Summary
Many fans of theSolo Levelinganime and manhwa will notice certain differences betweenthe animated version of the seriesand the originals. In some cases, these differences might be obvious, but others could escape a first look and require deeper analysis.
This topic examines things the manhwa does better than the anime, from more refined parts of the artwork to certain aspects of the pacing, storytelling, and plot structure that make the manhwa way better for those who enjoy focusing on the mature aspects of the story.
1More Detailed And Intense Artwork
The Manhwa Does A Better Job At Defining The World
One of the things that can be appreciated in the manhwa series is that the artwork made by Jang Sung-Rak (also known as Dubu) is truly powerful. The expressions, finer details, and ambiance go well with the dark mood and the pacing of the story.
Contrary to this, in the anime, there’sa more polished version of the characters, with a modern, more standardized artwork. Some characters look more mature than what they really are in the manhwa series, and that may or may not be a good thing. It depends on the eye of the beholder, but honestly, the manhwa did a better job defining the world ofSolo Leveling.
2Pacing And Storytelling Flow
The Anime Series Rushes Jinwoo’s Path To Power
Some things aboutSolo Leveling’s anime seem a bit rushed, and this doesn’t let the audience take in the profundity of the changes happening inside Jinwoo. There are some important things about the main character’s psychological changes that were treated lightly in the anime.
While the transformation from D-Rank into S-Rankis much more gradual in the manhwa, it is also true that there’s a lot of content between the moment where the Hunter association re-evaluates Jinwoo’s rank and the Jeju Island Raid. Those tiny bits of information and the dungeon delves Jinwoo performs to enhance his abilities were slightly cut in the anime. While in the manhwa, every battle is a give and take, in the anime series, things escalate quickly. Perhaps this has to do with the different audience targets.
3Blood And Gore Are More Pronounced (But Also Comedy)
Less Censorship Compared To The Anime
One of the things many fans complain about is that the anime always shows a stylized version of the world, while in the manhwa things are not always pretty. An example of this happens at the very beginning of the story, during the double gate incident that led Jinwoo to re-awaken. The scenes portrayed in the manhwa were much more gory in comparison to what the anime showed. Another example of this is when the hunters (accompanied by Jinwoo) are ambushed by the Frost Elves, the anime doesn’t showthe full weight of their violent attack.
On the other hand, the anime almost always shows a perfectly neat and polished characterization of Jinwoo, while the manhwa shows his more human side on more than one occasion. When Jinwoo visits her sister’s school after his transformation, some of the scenes are cut, alongside some heartfelt and funny moments. So, the manhwa does a better job at showcasing both the highs and lows of the story, even if sometimes it takes a silly and more relaxed style. In the end, the anime toned down both spectrums of the original series, and this resulted in a depreciation of the essence ofSolo Leveling.
4The Artwork Defines The Atmosphere Way Better
Shadows And Monster Designs Look Better In The Manhwa
The eerie and nearly ghostly appearance of Jin-Woo’s shadow summons fits perfectly with the Dark Fantasy setting, while in the case of the anime, the producers focused on a more Urban Fantasy style. The anime color palette looks brighter and even cheerful in some cases. Some of the characters have been considerably embellished (Chae-Hae In, for example) and look particularly more stylized with more feminine features compared to those of the manhwa.
But it is the creature and environment design that differs most andputs the manhwa a notch abovethe overall design of the anime. While it is true that the fluidity of combat and extended action scenes are quite attractive in the anime, the atmosphere surrounding Jinwoo’s shadow command abilities is simply perfect in the manhwa.
5No Added Filler Or Unnecessary Changes
The Storytelling Never Loses Focus In The Manhwa
TheSolo Levelinganime has been severely criticized during Season 1 for including some “filler” episodes (like the infamous “How to Get Stronger”), in an attempt to generate content to fill the gaps. But in truth, the manhwa does a pretty good job at that without unnecessary changes to the pacing or filler. While adaptations are almost always taking some liberties when recreating an original story into an animated version, some studios have taken this a little too far and this doesn’t always align too well with the essence of the story or the expectations of the fans. In some cases, the anime omits important dialogue scenes like the time when Jinwoo addressed young Hunter candidates at her sister’s school, speaking about his experiences. That would have been better to include than the “original scenes” created just to fill screen time.
Followers ofSolo Levelingwill reckon that Jinwoo’s journey begins clumsily, almost dying again to some Hellhounds that nearly killed him. After that, he slowly gets a grasp of his abilities and manages to win his first important battle and defeat a Boss, which he then resurrects using his Shadow Command ability. The anime does a good job of depicting this perfectly, but then again, it goes on and on adding original scenes that are not necessary for the core narrative, and some fans are displeased with it.
