Earlier this month, my best friend has been asking me for anime and manga recommendations. He's been so stressed and busy with work that he needs something to unwind aside from the usual gaming.
Then, he asked me if I'd watched Solo Leveling because he was curious, but was still in two minds because the anime was ongoing. So, I told him that it was on my list and suggested he read the Webtoon instead since it's already completed.
After he finished reading it in just a couple of days, he sent me a message urging me to read it as well. haha It was the final push for me to actually read it.
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I think Solo Leveling is very popular, but for the sake of those who haven't read or watched it yet, here's a summary.
The story is set in a world where some people are blessed with magical abilities to battle against monsters from another realm. They're categorized into different classes depending on how strong their magical ability is with Class S as the highest and Class E as the lowest.
Class E hunters (as they're called) are only slightly stronger than ordinary people... and the main character, Sung Jinwoo, is among them.
However, an unpredicted incident occurred which allowed him to re-awaken. He woke up with an interesting ability of being able to level up as if in a game... and his job? A necromancer!
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I do play some mobile RPGs and have been curious about necromancers, especially when I played Diablo last time. However, I almost always end up choosing Mage, Wizard, or Archer when I play. I prefer long-range characters to melee ones, but I think I'd enjoy being a necromancer as well.
I discussed this Webtoon with my best friend while we were driving to our common friend's party a few days back. We became besties because of anime and gaming, so it was so fun having a conversation with him. We related the Webtoon to some of the games we used to play, including Diablo.
My cousin who was listening to our conversation got curious that he later asked me about the Webtoon as well. He's also a gamer. hahaha
Anyway, the concept of the Webtoon was fun and exciting, especially for people who are also into games. It's quite relatable... and the characters are so interesting, especially some of the "shadows" the main character possesses.
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After reading Solo Leveling, I proceeded with the sequel called Solo Leveling: Ragnarok. It's still ongoing, but the main character this time is Sung Jinwoo's son, Sung Suho.
He has similar abilities as his father, but he's more of they fighter type rather than a necromancer. You'll understand what I mean when you read the Webtoon.
The original is always better than the sequel... but I honestly, find Ragnarok really fun. It's the same level, if not better than the first one. (so far... I don't know in the coming weeks).
I believe it has something to do with the fact that I'm familiar with some of the characters and seeing them change into adults or older than before made it more impactful. There were some sh***y characters who became even worse. Though, I got to love some of the characters I already liked in the prequel.
I won't say so much about it to avoid spoilers, but just one thing... I believe it's worth it! I can't wait to read more... and I wonder who his next allies would be.
I enjoyed Solo Leveling, but I have a feeling that I'll enjoy Solo Leveling: Ragnarok even more! We'll see...
Thanks for reading and see you around! (^^,)/
PS: The anime's second season is starting next year, so I guess I have to watch the first season soon! Ja, mata ne~