Adapted by A-1 Pictures Solo leveling is a great screen adaptation of the legendary manhwa. The studio has done the frenzied series the justice it deserves with its high-octane choreography and Hiroyuki Sawano's spectacular score. They also gave extra screen time to supporting characters like Choi Jong-In and the Hunters Guild, making the world seem bigger than a single character series. Still, since each episode lasts about five chapters, some scenes seem rushed or lack the magic of ink on paper.
Anime is an aesthetic feast, yet an original art Solo leveling manhwa has a certain, far-reaching feel that is difficult to capture in the animation format. In the manhwa, some panels are not just drawings, but are mood swings. A single glance can fill an entire vertical scroll, creating a sense of dread that seems to stretch endlessly. These eight scenes show how the style and pacing of the manhwa gave an already great anime adaptation a competitive edge.
Solo Leveling: The S-Rank Korean Hunters, explained
Ten Korean S-Rank Hunters stand at the pinnacle of power, each with unique abilities that shape the world of Solo Leveling.
8
First “Rising” (Igris)
When Jinwoo tells Igris to stand up, the anime decides to go to the cinema, very strong with music and digital purple light. It's a dramatic scene, yet it's a manhwa that affects the scene in a different way by using negative space. Chapter 45 uses no background music, just a cavernous silence symbolized by a huge black bubble and jagged, white, handwritten lettering that immediately catches the eye.
The impact of the word itself is so visual that the effect of something unusual changes the air. Jinwoo's soothing tone in the anime is replaced in the manhwa with jagged writing that seems to emanate from the shadows themselves, and a sense of coldness is captured by the manhwa that sometimes cannot be captured by animation.
7
The first smile of the statue of God
The smile of the statue in the Cartenon temple is an iconic image. Although the details of the anime are pretty accurate, the manhwa version definitely feels more ominous. In Chapter 4, the stone face is shown in extreme detail: all the cracks and broken teeth are visible, and the expression seems quite terrifying.
The manhwa lets the reader have a smile and go at their own pace, while the anime speeds up the reveal to keep the action flowing. According to fans, the manhwa statue is not just a monster, but rather an ancient god who sincerely enjoys human suffering, which is not easy to portray in an emotional picture.
6
Murderous intent System warning
In the fight against Hwang Dongsuk's group, the system will issue a task: Pass the Trial (Emergency Task): Kill everyone who wants to kill the player. The anime shows a quick UI below the popup window and a heartbeat sound. However, the manhwa (chapter 23) turns everything red.
The action is punctuated by warning boxes that reveal the way the System is taking over Jinwoo's morality. In this version, the warning is more of a form of judgement, and the coolness of the game mechanics is more pronounced. The manhwa also creates a claustrophobic kill-or-be-killed situation by filling the field of vision, making the System the predatory element that decides Jinwoo's fate.
5
A-Rank Hunter's Sparring
This scene was completely cut in the anime to keep the pace tight, but the community sure missed it. Chapter 92 shows a skirmish between the best A-rank hunters, resulting in a large difference in power between normal hunters and S-ranks. The flashy techniques used by the A-rows would knock a building to the ground, but compared to the S-rows watching them, they are mere child's play.
Without this scene, the audience has no context to understand how monstrous characters like Choi Jong-In or Baek Yoon-Ho really are. A down-to-earth moment in the manhwa showed that even the best human beings don't compete in the same sport as the actual monsters in the show.
4
Farming Aura (2nd Red Gate)
The “Aura Farming” moment during the second Red Gate incident – after the raid on Jeju Island, when Jinwoo decides to form his own guild – is an example of “Monarch Energy”. After Jinwoo clears the gate with the help of his shadow army in chapter 113, his shadow army is no longer shown as a necromancer's ability, but as a loyal army that bows in honor of its king. The image of Jinwo loosening his tie as he walks through a series of bowing, faithful shadows is one that still remains one of the most famous panels of the entire series.
Solo Leveling: 6 Major Changes Anime made from Manhwa
The Solo Leveling anime made some interesting changes from the manhwa.
The vertical layout of the manhwa is the subject of much debate among readers as to what this scene was: a royal procession. The anime (Season 2, Episode 13) captures the cool factor, but the manhwa art provides an even greater presence in the shadows, making Jinwoo seem like someone who has now far surpassed the power level of any S-rank hunter.
3
Jinwoo vs. Kang Taeshik
The fight against the B-rank assassin Kang Taeshik is a fan favorite because it completely changes Jinwoo's character moving forward. However, Jinwoo's dialogue and attitude in the manhwa is more cold-blooded. In Chapter 33, Jinwoo's eyes are filled with an unstable predatory light and his movements are shown as a blur, making him appear like a ghost. Jinwoo looks at Taeshik at one point and literally asks him if he will be able to see the shadows (things) that are already in the dark and are reaching out to steal him away.
The anime presents the fight as a high-level action sequence, but the manhwa depicts the fight as a horror movie in which Jinwoo is a slasher. Individual analysis reveals that the manhwa used more crash frames and blood splatter to emphasize the brutality of the murders. It's the moment when the “human” Jinwoo begins to fade away, replaced by something more powerful and deadly—a transition that felt even more visceral on the page.
2
Korea Hunters vs. Japan Hunters
The tension in the meeting room in Chapter 92 is not only presented through dialogue, but also through the huge and monstrous auras that appear behind the hunters as they glare at each other in confrontation. Goto Ryuji in particular has an aura that resembles a killer shark about to devour a room.
But all of that immediately turns to embarrassment and fear once she faces Jinwoo. In the anime, it is shown that both Jinwoo and Goto are on the same level, but in the manhwa, Jinwoo completely overpowers Goto, so much so that he feels fear, a fear he has never felt before.
1
Jinwoo versus the Ant King head-to-head
The biggest hype moment is the first time Jinwoo and Ant King (Beru) stare at Jeju Island. In chapter 104, the Ant King is described by his appearance as a disturbing and toothy monster that eats the light that surrounds him. The split paneling when he and Jinwoo are face to face is a perfect example of the two predators realizing they are the only two creatures on the island that count.
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Frighteningly, the manhwa version of Beru looks completely alien: his eyes have nothing human in them, and this is in stark contrast to the cold, commanding gaze of Sovereign Jinwoo. The anime certainly doesn't disappoint in this battle, but the stalemate in that initial confrontation in the manhwa is mythic. It is a silent dialogue that informs the reader that the scene is set and will soon become reality.
- Release date
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2024 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- directors
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Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
- Writers
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Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
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Genta Nakamura
Yoo Jin-ho
