Manwha

Arthur Become a Teacher for a New Friend

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 9 Review

When you’re a kid, there are few things as scary as the expectations of your parents. The pressure can make some kids crack from trying to meet it. Other kids choose to rebel against their parents expectations, especially if said parent happens to be of the abusive kind. Fortunately, Mr. And Mrs. Helstea are not bad parents. Unfortunately, as Arthur Leywin sees for himself, just because they’re good parents doesn’t mean they don’t saddle their daughter, Lilia, with the stress of expectations.

It’s time for the King to have an intervention.

Poor Lilia’s Insecurities

The episode starts off with Arthur in the middle of an intense training session as he’s trying to master Sylvia’s powers. However, using what is essentially “Za Warudo” is not something that a kid can fully master, much to his frustration. His concerns, though, take a backseat as his family (and Mrs. Helstea and Lilia) take him out to get a makeover. The entire experience serves as a means for Arthur to bond with his family while also revealing just how valuable the beast core Sylvia gave him really is. If people knew he had the beast core of a dragon…let’s just say that he would be the most wanted person alive.

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Besides the trip serving as a way to introduce Arthur to the value of what he has gotten, it also serves as a means for him to get to learn Lilia better. And thanks to his past-life xp, he’s able to realize just how much pressure the girl has put upon herself. Her parents, being good parents, want the best for her and hope that she does great things in life. And attending the Xyrus Academy could be the key to doing that. Unfortunately, there’s a mathematical formula at work that is not helping things:

Lilia’s insecurity over not having a mana core+envy at Arthur already having one+parental expectations and unintentional pressures+chance they could pay her way into enrollment=DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Wait…why does Lilia sound a lot like Norn Greyrat?

I Got Norn Flashbacks

When it comes to this episode, the anime changes several things from the story in the webcomic to focus more on the plight of Lilia. Whether intentional or not, this makes what Lilia is going through feel similar to the issues that Norn Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei would undergo. Both are unintentionally overshadowed by someone better than them; both don’t like having to meet others’ expectations or what they think are other’s expectations. And both initially have negative feelings towards the main protagonist. Lilia is just more subdued about it.

Arthur, having grown to understand people better, realizes how bad things could get if they aren’t resolved now. So, he does something about them. It’s just that it is…morally questionable.

This is Not what happened in the Comic

In a major departure from the webcomic, Arthur has Lilia pretend to run away to stay with the Elves like he did, even having a note written. He only did this so that Lilia could see how much her parents cared about her, and to his credit, it does help them work things out. However, it’s still a little messed up to emotionally manipulate people like that.

In any event, Arthur says that he’s going to help Lilia gain her mana core, and he follows through on it. Using the same methods he perfected as a baby, he’s able to teach Lilia (and Ellie) how to start assembling their cores…and it works. It will take a few years, but Lilia will eventually be able to use Magic!

This was a really sweet episode of TBATE, as it shows just how far Arthur has come since being reborn. He’s better able to understand other people and relate to them, and thanks to that, he’s got a loving home, family, and now another friend in the form of Lilia. There’s just one problem: when Tessia finds out, things could get…ugly. But that’s not for a few years!

I Give “The King Teaches” a 3.5/5

Arthur Has a Baby Sister, and She’s So Cute!

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 8 Review

At long last, Arthur Leywin is home! It took him three years and more solo traveling than most eight-year-olds, but it was worth it to get back to his family. And more importantly, he finally gets to meet the sibling that he almost died trying to protect. The only question is, what will Arthur do now?

That, and just how cute can his baby sister possibly get?

Family Reunion

Thanks to that post-credits scene at the end of the last episode, the anime jumps the gun on Arthur’s reunion with his family. It doesn’t change much, but it does take away some of the inherent heartwarming nature that such a reunion entails. That, and it spoils the fact that Arthur now has a little sister.

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Meet Eleanor Leywin, Arthur’s baby sister of about three or four years old. And like most kids at that age, she’s adorable and impressionable, innocently repeating curse words her dad uses without understanding why they’re bad for someone her age. Once her parents explain that Arthur is the big brother she never met, though, Ellie quickly warms up to Arthur, as well as Sylvie. Who, if she sees Arthur as her papa, makes Eleanor her aunt.

Arthur tells his family everything that happened to him while he was away…to an extent. He lies about meeting Sylvia out of respect for her desire to tell as few people as possible. Given how someone was out to kill Sylvia, the fewer people who know for now, the better. That, and it’s doubtful most adults would believe that Arthur was saved by a talking dragon.

What Will Arthur Do Now?

At any rate, the main points of focus for the episode beyond the Leywin family reunion are Arthur’s growth and what his future will be like. Through exposition, the anime reveals the different stages behind the Mana Core that serves as the heart of the use of magic in TBATE. And thanks to his training arc, Arthur is already close to being on his Dad’s level. Since Reynolds is a more restrained version of Paul Greyrat, Arthur finds himself immediately dragged into a sparring session with his old man out back. And, while the special effects for the magic remain subpar, the fighting animation continues to show improvements.

No, really. Arthur and Reynolds’ friendly bout is not that badly animated. No use of still images to convey the illusion of combat; just actual combat. And, again, while the way the anime chooses to animate magical aura’s is still an eyesore, it makes up for it by confirming what last episode should’ve had us suspecting: Arthur can potentially learn how to use all four basic elements. He’s basically like the Avatar!

All of this is also witnessed by the wealthy Helstea family, old friends of the Leywin’s who allowed them to move in with them in exchange for Reynolds helping guard the auction house they own. And as soon as Mr. Vincent Helstea sees what Arthur can do, he gets the idea of enrolling him in Xyrus Academy. AKA TBATE’s version of Ranoa University or Hogwarts.

Which brings us to the second main focus of the episode: Arthur’s future. He’s only eight years old, but even ignoring his past life, he’s already got more life experience than other kids his age. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll excel at it. However, enrolling in a school like that will mean that he can’t spend as much time with his family, and he just reunited with them. Considering how Arthur devoted his first life to his rise to being a king, it’s likely that he won’t want to let his time with his family go to waste. However, there might be another option that he’s considering. And, as fate would have it, it seemingly gets introduced at the end of the episode.

Did the Anime Skip Stuff Again?

It should be noted that Arthur does eventually reunite with the Twin Horns Party in the webcomic like he does in the anime. However, that reunion doesn’t take place until after Arthur has already settled back in with his family, and after several other events already take place. The fact that the anime moved this up means they’ve either rearranged the order of some events, or they’re skipping over some. If it’s the latter, then that bodes ill for the story, as some of those events are important plotwise. Given how I’ve stuck with TBATE thus far, though, I’m willing to continue giving it the benefit of the doubt. With the show starting to show some promise, it would be a shame if it were to fail now.

This was a nice episode, overall. Getting to see Arthur reunite with his family and meet his baby sister was a very sweet moment. Getting to see Sylvie and Eleanor bond, though, was downright adorable to look at!

I Give “Reunited With the King” a 3.5/5

Arthur…Becomes a Daddy?!?

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 7 Review

Three years have passed since Arthur Leywin got separated from his parents and wound up in the Kingdom of Elves. Three years since he was taken in by the former King of the Elves, Virion, as his student. And three years since he started training his Mana Core and trying to master the Beast Will that Sylvia left him. As much as Arthur wanted to see his mom and dad again, those three years were worth it, as he’s gotten stronger in that time! All that strength, though, isn’t going to matter much if he can’t handle his toughest challenge yet: trying to get Tessia to let him leave.

That, and he now has a kid.

Arthur is Pretty Much a Jinchuuriki Now

Thanks to the kindness of former King Virion, Arthur was able to live in the safety of the Elves of Elenoir. He’s still only eight years old in his current life, but thanks to his training, he’s stronger than any eight-year-old would normally be. Just as important, though, is the fact that Tessia’s been able to train alongside Arthur, allowing the two’s friendship to continue to remain strong. To his dismay, though, Arthur has gotten to the point in his life where she’s showing her haughty side more often. I.E. she’s constantly waking him up in the morning and making him food, all while saying he should be grateful a beautiful girl is doing these things for him. Yet, as the anime notes, her ego isn’t unjustified, as she’s proven to be as much of a prodigy with magic as Arthur, gaining her own mana core at age nine.

This episode primarily serves as the stage upon which the story can provide more details about how magic works in the world of TBATE, and it’s here where the anime starts to show off more of what helped to inspire the world it exists in. Virion’s explanation of how magic is broken into four basic elements takes a page from Avatar: the Last Airbender. That series is set in a world where certain people can bend the four classical elements, and while it’s possible for anyone in TBATE to use all four, it’s so rare it might as well be unique. In addition, the explanation about what a Beast Will draws a lot from Naruto. Like Naruto, TBATE includes people who can gain the powers of a powerful monster and use them for themselves, though in this case, they’re called Beast Tamers. And since Arthur got his Beast Will from Sylvia, a dragon, his is extremely powerful. The good news is that all the training he’s done means he’s no longer in any danger of dying.

The bad news? He’s…now a parent.

No, Really. Arthur has a Child Now

In case people forgot, Sylvia gave Arthur two other things besides her Beast Will before she died. One was one of her feathers, and the other was a stone. Fast forward three years, and Arthur discovers that that “stone” was actually an egg…and it just hatched.

While some viewers might share Arthur and Tessia’s sentiment that Sylvia’s newborn daughter, Sylvie, is adorable, the anime ultimately does her, and Sylvia, a little dirty. After biting and leaving that mark on him in the webcomic, Sylvia gains the ability to mentally communicate with Arthur. Yet, for whatever reason, the anime either neglected or forgot to show what Sylvie was thinking, forcing viewers to guess what she’s thinking. As a result, this deprives the show of some of the humor that this moment had in the webcomic. I.E. Sylvie first calling Arthur mama, and then papa, and how freaked out she gets when Tessia insists of cuddling her.

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There are many characters in fiction whose verbal communication is deliberately rendered unintelligible to the audience. Two major examples would be Chewbacca and R2-D2 from Star Wars. The cast can usually understand them, but it’s up to viewers to guess for themselves what they’re saying. In Artoo and Chewie’s case, it’s fun. In Sylvie’s case, though, it’s an issue that’s keeping us from getting to know her better. Hopefully, this was a one-time thing and we’ll soon get to hear what Sylvie’s thinking in future episodes.

By the end of the episode, the Elves have finished the preparations to send Arthur to the human kingdom, so it’s finally time for Arthur to reunite with his family. Thus, he and Sylvie get a big send-off from everyone they’ve met and known in Elenoir, with one initial, and notable, absence: Tessia.

So, Who Ships Arthur and Tessia?

The Beginning After the End makes it no secret that it takes a lot of inspiration from Mushoku Tensei, with Tessia being a combination of the three women who fall in love with Rudeus. And just like Sylphie, Tessia’s reduced to tears at the prospect of her first and only friend going away. That being said, Tessia handles it rather well for an eight-year-old, understanding that Arthur has his own family that misses him. More importantly, while the two go their separate ways for now, it’s all but stated that they will see each other again when they’re older, meaning Tessia has another chance of seeing Arthur.

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The Beginning After the End is now seven episodes in, and while it’s no Mushoku Tensei, it feels like the anime is slowly improving. The animation could be better, with one person on TikTok even proving they could do better in under an hour. But it feels like the series is at its best when it’s not focused on the big action scenes, with the slower moments of this episode proving to be just as good.

I Give “The King Says Goodbye” a 3.5/5

Is TBATE Starting to Get Better?

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 3 Review

Okay, now we are starting to get somewhere! It’s not secret at this point that the first two episodes of The Beginning After the End weren’t that good. Between the poor animation and skipping over minor details, it looked like TBATE was on the fast track to becoming the laughing stock of the spring 2025 anime season. Much like the final season of Game of Thrones, there’s a petition to have the series remade from scratch. TurtleMe has asked fans to be patient on Reddit, but the comments make it clear that they’re disappointed with the animation studio. They don’t want to be patient if all that will lead to is something failing to meet their expectations, and I don’t blame them. Last year, I forced myself to keep watching Star Wars: The Acolyte, hoping it would get better by the end.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

But, despite its rocky start, the TBATE anime might finally be starting to get its act together. There’s still hope for it, people, and it’s thanks to the story starting to get to the good parts.

That Time I Got Saved by a Dragon

As explained at the end of the last episode, the anime made some changes regarding the events after Arthur fell off that cliff. Firstly, he didn’t wake up in the presence of that giant black creature in the webcomic. When he came to, he was lying besides the body of the bandit that was responsible for the fall…and threw up. After passing out again, he finally managed to stand enough to go in search of the giant creature who was speaking to him telepathically. After hiking for the better part of the day, Arthur makes it to the cave where he meets the one who saved him, Sylvia.

This is where the episode really starts to shine. While the animation continues to remain of questionable quality, TBATE starts to make up for it by embracing that which makes it truly great: the story itself. While Arthur’s time living and training with Sylvia gets condensed for the sake of time, and it does skip over some of the more personal moments, it manages to get the overall message across. Sylvia serves as a valuable mentor to Arthur, not just in combat but in morals. Despite his initial urges to kill the remaining bandits if given the chance, Sylvia helps him see how toxic hatred and revenge can be long-term. It’s better to just move on and live your best life.

That, and the scene where Sylvia shows him how to gather mana is decently animated.

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Alas, their time together is short-lived, for an enemy of Sylvia comes looking for her. One that is too powerful for Arthur to take in his current state. Worse, the story doesn’t explain who this mysterious being looking for Sylvia is until much further down the road in the webcomic. All that you need to know is that if the anime continues to that point (and it will need a miracle), then it will be a long time before the truth comes out.

Is there Hope for Us, Yet?

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This episode marked a slight improvement in the series, and thank god for that! There might be hope for TBATE yet. Though, to be fair, it’s gotten to the point where TurtleMe himself had to step in and run damage control. Look it up on Reddit!

Also, the dub for TBATE is now out…but it’s not good. Watch it subbed!

I Give “Meeting the King” a 3/5

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

The Wrath of the Ant King!

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

Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 11 Review

Menaces: a person, people, or entities whose very existence can be considered a threat to one’s health, well-being, and life in general. They are the ones who will end your existence solely for the heck of it. There have been plenty of menaces throughout anime, from Kid Buu to Sukuna to Yujiro Hanma. And now, Solo Leveling has its own menace ready to inflict nightmare fuel upon the whole of Korea. The Ant King has risen, and he is ready to make mincemeat out of everyone in a moment I’ve been waiting to see for a year!

Everything Was Going Fine…

At first glance, the Jeju Island Raid seems to be going well. Throughout the first half, the Korean Hunters manage to make it to the final boss room of the Dungeon, and they’re feeling good about themselves. They think this is going to be their moment to end this threat forever. From an outsider’s perspective, they have everything they need, too! Thanks to their teamwork and, more importantly, the skill of their S-Rank Healer, Byung-Gu, they can handle even the S-Ranked Ants of the royal guard. It’s like watching that one elite team of MMO gamers getting ready to beat the big Dungeon the developer just added!

The fight between the Hunters and the Ant Queen’s guard is fairly entertaining to watch. It’s nothing compared to the fights we’ve seen Jin-woo take part in, but it gives us a good look at why these are the strongest Hunters in Korea. They may not be able to solo the Dungeon like Jin-woo, but they fight like a well-oiled machine. We see Cha Hae-in get the honor of dealing the final blow, providing more evidence for why she’s the best girl in the series. Afterward, everyone starts to celebrate, thinking this 4-year-long nightmare is ending. Little do they know that the Ant Queen wasn’t even the final boss. The real final boss is about to make their debut.

The Ant King Solos Everyone

Despite the anime ruining the suspense in the last episode by showing us what the Queen’s greatest child looks like, it made up for it near the end. The fact that we never see it as it starts killing the Japanese Hunters helps rebuild the tension, which continues at the start of this episode. Without breaking a sweat, the Ant King manages to slaughter that entire team, and then does the same to the ones who came to investigate. However, this moment isn’t what makes this beast a true menace. It’s what he does next.

The Ant King calls all the remaining ants back to the nest, because it knows their mom is dead, and they have to avenge her. So while the other ants start to make their way back, the Ant King walks right in and, through his aura farming alone, manages to make Cha Hae-in drop to her knees in horror.

Then, we hear the same music that played when Jin-woo killed those Hunters in the Dungeon. Even though I read the manwha in advance, my jaw still dropped when I saw what happened next. It was even worse than I remembered!

The Ant King is a Menace!

Byung-Gu’s death was like something out of a horror movie. However, what made it worse was that he had already retired as a Hunter. He quit after the last Jeju raid because he knew if he kept being a Hunter, he’d die gruesome. He was all set to get his certification to be a teacher, but chose to come back because he cared too much about his comrades!

This Ant King is the second coming of Meruem. If he is not stopped, he will lead his army to conquer all of Asia. He’s so strong that he even disrespects the Hunters by telling them they’re not even worth the effort for him to kill. He lets the rest of the Ants finish them while he leaves to find their King and kill them.

So, what are the Japanese Hunters doing during this time? They’re getting ready to leave.

Japan’s Scheming Backfired

Japan never intended to work with Korea to clear out the Ants. Their plan was to use Korea’s S-Ranks as cannon fodder to soften the ants up so they could clear it themselves. Once Goto Ryuji did this, he would meet the requirements to ascend to the one rank beyond S-Rank: the National Rank. They’re Hunters that are so strong they rival an entire country’s military, and they all cleared S-Rank Dungeons. Ryuji had the chance to help clear one in America years ago, but he turned it down to stay in Japan, something that he’s always regretted.

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In other words, this entire plan was a scheme to gain control over Korea and satisfy a single man’s ego. But not even Japan’s strongest Hunter is enough to handle the Ant King. We don’t even see him die; just his blade breaking.

Jin-woo like “Fine, I’ll do it myself.”

The episode looks like it’s about to end on a very bleak note, with all the Hunters about to be devoured by the horde. However, that is Jin-woo decides to make his move.

Planting his Shadows on most of the Korean Hunters was a smart move. It allows him to instantaneously teleport to Jeju Island in time to save everyone. However, it does beg the question why he didn’t do this as soon as the Ant King appeared. Better yet, why didn’t he let them know that he could have his Shadows provide backup earlier? He could have planted them on every Hunter taking part and have them provide support! It feels like a bit of an oversight by the story.

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What’s done is done, though. Now that Jin-woo is about to appear, we are going to get the fight that I’ve been waiting an entire year to see in animated form. Hopefully, this fight will be as good as it is in the gacha game Solo Leveling: Arise. Which, by the way, is in the middle of its spring event.

I Give “It’s Going to Get Even More Intense” a 4.5/5

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