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The anime "Solo Leveling" has managed to build quite a large fanbase and caught the attention of many anime fans, but why? Well, "Solo Leveling" is like a shawarma with everything - lots of action, fantasy elements, badass characters, a handsome MC, and RPG elements. However, despite its popularity, there are MANY mediocre aspects that wouldn't even qualify this anime as decent to watch. Therefore, I'll mention some good things about "Solo Leveling," but also why it's a waste of time.
There is indeed plenty of captivating action in the anime, the animation during the fights is actually good, and the movements are fluid. However, ... behind those fights, there are many plot holes. The universe in "Solo Leveling" is quite dry, considering it's a fantasy; there were more opportunities for interesting things that could leave you in awe, but it ends up adding random stuff instead.
Now, let's talk about the most obvious things that can't be overlooked. Our protagonist, Jin-Woo, is very poorly written. Apart from the fights he's involved in, there's nothing impressive about him. Moreover, the secondary characters are even more pathetic; they barely get any attention and aren't developed at all. We see certain characters occasionally in the series, yet we know absolutely nothing about them. I'm surprised the author bothered to tell us their names.
The plot in "Solo Leveling" is the worst part of the anime. The story itself is very predictable and full of clichés/goofy moments. Most events are easy to anticipate, which can be boring at some key moments. Yet, some moments unfold too quickly, some feel like you're climbing a wave but they're not that important, and the truly important moments feel like sledding down a hill at 50km/h.
Despite its potential to explore certain profound themes (power, identity, and morality), "Solo Leveling" fails to do anything and instead opts for mediocre spectacle and gratuitous violence. Furthermore, the violence feels truly "felt" only at the beginning of the anime. As the story progresses, it feels like even if our protagonist Jin-Woo were hit by a train, he'd instantly get up because he drank a magic potion.
In conclusion, "Solo Leveling" is a very disappointing anime that brings nothing new but had gigantic potential. The author wanted to deliver the same dish but quality>quantity. - fights without a plot, "cool" characters, and more fights. A waste of time

Ragna Crimson is an anime with a mundane introduction, but after about 3 episodes, I was left astonished, captivated by the dragons of this anime and characters, but what managed to captivate me the most was... my dear Crimson.
Is is the kind of anime with a main character who starts off very weak and evolves, but besides that, Ragna also has a purpose from the beginning for which he fights.
In my opinion, Ragna Crimson has a quite good and detailed world, from desolate places and ruined cities to ancient temples or feudal kingdoms, it's like a Kinder egg with surprises. The author has ... integrated politics quite well with magic and mythology, which are quite important aspects in Ragna Crimson, and offers a broader perspective on the world.
The characters in Ragna Crimson are VERY STRONG, why do I say that? For me, it was enough to see Crimson wielding a weapon around and it made me believe that she's quite strong and carries the entire series, just kidding... the characters are quite well-developed, and they have their own motivations or aspirations. Ragna has several "inner" struggles, so to speak, and constantly matures. His adventure, it's not just about fighting dragons, but he also has a struggle with his own nature and the questions that plague him. On the other hand, Crimson, the other protagonist, is a mysterious character who gives off a unique aura. Her relationship with Ragna is a very complex and dynamic one.
The rest of the characters are interesting too, from loyal allies to charismatic enemies, each character has something unique.
The animation in Ragna Crimson is not very special, it's a 6-7 of 10 (10/10 , like Bleach TYBW/Fate), but the landscapes and fight scenes are very well done, there are a few specific moments for an MC that are like masterpieces. The soundtrack is impressive, and there are also very good orchestral pieces alongside the classic ones heard in any anime, the voice actors did wonderfully, and I felt every emotion they tried to convey.
In my opinion, Ragna Crimson is an anime worth watching, for a seasoned viewer like me, it was something new because it has enough "troll" moments that pleasantly surprised me, and I didn't saw the same reheated soup in a universe with dragons

Sousou no Frieren," an anime with tremendous potential, ends up suffering the same fate as a run of the mill anime. Frieren had something special, and that was its premise: an immortal elf grappling with the impermanence of human life after the death of her companions. However, the potential was destroyed, but how? Very slowly anime with a story lacking direction and constantly introducing unplanned events that made the viewer much more confused and forgot the purpose of the journey because not even our characters were discussing it anymore
The biggest problem with this anime is its pacing; episodes feel like a race between snails and ... dedicate too much screen time to scenes that are non-essential and do not contribute anything to the story. For example, "Frieren walks around the city and talks to a random character from whom she learns nothing, and that character will not even reappear.
As for the story, what can I say? It largely relies on flashbacks to the adventures our elf has gone through, but initially, they are interesting, and then they become repetitive and boring. We see the same moments unfolding again and again. Some flashbacks feel like they only exist to fill up time in the episode rather than being used for something more useful (like character development).
The entire series tries to drown you in emotions... Bombs of "sentimental" moments are thrown in without reason. I can't understand what the author exactly wanted to do; they try to create many dramatic moments with the "adventurers," but at the same time, we barely learn anything about them, and in the end, we know just as much as we did in the first episode about the elf's past comrades.
It started nicely, with a fascinating premise, but it fails to deliver even 50% of what it promises. The pacing is sluggish, the story repetitive, and the characters underdeveloped, ruining everything and turning it into a dissatisfying series by the end of the journey. This could have helped the viewer to question life, and the weight of time, but instead, the slow pace and awkward melancholy make the viewer lose interest in such matters. I cannot recommend this anime; I struggled with it... if I didn't watch it weekly, I probably would have been knocked out after watching 3 episodes on the same day.