Solo Leveling

This is the first manga I completed and the first one I'm writing a review on. (More like a reaction paper (??) so I don't forget the things I've read. I just hope I can locate this review after publishing.)

You know when you see a famous meme in a manga that you're currently reading and it makes you feel happy and proud like you want to tell that specific page that they are famous in real life? I think it was definitely the selling point for me. In the first arc where they were bowing to the Statue of God, I saw that meme a lot before, and even now, it occasionally pops up in my newsfeed. I often laugh at those memes so I thought I will give this manga a chance. And boy am I glad that I did.

I initially found it hard to read but it was partially because I kept reading from right to left assuming mangas are written the same way traditional Japanese literature are. Nonetheless, the manga itself is worded nicely and I didn't encounter much problems after figuring out the right way to read.

Objectively speaking, starting from zero to hero is a cliché trope, however, I still eat it up all the time.

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I like how they incorporated the features of an online game in the story like the stats of Jin Woo and how you can visually see it go up as he progresses.

I think it was nice to see a direct relationship between hard-work and good results because it is not always the case in real life. His character is also relatable especially when he was still so bad at the thing he does the most lol.

I also enjoy the overall theme of this manga.

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I like the intertwined fate of the human and monster world.

I enjoyed reading about the different levels and abilities of the hunters. Reading a made-up world with intricate systems in place that houses a lot of unfamiliar but awesome characters will always be my cup of tea. However, I wish there was a more consistent power scaling because I think I noticed how they build-up a certain character so much then they die or get beaten seconds. Or it can get confusing when its the nth "strongest" character to be introduced but maybe it's just me. Still, I enjoyed the fighting scenes a lot.

The visuals of the manga are not to be overlooked, of course. I was in awe in a lot of fighting scenes because of how detailed and amazing they looked. Some of the characters were so breathtaking I had to stare for a couple of minutes to absorb everything...even shirtless Jin Woo. Especially shitless Jin Woo :> Kidding aside, it was really good.

Lastly, I think it had the right amount of funny moments. I LOVEEDD the scene where

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his summons were doing mundane tasks and giving Jin Woo the attitude because they weren't able to do what they wanted. It was so funny to me. The best part was when they got disappointed, looked down, and gave Jin Woo a sad face. They looked so cute I forgot they just killed a powerful beast minutes ago. I am also particularly fond of Jin Ho because he is an easygoing, sincere, and accidently funny guy. He is so comical, maybe to balance Jin Woo's serious and mysterious aura.

Overall, I am beyond grateful that this is my first manga.