Solo Leveling fans call Sung Jin-Woo's growth in season 2 the "best glow up"

Modified Jan 05, 2025 12:30 GMT

Solo Leveling fans call Sung Jin-Woo's growth in season 2 the "best glow up" (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Solo Leveling season 2 episode 1 was released on January 4, 2025. The episode showcased Jinwoo continuing his journey as an undercover awakened hunter. The premiere also featured the new look of the protagonist when he was about to visit his sister's school for a meeting. His new looks, combined with his updated sense of fashion, had the fans in awe.

Not only this, but the in-series characters, including JInwoo's sister, Jinah, and the girls from her school, were also impressed with the protagonist's new look. This glow-up was the result of consistent training and always thinking that 'giving up is never an option.'

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

Solo Leveling: The glow-up of Sung JInwoo in season 2

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Solo Leveling season 2 episode 1 began with a brief recap and then focused on the protagonist, Jinwoo, who was sleeping inside his messy room. Jinah, Jinwoo's sister, woke him up as they were getting late for the parent-teacher meeting at the sister's school. So Jinwoo quickly dressed up and was ready to leave.

As expected, Jinah couldn't recognize her brother because of how fit and stylish he looked in his new look (compared to the past when his brother had a normal physique with a horrible sense of fashion). However, Jinwoo was acting normally, making it look like nothing had changed.

Sung Jinwoo as seen in the anime (Image via A-1 Pictures)

These two then went to Jinah's school, where the protagonist became the center of attention (it was an all-girl school). To tease her brother, Jinah asked if she should introduce his brother to a few girls (Jinwoo wasn't dating anyone).

Jinwoo's 'glow-up' was not only because he was looking handsome: it was due to his hard work and tenacity in clearing dungeons whenever he could. The 'glow-up' was just a by-product of Jinwoo's daily hard work which might have paid off better than expected.

Reactions from the fans

Even though the fans declared Jinwoo's new look a glow-up, some couldn't even believe the change in the protagonist and called it 'almost unbelievable.' Additionally, some fans also discovered the changes between the protagonist's new and old looks and noticed that his eyes looked sharper than in season 1.

On the other hand, one fan even stated that the entire character design of Sung Jinwoo might be different from his persona in season 1, which might be the case. Lastly, one fan stated that the protagonist's new looks made him look like an average Korean (Solo Leveling is based on a Korean manga), hinting that Jinwoo's glow-up might resemble the looks of a Korean.

"It’s almost unbelievable," a fan said.

"Bro eyes even changed," another fan said.

"Its like its character design changed completely," another one claimed.

"He become an average korean," another one said.

Final thoughts

While the current glow-up might have taken the fans by surprise, they might not be ready for the future. After every arc in the manhwa, Jinwoo undergoes a new glow-up and this might see him getting an even better one in future arc adaptations. Moreover, as it goes without saying, with every glow-up, the protagonist's power levels also increase.

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Edited by Tiasha