Awritingbear - "Madness Can Be A Medicine For The Modern World"

Solo Leveling | ☆☆☆1/2

Hi! I binged seasons one and two of Solo Leveling last night and I have to give kudos to the animation team that carried the entire story. Solo Leveling has been hyped up for me for a long time, especially in a family who watches anime, but I was surprised when the show kind of fell flat. I LOVE an underdog story and I really loved how Sung Jinwoo powered up throughout season one, but after he became stronger it just kind of...becomes a bit boring plot wise.

Still, I can't deny that the show is addicting. I couldn't stop watching because I loved the amazingly animated fight scenes and it's always really entertaining to see the mc beat up bad guys. It just gets to a point where the bad guys are just there to make Jinwoo look good and the other powerful main/side characters are there to just marvel at Jinwoo's power.

I was watching it with my sibling and he says, "This is just aura leveling."

And oh my GOD, it really is just aura leveling. Everyone is fighting each other's auras and Jinwoo becomes edgier and edgier throughout the anime. Sometimes scenes would feel corny because you know that Jinwoo is going to win, but he starts screaming and yelling about how he'll never lose. Really, the fatal flaw with this anime is that we know he's going to win and become even more ridiculously strong, so his epic comebacks end up feeling a little bit over the top.

just had a feeling throughout the show that Solo Leveling was written by someone who wanted to feel really cool

Still, the world building is VERY interesting. I was confused in the beginning of the show because there were people with medieval armor fighting dungeons, but then it cuts to modern city scenes. The explanation of the gates popping up in random parts of the city is so cool, especially when we learn that the world relies on Hunters to keep them safe.

Then, there's the politics surrounding hunting that really fascinate me. Especially, when a character says that S-rank hunters are pretty much above the law. I literally said, "WHAT?!" out loud. It makes sense because hunting is a relatively young business, but it was shocking nonetheless. I could go more into this, but there's just too much to analyze and not enough room.

In the end, Solo Leveling just felt like a lot of mc dick-stroking and aura maxxing with a smidgen of plot.

Hey, this wasn't me trying to yuck your yum though. People prefer shows where the mc is a total badass and I respect that. Personally, I just prefer a more flawed main character who loses and rises back up. I want to feel and believe the desperation of Sung Jinwoo, but when all he does is win, it's hard to cheer him on.

I'm really enjoying what little plot I'm getting though and I can't wait for Jinwoo to solve the mystery of the "System" keeping him alive and the mysterious monsters that glitch and seem to have a past. Who knows, maybe it'll save the show for me and Solo Leveling will get a higher rating!

Anyways, we left off on a cliffhanger, so I'm excited for the next episode to come out! I have a feeling though that Jinwoo is going to save the day...again...and do it relatively easily...and people are going to stare in awe at him and main characters are going to be reduced to damsels in distress...and so on and so on until the show ends...

this feels a little TOO accurate

Alien pulling your sleeve to get your attention: and who is this Cunt you all serve

absolutely obsessed with the dynamic between Matt and Frank it's gotta be one of my favorite character dynamics of all time. Frank kills people as a hobby and Matt has never killed in his life. they can't have a conversation without cursing each other out. they trust each other enough to hold one another as they jump off a building. they physically fight more often than not. Frank has seen Matt's bare ass. they're both in love with the same woman who respects herself too much to hook up with either one of them. Matt is a Catholic who believes every soul can be saved except for his own and Frank doesn't think either of theirs needs to be. can anybody hear me is this thing on

I understand why people say their dogs are their children now because I am RAISING this puppy, I literally have a stroller for her, this is my child

NOTICE: As more and more fanfic writers are using generative AI for their works (you uncreative dweebs), I hereby swear on everything I hold dear that I have not and will NEVER use generative AI in ANY of my written work. Everything I post will be organically and creatively my own.

Everything gets lost in a rising tide

You're the reason I'm addicted to the taste, but afraid of the bite

I'm not sure which direction the pendulum will swing but someone's getting knocked up

my holy trinity of "how much angst can I fit into this poor fictional character"