With its second season, Solo Leveling cemented itself as a top-tier Shonen anime. It had impressive, well-animated fights, including Sung Jinwoo’s showdowns with Baran and Kargalgan. This proved that A-1 Pictures went above and beyond in bringing these battles to life.
Needless to say, the fights elevated the intensity and stakes. These were followed by strong aura-farming moments, especially with Jinwoo’s character. This was evident in both battle and non-battle scenes. To strike a balance, there were emotional scenes, too, though the studio may have skimped a bit on them.
Specifically, the finale wrapped up the Jeju Island Arc, marking the end for several hunters and healers. One of them was Byung Gyu, whose fate was tragic and gut-wrenching. While it moved readers to tears, the anime didn’t quite do it justice compared to Episode 9.
A-1 Pictures amped up vulnerability in Season 2, Episode -9
Compared to the first season, the second season of the Solo Leveling anime is rather well-rounded. This is especially true for the addition of funny moments after fan complaints deeming the show either too boring or too serious. It makes sense, considering the anime left out a major chunk of the humor.
The manhwa had a lot of chibi-style humor. While it’s not feasible to adapt everything, A-1 Pictures made a smart move by trimming scenes from the source to improve pacing—and it worked in their favor.
To make up for the cuts, the studio added anime-only scenes. This is clear in how Cha Hae-In’s character feels more well-developed. Scenes showing off her hunting skills gave her depth—and that’s not the only case.
The animators chalked it up with one of the most emotional scenes in the anime. It felt raw and realistic, leaving many fans in tears. While some criticized the episode, most agree it was beautifully done.
Jinwoo’s reunion with his mother, in particular, is one of the most emotional scenes, as fans on r/sololeveling noted. The tears, buildup, and his breakdown is something we all could relate to. However, the anime also made yet another scene rather underwhelming that truly deserved more attention.
Byung Gyu’s underwhelming final moments in Solo Leveling
Min Byung Gyu is one of the most skilled healers in the Solo Leveling anime. He is a pivotal side character who won our hearts through his persona and outlook. His compassion and kindness were something that the anime rendered brilliantly.
As a healer, he used his abilities to save his allies during the Jeju Island raid. He did this with calm expertise, even using his power to camouflage in dangerous situations.
However, it didn’t work out well, as he was impaled by the ant-king. He sacrificed himself to save Yoonho. It’s one of the most heartbreaking moments, but nothing competes with his shadow healing Cha-Hae In. It was at this moment that Yoonho noticed traces of his friend before he faded away.
As jarring and heartbreaking as it gets, the animators made the moment feel a little flat. When Jinwoo released him, and he disappeared, the impact didn’t land as hard. It didn’t come close to the emotional weight of episode 9.
Solo Leveling is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manhwa is available for reading on Tapas.
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