A-1 Pictures’ long-awaited film adaptation of Solo Leveling is finally here, and it’s a promising start to what could be a great series. Based on the hit manga of the same name, it is essentially a fantasy MMORPG: The Anime. Although it’s not strictly based on a video game like past A-1 hit Sword Art Online, it is set in a world that makes video games a reality. Solo Leveling is not at all subtle about its effects on the game. Guilds, raids, and loot are all part of everyday life for the show’s supernaturally powered warriors, who take up arms against the exploding extradimensional monsters that threaten humanity’s existence. . Defeat it to become a magic crystal.
The first two episodes do a good job of conveying how commonplace monsters and their fantasy realms have become in the decade since they were first known.People like the main character, Sung Jin Woo, have the option of getting a regular desk job and spending their salary on video games and clothes. or Earn a living as a “hunter” and work with your guild members to collect loot and spend it on better weapons and equipment for your next dungeon brawl. What makes leveling him solo more than just a fantasy of his powers is that the hunter will only remain as strong as he was the moment his ability first awakened. This is unfortunate for Jin-woo, who is considered the weakest hunter alive.
The characters don’t unnecessarily risk their lives or live in constant despair and hopelessness, like in Attack on Titan, for example. But Solo Leveling still recalls that iconic series, with its epic carnage and sudden turns into barbarism, and its evocative score by AoT composer Hiroyuki Sawano. It’s a big shock when things go awry and hunters actually start getting killed. At the same time, this premiere also stands out for its focus on the economic aspects of dungeon digging and Jin-woo’s dependence on her work to support her mother and sister. It’s refreshing to see the premiere of an anime where the young protagonist is only concerned about making sure he gets his paycheck on time, even if it means fighting goblins with nothing but a chipped dagger.
Directed by Shunsuke Nakashige and illustrated by Jang Sung-rak, aka Dubu, Solo Leveling is unlike most other anime, at least when it comes to world and character design. This is a fusion of Korean aesthetics and Western fantasy images. The monster that appears in the premiere bears a strong resemblance to the depiction of Sauron in director Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A vibrant color palette sells the dungeons as both glamorous and dangerous, while dynamic camera movements lean into the fluidity of A-1 Pictures’ typically great action scenes, showcasing the beautiful art of the manga. I am translating.
