This isn't me attempting to flame Solo Leveling fans. A-1 Pictures has done a fine job with the urban fantasy action premise, and it's a gorgeous sight to behold, whether in anime form, its gorgeous manhwa courtesy of studio REDICE, or even its original novel format. The series is fine.

But it should be considered the gateway, and this is where its staunchest fans seem to completely stop themselves from pushing further.

Seriously, Solo Leveling is an engaging premise, but it's also familiar, and the protagonist at its heart, Sung Jinwoo, isn't even the best protagonist you can get in a power fantasy like this. He is the quintessential one we all know, but that is not a defense; if anything, it's an indictment of the power fantasy and urban fantasy manhwa genre in that it lets cardboard cutouts stand as the poster boys for their product.

Dokja from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Seo Joo-Heon from Tomb Raider King, hell, even Suho from Solo Leveling Ragnarok have greater depth to their personalities. Solo Leveling executed its premise excellently. The Jeju Island arc is certainly the greatest "hype" moment of the series, but even afterward, it's quite interesting to read. But Jinwoo, as a character, should be your gateway to better manhwa heroes.

This doesn't even limit itself to urban power fantasy, either. Kim Suho/Lloyd Frontera is a perfect example of a dynamic personality, if not absolutely unhinged, and it enhances the premise. Jinwoo's problem is that he starts as the generic meek shonen protagonist, and while that formula is also incredibly tired, the substitute should never be something more bland. Kim Dokja from Omniscient Reader is another case, where you have a character fully presented with the opportunity to break the "system" much like Jinwoo has, but still involves his companions in meaningful ways and is a genuinely likeable dork of a character. There's nothing wrong with enjoying Jinwoo for what he is, but claiming that what he is is actually better than what the genre provides is egregiously false. Even urban fantasy series like Jungle Juice, with its more X-Men-like concepts of mutant abilities based largely on insects, features characters who struggle more believably with the consequences of the abilities given to them, allowing them to be vulnerable yet giving them a chance to grow. That's what those "wimpy" shonen protagonists do, after all. Inept ninjas like Naruto grow believably to become Hokage. Pirates who can't even swim have a chance to look up to a savior like Luffy, but should also never trust him to cook for them. A boy born without magic, like Asta, can disrupt the magic-oriented society when his talent negates that entirely.

This goes without even diving into the vast ocean of manhwa stories beyond Solo Leveling. On Webtoon alone, there is a legion of options you can check out that'll tickle your fancy, before even considering Tapas, TappyToon, or, of course, the wild west of the pirated scene (but pretend I didn't say that). It's entirely fine to enjoy Solo Leveling, but there are so many more engaging stories out there for you to dig into, with Jungle Juice belonging to the manhwa equivalent of the MCU, so there's no shortage of depth or engrossing content. It's nuts, so don't ever limit yourself, whether it's checking out Return of the Blossoming Blade or diving into the intriguing world of seinen manga and anime, and becoming an incorrigible video essayist with at least one Berserk video under your belt.

But also, if you haven't, read Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and Jungle Juice. Whether or not they're the next big thing anime-wise is hardly an argument we can make for now. But you can definitely appreciate their stories and understand just how engrossing the medium is for it. Anyway, I'm going to go enjoy Dogsred because I'm Canadian, so of course I love the funny hockey manga by Golden Kamuy's creator. Life is simpler and more fun when anime hype doesn't sweep you up into the latest craze.

This is an interesting take! @J.R. Waugh what do you think would be the best animes for fans of Solo Leveling to try out next?

I'm only really familiar with Solo Leveling, Tower of God, God of High School, and A Returner's Magic Should Be Special as far as watching anime based on manhwas/webtoons. Would definitely be interested in checking out others if there are good ones out there I'm missing out on!