Anime
This is ‘Viral Hit’
“Miracles don’t happen unless you make them happen”
It’s no exaggeration to say that the critical failure of Crunchyroll Originals left a sour impression on the future of webtoon-to-anime adaptations. Tower of God was an underbaked story that attempted to cram nearly 100 chapters into a middling product with a protagonist that flew straight into the recycling abyss. The God of High School became an incomprehensible sludge of drawn-out fights and nonsensical plot twists thrown in at the 11th hour while Noblesse was so forgettable even Crunchyroll didn’t know how to market the show.
Even if you were one of the few who managed to derive some enjoyment, the behind-the-scenes drama unfolding at the production level and the company’s well documented history of internal strife and questionable decisions eventually became the cover story, leading to the gradual abandonment of the brand. With the notable exception of Meiji Gekken: 1874 — formerly Meiji Gekken: Sword & Gun — which was released four years after its announcement, Crunchyroll Originals would be quietly discontinued sometime after July 2022, with the website now redirecting to the main page.
I bring this up because, well, it has been four years! For context, I was just dipping my toes into more critical writing around this period! But I digress dear reader, because while the brand is deader than the Crunchyroll forums, the demand for webtoon and manhwa adaptations is certainly not. Having spent a good portion of 2020 covering these adaptations in fine detail — and an additional three months on the report above — it’s hard not to be skeptical, let alone inspire confidence for this year’s latest batch.
Regardless, I’m not one to turn down a challenge, and so I’ve reopened the review dojo, starting with a title I certainly did not expect to cover! Based on the manhwa written by Taejun Pak and produced by Okuruto Noboru Inc. (How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Ω), Viral Hit is the newest fighter to throw its hat into the anime ring.
Lacking any experience in martial arts or brawling, did our underdog deliver a knockout and break the webtoon anime streak or did they chicken out at the last minute? Put your dukes up and meet me in the back alley, because we’re going live… right after a quick message from today’s sponsor, Active Aura. Stay tuned at the end for a special offer for… (Just kidding.)
How to Get Hit Without Getting Hurt
Viral Hit follows the story of Yoo Hobin, a down-on-his-luck high school student just trying to get by without getting beat up. Caught in the middle of relentless bullying, online peer pressure and financial woes due to his ailing mother’s medical expenses, Hobin compromises at every turn to avoid further hardships and ridicule by his classmates. In an era of social media influencers and online streamers or “NewTubers” where anonymity is harder to maintain, it doesn’t take long for trouble to find Hobin when he is approached by his classmate Woo “Snapper” Jihyeok.
Taking advantage of Hobin’s timidness, Snapper pressures him into letting him “borrow” his mom’s personal account to open a NewTube channel, to which he reluctantly agrees while pondering his life choices with further scrutiny. But one day, when Hobin accidentally trips over the power cable of Snapper’s computer during a livestream and spills Kimchi all over him, the façade ends and a fight begins — with the web camera behind them continuing to run without their knowledge. When the footage gets uploaded and Snapper’s humiliating defeat becomes the latest online sensation, he begs Hobin to remove the video and salvage the remainder of his reputation.
Seeing the truth about this world and its never-ending list of bullies needing to be taught a lesson, along with the payout from their video, Hobin finally stands up for himself, cutting through Snapper’s ulterior motives upon realizing he now holds all the cards, including the account. Reluctantly, the two form an uneasy alliance to run their new channel, going after local bullies, victimizers and corrupt individuals who target the weak and defenseless with the ensuing fights becoming their main source of revenue.
With Hobin as the face of their new channel and Snapper as the cameraman, along with the help of a quirky editor and a mysterious benefactor in the form of an online martial arts expert wearing a chicken mask, does this amateur have what it takes to turn his life around and pay off the debt or is he about to enter a new world of hurt (and medical bills)?
Given the more fantastical extremes of the aforementioned titles at the beginning of this review, what surprised me the most coming into Viral Hit was not its rags-to-riches underdog story, presentation of hand-to-hand concepts and fighting theory or even the fact that it has a martial artist wearing a chicken mask — more on that later — but rather, its humility.
The show goes through painstaking detail outlining every step along the proper way to fight, from taking a hit and remaining calm under pressure to turning your opponent’s weaknesses into your strengths. It’s why a good portion of Hobin’s training is highlighted before the fight of the week, pushing himself to further extremes while training on a budget.
Of course, by athletic and competitive standards, it is scientifically impossible for an amateur to win against a trained martial artist. But in a straight up street fight with no rules or referee… you’ll still probably lose! As Hobin graduates from not getting his ass kicked (as much) to honing a single move after a month of nonstop practice, the story — via our resident rooster man Samdak — is quick to remind him that he’s not a fighter when it starts throwing unfavorable situations and opponents with experience.
Therefore, you must fight smarter. What Viral Hit lacks in martial arts variety, it makes up for in technique by breaking down the technical stuff in an informative and entertaining format. Sure, it’s not cinematic and there’s a certain amount of “luck” at play — including one fight involving a men’s restroom — but the practical advice and science behind the performance brings it closer to reality, making for one of the most engaging portrayals of the art of fighting I’ve seen in quite some time, which brings us to our main cast.
How to Win Against an Amateur
Hobin is a character with a lot of baggage to unpack. He has a negative view of himself after being singled out by the school bully and works multiple part time jobs to make ends meet, along with taking care of his sick mother. He struggles to make friends and worries about his personal life to the point of self-deprecation. Even when he starts to turn things around and manages to ask the girl of his dreams out, his feelings of doubt and “unworthiness” repeatedly bubble up, to the point that he rejects his own potential happiness when a situation outside of his control arises. Basically, he’s a regular guy — in high school no less.
Though Hobin starts the Viral Hit channel out of resentment for the cards dealt to him by going after the worst of the worst for financial gain, he has to be humbled first before he can rebuild himself. Under Samdak’s online tutelage, he begins to rebuild his confidence as well as the kindness he thought he buried a long time ago. This do-it-yourself mantra is where I think the show truly started to win me over. As the fights grow in narrative complexity with larger stakes and opponents leagues above Hobin, they all serve a purpose by retaining the human element. To use Samdak’s words, “Miracles don’t happen unless you make them happen.”
This further extends to Hobin’s relationships as his personal and professional lives intertwine. The best example I can provide without spoiling too much is the gradual change between Hobin and Snapper. Both characters start off their partnership out of a matter of convenience with aspirations of fame and fortune, willingly putting up with one another until the next golden ticket arises.
Neither character is beholden to the other at this point, meaning it doesn’t take long for Snapper to bail on him when the local bully and NewTuber Pakko shows up to steal their channel’s thunder. When the guilt of his actions starts to take its toll on his conscience, along with a detour which helps him gain a better understanding of the man he betrayed, he does something antithetical to his interests, defending Hobin upon realizing his own weakness. And despite Hobin repeatedly kicking Snapper down, telling him he’d replace him if he could, his actions tell a different story when he passes him his phone. In that moment, it no longer becomes about restoring the channel or Hobin’s honor — it is an exchange to show that they are now in this together, symbolized when he tells Snapper to “start filming.”
Still, this is a fighting show, which means there has to be some fighting in between. If you’re expecting Sakuga fests and non-stop action, I’m sorry to break it to you but this is not that kind of show. Not to imply that there’s anything wrong with the visuals — far from it — it’s just that there weren’t that many scenes I can name off the top of my head that made a lasting impact from a visual perspective. It’s fine, which aside from having a great or interesting story (and more chickens), is all I ask for at this point.
How to Win Against Multiple Opponents
Continuing the thread of creating your own miracles, Viral Hit shows its storytelling chops through sheer willpower and dialogue, which brings us to the final point I’d like to cover, the English dub. Directed by Cris George, this ragtag team of NewTubers is a mix of veterans and new voices, adding fight commentary, humor and yes, humility in the hectic world of content creation.
Brandon Acosta headlines as the titular Viral Hit, Hobin, channeling his insecurities, reactions and passion of the sudden Internet star. With the show heavily emphasizing that there are no shortcuts in fighting, Acosta’s performance captures the underdog’s spirit without betraying the core of Hobin’s identity. Though he can be silly, reserved, and at times charismatic as the script calls for, he never portrays Hobin as a complete “badass” and this self-restraint shows as his character walks a tightrope between bluffs and genuine moments of honesty.
Jesse James Grelle costars as Snapper, bringing Machiavellian energy and that particular brand of high school shenanigans as Hobin’s cameraman. While the story leans into comic relief territory for most of Snapper’s onscreen time, Grelle shows that the character isn’t a one trick pony, giving us a different side to the usually wise cracking promoter in one of the show’s quieter moments. Still, Grelle’s comedy chops are put to good use here, displayed gorgeously with probably my favorite line in the entire show once the team gains their third wheel.
Austin Tindle already has a number of “cool delinquents with an attitude” to his resume, including the lead in the recent Wind Breaker anime — which also aired alongside Viral Hit — so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear his distinct voice as ex-Taekwondo champion Taehoon. Having had the pleasure of watching both shows side by side, it’s safe to say that the actor’s still got it, delivering one of the most intense portrayals of the popular archetype. In contrast to some of his previous roles, Taehoon’s malice is reserved. He doesn’t raise his voice or immediately fly off the handle, but rather hides his intentions, building up the intimidation before whipping out a punishing back kick. On a personal note, I just love the snark in his delivery of certain lines (“So, you’re Viral Hit”).
But if I had to pick an MVP, that would go to Trina Nishimura as martial arts commentator and editor extraordinaire Gaeul who joins team Viral Hit a little before the midpoint. At a quick glance, it’s pretty easy to see why Gaeul is a fan favorite of the series — her charming personality, of course! — but I think I would be underselling it if I left it at that. In terms of the narrative, she is a wild card, and Nishimura’s mad cap performance translates extremely well to Gauel’s unusual vocabulary and mannerisms. As I write this section, I can practically hear the “kids these days” delivery, which is already living rent free inside my head now that I’ve brought it up!
It also helps that she has a lot of chemistry with Acosta’s Hobin and Grelle’s Snapper, with arguably the funniest scene of the season involving all three. It’s best if you see it for yourself, but if you take nothing else from this review, it pays to have the right editor, whether in writing or your workout spotter!
How to Fight (Final Thoughts)
In a world of webtoon adaptations that has primarily focused on heroes with self-serving goals or straight up power fantasies without the characterization to empathize beyond the surface layer — i.e. “dudes who want to get stronger to get stronger” — Viral Hit takes no shortcuts on its journey to enlightenment. What it lacks in spectacle it makes up for in guts and determination, surpassing all expectations and then some given the disastrous rollout of its predecessors.
While I won’t go so far as to call it a turning point or a new gold standard in webtoon adaptations as I still believe the medium has yet to tap into its full potential, this is by far the most realized attempt and a positive step forward, not only for future adaptations, but for the industry as it looks beyond its own borders in search of new and interesting stories that have yet to be discovered. Basically, we’ve only scratched the surface!
With a well-rounded cast, consistent production values and a surprising amount of depth for a title about the price of being a content creator and getting your ass handed to you while being trained by an Internet chicken man, Viral Hit proves that miracles do exist — you just have to make them happen.
Now the only question left is, do you want to learn how to fight?
Viral Hit is streaming now on Crunchyroll.
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