Solo Leveling’s first season took a beloved story and made it a household name due to the quality of the production and its loyalty to the essence of the source material. If Episode 2 is any indication of the trajectory of the rest of the anime, Season 2 is set to level up the franchise even more. Solo Leveling’s story was always great in the light novel by Chugong, but it was DUBU’s incredibly consistent art that propelled the manhwa to superstardom. It’s that same art that fans were most skeptical about being sufficiently adapted into anime, but A-1 Pictures continues to exceed expectations into Season 2 with Episode 2, “I Suppose You Aren’t Aware.” Once again, Solo Leveling raises the bar to show that, as legendary as its source material is, there are some things only anime can do.
Continuing the Red Gate arc that began in Episode 1, Episode 2 (or Episode 14 of the entire series overall) is full of intense action from start to finish, capturing everything fans want from the series. Episode 1 was an action-packed premiere, but it was only a hint at what was to come. Episode 2, meanwhile, immediately jumps into the big battle that was only hinted at in Episode 1, and it delivers on all fronts. All the important story beats are still there, from Sung Jinwoo’s struggle with his humanity to the mystery of the System. However, these core subplots take a secondary role to the high-intensity sakuga that characterizes Solo Leveling’s highlight reel. Season 2’s first episode was a great reintroduction, but Episode 2 brings fans right back into the thick of what made Solo Leveling one of the most talked-about anime series of 2024.
Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 2 Ramps up the Action to Epic New Highs
The Episode Has Multiple Awesome Fights Take Place Simultaneously
Episode 2 opens immediately with Jinwoo doing what he does best: raising a group of new Shadow Soldiers to add to his army. This represents a major tonal shift from Season 1 that will only become more prominent as Jinwoo continues to expand his army, taking the weight off his shoulders and imposing his power on greater and greater threats. While Jinwoo had to level up on his own before, he can now exert power in numbers. There are still limits to that power, such as the necessity to have enough mana to keep resurrecting his soldiers to keep fighting. Yet even with those limitations, Jinwoo has become more overpowered than ever as of Season 2, and this episode shows the extent of his new abilities in action.
Solo Leveling has an intriguing story and lore, but it’s undeniably the entertaining combat and fights that keep fans coming back. This episode focuses on the fighting, with conflicts going on both inside and outside the Gate that make every second count. Hwang Dongsoo was a character repeatedly hinted at in Season 1, but Season 2 immediately brings him to prominence in a terrifying new way. This is the first real look fans get at his strength, and it’s just as impressive as an S Rank can be expected to be. Dongsoo makes up an interesting secondary conflict in the background of Jinwoo’s more present concerns throughout Season 2’s premiere, and it all comes to a head in Episode 2.
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Back inside the Red Gate is where the true action happens in Episode 2, though. Awesome visual effects and fight choreography are what this episode is all about. It’s all accompanied by an excellent score by Hiroyuki Sawano that’s as upbeat as it needs to be, while equally reserved enough to highlight the conflicting emotions of Jinwoo’s situation. Amidst all this, Jinwoo pulls off a number of potentially TikTok-viral attacks with just the expected amount of blood. There are also more than enough instances of glowing eyes and confident quips to remind fans of why they fell in love with Jinwoo in the first place.
Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 2 Shows Jinwoo’s Rise From the Other Characters’ Perspective
The Episode Highlights How Jinwoo May Be Becoming Inseparable From the Monsters
While the story is still marginally told through Jinwoo, it’s through the eyes of the other characters in Episode 2 that viewers can see in a new light how Jinwoo has really evolved. The main vessels for this added perspective are the two highest ranking Hunters who joined the Raid Party: A Rank Healer Heejin Park, and A Rank Tanker Kim Chul. Heejin herself is given an interesting visual element that isn’t in the manhwa, but is a great character design choice in helping her standout as an upper-level Hunter. She’s a strong Hunter with a solid moral compass, and she’s able to discern the heroes from the villains from the moment she’s given the choice between going with Chul or Jinwoo.
By far, the most entertaining human character in Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 2, other than Jinwoo himself, is Kim Chul. Following the trauma he endured in the first episode, Chul goes down a psychological spiral that plays an integral part in the events that transpire. Despite being presented as a minor antagonist in demeanor, Chul’s personal viewpoint almost paints Jinwoo as a something of a villain, forcing the audience into a conflicted position as they witness yet another deplorable act to add to Jinwoo’s ever-growing list of atrocities.
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They’re made of shadow, every single one of them! And Hunter Sung must be their master! – Heejin Park
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Breaking up these more serious moments is the humor of the Shadow Army, which is a highlight of Episode 2. Igris was already a great character, but the newly arisen Iron is the highlight of the episode. The personalities of the Shadow Soldiers finally begin to shine through in this episode and it’s great to see. Iron and Igris have immediate chemistry, despite being unable to communicate verbally. The combined efforts of Jinwoo with his Shadow Soldiers also adds something special to the fights that wasn’t present in Jinwoo’s Season 1 battles.
Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 2 Focuses on the Mystery of the System
The Episode Answers Some Questions While Asking New Ones
While a lot is going on outside the Red Gate, the episode’s main event is undoubtedly the amazing fight between Jinwoo and the Ice Elves led by Baruka. While Season 1’s biggest fights were intense one-on-one duels between Jinwoo and the bosses of the Gates, Jinwoo’s Shadow Soldier army brings a whole new dynamic to the fighting. Jinwoo is still in control as the leader, so the best moments are always still a result of his genius leadership abilities. That said, he takes on a true role of power as the commander of an army that wasn’t present in his upward climb to strength throughout Season 1.
The battle between the Ice Elves and the Shadow Soldiers is top tier Solo Leveling at its finest, but this isn’t the only thing of interest there. There’s a sense of intrigue created by Baruka when he tells Jinwoo a shocking new revelation regarding the latter’s relationship to Magic Beasts since being turned into The Player. The System has always been the core of what makes Solo Leveling’s storyline different from any other power fantasy quasi-isekai shonen on the market, and it’s great to see its mystery take center stage during this episode’s climax.
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Since Jinwoo was first “killed” by giant humanoid statues and resurrected to become The Player, the mystery of the System, who controls it, and why it was made in the first place have been the driving forces behind Jinwoo’s story. As an individual character, Jinwoo is a fairly straightforward and simplistic shōnen protagonist. This is especially true in the anime, which makes his arc somewhat more humanizing than the manhwa felt at times. That’s a largely positive and more realistic change, but the basic quality of Jinwoo’s character arc wouldn’t be enough to drive a narrative that’s as popular as Solo Leveling. There simply has to be more to him than just embodying the audience’s edgy isekai power fantasy.
Instead, it’s the ever-present mystery of the System in the background that makes the overarching story and Jinwoo’s journey work. It’s even better this time around due to how well the anime actually delivers on the lore and world-building that brings it all together in the long run. With that in mind, Baruka further fuels Jinwoo’s existential crisis in a way that will surely shock audiences. This, combined with the ethically questionable creation of Iron, helps Episode 2 tackle most of Solo Leveling’s major themes in just one episode. All this occurs in the middle of what are this season’s best fights so far, and arguably some of the best in the series, even in comparison to Season 1’s most iconic fights.
Solo Leveling Season 2, Episode 2 Makes Small but Important Changes to the Manhwa
The Anime Continues to Expand on the Source Material in Interesting Ways
I guess… that makes three times… – Sung Jinwoo
Aside from bringing the manhwa’s combat to life, the anime’s best aspect was improving on the source material, fixing the original story’s biggest flaws while still retaining the stylistic action and character moments that made it so beloved. Episode 2 takes liberties here and there throughout its runtime, but the most substantial, and best, change comes at the ending. The manhwa initially concludes this arc with a lighthearted scene, but the anime puts that moment off to instead give viewers a more emotionally charged and dramatic conclusion. It’s especially important as it drives home the major bombshell Jinwoo learns from Baruka in this episode. It also continues to add on that sense of humanity that Jinwoo lacked in the source material, making him feel more cohesive with who he was at the start of the story. This is important character development that Solo Leveling sorely needed, and it promises to make this adaptation a more satisfying storyline that expands on the original.
This change may not be too substantial, nor does it undermine or remove anything from the manhwa. None of the major events are rewritten, and the characters are pretty much the same as they were in the manhwa. However, if there is a flaw to this adaptational change and the episode as a whole, it would be that Jinwoo’s character arc in the anime is more straightforward than in the manhwa. The anime takes some of the edge away to see his inner conflict, and that will undoubtedly throw the more die-hard manhwa fans and purists off. On the positive side, this change not only adds a layer of complexity to Jinwoo’s character, but also provides a bit of tension to the end of the episode that a one-to-one copy of the manhwa wouldn’t have provided. This gives the episode a natural cliffhanger where there initially wouldn’t have been one, and it’s a welcome addition. Despite the newly suspenseful ending, it’s still a satisfying conclusion that closes the conflict that Season 2’s opening began. The first two episodes of Solo Leveling‘s second season make a quick and compact introductory arc that was perfect for a stand-alone for a film like ReAwakening, but they also offer enough intrigue to keep viewers invested and wanting more.
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If the anime continues to follow the manhwa as closely as it has been (and judging by the trailers, it will), Season 2’s Red Gate arc will follow immediately with the epic Demon’s Castle arc starting in Episode 3. This would theoretically be the most action-intensive part of the series yet, and judging by the combat in Episode 2, it’s going to be amazing. Episode 2 is Solo Leveling in a nutshell: a fast-paced fight against a villain who’s just strong enough to make Jinwoo look impressive, but not strong enough to make him look bad. This represents the true change in Jinwoo that Season 1 built up to, as Jinwoo is no longer the weak, nameless E Hunter desperately fighting for survival. Now, he’s the overpowered leader of an equally powerful army of Shadow Soldiers, and he’s far from done leveling up.
Solo Leveling Season 2 begins streaming January 10th on Crunchyroll.
Solo Lrveling Season 2 Episode 2, “I Suppose You Aren’t Aware”
Jinwoo has become a formidable necromancer with an army of loyal shadows at his command. But he must master these abilities while keeping them hidden from other hunters, all while racing against the clock to save his mother. As he faces humanity’s toughest foes, Jinwoo pushes his body and mind to the limit, and the full extent of his newfound power is revealed.
- Release Date
-
January 7, 2024
- Creator(s)
-
Chugong
- Cast
-
Aleks Le
, Justin Briner
, Rebecca Wang
, Dani Chambers
, Michelle Rojas
, Kent Williams - Writers
-
Noboru Kimura
- Directors
-
Shunsuke Nakashige
- This is peak Solo Leveling action
- The Shadow Soldiers work well together both in and out of combat
- Jinwoo’s conflict with Kim Chul adds a complex human layer to the narrative
- The anime’s Jinwoo has a more straightforward arc, for better or worse
