Solo Leveling Season 2 will wrap up its highly anticipated Jeju Island Arc, focusing on the fourth raid on the island. A few years ago, an S-Rank gate appeared on the island, and since no one was able to conquer it, a dungeon break terrorized the population. Several Hunters lost their lives in the first three attempts to clear the dungeon break. Korea had almost given up on the island, but S-Rank Hunter Jongin Choi kept investigating the place. He discovered that the monsters there were evolving at an alarming rate and were now capable of flight, planning to cover long distances.
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Not long after the discovery, a small and peaceful town in Japan was attacked by one of the monsters. It took Korea a while to prepare for the fourth dungeon raid, and with the help of Japanese Hunters, victory was almost certain. However, no one expected the appearance of the Ant King, the strongest villain shown in the series so far. Defeating the countless monsters is already difficult, but the Ant King is simply untouchable. With Jinwoo refusing to join the raid, the Hunters are in a bind against this monster. While the anime including this arc in Season 2 is working in their favor, it would have benefited way more from a movie.
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A Solo Leveling Movie Wouldn’t Have the Same Issues as Season 2
Solo Leveling Season 2 is often praised for its animation quality and fight choreography, but the pacing still remains an issue. While the first season covered 45 chapters in 12 episodes, the sequel is expected to adapt over 60 chapters in 13 episodes. This leads to faster pacing, shorter fights, and some minor moments getting excluded from the show. While the anime is only excluding pieces of scenes, it doesn’t affect the overall storyline. This makes room for more content, but it still feels like a lot is happening in a very short span. Furthermore, if the anime only covered the Return to the Demon Castle Arc in Season 2, it should have the ideal 45 chapters worth of content.
With 18 chapters, the Jeju Island Arc is one of the longest arcs in the series. However, this is also the ideal number for a movie adaptation with a corresponding higher budget. It would have allowed for much more impactful moments without rushing towards the end. It’s also the only arc where the side characters get extra focus, mostly because Jinwoo arrives on the island toward the end of the fight. Hence, without the pressure of rushing the arc, the side characters could have gotten more focus if it were a movie.
Solo Leveling Season 2 Feels Less Intense Due to Faster Pacing
Cramming too many chapters in one season was bound to have this issue for Solo Leveling. With the anime’s fast pacing, the Jeju Island Arc feels less intense than it perhaps could have been. Its manhwa counterpart isn’t only action-packed, but it also has its fair share of character depth and emotional moments. A movie adaptation will naturally have a higher budget, which could have resulted in better cinematic quality as well. The experience of watching the best arc on a big screen would be unmatched, even if fans had to wait longer for it.
Furthermore, it would have also allowed the rest of the season to have a steady pacing without compromising some of the key moments. The anime nailed the moment when Jinwoo healed his mother, but the rest of the season didn’t focus on crucial moments like this. Jinwoo’s fight with Baran, the Demon King, was underwhelming compared to the manhwa.
Not only did Baran’s design feel lacking, but the anime didn’t recreate the same intensity. Jinwoo defeated the villain too easily compared to the original version, reducing the thrill of his biggest challenge. The stakes were high in the fight since he needed the final ingredient to create the Holy Water of Life by defeating Baran. Jinwoo has been attempting to clear the dungeon since the first season, so this fight was the perfect way to highlight his growth. If the anime didn’t have to adapt the Jeju Island Arc, Jinwoo vs. Baran could have easily been one of the greatest fights in the show.
