When it comes to adapting a story from the page to the screen, there’s always going to be some changes that need to be made for it to work in the new medium. However, filmmakers are also tasked with making sure that those adjustments don’t disrupt the flagship work so much that it loses what made it so appealing to fans in the first place. ForSolo Leveling, the showrunners prioritized ensuring their adjustments to the original manhwa weren’t too noticeable — condensing, recontextualizing, and expanding its narrative as ananimewhile keeping true to its core story.
So far, the animated series' biggest deviations can be seen in its language, new scenes, introductions to certain characters, settings, and plot points, and portrayal of the story’s lead. The first episode alone had tons of modifications, from small incongruencies to major structural changes. Regardless, the show definitely lives up to high expectations. Considering the manhwa was already an adaptation of a web novel, this is a significant feat for the anime’s creative team. But, obviously, not everyone agrees (every fanbase has its purists).
Here are the most notable differences betweenSolo Leveling’sanime and manhwa, as well as what those changes could mean for the anime’s developing story.
The Anime Isn’t Korean
For anyone unfamiliar with the different terms for Asian comics, manga are Japanese, manhua are Chinese, andmanhwa are Korean. Thus,Solo Leveling’smanhwa (as well as the franchise’s first web novel) was written in Korean. However, the anime adaptation is being produced by A-1 Pictures, a Japanese studio, so the original voice actors' language is Japanese.A lot of fan controversy immediately surrounded this big change and its subsequent cultural divide, especially considering there are future storylines that see some of the characters connect internationally.
Additionally, the initial outcry was influenced by the announcement that the version set to air in Japan would swap the characters' Korean names with Japanese ones, including protagonist Sung Jin-woo (changed to Shun Mizushino), and the Seoul setting would be Tokyo instead. Showrunners explained that localization was an important factor in audience immersion. However, that difference only applies to Japanese viewers. Plus, since the show’s international release, it’s been fairly consistent despite the language shift. So, the change doesn’t seem to be a huge issue when it comes to enjoying the anime, because it hasn’t negatively affected the overall story in a significant way (at least so far).
Earlier Introductions
Jeju Island Opening
Solo Leveling’sanime starts off with a major divergence from the manhwa’s opening. It starts with a completely new scene:a flashback toJeju Island that reveals some dungeon logistics and the power of the S-Class hunters. While the location is definitely an important one in the original story because it hosts an S-Rank gate,it’s featured later on in the manhwa, while the animated series highlights it immediately.
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Highlighting Important Characters
Along with Jeju Island, there are plenty of notable characters introduced sooner in the anime than they were in the manhwa.Chairman Go Gunhee (voiced by Banjo Ginga) shows up earlieras a way to explain the dungeons, and their value/renewable energy, as well as how hunters can sell essence stones to the Hunter’s Association to fund their exploits — providing some world-building insight into the hunters' industry. Considering Chairman Go is the head of the Hunter’s Association, as well as eventually becoming a noteworthy figure in Jin-woo’s life, it makes sense that showrunners would present him and his relevant exposition to viewers early on.
Likewise,Cha Hae-in (Reina Ueda) debuts in the anime’s first episode while not appearing in the manhwa until chapter 65.Being one of the story’s most important characters through her S-Class power, connection to Jin-woo, and prominent role in the Hunters Guild, her preliminary arrival is also indicative of how much she matters in the larger narrative.
On the other hand, Kang Taeshik, who was only a single-arc antagonist in the manhwa, has an earlier arrival as well, while Jin-woo is in the hospital. When a group from the Hunter’s Association visits him, Taeshik is among them. Thecold-blooded villainuses his position to get away with his nefarious actions in both versions of the series, butthe anime introduces him sooner to emphasize the moral ambiguity of the huntersby allowing audiences to more easily connect with him.
Everyone’s Favorite Arc
As for the narrative itself, the biggest introductory difference involves the highly anticipated Jeju Island Raid arc. In the anime, the Hunters Guild discovers the monster ants in the sea have evolved with wings while scouting Jeju. This happens well in advance when compared to the manhwa, which doesn’t include this plot point until well after one of the monsters attacks a Japanese coastal island, opening up a coalition between Korean and Japanese hunters. Evidently, this was to hype up the fan-favorite arc covered in Season 2, which didn’t happen until chapter 90 of the web novel.
How ‘Solo Leveling’ Changed Jin-woo
Between the two adaptations, its hero Sung Jin-woo (voiced by Taito Ban in the anime) is definitely the biggest difference. He’s the same character for the most part, an eager hunter who wants tobecome more powerfuland take care of his family. However, his motivations and struggles vary.
The manhwa focuses more on his desire to get as strong as possible. When he heads into the S-Rank dungeon, it’s because he wants to test himself and his abilities. However, in the animated version, his drive is influenced less by his level and more by curiosity. So,while he still wants to develop his power, it doesn’t seem like such a propulsive goal.
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Additionally, Jin-woo’s personality is marked by anger and revenge in the manhwa. He sought to become cold and didn’t forget those who left him in the double dungeon. He’d also openly threaten others to get what he wanted from them. Correspondingly, the guy had some clear trust issues (can’t blame him). On the other hand, the Jin-woo in the anime wasn’t as socially isolated from the rest of the hunters when he was at his weakest.As a result, he seems much more forgiving(which makes sense) and worried about his own morality. While both iterations are fitting for the character, the anime reflects more of a typical hero who is heavily conflicted about turning into a villain.
The anime also alters Jin-woo’s relationship with weaponry. At the beginning of the manhwa series, he can barely pay his already reduced rent, let alone buy equipment to enter the dungeons. Plus, his weapons were also liable to break, so he started forgoing them altogether after realizing it was cheaper to get injured and healed. However,the anime shows a completely new scene in which he enters the double dungeon, breaks his weapon, and gets stabbed by a goblin. This addition emphasizes Jin-woo’s initialE-Rank weakness, like fighting with his bare hands in the manhwa, through its visceral imagery.
All in all,Solo Leveling’sanime adheres to theessential aspects of its manhwapredecessor. Some of the changes improve the structure of the story, while others could lead to significant story deviations in future seasons as the show continues. However, for now, we’ll just have to wait and see, and after Season 2’s intense finale, it looks like the show is in good hands.
