Review: Solo Leveling - ReAwakening Movie, Season 2 Premiere

Solo Leveling - ReAwakening recently started screening in many countries and gathered quite a bit of attention as its release comes just weeks before the highly-anticipated premiere of the second season. While a big chunk of the two-hour movie is a recap of the first season (yes, the whole season), the final 30 minutes are new content that will be the first episode of the second season.

There isn't much to say about the recap part of Solo Leveling - ReAwakening: it's well-paced, not too rushed, and it's perfect for refreshing your memory. Still, if you have an opportunity, definitely watch the TV anime version because otherwise, you will be missing some of the build-up. For example, most of the content from the first episode is cut or condensed into a few scenes with brief explanations. While the season did have some fluff, I found Jinwoo's journey interesting to follow.

Now, onto the real thing: the new content. The Solo Leveling - ReAwakening movie covers the first two episodes of the second season. Jinwoo heads to a new mission with a team he's never worked with before. However, things take a turn after it turns out that the dungeon they entered is way more dangerous than they originally thought. The party splits up and Jinwoo ends up having to save the day, but not without some dire consequences.

Overall, it felt like there was no gap between the first season and the new content. Jinwoo continues to level up and discover new mechanics of his power. But, at the very end, he starts to question the consequences of what he is, something we haven't seen in the first installment of the story and something that, in my opinion, elevates it to a whole new level. I do enjoy the game-like mechanics, training, and satisfaction of getting stronger, but it never felt serious up until this moment. If this darker tone continues to be present throughout the second season we are in for a treat.

Animation-wise, Solo Leveling continues to deliver. A-1 Pictures continues to do a solid job. The team led by Shunsuke Nakashige returned so there are no major changes between the seasons.

Solo Leveling - ReAwakening is technically not something you have to watch if you want to catch up to the series. The concept is Aniplex to the core and similar to what we've seen with Demon Slayer and "To the..." movies. But, it's a nice experience to be able to see one of the biggest anime hits of recent years on the big screen with fancy surround sound. Plus, you get to see the first two episodes early.

The second season of Solo Leveling TV anime begins streaming on Crunchyroll this January.
©Solo Leveling Animation Partners