Summary
- Joo-Hee harbors romantic feelings for Jin-Woo, but their relationship ends abruptly.
- Chugong hints at writing a parallel universe story about Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee.
- Fans may see a version of Joo-Hee who overcomes trauma and stays with Jin-Woo.
One of the most underrated characters in Solo Leveling is Lee Joo-Hee, the B-rank healer who was formerly known as Sung Jin-Woo's original love interest. Her early exit from the narrative divides fans who either believe her role is far from over or the other way around. However, it looks like Solo Leveling’s creator, Chugong, has finally expressed his desire to create a new story that would center around Joo-Hee and Jin-Woo, giving hope to their supporters.
Lee Joo-Hee is one of the few old friends Sung Jin-Woo has from his E-rank hunter days. Her unwavering resolve to support Jin-Woo and heal his wounds repeatedly makes her a valuable and irreplaceable ally. It’s no secret that she harbors romantic feelings for Jin-Woo despite knowing the full extent of his abilities. Unlike Jin-Woo's other love interests, Lee Joo-Hee falls for who he was before he even assumes the role of Ashborn’s successor.
Did Solo Leveling Downplay the Romance Between Cha Hae-In and Jin-Woo?
It’s no secret that Solo Leveling isn’t a romance-heavy series, despite the presence of several potential love interests for Jin-Woo.
Lee Joo-Hee's Romantic Feelings for Sung Jin-Woo
Their Relationship Ends Before It Even Begins
Among Jin-Woo's love interests in Solo Leveling, Lee Joo-Hee becomes one of the most memorable due to her significant role during the E-rank hunter’s lowest point in life. While most of the characters surrounding Jin-Woo would laugh at his desperation to make ends meet, Lee Joo-Hee offers not just emotional support but also her healing and buff magic. Of course, Joo-Hee initially feels annoyed by the repeated need to heal Jin-Woo because it takes a toll on her body, but over time, she begins to empathize with him and relate to his struggles.
As they go on dungeon raids together, their bond deepens. Solo Leveling’s creator, Chugong, even confirms in a forum post that “Jin-Woo did have feelings for Joo-Hee before they went their separate ways.” However, before they can even start their relationship, it ends due to various circumstances. Although they have genuinely good chemistry, their differences, as well as their personal goals and unresolved issues, inevitably pull them apart.
"Ah… Joo-Hee… looks like we'll be working together again." —Sung Jin-Woo
As the plot unfolds in Solo Leveling, Joo-Hee finally gathers the courage to retire from her hunter profession, removing herself from both the battlefield and Jin-Woo's life. Her potential to become Jin-Woo's girlfriend or “canon wife” ultimately diminishes in an instant. Naturally, some fans are upset by this turn of events, while others feel content, given Joo-Hee's unstable mental health and her desire to live a normal life.
On the flip side, Sung Jin-Woo quickly accepts Joo-Hee's decision with a smile, even though her news comes as a shock to him. As much as fans would love to see Jin-Woo take Joo-Hee out on a date in her hometown sometime in the future story arcs, that's not going to happen. Here's what Chugong has to say about Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee's ending in the series:
"To give more details, Joohee was one of the characters who represents the victims of the abnormal world.
She was originally supposed to live the life as a University Student, but such a weak hearted girl had somehow obtained a power that didn't fit her and had settled into the abnormal world unwillingly.
During the ending of Solo Leveling, Jinwoo's goal was to turn the abnormal world back to normal. Therefore, Joohee was able to forget about her life in the abnormal world and go back living as a normal girl.
And Jinwoo, who was able to confirm this and was happy for her.
This was the message I wanted to convey, but looks like I didn't exactly write it as good to have the readers understand this."-Translations by Redditor Death_Usagi
Solo Leveling’s Creator Wants to Write New Story About Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee
A New Hope for Their Supporters
While Cha Hae-In holds the reins of Jin-Woo's heart at the end of the original Solo Leveling series and even in the Solo Leveling: Ragnarok webtoon, there’s still hope for fans rallying behind Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee. In fact, in the same forum where Solo Leveling’s creator, Chugong, shares more in-depth details about the pairing, he also reveals his willingness to write a “what if” story about Jin-Woo and Joo-Hee that will take place in a parallel universe.
"You seriously need to be more careful!"—Lee Joo-Hee to Sung Jin-Woo
Accordingly, this “what if” story would feature a different version of Lee Joo-Hee, one who “overcomes her trauma.” After all, Joo-Hee resigns from the battlefield because she struggles to deal with fear and trauma, especially after the incident with the towering statues in the Carthenon Temple. In addition, as translated by Redditor Death_Usagi, the “what if” story would also feature a Joo-Hee who “still stays with Jin-Woo." Given this, it’s fair to assume that the parallel story would feature a version of Joo-Hee who would not resort to retirement to distance herself from the chaos and Jin-Woo.
Should this happen in the future, Solo Leveling fans would be treated to a different world where Cha Hae-In does not replace Joo-Hee as Jin-Woo's main love interest. Of course, the “what if” story would not be canon, but it would certainly delight fans who have always supported Joo-Hee and Jin-Woo together. Who knows, maybe fans will also get to see Joo-Hee join Jin-Woo's Ahjin guild. Perhaps Jin-Woo would even be generous enough to reveal some information about his powers to Joo-Hee, considering how close they would become. For now, all of these remain as assumptions, so fans will have to wait for more information about this development.
Source: DCInside
Solo Leveling
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
