Viral Hit episode 3: Hobin's first date

Viral Hit episode 3 was released on April 24, 2024. The continuing story of Hobin Yu's Newtubu channel sees Hobin trying to get his phone back from the couple that mugged him in episode 2.

That is only the first five minutes of the episode, the rest of it is dedicated to Bomi and Hobin spending time together. Viral Hit episode 3 is titled The Date and depicts Hobin's attempt at a first date with Bomi for most of its runtime and all the worries that accompany it.

The episode also briefly depicts what it's like to unexpectedly have money when someone is poor and the dreaded threat of demonetization that hangs over every streamer and content creator like the Sword of Damocles.

Viral Hit episode 3: Hobin's luck starts turning positively

Getting Hobin's phone back

Hobin's fighting techniques in Viral Hit episode 3 (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

Viral Hit episode 3 follows up on the situation Hobin found himself in at episode 2's conclusion, mugged and bereft of his phone that had Bomi's contact information. Hobin and Snapper track the criminals to a karaoke club, and he demands his phone. This results in a fight between Hobin and the large man who stole his phone.

As Hobin didn't pay attention to any of Samdak's other videos aside from How to Get Hit Without Getting Hurt!, he doesn't counter the man's blows except by weaving and leaning his head into the hit to avoid damage. However, this works in Hobin's favor as a commenter named Ding points out the flaws in his opponent's technique.

Since Hobin's opponent punches him without a break, his fists get swollen and nearly broken. When a fighter keeps impacting a hard surface like a punching bag or Hobin's head, their fists swell up and pain sets in. When the adrenaline wears off and the severe pain sets in, Hobin gets his phone back and his opponent is reduced to a sobbing mess on the floor.

Money, obligations, and temptations

Money and temptations (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

Even though Hobin's Viral Hit Newtubu channel only had four videos, Viral Hit episode 3 reveals the channel racked up an astonishing 25 million views and the payout was over two million yen (over $12,800). It takes a long time to get through approvals and ads, and Snapper warns him about being careful with his content to not earn a yellow mark.

Similar to YouTube, Newtubu has a demonetization system—if a video breaches the Terms of Service, it doesn't get money from that video and may get taken down. Another problem with Hobin's newfound popularity means people accost him for selfies or try to swipe viewers from him like Rumi, the beauty tips Newtuber now with 70k subscribers, attempts to do by chasing them down.

The influx of money also leads Hobin into temptations, like a 140 thousand yen (or $900) tracksuit. Hilariously, Hobin sees Snapper purchasing the tracksuit despite it being his entire month's paycheck. Following Snapper's rather dubious advice about it being a "basic necessity," Hobin feels foolish about his purchase until Bomi shows up wearing the same tracksuit.

Hobin and Bomi's first "official date"

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After a brief period of social awkwardness where Hobin feels weird being in a park with couples and a run-in with a popular Newtuber named Jiwen, Bomi shows up and announces she is there to meet him. After a brief flashback showing how low Hobin felt on the social ladder in high school (short, so-so grades, etc.), he and Bomi start their date at a nice cafe.

The trouble with Hobin is, by his admission, that he doesn't know how to act when with a girl. After a period of fantasizing about their life with kids, and trying to talk to Bomi only eliciting barebones responses, Hobin confesses his anxieties and insecurities to her when she attempts to leave after noting how fun he was online but not in person.

She stays with him afterward, saying she's also supposed to be meeting a friend that she hasn't seen since grade school. That friend is revealed to be Munseong Kim, the MMA star from episode 2. Kim shows up in Viral Hit episode 3 in Hobin's flashback and then in person at the end. The cliffhanger the audience is left on, with Hobin's anxiety and fear taking over, is Kim answering Bomi as to whether or not he and Hobin are friends after Hobin lies about it.

Final thoughts

Gaeul stalking Hobin in Viral Hit episode 3 (Image via Okuruto Noboru)

A brief note should be made about Gaeul, the girl in yellow who was trying to catch Hobin and Pakgo's fight in episode 2. All the while Hobin is trending, buying stuff, and on his date, Gaeul is there stalking him. She's in the end credits helping Snapper and Hobin edit their videos, but this won't happen in the series for a while.

Overall, Viral Hit episode 3 is a wonderful turning point for Hobin's life. He's gone from a bullied kid who couldn't defend himself and could barely speak to Bomi to going on a date with her, starting to defend himself both verbally and physically, and with a lot of money.

Though he has his anxieties that threatened to nearly derail a good time, the series only just started and Hobin has plenty of time to change himself. For now, this is a good start. Next week's episode will prove whether Kim is better than Pakgo, or if he too is as intimidating as he looks. The anime can be viewed on Crunchyroll and the manwha can be read on Webtoon.