Viral Hit

Viral Hit (Korean: 싸움독학; RR: Ssaumdokak, Japanese: 喧嘩独学, romanized: Kenka Dokugaku, lit. 'How to Fight') is a South Korean manhwa released as a free webtoon written by Taejun Pak and illustrated by Kim Junghyun. It has been serialized via Naver Corporation's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon since November 2019, with the individual chapters being collected and published into eight volumes as of December 2023.

Viral Hit
Manhwa cover of Viral Hit volume 1
싸움독학
Genre	Action, Martial arts
Author	Taejun Pak
Illustrator	Kim Junghyun
Webtoon service	Naver Webtoon (Korean) Line Manga (Japanese) Line Webtoon (English)
Original run	November 15, 2019 – present
Volumes	8
Anime television series
Directed by	Masakazu Hishida
Written by	Toshiya Ono
Music by	Yutaka Yamada
Studio	Okuruto Noboru
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	Fuji TV (+Ultra)
Original run	April 11, 2024 – June 27, 2024
Episodes	12

Viral Hit
Korean name
Hangul	싸움독학
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Ssaumdokak McCune–Reischauer Ssaumdok'ak
Japanese name
Kanji	喧嘩独学
Kana	けんかどくがく
Transcriptions Romanization Kenka Dokugaku

The webtoon has been published in English by Line Webtoon since October 2022; and also published in Japan by Line Manga since April 2020. An anime television series adaptation produced by Okuruto Noboru aired from April to June 2024 on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block.

Characters

The main cast of Viral Hit.

Yoo Ho-bin (유호빈; Yu Hobin)

Voiced by: Satoshi Niwa^[1] (Japanese); Brandon Acosta^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Kota Shimura (志村光太, Shimura Kota)

Woo Ji-hyuk (우지혁; U Jihyeok)

Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto^[1] (Japanese); Jessie James Grelle^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Toru Kaneko (金子亨, Kaneko Toru)

Ga Eul (가을; Ga Eul)

Voiced by: Fairouz Ai^[1] (Japanese); Trina Nishimura^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Aki Yashio (八潮秋, Yashio Aki)

Choi Bo-mi (최보미; Choe Bomi)

Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa^[1] (Japanese); Molly Zhang^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Kaho Asamiya (朝宮夏帆, Asamiya Kaho)

Ppakgo (빡고)

Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi^[1] (Japanese); Corey Wilder^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Hamaken (ハマケン)

Seong Tae-hoon (성태훈; Seong Taehun)

Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa^[1] (Japanese); Austin Tindle^[3] (English)

Japanese name: Reo Shinjo (新庄玲央, Shinjo Reo)

Yeo Roo-mi (여루미; Yeo Rumi)

Voiced by: Yoshino Aoyama^[1] (Japanese); Morgan Lauré^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Rumi Meguro (目黒ルミ, Meguro Rumi)

Kim Moon-seong (김문성; Gim Munseong)

Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura^[1] (Japanese); Ricco Fajardo^[2] (English)

Japanese name: Tatsuya Ōgi (扇達也, Ōgi Tatsuya)

Ssamdak (쌈닥)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita^[1] (Japanese); Chris Rager^[4] (English)

Japanese name: Tou-Kei (闘鶏, Tōkei)

Media

Webtoon

Created by Taejun Pak and illustrated by Kim Junghyun, the manhwa has been serialized as a webtoon in Naver's webtoon platform Naver Webtoon since November 15, 2019,^[5] and has been published in English by Line Webtoon since October 2022.^[6] It is also published in Japan by Line Manga since April 4, 2020.^[7][8]

No.	Korean release date	Korean ISBN
1	July 31, 2021[9]	979-1-19-122588-4
2	February 15, 2022[10][11]	979-1-16-769031-9 979-1-16-769065-4 (SE)
3	June 16, 2022[12]	979-1-16-769134-7
4	September 30, 2022[13]	979-1-16-769169-9
5	February 15, 2023[14]	979-1-16-769193-4
6	July 15, 2023[15]	979-1-16-769231-3
7	December 15, 2023[16]	979-1-16-769284-9
8	December 15, 2023[17]	979-1-16-769285-6

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on February 10, 2024.^[18] The series is produced by Okuruto Noboru and directed by Masakazu Hishida, with Toshiya Ono writing series scripts, Satomi Miyazaki designing the characters, Yutaka Yamada composing the music,^[19] and production handled by Slowcurve.^[20] It aired from April 11 to June 27, 2024, on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block.^[6][a] The opening theme song is "Wild Boy", performed by MA55IVE THE RAMPAGE, while the ending theme song is "Viral Hack", performed by Crab Kani Club.^[21] Crunchyroll streamed the series.^[6]

Episodes

No.	Title [22][b]	Directed by [c]	Written by [c]	Storyboarded by [c]	Original air date [a]
1	"First Upload" Transliteration: "Hatsu Tōkō" (Japanese: 初投稿)	Masakazu Hishida	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	April 11, 2024 (2024-04-11)
2	"I Have to Become Stronger" Transliteration: "Tsuyoku Naranakya" (Japanese: 強くならなきゃ)	Hitomi Ezoe	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	April 18, 2024 (2024-04-18)[d]
3	"The Date" Transliteration: "Dēto" (Japanese: デート)	Masakazu Hishida	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	April 25, 2024 (2024-04-25)[e]
4	"Humiliation" Transliteration: "Kutsujoku" (Japanese: 屈辱)	Masakazu Hishida	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	May 2, 2024 (2024-05-02)[f]
5	"Friends" Transliteration: "Tomodachi" (Japanese: 友達)	Masakazu Hishida	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)
6	"The Devil" Transliteration: "Akuma" (Japanese: 悪魔)	Masakazu Hishida	Kakuzō Nanmanji	Masakazu Hishida	May 16, 2024 (2024-05-16)[g]
7	"Special Training" Transliteration: "Tokkun" (Japanese: 特訓)	Masakazu Hishida, Yuki Iwasaki	Kakuzō Nanmanji	Masakazu Hishida	May 23, 2024 (2024-05-23)
8	"A Real Fight" Transliteration: "Jissen" (Japanese: 実戦)	Masakazu Hishida	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	May 30, 2024 (2024-05-30)
9	"Friends" Transliteration: "Tomodachi" (Japanese: 友達)	Yuki Iwasaki	Toshiya Ōno	Masakazu Hishida	June 6, 2024 (2024-06-06)
10	"A New Opponent" Transliteration: "Aratana Teki" (Japanese: 新たな敵)	Hitomi Ezoe	Kakuzō Nanmanji	Masakazu Hishida	June 13, 2024 (2024-06-13)
11	"A Tight Feeling in the Chest" Transliteration: "Mune ga Kurushī" (Japanese: 胸が苦しい)	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	June 20, 2024 (2024-06-20)
12	"Joy" Transliteration: "Shiawase" (Japanese: 幸せ)	Unknown	Unknown	TBA	June 27, 2024 (2024-06-27)[e]

Live-action adaptations

Several South Korean, Turkish, French, and German live-action adaptations of the franchise were announced.^{[additional citation(s) needed]}

Reception

In 2022, the webtoon was selected as a jury-recommended work in the manga section of the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival.^[24][8]

In Japan, Viral Hit garnered 460 million views and 2 billion in global by February 2024.^[25][26]

Notes

1. Fuji TV lists the series premiere on April 10, 2024 at 24:55, which is effectively April 11 at 12:55 a.m. JST.
2. All English titles are taken from Crunchyroll.^[23]
3. Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.
4. This episode aired at 1:25 a.m. JST, 30 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.
5. This episode aired at 1:10 a.m. JST, 15 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.
6. This episode aired at 1:15 a.m. JST, 20 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.
7. This episode aired at 1:05 a.m. JST, 10 minutes after the original air time on Fuji TV.

References

1. Cayanan, Joanna (February 26, 2024). "Viral Hit Anime Reveals Main Cast Members". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
2. Dempsey, Liam (April 23, 2024). "Viral Hit English Dub Reveals Cast and Crew, Release Date". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
3. Acosta, Brandon [@KinglyRed] (June 14, 2024). "Props to @austintindle for his deliciously menacing portrayal of Taehun" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
4. "Viral Hit (2024)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
5. 싸움독학. Naver Webtoon (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
6. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 9, 2024). "Taejun Pak, Kim Junghyun's Viral Hit Webtoon Gets TV Anime in April With Crunchyroll Streaming". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
7. 【新連載】『外見至上主義』T.Jun先生の最新作『喧嘩独学』＆『人生崩壊』公開決定！さらに連載を記念して豪華キャンペーンを開催！. LINE Manga Official Blog (in Japanese). March 30, 2020. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
8. T.Junが手がける「喧嘩独学」アニメ化決定！4月放送開始、監督は菱田正和. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 10, 2024. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
9. 싸움독학 1 [Viral Hit 1]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
10. 싸움독학 2 [Viral Hit 2]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
11. 싸움독학 2(특별판) [Viral Hit 2 (Special edition)]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
12. 싸움독학 3 [Viral Hit 3]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
13. 싸움독학 4 [Viral Hit 4]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
14. 싸움독학 5 [Viral Hit 5]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
15. 싸움독학 6 [Viral Hit 6]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
16. 싸움독학 7 [Viral Hit 7]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
17. 싸움독학 8 [Viral Hit 8]. Naver Book Database (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
18. "春アニメ「喧嘩独学」イタすぎる取っ組み合いが全世界へ配信!? 一晩で1000万再生を突破して… 第1話先行カット" (in Japanese). April 10, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
19. "Viral Hit Anime Streams Creditless Opening Video Ahead of April 10 Premiere".
20. "本日放送開始！ TVアニメ「喧嘩独学」声優&菱田正和監督の推しマンガは？ 11周年を迎えた「LINEマンガ」でアニメ放送を記念した特別企画公開" (in Japanese). April 10, 2024. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
21. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 10, 2024). "Viral Hit TV Anime's New Promo Video Reveals April 10 Debut, Theme Songs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
22. "Terebi Anime "Kenka Dokugaku" Kōshiki Saito" TVアニメ『喧嘩独学』公式サイト [TV Anime "Viral Hit" Official Website]. kenkadokugaku.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
23. "Watch Viral Hit - Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
24. 「LINEマンガ」のオリジナルwebtoon作品『喧嘩独学』が、第25回文化庁メディア芸術祭・マンガ部門で「審査委員会推薦作品」に選出！ (Press release). Shinchosha. March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024 – via PR Times.
25. 웹툰 '싸움독학' 일본 TV 애니메이션으로…4월부터 방영 (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. February 13, 2024. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
26. 라인망가 웹툰, 日 애니·드라마로 출격 대기 (in Korean). news.zum.com. March 3, 2024. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.

External links

• Official website on Naver Webtoon (in Korean)
• Official website on Line Webtoon (in English)
• Official anime website (in Japanese)
• Viral Hit (manhwa) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Viral Hit (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia