Solo Leveling - Episode 2 [Review]
After Jinwoo Sung and his party find themselves in over their heads, surrounded by powerful enemies in what is supposed to be a low-ranking dungeon, all hope seems lost for the group: their healer freaking out, their leader missing an arm…it’s bad news all around!
There appears to be some hope when Jinwoo deciphers the riddle of the tablet that contains three commandments: to revere god, praise god and have faith in god. By bowing his head, or “revering god”, and having the others do the same, the oversized statue seemingly halts its initial onslaught. However, just as the party becomes optimistic that they’ll make it out alive, the massive statue comes to life - forcing them all to quickly decipher what it means to “praise god”. The main statue demonstrates terrifying power, incinerating and crushing members of the party with ease as Jinwoo pieces together the steps to take in order to properly “praise” the monster.
Finally, a test of faith is put before all of them, and Jinwoo ultimately finds himself alone with multiple S-rank monsters, meeting a brutal and painful death…or does he?
Solo Leveling maintains its animation quality and heart-pumping action into its second episode, though admittedly it would have been more effective as a two part premiere in my opinion. We also get to see a bit more of his sister in this episode, as well as his mom’s condition. As he fights for his life inside the dungeon, it’s a stark contrast with his sister’s nonchalant attitude - and as multiple party members die gruesomely, it paints a picture of the real horror and tragedy of dungeon raiding in this world.
Being familiar with the source material, I wasn’t necessarily surprised at the level of violence, but I was pleased to see it done justice. From bisected bodies to deaths by crushing and more, as well as the brutal final sequence of attacks on Jinwoo, it justifies the mature label.
Overall, another strong entry for Solo Leveling, which has been confirmed to be running for 24 episodes. Eager to see more, as Jinwoo’s transformation is imminent!
