If season one of Solo Leveling was about Sung Jinwoo’s rise from the weakest hunter alive to a stronger version of himself, then season two doubles down on that transformation with bigger fights, sharper rivalries, and an even deeper dive into the world of S-rank hunters. As someone who’s read the novels, I have to say again, it’s such a thrill seeing these scenes come to life on screen.

The fights look and sound incredible this season. The battle against Baruka in episode two was a standout for me, not only was the action clean and cinematic, but we also got to see Iron’s goofy personality shine through, which gave the episode some much-needed humor. And that soundtrack? Great. The music is elevating the tension and atmosphere.

That said, the pacing can be… frustrating. Nothing goes faster than a Solo Leveling episode, time flies on that show, and with so many cliffhanger endings, it sometimes felt like I was watching trailers for the next episode rather than a complete story (I know I’m exaggerating but the cliffhangers are frustrating). Season one didn’t lean so heavily on cliffhangers, and honestly, I preferred that balance.

The Ant Arc is easily one of the most anticipated sections of the story, and the anime does it justice, for the most part. I really appreciated how well they highlighted the difference between Ryuji Gôto, Jinwoo, and the other S-rank hunters. It gave a real sense of scale to Jinwoo’s rise and how far apart he really is from his peers.

But here’s my gripe: Hae-In Cha. In the novel, she’s the one hunter who can stand Beru’s presence, she’s probably the one that would last longer against Beru after Jinwoo. In the anime, though, they flipped this and made her the only one to buckle when Beru appeared in the cave. I was pissed. During Jinwoo’s fight against Ryuji she could read that fight when others struggled. It felt like they were softening her character into something more damsel-like and “cutesy,” which really undersells her skills.

I also caught that little change where the signal to disrupt the ants malfunctions instead of the Japanese team actively turning it off. It’s not a huge difference, but still one of those tweaks that stands out to me.

The Beru vs. Jinwoo Fight, was supposed to be the fight, the one everyone was waiting for. And while it was great, I’ll admit it didn’t hit me as hard as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, the visuals were strong, the tension was there, but it didn’t quite blow me away in the same way as some of the earlier fights.

Even with some of those nitpicks, Solo Leveling season two is still an absolute blast to watch. The animation is stunning, the soundtrack elevates every battle, and the emotional stakes keep getting higher. For fans of the novels (like me), it’s a thrill to finally see these moments animated—even if not every adaptation choice lands perfectly.

Season three can’t come soon enough.

Am I the only one bothered by Hae-In and those f’ing cliffhangers?

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