SOLO LEVELING
Chapter 0: Prologue
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Chapter 1:
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Chapter 2:
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Chapter 3: Quest
I enjoyed and appreciated Chapter 0-2 for its concept. I appreciated the few shreds of character we got from MC Jinwoo Song and healer/friend/potential love interest Joohee Lee, and the emotional beats of the end of the Dungeon scene (especially paying off how we got to the Prologue, that hit completely differently). And the fish out of water “aM i tHe OnLy oNe sEeInG tHiS?” approach is always good for a cheap laugh. But overall it was feeling more like a watered down version of what I’ve seen before, even if this may have come before my beloved Is It Wrong To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?
Chapter 3 completely changes that. It shifts Jinwoo’s weakness from his sole personality trait to the added fuel to the flame of adoration I felt for him, a character facing nearly impossible odds and lunging ahead anyways.
The sprawling shots of the dozens of wolves. The “You Have a Have Leveled Up” screens punctuating the action, the violence, the bloodshed. The Level Up Screen lent hope to this cause. It told us there’s a reason for all of this, and a way out. Sometimes it was the only way we knew that Jinwoo was still alive.
The design of the Steel-Fanged Lycan is such a simple concept executed masterfully. They look absolutely menacing and out of this world, but they fit the streamlined, bold, heavily outlined aesthetic of the world. The glowing red eyes always get me, and they lend a more mystical feel to an otherwise natural creature, and the steel lower jaw is such a perfect addition. Just enough to make it a more formidable video game enemy than your standard wolf, but not too intricately detailed or highly specified. It’s a Steel-Fanged Lycan: even just reading that is indicative of danger. Finally, it’s intimidating enough on its own, but as a pack? MENACING. The shot of the one Lycan surrounded by nearly 20 sets of ominous glowing red eyes sends chills down the spine. But it only adds to the legendary resolve of our MC, who I’m rooting for more now than ever.
Lastly, the end of this chapter brings goosebumps. Jinwoo’s vocal acknowledgement of how he isn’t equipped to fight anything stronger, and might not survive, makes me want him to get out of there for his own sake. Cash out, sell your loot, live to fight another day. But he’s not like me. He’s a hero. And, knowing death might be waiting for him at the bottom of those stairs, took one shambling step at a time. God damn I love this.
Chapter 4: Boss Round
This was such a charming chapter. A little less dire than the previous chapter, you get the satisfaction of the boss kill, the leveling up, and the beginning of our MC getting treated better and seeing the initial phases of a better life thanks to his Second Awakening. You truly do love to see it.
The battle with the Swamp King snake was beautifully drawn, incredibly emotional and hauntingly existential. At the beginning of the main characters, internal monologue about being too weak, I sympathize with him, of course, but I didn’t think it was anything profound and deeper than his own character story at first. But as he went on to describe the importance of power in every day life, and in the way, society forms, and falls apart in times of crisis And my eyes were opens to this being more than just an action story or some cool nerd sci-fi. The flashback to his colleagues and the people he respects crumbling in the face, overwhelming power and danger all while knowing that it was the wrong thing to do logically and philosophically, it was heartbreaking to rewatch those events from this perspective. Knowing that it wasn’t just a fluke or a one off of it. And finding out how much it really bothered him to be considered the weakest Hunter in the world. It hurt badly enough to see his fellow hunters break formation. Watching his comrades knowingly, make the wrong decision that would doom them all to a violent demise was deeply saddening. While it was hard to watch the first time, that his fellow hunters disregarded his life and the safety of others so quickly in the sign of danger really made me think About humanity, and whether people at their heart and their core truly have any interest other than their own. It took me by surprise and shook me. The first time reading the section, I felt disgusted and resentment towards these characters, but I was too concerned about the main characters feet to really hit them too much. Now, on second viewing, I truly hate the selfishness of their actions and the disregard for the main characters life. It really made me think deeply about whether I should doubt my inherent optimism about people being good at their core. This chapter and these flashbacks had me questioning whether humans, in their hearts, truly care about anyone other than themselves when confronted with an obstacle. Deep shit, man.
The conclusion of the fight brought chills. went from being lucky to just have Mr. Song’s sword carrying him through the dungeon to tossing the broken weapon aside and crushing this Swamp King boss with his bare hands. It carried a similar weight to me as the Tom Holland Spider-Man Trilogy. There’s the gutting line from Tony Stark “If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it at all.” Which was devastating to a young, insecure, scarred teenager that felt like he couldn’t get anything right. After a few movies and a few years of trials, tribulations, and finding his own power and confidence, he began relying on his own abilities more than Stark tech and gadgets. These few pages are obviously less fleshed out than that entire cinematic journey, but the emotion and sentiment conveyed remains the same to me.
After the big fight, we get to see one of my favorite aspects of a fictional character obtaining superpowers: How much it impacts and improves the main character’s day-to-day life. I love that we get to see Jinwoo actually get some recognition for being a brave adventurer. I appreciate the transformation from a weak and timid wallflower to an effortlessly “hot” and muscular hunk that doesn’t even realize he’s this jacked heartthrob making the nurse blush and fumble her words. (I fear for any raunchiness crossing over this line in the future, but for now I’m happy for Jinwoo and his Toby Maguire Spider-Man success montage. After the mockery and abandonment Jinwoo encountered in his first life, it was rewarding to see it all come together for him and for him to have visible results from all of his hard work and training during his recovery.
The boss fight with the Swamp King and the leveling up of Jinwoo’s Strength and Perception skills really hammers home the best aspects of the Video Game in real life story concept. I’m constantly buzzing with excitement about the creative ways the powers and skills are incorporated, and the references to Fantasy RPGs. It hasn’t gotten old in the slightest, and if anything it feels like they’re just getting started.
Lastly, I loved the Thor: The Dark World vibes of Jinwoo throwing the broken blade though the skull of the giant boss and killing it instantly. I had no idea they were going to portray him with such power so early on in the story, but I love it. I’d much rather read a power fantasy with some areas for learning and growth here and there than watching some poor kid get his head kicked in over and over.
I’m loving the direction of the environmental storytelling, the action, and the character development. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite new properties and one of the more exciting pieces of media in my rotation.
Chapter 5:
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