Changes are natural in any adaptation, but thankfully, the biggest differences between Solo Leveling’s anime and the manhwa aren’t as noticeable to the audience, as A-1 Pictures have strived to make the changes as unobtrusive as possible, since being too obvious can make the viewing experience jarring, and add unnecessary confusion to viewers.
Despite the skipped content in Solo Leveling’s anime and the addition of original scenes that did not occur in the manhwa, the adaptation remains faithful for the most part in of the structure of the overarching journey of Jinwoo’s leveling up, doing an excellent job at condensing both the web novel and the manhwa in an enjoyable and action-packed series that has taken the world by storm becoming one of the best modern anime.
10 Solo Leveling Season 2 Has Removed Characters From the Story
The Anime Gives Priority to the Relevant Characters of the Current Arc
Although Solo Leveling’s anime has included several original scenes, these have come at the expense of other characters who didn’t get to make their long-awaited debut, like Yoo Soohyun, Jinho’s cousin, who was supposed to appear in Solo Leveling Season 2, episode 7—which adapted chapter #72 of the manhwa—but was omitted from the anime. Yoo Soohyun is a relevant character for the Ahjin Guild Arc, and the anime probably rearranged her introduction to not have to secure a voice actor so far in advance.
This could also have been the case for the National Level Hunter Thomas Andre, whose conversation with Chairman Goo Hunhee wasn’t featured in the anime. Other exclusions in the anime were to reduce the workload for animators, and downsize the raid parties, like in the Red Gate Arc, where the were reduced from 12 hunters to 8, and in the Hunters Guild Arc, where the Strike Team B ed from 17 to 9.
9 Sung Il Hwan is More Menacing in the Anime Adaptation
The Manhwa Shines Light into Jinwoo’s Father’s Real Nature
There is no doubt that Jinwoo’s father is the most mysterious character in Solo Leveling. However, the anime adaptation makes Sung Ii Hwan look more dangerous than in the manhwa. In Solo Leveling Season 2, episode #3, the anime shortened the interrogation of Hwang Dongsoo to Sung Il Hwan, making it appear that Jinwoo’s father started the fight after being provoked when it was Dongsoo.
Solo Leveling Season's 2 Mahwa Changes To Jinwoo Contradict The Series' Main Message
Solo Leveling season 2 manwha changes to Jinwoo is slowly navigating him towards a role he never embodied in the manhwa.
Moreover, the anime also skipped the scene where the Deputy Director of the American Bureau shows Dongsoo the video footage of Sung Il Hwan rescuing civilians from the destroyed headquarters, a moment that serves to highlight his real character. This change was probably to create intrigue surrounding Jinwoo’s father’s motivations, which aren’t revealed until much later in the story.
8 Solo Leveling Season 2 Skipped the Build-Up to the National Level Hunters
The Strongest Hunters Are Kept a Secret for Future Seasons
Solo Leveling's manhwa slowly built up the importance of the National Level Hunters before their first appearance in the story, but unfortunately, this was excluded from the anime adaptation. The anime skipped the foreshadowing by Go Gunhee after Jinwoo gets his reevaluation and the first mention of the National Level hunters by Jinho’s father in chapter #78, where he explains that they are the most powerful hunters in the world who can even become kings of a small country.
Furthermore, the first appearance of the national level hunter Thomas Andre was cut in the anime, as well as the mention that the Japanese Hunter Association wanted Ryuji Goto to complete an S-rank gate to become one. This proves that the anime adaptation left out these scenes to avoid foreshadowing arcs.
7 The Anime Takes Away the Comedy of Solo Leveling’s Manhwa
Sung Jinwoo Is More Serious in the Anime
Solo Leveling’s manhwa blends action with humor, featuring many funny moments and cartoonish chibi-style drawings that help balance the dark tone of the story. However, the anime went in a different direction, following the overall more serious tone of the web novel by skipping most of the comedy relief scenes of the manhwa. This has caused Jinwoo’s character to feel different, as he has more sense of humor and shows many silly expressions in the manhwa, but is far more calm in the anime.
Moreover, even though anime viewers can still appreciate some hilarious scenes, like Jinwoo having to stop Iron from keeping on crushing Baruka in the Red Gate Arc, Tusk and Iron's antics with the rest of the shadow soldiers are more frequent in the manhwa.
6 Solo Leveling’s Best Fights Are Extended in the Anime
ing Characters Get More Time to Shine in the Anime
Thanks to the dynamic and fluid animation of A-1 Pictures, ’s fights have been enhanced in the anime with several original scenes that make them more memorable than in the manhwa, like Jinwoo’s fight against Cerberus and Igris in Solo Leveling Season 1. This has been taken to higher levels in the second season of Solo Leveling with an original scene of Jinwoo using his Ruler’s hand in his fight against Kargalgan and one of Igris decapitating Baran’s white dragon instead of falling due to the Tusk attack.
Additionally, the anime has also given more participation to ing characters, like in the Hunter’s Guild Arc, where each member of the Strike B team has a standout moment, and in the Jeju Island Raid, where the Korean S-Rank hunters showcase their abilities in the fight against the Queen ant.
5 The Anime Toned Down Solo Leveling’s Nationalism
Japanese S-Rank Hunters Were Favored in the Anime
The web novel and manhwa of Solo Leveling have a very noticeable patriotic focus, with Korea being highlighted over other countries in several instances, with Japan being the country more villainized. However, despite having a localized Japanese version, Solo Leveling season 2 avoided naming Korea before the start of the Jeju Island Arc. Moreover, the animosity of the Japanese hunters was toned down, and the anime avoided painting them in a negative light on several occasions.
Solo Leveling Season 2 Erases A Key Part of the Manhwa's Identity With a Simple Change
Solo Leveling Season 2 episode 10 has taken away part of what makes the story so interesting by skipping several significant scenes from the manhwa.
Examples of this are skipping the fight between A-Rank hunters, where the Japanese translator keeps looking down on the Korean hunters but is overly dominated in battle, as well as cutting the scene where Jinwoo is notified by the system that Ryuji Goto wants to kill him during their fight or how the Japanese top hunter became awfully afraid for his life. While this makes the downfall of the Japanese S-rank hunters during the Jeju Raid more impactful, it's obvious they were less antagonistic in the anime. Yet, this is an understandable change to avoid hurting political sensitivities and appeal to broader audiences.
4 Important Characters in Solo Leveling Are Introduced Much Earlier in the Anime
The Anime Gives More Relevance To ing Characters
With the addition of the prologue of the failed raid on Jeju Island, characters like Baek Yoonho, Choi Jong-In, and Min Byung-Gyu make an earlier appearance, but they aren’t the only ones, as Chairman Go Gunhee is also introduced in the very first episode of Solo Leveling's anime despite appering in the manhwa after Jinwoo’s reexamination in the Hunter Association.
Moreover, Cha Hae In also appears in the first episode even though her first appearance was in chapter 65 in the Hunters Guild Arc. Other characters make cameos before their introduction in the story, like Yoo Jinho, the D-rank hunter who will become Jinwoo’s friend and business partner; Han Song-Yi, the E-rank hunter friend of Jinwoo’s sister; and Kim Chul, the A-rank raid leader from the Red Gate Arc who will become Iron, one of Jinwoo’s shadow soldiers.
3 Solo Leveling’s Anime Sets Up The Jeju Island Arc From the Beginning
Solo Leveling Season 1 Includes Original Scenes About the Jeju Raid
The anime highlighted the importance of the Jeju Island Arc, creating an original prologue in the first episode of Solo Leveling showcasing a flashback to the third Jeju raid and featuring cameos by Baek Yoonho, Choi Jong-In, and Min Byung-Gyu, despite their original introduction happening much later.
Likewise, in Solo Leveling episode 12, the anime included an expedition of the Hunters Guild scouting Jeju Island in preparation for the next raid, where they encounter a flying monster ant, teasing how the creatures are evolving. This would be addressed again at the beginning of season 2, despite being brought out much later after the Red Gate Arc, when Baek Yoonho received a call from Min Byung Gyu and confirmed it after one of the ants attacked an island, killing many civilians. This helped build up the Jeju Island arc, creating anticipation for the viewers, way before its release.
2 Sung Jinwoo’s Motivation is Different in the Anime
Jinwoo Changed His Reason to Level up Much Earlier Than in the Manhwa
Jinwoo’s motivation for being a hunter was ing his sister and paying her mother’s medical bills, but after the double dungeon incident and meeting Jinho, he secures an incoming soon and keeps leveling up for the thrill of seeing how far the system will take him, to the point where he felt at ease fighting in the dungeons. This changes in chapter #61 of the manhwa after Jinwoo gets the recipe for the Elixir of Life as a reward from the system, focusing his efforts on clearing the Demon Castle to cure his mother.
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However, in the anime, Jinwoo finds out much earlier about the existence of the Elixir of Life recipe, in Solo Leveling season 1, episode 7, after he obtains the key to the Demon Castle. This way, the anime gives Jinwoo a more meaningful goal from the beginning.
1 Sung Jinwoo Is More Humanized in Solo Leveling Anime
The Anime Skipped Jinwoo’s Darkest Moments
The anime has a different characterization for Jinwoo, making him more human, despite part of his narrative being that he loses part of himself as he levels up. While there are still some flashes that highlight how he is morally gray, Jinwoo’s most questionable actions were censored in the anime adaptation, like dragging one of the criminal hunters to be devoured by hobgoblins in chapter #34, provoking Kim Chul into attacking him before killing him in chapter #53, and acting as a vigilante and threatening a serial killer in chapter #94.
Likewise, the anime has made Jinwoo reflect more about himself, making him more relatable for viewers who prefer more heroic protagonists. This can be seen in an original scene in Solo Leveling episode 14 where he mulls over after killing Kim Chul, in episode 17 where he recalls his traumatic experience in the Double Dungeon and her mother saying he works as a hunter to help others in episode 21.
Solo Leveling
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Directors
- Shunsuke Nakashige
- Writers
- Noboru Kimura
Cast
Taito BanShun Mizushino (voice)-
Genta NakamuraKenta Morobishi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on a webtoon series, Solo Leveling is an action-adventure fantasy anime originally created by Chugong. When Sung Jinwoo is slain in the depths of a high-level dungeon, he is reborn, intending to use his newfound strength to reach the heart of the dungeon and uncover its secrets.
- Creator(s)
- Chugong
- Seasons
- 1
- Where To Watch
- Crunchyroll
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