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, they’re face-to-face with the boss of the Dungeon who’s ready to rip them to pieces. Little do the High Orcs know, but they’ve 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 army’s 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:
“Want me to take care of these guys?”
Kihoon says yes. And what follows is Jin-woo’s 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, isn’t even the fight itself; it’s how those watching react to it. The other Hunters go from thinking they’re going to die to being utterly dumbfounded as Jin-woo single-handedly wipes out the High Orcs. While this isn’t the first time Jin-woo has flexed in front of others, the context makes this different. The public still doesn’t know that Jin-woo’s 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 don’t fully get it, they’re 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. It’s only fitting that the episode ends outside the Hunters Association on the day Jin-woo’s status becomes official. Reporters are there for a celebrity getting his own Hunter Rank, but after they hear about Jin-woo, he’s the only one they’ll 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 there’s 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 anime’s 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 Korea’s handful of S-Ranked Hunters. Now she’s 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.
Here’s the thing: she doesn’t see it that way. As shown in the series premiere, she’s 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 doesn’t smell bad to Hae-in aren’t 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-in’s relationship with Jin-woo, one that will come to be of great importance to both.
…yes, 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, he’s been killing time playing miner. Even without his army, his gains are enough to do ten people’s work. But when the B-team makes an offer to have him be their porter, he takes it.
It’s 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-woo’s stealthy intervention proves just how strong he’s gotten in comparison to most Hunters. At this point, it’s 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 he’s 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 it…let’s just say her interest in Jin-woo is going to be very justified.
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 4 Review
“You’ll be fine as long as you’re not E-Rank.” That’s an important line from the fourth episode of Solo Leveling’s sophomore outing, and for good reason. Jin-woo may have left E-Rank behind a while back, but that’s still his official rank. As long as he stays there, he won’t be able to get into higher-ranking Dungeons. If he can’t do that, he won’t 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, he’s now Korea’s 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 they’ve become the new power in the world. It’s already been established that one’s 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 they’re Homelander and do whatever they want?
Speaking of which, this episode has Dongsoo in a hospital bed after Jin-woo’s father turned him into a victim. And to add to insult to injury, Il-Hwan basically told the thug “if 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 I’ll just bring you back and kill you all over again!”
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 Hunter’s Guild, only for him to get embarrassed when Jin-woo blows right past him. Baek Yoonho, who’s team Jin-woo saved in the Red Gate incident, comes too late to even see him!
The most surprising offer, though, comes from the Hunter’s 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. It’s even implied that he’s hoping Jin-woo could be his successor, an offer he finds very tempting.
Ultimately, Jin-woo declines. Not only does Gunhee respect his decision, he’s so swayed by Jin-woo’s rizz he’s 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 Hunter’s Guild. And it’s 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 Hunter’s, 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 their…relationship.
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 can’t 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 ❌ Iron ✔️
BiliBili Anime: Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- EP2
Then, when Chul comes to while Jin-woo’s fighting the boss, he decides to try killing Jin-woo instead of helping him like he should’ve. Final strike! And for his arrogance and stupidity, Jin-woo gives Chul a very special gift: the honor of being the third time he’s had to kill a human being.
And, to add insult to injury, Jin-woo doesn’t even kill Chul himself; he has Igris do it before reviving him as his latest Shadow, now called Iron.
Jin-woo Bodies an Army of Murderous Ice Elves
The real highlight of the episode, though, is the fight between Jin-woo and his Shadow army and the Ice Elves, led by one called Baruka. The fight is frenetic, fast-paced, and seems less like a duel between two opponents and more like a proper battle. As Jin-woo continues to get stronger, though, he’s going to use his Shadows more and more to help him deal with monsters. Thus, this is a prelude to some of the things that he will end up doing as the anime progresses.
Baruka’s a tough opponent, but in the end, he ends up another victim of Jin-woo. The one loss that Jin-woo has to take is the fact that he’s unable to extract Baruka’s Shadow, leaving him out of a valuable soldier in his growing army. However, he manages to get his daggers and the survivors out in one piece, so that’s a win. In addition, he gets another cool moment when the White Tiger’s guildmaster, Baek Yoonho, tries to get answers about what happened out of him. Instead, Jin-woo tells him off for not being grateful he got any of his guildmembers out alive.
As for Dongsoo, he left after thinking Jin-woo wouldn’t make it out of the Red Gate alive.
This episode marks another turning point in Jin-woo’s growth as a Hunter. Until now, he’s only used Shadow Extraction on monsters. Now that he knows he can use it on humans, though, anyone who makes the mistake of crossing him could become an undead minion in his army. Fortunately, he seems like the type who wouldn’t revive another human unless they were already worthy of punishment from him. On a lesser note, this is the third instance where he’s killed a person; if he’s not careful, he could become numb to the value of life and risk losing his humanity. Thankfully, he has his sister and Jinho to keep him grounded.
Speaking of Jinho, when he sees how informal his boss and Song-yi are after the events the night before, he comes to a disturbing conclusion. To be fair, if someone heard two people talking about how they didn’t get any sleep the night before out of context, they might make the same assumption. But Jin-woo isn’t that kind of Hunter.
People love the new OP
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- Opening has reached 1 Million Views in 3 days on Aniplex YouTube Channel! 🖤
By the way, reports are coming in saying that Solo Leveling broke its already impressive viewer record with the premiere of Season two. And the new OP managed to reach a million views on YouTube in less than three days. The people have spoken: Solo Leveling is a big thing in anime right now!
Solo Leveling made huge waves in the anime world last year by being 2024’s first big hit. And now, the story of Sung Jin-woo continues as he finally has a concrete goal beyond leveling up. Within the special S-rank Dungeon only he can access lie the ingredients to a miracle potion that can cure anything. If he gets his hands on it, he can use it to awaken his mom from her coma! The bad news is that he’s still not strong enough to clear the Dungeon. The good news? He’s no longer fighting alone. He’s got an army of shadow warriors to help him, and he’s going to use them. Which leads us to the season premiere as Jin-woo puts his black Air Force energy through its paces in a Dungeon raid gone wrong. Again.
【Opening Theme】 Solo Leveling Season 2
OP: "ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)" by LiSA
But first, can we talk about how amazing the OP to season two of Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows is? Besides the killer animation, there’s also the fact that the song is sung by LiSA and Felix from Stray Kids. She’s one of my favorite J-Pop singers, and for good reason. She’s done the theme songs to some the biggest anime of the century, including Sword Art Online, Fate, Demon Slayer, and more. Regardless of the criticisms to SAO, “Crossing Field” is a very exciting OP. And “Gurenge” is practically a legend at this point. While the OP for the first season wasn’t that interesting, the one for season two is the exact opposite, being an absolute head-banger that I desperately want to find on iTunes.*
*(It’s on iTunes Now!)
Jin-woo’s Master Plan to Convince Sister’s Friend to Stay in School
It’s parent-teacher day at the school of Jin-woo’s sister, Jinah, and since he’s her legal guardian, he has to go in their parent’s place. And despite just waking up, Jin-woo shows up looking super-cool, leading to yet another moment where young ladies drool over him. The man’s rizz is off the charts, and he doesn’t even realize it!
The good news is Jinah’s on track to get into the medical school she’s aiming for, so there’s no problems there. However, her teacher asks Jin-woo with help with another student who’s a friend of Jinah. Her name is Han Song-Yi, and she recently awakened as a Hunter…as an E-rank. She’s the girl who’s been in Jin-woo and Jin-ho’s party as they go Dungeon hopping for their plan to make Joonho a guild master. And now, she’s planning on quitting school and becoming a full-time Hunter.
It’s not out of the ordinary for young, talented people to decide they’re wasting their time in public school and simply drop out. Some of the great movers and shakers in history never finished school. However, Jin-woo knows firsthand how dangerous being a Hunter is, especially if you’re an E-Rank. He might not have the scars, but he’s got the hospital bills to prove it! Thus, Jin-woo decides he needs to set Sang-yi straight before she gets herself killed. However, instead of lecturing her about how dangerous it is, he decides to go for the “sink-or-swim” approach. He speaks to her and tells her that he’s gonna let her go on a Dungeon Raid with him, and manages to get them a spot on a raid by the White Tiger Guild.
Red Gates. The Bane of Every Hunters Existence
Unfortunately, Jin-woo’s plan works too well. As soon as the party enters, the Gate turns into a Red Gate. That’s when the Dungeon mutates and sends the people inside into another dimension altogether, where the monsters are stronger, and they can’t get out unless they kill the boss or the Dungeon breaks.
From this moment on, the Dungeon raid becomes a survival horror…for everyone that isn’t Jin-woo. One Hunter dies immediately to an ice arrow. The A-rank Hunter in charge of the raid decides to leave lower-ranked Hunters to die while the others clear the Dungeon. As the end of the episode shows, they die and the leader, Kim Chul, runs away scared for his life. In contrast, everyone who stayed with Jin-woo lives and thrives after he takes out the ice bears and their leader.
Speaking of which, the fight with the ice bears and their pack leader marks the first time that Jin-woo uses his Shadows in battle. While it’s not as epic as one would think, keep in mind that this is still a new power to him. However, as he gets stronger, his Shadows will follow suit as he gains more of them. Eventually, he will have his own army. As far as animation goes, though, his little skirmish is decent.
Don’t expect to see Dongsoo again this season.
Speaking of skirmishes, Jin-woo narrowly avoided getting into one with S-rank Hunter Hwang Dongsoo. He flew back to Korea to kill Jin-woo and Joonho for the death of his older brother, only to arrive at the gate too late. At his current level, Jin-woo could likely go toe-to-toe with Dongsoo, but there’s no guarantee he would come out on top. In addition, fighting him in front of the leader of the White Tiger Guild and Joonchul from the Hunter’s Association would just bring him unwanted attention. Right now, anonymity is good for him.
This first episode doesn’t reach the same heights as the series premiere, but it doesn’t have to do so. All it needs is to reintroduce people to the story and show the direction it’s heading in. As far as action goes, it’s only going to get better as time goes by. Having read the manwha, trust me when I say that by the time the series hits its climax, it’s going to need a theater to handle everything.
But if you really want more action right away, you can always play Solo Leveling: Arise.
Warning: Unauthorized Plug for Tie-In Game Detected.
Solo Leveling: Arise is a free-to-play action RPG available on mobile and pc that lets players experience the story of Solo Leveling for themselves. Players can take control of Jin-woo and have him hack, slash, and rizz his way through the dungeons as he levels up and goes from the weakest Hunter to the strongest in the world. They’ll have all the RPG mechanics of the System at their disposal as they help Jin-woo get stronger to take on the threats found within the dungeons. And with more skills, special attacks, and weapons than I can hope to count available to them, they can make Jin-woo into their ideal Hunter.
But wait! Jin-woo won’t be fighting alone in this game. Through the rewards you gain by completing events and parts of the story, you can earn resources to upgrade your equipment even further. More importantly, you can unlock characters from the story that you can either play as or have support Jin-woo throughout the story. Not only are all of these characters voiced by their VA’s and Seiyus from the anime, but they can also be leveled up so they can keep being of use to you. To sweeten the deal, if you level them up enough, you can unlock their backstories and learn how they became Hunters. There are even original manwha stories detailing their origins for you to read and enjoy.
While the combat in Arise can get a bit repetitive at times, the game provides its own solution. If you set your characters to ‘auto’ mode, they will clear dungeons and story chapters on autopilot. It’s perfect to level grind without having to put in the effort of controlling your character! Plus, the cutscenes are a combination of the in-game engine and using panels from the original manwha, allowing for a diverse way to experience the story of Solo Leveling. Fair warning, though: the story does extend far beyond where the anime is right now. So avoid going any further if you’ve only watched the anime and want to avoid spoilers!
Get Solo Leveling: Arise now for PC and Mobile, release on Steam to be announced.
RJ Writing Ink’s (hilarious) recap of Season One of Solo Leveling
Sung Jin-Woo, the main protagonist of the Korean manwha Solo Leveling and the black air force Hunter. AKA Sung Him-Woo, because he is that guy. Once mocked and considered the weakest Hunter in the world, after the latest in a long line of near-death experiences, gains the unique ability to level up. Before long, he goes from a meek little piece of cannon fodder into one of the coldest protagonists to ever come out of South Korea. And he’s only getting started!
I’m RJ Writing Ink for the D&A Anime Blog, and today, we are recapping the first season of Solo Leveling and the rise of Sung Him-Woo as he gains his black air forces. This way, you will be caught up in time for the new season, which will either be out by now or mere days from release. You will want to watch this show!
Sung Jin-woo’s Humble Beginnings
Let’s provide some context first. Ten years ago, magical portals, or Gates, to other dimensions began appearing worldwide. And from those Gates, monsters started appearing, threatening to overrun Earth. While normal weapons proved unable to kill the monsters, some humans started gaining magical abilities that could. They became the Hunters, whose job it is to defeat the monsters in the Dungeons on their side of the Gates, sealing them and keeping them from overrunning humankind. However, once a Hunter awakens their skills, they’re stuck with them and unable to get stronger. The strongest Hunters are the S-Rank, some of whom are strong enough to rival an entire nation’s military, while the weakest are the E-Rank. And Sung Jin-Woo has the misfortune of being the weakest E-Rank of all time.
Poor Jin-Woo is barely stronger than the average human being, and is considered a joke or someone for other Hunters to pity. Every time he goes into a Dungeon, he almost dies and has to be bailed out by the party healers. Despite being so weak, though, he keeps at it because his Dad’s missing and presumed dead, his Mom’s in a coma and requires medical support, and his sister is in high school. In other words, he’s desperate and needs the money, even if he barely gets by due to being so weak. However, all of that is about to change.
On what should have been a simple raid of a D-Rank Dungeon, Jin-Woo and his party discover a second, secret Dungeon hidden away. Jin-Woo casts the deciding vote for the group to investigate the second Dungeon, and everyone heads inside. However, it soon becomes apparent that they should have stayed far away from this new Dungeon.
Welcome to Hell
This Double-Dungeon turns out to be S-Ranked, filled with giant statues whose smiles would make the Smiling Titan from Attack on Titan wet herself. They proceed to slaughter almost all of the Hunters before only Jin-Woo and a handful of others are left alive, with Jin-Woo losing a leg from the carnage. So, the young man decides to stay behind and keep the door open so his comrades can escape. He figures its all a weakling like him can do to give his life any value. But, as soon as the others are gone, that feeling of self-sacrifice evaporates, and the realization that he’s about to die sinks in…and he HATES IT!
Jin-Woo starts cursing out the universe for what’s about to happen to him. He curses the fact that he’s about to leave his family to fend for themselves. And most of all, he wishes that he was stronger so that none of this would even be happening to him!
But something happens right as he’s about to die. A message from this display straight out of an RPG pops up and says “Congratulations, buddy! You completed the secret quest and get the chance to become a [Player]. If you do, you’ll get the chance to earn yourself some black air forces. If not…you can guess the rest.” Since Jin-Woo isn’t a dummy and doesn’t want to die, he gladly accepts the deal.
Little did he know, but this is the moment when Sung Jin-Woo would begin his journey as the black air force Hunter.
Getting Used to His Black Air Forces
Three days later, Jin-Woo wakes up in the hospital and learns he was somehow rescued from the Double Dungeon. The experience, though, left all the survivors traumatized. Some have survivor’s guilt for abandoning the others. Their leader lost his arm and may have to retire. And Jin-Woo’s healer friend, Joo-Hee, is left with PTSD. No one got out unscathed. But that doesn’t matter, because its time for Jin-Woo to begin his training in the way of the black air forces.
That display that gave Jin-Woo the offer to become a Player returns and lays down the ground rules. Firstly, it is a program called the System, and it functions like the mechanics to an RPG, giving him quests with rewards, keys to Dungeons that only work for him, etc. Secondly, said RPG mechanics give him the ability to level up his status, making him the only Hunter in the world who can do so! Lastly, since he wasn’t born with black air force energy and has to gain it, he has to complete daily goals, usually by doing enough exercises. If he tries to welch on them, he will be dropped into a penalty zone and attacked by giant, poisonous centipedes. So, Jin-Woo has some pretty good incentives not to neglect his training.
So after he spends the rest of his time in the hospital getting into this daily routine of training, Jin-Woo begins to evolve. He goes from the meek, little twig he started out as into a full-on demigod. He’s tall, has the face of a Korean Adonis, and is swole as they come! And all the young nurses are practically drooling over him. When one of them comes in to check on him, she catches him exercising without a shirt and almost passes out from his hotness!
And that’s only the visible side effects of him training to master his black air force energy. His power has skyrocketed far beyond E-Rank.
Taking a Shady Job
Once he’s out of the hospital, Jin-woo decides its high time for him to start making money again. That means he has to go back into a dungeon, so he finds a C-Rank party that needs a few extra members. The only problem is that the party leader, Hwang Dongsuk, is sus, making him sign a contract saying that he doesn’t have to fight, but doesn’t get any item drops.
Rounding out their 8-man party is a rich, D-Rank newcomer Yoo Jin-ho, AKA the ultimate wingman and Jin-woo’s new best friend. And we say that because, despite having better equipment due to his dad being super rich, Jin-ho stands up for Jin-woo when they reach the boss room and find it loaded with mana crystals. Dongsuk tries to keep Jin-woo from getting any of this valuable loot, but Jin-ho looks at the contract and says “Hey, man. I just looked this thing over and it doesn’t say anything about those crystals counting as battle drops. My man Jin-woo should get a share!” All Dongsuk can do is grumble about it…is what you’d think would happen!
As it turns out, Jin-woo was right to be suspicious about Dongsuk and his party, because they’re all a bunch of murderers! Every time they hit a dungeon, they hire on a few red shirts to serve as cannon fodder to soften the boss up so they can kill it without issue, letting them focus on collecting the loot! These guys are serial killers, and they try to pull the same thing on Jin-woo and Jin-ho, leaving them to fight the giant spider boss alone!
HIM-woo Begins to Catch Bodies
But they weren’t dealing with some E-Rank Hunter anymore. Sung Jin-woo had been growing into those black air forces, and it was for him to flex. It takes some doing, but Jin-woo manages to squash the spider. And the whole time, Jin-ho is looking at him and thinking, “Dang. I need to make this guy my new best friend!” But then, Dongsuk and the sucky gang return.
Now, since they think Jin-woo is still some lowly E-Rank, these guys think Jin-ho killed the boss. So they offer Jin-woo’s new bestie a deal: help kill Jin-woo, and they’ll let him live and give him a cut of the loot. And Jin-ho is like, “Oh, heck no! I ain’t turning on my new bro like some chump! Take that offer and shove it!” And Dongsuk decides, “Oh, well. Your funeral. Boys, kill them both!” And they slam Jin-woo into the wall, thinking that would be enough.
Jin-woo’s response? “So, you have chosen death.”
So the System gives Jin-woo this urgent quest, saying that he’s got to kill his attackers, or his heart will stop. Truthfully, though, Jin-woo would have done it anyway, because there was no way these guys would face justice back home. When Hunters are strong enough, they’re able to avoid legal charges and are basically untouchable. But, as Jin-woo repeats what Dongsuk back to him, “What happens in a Dungeon stays in a Dungeon.” And then, in one of the coldest anime moments of 2024, Sung Jin-woo turns the group of six into victims.
Jin-woo saves Dongsuk for last, and the man is on his butt looking ready to wet himself in terror, begging Jin-woo to spare him! Because if he doesn’t, his younger brother will come after him! But Jin-woo had no F’s to give, and ended that man’s life. After that, they just left the trash there, walked out like bosses, and Jin-ho covers for his new best friend by saying the dungeon killed the others.
Fate Has a Cruel Sense of Humor
Not long after, Jin-ho meets with Jin-woo and explains his situation. His dad is looking to start their own Hunter’s guild, which is where Hunters work together to pull off jobs, so that his company can have a steady stream of resources. Jin-ho offers him his own building if helps meet the requirements to start his own guild, but Jin-woo says, “No thanks. But we’ll keep in touch.” Don’t forget, he’ that got to keep meeting the System’s requirements and look after his Mom and sister. Shortly afterward, he maxes out his dailies and gets a key to an S-Rank Dungeon, whose reward is a potion that can cure any illness. And Jin-woo realizes he can use this to cure his Mom, so he dives right him. Sadly, the dungeon is like a real-life version of Dark Souls, because fighting the first boss, a giant Cerberus, almost kills him.
Which means he’s got to train even more.
Jin-woo then calls up Jin-ho and says, “Hey, man. You still want help running those Dungeons to make that guild?” But before they can make any progress, Jin-woo gets recruited to form a last-minute party to handle a C-Rank dungeon. It just so happens that the other party members include Kang Taeshik, an agent from the Hunters Association that oversees all Hunters, some Hunters serving time in jail, and the other survivors of the Double-Dungeon incident. This must be fate at work!
The Black Air Force Hunter Finds his Next Victim
There turns out to be more to this job than anyone realizes. Some time ago, one of the convicts had murdered a girl, so the girl’s dad paid Kang to kill him in the Dungeon. Kang gladly does so, only for the two Double-Dungeon survivors that abandoned everyone to catch him in the act. So
Kang kills them both to cover everything up. And this is where things get really sad, as one of those guys only took this job so he could apologize to Jin-woo for leaving him to die. To make it even sadder, the man has a wife and kid he’s leaving behind!
So, Jim-woo reveals his black air force energy and, in a pretty epic fight, manages to kill Kang. Afterwards, just like before, the remaining party members cover for him as that is for saving their lives. But Joo-hee? She’s done being a Hunter. The trauma she’s experienced is too much, and she wants out, so she’s moving back home with her parents. Which also means anyone who shipped her with Jin-woo has been left high and dry.
The Bromance’s Grinding Scheme
So, after that latest incident, Jin-woo and Jin-ho put their plan to start a guild into motion. Jin-ho buys up the rights to a bunch of C-Rank Dungeons and then hires some low-rank Hunters so they can meet the party quota. The two of them are the only ones to head inside and clear everything. By which we mean Jin-woo clears them while Jin-ho helps carry the stuff and serve as his hype man. But despite Jin-woo’s attempts to fly under the radar, people are starting to take notice.
Case in point, a high-ranking member of one of the top Guilds in Korea puts the pieces together and realizes that Jin-woo has “reawakened.” Reawakening is when a Hunter goes through a second awakening that makes stronger than they once were. To be fair, that is technically what Jin-woo has gone through. Though when this man tries to recruit Jin-woo, he turns him down. And for good measure, he flexes his BAFE to let him know what will happen if he tries to tell anyone else.
Jin-Woo Gets a Promotion
At this point, Jin-woo is getting stronger and stronger. So strong, in fact, that the System decides this is the point where he can pull a job-change to get even stronger. He’s subsequently dropped into a giant castle and has to fight his way through a horde of magical warriors before making his way to a throne room. That’s where he challenges the boss, Igris, the Bloodred Knight Commander. Igris pushes Jin-woo to his limit, but he manages to win by the skin of his teeth. And he acknowledges that he only won thanks to dumb luck!
Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t the job-change quest. This was just the warm-up for the real quest: fighting an endless horde of armored warriors until the time limit expires. All while he’s exhausted, unable to use potions…and missing the teleportation stone that acts as his escape rope.
Jin-woo almost gives up because he thinks he bit off more than he can chew. Just as he’s about to give up, though, his past self gives him the pep talk he needs to keep going. That’s when remembers something important: be was so eager to start the quest, he forgot to do his dailies. So, back to the penalty zone he goes!
And, like anyone with black air force energy, Him-woo makes short work of the opposition and uses the drop items to get back to full strength. Once back, he wastes the enemy with time to spare.
Long Live the Shadow Monarch, Sung HIM-woo!
With the quest over, the System appears again to say “Congratulations for completing the quest and proving yourself worthy of black air force energy. Now, time to assign you your new job based on your performance.” Sadly, Jin-woo can’t pick his new job class, but lucky for him, the System chooses the most OP one it has: Necromancer. And since he killed everyone before the time limit, he got so much XP that he automatically levels up to Shadow Monarch, the one who rules over an army of the dead!
The coolest part, though? He can extract the shadows of the deceased and revive them as unkillable, unflinching minions! And the stronger he gets, the more Shadows he can control. This man is capable of creating his own private army! And, since every army needs commanders, Jin-woo revives Igris as the first of his elite warriors!
You Will be Calling him Sung HIM-woo before the show is over!
And that is where the first season comes to an end. Sung Jin-woo has obtained the power of black air forces and proven that he is that guy, but his journey is far from over. He needs to keep getting stronger to save his mom and deal with the powerful individuals that will no doubt continue to take notice of him. And if you thought he was badass already, then trust me when I say that you haven’t seen anything yet. I read through the entire webtoon in a few days, and lets just say that I was right to give him the nickname of Sung Him-woo. He will be in a class all his own by the time the anime comes to an end!
Now, go get ready to watch the next season of Solo Leveling. And if you’re too impatient, go try the mobile game, Solo Leveling: Arise!
By the time you’re reading this, the year 2024 will either be over or about to be over, but what a good it was for anime. From long-running juggernauts like One Piece celebrating its 25th anniversary to Dan Da Dan breaking the Internet, there were plenty of anime that stood out from the crowd this year. It does beg the question, though: who stood out the most? While people can have their own opinions on what constitutes the best, there were plenty of anime that stood out as a whole rather than just one or two moments.
I’m RJ Writing Ink for D&A Anime Blog, and we’re going over my picks for the best anime of 2024. For this list, we will be restricting picks to anime that either premiered in 2024 or began a new season in 2024. Furthermore, that whole season must have aired in its entirety over the year. Sadly, that means that previous entries like One Piece or Mushoku Tensei will not count here. The former has been running continuously for decades while the latter only aired the second half of its second season. Don’t worry, though. They will be appearing in another post. It should also be noted that these are all anime that I have seen, and can form an opinion about.
Solo Leveling
It was almost a year ago when we were introduced to the South Korean power fantasy known as Solo Leveling. Based on the web novel/manwha of the same name, Solo Leveling is set in a version of the world where portals to dungeons filled with resources and monsters have been appearing for more than a decade. Only those with supernatural abilities, called Hunters, can hope to stop the monsters. Unfortunately for Sung Jin-Woo, he’s the weakest Hunter around, a fact that leaves him trapped in a catastrophe that should have left him dead. Instead, this mysterious program called the System saves him, gives him the unique ability to level up via RPG mechanics, and forces him to continually get stronger to stay alive. What follows is Jin-Woo going from being a meek nobody into someone who could become the most powerful Hunter alive.
Calling Solo Leveling South Korea’s answer to Sword Art Online would be an understatement. Like Kirito before him, the story of Sung Jin-Woo serves as a power fantasy for everyone who wishes they could be strong enough to get the most out of life. Whereas Kirito started his journey as a bit of a badass, though, Jin-Woo has to put himself through the ringer to survive the events he’s been forced into. And while some people might see the story as unoriginal, that’s not really the point. The anime looks insanely good, and whether he’s fighting monsters the size of buildings or murderous Hunters, Jin-Woo looks so cool. And this is only the start; I read the entire manwha, and you’re not prepared for what will come!
Ranma 1/2
Dread it, run from it, but no matter what you do, Ranma 1/2 will not stay dead! The third anime series to be based on Rumiko Takahashi’s manga of the same name, Ranma 1/2 is a modern remake for one of the first series to make it big in the West. If you haven’t heard about it or seen the previous versions, here’s the basic plot:
Ranma Saotome is a young martial artist who has the misfortune of being put into an arranged marriage with Akane Tendo, the daughter of an old friend of his father. Their father’s plan is for the two to carry on the Tendo family’s dojo, but there are several problems with this. Firstly, Ranma and Akane grow to quickly dislike each other. Secondly, thanks to his father’s stupidity, Ranma himself has a curse that turns him into a girl. When he gets hit by cold water, he becomes a girl. When she gets hit by hot water, she turns back into a boy. Chaos ensues.
The second of Takahashi’s works to get a remake in recent years, Ranma 1/2 is every bit as crazed and hilarious as its predecessors. Faithfully recreating the original series art style and tone, the series manages to do quite well for itself on Netflix, bringing the classic romcom to a new generation of fans. While some may take issue with the way some things were censored, the series is pretty faithful to what came before it. Plus, it is funny to see Ranma and Akane go from being at each other’s throats to caring about each other, only to be back at each other’s throats again.
My Hero Academia S7
My Hero Academia, the superhero Shōnen series that took the world by storm, returned for its penultimate season, and didn’t waste any time getting down to business. The final battle between the Heroes of Japan and the villains led by All for One and Shigaraki begins in full. As Deku races to defeat Shigaraki before he and All for One can join forces, his friends and allies are forced to fight an all-out war that spans all of Japan. Everyone on both sides is pushed to their absolute limits as the battle to decide the fate of the world rages, and there’s no guarantee everyone will make it out alive.
Say what you want about MHA, but it knows how to create an effective spectacle when it wants to. With the manga having ended this past summer, people were watching to see if this season would live up to the hype. Thankfully, it more or less managed to do this, with the big moments being as epic as they are in the manga, while the more emotional ones maintaining their weight and importance. The one problem is that the season ends right as the climax of the final battle is about to take place, leaving it up to the next season to settle everything. It might just be me, but I was expecting this to be the final season. Then again, it did have to let the manga finish, so it’s understandable why that didn’t happen.
Kaiju No. 8
If you were to combine the Tokukatsu genre with the Shonen tropes of series like My Hero Academia, then the end result would be Kaiju No. 8. Set in a world where Kaiju attacks are a fact of life, the story is about Kafka Hibino, a 32-year old who has tried several times to fulfill his dream of joining the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force alongside his childhood friend…only to fail each time. Before his next and final attempt, though, he winds up the host of a parasite that gives him the ability to turn into a humanoid Kaiju with super strength. Dubbed Kaiju No. 8 by the JAKDF, Kafka has to keep his new powers secret from everyone while he uses them to fulfill his dream, only for another humanoid Kaiju to start causing trouble for him and other new recruits.
I wasn’t joking when I said this show combines Tokukatsu with My Hero Academia. Kafka’s dreaming of joining the Defense Force despite repeated failures and lack of skill are just like how Deku was at the start of his story. The big difference is that Kafka starts the series off far older than characters like Naruto, Deku, and Luffy do, giving him a more mature perspective about life. Beyond the unconventional Shonen protagonist, though, what helps Kaiju No. 8 stand out is how drop-dead gorgeous the animation is. Just look at one of the clips Crunchyroll put on YouTube, and you’ll be blown away at how good everything looks. With a second season on the horizon, it’s clear that the powers that be see promise in this new kid on the block.
The Elusive Samurai
From the creator of Assassination Classroom and the studio that makes Bocchi the Rock and Spy x Family comes this delightful historical fantasy-comedy, The Elusive Samurai. Set 700 years ago in Medieval Japan, the anime tells the story of Tokiyuki Hojo, the heir to the Kamakura Shogunate that governs the country. When one of their retainers betrays and murders his family, though, Tokiyuikihas to go on the run as he works to avenge his family. There’s just one problem: Tokiyuki’s only real skill is a superhuman ability to run and hide.
While he may not fearless or boisterous like many Shonen Jump protagonists, don’t mistake his running for cowardice. One of the main themes to his show is the importance of knowing when to run and fight another day, something that most of the Samurai of his day fail to consider. And when he does stand and fight, he weaponizes his dodging skills to become a nigh-uncatchable menace. Coupled with the gorgeous artwork, fluid animation, and quirky sense of humor, The Elusive Samurai is both one of the best looking anime of the year, as well as one of the best in general.
Dragon Ball Daima
Fans have been waiting for years for the return of Dragon Ball Super, but until then, we can ride ourselves over with Daima. The final project of the late Akira Toriyama, Daima returns the franchise to its roots for its 40th anniversary. Set after the defeat of Majin Buu but before the events of Super, the story begins when Gomah, the new King of the Demon Realm, uses Earth’s Dragon Balls to turn Goku and his friends into kids. With a baby Dende having been kidnapped by Gomah, Goku and the others journey to the Demon Realm on a quest to get him back and return to their proper ages. Along the way, they explore the rarely-seen Demon Realm and gain new friends in the form of newcomers Glorio and Panzy.
It may break my earlier rule due to it carrying over into next year, but Dragon Ball Daima is an exception. With Toriyama’s passing earlier this year making this his final contribution to his creation, it would be disrespectful not to include it. While the series has yet to hit its stride in terms of action, it more than makes up for it by returning to its roots as an adventure comedy. Given how this is the last thing we’ll ever get from Toriyama, though, I’m more than happy to wait for the action to crank up to what fans have come to expect from the franchise.
Dan Da Dan
Our last entry needs no introduction but is getting one anyway, Dan Da Dan. Part supernatural thriller, part romcom, Dan Da Dan revolves around Momo Ayase and Ken “Okarun” Takakura, two teenagers who believe in the supernatural. When the two make a bet to prove whether ghosts or aliens exist, they wind up in a world of trouble. Momo gets abducted by perverted aliens and discovers she has psychic powers, while Okarun gets possessed by a ghost and gains ghost powers…but loses his manhood and balls. Thus, the unlikely pair has to team up to get Okarun’s junk back while also dealing with more aliens and ghosts that are after them.
I normally don’t like to pick favorites on lists like this, but this is the exception: Dan Da Dan is easily the best anime of 2024. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are lovable and quirky, and the story is absolutely unhinged. As in original FLCL levels of unhinged. Between all this and the sheer amount of gifs and memes to be found, Dan Da Dan easily took my top spot for favorite anime of the year. While the first season ended at a bit of an inconvenient moment, it doesn’t detract from the sheer enjoyment for the entire show. And we don’t have to wait long for a second season; it’s coming July 2025!
RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Best Moments in Anime for 2024
With 2024 all but over, once again, it’s time to look back on all the anime we’ve watched…and figure out what moment broke the Internet the most. There were plenty of moments that would gain their fifteen minutes of internet fame, and like many people, I have my own opinions on what moments live rent-free in my head. Last year, I recounted my favorite anime moments for 2023, and I see no reason not to consider that tradition.
I’m RJ Writing Ink, and here are my picks for the best anime moments for 2024. As was the case with last year, I’ll be limiting myself to the anime I watched.
Sung Jin-Woo Slaughters Hunters, Solo Leveling
If you ever need an example of why humans are the most dangerous game in the world, this is a prime example. When most of Sung Jin-Woo’s party of Hunters use him and newcomer Jin-Ho as fodder for a dungeon boss, they fully expected him to die. When they come back and find the boss slain, they decide to kill them both to cover-up what they did. Little did they know that Jin-Woo was not a man that they should make an enemy of. In one of the coldest anime moments of the year, Jin-Woo proceeds to kill every last one of them without any signs of remorse or empathy.
Solo Leveling had already established itself as one of the first big anime of 2024, but this moment? This moment cemented it as one of its best. Seeing the once meek and powerless Jin-Woo effortlessly kill the Hunters was equally exciting and terrifying. Exciting because it showed that Jin-Woo was become THAT GUY, and terrifying because it represented him losing a part of his humanity. Coupled with the superb insert song, DARK ARIA <LVL2> playing in the background, is it any wonder this broke the Internet?
Muzan is Cornered by Demon Slayer Corps, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba-Hashira Training Arc
This was the moment Demon Slayer had been building towards. After coming out of hiding to hunt down Nezuko, Muzan tried to cripple the Demon Slayer Corps by killing its leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, in his hidden mansion. Little did he know that this was all part of an elaborate trap. Kagaya sacrificed himself and most of his family to blow the mansion up, stunning the Demon long for fellow Demon Tamayo to inject him with a drug meant to turn him back into a human. Driven into a corner by the arrival of the Hashira, Muzan countered by dropping the entire Corps into the Infinity Castle in the hopes of finally wiping them all out.
Demon Slayer is well-known among anime fans for its superb levels of animation, and moments like this are why the reputation is justified. The slow-motion explosion as the mansion goes sky high. The incredibly well-detailed shot of a dazed Muzan trying to regenerate himself. The sweeping sight of the Infinity Castle as the Corps falls into Muzan’s personal domain. Everything about this moment is meant to excite fans as the final battle between Humans and Demons begins! It’s a shame that we have to wait until later in 2025 for the movies.
Bakugo’s Sacrifice, My Hero Academia
The penultimate season of My Hero Academia is filled with plenty of epic and emotional moments, but few were as upsetting as this. As the heroes try to keep Tomura Shigaraki contained long enough for Deku to arrive, Bakugo steps up to buy them some time. While he manages to wound the villain, though, all it does is anger Shigaraki for his repeated interference. Fans and heroes alike were thus forced to watch as Shigaraki cut Bakugo down in cold blood, seemingly killing him.
As someone who read the manga in advance, knowing that this was coming didn’t make it any easier to watch. I still remember how freaked out the fandom was over Bakugo’s apparent death, only to grow irate when it’s revealed to be a fake-out. Fake-out or not, there was a very really possibility that Bakugo was dead, and in a season full of shocking moments, this was not one I wanted to relive.
Nokotan’s Entrance, My Deer Friend Nokotan
If you want to establish a reputation as chaos incarnate, look to Nokotan as an example. After meeting the mysterious deer girl on her way to school, Koshitan just wanted to return to her perfect life at high school. Instead, she’s horrified when that same deer girl ends up becoming a transfer student in her class. To make matters worse, she’s the only one to have a reasonable reaction when Nokotan breaks the door with her antlers, sending debris flying into the poor students faces.
Say what you want about Nokotan as an anime, you can’t deny the fact that this moment is hilarious. The slow-motion effects as Nokotan forces her way through the door. The ominous chanting of “shii-ka” like she’s the boss of some video game. The fact that most of the students keep the same smiling faces even as they’re pummeled by rocks! I found it so funny that I decided to make a meme out of it, and it blew up.
Rudy has had plenty of terrible moments during his second go at life, but few were as bad as what happened when he lost his dad. While Rudeus and his father are fighting a massive hydra to rescue his mother, Rudy makes a mistake that leaves himself open to attack. Paul pushes him out of the way in time to save his life, allowing Rudeus the chance to kill the monster, but the act cost Paul his life. By the time Rudy is aware of what’s happening, all he and his party can do is watch as Paul quietly dies, smiling at the fact that his son is alive.
I don’t know if it was a coincidence that this episode came out on Father’s Day or not, but if it wasn’t, the powers in charge are sick sadists. Just as Rudy thought he was getting his life together, he makes a mistake that cost Paul his life. Had Roxy not helped him to grieve, he might have reverted to his shut-in mentality from his first life. Considering that the alternative meant that Rudy would have died and left his new wife, Sylphie, a widow and their unborn child without a father, though, I think that Paul made the right choice. He protected his child like any good parent should do.
Kafka Punches A Kaiju Bomb, Kaiju No. 8
Even after he became a humanoid Kaiju, Kafka Hibino never stopped aspiring to join the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. He did his best to keep his powers a secret from all but two of his comrades, knowing that exposing himself could lead to his death. However, when Kaiju No. 9 threatened to drop a massive bomb on Kafka and his comrades, the man didn’t hesitate to transform into his Kaiju form and punch the bomb straight into the sky in a move that would make All Might proud.
Besides being one of several well-animated moments in a series that was already well-animated, this moment marked a turning point for the story of Kaiju No. 8. Now that the JAKDF was aware that he could turn into a Kaiju, they were naturally going to want to apprehend him. The fact that he chose to put himself anyway speaks volumes about his character, and his friends knew that. While Kafka has to face an uphill battle going forward, his friends aren’t going to abandon him whether he’s human or a Kaiju.
One Piece Fan Letter, One Piece (the whole thing)
The year 2024 was a big year for One Piece fans, as it marked the 25th anniversary of the anime. To commemorate this event, Toei decided to release this special adapting a series of short stories released back in 2027. Taking place during the Return to Sabaody Arc as the Straw Hats reunite after two years apart, Fan Letter shows the impact that Luffy and his crew have had on ordinary people. From a pair of Marine brothers who’s lives Luffy inadvertently saved during the Marineford War to a girl wanting to give Nami a fan letter, this special shows the impact that the Straw Hats have had on the world through the people they’ve inspired.
Besides the great animation, what makes this special important is the dual meaning behind the title. To put it simply, the title lets everyone know that this episode is the fandom saying thank you to One Piece. The series has entertained and inspired countless people the world over, serving as a guiding light in a potentially dark and chaotic world. While the story has yet to conclude, there’s no doubt that One Piece has more than earned its spot in the history books as one of the best stories of modern times.
To A Kinder World, Dan Da Dan Ep 7 (the whole episode)
If you’ve seen Dan Da Dan, then you can’t argue with the fact that it’s one of, if not the best, anime of 2024. It’s quirky characters, balls-to-the-walls levels of insanity, and gorgeous animation quickly won fans over. However, anyone who hadn’t read the manga expected it to do what it did with its seventh episode: make the Internet collectively cry.
After defeating the Yokai Acrobatic Silky, the characters and audience are treated to a silent, extended flashback to Silky’s life as a human. Without any dialogue, we are shown the life of a single mother who struggled to provide for her daughter, only for her to be ripped away by a group of loan sharks. Left in despair, the mother performed one last ballet dance before jumping off a roof to her death. When a younger Aria mistook Silky for her deceased mother, this led to the ghost’s obsession with seeing her as her lost daughter. Ultimately, this led to Silky sacrificing herself to give Aria a second chance at life.
Sweet mercy, this episode was an absolute tear-jerker. Everyone who watched this episode of Dan Da Dan agreed that it was the series’ finest moment to date. I was barely able to keep myself from crying as we witnessed Silky’s tragic life story. This entire episode virtually cemented Dan Da Dan as the best anime of the year, garnering acclaim from fans and critics alike for how poignant it was. If you’ve seen it, then you’ll understand why!
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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.
"Instead of defending the throne of one long gone, defend the man who stands before you."
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.
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