Summary
This article contains spoilers from the manhwa of Solo Leveling.
The relationships inSolo Levelingand the character dynamics continue the story and develop the protagonist. The journey of Sung Jin-Woo from a mere hunter to the strongest in the world is accompanied by a bundle of relationships that influence his decisions for growth. A relationship that was developed on such a basis was his association with Lee Joo-Hee, his fellow hunter who also doubled as a healer, during the times when he had to struggle a lot. In spite of all the closeness between them, Sung Jin-Woo doesn’t end up with Lee Joo-Hee.
It is evidentfrom the early chapters of the seriesthat friendship and mutual care form the basis in the relationship between these two. Because of this, as a healer, she was always in positions to rescue the likes of Jin-Woo, who was always the weakest hunter in their group. This dynamic created a bond of trust and concern between the two, where Joo-Hee felt protective of Jin-Woo, and Jin-Woo was grateful for her sentiments. But, in reality, their relationship is more companion-like than being in the interest of romance, where Joo-Hee sees Jin-Woo as some friend whom she needs to take care of.
Changing Priorities of Sung Jin-Woo
From Being Hunted to Becoming The Hunter
As this story progresses inSolo Leveling, there is a realization that while they share a strong bond, it does not blossom into romance. It feels like Joo-Hee’s feelings towards Jin-Woo are more platonic and only born from her nurturing nature and the sympathy she feels for his struggles that never end. On the contrary, Jin-Woo values Joo-Hee’s concern a lot, but he does not feel the same romantic interest in her; rather, his whole concentration is on surviving and growing. When such norms are established early, they tend to set a precedent for most of the series.
During thetime Jin-Woo gets strongerand his circumstances change, his priorities also change a lot. This transformation from weak hunter to an overpowering figure completely changed his understanding of relationships, including the one with Joo-Hee. Now, his main interest is his mission of protection of the people surrounding him, and he is fully involved in challenges and dangers emerging because of his new power. This strong ambition leaves little time and room for developing a romantic relationship, especially with someone like Joo-Hee, who remains in the outside circle of his world as he rises to greater heights.
The Role of Cha Hae-In in Jin-Woo’s Life
Cha Hae-In’s Introduction and Influence
Cha Hae-In, the strongest female S-Rank hunterin Korea, provides another important context in Jin-Woo’s life that contrasts sharply with Lee Joo-Hee. Unlike Joo-Hee, Cha Hae-In comes later in the story when Jin-Woo has already grown powerful and is focusing his sights on targets. The strength, determination, and shared experiences with Jin-Woo all make for a connection that Joo-Hee does not feel with him. From the instant Cha Hae-In was introduced, it became unmistakable that she was someone who could stand beside Jin-Woo-not just as a companion, but an equal.
How Could I Ever Tell Him… I Want You By My Side Until I Draw My Last Breath?” - Cha Hae In
This dynamic significantly affects the way Jin-Woo feels toward Cha Hae-In: the struggles they go through, the deep understanding of each other’s burdens, and the connection they build will rest on mutual respect and common experience. And it comes out naturally that such a development of events will turn into romantic feelings between them. Where Cha Hae-In can most relate tohis struggles and is strong in battle, she is more fitted for a partner with the man Jin-Woo has become compared to Joo-Hee’s role in his earlier, weaker days.
Romantic Development and Similar Goals
Growth Through Mutual Support
The romance which develops between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In is gradual, building upon mutual respect and shared experiences. In contrast to Joo-Hee, Cha Hae-In is not the object of Jin-Woo’sinterest due to her strength, but due to the incredible sense of mutual understanding that they share as hunters. Perhaps necessary to balance this understanding, their relationships have many tender moments, full of mutual support—another point where both experience the heavy stress imposed on their responsibility to the world. Cha Hae-In starts to become increasingly important to Jin-Woo’s life, and the bond between them grows more deeply than Joo-Hee’s relationship with Jin-Woo ever does.
It speaks volumes about the different nature ofJin-Woo’s relationships with both women: Joo-Hee speaks to a part of his past, a presence in his life for which he is grateful; Cha Hae-In, on the other hand, speaks to the present and future. Gradually, this mutual support and understanding between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In culminate in a romantic relationship that develops organically and deservedly, far from the one-sided, platonic development of Jin-Woo’s relationship with Joo-Hee.
Why Lee Joo-Hee Wasn’t Chosen
From a plot viewpoint, it does make more sense for Jin-Woo not to end up with Lee Joo-Hee. As Joo-Hee assumes an important part in Jin-Woo’s life in earlier portions of the series, oppositely, as she proceeds in his dimension, her very being comes to play a minimal role in his life. The vastness of his world grows even more, until it gets to a critical point where he can’t just take everything into his own. This change mirrors Jin-Woo’s growth as a character and the shift in his relationships as he becomes much stronger and assumes heavy responsibilities.As Jin-Woo grows strongerand passes beyond his former burdens, Joo-Hee-a representation of safety and security-is less and less central in his life.
Joo-Hee’s character is also not developed to show how deeply and romantically linked she could be to Jin-Woo. She starts to appear less in the series, in a much more supporting way, as opposed to being central. This is in contrast to how the character of Cha Hae-In is integrated into Jin-Woo’s journey. This narrative choice allows the story to focus on the growth of Jin-Woo and the relationships which better align with his new reality, rather than trying to shoehorn in a romantic subplot that does not serve or fit naturally within the larger narrative.
Lovers or Friends
Jin-Woo’s relationship with Cha Hae-In Draws a Better Parallel
Cha Hae-In is a character who fills in more on these themes in such a way that it complements Jin-Woo’s journey, navigating through theincreasingly complex and perilous worldthat he is in. This mirrors the value of the series found in personal development and the series of finding one’s partner who understands and shares in their struggles, with them being equal and both strong and capable. By contrast, Joo-Hee’s role in Jin-Woo’s life represents a different, earlier phase of his journey in which he was more vulnerable and required more support from others. While this is a critical phase, it isn’t quite aligning with the direction Jin-Woo’s character takes over the course of the series.By the series' end, it feels very appropriate that Jin-Woo will be with Cha Hae-In, while his earlier relationship with Joo-Hee is something that is of consequence in his past rather than in focus on his future.
In the series, the relationships Sung Jin-Woo has with him trace the tiresome path from a weak hunter to the strongest being in the world. While Lee Joo-Hee can be considered an important figure in his early days, through theunfolding events of the series, their relationship does not develop as a romantic one in his life. Instead, Jin-woo’s bond with Cha Hae-In, led by respect, mutual and shared experiences, and emotional support, leads to the core romantic relationship in the story. It only highlights that the storyline and characters' developments inSolo Levelingboth work in their own way to meet the series' themes of development and the ability to conquer. This decision of Jin-Woo ending up with Cha Hae-In instead of Joo-Hee is a testament to how far he has come and how his life has been shaped by his relationships.
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.
