Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

The murders of several distinguished S-rank hunters rock the world, and Jinwoo knows it's only a matter of time before the perpetrators strike again. The declaration of war comes earlier than expected, however, in the form of a colossal gate looming in the skies above Seoul. With the Hunter's Association of Korea struggling to adjust to its new normal and the Monarchs picking off the top hunters one by one, will Jinwoo be able to keep everyone safe from the biggest disaster mankind has ever faced?

Volume seven of Chugong’s Solo Leveling light novel is a little bit uneven. The plot is really accelerating at this point, with Jinwoo ready to fight all comers, Monarchs or Rulers, and the mystery about Jinwoo’s father being resolved as well… but the pacing doesn’t work amazingly, with an interlude in the middle of pitched battle while Jinwoo essentially watches a flashback of what happened to the original Shadow Monarch.

I don’t know how I’d prefer that section to be done — maybe the flashback was necessary! But it feels a bit rushed, like the author has to suddenly cram in all the info we need to make the upcoming conflict make sense. Obviously an extended flashback with Jinwoo just watching wouldn’t be super enjoyable, but… maybe we should’ve seen stuff from Ashborn’s point of view again?

All the same, the final chapters of the book ratchet things back up again, with Jinwoo’s minions appearing, and then the beginning of the end — perhaps for the whole world. It genuinely feels high stakes, and I think does it better than the manhwa for my tastes. I felt a bit choked up when Jinwoo asks what his future will be. Knowing how the story ends makes that more poignant, of course.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

Having witnessed the staggering power of the Shadow Monarch, Jinwoo can't wait to level up and reach those heights, and what better way to do so than to mobilize his army of soldiers against an S-rank dungeon's worth of giants? Saving a country abandoned by the rest of the world has its benefits—international renown, the expansion of his guild, an invitation to the most prestigious hunter conference in the world—but perhaps the most unexpected bonus is a run-in with another Monarch who brings not-so-welcome tidings. If he's to be believed, a war is coming that not even Jinwoo is strong enough to stop…

Volume six of Chugong’s Solo Leveling features Jinho’s father’s illness, the kidnap of Jinho, the revelation that Jinwoo’s father (or something that looks like him) is running around doing something thus-far inscrutable, and the fate of Gunhee Go, so it’s a hard hitter as far as Jinwoo’s development goes. It ties up some loose ends with Dongsoo Hwang, and starts to introduce the endgame here.

That means it’s possibly one of my favourite volumes so far, and I think a lot of this was more affecting in this format than it was in the manhwa, somehow. The way that Jinwoo’s incredibly high perception stat makes him more susceptible to Jinho’s feelings as well is an interesting touch, and that scene between them was really cute. (Though, c’mon, Jinwoo! Let him hug you! You’re bros now.)

Jinwoo’s biggest challenges are approaching, and I honestly can’t wait to dig in. I feel like the pacing is a bit different than the manhwa — same sequence of events, but with slightly different weights, I guess? — and is ratcheting up a bit slower, but it’s definitely ramping up.

Oh, and Jinwoo’s fight against Thomas Andre hits a bit differently I find — in the manhwa it felt more like he might be a match for Jinwoo, and here it isn’t even close.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)