Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
O1991
Premise: I watched the first season of Solo Leveling in May 2025, having previously read its synopsis and found the premise interesting. I went into it with genuine curiosity, without any hype or outside influence.
Solo Leveling starts with an interesting premise, but quickly proves to be entirely forgettable. The plot never offers anything truly engaging, the characters are shallow and unmemorable, and the story development is predictable at best. The animation is passable at times, but even that fails to elevate the experience.
Not every story or character needs to be deep or particularly well-written to be enjoyable. I've enjoyed works that aren't especially deep, such as Legend of Duo and Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars. However, Solo Leveling wasn't one of them.
Read at the sourceBoem_Otaku1294
The Perfect Prologue to Greatness - A Masterclass in the "Zero-to-Hero" Genre!
• Overall: 9/10
Season 1 is an absolute masterpiece of an introduction. It perfectly captures the essence of dark fantasy and survival, setting a rock-solid foundation for the entire franchise.
• Story: 9/10
The pacing is phenomenal. Unlike generic power fantasies, Solo Leveling Season 1 doesn't rush its main character. Seeing Sung Jinwoo start as the "Weakest Hunter of All Mankind," suffering brutal traumas, and earning every single stat point through sheer willpower is incredibly addictive and rewarding to watch.
• Animation: 9/10
A-1 Pictures did a phenomenal job bringing the webtoon to life. The Double Dungeon arc in the beginning felt like a genuine horror movie, and the legendary fight against Igris in the…
Read at the sourceJuulian0
Solo Leveling has some excellent action, but the story is considerably less impressive. It is easy to understand why people love it. The animation looks great, the soundtrack is awesome, and watching Jinwoo become stronger is satisfying. Those things made Season 1 entertaining, but underneath the production quality is a fairly mundane power fantasy.
Season 1 benefits enormously from Jinwoo starting out genuinely weak. His weakness affects what he can do, and there are still situations where the danger feels convincing. Watching him improve is satisfying because the season first establishes how much he struggles without that strength. The progression system gives the season a clear direction, and there is enough uncertainty about what he can handle to keep that progression interesting.
Th…
Read at the sourcearwuoe
Solo Leveling is an engaging anime with some familiar tropes
The story is fairly simple and linear. You get the main character sung jinwoo starting from the bottom, and as the title suggests, leveling up in his combat abilities. You see his progression along with the reactions from other characters as he becomes more notable in their society, following him through different battles and encounters. Fairly simple, you won't have a lot of complicated plot points to keep up with, and the mood usually alternates between intense battles and a motivational tone.
The art is pretty good, everything looks fine. Nothing super detailed or particularly interesting, and the fights are animated well. Nothing to really be impressed about but nothing wrong either. A lot of similar designs with random fea…
Read at the sourceliketn
We are all used to a rather slow and leisurely approach to storytelling in titles of this kind. This anime, however, takes a different route. Its pacing is much more dynamic: every fight develops quickly and ends before it has a chance to become tedious. In that sense, the 12-episode format works perfectly for a show with such a straightforward script. It is concise, energetic, and engaging enough to keep me watching without any serious desire to drop it.
That said, I did feel tempted to skip some of the flashback scenes. They were clearly meant to add emotional weight and background to the characters, but not all of them were interesting enough to justify the time spent on them. Some of these moments felt more like interruptions than meaningful additions to the story.
The main drawback,…
Read at the sourcecaclip
I personally enjoyed this because I found it entertaining, but nothing was really special about it. If anything, the first few episodes were some of my favorites because it was the only time I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Everything else was never shocking... he just gets stronger... and stronger... and stronger. It became clear quite quickly that every fight was going to end in his victory. But I still enjoyed it just because it made me feel like I was playing one of those grinding video games and watching myself boost my stats and get buff as hell, so it gave that same kind of satisfaction. Also, the animation was great, and watching him get new skills was cool. Overall, if you want a low-stress action frenzy, this is for you. But if you are looking for some unique story develop…
Read at the sourcejacksonalves
2 minutes of a stylish opening, 3 minutes of “I used to be the weakest,” 10 minutes of beating up Rank B mobs that were born to get stomped, 3 minutes of a fodder boss getting comboed... and then it ends with a philosophical pose while staring into the distance.
Honestly, that's exactly what the experience feels like. Zero tension, zero risk. Just XP farming and inflated aura.
The problem is that the series seems far more interested in making the protagonist look cool than in creating meaningful challenges. There's rarely any sense that something could actually go wrong. The supporting cast often feels like a collection of extras waiting for their turn to admire Sung Jin-Woo, and most conflicts lose their weight because the outcome is almost always obvious.
In the end, what remains is a…
Read at the sourceniqhtfallen
Ultimate binge material. This does not deserve the hate it gets, fights are peak. Literally no one other than the MC matters and all the other characters get fuck all screen time, so it does exactly what it needs to do. I couldn't care less about the writing and all that bullshit the pretentious battle shounen critics like to complain about. Shit aint even that bad there's wayyy fucking worse stuff out there. Only reason this is even getting clowned on is cause it benched Frieren which is so funny. Couldn't care less about that shit, ts entertaining af.
This is like the McDonald's or H&M of anime and I am all for it.
8/10
Read at the source_Bubassotto_
The first manhwa adaptation I watched, and honestly, it couldn't have been a better choice.
The first season of Solo Leveling was an extremely memorable experience for me, mainly because it carries enormous emotional value. Besides being the adaptation of the first manhwa I read, it was also the anime that made me realize the gigantic potential that Korean works have when they receive high-level production.
From the moment the anime was announced, there was an absurd amount of expectation surrounding the adaptation, because Solo Leveling was already a worldwide phenomenon among manhwa readers. And thankfully, the result managed to deliver exactly what fans expected: intense action, impressive visuals, and extremely epic moments. You can clearly feel the care put into the production.
The…
Read at the sourcePinktoastPsy
My feelings about *Solo Leveling* are incredibly mixed. How can something be so good and so bad at the same time? It’s been a while since I’ve binge-watched a season so quickly—I mean, in less than a night, ha ha ha.
Well, starting with the art style – a bit flat, CGI, typical manhwa shots – it’s not bad. The animation in the action scenes isn’t bad at all either, and I think the fact that it was non-stop action with very little filler is what made me feel it was brilliant, incredibly exciting; some scenes really got my heart racing.
But how can something be so good and so bad at the same time? The typical manhwa direction leaves a lot to be desired, but hey, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series.
Read at the sourceHewhoanimes
Shows pretty good I think it starts strong and ends weak. I enjoy the progression of the main character but it’s way too fast toward the end and the second season after this one is such a bore. The MC op as shit and it’s unfun to watch. It’s a shame because the world is so interesting, but the MC just throws the entire thing on its ass. This is more the anime in general, I think if you just wanna watch some cool shit the first season is a good anime. Just kinda farts its way to mediocre, didn’t like the last episode of this season. I recommend I guess, if you just wanna watch something. It’s not next level anime, it easily could have been though.
Read at the sourceJaneAniList
It is important to have a series that's capable of appealing to an audience seeking out a world to insert themselves into. This doesn't always lead to the strongest ideas or characters, but it's capable of giving us moments that we want to speak about and share. For me, it was watching the dub of Solo Leveling and hearing Sung Jinwoo say "In other words, I won't be solo leveling anymore." At the end of the only memorable fight of the season, in a pivotal moment of change for our main character, he just fuckin said that shit and I gotta take that on the chin and accept that I'm watching Solo Leveling. Regardless, it was incredibly capable of setting up a very basic world, and in some ways very easily reminds someone of loading up their own video game and being thrown into a mostly unfamilia…
Read at the sourceLilithiine
It's below average. Not terrible, I wouldn't say it was bad, but I would not have been able to finish it if I wasn't watching it with someone else. Jinwoo has interesting ideas for his character progression in going from a timid non combatant to a killer, but it ultimately falls flat and the anime does not do much with this idea. None of the characters introduced get very much screen time, and the screen time they do get is just to let Jinwoo aura farm. The visuals are pretty and some of the fight scenes look spectacular, but it ultimately falls flat on delivering any kind of stakes other than Jinwoo wanting to help his mom, which is a plot thread they do not follow up on. In fact, this anime does not follow up on any of the interesting plot threads that would give it depth. It is just an…
Read at the sourceefmp1987
If you're looking for a fun, feels good anime, then Solo Leveling is for you... YES! FOR YOU! Do not be misled by the "Not Recommended" or "Mixed Feelings" in the review section - most of those reviews are from viewers who dig the intellectual exercises they get from watching a stuporific show, the same shows that will send regular dudes like you and me (or 99% of all anime lovers) to the coma ward due to the sheer boredom of them.
Plot: 10/10 - it was fun, exhilarating, and it felt good, especially after our MC has vindicated the cruel fate given to him initially.
Characters: 9/10 - no complains. They were fun and likeable.
Design/Animation: 11/10
Feelsgood: 12/10
Bingewatchable: ABSOLUTELY YES.
Read at the sourcezHalalGoku
I get that girls might not like it, but guys who love action should definitely enjoy this. This is definitely in my top 5 favorite anime. You've watched so much anime that you think every single one has to have confusing subplots or beautifully crafted, high-quality storylines. No, okay, I’ll admit that’s necessary in most anime, but why can’t you make an exception for this one? It’s because you don’t know how to watch it. If you’re someone who loves MMORPGs, watch this instead of those isekai nonsense shows. By the way, I forgot to mention the most important thing. You probably won’t agree with me, and I don’t care, but the main character’s personality is more human than any character I’ve seen in other animes so far. I mean, he acts more like a real person—not over-the-top. In other anim…
Read at the sourceTtroy6226
If fast food was an anime, it would be this one. Solo Leveling is a simple anime that’s easy to consume. It comes with its strengths, but much more weaknesses in my opinion.
The Strengths: Like I just said, this anime is super easy to consume because of it’s simplicity, I finished this particular season and even started the next in a matter of a few days. This anime is genuinely entertaining, there’s no denying that, the animation is beautiful and fluid, the opening is great, and Jin-Woo definitely has lots of “aura”. Any young man like me will probably enjoy this anime simply for the epic power fantasy.
The Weaknesses: While simplicity is a strength, it’s also a hindrance. The side characters in this show have NO development. We’re talking bottom 10% in all of anime, it’s awful how no o…
Read at the sourceTheHolHorseDoc
This is the worst shit I've ever watched in my life. School Days is better than this Cocomelon-level show.
Watching paint dry is more exiting and intriguing than watching this slop that dares to call itself an animated show.
Not uniqe at all, super predictable "writing"
The art style is the only positive, but even that is a reach.
Bad characters, obviously. No depth and side characters dont exist, like at all.
Nothing about the characters or the stories made sense from a narrative standpoint.
Anyone reading this please for the sake of your own soul don't watch this hot garbage.
Read at the sourcePuncle
There isn't much to say because the story itself has nothing to say.
This exists purely for animation. Everything else is empty. It isn't a matter of taste, it is that there is no taste. Food is a common comparison for reviewing stories, this is swallowing your own spit.
It isn't outright hostile to the reader, which makes it better than a handful of stories, but there is almost nothing I can think of as vapid & boring. It is just a pure void of writing quality save for a brief moment. If you want to enjoy this just watch a compilation of the fight scenes & you'd get about the same value. I gave it every possible chance.
Read at the sourcejay_quelin
After finishing both seasons, I finally realized what Solo Leveling is all about: an action-packed Shonen where the MC gets stronger and stronger while the rest of the characters get sidelined as under leveled NPCs. In Sword Art Online, Kirito fights with Asuna and other human beings. Here, Sung Jinwoo fights with all the toys he collects from dungeons (items, weapons, etc). In this world, people are "born" into their power level, ranging from Rank E through S. If you are born Rank E, you stay rank E for the rest of your life. No amount of hard work or training will change that. Because Sung is the only person on Earth who "reawakened," he's also the only person who sees the world as a videogame. As a result, Sung can now gain XP, allocate skill points, and earn quest rewards. This allows…
Read at the sourceLasers5
Enjoyable anime, mostly based on cool combat scenes, everything else is second priority. The plot is there just to keep immersion, however it doesn't matter much. Over the duration of the show the main character simply gets stronger and fights stronger enemies, and that's all.
This doesn't mean however that it's bad, the writing might be cheap, but it is entertaining.
Artwork is good, characters are diverse and interesting, but stereotypical and predictable. The main character, however, changes a lot during the duration of the show, surprising the viewer at every opportunity, keeping his interest up.
The combat scenes do not repeat strategies too often, usually the main character needs to try new things in order to win fights, and foes are unique as well.
Read at the source
