Warning: The following contains spoilers for Solo Leveling Season 2 Episode 9!!
Solo LevelingSeason 2has taken some creative liberties by rearranging certain parts of the story but also by completely cutting scenes that offer more context to the series' world and build up the upcoming arcs. This was recently highlighted inSolo Leveling Season 2, episode 9, titled “It Was All Worth It”, whena major character introduction was glossed over.
WhileJinwoo’s emotional momentwas the highlight ofSolo Leveling Season 2Episode #9, this episode also marked the long-awaited debut of one of the strongest characters in the series, the American National Level Hunter Thomas Andre. However,the anime cut two scenes that were supposed to give more characterization to both Thomas Andre and his fellow teammate Hwan Dongsooand also set a future story arc.
Solo Leveling Season 2 Cuts a Scene that Sets up Jinwoo’s Future Fight
The Anime Omits a Scene about the S-Rank Hunter Hwan Dongsoo
InSolo Leveling Season 2, Episode #8, the adaptation skipped a conversation between Woo Jinchul and Chairman Goo Gunhee, present in chapter #83 of the manhwa, where they talk about theS-Rank Hunter Hwan Dongsoo.Jinchul mentioned that Dongsoo wanted to take part in the Jeju Raid, but fearing his real intentions to meet Jinwoo and take his revenge, the Hunter Association denied his entry to the country. In the anime, Gunhee only mentions that Korea can’t offer its ten S-Rank Hunters, confirming that Hwan Dongsoo won’t participate in the raid.
While these scenes won’t affect the anime’s story going forward as they could be takled later in a flashback, they serve to point out Dongsoo’s malicious nature, as he isn’t interested in his country but in revenge, and also have implications as to why Thomas Andre goes to meet Gunhee in chapter #84. Moreover,even though the anime did show Thomas Andre’s face, which was covered in the manhwa, this scene was changedand rearranged from episodes #8 to #9, with Thomas only being mentioned instead of adapting his entire interaction with Gunhee.
Solo Leveling Season 2 Makes an Unfortunate Change to the Manhwa’s Jeju Island Arc
Solo Leveling Season 2 episode #9 skipped a scene that offers more characterization to the hunters and would have improve the episode for action fans.
Additionally, the adaptation madeThomas’s intentions more ambiguous.In the anime, Gunhee stated he was just traveling, but in the manhwa he made it very clear that he was visiting Korea to ask about Sung Jinwoo and request the Hunter Association to stop Hwan Dongsoo from visiting the country. This is an unfortunate omission since these scenes help build up the impending fight between Sung Jinwoo and Hwan Dongsoo—which has been teased sinceSolo Leveling Season 1—as well as Thomas Andre’s character, who has an important role in the series in future arcs.
The Anime Has Skipped the Build-Up to the National Level Hunters in Solo Leveling’s Story
Solo Leveling’s Anime is Maintaining the Mystery in the story
Solo Leveling Season 2not only modifiedGunhee’s conversation with Jinwoo—which highlighted how there are hunters stronger than S-Rank since their strength can’t be measured—but in episode #19,the anime purposely left out the mention of the National Level Hunters. In the manhwa, the National Level Hunters are named for the first time in chapter #78 when Jinho’s father says that they are the reason why he decided to create a guild. Jinho’s father states that not even the government can protect the public from them, since they are the most powerful hunters in the world who can even act as kings of a small country.
These omissions can also be seen inSolo Leveling Season 2, Episode #9, wherethe anime changed Andre’s reason for not participating inthe Jeju Raid.In the anime, Gunhee said that a National Level Hunter wouldn’t get involved in other countries' affairs, but in the manhwa, Thomas expressed how he would be willing to participate if Korea had the funds to pay him. This hints at the scale of what a National Level Hunter represents.
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These changes inSolo Leveling’s anime are probably to avoid foreshadowing future arcs, as Dongsoo and Andre’s relationship and role in the story will be developed in the next season. Nevertheless, by skipping them, the anime won’t create as much anticipation in the viewers as the manhwa, sinceSolo Levelingexcels in foreshadowing many of the later events of its story.
Solo Leveling
Cast
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
