Every Moment That Made Me Understand Why The Internet's Undecided On The "Solo Levelling" Hype
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Solo Levelling.
I've tried all my life to get into anime. Sitting with my brother and watching Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and 🫣English-dubbed🫣 Naruto on Toasted TV were cherished memories, but the habit didn't stick. This is how I felt whenever I attempted to get into it:
Pierrot / Via giphy.com
But as I see more and more epic-looking series in search of what to recommend to you, I feel so much FOMO, because I didn't get into it sooner. So, I'm on a mission to level myself up from certified anime noob 😔 to anime literate (or somewhere close enough) — and I'm taking you along for the ride.
Today, we're diving into Solo Levelling, a series at the top of the Crunchyroll charts, and constantly trending for its cliffhangers, animation and "peak" action sequences.
If you haven't watched solo leveling yet you're missing out, the fights are literally peak 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/OC0QtqdqAf
— Johnny (@JohnnySpittin) February 22, 2025
Twitter: @JohnnySpittin
So, let's get into it and if you want to watch it for the first time with me, you can follow along. Here's everything I was thinking while watching Season 1, Episodes 1 to 3:
Solo Levelling — Season 1, Episode 1: "I'm Used To It"
1. Oops, I accidentally had it on English dubbed — time to start again.
2. What are the navy (???) blowing up?
3. Oh, it's a fantasy. There's giant ants and knights. I knew there were swords, but the outfits look pretty cool too.
4. The art style looks like that old game — Adventure Quest. Does anyone even remember that? But in high definition.
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View this video on YouTube
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31. This team is soooo screwed right now.
32. Anddd, he's going to die. Yep. RIP to the man who found his courage to speak up too late.
33. Good luck, Jinwoo. You'd better protect Joohee.
34. You have to surrender to the big statue king or there's no way you're living.
35. Never underestimate an E-rank! But also, they're all going to die. He's right.
36. The cliffhanger at the end...I guess I'll watch another episode.
Solo Levelling — Season 1, Episode 2: "If I Had One More Chance"
37. Jinwoo definitely has a plan brewing. You can see it in his bandages.
38. That's an extremely clean cut on that guy's arm.
39. It would make sense if they accidentally strolled into A-Rank or S-Rank dungeons. It doesn't look like any of these guys know what's happening. They need Cha Hae-In, it seems like she would know what to do.
40. Ooh, the intro feels like an old sci-fi show. It really feels Spiderverse- y. "Let's get it!"
41. They're going to need a strategy in this dungeon and it's not this guy trying to summon super speed. Yep, he got toasted.
42. This statue is waiting so long, why?
43. The only person using their brain is the E-ranked hunter...and they're still underestimating him.
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44. Oh no, so sorry green jacket. It's over for you. Oops. Just kidding, but something else is definitely going down.
45. Okay this monster statue is creepy.
46. SO. MANY. TEETH. Annnnd, it squished someone like a bug.
47. There's got to be some hidden commentary about the rules of religion in here.
48. They should've put "Weak" by SWV into this scene. I think it would've added some comedic effect — "I get soooo weak in the knees, I can hardly speak". Well yes, because...they're...dead.
49. Finally, Joohee has arisen from her paralysed position on the floor.
50. OMG, green jacket just got sliced clean in half. DON'T. TRUST. THE. STATUES.
51. Woah this guy is still running without an arm, how has he not bled out yet?
52. Jinwoo is definitely going to become an S-Rank. There's no way he completely dodged getting squished by a shield.
53. Joohee needs to heal him ASAP because look at that leg:
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54. NOOOOOOO JOOHEE!!!!
55. Here we go again. This is soooo Hogwarts Legacy coded. I can't unsee it.
56. Oh wait, Joohee isn't dead I'm so confused — why'd she look like she exploded?
57. Guys, I think Jinwoo is going to sacrifice himself.
58. Jinwoo's mum is in the hospital — an added layer of complication. He's not allowed to die. He has a sister to provide for too.
59. This is SO cool.
60. Jinwoo seems like the youngest in the dungeon. How is it that he's the only one picking up the clues?
61. These people are running towards the door without knowing what's on the other side. There's clearly MAGIC at play here.
62. The blood, sweat and tears. The passion. It's all so beautiful.
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63. Joohee is paralysed with fear again.
64. "I promised to take you out and eat". My heart...it hurts. He sacrificed himself for her.
65. Nah, I reckon all of these guys are going to die past the door.
66. Jokes.
67. I hope they remember his name and his story on the other side of the dungeon. But also there's no way he's going to die. He's literally a main character — at least, i think.
68. What an absolute masterpiece. (I know it's gory but also, imagine this in a live action.)
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69. Oh great, another cliffhanger.
70. Wait a minute, what is this notification business?
71. WHY DOES THE ENDING SCENE LOOK LIKE SEVERANCE?!
Solo Levelling — Season 1, Episode 3: "It's Like A Game"
72. OK, things just got a whole lot more interesting, because that digital interface at the end makes it seem like someone else is controlling these people. Have you ever watched that Rick and Morty episode where they play the RPG called Roy? I have a sinister feeling, it's something like that. But obviously I could be very wrong. I probably am.
73. Dude, woah.
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74. OKAY, WHAT IS THIS NOW?!
75. There's a possibility that I'm not picking up context clues...but also, WHAT IS THIS?!
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76. Jinwoooooooo is alive!!!! How did he get to the hospital...
77. Now there's some suited associates with a metal box. He's going to get recruited into something.
78. Okay "Surveillance" must be what Chairman Go is running.
79. I'm going to skip the intro, I'm so sorry. I'm too intrigued.
80. The others that ran through the door actually escaped, but now they have to suffer consequences. Poor Joohee. She and Jinwoo are never going to go on their date.
81. Where did everything go?
82. CALLED IT. His "second awakening" is going up like four ranks. I can feel my toes tingling in anticipation.
83. Don't touch the mana metre Jinwoo. It looks so suspicious.
84. Oh! Only he can see the digital notifications module. I'd like to speak to a manager. Need to know immediately what's going on.
85. Typical sister, getting mad instead of asking if brother is okay.
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86. Is he playing GTA with magic?
87. World's shortest sister visit.
88. The girl in the pink hoodie is back and I think she can see the digital screens too. If not, why is she there?
89. This is a hack in the system. He's definitely going to level up.
90. As suspected, Director Go is head of Surveillance and there has to be more to this story.
91. There's guilds now?! Gosh I'm confused.
92. The citizens must be getting so over these random portals popping up.
93. Has anyone watched Three Body Problem? No further explanation.
94. Four hours of survival seems pretty intense for a training regimen, this better be a simulation or else GG to Jinwoo.
A-1 Studios
95. Wait scrap Three Body Problem comparisons, this is DUNE! Maybe even a crossover.
96. The nurses must think they're going nuts.
96. Joohee and Jinwoo 🥹🥹🥹🥹 LET THEM GO OUT FOR LUNCH.
A-1 Studios
96. Is there a chip in his brain? Is this a simulation? Is there someone playing on the other side? How is this happening?
97. If we all got "loot boxes" for completing our daily quests, that would be icing!
98. I wonder how they work out which rank the gates are.
99. Mother Sung looks like she's withering away.
100. Jinwoo is a provider! What a king. He's trying his best.
101. Lightning abilities?!
102. I'm still wondering how his life was saved and who's controlling these pop up screens.
103. One small knife for a whole dungeon, Jinwoo? Good luck!
104. Doing this exploration in skinny jeans? That's a true test of skill.
A-1 Studios
105. Do you think if he dies, the game resets and he respawns?
106. Another cliffhanger, of course. Nothing ever RESOLVES.
And finally, here's my verdict after three episodes. Solo Levelling holds your interest not just with the cliffhangers, but the evolving and surprising plotline.
Of the fight sequences I've seen, they're not overly complex or long BUT they take advantage of the beautiful, detailed art style and bloody gore to depict the gruesomeness of each death.
Now keep in mind, I've only seen three episodes at the time of writing this verdict, so this might change as I continue to watch more (I'm pretty hooked, so I anticipate that my mind will change).
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In saying that, I wish they kept more of the medieval/magical-looking wardrobes for hunters, but I imagine that comes later. There's something about putting hunters in different costumes that makes them seem more admirable or powerful — let's chalk that up to Marvel/DC superhero influences.
The lore unfolding slowly makes you want to invest time and attention into watching the show, which obviously is the point. But if you're casually watching, I can see how that might get slightly confusing. All in all, Solo Levelling is so far so good.
Judging from the internet's tweets, we're in for a seriously interesting and suspenseful ride. I'll stay tuned, but I need Joohee and Jinwoo to get together eventually.
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