'Viral Hit' Main Trailer Turns Street Fighting Into Online Spectacle — Premieres June 11

Netflix has unveiled the main trailer of the upcoming series, Viral Hit, based on the highly popular South Korean webtoon of the same name that has surpassed 540 million views in Japan and 2.28 billion views worldwide.

This live-action adaptation marks the first Netflix series from director Hideki Takeuchi and writer Yuichi Tokunaga , the powerhouse team that has enthralled Japan with unconventional worlds in works such as Fly Me to the Saitama and Cells at Work! Kota Shimura ( Ouji Suzuka ) has hit rock bottom, unable to make ends meet and struggling under the constant abuse of his schoolmates. He finds himself down a path that is as shocking as it is taboo: making money by live-streaming real fights. Though he's never thrown a punch in his life, Kota trains himself using a mysterious instructional video and, together with Aki Yashio ( Ai Mikami) and Kanegon ( Araki Sugo ), takes on powerful opponents armed with nothing more than a smartphone. As the view count quickly climbs, Kota enthralls his audience with his fierce determination, refusing to back down no matter how many punches he takes.

Ouji Suzuka stars alongside a dynamic roster of up-and-coming talents and familiar faces, including Meru Nukumi as Kaho Asamiya, the heroine who becomes a key figure in the story, and the ensemble cast of Noritaka Hamao , Kentaro Maeda , Yusuke Iseya , Gaku Sano , Gitan Ohtsuru , and Tsurutaro Kataoka .

T. Jun , the creator of the original LINE webtoon, shared, "As a child, I used to flip through manga volumes and dream of becoming a manga artist, and now I find myself watching my own work brought to life as such an incredible live-action drama. My heart is truly full, and even now it still feels unreal."

He also praised the cast's performance, saying, "The physically demanding action performed by Ouji Suzuka, who plays the protagonist, and the rest of the cast, along with their nuanced performances that feel as if they've leapt straight out of the manga, are truly outstanding. Seeing the protagonist claw his way up from rock bottom, breaking through every wall in front of him and growing stronger each time, moved me deeply-even as the original creator. I would be delighted if viewers could fully enjoy the passion the cast poured into this project, as well as the powerful action throughout. Thank you very much."

Meanwhile, the original artist, Kim Jeong-hyeon , said, "Seeing the characters I poured my heart and soul into designing come vividly to life through the actors' performances was truly a deeply moving experience for me. The thought that this work will now reach even more people fills me with excitement. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved."

Set against brutal yet captivating action scenes, Viral Hit exposes the brutal reality of internet culture. Why did participants choose live-streamed street fighting as a means to turn their lives around? Who is the mysterious host hiding behind the chicken mask? And at the end of all this fighting, will they find money, fame, or something else entirely?

The action-packed Viral Hit premieres June 11, only on Netflix.

Production Information Based on the WEBTOON Series <Viral Hit> Taejun Park, Kim Junghyun DIRECTOR : Hideki Takeuchi SCREENPLAY : Yuichi Tokunaga MUSIC : Face 2 fAKE CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sohei Tanikawa LIGHTING DESIGNER: Shunri Rinoie PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Yoji Abeki ACTION DIRECTOR: Yugo Fujii EDITORS: Junnosuke Hogaki, Toru Murasaki Gaffing mixer: Takashi Kanasugi SOUND RECORDIST: Shota Nakajima Supervising Sound Editor: Akira Ito VFX SUPERVISOR : Yu Nagasaki PRODUCERS: Naoto Inaba, Shigeji Maeda Planning PRODUCTION: MYRIAGON STUDIO Inc.

PRODUCTION: RAKUEISHA Cast : Ouji Suzuka, Ai Mikami, Araki Sugo Noritaka Hamao, Nana Asakawa, Kentaro Maeda, Takuro Osada Mandy Sekiguchi, Riko Takayama, Ryotaro Sakaguchi, Gouki Maeda, Shin Namura Yusuke Iseya, Gaku Sano, Orakio, Gitan Ohtsuru Tsurutaro Kataoka, Mieko Harada, Meru Nukumi