The following contains spoilers for Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- Episode 9, “It Was All Worth It”, available on Crunchyroll.
Summary
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The most heartfelt episode of theSolo Levelinganime thus far has to be the recently aired ninth episode of the second season, in which Sung Jinwoo finally crafts the elusive Elixir of Life, and administers it to his mother, who fell into a coma four years prior to the events of the series due to the effects ofthe Eternal Sleep Disease.
After the battle against the Demon Monarch, Baran, you could say episode 9 was a lot less eventful than the one before it, but it showed commitment to the continued set up of the upcoming and highly anticipated Jeju Island Arc, culminating in the teasing of a battle between S-Rank Hunters coming in episode 10, set to broadcast on Saturday, March 8.
The Spoils of War
The Elixir of Life is Finally Crafted and a New Shadow is Born
The Elixir of Life’s final ingredient is the purified blood of the Demon Monarch, Baran, whom Jinwoo defeated at the end of the previous episode in an absolutely incredible visual spectacle. When prompted by the System, Jinwoo’s nervousness is clear, as it’s possible that the crafting of the Elixir of Life could fail. However, it is successful, giving Jinwoo six vials of the potion, and he also gains some interesting loot from the deceased Demon King, like a rune stone containing a newShadow Skill: Shadow Exchange, which gives him the ability to swap positions with a Shadow he has posted to a particular location.
Iron, the Shadow taken from Kim Chul, is smart enough to bring Jinwoo the corpse of the dragon Baran rode into battle for Jinwoo to turn into a Shadow he names “Kaisel”. Esil Radiru is overjoyed and invites Jinwoo to a party at the Radiru Castle, but Jinwoo is too anxious to put the Elixir to the test to stick around the Demon Castle any longer. To avoid losing access to the Dungeon, however, Jinwoo uses his new Skill to post one of his Shadow Soldiers in the spot where he killed Baran. Back in Seoul, Jinwoo is surprised to have actually traded places with his Shadow Soldier, and immediately heads to the hospital where his mother is, immediatelyriding his new dragoninto the night.
Preparing For The Raid
The High Stakes Involved In Taking Back Jeju Island
Go Gunhee and Woo Jinchul of the Korean Hunter Association run over the plan for the Jeju Island Raid that was discussed with the Japanese Draw Sword Guild inSolo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-episode 8. The Jeju Island Raid plan can be simplified into three steps:
The big question is whether the signal will work as intended, but it appears that there’s a high chance it will succeed, with a contingency plan in place in the event that it doesn’t. Elsewhere,the White Tiger Guildleader Baek Yoonho is having a drink with an old friend, S-Rank Healer, Min Byung-Gu, who retired from being a Hunter due to the trauma incurred during the third Jeju Island Raid, which is the very first thing we see in theSolo Levelinganime.
Byung-Gu seems to be in good spirits, and Baek feels nostalgic around him, but the mood darkens when Byung-Gu asks if Baek really intends to go back to Jeju Island, especially after seeing howtheir friend Eunseok died thereduring the third raid. Baek claims that Eunseok’s death is precisely why he’s going, because if nothing’s done about them, the ants will repeat that same tragedy all over the country.
Byung-Gu’s trauma runs deep, and he can no longer handle the sight of blood or violence, deciding to take the public service exam and work for the government; however, despite that, the conversation with Baek moves Byung-Gu to eventually consider lending his abilities to the 4th Jeju Island Raid operation. Learning more about the impact of the world on characters other than Sung Jinwoo serves the story well, and Baek’s vulnerability in this episode works well to broaden his character.
Later, Byung-Gu remembers the conversation he had with the late Eunseokprior to the previous raid, but there was something his friend said back then that helped him make his decision: as scared as they may be, people who can’t even fight for themselves must be several times more scared than they are. At this rate, it seems like Byung-Gu will come out of retirement.
A Tearjerking Reunion
Anguish, Relief, Joy, and Vindication as Sung Jinwoo’s Quest is Completed
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-episode 9’s best moment is around 10 minutes in, when Jinwoo finally administers the Elixir of Life to his mother, recalling every single hardship he has endured just for this very moment. He remembers how his mother suffered severe burns because of his carelessness in his childhood, and it’s clear just how much is riding on this for him. It is a truly heart-wrenching scene that is almost out of place because of how little emotion we’ve gotten from Jinwoo since his ordeal.
For him, this should be the end of the journey. He now has everything he ever wanted, but even in his happiness, he still feels anxiety. The reunion is a very well-executed moment that makes you connect with Jinwoo as a character, reaffirming his humanity and reconnecting him to his beginning-of-series self in a very profound way. The soundtrack choice was also on point, creating the series' most emotionally charged moment, perhaps since Jinwoo wasabandoned at the Cartenon Temple.
The animation was also impeccable, with Jinwoo’s facial expressions conveying oceans of emotion that deserve as much praise as the series' fight scenes have gotten. Jinah has the same reaction when she visits the next day, and as you’d expect, the patient who woke up from the coma caused by Eternal Sleep Disease was the talk of the ward. The Elixir of Life heals all wounds, and even seemed to turn back the clock for Jinwoo’s mother a few years.
With his mother cured of the Eternal Sleep Disease, it’s only a matter of time before a certain individual comes seeking the same treatment, but for now, Jinwoo can enjoy the kind of home life he’d always dreamed of. Before anything can happen, though, the three of them get to fixing the state in which Jinah left the apartment in the week that her older brother was away, which made fora moment of brevityafter the intense emotions of the reunion.
Korea vs Japan
Episode 9 Ends with a Teaser for the Next Episode’s Battle
The Association had been trying to contact Jinwoo while he was in the Demon Castle, and now that they have finally made contact, they bring him up to speed with the upcoming raid. He can barely concentrate now, as he thinks about his future. The conversation with the Chairman is disrupted when Jinwoo feels the resonance of mana from the S-Rank Hunters training nearby, and opts to observe, with Baek Yoonho and Ma Dongwook of the Fame Guild engaging in a sparring match.
The S-Rankers fromJapan’s Draw Sword Guildenter and immediately start belittling the Korean Hunters, leading to a contest between the Combat types of both countries. On the Korean side: Baek Yoonho, Ma Dongwook, Cha Hae In and Lim Tae Gyu of the Reapers Guild, while Team Japan has Tawata, Kumamoto, Hoshino and Tanaka for a four-on-four free-for-all in which being tagged on the back or twist, or touching the floor with anything other than feet spells defeat. Episode 9 was a decent break from the hype of the past few episodes, and a great way to build things back up forthe Jeju Island Raid Arc, as in the next episode, we’ll get to see how strong the Raid party really is.
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- is available onCrunchyroll.
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.
