A review by nitzanschwarz
Solo Leveling, Vol. 2 by Chugong

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Oh boy, re-reading Solo Leveling with the physical release is definitely a sobering experience, because now I see all the flaws that I couldn't see when I originally was entranced by this series. I'm going to start with some stylistic things that kept bugging me as I read, before going into substantial observations.

Yen Press's Translation 
Here is the thing - as translations go, it's decent, by which I mean there aren't any awkward or hard-to-figure-out phrasings or typos (can't comment on accuracy). That being said, choices™ were made here. For example, there is something incredibly jarring--and insulting--about their choice to change the font of a person speaking on the other end of the phone. It looks so off on the page, kind of slapping you with what they're saying (it's bolder, bigger, and more rectangular). Was Yes Press worried the readers won't understand the other person is on the phone or something? Because it took me out constantly.

I would've also liked it if Yen Press added translation notes, kind of like Seven Seas are doing semi-successfully for their danmei reads. Many people aren't familiar with Korean cultures, titles, and honorifics, and that's fine. But I bet a lot of people may have been confused by Jin-Woo's reaction to being called "Mister" and it would've been nice if a translation note was made, even in a glossary, of what "ajusshi" means, as I believe this is what she called him in Korean. These things are small but could've added a lot of depth and enriched the experience.

Solo Leveling Format Web-novel vs. Volumed Release
I was also confronted with this reading with some elements of Solo Leveling that don't translate well as a novel. For example, in one of the scenes, the name of a person is censored out (like, literally in ****) because the author doesn't want to reveal who that person is yet to the reader, while our characters know. Now, as a web novel, this works. This was likely the end of a weekly part (remember, the web novel format would publish each of the chapters we read here as part of the volume in parts, not as one big chapter). Doing so, Chugong would've been able to amp up the tension and form a sort of cliffhanger, encouraging readers to come back to read the next part when it's out. This does not work when chapters are put together in a volume release and looks very strange. Naturally, not much could be done about this for the translation, but much like the transition between long strip webtoons to physical volume releases is not the smoothest, neither is the transition between web novels to physical copies.

Another element that is a strong remnant of its web novel origin is the almost "location subtitle" that occurs when scenes move places. Like, a part will open with "Hunter Guild, the other side of the city" like you might see on an establishing shot in a movie when locations change, or in a rectangle speech box in a comic. In novels, we don't typically get sentences like this - we're far more likely to see something like "Across the city, in the Hunter's Guild, xx paced" or some sort. I don't know if I explain this well to anyone who might be reading this, but I hope if I ever go back to read this review that I will understand lol

Novel Jin-Woo Sung is terrifying
I have previously stated, I believe on the manhwa volume release, that I think the manhwa upgraded the source material, adding more depth to characters and such. I think that is especially true for Jin-Woo's character itself. Novel!Jin-Woo is one cool cucumber, who can be quite two-dimensional - he's cool, collected, determined... and very emotionally stunted. It kind of feels like he doesn't feel the impact of anything that has happened to him and never goes through any hard-hitting emotional beats. It reminds me in a way of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint protagonist, Kim Dokja, only Dokja has a narrative reason for being this way - a literal "power" that helps him stay calm and detached because otherwise, the dude would not be able to function from all the Trauma™. Jin-Woo doesn't have this "excuse". And maybe it could be some trauma reaction to what he has gone through, but since the book never makes it so, I can't really use that as an explanation.

But you know, having a "cool" protagonist is not necessarily bad. It's just that Novel!Jin-Woo is also kind of terrifying, lacking any empathy for anyone he perceives as "strong" or in the wrong. It's especially apparent in the Red Gate arc.

Was Chul a pos? absolutely. I wanted to slap a bitch. But did he deserve to be killed for his soul to be harvested and made into a servant, with the man who killed him gleeful over the fact he played right into his hands?

And while Jin-Woo shows some soft spot for the weak, it's also not like he particularly cares for them, showing an attitude of "whatever happens to you is none of my business unless". The characters in this book themselves are distinctively aware that they can be tossed away at any moment. In fact, the most empathy Jin-Woo shows toward anything in this book is... toward his shadow soldiers. 

And listen, I still love Jin-Woo. But I have to acknowledge that novel!Jin-Woo could've easily been the villain of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death