Summary

Solo Leveling focuses on Jin-Woo's rise to power, not romance.
The romance between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In develops slowly.
The series downplays their romance but hints at their eventual relationship.

From time to time, Solo Leveling, especially the anime adaptation, puts Jin-Woo in situations where fans can easily ship him with female characters. In particular, Cha Hae-In becomes Jin-Woo's main love interest as the two form a unique but special bond over time. Despite their chemistry, the authenticity of their relationship is a bit questionable, especially for fans who feel Solo Leveling downplays their romance.

It’s common knowledge that Solo Leveling isn’t a romance-heavy series. Instead, it centers on Jin-Woo's rise to power, particularly his thrilling fights with magical beasts and superior beings alike. While the series does touch on Jin-Woo's personal life, it primarily delves into his relationships with family and friends, avoiding any deep exploration of his romantic life. After all, romance is nowhere near the top of Jin-Woo's priorities throughout the series.

solo leveling esil radiru and sung jin woo

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By Cathlyn Melo

This article contains spoilers from the Solo Leveling manhwa.

A Slow-Burn Type of Relationship

The Silent Build-Up of Cha Hae-In and Jin-Woo's Romance

The romantic development between Cha Hae-In and Sung Jin-Woo might be the slowest of slow-burns due to a lack of visible or traditional progress. With Jin-Woo's obsession with chasing power and reaching new levels, it’s hard for him to pay attention to the non-essential aspects that don’t drive his growth forward. Instead of putting Jin-Woo in a position where he actively pursues Cha Hae-In, the series takes him away and puts him at the center of chaos, leaving little to no room for romance to develop.

Still, from the very beginning, a certain level of attraction between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In undeniably exists. While Cha Hae-In finds Jin-Woo mysterious, Jin-Woo remembers Cha Hae-In for her remarkable aura. Their early interaction may be brief, but it serves as the foundation of their eventual romance. However, it’s Cha Hae-In who carries the emotional weight of their connection, while Jin-Woo remains emotionally distant.

"How could I ever tell him… I want you by my side until I draw my last breath?"—Cha Hae-In

In fact, Jin-Woo remains silent about his feelings for Cha Hae-In. Additionally, there’s no traditional romantic development between them, except for that one time when Jin-Woo casually asks her out, as if they're already dating. Other than that, the series sidelines Cha Hae-In while Jin-Woo fights toe-to-toe against the Monarchs to save the world.

Subtle Hints of Their Eventual Romance

Lack of Payoff

solo leveling cha hae in true main character moment — solo leveling cha hae in

Despite the slow progress between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In, Solo Leveling can be generous from time to time. However, the subtle hints of romance mostly come from Cha Hae-In's perspective and not from the strongest hunter at all. Sure, she gets protection and kind gestures from Jin-Woo, but it doesn’t amount to anything because Jin-Woo provides the same level of care to his friends and loved ones.

During the Ahjin Guild arc, Cha Hae-In admits that she’s interested in Jin-Woo, going above and beyond to join his guild by defeating Igris and facing Beru. It’s reckless behavior, but at least it made a lasting impression on Jin-Woo. Moreover, Cha Hae-In also gets jealous when she learns about Yoo Jin-Ho's female cousin joining the Ahjin Guild over her. She began to wonder about Jin-Woo's type of woman and why he chose an A-rank hunter over an S-rank hunter like her.

"Out of all the hunters I met, he's the first person that smelled nice."—Cha Hae-In

Unlike other fantasy or shounen anime with protagonists getting together with their female leads after a grand confession scene or a satisfying kiss, none of these traditional romantic payoffs happen in Solo Leveling. In fact, by the end of the webtoon, Jin-Woo returns to the human world after 27 years of fighting, only to start his friendship with Cha Hae-In from scratch. Unfortunately, they remained friends until the end of the webtoon, and the next thing fans know, they are married and have a son without seeing their journey.

So, Did Solo Leveling Downplay Their Romance?

Final Verdict

sung jin-woo walks past cha hae-in — solo leveling cha hae in jin woo

It’s fair to say that Solo Leveling downplayed the romance between Cha Hae-In and Jin-Woo. In the first place, the genre of the series isn’t romance, so the fast pacing of the plot isn’t required to leave much breathing room for romantic developments between the two characters. In addition, Jin-Woo seems to consider romance as a luxury he can’t afford to experience, given the weight of his priorities. In other words, he doesn’t have enough time to pursue it.

Even so, the chemistry between Jin-Woo and Cha Hae-In is very much real. It’s undeniably present in Solo Leveling, despite the lack of visible developments. Perhaps their love doesn’t need to be loud or conventional, especially in a chaotic world where everyone is at death’s door and the rule is survival of the fittest. Perhaps it's enough for them to express love through different means, like stolen glances, shared fights, and quiet understanding. At the end of the day, most fans are simply happy they still end up together.

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