Viral Hit episode 8: Hobin vs. Taehun

Hobin vs. Taehun in Viral Hit episode 8 (Image via Okuruto Noboru Inc)

Viral Hit episode 8 was released in Japan on May 30, 2024. It is best described as Hobin vs. Taehun and Hobin's first real fight against a professional fighter. As shown in episode 7, one false move and Hobin could end up severely injured or dead, depending on where Taehun decided to kick him.

It will take a lot of improvisation and luck to beat the sadistic Devil of the MMA circuit, but Hobin is nothing if not persistent if Viral Hit has shown anything thus far. Viral Hit episode 8 involves quite a bit of improvisation from Hobin, who uses the wet floor, a bathroom stall, and the iron bars to pick himself up.

It also proves that all that training did not go to waste, but it's not the only thing that matters in a fight.

Viral Hit episode 8: Hobin's first real fight

Taehun's adaptability and Hobin's strategy

Viral Hit episode 8: Taehun adapts and Hobin's new moves (Image via Okuruto Noboru Inc)

The first thing Viral Hit episode 8 shows is how, despite his sadism, Taehun came to be a professional fighter. Hobin's advantage of flooding the bathroom in episode 7 is swiftly adapted to by Taehun using his footwork to close in on Hobin and strike rapidly with his fists.

As Gaeul points out, pro fighters don't just practice kicks and don't expect to be on balance all the time. That being said, Hobin manages to keep himself up and hits Taehun with calf kicks to damage him. Taehun counters these with straight jabs and angling his legs away from the kicks, continually damaging Hobin.

But as Hobin goes for calf kicks and shouts his attacks like he's a shonen hero like Goku, to Snapper and the chat's chagrin, the reason becomes clear. Viral Hit episode 8 shows that it was a feint to distract Taehun so Hobin could attempt to tackle him. Using Samdak's teachings, he tackles Taehun down in a double-leg tackle.

Hobin's error and inspiration

One thing Viral Hit episode 8 showcases is how much of an amateur Hobin still is. The tackle itself and the calf kicks helped to disorient Taehun. The one problem was that Hobin forgot to pin Taehun's legs down as he went for the cross-choke. This allowed Taehun to spring out of his attack and counter.

Viral Hit episode 8 also showed Hobin having support from everyone he knew. From Snapper to Gaeul to his Newtubu audience, to even Munseong Kim and Bomi tuning in to the stream, Hobin got his second wind after taking a few hard kicks from Taehun. Whether it's the power of friendship or money, which Hobin denied was about money, Hobin was inspired fiercely.

Taehun countered by stealing Hobin's right water shoe and kicking him back with his backkick. Thankfully, Hobin's training and Gaeul's unconventional help helped him to withstand it and get up. He baited Taehun into trying to fight him in the ultra-confined space of a bathroom stall.

Hobin's unconventional victory and sponsorship

Viral Hit episode 8: Hobin's victory and sponsorship (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

The bait was taken as Taehn attempted to kick Hobin again. Hobin's training took over as he lifted himself on the bar the stall had, kicked Taehun down, and then grabbed him up into a baseball choke with Taehun lifted off the ground. It was the second time Taehun tasted defeat and tapped out, the first time being to Kim in the ring.

Hobin held him there until Taehun was knocked out. Then, when Taehun regained consciousness, he gave him his watch back. Taehun accepted his defeat but said that Hobin would regret crossing paths with Taehun again as he left. Hobin and Snapper vowed to avoid the arcade from now on.

Inexplicably, Hobin and Snapper then launched into a sponsored ad for Active Aura body spray. That surreal act was followed by Gaeul editing the video. It scored 3 million views nearly instantly, and the Viral Hit channel scored 190,000 subscribers. But Hobin notes that things spiraled into tragedy afterward.

Final thoughts

Viral Hit episode 8: A cryptic preview for episode 9 (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

A brief mention should be made of the episode preview for episode 9. The preview seemed to show cryptic things like Bomi nearly being run over, many people going after Hobin, and the increased attention forcing Hobin to ask Kim for help. Whether it turns out as tragic as Hobin suggests will need to wait until episode 9 comes along, but an interesting prospect is that Hobin and Bomi's relationship takes another step forward.

Viral Hit episode 8 is Hobin's first real fight against the taekwondo specialist Taehun, and, as mentioned, Hobin had to improvise to save his life more than once in the fight. This episode feels like a milestone for Honin, as he's done fighting ruffians like Pakgo and is starting to get serious.

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