima. As any Game of Thrones fan attests, a good story can be ruined if it doesn’t stick the landing. Seeing Toriyama flex his love for sentai one last time helped, but not much. Unless the last six episodes are really good, Toei made a mistake with the number of episodes it gave Daima, and this proves it.
After a week off, Dragon Ball Daima is back for the new year, and it’s gearing up for the latter half of its story. To recap where we left off, Goku and the other just retrieved the second of the Demon World’s Dragon Balls. Simultaneously, Dr. Arinsu got the last one thanks to her new minions, Majin’s Kuu and Duu. As for her boss, Supreme King Gomah, he’s entering full-blown panic mode as Goku and his allies look set to arrive on his doorstep. As he takes drastic measures to stop him, the group runs into its own problems a-la Gulliver’s Travels. Though Attack on Titan might be more appropriate, given how this is an anime.
Supreme King Gomah is being backed into a corner, and he knows it. His attempts to try and weaken Goku and his friends and family so they’re not a threat have completely backfired on him. And with his army pulled back to his stronghold in the First Demon World, he faces the very real risk of losing his control over the Demon Realm. Thus, he decides to take drastic measures. He orders Degesu to shut down Warp-sama in a last-ditch attempt to keep Goku out.
We don’t yet know the implications of shutting down the main form of transit between the Demon Realm and the multiverse, but this will likely be a problem for the heroes. Not only does this make getting to Gomah and Dende (their goal) harder, but without Warp-sama, they might not be able to make it home. And since there’s no guarantee Goku’s instant transmission can get them to Dende, they might have to find another way!
Giant. DEMONS.
That problem can wait, though. Continuing their string of bad luck with planes, the group’s plane goes down on a mysterious planet that has Neva shaking in fear once he remembers its name. Enter, Planet Mega, AKA the second most dangerous planet in the Demon Realm due to everything there being so big, including its inhabitants, the Megath. Inhabitants who, even as kids, make a Saiyan’s Great Ape form look puny in comparison. And the adults are big enough to hunt the Krakens that inhabit the seas of the Second Demon World.
Saying that Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the others are out of their league would be an understatement. A single Megath child manages to pressure them to the point where they can’t win a straight-up fight. Even in their adult forms, it’s likely the Megath would be too much for the Saiyans and Namekian to handle at this point in their lives. As a result, viewers have to watch as the group flees for their lives. And even then, they only manage to get away by the skin of their teeth. Little wonder why Neva said that not even the Supreme Demon King and his army dared to travel to Mega; it’s terrifying!
The scariest part, though? This is only the second most dangerous place in the Demon Realm. According to Neva, the most dangerous place, Planet Giga, has beings even bigger than the Megath!
This unexpected excursion conjures mixed feelings within me. On the one hand, I can’t help but be curious as to how strong the Megath and Gigath are compared to an adult Goku and Vegeta. On the other hand, I think that they might be too much for even a Saiyan to handle. Still, if this counts as a filler episode, I’m not going to complain. This was a fun, yet terrifying, experience.
Everyone, I’m ten billion percent certain I’m going to be watching this season of Dr. Stone.
I’ve been following the Dr. Stone anime off and on since it came out back in 2019, but the new season is said to be the last one. And given how I love the series’ sense of comedy, quirky characters, and (largely) accurate use of science, I wanted to see it off. It also helps that it’s got a solid dub and caught up to the point where I actively started reading the manga as it came out. And while some may see the season premiere as padding, I see it as a way for the show flex its comedic muscles.
I can’t spoil anything from the manga, but trust me: you are going to miss the light-heartedness after a certain point.
Disagreements on Travel
Having acquired one of the mysterious devices responsible for turning humankind to stone, the Kingdom of Science’s next step is to confront the one responsible. There’s one problem, though: they’re located on the Moon. Getting to the moon was a gargantuan undertaking even with modern society, and Senku is having to rebuild civilization from the ground up. With Japan unable to provide all the resources needed, the Kingdom of Science has no other option: they have to start recruiting people around the world. First stop is the good ol’ US of A.
One question, though: what route will they take?
Once again showing their knowledge of science, the anime points out that taking a route hugging the continents would get them there faster, even if it’s more difficult. However, the resident sailor Ryusui argues that they should go in a straight line to the west coast of America. Unable to break the deadlock, Senku and Ryusui decide to settle the matter…in a game of poker.
🎰It's party time! Science vs. Greed… Who has the edge in a game of Poker? Watch Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE, exclusively on @Crunchyroll!
Many people will likely consider this episode focusing on a game of poker to be a waste of time. To be fair, they’re not wrong. Even in the manga, this largely gave off the feeling of padding the story out for the sake of it. However, it still winds up being enjoyable to watch for two reasons. Firstly, it means we get to see the character interacting with each other, which is one of Dr. Stone’s strongest selling points. Most of the main cast does a good job of bouncing off one another’s quirks for comedic effect, and that holds true for this episode.
The second reason? Simple: seeing everyone wearing casino attire. You can’t deny that Senku and Kohaku look amazing in their respective outfits!
Enjoy the fun while it lasts
So, after shenanigans ensue, Senku ends up winning like he usually does. And with their route now set, everyone celebrates by doing the other thing casinos are known for: drinking and partying. And Senku does point out how he’s 3,700 years old, so he’s able to drink. Plus, there are no governments to enforce drinking ages, so it’s a moot point.
Some people might see the season premiere as unnecessary padding. I see it as a fun little way to get started on the final season of Dr. Stone. Like I said, I’m ten billion percent watching this entire season, because this is going to be one of the big early hits of 2025.
Also, I wasn’t joking earlier: there will come a time when you will miss how light-hearted things are.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 3 Review
There’s only one reason why Sung Jin-woo became a Hunter: to provide for his sister and comatose mother. That motivation hasn’t changed since becoming a Player, especially since the Demon Castle Dungeon gave him the means to create a medicine to cure his mother. Having unlocked new abilities and tested them in the Red Gate, it’s time for Jin-woo to return to the Instance Dungeon to see how far he can go. At the same time, things are happening to those connected to Jin-woo that could affect him down the road.
Jinho’s Next Step to Being a Guild Master
Not long after the Red Gate, Jin-woo and Jinho reach the end of their deal: they’ve cleared 19 dungeons together! Rather, it’s more like Jin-woo cleared them, and Jinho helped support him. To his dismay, though, even that becomes pointless with Jin-woo’s Shadows able to carry his gear and mine resources.
It’s easy to feel sympathetic for Jinho. His father’s seemingly never expected much from him and his brother is a conceited jerk. It’s no wonder that he considers Jin-woo more of a brother than his biological brother. And, despite his now-stoic nature, Jin-woo reciprocates the feeling, to his joy. What’s more, his father actually takes his request to lead their pending Hunter’s guild seriously. However, there’s a catch: he has to recruit Jin-woo.
As expected, Jin-woo’s extraordinary actions are starting to attract attention from those in power. It’s only a matter of time before people start trying to take advantage of his power…or come for his head like Dongsoo.
Yes, that man is who you think he is
Speaking of Dongsoo, this episode reveals the reason he was called back to the US. During a dungeon raid, an American Hunting party found something, or someone: a Korean Hunter. The government detains him for fear of him being a monster, but since he speaks Korean, they bring Dongsoo in to communicate.
What follows demonstrates how Dongsoo is just as wicked as his older brother, as he immediately realizes the connection the mysterious man has to Jin-woo and lies about the young man’s death.
Before you ask, yes. The man in question, Sung Il-Hwan, is Jin-woo’s father and an S-Rank Hunter, to boot. Ten years ago, he got stuck inside a Dungeon that closed on him. He’s only now found his way back to his dimension, and what happened in-between then, and what he learned, will become very important later in the series. What matters at the moment, though, is that he manages to humiliate Dongsoo before escaping custody. So, like son, like father!
Jin-woo Solos Half the Demon Castle
The highlight of the episode (besides the gratitious cameos of Cha Hae-In) are Jin-woo’s return to the Instance Dungeon called the Demon Castle. With the Red Gate affirming how strong he’s gotten since his job change, Jin-woo feels confident enough to try more of the dungeon.
This time, though, Jin-woo has an army at his disposal.
The second journey into the Instance Dungeon hammers home how Jin-woo’s starting to unlock the full potential of his Shadow Army. Not only can they perform menial tasks, they can also deal with the small fry enemies while he focuses on the ones that matter. He’s learning how to lead his forces into battle like a frontline general or king of old, letting him focus on the big boss of the 50th floor.
The fight between Jin-woo and the Avaricious Vulcan, while brief, is another chance for Solo Leveling to flex its animation budget. Thanks to the monster’s size and movement, it also has the benefit of feeling like a fight from Attack on Titan, which is a welcome addition. As always, though, Jin-woo comes out on top.
By the time Jin-woo makes it to the next boss on the 75th floor, he’s marching in there at the head of a small army. The fight that follows is so fast, it can’t even count as a fight! Just an execution.
Jin-woo is Getting There
So, the good news is that Jin-woo is improving by leaps and bounds, but he’s still not strong enough to solo the Instance Dungeon. The episode ends with him returning back to his dimension, but with some extra confidence instilled in himself. Once he beats the final boss of the Demon Castle, he’ll have the last ingredient he needs for the medicine to save his mother.
There’s bad news, though: he’s attracting attention. The more incredible things he does, the more people realize that he’s not an E-Rank Hunter anymore. If anything, the fact that he keeps pretending to be one will cause him trouble down the road. Sooner or later, he’s going to have to get re-re-evaluated and accept his S-Rank status. Otherwise, things could get ugly.
The good thing about Jin-woo, though, is that despite how strong he’s gotten, he’s not letting it go to his head. He still cares about his family (and Jinho), and he never lords his power over others unless he has to. Hopefully, that doesn’t change because…Jin-woo would be terrifying if he went evil. Like Homelander on steroids.
Great episode, though. Jin-woo is one step closer to saving his mother. And we got to see more of Cha Hae-In.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow S2 Ep 2 Review
A few months ago, being trapped in a Red Gate dungeon would’ve been a worst-case scenario for Jin-woo. Especially if his party leader left anyone they deemed weak behind to die while they fought the boss. But that was before he became a Player and learned how to raise the dead as part of his own private army. Now, the Red Gate is just another way for him to train and build his Shadow army. And as Jin-woo makes clear in this episode, he’s not afraid to use his necromancy powers on his fellow human beings.
To be fair, he’ll only use them on humans who already deserve this fate, like his so-called party leader.
Kim Chul’s Three Strikes
At the end of the last episode, the anime showed us the fate of party leader Kim Chul and his half of the Hunters. Without any food or supplies, they starved, froze, and were then mauled to death by yetis. Chul only survived because he ran away with his tail tucked between his legs.
While the sight of Chul walking back alone and half-insane might make some people feel bad for him, the story makes it clear that we shouldn’t. He knew leaving the weaker Hunters behind would likely kill them, and he did it anyway. Worse, he forced the other members to press on without adequate food and supplies, leading to their deaths. Any military leader worth their salt would tell you sending your forces out without being prepared can lead to disaster. That’s strike one against Kim Chul.
Then, when he gets back to the others and sees them happy around a campfire with food and blankets, he snaps. He wrongly assumes that they deliberately hoarded supplies from him, and thus, that they’re to blame for everyone’s deaths. That’s strike two, and if Jin-woo hadn’t been there to knock him on his back, he would’ve killed everyone present.
Kim Chul ❌ Iron ✔️
BiliBili Anime: Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- EP2
Then, when Chul comes to while Jin-woo’s fighting the boss, he decides to try killing Jin-woo instead of helping him like he should’ve. Final strike! And for his arrogance and stupidity, Jin-woo gives Chul a very special gift: the honor of being the third time he’s had to kill a human being.
And, to add insult to injury, Jin-woo doesn’t even kill Chul himself; he has Igris do it before reviving him as his latest Shadow, now called Iron.
Jin-woo Bodies an Army of Murderous Ice Elves
The real highlight of the episode, though, is the fight between Jin-woo and his Shadow army and the Ice Elves, led by one called Baruka. The fight is frenetic, fast-paced, and seems less like a duel between two opponents and more like a proper battle. As Jin-woo continues to get stronger, though, he’s going to use his Shadows more and more to help him deal with monsters. Thus, this is a prelude to some of the things that he will end up doing as the anime progresses.
Baruka’s a tough opponent, but in the end, he ends up another victim of Jin-woo. The one loss that Jin-woo has to take is the fact that he’s unable to extract Baruka’s Shadow, leaving him out of a valuable soldier in his growing army. However, he manages to get his daggers and the survivors out in one piece, so that’s a win. In addition, he gets another cool moment when the White Tiger’s guildmaster, Baek Yoonho, tries to get answers about what happened out of him. Instead, Jin-woo tells him off for not being grateful he got any of his guildmembers out alive.
As for Dongsoo, he left after thinking Jin-woo wouldn’t make it out of the Red Gate alive.
This episode marks another turning point in Jin-woo’s growth as a Hunter. Until now, he’s only used Shadow Extraction on monsters. Now that he knows he can use it on humans, though, anyone who makes the mistake of crossing him could become an undead minion in his army. Fortunately, he seems like the type who wouldn’t revive another human unless they were already worthy of punishment from him. On a lesser note, this is the third instance where he’s killed a person; if he’s not careful, he could become numb to the value of life and risk losing his humanity. Thankfully, he has his sister and Jinho to keep him grounded.
Speaking of Jinho, when he sees how informal his boss and Song-yi are after the events the night before, he comes to a disturbing conclusion. To be fair, if someone heard two people talking about how they didn’t get any sleep the night before out of context, they might make the same assumption. But Jin-woo isn’t that kind of Hunter.
People love the new OP
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- Opening has reached 1 Million Views in 3 days on Aniplex YouTube Channel! 🖤
By the way, reports are coming in saying that Solo Leveling broke its already impressive viewer record with the premiere of Season two. And the new OP managed to reach a million views on YouTube in less than three days. The people have spoken: Solo Leveling is a big thing in anime right now!
Solo Leveling made huge waves in the anime world last year by being 2024’s first big hit. And now, the story of Sung Jin-woo continues as he finally has a concrete goal beyond leveling up. Within the special S-rank Dungeon only he can access lie the ingredients to a miracle potion that can cure anything. If he gets his hands on it, he can use it to awaken his mom from her coma! The bad news is that he’s still not strong enough to clear the Dungeon. The good news? He’s no longer fighting alone. He’s got an army of shadow warriors to help him, and he’s going to use them. Which leads us to the season premiere as Jin-woo puts his black Air Force energy through its paces in a Dungeon raid gone wrong. Again.
【Opening Theme】 Solo Leveling Season 2
OP: "ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)" by LiSA
But first, can we talk about how amazing the OP to season two of Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows is? Besides the killer animation, there’s also the fact that the song is sung by LiSA and Felix from Stray Kids. She’s one of my favorite J-Pop singers, and for good reason. She’s done the theme songs to some the biggest anime of the century, including Sword Art Online, Fate, Demon Slayer, and more. Regardless of the criticisms to SAO, “Crossing Field” is a very exciting OP. And “Gurenge” is practically a legend at this point. While the OP for the first season wasn’t that interesting, the one for season two is the exact opposite, being an absolute head-banger that I desperately want to find on iTunes.*
*(It’s on iTunes Now!)
Jin-woo’s Master Plan to Convince Sister’s Friend to Stay in School
It’s parent-teacher day at the school of Jin-woo’s sister, Jinah, and since he’s her legal guardian, he has to go in their parent’s place. And despite just waking up, Jin-woo shows up looking super-cool, leading to yet another moment where young ladies drool over him. The man’s rizz is off the charts, and he doesn’t even realize it!
The good news is Jinah’s on track to get into the medical school she’s aiming for, so there’s no problems there. However, her teacher asks Jin-woo with help with another student who’s a friend of Jinah. Her name is Han Song-Yi, and she recently awakened as a Hunter…as an E-rank. She’s the girl who’s been in Jin-woo and Jin-ho’s party as they go Dungeon hopping for their plan to make Joonho a guild master. And now, she’s planning on quitting school and becoming a full-time Hunter.
It’s not out of the ordinary for young, talented people to decide they’re wasting their time in public school and simply drop out. Some of the great movers and shakers in history never finished school. However, Jin-woo knows firsthand how dangerous being a Hunter is, especially if you’re an E-Rank. He might not have the scars, but he’s got the hospital bills to prove it! Thus, Jin-woo decides he needs to set Sang-yi straight before she gets herself killed. However, instead of lecturing her about how dangerous it is, he decides to go for the “sink-or-swim” approach. He speaks to her and tells her that he’s gonna let her go on a Dungeon Raid with him, and manages to get them a spot on a raid by the White Tiger Guild.
Red Gates. The Bane of Every Hunters Existence
Unfortunately, Jin-woo’s plan works too well. As soon as the party enters, the Gate turns into a Red Gate. That’s when the Dungeon mutates and sends the people inside into another dimension altogether, where the monsters are stronger, and they can’t get out unless they kill the boss or the Dungeon breaks.
From this moment on, the Dungeon raid becomes a survival horror…for everyone that isn’t Jin-woo. One Hunter dies immediately to an ice arrow. The A-rank Hunter in charge of the raid decides to leave lower-ranked Hunters to die while the others clear the Dungeon. As the end of the episode shows, they die and the leader, Kim Chul, runs away scared for his life. In contrast, everyone who stayed with Jin-woo lives and thrives after he takes out the ice bears and their leader.
Speaking of which, the fight with the ice bears and their pack leader marks the first time that Jin-woo uses his Shadows in battle. While it’s not as epic as one would think, keep in mind that this is still a new power to him. However, as he gets stronger, his Shadows will follow suit as he gains more of them. Eventually, he will have his own army. As far as animation goes, though, his little skirmish is decent.
Don’t expect to see Dongsoo again this season.
Speaking of skirmishes, Jin-woo narrowly avoided getting into one with S-rank Hunter Hwang Dongsoo. He flew back to Korea to kill Jin-woo and Joonho for the death of his older brother, only to arrive at the gate too late. At his current level, Jin-woo could likely go toe-to-toe with Dongsoo, but there’s no guarantee he would come out on top. In addition, fighting him in front of the leader of the White Tiger Guild and Joonchul from the Hunter’s Association would just bring him unwanted attention. Right now, anonymity is good for him.
This first episode doesn’t reach the same heights as the series premiere, but it doesn’t have to do so. All it needs is to reintroduce people to the story and show the direction it’s heading in. As far as action goes, it’s only going to get better as time goes by. Having read the manwha, trust me when I say that by the time the series hits its climax, it’s going to need a theater to handle everything.
But if you really want more action right away, you can always play Solo Leveling: Arise.
Warning: Unauthorized Plug for Tie-In Game Detected.
Solo Leveling: Arise is a free-to-play action RPG available on mobile and pc that lets players experience the story of Solo Leveling for themselves. Players can take control of Jin-woo and have him hack, slash, and rizz his way through the dungeons as he levels up and goes from the weakest Hunter to the strongest in the world. They’ll have all the RPG mechanics of the System at their disposal as they help Jin-woo get stronger to take on the threats found within the dungeons. And with more skills, special attacks, and weapons than I can hope to count available to them, they can make Jin-woo into their ideal Hunter.
But wait! Jin-woo won’t be fighting alone in this game. Through the rewards you gain by completing events and parts of the story, you can earn resources to upgrade your equipment even further. More importantly, you can unlock characters from the story that you can either play as or have support Jin-woo throughout the story. Not only are all of these characters voiced by their VA’s and Seiyus from the anime, but they can also be leveled up so they can keep being of use to you. To sweeten the deal, if you level them up enough, you can unlock their backstories and learn how they became Hunters. There are even original manwha stories detailing their origins for you to read and enjoy.
While the combat in Arise can get a bit repetitive at times, the game provides its own solution. If you set your characters to ‘auto’ mode, they will clear dungeons and story chapters on autopilot. It’s perfect to level grind without having to put in the effort of controlling your character! Plus, the cutscenes are a combination of the in-game engine and using panels from the original manwha, allowing for a diverse way to experience the story of Solo Leveling. Fair warning, though: the story does extend far beyond where the anime is right now. So avoid going any further if you’ve only watched the anime and want to avoid spoilers!
Get Solo Leveling: Arise now for PC and Mobile, release on Steam to be announced.
RJ Writing Ink’s (hilarious) recap of Season One of Solo Leveling
Sung Jin-Woo, the main protagonist of the Korean manwha Solo Leveling and the black air force Hunter. AKA Sung Him-Woo, because he is that guy. Once mocked and considered the weakest Hunter in the world, after the latest in a long line of near-death experiences, gains the unique ability to level up. Before long, he goes from a meek little piece of cannon fodder into one of the coldest protagonists to ever come out of South Korea. And he’s only getting started!
I’m RJ Writing Ink for the D&A Anime Blog, and today, we are recapping the first season of Solo Leveling and the rise of Sung Him-Woo as he gains his black air forces. This way, you will be caught up in time for the new season, which will either be out by now or mere days from release. You will want to watch this show!
Sung Jin-woo’s Humble Beginnings
Let’s provide some context first. Ten years ago, magical portals, or Gates, to other dimensions began appearing worldwide. And from those Gates, monsters started appearing, threatening to overrun Earth. While normal weapons proved unable to kill the monsters, some humans started gaining magical abilities that could. They became the Hunters, whose job it is to defeat the monsters in the Dungeons on their side of the Gates, sealing them and keeping them from overrunning humankind. However, once a Hunter awakens their skills, they’re stuck with them and unable to get stronger. The strongest Hunters are the S-Rank, some of whom are strong enough to rival an entire nation’s military, while the weakest are the E-Rank. And Sung Jin-Woo has the misfortune of being the weakest E-Rank of all time.
Poor Jin-Woo is barely stronger than the average human being, and is considered a joke or someone for other Hunters to pity. Every time he goes into a Dungeon, he almost dies and has to be bailed out by the party healers. Despite being so weak, though, he keeps at it because his Dad’s missing and presumed dead, his Mom’s in a coma and requires medical support, and his sister is in high school. In other words, he’s desperate and needs the money, even if he barely gets by due to being so weak. However, all of that is about to change.
On what should have been a simple raid of a D-Rank Dungeon, Jin-Woo and his party discover a second, secret Dungeon hidden away. Jin-Woo casts the deciding vote for the group to investigate the second Dungeon, and everyone heads inside. However, it soon becomes apparent that they should have stayed far away from this new Dungeon.
Welcome to Hell
This Double-Dungeon turns out to be S-Ranked, filled with giant statues whose smiles would make the Smiling Titan from Attack on Titan wet herself. They proceed to slaughter almost all of the Hunters before only Jin-Woo and a handful of others are left alive, with Jin-Woo losing a leg from the carnage. So, the young man decides to stay behind and keep the door open so his comrades can escape. He figures its all a weakling like him can do to give his life any value. But, as soon as the others are gone, that feeling of self-sacrifice evaporates, and the realization that he’s about to die sinks in…and he HATES IT!
Jin-Woo starts cursing out the universe for what’s about to happen to him. He curses the fact that he’s about to leave his family to fend for themselves. And most of all, he wishes that he was stronger so that none of this would even be happening to him!
But something happens right as he’s about to die. A message from this display straight out of an RPG pops up and says “Congratulations, buddy! You completed the secret quest and get the chance to become a [Player]. If you do, you’ll get the chance to earn yourself some black air forces. If not…you can guess the rest.” Since Jin-Woo isn’t a dummy and doesn’t want to die, he gladly accepts the deal.
Little did he know, but this is the moment when Sung Jin-Woo would begin his journey as the black air force Hunter.
Getting Used to His Black Air Forces
Three days later, Jin-Woo wakes up in the hospital and learns he was somehow rescued from the Double Dungeon. The experience, though, left all the survivors traumatized. Some have survivor’s guilt for abandoning the others. Their leader lost his arm and may have to retire. And Jin-Woo’s healer friend, Joo-Hee, is left with PTSD. No one got out unscathed. But that doesn’t matter, because its time for Jin-Woo to begin his training in the way of the black air forces.
That display that gave Jin-Woo the offer to become a Player returns and lays down the ground rules. Firstly, it is a program called the System, and it functions like the mechanics to an RPG, giving him quests with rewards, keys to Dungeons that only work for him, etc. Secondly, said RPG mechanics give him the ability to level up his status, making him the only Hunter in the world who can do so! Lastly, since he wasn’t born with black air force energy and has to gain it, he has to complete daily goals, usually by doing enough exercises. If he tries to welch on them, he will be dropped into a penalty zone and attacked by giant, poisonous centipedes. So, Jin-Woo has some pretty good incentives not to neglect his training.
So after he spends the rest of his time in the hospital getting into this daily routine of training, Jin-Woo begins to evolve. He goes from the meek, little twig he started out as into a full-on demigod. He’s tall, has the face of a Korean Adonis, and is swole as they come! And all the young nurses are practically drooling over him. When one of them comes in to check on him, she catches him exercising without a shirt and almost passes out from his hotness!
And that’s only the visible side effects of him training to master his black air force energy. His power has skyrocketed far beyond E-Rank.
Taking a Shady Job
Once he’s out of the hospital, Jin-woo decides its high time for him to start making money again. That means he has to go back into a dungeon, so he finds a C-Rank party that needs a few extra members. The only problem is that the party leader, Hwang Dongsuk, is sus, making him sign a contract saying that he doesn’t have to fight, but doesn’t get any item drops.
Rounding out their 8-man party is a rich, D-Rank newcomer Yoo Jin-ho, AKA the ultimate wingman and Jin-woo’s new best friend. And we say that because, despite having better equipment due to his dad being super rich, Jin-ho stands up for Jin-woo when they reach the boss room and find it loaded with mana crystals. Dongsuk tries to keep Jin-woo from getting any of this valuable loot, but Jin-ho looks at the contract and says “Hey, man. I just looked this thing over and it doesn’t say anything about those crystals counting as battle drops. My man Jin-woo should get a share!” All Dongsuk can do is grumble about it…is what you’d think would happen!
As it turns out, Jin-woo was right to be suspicious about Dongsuk and his party, because they’re all a bunch of murderers! Every time they hit a dungeon, they hire on a few red shirts to serve as cannon fodder to soften the boss up so they can kill it without issue, letting them focus on collecting the loot! These guys are serial killers, and they try to pull the same thing on Jin-woo and Jin-ho, leaving them to fight the giant spider boss alone!
HIM-woo Begins to Catch Bodies
But they weren’t dealing with some E-Rank Hunter anymore. Sung Jin-woo had been growing into those black air forces, and it was for him to flex. It takes some doing, but Jin-woo manages to squash the spider. And the whole time, Jin-ho is looking at him and thinking, “Dang. I need to make this guy my new best friend!” But then, Dongsuk and the sucky gang return.
Now, since they think Jin-woo is still some lowly E-Rank, these guys think Jin-ho killed the boss. So they offer Jin-woo’s new bestie a deal: help kill Jin-woo, and they’ll let him live and give him a cut of the loot. And Jin-ho is like, “Oh, heck no! I ain’t turning on my new bro like some chump! Take that offer and shove it!” And Dongsuk decides, “Oh, well. Your funeral. Boys, kill them both!” And they slam Jin-woo into the wall, thinking that would be enough.
Jin-woo’s response? “So, you have chosen death.”
So the System gives Jin-woo this urgent quest, saying that he’s got to kill his attackers, or his heart will stop. Truthfully, though, Jin-woo would have done it anyway, because there was no way these guys would face justice back home. When Hunters are strong enough, they’re able to avoid legal charges and are basically untouchable. But, as Jin-woo repeats what Dongsuk back to him, “What happens in a Dungeon stays in a Dungeon.” And then, in one of the coldest anime moments of 2024, Sung Jin-woo turns the group of six into victims.
Jin-woo saves Dongsuk for last, and the man is on his butt looking ready to wet himself in terror, begging Jin-woo to spare him! Because if he doesn’t, his younger brother will come after him! But Jin-woo had no F’s to give, and ended that man’s life. After that, they just left the trash there, walked out like bosses, and Jin-ho covers for his new best friend by saying the dungeon killed the others.
Fate Has a Cruel Sense of Humor
Not long after, Jin-ho meets with Jin-woo and explains his situation. His dad is looking to start their own Hunter’s guild, which is where Hunters work together to pull off jobs, so that his company can have a steady stream of resources. Jin-ho offers him his own building if helps meet the requirements to start his own guild, but Jin-woo says, “No thanks. But we’ll keep in touch.” Don’t forget, he’ that got to keep meeting the System’s requirements and look after his Mom and sister. Shortly afterward, he maxes out his dailies and gets a key to an S-Rank Dungeon, whose reward is a potion that can cure any illness. And Jin-woo realizes he can use this to cure his Mom, so he dives right him. Sadly, the dungeon is like a real-life version of Dark Souls, because fighting the first boss, a giant Cerberus, almost kills him.
Which means he’s got to train even more.
Jin-woo then calls up Jin-ho and says, “Hey, man. You still want help running those Dungeons to make that guild?” But before they can make any progress, Jin-woo gets recruited to form a last-minute party to handle a C-Rank dungeon. It just so happens that the other party members include Kang Taeshik, an agent from the Hunters Association that oversees all Hunters, some Hunters serving time in jail, and the other survivors of the Double-Dungeon incident. This must be fate at work!
The Black Air Force Hunter Finds his Next Victim
There turns out to be more to this job than anyone realizes. Some time ago, one of the convicts had murdered a girl, so the girl’s dad paid Kang to kill him in the Dungeon. Kang gladly does so, only for the two Double-Dungeon survivors that abandoned everyone to catch him in the act. So
Kang kills them both to cover everything up. And this is where things get really sad, as one of those guys only took this job so he could apologize to Jin-woo for leaving him to die. To make it even sadder, the man has a wife and kid he’s leaving behind!
So, Jim-woo reveals his black air force energy and, in a pretty epic fight, manages to kill Kang. Afterwards, just like before, the remaining party members cover for him as that is for saving their lives. But Joo-hee? She’s done being a Hunter. The trauma she’s experienced is too much, and she wants out, so she’s moving back home with her parents. Which also means anyone who shipped her with Jin-woo has been left high and dry.
The Bromance’s Grinding Scheme
So, after that latest incident, Jin-woo and Jin-ho put their plan to start a guild into motion. Jin-ho buys up the rights to a bunch of C-Rank Dungeons and then hires some low-rank Hunters so they can meet the party quota. The two of them are the only ones to head inside and clear everything. By which we mean Jin-woo clears them while Jin-ho helps carry the stuff and serve as his hype man. But despite Jin-woo’s attempts to fly under the radar, people are starting to take notice.
Case in point, a high-ranking member of one of the top Guilds in Korea puts the pieces together and realizes that Jin-woo has “reawakened.” Reawakening is when a Hunter goes through a second awakening that makes stronger than they once were. To be fair, that is technically what Jin-woo has gone through. Though when this man tries to recruit Jin-woo, he turns him down. And for good measure, he flexes his BAFE to let him know what will happen if he tries to tell anyone else.
Jin-Woo Gets a Promotion
At this point, Jin-woo is getting stronger and stronger. So strong, in fact, that the System decides this is the point where he can pull a job-change to get even stronger. He’s subsequently dropped into a giant castle and has to fight his way through a horde of magical warriors before making his way to a throne room. That’s where he challenges the boss, Igris, the Bloodred Knight Commander. Igris pushes Jin-woo to his limit, but he manages to win by the skin of his teeth. And he acknowledges that he only won thanks to dumb luck!
Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t the job-change quest. This was just the warm-up for the real quest: fighting an endless horde of armored warriors until the time limit expires. All while he’s exhausted, unable to use potions…and missing the teleportation stone that acts as his escape rope.
Jin-woo almost gives up because he thinks he bit off more than he can chew. Just as he’s about to give up, though, his past self gives him the pep talk he needs to keep going. That’s when remembers something important: be was so eager to start the quest, he forgot to do his dailies. So, back to the penalty zone he goes!
And, like anyone with black air force energy, Him-woo makes short work of the opposition and uses the drop items to get back to full strength. Once back, he wastes the enemy with time to spare.
Long Live the Shadow Monarch, Sung HIM-woo!
With the quest over, the System appears again to say “Congratulations for completing the quest and proving yourself worthy of black air force energy. Now, time to assign you your new job based on your performance.” Sadly, Jin-woo can’t pick his new job class, but lucky for him, the System chooses the most OP one it has: Necromancer. And since he killed everyone before the time limit, he got so much XP that he automatically levels up to Shadow Monarch, the one who rules over an army of the dead!
The coolest part, though? He can extract the shadows of the deceased and revive them as unkillable, unflinching minions! And the stronger he gets, the more Shadows he can control. This man is capable of creating his own private army! And, since every army needs commanders, Jin-woo revives Igris as the first of his elite warriors!
You Will be Calling him Sung HIM-woo before the show is over!
And that is where the first season comes to an end. Sung Jin-woo has obtained the power of black air forces and proven that he is that guy, but his journey is far from over. He needs to keep getting stronger to save his mom and deal with the powerful individuals that will no doubt continue to take notice of him. And if you thought he was badass already, then trust me when I say that you haven’t seen anything yet. I read through the entire webtoon in a few days, and lets just say that I was right to give him the nickname of Sung Him-woo. He will be in a class all his own by the time the anime comes to an end!
Now, go get ready to watch the next season of Solo Leveling. And if you’re too impatient, go try the mobile game, Solo Leveling: Arise!
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