Sponsored by WEBTOON Unscrolled
In Viral Hit, Vol. 1 by Taejun Pak and Kim Junghyun, Hobin Yu is a student who stumbles on a new way of making money. But while the medium, “NewTube,” isn’t surprising, the content he chooses to post is!
Viral Hit, Vol. 1 from WEBTOON Unscrolled is available now wherever graphic novels are sold. Here’s what to know about the exciting new release!
Viral Hit, Vol. 1
Hobin is a self-proclaimed “loser.” When the story begins, he’s being involuntarily conscripted for his classmates’ NewTube videos. This gives him a unique perspective on the popular NewTubers. While they present themselves as charismatic hosts, he knows the ugly truth that is revealed when the livestream is turned off. But nevertheless, Hobin can’t help himself from being jealous of their fame and the accompanying monetary success.
In fact, Hobin is struggling pretty desperately when it comes to money. His mother is in the hospital and is in no condition to be discharged. And while his NewTuber classmates may be flush with cash, Hobin’s struggling to make ends meet while paying his mother’s medical bills. While working his part-time burger-flipping job at McDonuld’s, Hobin runs the numbers and begins to understand the disparity in his fortunes when compared with his successful classmates.
The situation comes to a head after Hobin’s prepared a meal for one of his classmates, Snapper. He’s come over to Hobin’s apartment to broadcast his gaming stream, since this allows Snapper to use Hobin’s mother’s bank account (the only way for a minor to secure payment from NewTube). But when Hobin trips and spills the ramen on Snapper, the pair begin arguing. This soon escalates to a violent food fight.
The next day, Hobin awakes bruised and battered. But perhaps more importantly, he also learns that he’s become an overnight viral internet celebrity. Unbeknownst at the time to Snapper and Hobin, the livestream continued as the duo fought with one another. And in just a few short hours, the video has accumulated millions of views and comments from viewers across the globe.
Classmates and Class War
Each time the video is viewed, NewTube pays out. And while Snapper may have something to lose in terms of social standing at their school, Hobin “was already a loser,” so he’s got nothing to lose… And lots of money to gain.
Let’s face it: the need to make money can lead to some strange bedfellows. This ends up proving true for Hobin, who is convinced to join forces with Snapper.
But as anyone who has attempting to make content for the internet knows, not just any old livestream is going to catch the attention of the denizens of the world wide web. Will harnessing the power of losers versus bullies pay off for Hobin? And if so, will he finally be able to lift his family out of debilitating medical debt?
Naturally, Hobin sets off to accomplish his goals by watching more NewTube. There, he finds a mysterious streamer who wears a rooster mask while providing tips for fighting. Compounding the mystery is the fact that the streamer operates under a handle that seems to be gibberish, and has thus received next-to-no views. But nevertheless, Hobin finds the streamer’s advice to be invaluable.
Available Now
Viral Hit has already lived up to its name online, with over 2 billion reads worldwide on WEBTOON. Due to its violence and language, it is recommended for readers eighteen and older. It even has an animated adaptation, which premiered on Crunchyroll in spring 2024. Viral Hit writer Taejun Pak is also known for Lookism, another WEBTOON series that has also been adapted to an animated series, which streamed on Netflix in 2022.
Viral Hit, Vol. 1 collects episodes one through eight of the hit webcomic. Are you planning to pick up a copy?
Sponsored by WEBTOON Unscrolled
