Summary
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Solo Levelinghas a bit of a strange beginning. We are introduced to Sung Jinwoo, who ends up looking completely different from how he does in most of the series. Similarly, his personality, mannerisms, and the friends he interacts with completely change after he gains the power of the System. As the story goes in a different direction from its setup, it’s strange that the characters we are introduced to at the beginning of the series, who do not seem to matter as much, have more development than some of the more powerful characters we meet later, like the S-Rank hunters.
This uneven focus is exemplified in the character of Lee Joohee, who is given development outside of the beginning of the story and seems to be set up as a potential love interest for Jinwoo inSolo Leveling. However, as time goes on, Lee Joohee falls by the wayside, with Cha Hae-In essentially taking her place in the story. Given the story’s initial focus on Joohee, we are left wondering what the point of her character inSolo Levelingwas.
Joohee as a Foil to Jinwoo
She Represents What Jinwoo Could Have Been
One possible function that Joohee serves in the storyis acting as a direct contrast to Jinwoo. In the beginning, Jinwoo’s tenacity allows him to explore dungeons that are stronger than his abilities. Despite being outmatched, he never gives up because he has a solid goal of saving his mother. Joohee is the complete opposite. She always takes on dungeons that are weaker than her rank, and is unwilling to confront her fears and trauma. She doesn’t have a definitive reason for being a hunter, seemingly only doing it to earn money and what is expected of her.
This difference in mindset continues through the early part of the story. After the double dungeon incident, Jinwoo becomes even more determined to become stronger and take on the dungeons. However, the same experience causes Joohee to become even more fearful, locking herself up in her room and trying to avoid her problems. Their different reactions is interesting in relation to the ways the characters are also parallel to each other. Jinwoo isolates himself to level up, his loneliness granting him greater strength. However, Joohee’s isolation only makes her weaker, showingthe power that mental fortitude holds for Jinwoo’s character.
A Device to Show Jinwoo’s Change
She Stands Still So Jinwoo Can Move
Another role she serves in the story is to emphasizethe changes that Jinwoo has gone throughsince the ordeal in the double dungeon incident. In Episode 10, the two meet again after some time has passed, and Joohee is struck by how much the former weakest hunter has transformed.
“Jinwoo. You know you’ve changed, a lot. And then there’s me who hasn’t really changed at all.” -Lee Joohee speaking to Jinwoo in Episode 10.
Seeing Jinwoo’s confidence and ability to adapt to his circumstances made her realize that she wasn’t cut out to be a hunter. She had been going on missions to try to find her confidence somehow, but feels she has made no progress.
“There’s one thing I can finally admit, though. I’m too timid for this job. I had hoped I’d overcome that, but…I just couldn’t. I should have been signing up for A and B-Rank dungeons, or if not those, then maybe at least some C-Rank ones.” -Lee Joohee in Episode 10.
She realizes that she had been taking half measures while still expecting to the change she desired to happen on its own. Jinwoo’s drive and motivation were something that she needed to emulate if she was actually serious about fixing her perceived shortcomings, but she couldn’t commit to it.
“At first, I was a little annoyed by how often you got hurt. Yet somehow you always survived. You got back up and kept fighting. That passionate fire in your eyes never flickered out. In fact, it’s burned in my mind.” -Lee Joohee before handing Jinwoo back the mana crystal.
By starting at a similar place and taking the same raids, Joohee’s character’s purposewas to make Jinwoo’s growth stand outand emphasize the mindset that makes him worthy of utilizing the powers of the System he has been gifted.
She symbolically hands the mana stone back to Jinwoo, relinquishing her burden to help defend humanity against the gates and trusting her hopes and dreams to Jinwoo in her place. Although it’s implied she has romantic feelings for him, she feels the two different directions they are going in would have inevitably separated them.Joohee frowns slightly for only a moment,seemingly considering this, and walks away into the darkness while Jinwoo stands lit under a street spotlight holding the mana crystal, thinking of other things.
Solo Leveling
Cast
A-1 Pictures' Solo Leveling is an anime based on Chugong’s popular web novel. Set in an unforgiving fantasy world where hunters explore dungeons filled with monsters, the vulnerable Sung Jinwoo gains a significant power boost after he is picked to be a solo player by the System.
