Viral Hit Review: In this underdog story, a desperate teenager decides to take his fate into his own hands and starts to livestream his fights, hoping to earn money and some self-respect in the process. The series is a rather fantastical take on bullying and social media culture that does a great job of entertaining its audiences, given that you can suspend your disbelief for some time.
The webtoon already has an anime adaptation, and although the storyline doesn’t perfectly translate to live-action sentimentalities, it’s still enjoyable for the most part.
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Who is in the Cast of Viral Hit Netflix?
Ouji Suzuka, Ai Mikami, Araki Sugo, Noritaka Hamao, Nana Asakawa, Kentaro Maeda, Takuro Osada, Mandy Sekiguchi, Riko Takayama, Ryotaro Sakaguchi, Gouki Maeda, Shin Namura, Yusuke Iseya, Gaku Sano, Orakio, Gitan Ohtsuru, Tsurutaro Kataoka, Mieko Harada, Meru Nukumi
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Who is the Director of Viral Hit Series?
Hideki Takeuchi
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What is the Original Title?
喧嘩独学
The series has 6 episodes, around 40 minutes each, and is adapted from the webtoon “Viral Hit” (싸움독학) by Park Tae Jun (박태준).
Viral Hit Review
A Classic Underdog Tale for the Streaming Age
Netflix’s Viral Hit follows Shimura Kota, a high school student who is relentlessly bullied by his peers. Trying to overcome his difficulties and take the reins of his life into his own hands, he starts to live-stream his own fights after going viral one day and starts to earn a ton of money. This changes the course of his life but comes with its own unique set of circumstances.
For an outrageous premise as this one, this series cleverly combines themes of bullying, self-improvement and toxic internet culture. While this can be seen as Kota finally discovering himself and trying to find his footing in this world, it also highlights how often people use social media as an escape to do things without thinking about the consequences. As the show goes on, things become more interesting as we see the duality of the situation play out.
Suzuka Ouji Anchors the Series
It’s important to sympathise with Kota, and Suzuka does a fantastic job of making us initially pity and eventually root for the protagonist through and through. Viewers will be able to see the noticeable changes to his character and his growth through the actor’s performance that makes you emotional for his journey. The character transformation from insecure victim to a determined fighter while keeping his character’s sweetness intact makes him such a great character, and most of it has to be attributed to the Ouji.
This can be further understood as the series ventures into more exaggerated circumstances and situations since the actor holds on to what makes the protagonist charming and keeps that at the heart of it. His motivations always feel genuine, and that’s mostly thanks to Suzuka’s grounded performance.
Stylish Action Meets Internet Culture
One of the best parts about the show is the insane action sequences. Although, as mentioned earlier, it needs a lot of suspension of disbelief, the action keeps the series moving forward and is insanely entertaining. It’s difficult to believe someone as “fragile” as Kota would be able to pull off any of it, but the notion is funny… more so when you see it play out onscreen. The vibe is always energetic, and the choreography is fast-paced and imaginative, making it endlessly watchable. Of course, if viewers want something strictly realistic, this might be extremely hard to digest, but if you’re a fan of anime action sequences, this should be right up your alley.
Another interesting thing about the series is how it incorporates internet culture into the storytelling, highlighting how big a part social media plays in kids’ lives these days. It makes for a rather enjoyable and immersive experience, wherein you will be able to witness the series from the eyes of both the creators and viewers watching online. It makes the show feel distinctly modern without shoving it down our throats.
Smart Commentary Beneath the Chaos
Viral Hit aims to showcase the effects of social media fame and the consequences of consuming conflict as entertainment. In order to get his hands on money and fame, Shimura gets into increasingly dangerous battles where the end might be murky. It’s a dangerous situation for all, regardless of how they end. It also brings to light how online attention can shape real-world decisions, which is a scary notion that we see destroying people’s lives every day.
Moreover, we also see the bullying culture in Japan that leaves victims helpless and depressed. This week, we also watched Teach You a Lesson that showcased the after effects of victims of bullying.
Although the themes can sometimes feel a bit obvious, the series does a good job of highlighting them, and they are effective enough to enhance the narrative as well.
Not Everything Feels Realistic
Last but not least, Viral Hit needs viewers to majorly suspend their disbelief for any of it to feel entertaining. The series’s many action sequences can feel very silly, and it’s clear that the story prioritises excitement over realism. The crazy action sequence helps make the series feel lighthearted and cuts through the rather depressing story hidden beneath.
It’s also a little silly to see kids bullying each other without an adult in sight. Viewers will find themselves questioning things, especially during these situations when the kids break each other’s faces open, but no one is there to intervene. It’s hardly realistic to assume that there are no teachers who can stop Shimura from getting piled on, but it’s necessary for the story’s progression.
It’s also hard to believe that people who were almost sworn enemies two scenes ago become best buddies for one small thing or another. While it’s nice to assume that we can all live happily together, it’s easy to doubt how one can forgive another who almost killed them. It’s a bit gross and unhealthy, but at least Shimura’s sweet romance with co-worker Kaho Asamiya is a breath of fresh air that almost fixes all of its mistakes!
Final Verdict
It’s difficult to take Netflix’s Viral Hit seriously, and that’s probably how we should enjoy the show. While it gets some things right and the action sequences are insanely entertaining, it’s hard to look the other way when it comes to its shortcomings. As a result, this is a mixed bag that entertains but also makes you raise an eyebrow. Overall, it’s a good entertainer if you don’t look too deeply into it.
Viral Hit is streaming on Netflix right now. Have you watched the action-comedy series? Let us know in the comments below!
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