Jin-Woo

All Hail Sung Jin-woo, our Glorious King

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 13 Review

It pains me to say this, but the second season of Solo Leveling has come to a close. But after everything that has happened this season, there’s likely not an anime fan out there who hasn’t heard about it. After seeing what he managed to do in the last episode, there won’t be a person in Korea who doesn’t know about Sung Jin-woo, the hero of Jeju Island. Since Solo Leveling is such a good story, though, the falling action is as good as the climax. However, the anime did manage to miss a few details that feel like a mistake to leave out. And for good reason.

Why did the anime skips this?

Looking back on last week’s episode, one problem with its ending (besides being horribly timed) was it left out a key part of Jin-woo’s thoughts. He later acknowledges this to Chairman Go, but in the manwha, Jin-woo spends the time after his failed attempts to save Cha Hae berating himself. He acknowledges that Hunters like Byung-Gu wouldn’t have died if he had chosen to go on the Raid from the start. It’s an important self-criticism that serves as a reminder that, despite now being the strongest in Korea, Sung Jin-woo is still human. It feels like a mistake not to include that in the anime, and that’s only the first one the episode makes.

The second has to do with how it portrays the way Jin-woo saves Cha Hae. I can’t remember if the anime brings it up, but Jin-woo actually has a moral code regarding his necromancy. Having learned he can revive dead humans, Jin-woo vowed to never use that power on another human unless they were evil or deserved it. Kim Chul proved to be a horrible man, so he got that treatment. In contrast, Byung-Gu was an incredibly kind person who hated violence. The fact that Jin-woo was willing to break his own rule is meant to highlight how serious and desperate he was about saving Cha Hae. In addition, whereas he revived him on the first try in the anime, he almost fails to do so in the manwha. Jin-woo has to actually convince Byung-Gu to come back to save someone one last time before it works.

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Beyond that, though, the outcome remains the same. Cha Hae’s life is saved, and Jin-woo agrees to let Byung-Gu rest in peace. It’s a very emotional moment that earns him a great deal of respect from Byung-Gu’s comrades.

Besides, Byung-Gu is nothing in comparison to the real reward: the Ant King himself. Or should we say, Beru?

Welcome to the force, Beru

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The anime does a really good job of capturing the importance of Jin-woo reviving the Ant King. The fact that he can already talk, something no other Shadow can do, emphasizes how special this Shadow is. Also, Beru is a combination of two names: Bernard Weber, a French author who wrote a fiction series about ants; and Meruem, AKA the OG Ant King. Beru more than proves worthy of being Jin-woo’s first shadow general, helping to wipe out most of the remaining ants. Thanks to Jin-woo and the Hunters of Korea, most of the leaderless ants are easy pickings. What could’ve spelt the end of Korea becomes a huge victory for the country.

As for Japan…well, the man in charge brought what happened upon himself. Now he has to live with the fact that 70% of his country’s S-Ranks are dead. And will likely lose his job in the near future.

By the way, Jin-woo does try to revive the Ant Queen in the manwha, but he abandons that when he realizes that the Queen’s useless as an undead Shadow. That, and it divides the loyalty of the Shadow Ants.

Commence the Praise!

With Jeju Island no longer a threat, Korea is free to mourn those lost. While people give him valid criticism (which he acknowledges), everyone says that Sung Jin-woo is the hero of Jeju Island. While he could’ve helped from the start, joining at such a critical moment saved Korea from destruction. Thus, most people are giving him all the glaze (like I have been.) He’s now the apex predator of the country; the strongest.

So, what now?

Thanks to the experience from the Raid on Jeju Island, Jin-woo has hit an important milestone: Level 100. He’s stronger than he’s ever been. And while some might sit on their throne and reap the rewards, Jin-woo isn’t like that. He’s already making plans to form his own guild with Jinho. And at that this point, he doesn’t need to hide the fact that he can solo an entire dungeon. Yet, not everything is well.

During the cleanup on Jeju Island, one of the teams of Hunters were attacked by two unknown beings. I can’t say who they are without spoiling things, but let me make this clear: Jin-woo will need to fight them in the near future. And right now, not even he may be enough to win. Which is why he needs to keep getting stronger. Not to protect his title, but to protect the people he cares about.

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Now we Wait

Sadly, this is where the season of Solo Leveling comes to an end. At this time, there is no news that can confirm nor deny whether there will be a third season. However, given its meteoric rise to prominence in the anime world in just over a year, people are going to want to see the rest of the story animated. Its not a question of if it will happen, but when. And with the fights only going to get crazier (trust me), Solo Leveling could wind up being one of the biggest anime of the decade.

Until that day comes, though, feel free to go and read the manwha for yourself. Or stick around for a review of the game Solo Leveling Arise. Or go watch YouTubers like AniNews or Anime Balls Deep as they break down the series.

Edit: Third Season drops next year.

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I Give “Onto the Next Target” a 4/5

Solo Leveling Just had the Biggest Anime Fight of the Year

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 EP 12 PRAISING SESSION

Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone who identifies as neither, this is the episode that we all waited to see. The Jeju Island Raid Arc has all come down to this: Sung Jin-woo, the Black Air Force Hunter with max-level charisma, vs the second coming of Meruem, the Ant King! And it is no exaggeration to say that this was a fight that Solo Leveling fans have waited to see since the days of the manwha! And despite some concerns over it being limited to a single episode, the studio managed to deliver! When the time comes for the best anime moments of 2025, this fight will be on the list!

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Straight Up Aura Farming

For those wondering how Jin-woo got to Jeju Island so fast, it’s part of a new ability he recently acquired: Shadow Exchange. He can swap places with one of his Shadows, allowing him to fast travel to their location. Thankfully, he thought ahead by planting Shadows on all the Hunters in case things went south like they did. Now that he’s at the island, though, he’s ready to do some pest control.

Everyone who’s been watching Solo Leveling already knows how strong Jin-woo is. Most of the Hunters present have an idea about how strong Jin-woo is. However, this marks the first chance for everyone in-universe to see what happens when Jin-woo cuts loose.

The real show, though, starts when the Ant King returns to the nest and his subjects. The two of them start aura farming as they approach each other like Jotaro and DIO, with the Ant King demanding to know if Jin-woo is the King of the Humans. All Jin-woo does is mock the Ant King for being a talking bug, prompting the ant to use intimidating shout on him, to no effect. Then the two start trading blows like they’re in an extreme boxing match on steroids. To the Ant King’s credit, he manages to trip Jin-woo up for a moment using poison to paralyze him. However, Jin-woo has gotten to the point where poison no longer works on him.

PEAK CINEMA

And this is where the real fight begins, as the Ant King goes one-winged angel mode, complete with the angelic pose, to try and overwhelm Jin-woo in a test of speed. For added effect, the anime takes a page from Attack on Titan and starts belting out angelic choir music! When that happens in an anime, it’s a sign that things are about to get crazy. And the fight that followed was beyond crazy.

As someone who wanted this entire Arc to get the movie treatment, I must admit, I was concerned that the anime wouldn’t live up to the hype. Having read the manwha and played the gacha game in advance, I had very high expectations for this moment. Thankfully, the anime knew where it had to put its animation budget, because from here on out, the fight was a textbook definition of sakuga animation.

This Was Worth the Wait!

I only started reading Solo Leveling after the anime debuted, so I only had to wait a year for this to come out. However, the die-hard fans who loved this series from its manwha days had to wait half a decade to see this in animated form! Regardless of how long we had to wait for this, it was worth every second! This is why Solo Leveling is now considered the top-rated anime series of all time. The new gold standard for anime! It deserves all the praise!

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Once the fight is over, though, Jin-woo has to deal with the consequences of him not being there when the others needed him. Multiple Hunters are already dead, but the one that concerns Jin-woo the most is Cha Hae-in. She’s on the verge of death, and for all of his power, Jin-woo seems incapable of saving her. For the first time since he got his black air forces, Jin-woo feels utterly powerless. He outright admits to himself that he messed up not joining them from the getgo. The fact taht he addressed the criticisms about himself is a sign of how good a character he is. Sadly, the episode decides to end on another cliffhanger right as things look hopeless for Cha Hae.

Cliffhanger or not, this episode was worth the wait. It deserves all the awards and the praise! If you have not watched Solo Leveling yet, then what are you doing with your life?

I Give “King of the Humans” a 5/5

Jin-woo, Why U no Go to Jeju?

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 10 Review

At the time this is being written, the Internet was just coming down from the high of the Invincible War. Now, they’re about to hit an all-new high as the Jeju Island Raid Arc begins in full! Unfortunately for the fans, it starts off with a certain person deciding to take a page out of the life of Achilles. For Sung Jin-woo, the Black Air Force Hunter, has decided to sit this one out. why, you may ask? The details will be revealed below.

A Not-So-Friendly Sparring Session

So, to help them prep for the upcoming raid, all the Korean and Japanese S-Rank Hunters have a friendly sparring session. Everyone except for Jin-woo and Goto Ryuji, the strongest S-Rank in Japan. They sit on the sidelines and let the others fight it out, and the fights are fairly impressive. Even when they’re holding back, you can tell these Hunters are the best of the best. The animation is also pretty good, too. Not as fast-paced as previous fights weve seen this season, but entertaining nonetheless. Special mention should go to Baek Yoonho revealing his beast form!

However, when Hae-in looks ready to be hurt by hurt, Jin-woo instinctively steps in to stop the fight. A big win for anyone who ships them! However, its what happens next that makes things interesting. Goto Ryuji has been observing the fights, but he’s also been observing Jin-woo. And after what he just did, he’s very interested in him. So, he walks to him with his translator, and asks him if he’d like to scrap.

And Jin-woo smiles and agrees to it!

How Could the Anime Not Include this?

The fight between the two is short, but no less epic. The studio clearly wanted to put as much of the animation budget into this one scene, and its very entertaining to watch! Too bad the fight gets called off when it was just getting good, and it leaves out a few key details from the manwha.

Firstly, when Goto starts taking things seriously, the System alerts Jin-woo that he’s facing someone with murderous intent. Had it continued, a repeat of Dongsook might have happened.

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Secondly, and this is important, but after the fight ends, Goto Ryuji is trembling. He is shaken to his core because he knows that if they fought for real, he’d lose.

It’s a real shame that the anime chose to cut this stuff out. Instead, they chose to downplay it to make it seem like Jin-woo and Ryuji are evenly matched.

Sadly, this isn’t the only change the anime makes that feels inferior to the manwha.

Jin-woo Should Have Gone.

At any rate, Jin-woo decides that he’s not going to go on the raid to Jeju Island for two reasons. Firstly, after seeing the other S-Ranks in action, he thinks they can handle it by themselves. Secondly, his mom just woke up from a years-long coma. He wants to spend as much time with her as possible and doesn’t want to scare her by putting his life at risk.

There’s no easy way to say this…he should have gone with them.

As happy as we should be that he’s got his mom back, and as understandable as it may be that he doesn’t want to worry her, he should have gone with them. Almost every Hunter in Korea is on stand-by in case the ants make it to the mainland. Even Song-yi and Joo-hee, both of whom quit being Hunters, are ready to help. Yet here is Achilles, sitting in his tent!

I remember reading this in the manwha, and despite understanding his reasoning, I still think he should’ve gone. Between himself and his Shadows, they could ensure casualties were non-existent. By the time the episode ends, the raid already has bodies piling up, and its all due to the Ants secret weapon.

Which brings us to the second issue that makes the anime feel inferior to the manwha: the Ants Trump card.

A New Challenger Approaches

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If you’ve seen or read HunterxHunter, then you should know about the Chimera Ant Arc. If you know about that, you know about Meruem, the inhumanely strong super-ant that threatened to conquer the world. The creator of Solo Leveling must have taken a page from HunterxHunter, because the Ant Queen of Jeju Island had the same idea. She lays an egg that, when hatched, will give birth to her strongest child, meant to lead her children as they go forth in search of food. An Ant King.

While both the manwha and anime show the birth of the Ant King, they portray events differently. The manwha deliberately has things take place at night, so readers don’t see the King just yet. All we see is its silhouette as it celebrates its birth with a massive explosion of aura. On the other hand, the anime does away with the mystique by showing us the Ant King. And it might just be me, but he doesn’t look nearly as intimidating in the anime than in the manwha.  

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It should also be noted that when members of the Japanese Team start dropping dead, it’s treated as far more horrific in the manwha. Though that’s just me.

Enjoy the Carnage

For better or for worse, the Jeju Island Raid Arc has begun in full. And, sadly, its not getting the movie treatment it deserves. Because what is about to happen needs the budget an anime film can provide! Fingers crossed, the anime does what happens justice. If not, there’s always Solo Leveling: Arise.

Which reminds me: if you haven’t played Solo Leveling: Arise, now would be a good time to get in on it. They just added a new Hunter and gave players gifts for Jin-woo’s birthday. Plus, of you feel bad about that dead Hunter, you can learn about her backstory for even greater tragedy.

I Give “We Need a Hero” a 4/5

Jin-woo is a Real Man Because He’s not Afraid to Cry

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Blogging, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Getting Upset over Sung Jin-woo Crying is Foolish

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Solo Leveling, the hot, new anime on the block, has its first controversy. The ninth episode of its latest season received the most dislikes an episode has gotten to date. And the reason is enough to make someone shake their head and ask yourself why it’s a big deal. The reason for the dislikes? Because Sung Jin-woo, the Black Air Force Hunter, cried.

Mr. Sung Jin-woo, Our Glorious King

Based on the popular Korean manwha of the same name, Solo Leveling tells the story of Sung Jin-woo. Set in a world where people have gained the ability to use magic to hunt monsters, Sung Jin-woo was once the weakest Hunter of all time. Until one day, he almost died in a Dungeon and got chosen by the mysterious System to become its player. He gained the unique ability to level up his stats as a Hunter, and went from the weakest Hunter to one of the strongest in all Korea.

More importantly, he’s become one of the most popular anime characters of the last few years.

Ever since he got his black air forces, Jin-woo has been seen as the personification of cool. People either want to be him or want to date him. Anyone foolish enough to make an enemy out of him regrets it before they die. He’s so bad he can even revive the dead to serve as his army. People see him as the personification of manliness. However, a small minority of fans seems to have failed to understand a core part of Jin-woo’s character, and have made that known with their dislike with a recent episode.

WHY PEOPLE UPSET?

In Season 2, Episode 9, “It Was All Worth It,” Jin-woo fulfilled the goal he’s had since the day he became a Hunter: saving his mother. His mom has been in a coma for four years because her body can’t handle exposure to mana. Were it not for being on life support, she would eventually die. So when he manages to cure her and wake her up after all this time, the two have an incredibly emotional moment where they both cry tears of joy.

And some fans hated it—so much so that it became the most disliked episode to date, with over 2.4K dislikes and counting. All because they claim that they “ruined his Aura by showing him crying.” They don’t like that, for a tiny moment, Jin-woo dropped his stoic behavior to show a moment of vulnerability with his mother.

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Now, the rest of the Internet is shaking its collective head in disbelief at the sheer ridiculousness. And it is ridiculous, and here’s why.

Exhibit A: This is a Drop in the Bucket

Firstly, it should pointed out just how small of a minority these dislikes are. The episode in question sits at 180K likes on Crunchyroll and counting. That’s around 75 to 1 in favor of the episode. It’s a small drop in the bucket, and thus does not represent the majority opinion of fans. The fact that the most disliked episode of Solo Leveling has so few dislikes only serves as a testament to its popularity.

Exhibit B: Who Said Jin-woo was Untouchable?

Secondly, where did people get the idea that Sung Jin-woo was untouchable? This small group of people must have a poor memory because Jin-woo is not untouchable.

At the start of the series, Jin-woo was a lowly E-Rank Hunter. E-Ranks are considered the weakest rank a Hunter could have, with them being only slightly stronger than the average normal person. And Jin-woo was considered the weakest Hunter of all Mankind. He was the bottom of the barrel at the bottom of another barrel, and everyone knew it, especially himself. He’d almost die every time he’d enter a Dungeon, and had to be regularly bailed out by his party members. Him becoming a Player for the System didn’t change that overnight. He had to put in the hard work and sweat to get to where he is today, which meant he had to put himself in even more life-threatening situations, some of which he still only came out by the skin of his teeth.

Case in point, there was his recent battle with Baran, the Demon Monarch. Despite how unbelievably strong he’d become, he still had trouble fighting Baran. It got to the point where, had his companion Esil not intervened, he likely would’ve died. That’s not much of an untouchable aura.

But that’s nothing compared to the most important thing haters fail to understand about Jin-woo. He put himself through hell for the last four years for one reason and one reason alone: because he loves his family.

Exhibit C: His Mom Was Cured of an Incurable Disease

Let’s summarize what Sung Jin-woo’s life has been like during his short twenty years on this Earth. His father became a Hunter and went missing close to ten years ago. His mother developed an incurable disease that would send her into a never-ending sleep and kill her if her life support got disconnected. He likely had to drop out of school as a teenager to become the sole breadwinner for himself and his little sister. He wound up getting the weakest rank a Hunter could possibly get. And everytime he went into a Dungeon, he’d wind up in the hospital.

In short: JIN-WOO HAS HAD A HARD LIFE!

Then he almost dies again, and when he wakes up, he’s got powers no other Hunter has. Instead of using them to become rich and powerful, though, his goal remains the same: taking caring of his mom and sister. Then, suddenly, he learns there’s a miracle potion that could cure his Mom, but the ingredients are kept in a nightmarish dungeon. So he has to keep getting stronger so he can make his way through the dungeon, forcing him to keep putting himself in harm’s way. Not to mention how he had to kill other people; even if it was in self-defense, he still had to kill them.

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So, with everything he’s gone through, the hell he had to endure to get to where he is now, he finally managed to save his mom. So, is it any wonder that all of those emotions he’s been bottling up for the sake of his goal wind up bursting out? Is it any wonder that he starts to cry out of sheer joy from being able to talk to his mom again because it just made everything he went through worthwhile?

Real Men aren’t afraid to Cry

There’s an unfortunate belief held by many that any man who’s willing to cry is no real man at all. It is a toxic mindset that encourages guys to bottle up their emotions instead of expressing them in a healthy manner, and it is complete nonsense. Crying is our body’s natural response to extremely strong emotions, most often sadness or joy; sometimes both! Crying helps us deal with these powerful feelings and can help us feel better afterwards! And considering what Jin-woo experienced in this episode, he earned the right to shed tears of joy.

Furthermore, here’s a question to all those who disliked the episode just because Jin-woo cried happy tears. If one of your parents was diagnosed with an incurable disease that, if it didn’t kill them, would leave them stuck in a hospital for the rest of their life. If they suddenly got better, like they were never sick in the first place, wouldn’t you want to cry your eyes out?

Just something to think about.

A Miracle Has Occurred! Jin-woo Got his Mom Back!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Blogging, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 9 Review

From the day he became a Hunter, Sung Jin-woo had only one goal: to look after his family. Thanks to becoming a Player, the idea of curing his comatose mother no longer felt like an impossible dream. He’s fought, struggled, and risked his life time and again to gain the materials needed to create a cure capable of saving his Mom. Now, at long last, he’s done it. He’s managed to bring his Mom back. And it makes the absolute hell that he’s been through over his time being a Hunter worth it.

Miracle Cure, Acquired!

With the battle against Baran won, Jin-woo has the ingredients to make the medicine that could save his mom. And despite how much he’s managed to accomplish, the viewers can tell that he’s still nervous as he’s crafting it. He knows that if it were to go wrong, he’d lose his only chance to do so. The relief on his face is palpable as he sees it succeeds. And so, he returns to his world, his quest at an end! And he manages to revive Baran’s dragon as part of his army!

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As for Esil, she has to walk herself back home. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear again after this. Anyone who was a fan of hers that wishes she got more screen time can go play Solo Leveling: Arise, where she’s one of the recruitable Hunters.

A Heartfelt Reunion With Mom

At last, we arrive at the moment of truth. This was one of the most important moments in the manwha, and one that the anime couldn’t afford to mess up. Thankfully, not only did the anime rise to meet the emotional impact of Jin-woo’s mother waking up after four long years, it went above and beyond. Jin-woo, who we’ve gotten so used to seeing as a stoic man by this point, starts crying his eyes out in joy as he gets to talk to his mom again. And you can’t blame him! If you went through everything he has all so he could have a chance of saving one of your parents, you’d end up crying tears of joy and relief, too!

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The next few days of Jin-woo’s life are joyous ones. For the first time in years, he has his family back together (except for his missing Dad.) However, now that his Mom is back, doubts begin to set in about his future. He doesn’t say it out loud, but he even questions the need to continue getting stronger as a Hunter.

The timing could not be worse.

The Jeju Island Raid is Coming

Since the first season, Solo Leveling has been steadily building up to the Jeju Island Raid Arc. There’s an army of giant, man-eating ants that’s made the island its home that’s getting ready to invade the mainland. If that happens, everyone in Korea will die. And since all previous attempts to retake the island have failed, Korea and Japan are teaming up to ensure this fourth attempt succeeds. To do that, they’re calling for all hands on deck. Most of Korea and Japan’s S-Rank Hunters will be taking part in this raid, and Chairman Go is hoping that Jin-woo will join in.

To be fair, having Jin-woo there would turn this dangerous mission into an absolute curb-stomp. However, before he can even decide, they get interrupted by the sheer aura of the S-Ranks training together!

A few months ago, the idea of Jin-woo stepping into a world like this would feel crazy. Yet here he now stands, with the strongest Hunters in Korea as they spar together. And then the Japanese Hunters show up, led by Goto Ryuji, the strongest Hunter in Japan.

Can Korea and Japan Work Together?

Japan and Korea have had a complicated history over the years, so the two countries aren’t exactly on the best terms. That enmity seems to bleed over into the Hunters as the two start wanting to scrap with each other. So, to ease the tensions, most of the S-Ranks decide to have some sparring sessions together! Which means that the next episode is going to see what the Hunting Elite are capable of doing!

While it is sad to see that the anime brought an end to the Demon Castle Arc so quickly (the manwha had it last longer), hopefully the season can stick the landing with the Jeju Island Raid Arc. And, despite some people complaining about Jin-woo crying (which will be addressed), the reunion of mother and son was genuinely heartfelt. Congrats, Jin-woo. You’ve earned this!

I Give “It Was All Worth It” a 4/5

Sung Jin-woo, Our Glorious King, Awakens!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 7 Review

Anyone who’s read this blog’s reviews of Solo Leveling should know its stance on Sung Jin-woo by now: he is HIM! Some might say that’s glazing him and his series too much, but the Internet would argue it’s not enough. The last episode alone managed to not only crash legit streaming platforms but even piracy sites! The hype surrounding this show is the real deal. Therefore, it seems only fitting from a meta-standpoint that the majority of this next episode centers around people fawning over Jin-woo in his own story.

And he deserves every second of it.

Sung Jin-woo, our Glorious King

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At the end of the last episode, Jin-woo’s 3-day waiting period for his new S-Rank status ended. All he had to do was pick up his new license and then get on with his day like it’s no big deal. What he didn’t count on was the fact that him becoming Korea’s 10th S-Rank Hunter would make national news.

Nor did he count on being bombarded by an army of reporters trying to talk to him.

Like in the manwha, this episode (at least the first part of it) is meant to be seen as funny, mostly due to Jin-woo. He’s gotten to the point where he sees being recognized as an S-Rank Hunter is purely pragmatic. It’s a means for him to get the gear he needs to conquer the Demon Castle Dungeon. He’s already been at S-Rank for sometime, so he didn’t consider it a big deal. For everyone else, though, it’s the exact opposite. And the anime does a good job of showing how everyone who knows him personally reacts to the news.

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I Laughed So Hard Seeing this

The funniest part, though? It’s not the fact that Baek Yoonho and Choi Jong-In, both try and recruit him to their guilds like he’s the new all-star football player joining the NFL. It’s the fact that the press wasn’t even there for Jin-woo. This pretentious actor who awakened as an A-Rank called them there to make a big deal about him becoming a Hunter. Seeing Jin-woo ruin this man’s plans without even trying is hilarious! And he deserves it!

It’s unfortuntate that the series doesn’t spare some extra time on Jin-woo dealing with his newfound fame, but since it doesn’t matter to him, it doesn’t matter to the show. To his credit, though, Jin-woo uses his summons to protect his sister and neighborhood covertly.

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Also, despite it happening right away in the manwha, Baek Yoonho being the first person to realize Jin-woo can level up is accurate.

Jinho Leaves Home

As for Jin-woo’s brother, Jinhoo, there’s good news, bad news, and worse news. The good news is that, despite failing to get Jin-woo to join the guild his dad wants to form, his dad still offers him the job of guild-master. But he turns it down out of loyalty to Jin-woo. The bad news is that this means he has to move out of his home and stay with Jin-woo and his sister. To be fair, though, he leaves voluntarily rather than get kicked out like in the manwha.

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Now, for the worse news: his Dad has Eternal Slumber Disease. It’s what happens when a person who’s body isn’t compatible for mana suffers from repeated exposure. The end result is a permanent coma that, without life support, will be fatal.

The worst part? It’s the same thing that Jin-woo’s mother suffers from.

Good thing that Jin-woo is already planning on getting that medicine!

Jin-woo Gonna Conquer that Dungeon

The final part of the episode revolves around Jin-woo returning to the Demon Castle to finish what he started. And thanks to his growing army, he’s now able to delegate farming for enemies to his subordinates. Until he realizes that someone’s picking off his Shadows one by one. And since they’re only going after the weaker ones first, he knows that this isn’t a normal Monster. They’re intelligent and capable of planning out a strategy.

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The episode ultimately ends with Jin-woo confronting the ones picking off his soldiers and killing all but one of them. Don’t be fooled, though. This is only the start of an arc that (hopefully) will last a few episodes. Given what’s coming in the future, this might be one instance where the anime would do well not to rush things.

I Give “The 10th S-Rank Hunter” a 4/5

Jin-Woo is About to Claim Victims

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solo Leveling Ep 6 Review

Have you ever seen the “You’re a victim” meme? It comes from a SupaHotFire video on YouTube from six years ago, and is best used in situations where a person gets absolutely wrecked. And now that Jin-Woo is no longer the weakest Hunter in all mankind, that’s what will happen to any monsters, or Humans, that get in his way. In this episode, Jin-Woo begins the true start to what will be a long list of people and beasts that he makes victims.

Round 1: Jin-Woo vs Giant Spider

After getting left to die by their so-called party members, Jin-Woo has two options: fight or die. And after facing off against the things he’s fought, the crippling fear that Jin-Woo once felt is not so great. Compared to the demonic statues, a giant spider is nothing.

The fight that follows in the anime seems to take a lot of cues from the likes of Sword Art Online. And that’s not just because it’s produced by the same studio that does SAO. Like Kirito, Jin-Woo’d movements are based around speed and agility. He jumps, dodges, and constantly looks for new angles from which to attack. The way the fight’s animated even evokes some of the frenetic energy of Kirito’s more over the top battles. In other words, it’s pretty fun to watch if you’re into that sort of thing.

Hilariously, by the time it’s over and you see how devoted Jin-Ho is to Jin-Woo, I can’t help but hear Deku, subbed or not. This is the beginning of a beautiful bromance.

Here’s the thing, though: Jin-Woo is not a hero. 

Hwang Dongsuk becomes a Victim

When Dongsuk and his party come back and realize that Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho aren’t dead, they realize they have to cover their tracks. When their attempts to coerce Jin-Ho to kill his newfound bro fail, though, they try to kill Jin-Woo themselves. He no-sells it, but that’s not the issue. The issue is that the System gives him a new quest telling him to kill Dongsuk’s party.

And, if it wasn’t before, what happens next establishes that Jin-Woo is an anti-hero. He might have balked at killing other humans before, but after seeing the worst of humanity in the double-dungeon, he’s ready to respond in kind. Even if the System didn’t threaten to kill him for refusing, Jin-Woo would still kill them. He’s a man whose spent his whole life as a Hunter being a punching bag. Now that he has the power, he’s going to use it. And woe to anyone foolish to make themselves a victim of his. 

Side-note: the music playing as Jin-Woo makes victims is hauntingly beautiful.

This Could be the Start of Something Beautiful

After the ordeal in the dungeon, Jin-Ho and Jin-Woo tell the authorities how the others died in battle, without including the specifics. Even if they did, the law would (hopefully) justify it as self-defense. There’s just one issue: Dongsuk has a younger brother who’s also a Hunter. And from the way he was bragging, he’s likely a big deal. It won’t matter to Jin-Woo, though. He’ll keep getting stronger and survive.

Having been unable to resist the wait, I wound up reading the entire manwha in a few days, and trust me. Things will only get crazier from here. By the time the story is done, Jin-Woo will claim more victims and it will be amazing. This is shaping up to be one of the big anime of the Winter 2024 season!

I Give “The Real Hunt Begins” a 5/5