This review contains spoilers. 120298120309120326 120320120309120316120322120313120305 120326120316120322 120324120316120319120319120326 120302120303120316120322120321 120307120302120310120313120310120315120308... Video games have been a massive part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it be building massive dirt houses in Minecraft spending countless hours grinding in Metin2 or playing Empire Earth for half a day without taking a single break these moments are something I will cherish till the end of time. And it is that sense of unfiltered marvel neverending curiosity worldbending control and nonstop fun that countless anime and manga or in this case manhwahttps://anilist.co/manga/105398/NaHonjamanLevelUp/ have been effortlessly and desperately trying to replicate yet to no avail. As a result of their clumsy and unsuccessful attempts the video game genre in animanga has morphed into a disgraceful repulsive laughing stock that is synonymous with paperthin characters onedimensional plot repetitive action laughable developments and a general lack of wit. Why am I even bringing all this up? Well the answer is pretty obvious: Solo Leveling is the textbook example of how egregious the concept has become and how low the writing can sink when sucking off the main character is the only thing it has going for it. It is beyond infuriating but anyone with a working keyboard can say this much. To really grasp what it does wrong I need to put on my imaginary diving suit and dive deep into the absolute abyss that is the animes narrative. 480https://i.ur.com/D5CQqYx.jpeg But hold your sea horses just yet. Before I venture into these crushing depths I need to go over the positives first. Yes despite my low score and extremely negative stance on Solo Leveling I must admit that it is not completely devoid of merit. There are three elements worthy of commendation for their quality albeit their positive effect on the series is overshadowed by the vomitinducing odour of the other components: the voice acting the action sequences and more or less the production values. Although I rarely mention voice acting in my reviews in this case it is pretty much mandatory. While every actor involved in the project brought their Agame Taito Banhttps://anilist.co/staff/151336/TaitoBan went above and beyond and crushed all the expectations. His visceral screams delicate whispers and chilling talks are so fantastic that listening to his performance was pure joy and I could barely hide how in awe of his talent I was during every episode. Even if the script he was supplied with is awful on every level he poured his heart into the role and I have nothing but respect for him and the rest of the seiyuu. When it comes to the production values the situation gets a little bit more hectic as they are simultaneously impressive and inconsistent. While the visuals are insanely energetic and bombastic during the numerous fight scenes that take place in the show they are completely lifeless outside of them. The character designs are uninspired and boring the colours are horrendously bland the background art looks generic beyond human comprehension the art style does not come even remotely close to the art of the source material which was its biggest strength and it looks very unimpressive the animation fluctuates between being fluid and smooth like butter and chaotically rigid and stiff the lightning is lifeless the editing is mostly solid and the camerawork is pretty inoffensive as well. Overall our eyes are either treated to a zany and zappy showcase of talent and passion or a tiring and tasteless blend of colours shapes and figures which does not instil excitement in the audience one bit. Thankfully I have nothing but praise for Sawanohttps://anilist.co/staff/103509/HiroyukiSawanos soundtrack as his tracks make every moment in which they appear ten times better. It is genuinely impressive how much energy these simple tunes carry on their backs and Solo Leveling desperately needs them to be in top shape to squeeze as much excitement out of its fight scenes as possible. What more can I say really? The man just does not miss. On the topic of action segments they are the last component I can say is wellexecuted wellorganised and packs a wallop. Although their quality varies from one encounter to another it is safe to say that they are at the very least competent in what they deliver. Take for example the fourth episodes clash between the protagonist and the snake boss. Despite some of its weirder moments here and there it is a really decent watch. On the other hand the showdown between JinWoohttps://anilist.co/character/129928/JinUSeong and Igrishttps://anilist.co/character/145722/Igris that takes place in the eleventh episode is absolutely terrific on all fronts as the visuals and the soundtrack amped its batshit crazy energy to a whole new level. And Thank God these scenes are this coollooking because everything that leads up to them is to put it politely horrendous and tedious as hell. 480https://i.ur.com/TNukQIv.jpeg Firstly there is the story and it is quite a doozy. The entire premise of the series revolves around the sudden appearance of otherwordly portals throughout the world and alongside their arrival came the rise of hunters who are essentially human beings with access to magical spells and abilities. Among them is the protagonist who in the beginning is a complete loser but thanks to a weird phenomenon he expectedly because the synopsis spoils this development duh gains the ability to level up i.e. get more powerful with each enemy slain and his reality becomes something akin to a video game. It is the very premise of the show that is a giant eyesore. Why is the basis of the story so weird and out of place? Why does the power the protagonist obtains have to be videogamebased? Why does it have to be here in the first place? The answer is simple: it is much much easier and more advantageous to adopt a concept based on something as universally beloved as video games than create one entirely from scratch without relying on the already existing appeal of something. However as beneficial as it is to the popularity of the series it is extremely detrimental to the plot itself as it is horribly implemented illconceived and hilariously halfbaked. Think about it like this: one of the hooks of the premise is the fact that contemporary society is invaded by monsters from a completely alien dimension and people need to defend themselves and their homelands from the invaders by using their newly acquired powers and resources they gather from these portals and monsters remains. That alone sounds interesting enough to offer an ample dose of brainless yet charming entertainment. Better yet you can grab that extremely simplistic foundation take it in an infinite number of directions and transform a simple notion into something truly special. So why tarnish it with some gamertailored bullshit that does not fit the established setting one bit? Why blend a realitybased plot with a YouTube lets play when these two mix together as well as water and oil? A more organic power progression system that does not have to rely on video game gimmicks to make sense would have been far more fitting and conceptually sound for the narrative. What if the protagonist got possessed by an ancient spirit or his hunter abilities mutated due to an unknown power found deep within the double dungeon? I think that it would be a lot more exciting and compelling to see than resorting to halfwitted RPGinspired elements that take you out of the experience completely. However it seems the anime perceives its audience as simpleminded gremlins that eat breathe and sleep video games and so we are stuck with this cringeworthy tacky hogwash that prioritises pandering to gamers over being logical and wellfitting within the confines of the setting and the story. But does it really matter if this whole gamelike power is wellintegrated into the series DNA when it exists solely for JinWoos sake? Does anything matter when the world its inhabitants and everything else are nothing more than his belongings? This is JinWoos sandbox and as you have probably realised he is the shows most prominent issue by far. He is the type of main character I vehemently hate with all my being. He is not merely a person who pushes the plot forward through their actions and is the talking point of the series but rather a parasitic Gary Stuesque selfinsert that devours and spits out every single part of the narrative that is not about him and steals screen time and importance from everyone and everything else. At first he is a massive pushover and his fellow hunters make his life hell of course in an extremely cartoonish and laughable manner because who cares about nuance right?. They constantly call him weak laugh behind his back and remind their colleagues that he is a worthless Erank goober. After the infamous incident that happens in the first two episodes the plot literally bends over and lets JinWoo dominate it for hours on end. Regardless of what gets thrown at him he always emerges victorious with minimal or zero damage to speak of. Is he tired or injured? Do not worry because the epic gamer system which only he can access and exploit can conveniently heal his wounds and instantly eliminate his exhaustion. Does an entity that is technically more powerful than JinWoo attack him? Haha no biggie he wins no matter how immense the gap between their power levels is and the wretched creature that dared to treat him as something lesser than a God is humiliated put into their place and turned into a joke. Does the situation seem dire and it appears to be impossible to take care of it? Pfft the second he arrives at the scene the problem disappears in the blink of an eye. The real question here is: why ought I to give a flying fuck about someone that does not face any challenges hardships perspectivealtering experiences or personalitydefining moments? I should not because as a consequence of his ridiculous overpoweredness the series is utterly devoid of stakes and thrill. Whether it be the protagonists arrival at the test dungeon in episode 4 his attempts to enter the demons castle his fight with Igris or his encounters with other hunters generic bad guys that were out to get him JinWoo is never truly in danger because the show always discovers some bullshit way to make him come out on top... or he merely relies on his godlike capabilities and simply pretends to struggle for a cheap sense of excitement and a shallow adrenaline rush. At no point during the seasons run are the viewers ever concerned about the wellbeing of the main character nor do they question whether he is strong enough to take on the enemy at hand. Time and time again we are shown that he is a massive snowflake who will get whatever he pleases with the minuscule effort put in. Sure in the beginning he undertakes tasks aimed at making him stronger though they are absolutely ludicrous in their difficulty since hunters are essentially superhuman beings so doing the whole OPMesque training regime feels like a nasty joke instead of something honestly demanding yet the whole process is contained and wrapped up in about two episodes. By the fifth episode we basically reach a point where the protagonist always reigns at the top of the food chain much like an apex predator and every entity within his vicinity should bow down to his super shredded physique which he conveniently gains for no apparent reason and his totally badass powers. He can proclaim that someone is stronger than him all he wants but that is true for a brief fleeting moment the pace at which his power grows is so asinine that opponents who once surpassed him in strength and ability are now nothing more than a bunch of pawns to him. Whenever he defeats a stronger enemy the show remains quick on its feet and masterfully bullshits its way out of the situation by throwing around random excuses like Oh he was merely lucky If he did not dodge this he would be dead meat or He barely won. Such a scenario can be tolerated if it happens once or twice not when it is a constant occurrence that not even once is questioned or transformed into something more believable. I definitely blame the pacing for this as it is yet another issue that stems directly from JinWoos presence but it also makes him somehow worse. Solo Leveling fails to grant any of its ideas plot points or characters the breathing room that is necessary for them to develop organically and prosper which just leaves them dangling like a ballsack. The episodes are either stretched so thin that they lose their impact episode 1 and episode 2 are a great example of this because for some unknown reason the double dungeon incident is bogged down by the horrendous exposition dumps and clumsy awkward attempts at worldbuilding or they progress so quickly and contain so much cramped content that they feel too overstuffed we do not need to learn about Jeju Island expedition when the protagonist is in the middle of a fight this merely ruins the already nonexistent tension even further. Of course the rapid growth of the protagonist does not help the situation one bit as each and every episode raises the bar higher and higher as if the show wanted to conclude the entirety of its content in a measly 12episode long season. However knowing the source material I know that this is merely the beginning of the long and drawnout showcase of JinWoos supposed amazingness and soon his package will grow so big the other personages will be forced to suck it 24/7. Ah right I need to talk about them as well. Truth be told there are no other characters here. Sure it is a factually incorrect thing to say since as you can see on Solo Levelings page there are plenty of other hunters and nonhunters within the story. However even though they have different names faces abilities and whatnot they hardly classify as living and breathing beings. They are just a bunch of toys the protagonist plays with humanshaped obstacles he needs to overcome figures that he needs to surpass in prowess ASAP background fillers expositionspouting machines yesmen that love every fibre of his being moustachetwirling zerodimensional evildoers who are introduced only to be soundly defeated by him and female orbiters that exist solely to be his love interest and have nothing else to say or show. It is painfully obvious how little all these different people can hardly call them that when their personalities motivations goals and ideals do not exist matter in Solo Levelings eyes and it is frustrating how mistreated underutilised and poorly written they are. Why even introduce a slew of characters when you are unable to make a single one of them feel like a human and not a cardboard cutout? So that the selfinsert protagonist is constantly validated praised and commended for his actions and strength or doubted and underestimated just so he can prove the haters wrong? That seems to be the case here and I cannot stomach this unhealthy offputting circlejerk and trust me it will only get worse in future seasons. Of course the dialogue mirrors the quality of the caricatures that deliver it. It is riddled with bizarre and awkward exposition dumps repetitive sentences that constantly remind the viewers how great the protagonist is/how weak he used to be and hilariously inept statements that either A exist solely to trick the viewer into believing there are stakes present e.g. He is much stronger than me or I only won because I was lucky or B attempt to breathe life into its cast but fail miserably since actions speak louder than words/a few sentences murmured under ones breath hardly constitute apt character development e.g. The stronger I get the more I feel something inside of me falling apart.. The dialogue is truly as nuanced and subtle as a sledgehammer and listening to these atrocious lines makes the already pisspoor experience somehow even worse. All of these factors come together to form the ultimate reason why I genuinely dislike Solo Leveling: it is boring to an absurd degree and watching it all happen in front of me was incredibly unpleasant. Although I never discuss my enjoyment in my writeups because I deem it unnecessary my arguments already spell it out for the reader in the case of this anime your enjoyment is more crucial than the story or the characters. It essentially defines the shows worth JinWoo and his crew pray day in and day out that you will forgive them for their sinful flaws and enjoy their antics from start to finish. If Solo Leveling is the type of series that lives and dies by the hype and entertainment value then naturally as someone who was not charmed by the onedimensional protagonist or the fundamentally atrocious foundation the plot stands on I did not find any enjoyment here. The fight scenes might look awesome and have insane tracks attached to them but they evoke as many emotions as reading the ingredients on the back of a bottle of chemicals you picked up because you forgot to bring your phone to the bathroom. The production values might be impressive when the situation calls for it but I do not appreciate any of the elements that constitute them and I would much rather chew on a copper wire than watch the first episode again. The main character is such an aggravating snowflake that observing the constant glorification of his character makes me want to pull my hair out. There is absolutely nothing engaging here and I could not find a single thing to be excited about. No stakes no consequences no thrill and no funthat is what Solo Leveling amounted to. 480https://i.ur.com/jkEpBgM.jpeg Sigh... Before you stab me with your pitchforks and burn me at the stake for this blasphemous writeup let me clarify that this is not a ploy to dissuade anyone from watching this show. If you genuinely sense it will be a great time then I urge you with all my being to give it a go and see for yourself how much it is worth. That being said it is quite obvious how I feel about it as a whole so I will spare you the longwinded conclusion I envisioned in my mind and keep these closing remarks as short as possible. To sum it all up Solo Leveling embodies the idea of mindless entertainment to a tee and its fate depends heavily on your ability to shut down your brain and let your eyes and ears have all the fun. If you are able to do that then this one will be a total blast. Otherwise well the series will be as pleasant as sticking your head into a washing machine turning it on and cranking up the spin cycle to the max. And I reckon I do not have to tell you which one of these applies to me... I am getting dizzy... ...120324120309120306120315 120326120316120322 120304120302120315120315120316120321 120313120316120320120306? A lot of reviewers would tell you to read the review before disliking it but to be honest who cares? Do what you think is right just be respectful towards others.