Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 10 Pays Homage to Shonen As Sung Jinwoo Makes a Critical Decision

The following contains spoilers for Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- Episode 10, “We Need a Hero”, available on Crunchyroll.

Finally, the Jeju Island Raid Arc has begun, and it has one of the most insane starts of any arc in Solo Leveling so far, with a major, game-changing decision made by the MC that will surely have immense ramifications for the arc as a whole; a great battle royale that pays homage to some of the most beloved classics in shōnen history, and, perhaps most excitingly, a brilliantly directed, chilling first glimpse at the arc’s antagonist.

It was an exciting episode that perhaps would have dragged out the Japan vs Korea battle royale teased at the end of the previous episode in a lesser show, but Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- episode 10 gave us just enough of the meaningless fight in the calm before the storm that is the Jeju Island Raid arc, which we know from the way this one ended, is going to be a total banger towards the end of a brilliant second season for the series.

RELATED

Solo Leveling: Jeju Island Raid Party Hunters, Ranked

Here’s how the Jeju Island Raid Party hunters in Solo Leveling stack up against each other.

Japan vs Korea

“Is That A JoJo’s Reference?”

We kick off with the 4-a-side battle royale between the S-Rank Hunters of Japan’s Draw Sword Guild and the Korean S-Rank Hunters teased at the end of episode 9, which is interestingly animated because it almost feels nostalgic for how it pays homage to classic battle shōnen, more specifically, the lightning-fast punching of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ball and any series with combat inspired by either of those titles on any level.

We got blindingly fast punch flurries and dodge animations that repeat the same cycle over and over, but in between those very clear references to older shōnen titles, there was some of that unmistakable Solo Leveling flavour in the combat between the two sides. It wasn’t the most interesting match-up in history, but it was cool to see some of the abilities of the characters we will probably never see again in any significant capacity, like Ma Dongwook, who has a nifty gigantification ability that he pulled out of the bag in his match-up against Japan’s own musclehead, Kenzo Tanaka.

White Tiger Guild leader Baek Yoonho appeared to be mismatched with one of the Draw Sword Guild’s newbies, Atsushi Kumamoto, who was put into the battle royale to test his abilities, but seems to have a visceral fear of battle, at least until he’s angered. There’s a really beautiful moment when Baek transforms, treating us to a step-by-step view of his changing appearance in a really well-animated sequence, but really, the best moment of the Japan vs Korea battle royale has to be Cha Hae In’s short bout against Kanae Tawata, who was being overwhelmed by Cha Hae In’s elegant attacks.

Her moveset was really pleasing to the eye, but there could have been more of significance or grandiosity granted to it through the animation. It did add an interesting depth to her character as her dazzling form was backed by a razor-sharp efficiency. There hasn’t been a moment in Solo Leveling in which Cha Hae In was more spellbinding without the anime trying to force-feed her to us as a “waifu”, than she was in her short moment in the spotlight during the battle royale, but the series still tried, through her opponent’s starstruck exposition about her epithet, “The Dancer”.

Gotō Ryuji vs Sung Jinwoo and a Critical Decision

Jinwoo Takes On Japan’s Best With a Smile

The event ended with Korea’s loss after the aforementioned Kumamoto actually went berserk and tried to attack Cha Hae In, but was stopped by Jinwoo, leading to Cha Hae In’s forfeit by default. Ma Dongwook was literally planted by his opponent and Baek Yoonho realized he wasn’t going to be able to beat Tanaka even if he went all out. However, Jinwoo piques the interest of Draw Sword Guild Master Ryuji Gotō, who challenges him to a sparring match. Jinwoo warms up for his bout against Gotō, whom he said he’d fight on the condition that the Draw Sword Guild Master go all out. Without warning, Gotō launches a barrage of attacks against Jinwoo, who dodges them expertly and smirks as he realizes how easy it is.

When Gotō unleashes his true strength in a dangerous-looking piercing lunge, Jinwoo manages to halt it by grabbing his wrist. They both get very excited and unleash their latent power but are stopped before they can resume their clash to protect those who could be caught in their battle. Afterward, the Korean Hunters compliment Jinwoo for being able to go toe-to-toe with the Ryuji Gotō, but Jinwoo’s appraisal of each of his compatriots’ abilities is now complete, as he sends soldiers into the shadows of each Korean Hunter.

The fight is decent, but doesn’t really adapt this part of the manhwa all that well. In the manhwa, the outcome of the battle is the same, but we catch a glimpse of an absolutely terrified Gotō on the other side of the ice wall. Outside the gymnasium, Jinwoo informs Hunter Association Chairman Go Gunhee that he will not be participating in the fourth Jeju Island Raid, a fact that is revealed in a masterful way as it cuts to Goto talking to his fellow Draw Sword Guild Master, Reiji Sugimoto, about Jinwoo, only to hear that he isn’t on the roster.

The Jeju Island Raid Arc Finally Begins

The Perfect Way to Introduce an Ant-agonist

The raid operation is finally underway, and there are a lot of surprising participants, including B-Rank Healer Joohee, C-Rank Mage Kim Chul and S-Rank Healer Byung-Gu, who is facing the source of his trauma head on by returning to Jeju Island. The animation style here returns to what we’re used to for the series as “Humanity’s Greatest Weapon”, Choi Jong In shows his stuff when the plane he and other members of the Hunters Guild is attacked by agitated flying ants, blasting them away with his powerful fire magic. There is a Hunter TV crew being deployed alongside the S-Rankers heading directly to the island, as the raid will be televised (for some reason). There’s a lot of optimism in the air as those who have seen the horrors of Jeju Island are emboldened by their desire to close the chapter forever, while others simply want to do their part to protect Korea.

There’s a certain enemy profile that the Hunters are expecting when it comes to the ants, but when the Hunters Guild contingent aiming to take out the queen enters the ant nest, they are shocked to see the husk of a gigantic egg. The episode’s approach to building up the primary antagonist is dramatic and really plays up how terrifying the Ant King is. The Ant Queen, realizing that they’re running out of food on Jeju Island, bets everything on finding a way to create offspring that will be able to survive, creating a giant humanoid ant that, unlike the drones, is pitch black instead of red or the Ant Queen’s white. He is going to be one nasty antagonist in this arc. Seeing how the episode ends with the hubris that the Japanese Hunters once showed being replaced by a visceral fear as the Japanese S-Rank Hunter Tawata is decapitated in an instant as the Ant King’s overwhelming killing intent infects her helpless colleague, Tanaka, with a genuine fear for his own life, which he hasn’t realized is already forfeit.

Solo Leveling

Release Date

January 7, 2024

Directors

Shunsuke Nakashige

• 

  Taito Ban

  Shun Mizushino (voice)

• 

  Genta Nakamura

  Kenta Morobishi (voice)