Solo Leveling
Plot:
Without giving away too much of the show I can say the plot is intriguing and full of mystery. The world of Solo Leveling is fascinating and draws you into the show. This world includes things like gates from different dimensions filled with monsters, and hunters who have special powers and are the only ones able to defeat the monsters. Our main character Sung Jinwoo is known as the weakest of these hunters but still fights every day to try and support his hospitalized mother and his sister through monster slaying. A quick warning however if you would like to jump into this awesome world is that this show is what I would call a horrifying tale of an underdog fighting for his family. But wait you might ask horrifying, why would this show be horrifying? Well let me tell you Solo Leveling does not pull punches, it's full of limbs getting chopped off, people getting killed in gruesome ways, and giant stone monster statues one of which's smile will haunt my dreams for the rest of eternity..... and now they'll haunt yours. Enjoy.
On a different note, I think the plot so far is super interesting and full of high stakes, I'm excited to see where it goes!
Characters:
Let's talk about characters! Our main character is Sung Jinwoo he seems like the classic underdog. His mother is in the hospital and his sister is going to college while Sung has taken up the life as a hunter, even though he is the weakest hunter known. He does all this to support and pay for his mother's hospital bills, his sister's tuition, and their daily lives. At first, he seemed a bit bland, just the classic hero in every story. However, there are sparks of really interesting character moments, especially when he's in danger and not only fighting the horrors in front of him but also his internal fears. His character seems to improve a bit throughout the three episodes I watched and I hope they continue to develop both his flaws and his strengths throughout the show.
There wasn't a lot of screen time for Sung's sister so I'm hesitant to make assumptions about her. The only thing I will say is that while Sung can barely pay for new shoes, she's still going to college and adding more debt that Sung has to risk his life to pay off. I don't even think she has a job. From these little tidbits, I gather that she's either a bit selfish or she's oblivious to there situation. However, I can't decipher what she's actually like with the one minute of screen time she was given. Another important character is Joohee she's a friend of Sung's and a healer. Even though she's a B-rank hunter she only does low-level raids. She is often the one to heal Sung when he gets hurt in a dungeon which I think leads to their friendship. Joohee is definitely my favorite character so far, she's sweet and caring but she also has her struggles with fear and trauma, I'm excited to see where the show takes her and what role she'll play further on. Although there are other characters I don't feel the need to talk about them as they either don't have much screen time or they aren't very important to the story as a whole as far as I can tell.
Animation:
The animation in this show is incredible! A-1 Studios the company that animated Solo Leveling is also known for popular anime like Mashel: Magic and Muscles, Black Butler, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War!, and many more. Most of their shows are flashy and bright and this show is no different. Moreover, the fights are smooth and dynamic, and the show provides some very well-done animation with a sleek (and sometimes terrifying) style.
Music:
The music was done by Hiroyuki Sawano who is known for composing music for anime like Attack on Titan, 86, Bleach: A Thousand Year Blood War, and many more. If you want to see more of his accomplishments check out his IMDb page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2417890/?ref_=tt_trv_sndis. The opening song for Solo Leveling is super catchy it has a sort of rock/pop blend that goes well with the visuals. During intense scenes, it almost feels like a movie score and helps set the tone of the show. The ending song has a robotic undertone to a darker feeling pop song that makes the visual seem more intense. Overall I think the music is amazing and lends itself to the show, helping to set the mood of scenes and feel what you see happening on screen.
Sub or Dub:
The question is always raised when starting an anime: should I watch the English Dub or the Japanese original with subtitles? I'm here to tell you that for Solo Leveling either one works. They are both awesome, the Dub is good quality and the voices fit each character well. In my opinion, the Sub is a bit more intense in terms of voice acting which I enjoyed more but that also could be because I watched Sub on a more intense episode. Overall I personally enjoyed the Sub more but the dub is super good for anyone who prefers English Dubs.
Final Rating:
The first three episodes of Solo Leveling were a solid 9/10 the action was awesome and left me on the edge of my seat. The show felt like it had stakes, and the world was interesting. The music and animation were smooth and well done. It was overall a super enjoyable experience that I would suggest for you to check out as long as you have a stomach for gore and a taste for horror.
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