Warning: The following contains spoilers for Viral Hit episode #8!
Summary
Viral Hit combines shounen clichés with the genre's best formulas by reusing techniques in unique ways. Episode #8 shows that Hobin's victory was not due to his newfound strength but by adapting moves seen in previous training sessions. The episode gives a realistic twist by showing how Shonen repurposes supernatural abilities in a setting largely based in reality.
Crime is underrated cartoon Adapted from manhwa Hit viral has now added another amazing achievement to its already long list of successes by revamping the classic shounen formula despite coming from Korea. Of course, the episode where it takes place still delivers everything Viral Hit is now beloved for, including surprisingly satirical commentary on viral social media livestreams, but the analysis adapting this manga's most popular demographic took the episode to a whole other level.
In episode #8, Hobin is able to stand up again after being defeated in a bathroom fight with a former professional Taekwondo fighter turned delinquent bully. After redirecting the fight into a toilet stall, Hobin avoided a kick by grabbing the upper frame of the toilet stall and then tackled his opponent for a perfect strike to win the fight. win the match.
This shocking development justifies Shonen's overused “plus ultra” mantra by way of combine it with a literal translation of another successful shounen formula.
Viral Hit combines a Shonen cliché with the genre's best formula
Original series created by Taejun Pak & Kim Junghyun; anime adaptation produced by Okuruto Noboru
Shonen is both harassed and celebrated because its heroes always try to go beyond their limits at the last moment to turn battles against stronger opponents in their favor. It's so popular that My Hero Academia gave it a name that has now become one of All Might's most famous quotes, plus the aforementioned pole. While the trope leads to some undeniably fun moments, the problem is that there's rarely an explanation for this other than willpower or something worth fighting for, like friendship.
Even though Hobin was motivated by something much more tangible, he ultimately triumphed because he uses a different shounen formula – when a fighter reuses different mechanics of a technique to overcome an opponent after previous attempts have failed conventionally. He can “dig deep” to get back up but Hobin will still lose because he is not a superhero. In many cases, Shonen uses this narrative device by reusing the understood mechanics of a fictional superpower. However, Viral Hit is mainly based on reality so its efforts give a realistic spin about how Shonen reuses supernatural abilities.
Episode #8 does this twofold. Initially, it was thought that Hobin moved the fight into the bathroom stall so he could take advantage of his environment to prevent his opponent from kicking. While that forces his opponent to deliver his strongest kick, the environment also allows him to perform an exercise that viewers have seen him practice in real time and in flashbacks. However, Hobin reused this move because it was originally only intended to strengthen his grip to help him perform a completely different move. He actually performs gentle training in actual combat using a completely different method before delivering the killing blow.
Hobin may have been able to get back up after taking a blow that would have defeated him, but the reason why he won wasn't because he somehow found new strength or power. at the last moment. This is because Crunchyroll's Hit viral sees Hobin reusing many techniques in unique yet relatable ways, just like in the best shounen anime.