The popular South Korean webcomic Solo Leveling has finally made the transition to screen and – after a lengthy wait – fans won't be disappointed.
Solo Leveling was first introduced to fans back in 2015 as a Korean web novel written by Chugong.
It was later adapted into a webtoon and Manhwa in 2018, amassing a huge following worldwide.
Now, after nearly a decade, the creators' attempts to bring the world of super-powered hunters versus hordes of monsters to anime form have resulted in something invitingly dark and exciting.
So what are you in for if you’re unfamiliar with the source material?
The anime's main protagonist Sung Jin-woo serves as the underdog with heart.
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Weaker than the other hunters, Jin-woo finds himself desperate to embark on life-threatening missions not to prove himself for glory, but so that he can support his family with money he receives from them.
His try-hard attitude and sacrificial character traits are a delicate balance to get right and could easily come off as cheesy, and yet something is endearing about how they show up that causes you to root for him instead of rolling your eyes.
And Jin-woo will need all the rooting-for you can muster, as his journey opens up Solo Leveling's thickly gory, dramatic world laced with mystery.
The show's focus for the first couple of episodes is, in part, on world-building - which here means quite a lot of info-dumping interspersed between the action.
It's a clunky storytelling approach that's not unusual for the genre, but Solo Leveling more than makes up for any slower moments with graphic action sequences that are guaranteed to keep you on edge.
While its gruesome visuals deliver a thrilling shock factor thanks to the stunning art direction, they are anything but baseless carnage.
Solo Leveling balances the dismemberment of limbs and the slicing of bodies in half by quickly building emotional connections to the characters - exploring their relationships with one another and their motivation for taking the risks they do.
The pacing feels spot on when the danger becomes more pronounced, thanks to the way the show makes a habit of cutting to scenes showing characters’ personal lives outside of their mission.
So far it is a compelling start with plenty of intrigue to build upon – and perfect to fill that monster-fighting hole in your heart while we wait for the next instalments of Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer.
Solo Leveling will be available to watch weekly on Crunchyroll from the 6th January.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
