The web novel actually came out first.
Summary:
- Everyone acts like the original source material for Solo Leveling is the manhwa.
- While the anime takes the manhwa as the base, the manhwa adapts a web novel which came out earlier.
- It doesn’t have the acclaim because it doesn’t have the manhwa’s amazing art.
When Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) fans talk about the source material, they always mention the manhwa (also referred to as a webtoon). However, what many don’t even realize is that the manhwa itself is an adaptation of a web novel — but why is no one talking about it?
The Web Novel Actually Came Out First
Yes, the Solo Leveling anime is an adaptation of the manhwa. However, the manhwa itself is not the original source material. It started running in 2018, and it adapts a novel — more specifically, a web novel that has been published in 2016–2017.
The web novel, just like the manhwa, is actually translated and licensed in the US. Yet despite that, a lot of fans haven’t even heard about it. So, why is everyone talking about the anime and the manhwa, and what about the original source material?
People Don’t Even Know It Exists, and For Many Reasons
The lack of attention towards the web novel comes from multiple reasons. The most important one is pretty simple: Solo Leveling attracts a lot of newer, less experienced otaku, who often assume the source of any anime is manga (or, in this case, manhwa).
The situation is more complicated here, and with many other manhwa adaptations (as well as some isekai series), fans will often ignore the original novel in the favor of manhwa/manga.
Another reason comes from the reputation of Solo Leveling specifically. It is famous among manhwa fans for having amazing art and being really easy to read. You can’t really say that about the web novel, because it originally didn’t have any art to speak of.
Of course, because of that, it has a much better reputation among manhwa fans than among web novel readers — the plot is not that good, after all.
Is the Web Novel Even Worth It?
So, should you read the Solo Leveling web novel? Well, it depends on what you want from the story. If you enjoyed it because of the manhwa art or animation in the adaptation, and don’t especially care about anything other than cool fights, you probably will find it pretty boring.
However, if you actually care about Jin-Woo — or about the world of Solo Leveling — and like it for more reasons than just “looking good,” then the web novel actually has something to offer.
It makes the world deeper, and it might just be interesting to look at a different version of the story — which is essentially the original one, which the rest were adapted from.