The answer is not that simple.
Summary:
- Despite the apparent popularity of the source material, no one’s watching Viral Hit.
- The animation isn’t the best.
- The anime is still worth watching if you want to see how bullying affects people.
Among this season’s anime, Viral Hit (Kenka Dokugaku) has been practically unnoticed so far. There are many factors contributing to it, but the source material actually had quite a bit of following.
According to manhwa fans (yes, it’s based on a manhwa), it has pretty good fights — so, is that enough of a reason to watch the anime?
What Is It About?
Viral Hit follows Hobin, a bullied and timid guy. His mother is suffering from a terminal disease, and he has to work part-time to make ends meet. Still, despite being able to pack a punch, he gets bullied because of his weak character.
One day, Jihyeok (also known as “Cameraman”), one of his former bullies, comes up with an idea — since Hobin is pretty good at fighting (and the fight of the two was leaked online), maybe they could upload his fights against bullies and other wrongdoers to NewTube (obviously a YouTube reference) and get rich like that.
The premise seems interesting enough, but the execution is not to everyone’s liking.
The protagonist is timid and cowardly — likely because of his bullying — but that doesn’t make him more likable. In the very first episode, he allows Jihyeok into his house — a questionable decision — and cooks for him while the latter streams a game.
Hobin spits in the food, establishing himself as a very petty individual — though that’s arguably on purpose. After the stream gets suddenly interrupted, the two get into the aforementioned fight.
Lack of Popularity, Explained
The actual fights in the series are actually quite disappointing. They were far more spectacular in the source material, and the anime definitely isn’t even close to matching that. As such, many source material fans are disappointed by the adaptation.
If you want a good anime about fighting this season, there’s Wind Breaker.
Another issue with the adaptation is how it changes all the Korean names to Japanese ones. While it’s understandable — the anime is produced in Japan — and it’s not the first time that happens, fans are still disappointed — especially because you can still read the Korean names in the subs.
The anime also lacks popularity because it was announced quite late and didn’t get much advertising before the season started. This probably also means that the series had to be produced on a very tight schedule.
Why You Might Want to Watch it
While Viral Hit might not have the best action animation, it’s arguably worth watching if you want a series that doesn’t hold back with how dark it can get.
The characters are all realistic teenagers (who can be impulsive and aggressive for no reason), and the theme of bullying — and the online reaction to it — is actually explored pretty well.