Things The Anime Changes From The Manhwa

Solo Leveling became a cultural phenomenon in the mid to late 2010s. The manwha and its anime adaptation tell the story of the nobody E Rank adventurer, Sung Jinwoo, who grew to become essentially a god, and captured the imagination of everyone.

When the anime made its debut in 2024, there were fears that it might get gutted like some of its other counterparts, like God Of High School and Tower Of God. But to viewers’ pleasant surprise, it was pretty well done. However, there are some differences in the anime, some of which manhwa readers might find interesting. Here are some of the biggest ones.

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8

The Anime Was Originally In Japanese

This Caused Some Controversy

Solo Leveling is a Korean manhwa, and naturally, everything involved in the story followed a Korean slant. However, early on, it was revealed that some changes were made for the Japanese audience. This included changing some names and even the cities where the story took place, such as replacing Seoul with Tokyo.

Thankfully, most international viewers will not have to experience this. The anime did its best to keep the story intact within its Korean setting without making the changes that had caused some controversy.

7

Sung Jinwoo Takes The Kasaka Venom Against Cerberus

This Was Different In The Manhwa

One of the most defining fights for Sung Jinwoo in the story was against Cerberus, who was a major enemy in an instant dungeon that Jinwoo went into. In the manhwa, the fight was epic, and served as a way to show Jinwoo’s progression.

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However, in the anime, this fight was drawn out and beautifully animated. Additionally, unlike in the manwha where Jinwoo used the Kasaka venom he had gotten from the snake at home before his fight with Cerberus, in the anime, he did this during the fight. This would be the catalyst for his win, which also leveled him up quite a bit.

6

More Character Development For Lee Joohee

She Was Given More Time To Breathe

One of the early characters and allies for Jinwoo in the manhwa was the B-class healer, Lee Joohee. She was the character that worried about him when he was still a weakling. It was clear in the manhwa that she could have been much stronger if she weren’t so scared.

The anime did a great job of making her more present. In a scene from the 8th episode, she receives a call from her parents as she struggles with her life as a hunter. Her parents want her to come home, and it is shown that they don’t really believe in her abilities. She is still a minor character, but she wasn’t tossed aside.

5

The Anime Starts With Jeju Island

This Gives A Greater Sense Of Scale From The Start

One of the most iconic arcs of the Solo Leveling manhwa was the Jeju Island arc, which has some similarities with another great anime arc — the Chimera Ant Arc from Hunter X Hunter. Unlike the manhwa, where there is no mention of Jeju island till about chapter 90, the anime presents this plot point pretty early.

From the very first episode, fans are treated to flashbacks of the previous attempts to do something about the menace on Jeju Island. It ultimately ends in failure. In this way, the anime sets up an overarching narrative with a final boss of sorts.

4

Other Characters Get A Chance To Shine

Jinwoo Isn’t The Only Attraction

The Solo Leveling story is focused on Sung Jinwoo, and this is not very different in the anime. However, what changed is that the writers did their best to let the other characters get some time in the sun.

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A great example of this was with Kim Sangshik, who was something of a coward and was among those who happily abandoned Jinwoo in the Double Dungeon. In the anime, his reasons for leaving (namely, his family) got a little more screen time. This helped fans, if not forgive him, at least understand him.

3

Go Gunhee Serves As A Major Exposition Dump

The Chairman Of The Korean Hunters’ Association Appears Early

Go Gunhee is a bit of a mentor figure for Jinwoo (as much as anyone could take up such a slot) and was considered one of the strongest hunters in his day. In the manhwa, he doesn’t show up until past the 70th chapter.

But the anime has him appear from the very first episode. As the Chairman of the Korean Hunters Association, he was in a good place to serve as an expositor, and explain how things worked. Interestingly, the voice actor behind Gunhee, Ginga Banjou, was also the narrator for the series.

2

Cha Hae-In Makes An Early Appearance

The Would-Be Love Interest Hits The Scene A Lot Earlier

One of the most popular characters from the manhwa, Cha Hae-In, first appeared in the 81st chapter of the Manhwa and quickly became a favorite. Not only was she incredibly strong, she was also quite beautiful. Fans would have been forgiven for not expecting her to show up until around the 3rd season.

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But in a pleasant surprise, she appeared in the first episode and also in other scenes scattered across the show. While she didn’t serve as an important part of the plot in her scenes, it did serve to establish her as one of the most important characters of the show.

1

The Pacing Of The Anime Compared To The Manhwa

A Deliberate Desire To Tone Down The Manhwa’s Breakneck Speed

One of the reasons why manhwa is such a popular medium is how easy it is to consume. With the webtoon style of scrolling, readers can tear through manhwa chapters in mere minutes. Solo Leveling is similar, with the action coming in large doses every few pages.

To combat this, the storytellers decided to try to add a few things to calm down the pace of the story. In an interview, the show’s director Shunsuke Nakashige admitted that there was more meat added to try to keep the story on an even keel. Considering how successful the anime has been, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t a great decision.

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