In the original Solo Leveling manwha, the story opens right as Sung Jin-woo is facing certain death in the Double Dungeon. However, the anime chose to start things off differently. Instead, it begins with a scene on Jeju Island, where a group of Hunters is fighting for their lives against Monsters. This original scene was the first of several added throughout the anime, most of which would revolve around Jeju Island. There’s a very good reason for this: it’s the anime’s way of building up to one of the most important arcs in the entire story. And if you’re reading this, it means that the anime is making that arc into its season finale and not giving it the Demon Slayer: Mugen Train treatment or theatrical release, much to my dismay.
Personal feelings aside, this is meant to serve as a quick summary of what makes Jeju Island such an important location in Solo Leveling. And why what’s about to happen is going to be a speedrun of Hunter x Hunter’s Chimera Ant Arc on steroids.
Four Years Earlier…
The story begins four years before the events of Solo Leveling. An S-Ranked Dungeon spawned on Jeju Island, the largest island in the Korean Peninsula, forcing Hunters to attempt to close it. However, due to it being the strongest possible Dungeon, and how weak Korea’s S-Rank Hunters were back then, they failed to close it in time. As a result, it underwent a Dungeon Break, AKA what happens when the Monsters inside can spill over into the Human world. In this case, it was legions of ants the size of your average human being, if not bigger.
Thousands of people ultimately died at the monstrous mandibles of the insects, and the Hunters and Korean Government were powerless to stop them. All they could do was get everyone left alive and get them off the island before they met the same fate. Thus, Jeju Island was left abandoned, a wasteland devoid of any human life while its buildings served as an eerie monument to the Hunter’s failure.
And the ants were free to multiply and make the island their own kingdom. But Korea wasn’t going to sit back and let things remain as they were.
Three Years of Failures
Over the course of the next three years, the Korean Government and its top Hunters made repeated attempts to take back the island. To say that they proved disastrous would be an understatement. Their third and latest attempt not only failed, but it cost the life of one of their S-Rank Hunters. Baek Yoonho, Guild Master of the White Tigers, had to watch as that man died and couldn’t do anything about it! And their mutual friend was so traumatized that he quit being a Hunter altogether!
After that failure, the Korean Government decided they couldn’t afford to risk more lives, especially with how few S-Rank Hunters they had. So, they decided to leave the island and its ant masters alone, hoping that once they ran out food, they would either starve or turn on each other.
It didn’t work.
The Chimera Ant Arc on Steroids
The Ant Queen that served as the Dungeon’s boss wasn’t a mindless beast; she was intelligent. Intelligent enough to realize that if things remained as they were, her children would die. Unfortunately, that meant evolution kicked into overdrive. The newer generations of ants started being born with wings and the ability to fly. Slowly but surely, the first scouts started making their way to the surrounding nations, all of them full of humans and animals upon which they could feed.
In other words, if those ants aren’t taken care of now, then they would overrun Korea, Japan, and even China. And the rest of the world could be next.
The earlier comparisons to the Chimera Ant Arc from Hunter x Hunter weren’t hyperbole. Both center around fighting a colony of incredibly powerful, super-intelligent ants. If left unchecked, said ants could spread enough to conquer the world and turn humankind into its food source. And if that wasn’t scary enough, the Hunters of each story have to face an opponent that is beyond their worst nightmares. The only difference is that what’s about to happen in the Jeju Island Arc is going to be speed-running through the entire story and look far cooler doing so!
Regardless of whether the Jeju Island Raid Arc is a movie or just the season finale, the coming battle will be Solo Leveling’s biggest to date. It’s the kind of battle that will make even the internet-breaking feats of Jin-woo vs the High Orcs look tame. For a series that seems to thrive on serial escalation, that should not be taken lightly! So make sure you are prepared and have snacks ready. You will need them!
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 8 Review
Week after week, Solo Leveling continues to shatter streaming records on Crunchyroll. It is currently the most-watched anime on the platform, and a big part of that is due to its constant escalation of conflict. For example, two episodes ago, the Internet lost it over Jin-wooโs fight with the High Orcs. But that fight manages to get topped by this episodeโs climactic battle and introduce the second-best girl in the series. Not only that, but it continues to build up another battle thatโs been coming since the start of the series.
A New Waifu Approaches
When Jin-woo came looking for the group that was beating his Shadows, he fully expected a fight. He got one at first, but as soon as his opponents were down to one leftโฆshe surrendered. Then she tried to pull of a sneak attack, got intimidated, and surrendered for real.
This cowardly woman is Esil Radiru, the daughter of the distinguished Radiru family of Demons. As she explains to Jin-woo, she and all the other Demons were summoned to this Dungeon from the Demon Realm and ordered to defend it from intruders. I.E. from Jin-woo. Any further attempts to learn more, though, are hampered by the System.
Between this and his failed attempt to learn from Beruka, itโs clear to Jin-woo that there are things the System does not want him to know. However, since heโs gotten stronger thanks to it, he gives it a pass for the time being. In addition, he also chooses to spare Esil and her house in exchange for two things:
1.) He wants their permit to head to the next level.
2.) He wants Esil to come with him as a guide/porter.
The Best Fight Yet
If itโs not obvious by the end of the episode, Esilโs fallen for Jin-woo for both his strength and his kindness to those weaker than him. This latter part proves important, as it shows that, despite his colder outlook on life, Jin-woo remains a kind and caring person to people like Esil and Jinho. As long as you donโt pick a fight with him, heโs a chill person. As a result of this kindness, Esil chooses to repay him by distracting the final boss during a critical moment that would have otherwise killed him.
As for the final boss of the Dungeon, Baram the Demon Monarch, it is as epic and as high stakes as youโd expect. Jin-woo pushes himself to his absolute limits to fight the anime equivalent of a Dark Souls boss. Even with all his power and army at his disposal, though, he only comes out by the skin of his teeth. Which is further proof that he needs to keep getting stronger if he wants to survive.
Especially since a threat thatโs been looming in the background is about to rear its exoskeleton-covered head.
Over the course of the two seasons, the anime has given viewers glimpses at a powerful threat brewing in the background. We prepared an entirely separate post better explaining it, but here are the basics.
Thereโs an entire island overrun by giant Ant Monsters
Even the common Ant Monsters are as strong as an A-Ranked Hunter.
Theyโve developed the ability to fly and reach other lands.
As shown in this episode, one of them reached part of the Japanese Islands, tore the place to shreds, and killed several Hunters before they could kill it. And thereโs an island with thousands of them ready to leave to find more food.
In other words, if they get off Jeju Island, every country in the region will die. And the rest of Asia will be next.
Thus, the governments of Japan and Korea decide to do something about this and have agreed to form an alliance. The top Hunters from both countries will invade Jeju Island and wipe out the Ants before they can invade the mainland.
You can already tell where this is going. As the main protagonist, Jin-woo is going to be the lynchpin to making sure this operation succeeds. But now that he has the ingredients for the medicine for his mother, will he be willing to risk his life like this? He might want to take it easy for a while.
Who are we kidding? The plot will demand that he has to help fight the mutant ants. The sight of his Shadow Army fighting an army of killer ants is too good to pass up.
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
The 10th S-rank hunter appears, the reaction of everyone from Sung Jin-woo's sister to even the S-rank being afraid of him #SoloLevelingpic.twitter.com/kx0PC8J4EW
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.
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.
She loved Jinwoo when he was just an E-Rank weakling.
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.
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.
"Do magic beasts feel fear? " Giving Sung Jin-woo a cloak was a mistake, it just gave him more design points against monsters ๐ญ๐ญ#SoloLevelingpic.twitter.com/xZOaoTJWfS
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.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 6 Review
This was one of the episodes of Solo Leveling that I was looking forward to seeing! When we last left off, Jin-woo had gone into an A-Rank dungeon so he could see what they were like. However, his plans to be a simple porter went south when the Hunting party got captured by an army of High Orcs. Now, theyโre face-to-face with the boss of the Dungeon whoโs ready to rip them to pieces. Little do the High Orcs know, but theyโve merely prepared their own execution, with Jin-woo being the one to carry it out.
Kargalgan the High Orc Lord
To clarify how bad this small army of High Orcs is, the Hunting Party members say that if the Dungeon breaks, they could flatten a few cities. Their mere presence is enough to make the women quake and the men want to wet themselves. Worst of all, their leader, Kargalgan, manages to keep the Hunters paralyzed with just his Haki.
As if to emphasize how dangerous the leader is, he uses the Force to throw the party leader Kihoon around like a rag doll! In fact, the only reason the Hunters were brought to them alive was so he kill and eat them for his armyโs entertainment! He was playing with his food!
How does Jin-woo respond to this? He saves Son Kihoon, takes care of a High Orc that tries to attack, and asks him one question:
โWant me to take care of these guys?โ
Kihoon says yes. And what follows is Jin-wooโs biggest flex to date as he summons his growing Shadow Army.
Kargalgan is a Victim
In the manwha, the fight between Jin-woo and Kargalgan was the biggest fight up to that point. While some criticisms can be levied against how the Shadow Army was animated fighting in the background (it looked pretty stiff), few, if any, criticisms can be found with the actual fight. Karglagan is an effective fusion of the best kinds of bosses in video games, complete with multiple stages and strategies for fighting opponents. Despite knowing that Jin-woo is inevitably going to win, he shows why he was the leader of the High Orcs. He’s the kind of boss that, were he in a game like Dark Souls, would make most players want to tear their hair out in frustration.
The real highlight this time, though, isnโt even the fight itself; itโs how those watching react to it. The other Hunters go from thinking theyโre going to die to being utterly dumbfounded as Jin-woo single-handedly wipes out the High Orcs. While this isnโt the first time Jin-woo has flexed in front of others, the context makes this different. The public still doesnโt know that Jin-wooโs an S-Rank Hunter yet. Thus, seeing the man who served as their porter be stronger than all of them is absolutely surreal. It gets even stranger when Jinchul from the Hunters Association shows up and tells them not to speak of what they just saw. That alone is enough to tell them how important Jin-woo is! And while they donโt fully get it, theyโre all happy to be alive and thank him.
Yeah, Cha is into Him
The character whose reaction is the most important, though, is none other than Cha Hae-in. Out of curiosity, she went back to the Dungeon on her day off, only to learn what had happened. She proceeded to run into the Dungeon, armed with only a pick-axe, hoping that she can somehow help. Instead, she gets a front-row seat to Jin-woo showing off his power.
Ultimately, Jin-woo kills all the enemies and adds them to his army, including Kargalgan, now renamed Tusk. Everyone leaves the Dungeon in one piece, and Jin-woo is happy. But his days of pretending to be an E-Rank are over, and he knows it. Itโs only fitting that the episode ends outside the Hunters Association on the day Jin-wooโs status becomes official. Reporters are there for a celebrity getting his own Hunter Rank, but after they hear about Jin-woo, heโs the only one theyโll pay attention to.
Get some popcorn ready, because this next episode will be all about the hype of Jin-woo.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 5 Review
If thereโs a candidate for the best girl in Solo Leveling, then the anime makes a strong case for the strongest female Hunter in Korea, Cha Hae-in. Despite not making as hint her debut until the series was well underway, the anime has gone out of its way to add original scenes featuring Hae-in. When an anime does that, that means they will be important in the future. And now that the animeโs caught up to her actual debut, Cha Hae-in is about to become even more important.
But first, time for some backstory.
Cha Hae-in’s unique condition
As hinted at in the anime, before she became a Hunter, Hae-in was a talented track athlete. Sadly, she pushed herself too hard, leading to an injury that cut her career short. Then, two years ago, she awakened as one of Koreaโs handful of S-Ranked Hunters. Now sheโs the second-in-command of the strongest Hunters guild in the country. Between that and her beauty, one could call her the Korean equivalent of Asuna from Sword Art Online and very fortunate.
Hereโs the thing: she doesnโt see it that way. As shown in the series premiere, sheโs not comfortable with how famous she is, something that the Arise gacha game expands upon. Not helping matters is her unique condition: she can smell mana. According to her, it smells horrible, and her job makes her work around people with that smell every day.
The how and why of why Jin-woo doesnโt smell bad to Hae-in arenโt made clear. Even in the WEBTOON, the best Jin-woo can come up with is due to being the Player. However, none of that matters, because this marks the beginning of Hae-inโs relationship with Jin-woo, one that will come to be of great importance to both.
โฆyes, the series is shipping them. It helps that she shows up looking for Jin-woo after he heads into the Dungeon on her day off. And thinks of him as she’s trying to fall asleep.
So, the real meat of the episode. While Jin-woo is waiting for his updated license to go through, heโs been killing time playing miner. Even without his army, his gains are enough to do ten peopleโs work. But when the B-team makes an offer to have him be their porter, he takes it.
Itโs a good thing, too, because their raid quickly goes sideways.
It was interesting to see just how strong the upper-ranked Hunters can be. More importantly, Jin-wooโs stealthy intervention proves just how strong heโs gotten in comparison to most Hunters. At this point, itโs accurate to say that only a few S-Rank Hunters could scrap with him. However, that becomes a moot point when a horde of High Orcs (Orcs on steroids) show up and give them a choice: go with them or die.
Jin-woo could take them, but since heโs trying not to draw too much attention to himself, he lets the party leader decide. Having read the manwha, I can tell you that he will step up when things go sideways. And what follows will be one of the first public demonstrations of what Jin-woo is capable of. And if Hae-in manages to see itโฆletโs just say her interest in Jin-woo is going to be very justified.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 4 Review
โYouโll be fine as long as youโre not E-Rank.โ Thatโs an important line from the fourth episode of Solo Levelingโs sophomore outing, and for good reason. Jin-woo may have left E-Rank behind a while back, but thatโs still his official rank. As long as he stays there, he wonโt be able to get into higher-ranking Dungeons. If he canโt do that, he wonโt be able to get strong enough to get the last part of the medicine for his mother. With people in power already suspicious of him in light of the Red Gate, Jin-woo decides to stop pretending and make it official. As of this episode, heโs now Koreaโs 10th S-Rank Hunter, and everyone wants a piece of him.
Il-Hwang Just won Father of the Year
Those who were expecting to have more heart-stopping action in this episode will be disappointed in the get-go. This is one of the episodes of Solo Leveling that focuses more on drama, exposition, and world-building. It manages to drop many important details regarding the world of Hunters and how theyโve become the new power in the world. Itโs already been established that oneโs rank can determine their power and influence as a Hunter, but this episode hammers home the strength of a guild. The five strongest guilds in Korea collectively match the strength of the entire government. And in larger countries, the biggest guilds can be run like private kingdoms with no oversight. Is it any wonder why men like Dongsoo can act like theyโre Homelander and do whatever they want?
Speaking of which, this episode has Dongsoo in a hospital bed after Jin-wooโs father turned him into a victim. And to add to insult to injury, Il-Hwan basically told the thug โif you even think of setting foot back in Korea or come after my family, I will beat up so bad that you will be longing for death. And not even the reaper will be able to save you, since Iโll just bring you back and kill you all over again!โ
What a good dad.
Jin-woo ain’t interested.
So, when Jin-woo goes to get reevaluated and their giant scouter cannot compute his power level, everyone at the office starts freaking out. Sung Jin-woo is officially the 10th S-Rank Hunter in the country. What follows can be described as the process in which the best sports teams trying to recruit a promising young athlete. First comes Choi Jong-in from the Hunterโs Guild, only for him to get embarrassed when Jin-woo blows right past him. Baek Yoonho, whoโs team Jin-woo saved in the Red Gate incident, comes too late to even see him!
The most surprising offer, though, comes from the Hunterโs Association’s own leader, Go Gunhee. Keeping with the anime tradition of elders being insanely strong, Gunhee is also S-Ranked and on-par with Jin-woo. He makes a convincing argument that Jin-woo join the Association and help police the Hunters. That would go a long way to helping prevent Hunters like Dongsuk from getting away with crimes. Itโs even implied that heโs hoping Jin-woo could be his successor, an offer he finds very tempting.
Ultimately, Jin-woo declines. Not only does Gunhee respect his decision, heโs so swayed by Jin-wooโs rizz heโs tempted to join him in the dungeons! Either way, Jin-woo just made a powerful ally!
Hae-in Stocks about to go up
Speaking of dungeons, Jin-woo decides to kill time by working as a miner at an A-Rank Dungeon being run by the Hunterโs Guild. And itโs there that he happens to run into a certain Hunter, one that the series has been dropping appearances for all throughout the series.
Cha Hae-in, the second in command of the Hunterโs, one of the strongest Hunters in Korea, and someone who will become very important from this moment going forward. Sadly, the episode ends right as the two have their first, actual meeting in the Dungeon, but before they can speak to each other. Manwha readers will have to wait until the next episode to see the start of theirโฆrelationship.
The one downside to this episode is noted by Screenrant: it continues a worrying trend of the anime cutting out some of the smaller, sillier moments from the manwha. There are plenty to be found in the manwha, and even more to come when one considers what importance Hae-in will have in the future.
Meh. You canโt win them all.
I Give “I Need to Stop Faking” a 3/5. Loses one point for teasing us on Hae-in Scene!
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 โ Iron โ๏ธ
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! ๐ค
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 2024โs 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 heโs still not strong enough to clear the Dungeon. The good news? Heโs no longer fighting alone. Heโs got an army of shadow warriors to help him, and heโs 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.
ใOpening Themeใ 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, thereโs also the fact that the song is sung by LiSA and Felix from Stray Kids. Sheโs one of my favorite J-Pop singers, and for good reason. Sheโs 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, โCrossing Fieldโ is a very exciting OP. And โGurengeโ is practically a legend at this point. While the OP for the first season wasnโt 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
Itโs parent-teacher day at the school of Jin-wooโs sister, Jinah, and since heโs her legal guardian, he has to go in their parentโs 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 manโs rizz is off the charts, and he doesnโt even realize it!
The good news is Jinahโs on track to get into the medical school sheโs aiming for, so thereโs no problems there. However, her teacher asks Jin-woo with help with another student whoโs a friend of Jinah. Her name is Han Song-Yi, and she recently awakened as a Hunterโฆas an E-rank. Sheโs the girl whoโs been in Jin-woo and Jin-hoโs party as they go Dungeon hopping for their plan to make Joonho a guild master. And now, sheโs planning on quitting school and becoming a full-time Hunter.
Itโs not out of the ordinary for young, talented people to decide theyโre 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 youโre an E-Rank. He might not have the scars, but heโs 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 โsink-or-swimโ approach. He speaks to her and tells her that heโs 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-wooโs plan works too well. As soon as the party enters, the Gate turns into a Red Gate. Thatโs when the Dungeon mutates and sends the people inside into another dimension altogether, where the monsters are stronger, and they canโt get out unless they kill the boss or the Dungeon breaks.
From this moment on, the Dungeon raid becomes a survival horrorโฆfor everyone that isnโt 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 itโs 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 thereโs 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 Hunterโs Association would just bring him unwanted attention. Right now, anonymity is good for him.
This first episode doesnโt reach the same heights as the series premiere, but it doesnโt have to do so. All it needs is to reintroduce people to the story and show the direction itโs heading in. As far as action goes, itโs 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, itโs 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. Theyโll 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 wonโt 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 VAโs 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 โautoโ mode, they will clear dungeons and story chapters on autopilot. Itโs 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 youโve 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 inโฆand 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 notโฆyou 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 itโฆis 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 potionsโฆand 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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