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Solo Leveling fans are winning because a new side story set in the Solo Leveling universe just got announced, and this story is going to be centered around Sung Jinah’s awakening as a hunter. This announcement (posted via @theanimeflow/Instagram) has split the fanbase into two, with one side excited for the story and the other expecting it to be a rehash of the original. We, however, don’t care.

We’re concerned with the more important stuff. This side story, if developed properly, will be able to give more screentime to the underdeveloped side characters of Solo Leveling. The series can give more time to female characters and develop certain relationships. Who knows, perhaps the story will show us how Jinah and Jinho got together.

Solo Leveling’s Universe Is Getting a Side Story Sung Jinwoo is Sung Jinah’s biological brother | Credits: A-1 Pictures

Who doesn’t love Solo Leveling?...

Han Jay’s fourth feature film, “The Go-to Restaurant”, is an homage to human kindness and the Korean spirit of community, set in contrast to the hectic and alienating life of the big metropolis. Co-produced by popular superstar Ma Dong-seok (a.k.a. Don Lee), the film was selected as the Closing Film of the 2025 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

The Go-to Restaurant is screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

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Few story arcs in Solo Leveling can match the hype and intensity of the Jeju Island Raid Arc. The arc had everything a fan could wish for – an amazing plot, a strong villain, and plenty of moments for Sung Jin-woo to shine in. Every moment of the arc was intense, and Jin-woo’s aura farming grind was satisfying.

But what if we were to tell you that Solo Leveling, amid the hype and action, overlooked Sung Jin-woo’s most important sacrifice during the Jeju Island Raid?

The aura farming was at an all-time high in Jeju Island Sung Jin-woo uses Shadow Exchange to reach Jeju Island | Credits: A-1 Pictures

The Jeju Island Raid Arc of Solo Leveling is the arc every main character deserves. Such arcs allow the protagonists to showcase their power by defeating monsters and enemies that their contemporaries fail to take down. This was precisely what had...

Solo Leveling lead voice actor Aleks Le has explained why his role as Sung Jinwoo is so deeply personal.

Via a recent press release, Le opened up about his portrayal of Solo Leveling protagonist Sung Jinwoo following a special screening of Episodes 22-24, which concluded the series' "Jeju Island" story arc. "As an Asian immigrant, I saw myself in him," Le stated, adding, "Watching his growth and bringing that to life was incredibly meaningful."

Solo Leveling Fans Get a Tease of What to Expect From Season 3 Image by Brett Cardaro

Based on original author Chugong's 2016 manga of the same name (also known as Only I Level Up in Korea), Solo Leveling is a portal fantasy centered around Sung Jinwoo. Like many others in his world, Sung is a professional monster hunter who spends his days cutting down ferocious beasts of every variety. When Sung is approached by an enigmatic program known as the System,...

The Solo Leveling anime directs all its narrative power at Jinwoo. If it isn't relevant to his own development, it isn't shown. The anime is even stricter about what scenes make the cut from the manhwa. This means that there are plenty of characters that may be important to Jinwoo who don't get to grow past that simple role. Sung Jinah may be the second most important character in Solo Leveling simply because she's been Jinwoo's biggest motivation for the past five years. She also has very little screen time and almost no development.

Between the anime not being interested in her character and Jinwoo keeping secrets from her, Jinah doesn't have nearly the presence she should. Side characters don't have consistent arcs or development in Solo Leveling, so Jinah isn't special. Arguably, the side character with the most solid character arc is Lee Joohee, but she appears at random moments in the anime.

Solo Leveling Season 2 has been shaking things up in the fan world, with each episode delivering action-packed fight sequences and mind-blowing power-ups for Sung Jinwoo. The ninth installment of the series, however, took a different route, by emphasizing emotional intensity over flashy fights.

Sung Jinwoo’s emotional reunion with his mother. | Credit: A-1 Pictures

While one group of fans enjoyed the tearful reunion between Jinwoo and his mother, Park Kyung-Hye, others were irritated at the skipping of an anticipated fight scene from the manhwa. However, if you look closely, this episode acted as a bridge between arcs, leading up to the much-awaited Jeju Island storyline and that is why this emotional scene was very crucial. Let’s see how.

Sung Jinwoo’s journey: More than just power

Solo Leveling is all about Sung Jinwoo transforming from being the weakest hunter to a straight-up powerhouse. Each battle made Jinwoo much, much stronger,...

Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo has finally gained what he has been fighting for so long. After almost two seasons or four years of relentless fights, he has managed to reunite his family at last.

Sung Jinwoo in a still from Solo Leveling | Credits: A-1 Pictures

From the very start of his journey as a Hunter, everything he has done has been solely for his mother, and sister, as such this last episode came with quite the emotional gut punch for fans.

At the same time, though, a specific scene from the episode has also concerned many due to its dire implications. In any case, for better or worse, Solo Leveling has finally allowed Sung Jinwoo time to evaluate himself, and honestly, it’s not looking too good.

Sung Jinwoo finally has time for self-evaluation after years of relentless fights in Solo Leveling

It’s been four years since Sung...

Season 2 of Solo Leveling has rewarded us with some of the best fight scenes and visual treats. A-1 Pictures has proved that it doesn’t have to be a top-tier studio to do justice to an anime. Episode 9 also showcased the more emotional and personal side.

Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling. [Credit: A-1 Pictures]

The protagonist isn’t a one-dimensional, cold hunter. Solo Leveling fans forget that he does have a pretty sad backstory. His mother, Park Kyunghye, fell victim to Eternal Slumber 4 years before the story’s start. Jinwoo had to take care of his sister by himself.

In Season 2, Episode 9, he finally procures the Holy Water of Life. After all that suffering, he cured his mother of the Eternal Slumber, and she woke up from her coma. It shows a deeply innocent side of Jinwoo’s character. Some fans, however, seem to dislike the episode for this.

Sung Jinwoo’s character...

Spoiler Alert !!!This article contains spoilers for Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 9.

I have been seeing a lot of negative remarks and lower ratings for this episode of Solo Leveling, and I cannot seem to understand why. The way the story has gone, it shouldn’t be surprising that Sung Jinwoo will be balling his eyes out when his mother wakes up from the mana equivalent of a lifelong coma. This is a guy who was being pushed around and humiliated because he was the Weakest Hunter of Mankind.

Sung Jinwoo from Solo Leveling | Credit: A-1 Pictures

He could have quit at any moment and found a mundane job, but he didn’t. Instead, he endured all of that and kept going, getting bruised and thrashed at on a daily basis because of one reason alone; his family. He got up every day for the sake of his sister and mother.

Gates aren’t the only way the world has changed in Solo Leveling. Magic’s arrival introduced magical objects, a renewable energy source, and Eternal Sleep Disease. Jinwoo has a personal stake in the disease, as his mother is one of its many victims. While awakened individuals seem immune, everyone else lives with the constant threat of it. With no routine screenings, symptoms appear without warning. Since the story began, Eternal Sleep Disease has loomed as a key plot device.

This disease is just one way gates impact ordinary people. While the anime doesn’t focus on them, there are moments that explore how non-hunters have adapted. Strong hunters become celebrities, and the industry around them is highly profitable. Even those who never enter a gate still feel their effects—gates can appear anywhere, forcing society to adjust. Most of the time, they’re little more than an inconvenience, like traffic.

From viewership to readership, Solo Leveling is soaring to new heights with its massive success. Written by Chugong, the manhwa is top-tier in terms of its plot, characters, and world-building. It is one of the highest-rated series on Crunchyroll and IMDb.

And while the second season is in the works, the manhwa has plagued the readers with incessant plotholes. The series has become a cesspool of plot irregularities as most fans have pointed out. But there’s more to it.

Jinwoo in a still from the anime | Credit: A-1 Pictures

Although the main story was serialized in 2021, Chugong is working on its sequel Ragnarok. Nonetheless, most fans have raised questions regarding Jinwoo’s mother’s fate.

The abrupt ending remains incorrigible for the most part. Even after three years, the series isn’t exempt from the biggest critique. And while the anime peaks in terms of animation, it flatlines in terms of its cramped plot.

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As he goes...

The excitement of fans has increased as the Solo Leveling anime series has already announced the second season of the series. The second season is believed to be more thrilling and adventurous compared to the first season as it will not only bring back major characters from the first season, but it will also introduce a bunch of new characters who are extremely powerful.

Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling

As the story will delve more into the rivalry between the Monarchs and the Rulers, new characters who are a part of this rivalry will make an appearance in the series wreaking havoc and fighting the protagonist, Sung Jinwoo. These characters will make the storyline even more interesting.

Although most of these characters won’t stand a chance against the newfound powers of Jinwoo, there is one character who may be capable enough to go up against him. His name is...