English Dub Review: Viral Hit “Friends”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Following his humiliated defeat by Pakgo, Hobin isolated himself from his classmates to continue his training and get even stronger. Hobin then returns to face Pakgo once more but with a new trick up his sleeve.

Our Take:

After weeks of isolation, Hobin returns to school to settle the score with Pakgo once and for all. This time, he’s come prepared after watching more videos from the mysterious channel he came across. With Hobin’s first lesson being a one-trick pony to Pakgo’s aggressive strength, he’s now learned a new technique that gives Pakgo a run for his money. After spending a month building up his protein, willpower, and stamina, Hobin learns to perform a calf kick, similar to a low kick. However, the difference is that the calf kick deals instant damage to the calf upon contact. Assuming that he’s also about to overdue his new move, Hobin managed to psyche Pakgo out by delivering a massive yet satisfying punch to the face, officially ending Pakgo’s online career and hopefully his bullying days.

Undoubtedly, this is a fulfilling chapter depicting the underdog overpowering their tormentor through their skills and determination. It shows that if you keep picking on the little guys, you’ll wind up biting more than you can chew. The same should be said about Pakgo, who’s said to be absent from school following his defeat. Let’s hope that big-headed loser stays absent for Hobin’s sake. Additionally, we see that Hobin has gained more than 100,000 subscribers, which should help him pay his mother’s hospital bills quickly, with one of his followers being Moon-seong.

However, that’s not the only reason “Friends” is another worthwhile episode in an already-improving white-knuckled series. It’s also due to the development of Snapper, who has finally come to terms with Hobin being his friend. This is due to Snapper visiting Hobin’s mom to figure out Hobin’s address, only to see the mother’s happiness that her son’s life is better because of the friends he’s with, explaining Snapper’s warning to Hobin about Pakgo. While Snapper is still a pain in the ass when he finds out that Moon-seong is actually Hobin’s friend, it seems that his behavior is now being used to protect Hobin and his successful NewTube career. This’ll likely continue in the remaining episodes, with Hobin and Snapper figuring out the next step of their online success.