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Learn moreThe first season of the anime "Solo Leveling" premiered in January of this year. This project is based on a webtoon by South Korean author Chu-gon, which began publication in 2016 and quickly gained popularity among readers in South Korea. Two years after the release of the printed version of the comic, interest in "Level" spread beyond the country's borders. When the novel's number of views on the KakaoPage platform exceeded four million, it became clear that the time had come to adapt this story into anime.
The film adaptation was handled by A-1 Pictures, known for such projects as "Black Butler" and "The Idolmaster." In an effort to preserve the atmosphere that so attracted fans of the webtoon, the developers retained its key elements: shonen in a gaming context with minimal romantic plots.
The anime draws inspiration from the concept of MMORPG, which stands for "massively multiplayer online role-playing game." A distinctive feature of this genre is a carefully designed virtual world available for exploration. The player creates their character, choosing their class, race, and profession, and then embarks on exciting adventures. The player must constantly develop their character: upgrade their equipment, learn new spells, and undergo training. This significantly increases their abilities in battles with monsters. A single hero is sufficient for fighting ordinary enemies, but to combat powerful "bosses," it's best to team up. Information on necessary actions is provided through quests. There are one-time quests, such as "help the locals get rid of bandits," daily quests, such as "bring the sorcerer 10 mushrooms every day, and he will provide you with healing potions," and quest chains, which are entire stories in which you must defeat, obtain, search, rescue, or bring. Completing such challenging quests earns significant experience, gold, or significant rewards, such as a new profession or the ability to drive your own vehicle. "Solo Leveling" utilizes familiar MMORPG mechanics, resulting in the protagonist's life being built up from a series of quests. A game-like action unfolds on-screen: our character encounters signs indicating new "quests" available only to them. But what caused the surrounding world to become a game reality? To understand this issue and find out what makes this anime so captivating, we invite you to complete all the "quests" of our analysis:
- delve into the plot;
- meet the characters;
- pay attention to the nuances;
- discern the deep meanings.
Understand the plot
The action takes place in an alternate reality of South Korea, where ten years ago portals began to appear, opening access to magical dungeons from another dimension. As a result, mana appeared in our world. People who came into contact with this energy experienced a phenomenon called "awakening" and became hunters. These hunters have the ability to manipulate mana, which allows them to successfully hunt the monsters that fill the dungeons.
After awakening, Hunters gain strength, speed, and endurance far beyond those of ordinary humans. However, not all heroes are equally fortunate; some only gain E-rank superpowers, the lowest level, while others become elite S-rank super warriors. Each Hunter can only awaken once, and therefore, their level remains constant throughout their life. If you find yourself in the role of an outsider, then no matter your best efforts, you won't be able to change this.
Seong Jin-Woo, the main character, earned the nickname "humanity's weakest weapon" due to his unfortunate awakening as an E-rank hunter. However, his life's challenges don't end there: he needs to finance his younger sister's education, and his mother has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Seeking to earn money and help his family, Jin-Woo joins dungeon raids with other hunters. However, his companions are significantly stronger, and they take most of the spoils for themselves.
The protagonist typically returns from raids with serious injuries and is forced to spend time in the hospital recovering. Therefore, no one could predict that during yet another foray, facing a dangerous enemy, Jin-Woo would somehow survive. After a battle in which he received a significant number of injuries, he wakes up in a hospital bed and is bewildered to realize that his condition has completely returned to normal.
Some seasoned skeptics might scoff and note that this is just another story about a "chosen one" who received his powers solely by the will of the authors. However, upon closer examination, it becomes obvious that the situation is much more complex.
After monsters are defeated, mana stones remain at the site of their death—powerful energy sources capable of providing electricity to entire substations. High-level hunters have the opportunity to collect significant quantities of these stones by defeating the most powerful opponents. They can profitably sell the resulting trophies to the guild with which they have a contract. Thus, more cunning high-ranking hunters often use their less experienced colleagues as bait to attract monsters, profiting from this.
A world in which each hunter's life, well-being, and achievements depend on the moment of awakening resembles a caste system. In this context, Jin Woo stands out as the only character who managed to overcome the limitations of his caste. However, to gain strength, he often needs to abandon kindness and resolutely defend his rights to life.
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Introduction to the world of heroes and their
The proximity to dungeons radically transforms the economic system in the world of this work. For example, mana stones become the best source of energy on the entire planet, eliminating the need for power plants. Hunters, who play a key role in maintaining government processes, receive their own specializations, which is reminiscent of both the realities of our lives and classic MMORPGs.
In addition to ranks, the game features various character classes: fighter, tank, mage, healer, assassin, and marksman. The main task of fighters is to inflict damage. These characters are distinguished by high endurance and can enhance their physical attacks using mana. Tanks, in turn, focus on defense: their main advantage is strong defense. Despite their considerable strength, their maneuverability is inferior to other classes.
Mages have the ability to transform Mana, allowing them to cast spells at medium to long range. Healers, meanwhile, have the gift of healing their allies' wounds and can even restore limbs lost in battle. Assassins stand out among hunters for their unmatched speed; they masterfully hide from sight and strike from the shadows. Marksmen fight from a distance, using crossbows or bows. Their keen perception allows them to protect their comrades and quickly respond to enemy threats.
Social classes have a significant impact on the characters' personalities in anime. For example, Sung Hee Yeol, Jin Woo's longtime friend, makes up for his lack of natural strength by actively mastering martial arts. He has a calm and level-headed nature, and he often shares valuable advice and wisdom with the protagonist.
Lee Ju-hee, a B-rank healer, despite being recognized as one of the most outstanding in her field, exhibits surprising modesty and has a strong fear of participating in raids. She does not seek battles, but does everything in her power to ensure that her teammates can escape dungeons with minimal losses.
In the first season, the creators focus on carefully explaining the key mechanisms of their world. For example, they demonstrate that a guild's prestige is directly related to the rank of its hunters. As a result, there is very little time for character development. Yoo Jin-ho, who is the protagonist's best friend, is a comical low-ranked hunter with entrepreneurial skills. At this point, that's all we know about him.
The supporting characters are introduced rather superficially. Choi Jung-in, the leader of the hunters' guild, is described only as a shrewd and cunning man who lost a loved one during a raid on Jeju Island. That's where his introduction ends. Cha Hae-in, Jin-woo's partner in some of the raids, stands out as the only S-rank hunter in South Korea. She demonstrates hard work and care for her colleagues, but nothing more is revealed about her over the course of twelve episodes. While this creates opportunities for further development of their storylines, it also risks focusing solely on Jin-woo. However, it's worth noting that even as "secondary" characters, they look quite promising.
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Pay attention to the nuances
The events of this anime unfold in Seoul. The artists managed to avoid turning the story into a typical post-apocalypse—the city retains its usual atmosphere, and the lives of its residents continue as usual. The fantastical elements blend organically into the existing reality, without creating a new world. Yes, the central streets are sometimes blocked due to monsters that have escaped, but people still visit coffee shops where, over a cup of latte, they discuss who became a hunter and what guild they joined.
In pursuit of realism, the artists spend considerable time working out the details in the battle scenes. We watch as the heroes receive injuries and use magical abilities in battle. This gives the battles in the anime additional expressiveness and spectacle.
The story contains many references to the world of video games, which forced the creators to pay special attention to the sound design. To convey the atmosphere of South Korean culture, they chose a composition performed by the famous group Tomorrow X Together as the opening theme. Anime composer Hiroyuki Sawano, who worked on Attack on Titan, was impressed by this collaboration: "Their performance style is different from Japanese vocalists, and the style of the song is also far from what I'm used to. They also spoke excellent English, which definitely had an impact and made the sound more unique."
Anime openings are known for their subtle hints about the plot. They sometimes reveal moments that the viewer isn't able to comprehend right away. "Leveling Up Alone" was no exception. Only by the finale of the first season does it become apparent that all the events of each episode were foreshadowed from the very beginning. However, this is precisely what makes the process of unraveling the anime's mysteries even more captivating.
The series itself contains many mysteries, one of which is the secret of the double dungeon that allowed Jin-woo to reawaken. This mystery remains unsolved. However, the structure of the first and final episodes shares similarities: both feature columns, high ceilings, knights, and a throne. The creators of the series make it clear that the main character has returned to the roots of his path.
The title also contains the significance of the sculptures. In the opening episodes, they become instruments of punishment for those who disobey. Ironically, the most imposing and menacing statue bears a resemblance to the Statue of Liberty. It is here that the idea that will permeate the entire plot is formulated: true freedom is only attainable by the strong, and it must be fought for. The means of achieving this freedom are left to the discretion of each hero.
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Discovering encrypted values
Events unfolding in Anime clearly demonstrates the concept of fatalism. People regain consciousness, gain abilities, and become hunters. Influence is impossible—no one can determine what determines their power level. The only way is to accept their circumstances and exist within the bounds of what is predetermined.
Some are lucky enough to become high-ranking hunters, which in the context of this universe means certain advantages. However, other characters awaken at rank E and are forced to work in less-than-safe conditions in lower-level guilds. Becoming a freelance hunter is also not so simple, and financial considerations—in particular, taxes—play a significant role. For example, independent hunters selling mana stones are forced to pay a whopping 40% of their profits to the state. However, by joining a guild, they can reduce this percentage to 10%.
The Hunters' Association begins to resemble an instrument of power, acting on behalf of the executive branch. Guilds are becoming a kind of rescue service, capable of being called upon to aid humanity at any moment. Given all the potential threats, demand for their services is growing, which, in turn, gives hunters grounds to demand special treatment. However, this system, like in real life, often fails and is not without abuse: hunter Kang Taesik, for example, uses his B-rank abilities to kill people, not to save them.
The theme of inequality serves as a backdrop for the main character's internal conflict. Tired of constant reproaches and ridicule related to his vulnerability, Jin-Woo focuses exclusively on increasing his strength during quests. His desire to gain even a modicum of power and recognition is so great that he initially ignores other important characteristics, such as agility and insight.
However, the narrative authors do not limit themselves to Jin-Woo's experiences. The work also touches on the issue of ethical consumption. Environmental themes often play a central role in Asian narratives, which is especially characteristic of the works of Hayao Miyazaki. The first season doesn't reveal the origins of the monsters and parallel worlds, but it already raises a dilemma: is using resources from another dimension acceptable?
"Leveling Up Alone" is an interesting blend of traditional shonen and MMORPG elements, addressing complex questions and pressing social themes. While many of these questions remain unanswered, this anime can already be considered one of the most promising projects of this year. It's important that the creators continue to raise the bar with each new episode.