Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

Jinwoo's received some amazing gifts from the system, but the latest one might prove to be the greatest one yet—a key to the double dungeon where it all started. Perhaps a second visit might provide him with answers for once. He's got some time to kill until he can use the item though, but before he can tackle another gate, unexpected movement from the shadow soldiers guarding Jinah sets his alarm bells ringing...

I’d slightly misremembered how things would come together in volume five of Chugong’s Solo Leveling, so I didn’t quite get the longer-form explanations I was craving — though those will come with time. Various things happen in this book, but the main feature is Jinwoo’s return to Cartenon Temple, to come face to face with the person who created the system.

I really loved the scene with the other hunters leaving Jinwoo to sort everything out and just smoking, tearing up and blaming the smoky atmosphere. There is some genuine tension in this volume — we’ve heard dark warnings about the nature of Jinwoo’s power, after all, and we see part of this volume through the eyes of characters like Haein and Jinchul — and that scene is a lovely way of showing its release.

Of course, there’s more going on, and the world doesn’t solely revolve around Jinwoo. We’re beginning to see a much larger plot taking shape here, and I can’t wait to get to those bits.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

"IT'S SHOWTIME."

The news has made headlines—"Korea and Japan join hands to exterminate the terrifying magic beasts on Jeju Island once and for all!" It's a monumental moment for the people of the country…and it has absolutely nothing to do with Jinwoo. Instead, the newest S-rank hunter's number one priority is bringing his recently recovered mother back home where she belongs at last. When the situation on Jeju Island takes a devastating turn for the worse, though, will the country's top hunters be strong enough to save the day without him?

Volume four of Chugong’s Solo Leveling covers the Jeju Island arc, and it’s a lot of fun — the other S rank hunters are so outclassed, even Ryuji Goto, and then Jinwoo swoops in… It’s wish fulfilment, there’s never any real chance that Jinwoo’s going to lose (or allow all Korean hunters to die), and it’s so satisfying to see that come to fruition.

I know others find that without any tension (because we know Jinwoo won’t lose) — or at least minimal tension, because some does come through from Haein Cha etc — the series isn’t so fun, but that’s a feature not a bug to me.

Speaking of bugs, hurrah, Beru! He’s super cute in the manhwa, a weird thing to be saying about a scary insect shadow soldier, so I’m curious about how he is in the source material too.

Plus, with the next volume (and a return to Cartenon Temple), we’re getting close to getting some explanations of what’s going on, so I’m very much looking forward to that.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

JINWOO SUNG, OFFICIALLY S RANK

Leveling up in C-rank dungeons has become next to impossible for Jinwoo. But an E-rank hunter attempting anything higher? Well, that would raise some serious red flags…so the time has come for a reevaluation. And when the results are back, it’s official-Jinwoo is the tenth S-rank hunter from South Korea! An entirely new world, brimming with powerful magic beasts and elite hunters, is now open to him. But before he can immerse himself in it, there’s something absolutely vital he has to do…

Volume three of Chugong’s Solo Leveling covers Jinwoo’s re-evaluation, his time with the mining squad (and meeting with Haein Cha), and some more of his time in the Demons’ Tower. His time with Esil is still pretty funny (dude, she probably has a crush on you!) and I continue to love watching him just get more and more overpowered.

I feel like some things are maybe better handled here, in that I feel like we’ve been hearing about Jeju Island for longer in the light novel than we did in the manhwa, so it just makes sense that it’s the next thing on the horizon.

There’s nothing groundbreaking and new here: if you’re getting tired of Jinwoo’s overpowered adventures, then you probably want to stop here. If you’re enjoying that, and it’s just how Jinwoo will win and not can Jinwoo win, then this continues to be super fun.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

ARISE! Once dubbed the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, Jinwoo is now…well, something else entirely. Armed with his mysterious system, he’s currently powerful enough to single-handedly clear dungeons that once would have proven life-threatening. He just has to ready himself to take on the Demon’s Castle-and what better way to do so than finishing a quest? Exclusive new weapons and skills from an assassin-class job may be just what Jinwoo needs… but the system seems to have other plans for him!

As with volume one, volume two of Chugong’s Solo Leveling novel has been adapted pretty closely by the manhwa I’ve already read. There are a few details that I don’t remember popping up, and maybe a bit more detail for side characters’ and their thoughts — I don’t remember Park Heejin having quite so much detail in the manhwa, for example — but mostly the adaptation was very faithful.

Despite the story being so familiar, it’s fun to get more of Jinwoo’s point of view, especially as he starts to really get to grips with being a Player, and figure out things like his job change quest. It’s still such fun to read about him subverting the system a little bit (e.g. by going to the penalty zone for four hours to extend his timer, albeit that’s a bit accidental on his part) — and of course to watch his journey toward being so absolutely OP he could probably rip down a bit of sky and beat someone with it. He’s not there yet here, but he’s gonna get there.

The scene between him and Jinho when Jinho says Jinwoo’s like a big brother and Jinwoo says he’ll consider Jinho a brother then is so cute, too.

As with the first book (and indeed the manhwa), it’s fun light reading.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

Solo Leveling

by Chugong

Synopsis:

THE WEAKEST HUNTER OF ALL MANKIND!

E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung has no money, no talent, and no prospects to speak of-and apparently, no luck, either! When he enters a hidden double dungeon one fateful day, he’s abandoned by his party and left to die at the hands of some of the most horrific monsters he’s ever encountered. But just before the last, fatal blow… PING! [Congratulations on becoming a Player.]

Having read the manhwa adaptation of Chugong’s Solo Leveling, I decided I wanted to give the light novel a try and just start with getting volume one. This might’ve been a mistake: I started it on Christmas morning and instantly knew I was going to want to read the whoooole series in pretty short order. Luckily, I was saved: someone bought me volumes two and three for Christmas.

As that story suggests, it’s a pretty quick read, and not that different from the manhwa if you’ve read that first. You get a little bit of extra insight into Jinwoo’s thoughts, but it’s amazing how much the manhwa manages to directly translate into that format. You get maybe a liiiittle bit more of the side characters as well in volume one.

Honestly, this first volume is probably the most I ever felt Jinwoo facing real peril, which makes sense. Once he’s figured out the system and started leveling up, he’s got the protagonist’s halo. When he’s still just an E rank hunter — the worst hunter of all mankind — then he could genuinely die.

Mostly, the fun of this series is watching Jinwoo go from zero to hero to obscenely overpowered, and enjoy the nods to typical video game systems as you go. It’s really not that deep, it’s just fun. That’s the same in both the light novel and the manhwa, but it’s fun to experience it again in another format, and actually more so than I thought it might be.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)