In this spoiler-free Solo Leveling season 2 review, I’ll give you a preview of what to expect in the first two episodes of the new season and whet your appetite for more.
Solo Leveling season 1 was a triumphant success especially on the international market. It has a 4.9 rating out of 5 on Crunchyroll with more than 350,000 votes and a score of 8.27 out of 10 on My Anime List rated by more than 460,000 users as of writing.
Originally a Korean web novel written by Chugong in 2016, it gained even more popularity when it was adapted into a webtoon by the late Jang Sung-rak (Dubu) in 2018. The anime, produced by Japanese studio A-1 Pictures, was released six years after in 2024.
This 2025, fans of the franchise are gearing up for Solo Leveling season 2.
Solo Leveling season 2 review — it gets better, and fast
Let me give you some context for this Solo Leveling season 2 review — I have read the entirety of the Solo Leveling manwha and I’m currently reading the translated novels in English. Of course, I’ve also watched season 1 of the anime.
For some reason, Solo Leveling was my go-to manwha when I was getting painfully tattooed so I’m forever grateful to Sung Jinwoo for giving me strength during those hours spent getting jabbed on the table.
While majority of fans did enjoy the 12 episodes in Solo Leveling season 1, a minority voiced concerns on its pacing, changes that diverge from the manwha, and the lack of emotional connection with characters.
Even though I am a fan, I can understand where these viewers were coming from. The one thing that was challenging to do is present Jinwoo’s thoughts in animated form. In a written medium, we are entirely privy to his inner world, but in the animation, it’s common for the voice actor to read out the characters’ thoughts as they stand idly in a scene.
Many scenes in season 1 were spent on Jinwoo’s inner reflections which is crucial to world-building, the plot, and his transformation as the main character. In turn, this slowed the pace down.
There are also a handful of side characters introduced and even more to come, which can be confusing. The biggest change is slotting in Cha Hae-In early on, possibly for fan service. Avoiding spoilers, let’s just say that she isn’t a very convincing character in the manwha either in my opinion, so it’s hard to fault the anime for that.
Is Solo Leveling season 1 in my top five anime of all time? Definitely not.
Did season 2 change my mind? It has potential to.
Despite all its flaws, the first two episodes of Solo Leveling season 2 made me completely forget them. Since a lot of background information was already expounded in season 1, viewers can expect the anime to accelerate from here.
In the final episode of season 1, we saw Jinwoo extract his shadow army and bring Igris under his banner. In season 2, you’re going to want to hang tight as we witness their first big battle together. The season will also explore ways in which Jinwoo expands his shadow army and new avenues for leveling up.
Despite growing in strength, it’s still not smooth-sailing for our protagonist. The dark theme of killing fellow humans hasn’t been swept under the rug. Not to mention, he’s still very much governed by the system and its limitations.
All in all, if you thought the animation in season 1 was good, just wait until you watch season 2 where new camera angles are deployed. Everything gets better — the edgy Jinwoo that we all know and love in the manwha is gradually coming to be.
READ MORE: Is Solo Leveling over? Status of novel, manhwa, and anime
