Solo Leveling is a huge hit, but it still could be better.
The anime would need more seasons to showcase better action.
We need better writing for the characters in the series.
Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) is undoubtedly the biggest new anime this season. It checks all the boxes otaku actually want from a seasonal series: great animation, easy-to-understand premise, strong main character, and visible progress. That said, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been even better
Not enough time to do everything
Probably the easiest thing to criticize the anime for has already been pointed out by both source readers and anime-only watchers. You’d expect Jinwoo to be overpowered from the start, but that’s not exactly the case. The first episode doesn’t give us enough reason to continue, and even after it, it takes a couple of episodes for the anime to deliver on its promise.
Perhaps a double-length premiere would have suited the anime better: that way, the viewers wouldn’t have to wait an extra week for the anime to get to its main point. In general, the fact that the anime is only scheduled for 12 episodes hurts it more than it helps it, as the manhwa is very long, and it will need more seasons to flesh things out better.
Lacking character writing
Another issue with Solo Leveling is a lack of interesting characters. So far, no one’s really caught the viewers’ attention outside of Jinwoo himself. And while it is obvious that the series is mostly about him, it’s really hard to have an anime with only one well-written character.
Except, at least so far, Jinwoo isn’t even that interesting. His main strength is his unwavering determination and how realistic his motivation is. Yes, it’s easy to relate to him, but he’s not an exceptionally well-written protagonist, either — for example, many battle shounen series have similar characters.
Besides, to many fans, his progress doesn’t even feel natural: he just got what essentially is a cheat way to progress faster than others.
Other issues
Fans are also unsure how to feel about many minor elements in the series. The world of the series feels too cruel for no particular reason, with some hunters even killing their own comrades for loot. For what is supposed to be just an entertaining series, Solo Leveling portrays a grim picture of its society.
The humor in the series also leaves things to be desired. The moment with nurses swooning over Jinwoo after he got all buffed up was a particularly egregious one for many fans. Overall, though, the series is still entertaining enough and has great action, which is the most important part for most fans.
It’s not bad, but it does have issues.
Summary:
Solo Leveling is a huge hit, but it still could be better.
The anime would need more seasons to showcase better action.
We need better writing for the characters in the series.
Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) is undoubtedly the biggest new anime this season. It checks all the boxes otaku actually want from a seasonal series: great animation, easy-to-understand premise, strong main character, and visible progress. That said, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been even better
Not enough time to do everything
Probably the easiest thing to criticize the anime for has already been pointed out by both source readers and anime-only watchers. You’d expect Jinwoo to be overpowered from the start, but that’s not exactly the case. The first episode doesn’t give us enough reason to continue, and even after it, it takes a couple of episodes for the anime to deliver on its promise.
Perhaps a double-length premiere would have suited the anime better: that way, the viewers wouldn’t have to wait an extra week for the anime to get to its main point. In general, the fact that the anime is only scheduled for 12 episodes hurts it more than it helps it, as the manhwa is very long, and it will need more seasons to flesh things out better.
Lacking character writing
Another issue with Solo Leveling is a lack of interesting characters. So far, no one’s really caught the viewers’ attention outside of Jinwoo himself. And while it is obvious that the series is mostly about him, it’s really hard to have an anime with only one well-written character.
Except, at least so far, Jinwoo isn’t even that interesting. His main strength is his unwavering determination and how realistic his motivation is. Yes, it’s easy to relate to him, but he’s not an exceptionally well-written protagonist, either — for example, many battle shounen series have similar characters.
Besides, to many fans, his progress doesn’t even feel natural: he just got what essentially is a cheat way to progress faster than others.
Other issues
Fans are also unsure how to feel about many minor elements in the series. The world of the series feels too cruel for no particular reason, with some hunters even killing their own comrades for loot. For what is supposed to be just an entertaining series, Solo Leveling portrays a grim picture of its society.
The humor in the series also leaves things to be desired. The moment with nurses swooning over Jinwoo after he got all buffed up was a particularly egregious one for many fans. Overall, though, the series is still entertaining enough and has great action, which is the most important part for most fans.
