"Very anti-clima(c)tic" - Solo Leveling fans react as "Arise" falls short of expectations

Solo Leveling episode 12 aired on March 30, 2024, and featured the fan-favorite 'Arise' of the protagonist Sing Jinwoo. Fans had waited so long for this moment to be animated, more so voiced, and the reactions to this weren't as expected.

'Arise' is Sung Jinwoo's command to make any monster or human into a shadow soldier after he was given the new title of Necromancer. In the anime series, the production team translated the word into Japanese and made the protagonist say "Okiro," which could also be interpreted as "wake up."

While this scene could have been the most hyped, an X user (@LTVillan) wasn't pleased with its delivery and claimed it was anti-climactic. The user compared the scene to other anime series' old hyped scenes.

Disclaimer: This article has potential spoilers from the last episode of Solo Leveling and has the author's opinion.

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Fans show their disappointment over the 'Arise' scene in Solo Leveling anime

Cid Kagenou, the protagonist of Eminence in Shadow, has used the technique 'I Am Atomic' various times throughout the series. This technique is Cid's signature technique, which he learned after rigorous practice imitating something close to a nuclear explosion but not harming himself.

The technique revolved around the protagonist erecting a barrier of some miles around him and his opponent, just like domain expansion from Jujutsu Kaisen. After this, Cid would infuse his magical powers inside his ebony sword and strike his opponent, thus creating an explosion-like phenomenon.

Cid, as seen in the anime (Image via Nexus)

The technique was one of the most anticipated scenes in the series that was satisfactory, according to fans. The first time it happened was against Zenon Griffy in season 1. Cid also activated this during the last episode of season 2 against Mordred Ragnarok.

Bankai is an ultimate technique used by a few characters in Bleach after they master Zanpakuto, the primary weapon in battle. Mastering Zanpakuto meant materializing it and not getting engulfed in its world. A few characters have displayed his technique throughout the series, but the most iconic is the Bankai of the protagonist, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo's bankai, as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Ichigo's Bankai was titled 'Tensa Zangetsu' and appeared in episode 58 of Bleach. His Bankai involved his sword shrinking and becoming more thin and sharp, thus increasing its effectiveness and durability. According to fans, this scene was one of the most hyped scenes in Bleach and was satisfactory.

Compared to 'I Am Atomic' and' Bankai,' the X user claimed that the Solo Leveling scene was not worth the hype and was thus anti-climactic and disappointing.

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More fan reactions

Fans have reacted interestingly to this debate regarding the latest Solo Leveling scene. While some fans gave their recommendations on how this scene could have been delivered, others were optimistic about this Solo leveling scene regaining its hype in the future.

"It would've been much better if they made it in English"

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

One fan addressed the elephant in the room and stated that the production team could have just left the phrase as it is in the script and didn't need to translate it into Japanese, as this could have maintained an original feel to the scene.

As addressed above in the 'I Am Aomic' scene, the production team of Eminence in Shadow didn't change the phrase, which made it more popular among anime fans. This could mean that the translation was the issue with Solo Leveling's scene.

"I think Arise comes off cooler in the Manwha, and I really wish they added some vocal effect in the anime when he said it since the Manwha has a different speech bubble meant just for it"

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

Another fan made an interesting suggestion. The fan said that the voice of Ban Taito, the voice actor of Sung Jinwoo, should have been made deeper for the 'Arise' scene as this could have made the scene pop out more.

This is a common practice in anime because hyped moments are followed by the protagonist or any other character developing a deep voice for that specific scene. This makes the scene more intimidating.

"Domain expansion is better than “I am atomic” bro. Bankai is in a league of its own. Nothing comes close"

A fan brought another scene from an anime into the discussion: Jujutsu Kaisen's domain expansion. Like the Solo Leveling scene, domain expansion was also delivered by translating the phrase into Japanese, which can loosely be pronounced as "Ryoiki tenkai."

Although the Solo leveling scene was considered by most fans anti-climactic and average, domain expansion stands as one of the best anime scenes of the modern-day.

"Arise is not even overhyped But i agree with your take tho Maybe in the future it will be more iconic than "I am atomic""

Another fan took the optimistic approach and claimed that 'Arise' might not look that appealing right now, but it could achieve its peak in the upcoming season. After the final episode of Solo Leveling, the second season of the series was announced, and this fan is particularly optimistic about this scene getting redemption in the upcoming season.

"Bankai's its own league compared to these. what the **** is "i am an atomic" i heard arise a few times at least, but what the **** is the second one"

Throughout the reactions, there was a continuous trend of most fans not even being aware of what 'I Am Atomic' is and what anime series it belongs to. The reason for this could be that while Eminence is Shadow is a successful series, it is not that popular among fans compared to Shounen series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, and others. This could have led to most fans being confused about the 'I Am Atomic' scene from Eminence in Shadow.

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