Viral Hit episode 2: Hobin's rising star

Viral Hit episode 2 was released on April 17, 2024, at 12:55 am in Japan on Fuji TV. As stated prior in episode 1, there is a massive difference between going viral and producing a hit one time and being constant with content. Viral Hit episode 2 deals with many of those concerns as Hobin's star begins to rise.

Half the episode focuses on the immediate problem of dealing with Pakgo, exposing him as a fraud and a bully. The other, more concerning problem, is Hobin's fighting skills and endurance needed to bulk up before the next video is posted. A mysterious fighting tutorial channel with zero subscribers hosted by a mysterious man begins to turn his life around.

But fame isn't always a good thing, as Viral Hit episode 2 proves.

Viral Hit episode 2: The downsides and perils of fame

Revenge is sweet

Pakgo exposed in Viral Hit episode 2 (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

Viral Hit episode 2 follows up on the premiere episode by showcasing Pakgo trying to exploit Hobin and Snapper's video to boost his ratings. Hobin decides to expose Pakgo as a fraud, loudly proclaiming it in front of his class and exposing bruises inflicted upon him by Pakgo. Though Pakgo's stream cuts out when his phone dies, Snapper's phone records and streams Hobin's proclamation.

A fight ensues between the two, though Pakgo having more muscle and strength leads to him nearly beating down Hobin in front of everyone after slapping him around and insulting his mother. This one-sided beating is only stopped by the inexplicable appearance of rising MMA star Munseong Kim, who was sleeping in class at the time, and orders the two to stop since they interrupted his nap.

Although Hobin ends the day hurt, it isn't a total loss. Snapper's stream goes viral almost immediately, and Pakgo's subscribers and his livelihood begin to shrink. Pakgo goes from the top of NewTubu to being outed as a conman, bully, and fraud, losing subscribers fast.

Hobin's struggles with training and channel maintenance

Channel Maintenance and Training (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

After Pakgo's ousting, new problems begin appearing in Viral Hit episode 2, such as channel focus, which Snapper and Hobin agree to shift toward fighting bad people, ad revenue, and Hobin's endurance in fights.

According to Snapper, NewTubu accounts make money depending on running ads of adequate length. The problem is that Hobin needs to last at least three minutes in a real fight to make any real money, or else they're just one-hit wonders. Audience retention is just as important as getting an audience, as many streamers can attest.

Hobin's exhaustive research finds him a channel called "How to Fight," a very strange channel with zero subscribers and a ton of videos. They all seem to involve the main channel host and content creator, a man in a chicken mask and karate gi named Samdak, telling the viewer how to win fights. His first lesson is on the fighter's mental state—never get worked up and how to fight without pain.

Hobin's newfound fame: the pros and cons

Fame: Pros and Cons (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

The other part of Viral Hit episode 2 is Hobin dealing with his sudden influx of fame and newfound cash flow. The first thing he does is quit his WcDanald's job, thinking working part-time there is not enough to help pay his mom's hospital bills. Hobin also finally talks to Bomi, gets her contact information, and is shown texting her throughout the episode.

Hobin's NewTubu account having 100k subscribers comes with more people recognizing him and asking to collaborate, including the fashion NewTuber Rumi, who slathered him in mime makeup in episode 1. Likewise, the "training" about fighters' mental states enables him to stay calm and dodge Pakgo's retaliatory strikes at school.

But there's always a catch to fame. As seen in Viral Hit episode 2, everyone wants attention from Hobin after the two videos went viral. This includes shady characters pretending to be fans of his to rob him. Snapper assists by catching them in the act secretly and with some encouragement from his new fanbase, Hobin declares the next Viral Hit video will be about getting his phone back.

Final thoughts

Expand Tweet

Viral Hit episode 2 is a great follow-up to episode 1, showcasing both the positives and negatives of sudden fame. Pakgo isn't done with Hobin yet, and Gaeul appears to be showing an interest in what's going on if the episode 3 preview is any indication. Fans can look for it on Crunchyroll.

The animation is still top-notch, blending exaggerated and realistic faces. The story is slow in setting itself up so far, but two episodes went by and the school bully has been outwitted and is losing his reputation. It'll be interesting to see what Pakgo's revenge entails, since usually in these kinds of stories, the school bully is more of a problem than just having his reputation destroyed.

However, for now, Hobin's life is slowly taking something of a turn for the better—he's getting more positive attention, talked to his crush, stood up for himself, and has something of a colleague in Snapper. Time will tell if all this continues to go his way, as fame tends to bring fairweather friends who will leave when the spark is gone.