Solo Leveling Dubbed

Arise, HIM-Woo! Shadow Monarch of the Dead!

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Solo Leveling Ep 12 Review

This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for since I read the Solo Leveling manwha. Sung Jin-Woo has stepped into his own with his black air forces, but he’s getting stronger. And as his battle with Igris last episode showed, he needs to keep getting stronger. However, there’s only so much one person can do alone. That’s why Jin-Woo is going to need an army to back him up. And the army he gets makes the White Walkers and the Night King from Game of Thrones look like nothing!

Jin-Woo Shouldn’t Rely on Luck Anymore. He Needs his Black Air Forces

At the end of the last episode, Jin-Woo was in dire straits. Exhausted from fighting Igris, outnumbered by elite-level mooks, and missing the teleportation stone to leave, Jin-Woo is near his limit. To make matters worse, a vision of his past self appears as he starts remembering how weak he was. All of his fears, insecurities, and trauma come flooding back, almost making him falter. However, he gets a lucky break: having neglected to finish his daily goals, he gets teleported to the penalty zone. Unlike the dungeon, though, that place lets him use potions and items, so he abuses it to its limit.

There’s no sugarcoating this: Jim-Woo only survived because he got lucky. Luck is useful, no doubt, but relying on it to get by in life can be disastrous. Luck can fail you when you need it most. Jin-Woo knows this all too well. Had things gone differently in the Double Dungeon, he would be dead. That’s why the vision of his past self galvanizes him to never leave things up to chance again. Thus, by the time he gets back, he’s more than prepared for the fight.

And the reward he gets is nothing short of awesome. 

A King of Shadows is Crowned

To Jin-Woo’s dismay, he learns that he can’t choose his new class. The System chooses it based on his performance in the quest. And the Systems choice is that of Necromancer. AKA a mage, AKA a job that requires high intellect, which Jin-Woo has not focused on. Jin-Woo does get mad at first, but then he realizes how this could benefit him. Since he can fight in the front, he will be just as strong as the undead he raises. It’s a positive feedback loop: he gets stronger and an army of minions to do his bidding. Thus, Jin-Woo gets a new Class: Shadow Monarch. 

While the manwha’s art style makes the formation of Jin-Woo’s initial shadow army look cooler, there’s no denying the anime retains the sentiment. And if you’ve read the manwha, then you know that the small group that Jin-Woo starts with is only the beginning. When I say he’s going to build an army, he’s going to build an army. An army of undead shadows that makes other Necromancers jealous. When the show continues, it’s only going to get even cooler. 

And he will need it for what’s coming.

What is Jeju Island, Anyway?

For a good part of the season, the anime’s been bringing up location over and over again: Jeju Island. There’s a good reason for it, too, and while I can’t remember when it’s explained in the manwha, the fact that they’re bringing it up now means it might be coming sooner than the source material. So I’m just going to rip the band-aid off now and save everyone the trouble.

Located south of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island became the sight of an S-Rank Dungeon several years prior to the start of the story. The Hunters failed to close it in time, and the end result was a dungeon break. That’s when the monsters in a dungeon spill over and invade the human world. In this, giant, killer ants! Thus, South Korea had to evacuate the island, put it under quarantine, and send expeditions in every now and then to see how bad it’s gotten. And the ending shot to the first season has a group of S-Rank Hunters return with disturbing intel: the Ants are learning to fly and swim.

For reference, look up the Chimera Ant Arc from Hunter x Hunter, then imagine something worse. It’s that bad. However, if the anime makes it to that point, the fights will be legendary. 

The first season of Solo Leveling is over, and while I wish it had put more into the final scenes with Jin-Woo and touched on Jin-Ho, the season wrapped itself up on a pretty solid note. Sung Jin-Woo is no longer the weakest Hunter, but is on the path to becoming the strongest. And with his Shadow Army behind him, he’s going to become HIM. This was one of the best anime of the Winter 2024 season, and I hope that it comes back soon. I want to see more fights and more intrigue as Jin-Woo continues his Solo Leveling journey.

I Give “Arise” a 5/5

Jin-Woo, Time for a Class Change! The Hunter’s Strongest Test Yet!

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

Solo Leveling Ep 11 Review

In many RPGs, there comes a time when a player’s character’s base class no longer cuts it. They need to advance to the next class and unlock new strengths and abilities. In some cases, that involves the player undergoing some quest to change their class. If Jin-Woo wants to survive any of the threats coming his way, he’s got to class up himself and his Black Air Forces. 

Jin-Ho’s Older Brother and Jeju Island’s Threat

While Jin-Woo remains the episode’s main focus, the anime continues building its overall cast with original scenes. While some might take issue with anime-original content, these scenes enhance the story by giving insight into the supporting cast. This week, the two main draws are Jin-Ho and Jeju Island.

From the outset, Jin-Ho’s goal has been to prove himself to his dad that he can lead the guild the latter plans to create. However, while the manwha mentions him having other siblings vying for the same thing, they’re never seen. The anime fixes this by showing Jin-Ho’s older brother and his attempts to recruit S-Ranked Hunters. Despite failing, the older brother makes his plans to try recruiting abroad known at a family dinner. That, and he threatens Jin-Ho to stay out of his way. It won’t stop him but shows how serious this competition is. 

As for Jeju Island, the anime again needs to be more specific on the details. However, it only adds to the overall dread surrounding the place. If there’s a place that makes the guild master of one of the strongest guilds in Korea scared, then everyone should be scared. And, having binge-read the manwha, I can say this: they’re right to be scared. It is legitimately terrifying. 

The Third Big Moment I’ve Waited For

Onto the main event, the episode’s focus remains, as always, on Jin-Woo. To undergo his job/class change, he starts a particular quest. He has to fight through a dungeon of powerful, elite-level enemies that will test his versatility. Knights for his speed, assassins for perception, and mages for intellect. And he can’t use healing potions or full recovery. In other words, it’s a war of attrition and conservation. 

While Jin-Woo handles the normal enemies fine, all that changes when he faces the boss, Igris the Red Knight. Jin-Woo is fighting at a disadvantage for the first time since fighting the giant snake monster. Every time he tries to fight Igris, the silent knight manages to steamroll him! It’s like watching an under-level player take on a boss they’re not ready to face! The knight starts ruining his black air force energy! 

This is what legendary boss fights are like.

This was painful to watch as someone who’s gotten curb-stomped by bosses in video games countless times before. It also shows why advancing your character’s class can mean life or death in an RPG. This was the third big fight I’ve been waiting for the anime to adapt, and it didn’t dissappoint. It shows that he needs to keep leveling up his black air force energy for how strong Jin-Woo is. It’s only thanks to dumb luck that he manages to win.

The job/class change isn’t over yet, though. There’s a bonus round. Jin-Woo has to fight a mob of elite mooks at once and survive. If he does, he can win even more resources and abilities. But even though they’re weaker than Igris, their numbers, and his fatigue, leave him on the ropes! Things don’t look good! Worse, there’s only one episode left in the season.

I already know how this is going to end, but getting to see this in animated form is going to be awesome. And trust me when I say this: if Jin-Woo wasn’t HIM before, then by the end of the next episode, he will be HIM! His job/class change is going to make him a monster!

I Give “A Knight Who Defends an Empty Throne” a 4.5/5

Jin-Woo Doesn’t Let Anyone Take Advantage of Him

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Solo Leveling Episode 10 Review

It’s official now: Sung Jin-Woo is a badass, and he knows it. More and more people are starting to learn about it. So far, he’s managed to keep his slaying of Dongsuk’s party and defeating Tae-Shik quiet. However, sooner or later, people will start connecting the dots. An E-Rank Hunter keeps surviving these catastrophes he shouldn’t. And that’s not something that Jin-Woo needs to deal with right now. Thankfully, he now has the power of black air force energy, and he will make sure it keeps getting stronger. And anyone who figures out what he can do will keep their mouths shut.

The Black Air Force Continues to Grow

Once again, Jin-Woo has survived a catastrophic dungeon dive, though not without its scars. Two Double Dungeon survivors are dead, and one of them, Jee-Hoo, flat-out decides to call it quits. As sad as it is to see her give up on being a Hunter and return to her parents, this seems for the best. Jee-Hoo tried to recover from her PTSD, but this last dive only reinforced that she’s not cut out for Hunter’s life. And that’s alright. Sometimes, it’s better to quit when you’re ahead. Only some people can be Goku or Luffy and push their limits until they surpass them. 

Unfortunately, Jin-Woo doesn’t have that option. Ignoring the System forcing him to fight, Jin-Woo’s life is already in danger. Remember how I talked about Dongsuk and how he has a super-strong younger brother? To recap, Dongsuk’s brother is an S-Rank Hunter, and since he (rightly) assumes Jin-Woo is responsible for his brother’s death, he vows revenge. Thus, Jin-Woo has two options: either get stronger or run. 

Jin-Woo decides to get stronger and level up his Black Air Force energy. Thus, he and Jin-Ho begin their scheme to make Jin-Ho a guild master.

I like how the show faithfully portrays the two’s plan as well as it does. Having the two hire other Hunters to loiter around gates while they go in and do all the work is the kind of plan that’s so crazy, it works. Better yet, the shock on the other’s faces when they see how fast they take care of business is hilarious. Jin-Woo has black air force energy, though. And it’s only going to get stronger as time goes on. There’s one downside to it, though: the attention.

Jin-Woo Doesn’t Need the Publicity Right Now

Traditionally, someone with black Air Force energy is aggressive and wild and shows contempt for rules and authorities. At the same time, Jin-Woo can be the former, often not the latter. Leave him be or promise not to tell anyone how strong he is, and he’ll be reasonable. It looks like you’re going to mess with him or his family, though, and the energy comes out. Unfortunately (and I say this as someone who’s read the manwha), it’s only a matter of time before he attracts attention. 

As a prime example, we have a scout from one of the top Hunter’s guilds in the country. He sees all the disasters that Jin-Woo has survived, disasters that should’ve killed an E-Rank Hunter. He also realizes how he and Jin-Ho are buying up all the C-Rank dungeons and completing them in record time. Thus, he puts two and two together and realizes that Jin-Woo is stronger than an E-Rank. 

Much like in the manwha, this man tries to recruit Jin-Woo into his guild, only for the man to put on his black air forces. Not only does he turn the man down, but he orders him not to tell anyone else about him. The cut on his face makes it clear that his response will not be friendly or diplomatic. Then, just to mess with him, he scams him into buying some of the dungeons from him for more than they’re worth. That is what being Black Air Force is like!

Don’t Mess With Jin-Woo

This episode was another quiet one when compared to the previous episode, but that also has its own charm. It shows how deep and complex the politics and people of this Hunter-dominated world can be. More importantly, this episode shows how Jin-Woo doesn’t take kindly to people who see him as a meal ticket. That seems contradictory since he’s helping Jin-Ho, but their relationship is mutually beneficial. Jin-Ho can become a guild master, Jin-Woo gets stronger, and they both make money. In other words, treat him right, or Jin-Woo will mess you up.

There are only a few episodes left in the season, but trust me, the last few are going to be bangers. Jin-Woo gets a new quest that will let him change his class. And if you have read the manwha like I have, you know how hard this is going to go. I can’t wait for the next episode.

I Give “What is This, a Picnic?” a 3.5/5

Sung HIM-Woo Continues his Black Air Force Campaign

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

Solo Leveling Ep 9 Review

Ever since I started (and finished) reading the Solo Leveling manwha, I’ve looked forward to seeing many moments. And most of them involve Jin-Woo making victims out of his opponents. He now radiates Black Air Force energy, and every time he takes down an enemy, it’s incredible. Seeing it go from being still images to being animated by people who worked on SAO and Jujutsu Kaisen is flat-out spectacular. And in this episode, we get to the next moment that I wanted to see in the anime. Sung Jin-Woo might call himself Sung HIM-Woo because he is HIM. 

Psycho Killer, Qu’est-ce que c’est?

The episode tries to start off by acting like nothing’s going to go wrong. This would be a simple dungeon dive for Jin-Woo and the other Double Dungeon survivors. But even if they didn’t read the manwha, savvy viewers should notice the red flags from the previous episode—the extended focus on Kim and his family. The prisoners joining them, and the shady meeting with that unknown person? Things get set up to be a disaster from the start. And they are.

Ripping the band-aid off, Kang Tae-Shik isn’t just working for the Hunter Association. He’s also an assassin. The father of a woman who was assaulted by those same prisoners and later killed herself hired him to kill them. And when Kim and the other Double Dungeon survivor stumble across him, he kills them both, too.

The red flags for Kim’s death were pretty obvious. The last episode focused on his family, and he talked about apologizing to Jin-Woo after this dive. So, his death shouldn’t be a surprise. It doesn’t make it any easier to watch, though. 

The story also makes it clear that, even if those prisoners deserve their fate, Tae-Shik doesn’t do this out of altruism. He just likes killing people, and this gives him the best excuse.

However, Tai-Shik makes one mistake: he tries to kill Jin-Woo, Jee-Hoo, and Sung in front of him. And we all know what that means.

Another Day, Another Victim

The fight between Jin-Woo and Tae-Shik is a foregone conclusion, but that doesn’t make it less exciting to watch. Sung makes a good effort before fighting him, but it isn’t until Jin-Woo steps up that the real boss battle begins. The animation is superb, but what cinches is the reactions that everyone else has to Jin-Woo. Sung and Jee-Hoo have trouble processing his Black Air Force energy. Tae-Shik, on the other hand, goes from being cocky as they come to looking ready to wet himself. And the absolute death glare that he gets from Jin-Woo. I could practically hear Jin-Woo thinking how worthless Tae-Shik was at that moment for trying to kill him. 

It should be noted that Jin-Woo only has the moral high ground here because he’s doing this to protect his comrades. Beyond that, though, he’s just like Tae-Shik. He has killed before, and will kill again. But unlike last time, where the System did force him to kill, he didn’t even need to be told that here. He didn’t care about it anymore. Anyone who stands against him is his enemy, and that means they’re liable to become victims. 

Sung Jin-Woo is HIM, indeed.

In the end, Mr. Sung covers for Jin-Woo by saying he killed Tai-Shik with Jee-Hoo’s help, so his secret is safe for a little longer. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the two other survivors of the Double Dungeon incident are dead. At this point, though, I don’t think Jin-Woo even cares anymore.

Thus, the episode ends with yet another example of Jin-Woo exercising his Black Air Force energy, and this will only be the start. The question is, though, is as he gets stronger, what’s to stop him from becoming detached from humanity altogether? We’ll just have to keep watching and find out. 

Also, it’s sweet that people think that this moment was a tribute to Toriyama, but that’s just a case of unfortunate timing. 

I Give “You’ve Been Hiding Your Skills” a 4.5/5