English Dub Review: Viral Hit “A Real Fight”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After a month of training, Hobin feels he is ready to take on taekwondo specialist, Taehun.  But despite much of the early sparring going his way, Hobin quickly realizes how big the gulf in skill is between them.

Our Take:

The fight between Hobin and Taehun differs from what we expected, having a public restroom be their personal, yet highly cramped, battlefield.  But a fight is a fight, regardless of the location.  Fortunately, unlike Hobin’s fight with Pakgo, this intense battle lasted an entire episode, mainly due to the higher risk of Hobin losing his NewTube channel.  Not only that, but Taehun’s professional skills help him gain his footing despite Hobin flooding the floor with water, which prevents the taekwondo pro from using his feet.

In addition to his calf kicks, Hobin used his double-leg tackle and cross-choke to pin Taehun.  Unfortunately, Hobin’s carelessness quickly puts him at a disadvantage, which would’ve been the end of the channel and his life if it weren’t for his core muscles.  In the end, Hobin barely won his second fight against a bully, thanks to his baseball choke maneuver, which might’ve been the reason Taehun left his career to torment innocent people.  Honestly, after all the trouble Taehun caused, I don’t feel sorry for that asshole for being traumatized by that finishing move, but that’s just me talking as a regular viewer.  However, I also see that even the most brutal bully has a soft spot, especially when Hobin is sympathetic towards him.

“A Real Fight” offers another example of displaying an authentic fight through its stakes and tension.  Taehun’s professional skills and Hobin’s barely-trained ones create a sense of urgency that the protagonist might be unmatched until the very end.  It’s similar to the fantasy action anime where a seemingly strong hero puts themselves in a dire struggle against an even more potent antagonist.  The only difference is that Viral Hit is real life with a dose of viral streaming.  In short, the direction of the animation and the tension make this the most intense episode the show has delivered.