Solo Leveling

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Na Honjaman Level Up, I Level Up Alone

Japanese: 나 혼자만 레벨업

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Information

Type: Manhwa

Volumes: Unknown

Chapters: 201

Status: Finished

Published: Mar 4, 2018 to May 31, 2023

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Themes: Adult Cast, Urban Fantasy

Serialization: KakaoPage

Authors: Chugong (Story), Jang, Sung-rak (Art), Disciples (Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.66¹ (scored by 322,876 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #69²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #5

Members: 542,480

Favorites: 45,947

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Synopsis

Ten years ago, "the Gate" appeared and connected the real world with the realm of magic and monsters. To combat these vile beasts, ordinary people received superhuman powers and became known as "Hunters." Twenty-year-old Sung Jin-Woo is one such Hunter, but he is known as the "World's Weakest," owing to his pathetic power compared to even a measly E-Rank. Still, he hunts monsters tirelessly in low-rank Gates to pay for his mother's medical bills.

However, this miserable lifestyle changes when Jin-Woo—believing himself to be the only one left to die in a mission gone terribly wrong—awakens in a hospital three days later to find a mysterious screen floating in front of him. This "Quest Log" demands that Jin-Woo completes an unrealistic and intense training program, or face an appropriate penalty. Initially reluctant to comply because of the quest's rigor, Jin-Woo soon finds that it may just transform him into one of the world's most fearsome Hunters.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Solo Leveling is a webtoon series which has been officially published in book format by D&C Media (디앤씨미디어) since September 26, 2019. It originally ended with 179 chapters on December 29, 2021, and side stories began serialization on January 20, 2023. The side stories are drawn by Disciples after the death of original artist Sung-rak Jang.

The series has been published digitally in English by Tappytoon since June 4, 2020, and in print by Yen Press since March 2, 2021. It has also been published in French by Delcourt since April 7, 2021.

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Reviews

Jan 11, 2025

HeliusKontos

Recommended

Despite what the chapter counter says, this manhwa really ended at 179/180 chapters. I had it completed there with a 10/10 until one day seeing there's 20 new chapters.

I was quite happy with the original ending, other than a few things that simply were left unaddressed. These new chapters try and give closure to some of those things which is a positive, but all in all I don't feel they added much.

Imagine your regular 13 ep anime season which finishes well with the last episode, then has some beach OVA which is completely voluntary to watch. This feels more like the last episode ended almost ...

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Dec 28, 2024

highlightxii

Mixed Feelings

This is my thoughts about this series right after I finished it, I kept any spoilers to a minimum possible while still giving a generic overview of the story:

Everyone hyped this series too much so i guess i was a little disappointed.
The art is great and the action too, but at least for me... There is a crucial aspect missing in Solo Leveling.
And that is "story".
Don't get me wrong, thing do certainly happen, but, when you look at the overall story, it doesn't have much going on besides the mc(main character) finding a strong enemy, getting stronger to beat it up, and then repeating.
The world ...

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Jan 21, 2025

seasonedpotato

Not Recommended

The rampant inflation of scores in MAL's database has really gotten worse over the years. If something this shallow and mediocre was given a generous rating of 8.6, then I wouldn't even be surprised if, 5 or so years later Berserk will get overtaken by some random powerfantasy action isekai. While highly unlikely, you can't deny its possibility, especially with how things have been going for the past decade. The lack of maturity and thoughtful critique within the community has only exacerbated this problem even further, making it increasingly frustrating for those of us seeking more nuanced and honest evaluations. It really goes to show ... that popularity doesn't always decide a series' overall quality.

Solo Leveling, with how it's constantly lauded with compliments and overwhelmingly positive reviews from its fanbase, you too would naturally be under the impression that you're in for what seems like an exceptional reading experience. However, that wasn't the case as after reading it myself, I found that it fell far too short from the "masterpiece" its reputation suggests. What you get instead is a narrative structure that prioritizes style over substance, leaving little to no room for readers who value depth, complexity and emotional resonance in a story. Which led me to the conclusion that the overwhelming acclaim seems to have come more from the series' surface-level appeal and the community's personal bias towards escapist powerfantasies rather than any substantive storytelling or meaningful character developments.

The use of a progression system as a shortcut for character growth diminished the value of the protagonist’s journey from weak to strong.
Relying on a cheap growth mechanic like the System indicates poor writing and lazy storytelling since the character's growth isn't earned through personal struggle and effort. While the protagonist's initial effort to survive and grow stronger can be viewed as genuine struggle, demonstrating his determination and will to change his circumstances. However, the fact that his power progression is facilitated by a system designed by a higher power (providing carefully curated challenges and rewards) undermines the organic nature of growth. In this context, the effort he puts into fighting and surviving is real, but the framework that ensures his growth is artificial, making it feel cheap. This can be seen as a type of narrative convenience where the struggle is controlled, removing randomness and external risks that typically define true hardship and the unpredictabilities in character development.

The supporting cast's lack of any real purpose in the story is incredibly frustrating. Cha Hae-In, positioned as the protagonist's potential love interest, is a prime example. Despite her unique ability to detect the smell of mana and her reputation as a top-ranked S-Rank Hunter, her character arc quickly stagnates after her introduction. Her involvement in the story rarely extends beyond being a bystander to the protagonist’s battles or a vessel for romantic subplots that lack significant development. What could have been a dynamic partnership between two powerful hunters instead feels underutilized, with Cha reduced to admiration from the sidelines rather than active participation in key events. Similarly, figures like Baek Yoon-Ho and Choi Jong-In, introduced as formidable hunters in their own right, serve little narrative purpose beyond emphasizing the protagonist’s growing dominance. Their roles often boil down to offering exposition or reacting in awe to the protagonist's feats, robbing them of any meaningful growth or contribution to the overarching plot.

And the fact that the author didn't capitalize on the opportunity to delve into the topic of the consequences of immense power, which should have been written all over the wall, was such a waste of potential. They would rather stroke the protagonist's shlong for the entirety of the series' run than add depth to the narrative, it's ridiculous. But it's fine as long as they make the protagonist look cool and edgy, am I right, kids? haha!

So, would I recommend Solo Leveling to anybody with standards? Absolutely not, that would be embarassing. But, I definitely would recommend this to people who just want to experience superficial thrills in their story, because despite it's many flaws I can still see why people would like it. Fun is subjective, as much as I didn't enjoy the series, it might not be the same for others.

It still sucks balls though 1/10.

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Poll: Solo Leveling Chapter 32 Discussion BTDarklings - Sep 26, 2019	12 replies	by almightybismarck »» 5 hours ago
Poll: Solo Leveling Chapter 31 Discussion BTDarklings - Sep 26, 2019	10 replies	by almightybismarck »» 6 hours ago
Poll: Solo Leveling Chapter 168 Discussion BigPPFumiya - Sep 22, 2021	30 replies	by 1234SIYAM1234 »» Jan 21, 3:35 PM
Catched up to 201 and I am kinda underwhelmed ThreeTrap - Jan 11	25 replies	by ThreeTrap »» Jan 20, 3:43 PM
Poll: Solo Leveling Chapter 62 Discussion BTDarklings - Sep 26, 2019	16 replies	by 123shadowdancz »» Jan 19, 10:31 AM

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