Episode Review – Solo Leveling – S2: Arise From the Shadow

Overview (Story)

Continuing from the previous season, where Sung Jinwoo challenges Igris, and as well as acquiring new powers that can command an army of shadows, a new group of hunters are facing new challenges. Such as blue dungeon gates that are turning red, and some that have double dungeons where they could face more formidable and powerful enemies and bosses.

This is where Sung Jinwoo fights all of them, and at the same time, acquiring new shadows that can aid him in further battles.

In the previous season, Sung Jinwoo went into a dangerous dungeon, where his quest was to collect ingredients in order to create the Elixir of Life, just to use it in order to save his mother. After a few attempts in climbing further the dungeon, he succeeded in collecting the items for the elixir, and his mother was saved.

And so, after all of that, the guild has initiated an another raid mission in the Jeju Island, where they must get rid of the ant creatures that were infesting the island. All of the S-Rank hunters all over the world have assembled, and they joined this another raid mission. Everything seemed to be fine with their raid mission, and was able to fight off the Ant Queen. However, they are seemingly powerless when they have encountered this powerful enemy, that not many S-Rank hunters could even stand a chance against it.

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Review

Review time! It’s been a while since I have been doing Episode Reviews. But this time, I will create some. However, this will cover the entire season, and I will write down my impressions about it. At the same time, I will write down my own rating for this season!

It’s good to see Sung Jinwoo going from being a loser into a winner. Previously, a weak E-Rank hunter, he is now even stronger than ever! Previous season really shows his true weakness, and many people are belittling him. But in this season, his character and appearance have greatly changed. He is just doing his so-called daily quest in order to keep up with his shape, or otherwise, he will face a penalty.

After he has acquired Igris’ Shadow, as well as a lot of army of shadows, this is where Sung Jinwoo finally transitioned into a whole new, darker character, wherein he isn’t as cheeky as before. But he turned into a serious, cool-headed hunter, where everything seemed to be normal and easy to him. His regular training regimen was actually “the system”, where he has acquired it after reawakening from the double dungeon where he is already dying. So then, he is training solo without his other companions on his side. Not only he is just getting stronger, he is indeed just only level-upping.

Let’s go to the other characters as well. There are so many male characters who are indeed power-hungry, and are all arrogant. There is one particular female character whom I got impressed, next to Sung Jinwoo, and it’s Cha Hae-in, who is also a speedy S-Rank Hunter. She is the only one who got impressed in his aura, or otherwise… a smell?!

The storyline format of the Episodes I have watched is basically linear, straight, and alternating. From a plot that is all action, in the middle of a fight, a “pause” convo will eventually ease in, making the viewers be excited more on what’s gonna happen next in the action scenes. With this, the direction of the story is still straight, and it is not wasting time at all. But then, there are times that an Episode can be still lacking (like ending it on a usual cliffhanger), and that was a strategy or one of a secret in order to rack up higher ratings.

Solo Leveling S2 features some characters that would actually act as “baits”, despite that they are really powerful hunters. There is one particular Episode, where all of the S-Rank Hunters, except Jinwoo, have assembled. But then, in the end, they were just like “foods” or “punching bags” of the powerful main enemy, in which it was faced by Sung Jinwoo later. That’s one particular Episode that made me laugh a bit, since I am cheering for the Ant King Beru the most than the S-Rank Hunters. But not until Sung Jinwoo finally made his entrance in order to surprised the unaware, wounded S-Rank Hunters. And of course, the action scenes that made me dizzy a bit is still impressive.

And as usual, Solo Leveling S2 got some Episode where it is considered as a break or “intermission”, where it is all drama than action. But still impressive, since this Anime series needs some balance, rather than focusing on all-action-no-filler scenes. And then, I have heard that this Anime has gotten a lot of higher ratings, beating some of the top Anime shows in some other streaming websites. An Anime show that shouldn’t be underestimated, huh?

From challenging wolves and bears, to challenging high orcs, up to challenging powerful dragons and skeletons (and ants), this Anime never fails to impress people like me who does like intense action. With some blood-spills and other fatalities, it is indeed the Anime show in the second season that has really impressed me a lot, and was able to resolve the plots that were never made up from the previous season, or otherwise the first 12 Episodes. So then, there are still plot holes, making it to be hinted that a future third season might come out, but just a plan though.

Sung Jinwoo is really going from weak to strong. And the one who is a troublesome hunter to others, he is now the one who are helping these hunters who don’t know what’s happening. Sung Jinwoo is a man who is never aware of his own strength, as a strong S-Rank Hunter.

Solo Leveling S2 was able to resolve some other plot holes, in which they were never done in the previous season. The straightforward Episodes format, with some cut-in convos, can really make an impressive cutting edge to this second season of this Anime show. The single-Episode drama has really broke some momentum, but was able to get back high when it has finally reached the Jeju Island arc where everything is all pure-action-no-filler feeling.

Overall, the best Anime show that I have watched this season.

My Rating: BEST (4.8/5)

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Series Info

Currently streaming on Crunchyroll. This Anime series is available to most countries and VOD streaming websites.

Series Info | Episode Reviews Archive | Streaming Guide

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