
a review by JayP12

a review by JayP12
Setting
This story follows a 'reverse isekai' that most manhwa do. You have a normal world, a disaster takes place and 'monsters' from another dimension cross over and attack our world. Humanity gains powers that can be measured in some manner. The metric used in this series is the E (lowest) to S (highest) rank.
The unique aspect about the power system in this one is that when a Hunter (individuals with powers) awakens, they can't change their ranking. Enter Sung Jinwoo, an E rank who experiences a traumatic double dungeon incident that leaves him with the ability to level up. The story then follows him as he 'levels up' to the point of being the strongest hunter in the world. His rise in power is well earned and he is methodical in the way he approaches fights. It's not a 'scream really loud MC and the world will bend to my will.' He plans things out where he can, takes limited risks and doesn't do the "I'll power up slowly until I see your true power" trope. There are elements of plot armour (expected with such a setup) but its quite justified once you get far enough into the story. Definitely give the power system a 10/10.
Chraracters
An amazing cast and a lovable MC. While there's quite a bit of humor, the story is set in a relatively dark world and that balance is achieved well. Sung Jinwoo is just HIM. His fights are always entertaining and fun to read. I've read quite a lot of stories in the same vein of 'real world/dungeon' setup and I'll admit, Solo Levelling is in my top 3 list. The side characters are also written quite well. When the author wants you to hate someone, you HATE them. Rarely are characters forgotten and I barely remember an individual acting out of character for the sake of the plot. There are elements of trauma that are explored but I wouldn't say that takes center stage. A rating of 9/10 is well deserved in this category.
Storyline
This was another highlight for me. The story was intentional and things were done with a purpose. The author even went to the extent of justifying plot armour in a satisfactory manner and I loved that. Every arc had a unique setting, there was visible progress and characters were rarely abandoned for the sake of the MC. I loved Jinwoo's relationship with his family and friend. That department was really well done.
Weaknesses
There's just a few minor issues that prevent me from giving a perfect score. Firstly, romance in this anime is rather similar to most Shounen stories. The author gives some hints of a potential romantic relationship, abandons the idea for the majority of the story then once the big issue has been resolved, some endgame matchups take place so that 'everyone ends up with someone.' Other veins in that department were abandoned without any reasonable explanations. Slight spoiler:
The pace picked up significantly towards the end. I've since learnt that the artist was not well hence they wanted to finish the story while their health could let them. It's just a minor warning to anyone who wants to take up the story. However, to their credit, the art and overall storyline did not suffer significantly. I believe this problem will be fixed through the anime which announced an equivalent of 6 regular seasons (48 episodes) so I can't wait for that.
This is a great story and I suggest you give it a chance.
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