Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 7 Review
Anyone who’s read this blog’s reviews of Solo Leveling should know its stance on Sung Jin-woo by now: he is HIM! Some might say that’s glazing him and his series too much, but the Internet would argue it’s not enough. The last episode alone managed to not only crash legit streaming platforms but even piracy sites! The hype surrounding this show is the real deal. Therefore, it seems only fitting from a meta-standpoint that the majority of this next episode centers around people fawning over Jin-woo in his own story.
And he deserves every second of it.
Sung Jin-woo, our Glorious King
The 10th S-rank hunter appears, the reaction of everyone from Sung Jin-woo’s sister to even the S-rank being afraid of him #SoloLeveling pic.twitter.com/kx0PC8J4EW
— Kaneki (@bestmangapost) February 15, 2025 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
At the end of the last episode, Jin-woo’s 3-day waiting period for his new S-Rank status ended. All he had to do was pick up his new license and then get on with his day like it’s no big deal. What he didn’t count on was the fact that him becoming Korea’s 10th S-Rank Hunter would make national news.
Nor did he count on being bombarded by an army of reporters trying to talk to him.
Like in the manwha, this episode (at least the first part of it) is meant to be seen as funny, mostly due to Jin-woo. He’s gotten to the point where he sees being recognized as an S-Rank Hunter is purely pragmatic. It’s a means for him to get the gear he needs to conquer the Demon Castle Dungeon. He’s already been at S-Rank for sometime, so he didn’t consider it a big deal. For everyone else, though, it’s the exact opposite. And the anime does a good job of showing how everyone who knows him personally reacts to the news.
【BREAKING NEWS】: A new S-rank hunter is born! #SoloLeveling
pic.twitter.com/KOddYb9kOA
— AnimeTV チェーン (@animetv_jp) February 15, 2025 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
I Laughed So Hard Seeing this
The funniest part, though? It’s not the fact that Baek Yoonho and Choi Jong-In, both try and recruit him to their guilds like he’s the new all-star football player joining the NFL. It’s the fact that the press wasn’t even there for Jin-woo. This pretentious actor who awakened as an A-Rank called them there to make a big deal about him becoming a Hunter. Seeing Jin-woo ruin this man’s plans without even trying is hilarious! And he deserves it!
It’s unfortuntate that the series doesn’t spare some extra time on Jin-woo dealing with his newfound fame, but since it doesn’t matter to him, it doesn’t matter to the show. To his credit, though, Jin-woo uses his summons to protect his sister and neighborhood covertly.
She loved Jinwoo when he was just an E-Rank weakling.
Best girl Joohee #SoloLeveling pic.twitter.com/RISglFFUQ4
— Solo Leveling (@SoloLevelAnime) February 15, 2025 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Also, despite it happening right away in the manwha, Baek Yoonho being the first person to realize Jin-woo can level up is accurate.
Jinho Leaves Home
This is such a good change A-1 Pictures made in the anime compared to the manhwa #SoloLeveling pic.twitter.com/OMyMOqudn9
— Solo Leveling (@SoloLevelAnime) February 16, 2025 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The worst part? It’s the same thing that Jin-woo’s mother suffers from.
Good thing that Jin-woo is already planning on getting that medicine!
Jin-woo Gonna Conquer that Dungeon
The final part of the episode revolves around Jin-woo returning to the Demon Castle to finish what he started. And thanks to his growing army, he’s now able to delegate farming for enemies to his subordinates. Until he realizes that someone’s picking off his Shadows one by one. And since they’re only going after the weaker ones first, he knows that this isn’t a normal Monster. They’re intelligent and capable of planning out a strategy.
“Do magic beasts feel fear? “
Giving Sung Jin-woo a cloak was a mistake, it just gave him more design points against monsters #SoloLeveling pic.twitter.com/xZOaoTJWfS
— Kaneki (@bestmangapost) February 15, 2025 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The episode ultimately ends with Jin-woo confronting the ones picking off his soldiers and killing all but one of them. Don’t be fooled, though. This is only the start of an arc that (hopefully) will last a few episodes. Given what’s coming in the future, this might be one instance where the anime would do well not to rush things.
