Reviews Literature / Solo Leveling

Bad Power Fantasy With Good Art

Solo Leveling's writing is juvenile. Asides from its Awesome Art, it's no better than your generic isekai. Except this time there's a ton of Hype Backlash. In order to enjoy it, you'll have to turn your brain off. The only way I can fathom recommending this is to simply read for the art.

The plot is weak, the E-ranked MC gets a special ability in the first dungeon which allows him to go from the weakest hunter to OP. Initially, it seems the story will let this happen gradually, but after his second dungeon he one-hit kills a B-ranked monster with a broken sword. From then on, Jin-Woo becomes a God-Mode Sue. Asides from the first two dungeons, it never feels like he truly earns his OP status.

What hurts more is the first chapter sets up his motivations and personality rather well. His mom's in a coma and he needs to pay the bills for both her and his little sister's education. Unfortunately, we never see him interact with his mom in any manner at all, as if the author forgot about her. And then 80 or so chapters later wakes his mom up as anticlimactically as possible. And his sister only exists to give him a reason to go to her school and have all the students drool over him.

Almost every dungeon plays out the same way. Jin-Woo enters dungeon to get stronger. Dungeon turns out to be "unusual." He defeats the monsters easily but will go on about how they're a tough opponent for him, despite all evidence being contrary. And then he curb stomps them, levels up, and gains some OP item or ability to make him even more of a God-Mode Sue. He also hides his powers early on for little to no reason.

The world-building is uninspiring and done solely through infodumps. Dialogue is edgy and embarrassing.

I can't even go into detail regarding the cast because of how empty they are. But what's really disgusting is the way the story presents them. Men are either expendable, evil, or incompetent. Women exist to be saved by Jin-Woo and fall for him, regardless if it makes sense, and contribute nothing to the battle. Hae-In exemplifies this. She is set up as one of the strongest hunters and yet makes dumb decisions and repeatedly needs to be saved by Jin-Woo, and her only purpose seems to be falling for him as well. There's also this evil demon girl who Jin-Woo kills all of her allies and spares her because he needs a guide for the dungeon. Moments later she's already in love with him.

Almost no side character is allowed to be badass and morally good. Essentially, they're all straw losers so Jin-Woo can look cooler. Almost every character is forgettable, and if they're not, it's for the wrong reasons. At this point Jin-Woo becomes a Black Hole Sue as well.

If it weren't for its art, there would literally be nothing praiseworthy about this Manhwa. The plot is barebones, unoriginal, and inconsistent in terms of its plot points. Which makes it seem like the author's making it up as he goes along.

If the series hadn't taken itself too seriously, maybe I could've enjoyed it. But as it stands, it's utter garbage at worst and hot garbage at best.

Still not the worst power fantasy, however, it is the most overrated.