Solo Leveling

I started reading Solo Leveling around the start of the pandemic, and since then have fallen into the rabbit hole of fantasy manhwa. With beautiful art and a wonderful take on the 'zero to hero' plot, it's definitely something I'd recommend to someone either starting out reading urban fantasy manhwa or just needing a palette cleanse.

Just a heads up, this review will contain heavy spoilers.

Reading this as it was releasing gives more punch to the experience as you can see the improvement of the art-style as Sung Jin Woo evolves from his squishy E class hunter (even having the nickname of being the weakest of the weak) to becoming a whole monarch. The fight scenes were magnificently executed, the artist putting close attention to details that would be missed on the first glance. It's something that keeps you waiting with bated breath, wanting to know more with every passing week.

The zero to hero plot is not uncommon, but the appeal of Solo Leveling is that it gives emphasis on the leveling up - giving the readers the time to bond with the system that Sung Jin Woo was using to hone his strength. There are little time-skips, the author probably knowing that it's best to actually show him leveling up instead of just taking a montage of it all. I quite enjoyed how the system had the same structure as an RPG. Kinda predictable ngl, but it was fun having to live vicariously through Sung Jin Woo.

The ending was a bit anti-climactic for me, as it did the opposite of what I've said before, though it makes sense. There was no need for Sung Jin Woo to level up anymore, all he needed left was to carry out the sole burden of using what power he had to protect the world. The ending was lonely, with him being the unsung hero of a battle his previous comrades had been left in the dark of.

It went full circle, to be honest, for him to end up still alone. Before he was shackled by his helplessness and his lack of strength, now he was a middle schooler with the blood of ancients on his hands, neck heavy with the triumph of a hero.

My gripe for this series was definitely the lack of development for the side characters. Though it's probably intentional - it is Solo Leveling not Leveling Together - but I would have preferred them to be at least half as fleshed out as Sung Jin Woo had been. That isn't to say they were bad characters, no. They were fun and there was personality in them, but that's the thing there was potential to drive the ending deeper emotionally had the audience been given more time to bond with the rest of the characters.

All in all, a wonderful series that I'm grateful to have read from start to finish. Thank you to everyone involved in making Solo Leveling - hope you guys are doing well.