Viral Hit Combines The Best Formula of The Genre With Shonen Cliche
Shonen is both troubled by and praised for its heroes who constantly manage to push themselves over their constraints at the last time to convert confrontations against more powerful opponent in their advantage. It's so common that My Hero Academia named it plus ultra, one of the most well-known statements from the character All Might currently. Though the cliché results in some unquestionably great moments, the issue is that there is rarely a justification for this except willpower or something worth fighting for, including friendship.
Hobin ends up winning even though he is driven by something far more physical when he uses another shonen formula: when a fighter uses different mechanics of a technique to defeat an opponent following traditional failures. Since Hobin isn't a superhero, he might "dig deep" to get back on his feet but would still have lost. Many times, shonen uses this narrative method by reinterpreting the accepted mechanics of a fictitious superpower. Viral Hit, however, is primarily based on reality, hence its efforts put a reasonable spin to how Shonen uses supernatural talents.
New Manhwa Anime enhances every aspect of a classic Shonen Formula, not only uses it.
Improving upon a classic shonen model despite being from South Korea, the unjustly underappreciated anime adaptation of the manhwa Viral Hit has now added still another amazing accomplishment to its already long list of triumphs. Of course, the episode where it occurs still provides everything Viral Hit is now loved for, including its amazing satirical critique of viral social media livestreams; but, this adapted deconstruction of manga's most popular demographic pushes the episode to a whole other level.
After apparently losing control during a fight in a bathroom against a former pro Taekwondo fighter turned delinquent bully in episode #8, Hobin recovers. Hobin escapes a kick by catching hold of the top frame of a toilet stall and then tackles his opponent to execute a perfectly timed strike that wins the contest after reining the fight into a stall.
The Surprising Turn
Combining this startling breakthrough with a literal translation of another popular shonen recipe helps shonen's overused "plus ultra" motto to justify.
Although the show features many other fascinating story aspects, this one jumps out since it seems to grasp the way shonen is both lauded and condemned. It lets viewers put fresh twist on the same cliches so they may appreciate them.
Hobin therefore wins.
Originally supposed to use his surroundings to stop his opponent from kicking, Hobin moves the fight into a restroom stall. The surroundings let him complete an exercise viewers have already seen him train in real time and during flashbacks, even while it forces his opponent to release his most potent kick. Hobin uses this action, nevertheless, since it was originally supposed to increase his grip and enable him to execute a much different technique. Before launching the last attack, he actually does the same exercise in the real conflict with a rather different approach.
Though Hobin may have gone "plus ultra" to recover from a strike that should have knocked him off, the reason he wins is not because he miraculously discovered fresh strength or power at last chance. This is this because, like in the best shonen Anime, Crunchyroll's Viral Hit shows Hobin repurposing several techniques in unusual but highly consumable ways.
Viral impact
Though it's difficult to reproduce, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a very iconic anime; one Crunchyroll series finds the proper balance.
Although this anime may have a somewhat darker side, it is a fantastic illustration of how to use a classic approach and innovate. Viral Hit is worth a viewing for those intrigued in witnessing this.
