Solo Leveling Episode 16 Review – Learning From Your Mistakes Is Better Than Digging Your Own Grave

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For some reason, I have always been a big fan of the reassessment arc inSolo Leveling. It felt cool to me when I first read it and that didn’t change when I came back to it. So it would be an understatement to say that I was anticipating the arc getting animated from the very first season. When you first watch or see something, there is a sort of filter that almost masks the flaws and romanticizes the image in front.

Solo Leveling

It is why in many cases, a rewatch is advised for better judgment. For the anime, the arc might have been more of a saving grace than a turning point. So far the season has been jumping from one active scene to another, leaving no room for a breather or a break. This episode in particular acted as a filler and a breath of fresh air to prevent feeling suffocated by its own driving force.

Solo Leveling is gasping for air

I won’t be commenting on the animation quality of this episode ofSolo Leveling. It was a filler episode and didn’t require much high-level animation. In the places where it was needed, such as Choi Jong-In taking center stage in the dungeon, the animation certainly left nothing to complain about. The anime knows where and when to divide its best skills so as to not compromise on any of its important components. Instead of outwardly cutting scenes out, scenes were merged together to save time.

The episode felt much less rushed, which was desperately needed. I had come to fear that the anime was running too fast. If things had been going the same way, it would be impossible to make it a good adaptation. However, my complaints weren’t there for long. I cannot stress enough just how badly a breather was needed. It had become almost a tiring experience to tune yourself into the wrath of chaos one after the other. There is always a calm before the storm and it was as if the anime had forgotten that.

Solo Leveling

“It was just too cold”: We Need to Thank Aleks Le for Saving ‘Solo Leveling’ from Being an Unfaithful and Boring Adaptation

Episode 16 changed my opinion for the same, intricately crafting Sung Jinwoo’s admittance of his own power but also understanding that he is no match for people like Go Gunhee. Perhaps the highlight of the episode was Sung Jinwoo’s excitement to see the dungeon boss. It reminded me of a video game addict who cannot stop leveling up no matter how redundant the awards may be.

Falling short with the re-evaluation

Despite the positive reception of the episode, one thing that stood out due to its lackluster was the very scene where Sung Jinwoo is getting re-evaluated. Whether it was his stoic expression or a simple lack of his aura, it felt like more could have been done with it. While I do understand that the episode was a minor addition in the long scheme of things, it didn’t help with how a scene I had been waiting for since the start of the anime just came and went.

To focus on the mining raid, Cha Hae-In’s entry was beautifully handled and I have hope that the anime would make proper use of Sung Jinwoo’s chemistry with her. This was something that was greatly lacking in the manhwa and if the anime can make up for it, it would automatically be leaps and bounds ahead. His smirk and excitement when entering the boss’s lair wasn’t just something that came with a pure sense of joy but one that awakened something much darker.

“It was just too cold”: We Need to Thank Aleks Le for Saving ‘Solo Leveling’ from Being an Unfaithful and Boring Adaptation

Don’t Be Fooled by ‘Solo Leveling’s’ Success After the Mistreatment of ‘Tower of God’

There was an argument about Sung Jinwoo losing touch with his humanity the more he leveled up. This created a discourse regarding how much of him was still the same, a situation similar to that of the ship of Theseus. The signs of that happening have already started showing, his eagerness for battle outweighing anything else unless it comes to protecting his family.

Seeing the aftermath of Il-Hwan Sung’s attack felt satisfying, knowing that Hwang Dongsoo deserved every punch and kick that came his way. The Sung family mustn’t be messed with, whether it is under Jinwoo’s protection or Il-Hwan’s. These breadcrumbs of lore being dropped seem almost imperceptible unless you focus too hard and I believe that is what makes the entire story come together.

Solo Leveling

Rating: 7/10

Solo Levelingis available to watch on Crunchyroll.