Jin-woo's Character Change Proves the Solo Leveling Anime Never Understood the Manhwa

G7 Magazine Staff4 February، 2025

95 7 minutes read

Jin-woo's Character Change Proves the Solo Leveling Anime Never Understood the Manhwa

The adaptation of Solo Leveling differs from most anime in that the authentic product is not Japanese. That is one other layer of change that alters the story much more than the anime must. Giving Sung Jinwoo a voice is yet one more trait that followers can not decide for themselves, however the anime is made for a distinct market than both the webnovel or the manhwa. For one factor, the anime facilities much more on Jinwoo, and it exhibits a lot much less of the occasions that encompass him. Plus, his characterization is completely different. Jinwoo in the manhwa turns into ruthless early on, however even in Solo Leveling Season 2, Jinwoo nonetheless struggles to return to phrases with the morality of the selections he is making.

Jinwoo in the anime is simply as prone to kill his opponents, be they human or monster. However, he feels worse about it when he does. It’s not depicted as his first choice. In truth, he often solely does in order a response as a substitute of one thing premeditated. Manhwa Jinwoo’s actions are extra excessive, however the method individuals round him reply can be larger. As such, the manhwa exams his religion in humanity by means of each harsher situations and larger kindness. The anime has explored much less of Jinwoo’s previous than manhwa does, and plenty of followers consider the anime has watered Jinwoo down too far, making him boring and generic.

Sung Jinwoo is a Darker Character in the Solo Leveling Manhwa

Both Versions of Jinwoo Are Losing Emotions

Jinwoo faces many opponents who need him lifeless, particularly human ones. It’s how he reacts to those people that basically shapes his character and has him noticing the adjustments in himself. The first time he kills an individual, Jinwoo is being threatened by a squad of lizards. They intend to kill him and Yoo Jinho. He will get a mission from the System to save lots of himself, and whereas the System will threaten him with it, Jinwoo finally ends up with a greater understanding of how a lot the System wants him. However, the greatest distinction in these variations is in how Jinwoo kills Hwang Dong-suk. In the anime, Jinwoo shortly cuts his head off. In the manhwa, Jinwoo far more brutally crushes his cranium first.

‘We Wanted That Line’: Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo Reveals the Anime Cut That Was ‘Too Cold’ Not to Return to the Dub

In addition to the Solo Leveling English dub’s lauded improvisation, the newest episode receives reward on account of restoring a line from the manhwa.

This is not the solely occasion wherein Jinwoo is extra calculating in the manhwa. Kim Chul is boastful and merciless sufficient to go away anybody he considers lifeless weight behind to a seemingly sure doom. The anime would not emphasize the sheer time the hunters have spent in the Red Gate by the time Chul tries to assault Jinwoo. He is not a very good particular person, however his worst traits are solely emphasised by hunger and trauma. Jinwoo would not should have sympathy for Chul, however in the anime, Jinwoo killing him is a direct response to Chul attacking Jinwoo. In the manhwa, Jinwoo tosses a sword Chul’s method to bait him into the assault simply because Jinwoo needs a stronger shadow for the combat. He orchestrates the lack of Chul’s life for his personal power.

The System is Pushier in the Solo Leveling Anime

Anime Jinwoo Still Has to Hit the Same Plot Points

solo leveling system message — Image through A-1 Pictures

Jinwoo is extra nervous about what the System needs from him in the anime. While he needs to make use of it to grow to be stronger, he accepts the System is using him in return extra simply in the manhwa. The anime has a number of moments of Jinwoo questioning his actions and analyzing his personal lack of feelings when killing a human. As a consequence, he has some quantity of mistrust of the System and the quests he will get, even when these quests are retaining him alive. This is additional emphasised by the distinction of what Jinwoo will inform his sister. Sung Jin-ah represents the concept that Jinwoo is making an attempt to guard. He even tries to guard her from himself.

Cha Haein with Beru and the Ant King in the Solo Leveling manhwa

Solo Leveling’s Anime is Removing Part of the Manhwa’s Identity & It Might Ruin One of Its Best Arcs

Solo Leveling’s anime has made many nice adjustments to the supply materials, however certainly one of its greatest omissions might show damaging for a beloved arc.

Jinwoo has a little bit of disdain for the rewards he will get after killing Dongsuk’s social gathering. Because Jinwoo is much less comfy killing in the anime, even when the System would not change, it appears extra aggressive by means of that distinction. It must be famous that if Jinwoo hadn’t been ordered to kill the lizards, he in all probability would have been out of self-defense, anyway. The manhwa has Jinwoo understand his loss in emotion shortly, whereas the anime Jinwoo would not write off the ease of killing the social gathering as an exterior loss. Instead, he is questioning whether or not he is a very good particular person due to the state of affairs. While Jinah acts as a distinction to the System emotionally, Jinwoo’s need to guard her pushes him again in direction of working with the System to get stronger.

Edgy Anime Protagonists Aren’t Rare Especially in Shonen & Isekai Anime

A Staple of the Isekai Genre

Jinwoo solos Dongsuk and the Lizards in Solo Leveling — Image through A-1 Pictures

Because of those variations between the two variations of Solo Leveling, many manhwa followers are as keen on the anime. They consider Jinwoo being softer makes his character extra boring and commonplace. Many have mentioned that one trait that makes Jinwoo stand out amongst different collection protagonists is how distinctive his ruthlessness is. While Jinwoo, being a harsh character, is central to the manhwa for explaining his selections and the lengths he is keen to go, it actually is not that distinctive a trait. He’s an edgy character, however so are loads of isekai protagonists. Arguably, Hajime Nagumo from Arifureta goes by means of an extremely comparable set as much as his story.

Nagumo and Jinwoo are each left to die in a dungeon far above their stage.
Before that, every of them is taken into account the weakest of thier group and handled poorly.
Both protagonists have to return to phrases with the lack of their humanity by means of the very factor that saved their lives.

Sung Jinwoo thinks about his dad, Sung Ilhwan in Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 3 Reveals a Hidden Detail Manhwa Readers Probably Missed

Without his dad round, Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo was compelled to stage up solo in additional methods than one. Episode 15 indicators a possible change for him.

Jinwoo is not in as a lot management in the anime. He would not orchestrate the conditions round him, and that makes him a reactionary character. Considering energetic protagonists are simpler to root for, this might contribute to why some followers do not like this iteration of the character. Both variations of Jinwoo care about getting stronger, however the anime ties that need into Jinwoo’s family extra usually. This additionally makes him extra sympathetic. Being so sympathetic undermines the concept that the System has made him much less human and extra like the monsters from the dungeons. A personality shift exhibiting him performing extra like his manhwa counterpart would conflict together with his present state of growth.

Anime Jinwoo vs Manhwa Jinwoo’s Character Development

How Far Will These Versions of Jinwoo Grow Apart?

jinwoo sung makes a nervous laugh — Image through A-1 Pictures

Despite the characterization adjustments in the anime, Jinwoo might be going to finish up in the similar place as the manhwa. The anime hits most of the similar plot factors, even when the strategy to them is barely completely different. It’s the different adjustments in how the anime is being written that pressure Jinwoo’s transformation to vary. Jinwoo changing into the chilly, calculating determine at this level in the story makes little sense to what the starting of the anime focuses on. The manhwa places a larger emphasis on the strains of being the weakest hunter and the way Jinwoo is handled. He begins the story with a fancy view of different individuals. The anime glosses over this, so his growth needs to be slower to really feel sensible.

Jinwoo’s gradual character growth additionally makes him extra relatable to a common viewers, which gathers extra mass enchantment however is not at all times a very good factor. Jinwoo is put in conditions the place he cannot make the similar selections. He would not should kick Chul’s sword at him in the anime, for one. Because Jinwoo makes fewer selections general, it is truthful to say he is extra boring in the anime. Less world constructing means a fair larger dependence on Jinwoo’s character. This is countered by the enhanced introspection Jinwoo goes by means of, however it’s a fragile balancing act.

Jinwoo begins the anime as extra of an each man character, however he is not like that in the manhwa. For this motive, the anime cannot deal with his character growth the similar method. However, the adjustments to his character soften him and diminish his enchantment to some followers. All three iterations of Jinwoo differ from one another, although. As such, every model of the Solo Leveling story brings one thing distinctive to the desk and followers ought to take a look at all three to see what model of Jinwoo they really like the greatest.