The growth of one person changes the world
The ultimate growth story

Hello! This is Kanahina 😊

This time, I’m writing about a manga I have reread many times:the manga Solo LevelingHere we go!

This article includes the synopsis, impressions, and a few spoilers, so please be careful if you have not read it yet and do not want to know the details 🥺

First, I’ll start with “Where can you read it?” and “Where can you buy it?”

In short, you can read it on the following services.

I could not find a site where you can read Solo Leveling for free all the way to the final episode, but I did find sites where you can read around volumes 1 to 4 for free through promotional campaigns.

If you want to continue reading after that, please consider buying it through a site that is running a campaign or discount.

There are many other places where you can read it, but I picked out the ones I know about.

I bought it onebookJapan.
When I first registered, I received six 70% off coupons, so I bought the volumes I had not read yet at a very good price!

Another especially good deal is Comic Weekend, held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you pay with PayPay, SoftBank and Y!mobile smartphone users can receive up to 40% back in PayPay points. Even other users get great rewards 😊

ebookJapan also lets you purchase with PayPay, so as someone who usually collects points, I find it incredibly useful!

Service name	Key points	Campaign
ebookJapan	One of Japan’s largest e-book stores, with more than 800,000 titles, mainly manga. More than 2,800 free manga titles available at all times! Being able to use PayPay is also a major benefit.	70% off (usable for 6 books)
BookLive	BookLive is one of Japan’s largest general e-book stores. It offers more than one million titles, including many popular and trending works. There are plenty of daily deals, including coupon gachas and bargain sales.	70% off (for 1 book)
DMM Books	One of Japan’s largest selections! First-time buyers may also receive a 90% off coupon.	90% off (maximum discount: 2,000 yen)
Kindle Store	The Kindle Store is operated by Amazon. With the paid Kindle Unlimited plan, more than two million books are available to read, which is an overwhelming selection. If you have Amazon points, this is a good place to buy.	70% off (maximum discount: 3,000 yen) *Only products displaying the coupon discount are eligible
Manga Kingdom	No. 1 for value, with more than 10,000 free manga and digital comics! Some full volumes are also free.	Up to 50% back
Comic Cmoa	Now airing TV commercials: an enormous manga selection, one of the biggest in the industry! Daily savings through free titles and sales. If you read manga and e-books, Comic Cmoa is a strong option.	70% off (one eligible title)
Renta!	Because it offers rentals as well as purchases, it is ideal for people who want to keep costs down. Some titles can be read from as low as 110 yen including tax, giving you many chances to discover new works.	Rank system available
dBooks	You can use Docomo d POINTS, so it is especially beneficial for people who have a lot of d POINTS. On monthly d Book Days (the 10th, 20th, and 30th), you can get 20% back in d POINTS.	70% off (one eligible title)
Rakuten Kobo eBook Store	For first-time users only: currently running a campaign with up to 70x points after entry and first purchase. Because Rakuten points can be used, I buy quite a lot here.	Up to 70x points back (maximum discount: 2,000 yen)

There are many other places where you can read it, but I picked out the ones I know about.

Here is an article summarizing how many volumes can be read for free and how to buy it cheaply.“How far can you read the manga Solo Leveling for free? Plus ways to buy it cheaply”

About Solo Leveling

Solo Leveling is a comic adaptation based on a Korean novel and began serialization on Piccoma.

The protagonist, Shun Mizushino, is an E-rank hunter known as “humanity’s weakest weapon.”
The story takes place in a dangerous world where gates to other dimensions open and monsters pour out.

In this world, people who awaken in response to the gates exist, and they are known as awakened beings with special abilities.
Some of them work as hunters and challenge the gates. One day, Shun encounters a high-difficulty double dungeon hidden inside a D-rank dungeon and, on the verge of death, reawakens after receiving a special ability.

Normally a hunter’s rank does not change, but through this reawakening he levels up dramatically toward becoming an S-rank hunter.

The main story is already complete, and the latest volume is Volume 17.

An E-rank hunter becomes S-rank and overwhelms everyone.
But that is not all. The relationships with other people and with monster companions are also very interesting, making this a work you can get hooked on enough to reread many times 😊

About the author of Solo Leveling

The original author of Solo Leveling isChugong.
The artist in charge of the illustrations was DUBU (real name: Jang Sung-rak), who passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage on July 23, 2022.
I wrote about thathereon another page.

It has been made public that Chugong is from South Korea, but details such as age and gender do not appear to have been disclosed.

By not revealing personal details, the author seems to avoid bias about gender and background, allowing the work itself to be evaluated purely.

The appeal of the characters in Solo Leveling

Protagonist: Shun Mizushino
He was active as an E-rank hunter known as “humanity’s weakest weapon,” but after encountering a high-difficulty double dungeon hidden inside a D-rank dungeon, he gains a special ability on the verge of death and reawakens as an S-rank hunter.

Shizuku Kosaka, Shin Mogami, Aoi Mizushino, Kenta Morobishi, Akira Inukai, Taiga Shirakawa, Kiyoomi Goto, Masato Ukyo, Thomas Andreand many other characters appear.
There are trustworthy allies, rivals, and people who betray others easily, so you cannot take your eyes off the story.
I hope to create an article introducing all of the characters in the future!

What I find appealing about Solo Leveling

From weakest to strongest! The protagonist’s awakening brings out the story’s appeal.

This is the charm of Solo Leveling. The protagonist, who is initially called “humanity’s weakest weapon,” becomes dramatically stronger.
It is very interesting to see even his personality change as he grows into a reliable hero.

A strong cast of characters

They may not be as strong as Shun, but the way powerful and appealing allies, as well as former enemy monsters, join him is one of the elements that pulls you into the story.
It is also a good work with many developments that make you want to see what happens next, such as strong allies being defeated in an instant.

Thrilling battle scenes

The dynamic artwork drawn by DUBU is also extremely appealing. The characters are beautifully drawn, and along with the story, I became hooked on the beauty and dynamism of the art 😊

Which publisher released it?

According to Wikipedia, the publishers appear to be KADOKAWA in Japan and D&C Media in South Korea, while the series was published on Piccoma in Japan and KakaoPage in South Korea.
As of May 15, 2024, you can read up to episode 155 for free on Piccoma!

Solo Leveling began serialization as a Korean-language webtoon on KakaoPage on March 4, 2018.
DUBU (Jang Sung-rak), the manga artist who handled the novel illustrations, continued as the artist, and the series ran until March 19, 2020.
It then resumed serialization on August 1 of the same year and concluded on December 29, 2021 with 179 chapters. An English version has also been available since May 2020.

How popular is it in Japan?

The Japanese translation of the webtoon version began serialization on Piccoma on March 1, 2019.
In December 2019, it ranked first in the manga category of Piccoma BEST OF 2019, and in March 2020, its monthly sales exceeded an astonishing 98 million yen!
Furthermore, in May of the same year, itwon the IGNIS Award at Piccoma AWARD 2020,making it a major hit in Japan as well.

What is the X (Twitter) account for Solo Leveling?

I found two X (Twitter) accounts related to Solo Leveling.
One appears to be for the anime, and the other for the game.

I have placed images below, so please click them if you are interested!

I summarized ratings, reputation, and reviews of Solo Leveling

I gathered both positive and negative reviews and looked at Solo Leveling as objectively as possible.

Here is a rough summary of the kinds of reviews I often saw.

• (5.0)Once you start reading, you can’t stop! You can’t look away!
  I was quickly drawn in by the flow of the story and the beauty of the illustrations. I am still partway through, but I find it compelling to watch the protagonist Shun Mizushino level up, become a new existence that is neither human nor monster, and continue fighting as a hunter to protect his family. The way foreshadowing placed throughout the story is cleverly resolved is also not to be missed.
• (5.0)So cool!
  It seems like a familiar story, but for some reason I cannot stop wondering what happens next. The pacing is good, it never gets boring, and the protagonist in full overpowered mode is very cool!
• (4.0)A growth story about a boy rising from the bottom!
  After watching the anime, I became a fan and searched for the original work until I finally found it here. Opinions may differ, but I like this series.
  It has some dark parts, but I feel they are necessary for the development of the story. They do not bother me much. The story is simply interesting and draws you in more and more.
• (4.0)I got hooked!
  I casually started reading the free portion because I was drawn to the cover, but I was surprised by how brutal and intense the story was from the beginning.
  Still, I found myself strangely pulled in and kept reading. I am curious about future developments and want to enjoy reading it at my own pace.
• (3.0)A story full of unexpected developments that keeps you watching!
  The protagonist levels up unexpectedly quickly. However, rather than simply charging ahead, he joins a group, secretly observes how they fight, and steps in to help when danger comes.
  This pattern may be common, but I still find myself wanting to know what happens next and keep reading.
• (2.0)A typical reincarnation-style story
  It is a fairly typical so-called reincarnation-style work. There is no particularly unique expression or surprising development, but people who are new to this genre can enjoy its classic appeal.
• (1.0)I stopped partway through...
  I enjoyed reading it up to a point, but when top-ranked hunters from various countries started appearing, the atmosphere changed. I sensed anti-Japanese elements and stopped reading.

I looked at various sites, and the vast majority of reviews were positive, with very few low ratings and an average around 4.5 stars.

Since many chapters can be read for free, I would definitely like you to try it!

I personally found the early part a little slow, but from the middle onward I was very drawn in 😊

Searching for the manga Solo Leveling with “raw” or “zip” is extremely dangerous

When people try to read manga online,many search using keywords such as “Solo Leveling,” “raw,” and “zip,”but this is truly dangerous.

Below, I will explain the risks and legal issues.

Risk of viruses and malware

Downloading manga files from unofficial sites carries a very high risk of virus or malware infection.

Many of these files are unauthorized scans of legitimate publications, and the sites that distribute them often have poor security measures.
Simply opening a downloaded file can install malicious software on your computer or smartphone, potentially stealing personal information or damaging files.

Copyright infringement and legal risk

Downloading manga through “raw” or “zip” files violates copyright law in most cases.

Manga is a creative work, and authors and publishers hold legally protected copyrights.

These copyrights prohibit unauthorized copying and distribution. Downloading manga without permission infringes on the creator’s rights and takes away their income.

Copyright infringement can also be subject to criminal penalties or civil lawsuits, which may lead to fines or legal action.

Ethical perspective

Buying or reading manga and other creative content through proper channels directly supports creators.

Only legitimate purchases return revenue to authors and publishers, so please avoid illegal methods.
If manga declines, we may someday lose the ability to read manga at all...

Summary

I’ll summarize the main points of the article 😊

I think Solo Leveling has three major appeal points 😊

■ A story where the protagonist awakens and rises from weakest to strongest
■ A strong cast of characters
■ Thrilling battle scenes

I feel that many people who arrived at this page have already read several chapters of Solo Leveling and want to continue reading.

Please make use of sites where you can read some chapters for free, and consider buying from a site where you can get a good deal so you can read through to the end!

If you want to buy the full series cheaply, try ebookJapan

Finally, I’ll introduce frequently asked questions about Solo Leveling!