Warning: Spoilers for Viral Hit episode 3Like its first two explosive installments, the third episode of Viral Hit continues to prove that this anime adaptation of the original manhwa by writer Taejun Pak and illustrator Kim Junghyun is the most underrated show on Crunchyroll this season. Episode 3 now not only combines a perfect blend of action and romance to keep all sorts of viewers on the edge of their seats, but is once again escalating its superbly delivered commentary on the prevalence and influence of social media livestreaming on today’s teen culture.
While Viral Hit is not garnering as much attention as other series on Crunchyroll (still sitting at three thousand ratings at the time of writing), the series keeps proving its quality with each new installment. What episode 3 adds to the equation is the focus on and overall importance of the comments from those watching protagonist Yoo Hobin’s livestreams.
While the comments still helped reinforce critical moments during the livestreams or just served as hilarious commentary in previous installments, episode 3 actually introduces a whole new dynamic to how they could function by underscoring both another character’s importance to the overall story and just how nuanced martial arts can be.
Viral Hit’s Portrayal of NewTube Is Masterful
Based on the manhwa by Taejun Pak and Kim Junghyun, produced by Okuruto Noboru
Essentially, a fight that Hobin gets livestreamed only begins to gain traction when a rising MMA fighter named Munseong Kim joins the conversation to educate everyone else on the channel. In episodes 1 and 2, most of the comments were essentially the same, since what everyone was watching wasn’t difficult to understand or had an obvious appeal factor. Now in episode 3, anime-goers can see in real-time how everyone’s opinions begin to change as the comments that pop up on the side of the screen start taking to heart what Kim mentions.
On the surface, this might not seem that exciting, especially when taking into account how many series showcase fighters on the sidelines commenting on an ongoing battle. However, it’s actually quite ingenious when considering how the entire scenario is playing out on social media, which is more relatable to anime viewers in real life than watching a fight happening in front of them. And, of course, the comments from Hobin’s livestreams still provide the same effect as in earlier episodes, except in completely different scenarios.
There’s Also Plenty of Romance in Viral Hit
Of course, the actual fighting is another standout aspect of episode 3. Just like episode 2 of Viral Hit, the anime is continuing to give its more modern, realistic twist to the well-known classic trope where the hero is relatively weak but gains strength through unconventional means. Although just alluded to before, viewers finally get to see Hobin’s “training” play out in a fierce fight, which just further fuels anime-goers’ understandable love and appreciation for the rising underdog trope.
That said, the fighting is only as effective as it is because of how it doesn’t saturate the episode, instead allowing romance to play a major role as well, for a broader appeal. This is further underscored by how the main cliffhanger in episode 3 is based on a romantic encounter, especially when episode 2 left viewers with a tease about the then-upcoming fight, which just serves as further proof how well-balanced Viral Hit is.
Most of the actual love scenes themselves also don’t draw from any of the many common tropes that romance anime usually abuse, therefore making them even more of a rarity in action series. Suffice it to say, it’s for these and many other reasons that Viral Hit should actually have gone viral by now.
