An underrated fantasy manga shines with a similar premise to a major storyline in the new megahit anime Solo Leveling.
Summary
- Both Solo Leveling episode #5 and Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I'm Actually the Strongest explore the theme of betrayal as the main characters are left to be slaughtered by their parties.
- The atmosphere of uneasiness and the discovery of something sinister in the dungeon are major similarities between Solo Leveling and Worthless "Appraiser" .
- The protagonists, Jin-woo and Ein, receive external help to gain their powers and seek vengeance on those who betrayed them, making their experiences comparable.
Warning: Spoilers for Solo Leveling episode #5The gripping cliffhanger in Solo Leveling's episode #5 undoubtedly left many fans at the edges of their seats to see how Jin-woo saves himself and novice hunter Jin-ho from the spider dungeon boss after being betrayed by their party. Those who don't want to spoil what happens next by reading the original Solo Leveling light novel series or manhwa adaptation can at least take a look at the underrated fantasy manga Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I'm Actually the Strongest by Ibarakino.
The Worthless "Appraiser" 's entire premise is built upon the very same predicament that Jin-woo and Jin-ho find themselves in episode #5 of Solo Leveling. The protagonist, Ein, is betrayed by his own adventurers party, who sacrifice him to protect themselves from a pack of deadly hellhounds.
Some might consider this manga to be more of a brutal deconstruction of the "I got kicked out of the hero's party" trope, but there are actually an impressive amount of similarities with Solo Leveling episode #5, from what initially causes Ein to realize that something about the dungeon is off to the ensuing brutal betrayal.
Both Jin-woo and Ein Get Brutally Betrayed By Their Parties
Original manga by Ibarakino
More directly, Ein and his party initially stumble upon many hellhound corpses, much like the insects that Jin-woo finds with chew marks in Solo Leveling. Of course, a spider boss had been feasting on these insects, while the hellhounds in Worthless "Appraiser" were infighting, but that whole feeling of uneasiness based on the prospect of there being something much more sinister in their dungeon is critical in understanding the same atmosphere that both stories create. Adding to the similarities is that both Jin-Woo and Ein are forced by their party to carry heavy luggage in the dungeon.
The most important element that connects both scenes, however, is that a party betrays and leaves the protagonist to be brutally slaughtered by one or more monsters for their personal gain. The difference is that both heroes are in varying states of power at the time of their betrayal, and so fans are forced to feel certain emotions at different stages. For Ein, this particular instance serves as his version of Solo Leveling's "room of statues", while Jin-woo has already survived his power-bestowing ordeal and is now a much more character as a result.
Ein and Jin-woo Receive Their Special Powers Similarly
Regardless, fans of each story are eventually compelled to hope that the protagonists will prove or seek vengeance on the ones who betrayed them. It's actually the manner in which Ein receives his own powers that makes his experiences more similar to the entirety of Solo Leveling. Both Ein and Jin-woo are weak at the start of their respective stories, and they only become strong because they receive outside help. However, Worthless “Appraiser” adds a little more nuance to Ein's situation since his eponymous worthless class actually plays some type of role in his path to strength.
This isn't to say that Solo Leveling is worse, only that fans who enjoy power systems that borrow more from classic shonen series will undoubtedly appreciate this development if they give a chance to the underrated fantasy manga Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I'm Actually the Strongest.
Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I'm Actually the Strongest is available from Kodansha
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