English Dub Review: How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? “Why Don’t You Try Strength Training?”

You’re going to the gym this time, you promise.

Overview:

Hibiki realizes that she needs to start working out.

Our Take:

You notice that you’re putting on weight, or that it’s a lot harder to lift things more than usual. You decide to go to the gym, only to find that everyone is already extremely fit, and you feel self-conscious. Some people your age are lifting a lot more than what you can manage, and you feel kind of disheartened. It’s easy to slip back into your old ways. We’ve all been there, right? That’s entirely what this show is about.

Hikibi realizes that she’s put on a little bit of weight (it’s not very noticeable), and tries to get into jogging, but she can’t keep up the habit. By taking the offer for a local gym’s free trial, she decides that maybe having a routine is her best bet. A cute gym instructor and a fellow schoolmate her age are good incentives. I think the show is pretty cute! While I’m not into dieting myself, I definitely know the feeling of wanting to work out… and then copping out on working out. Extremely relatable. But the courage to go workout is pretty great for Hibiki, and her voice actress really nails the comedic aspects of the show. It’s genuinely funny, especially considering the topic of exercise… or saying that you’re going to exercise.

My criticism of the show comes from– why don’t the girls have muscles? They explain that the patrons of the gym are mostly bodybuilders and athletes, which explains why their bodies are so exaggerated. It’s not surprising that Hibiki has no muscle definition, because she is a true newcomer to working out regularly, but Akemi is a health nut that works out regularly. She’s gone to several gyms before and can life double of what Hibiki can with ease. She is clearly quite physically fit… and yet she has no visible muscle definition. In fact, she looks exactly like Hibiki. I know this is drawn by men and otaku men feel bad when women are more buff than them or something but… really? This is just a straight-up logical error.

It’s not without flaw, but it’s cute so far, I like it! Girls bonding over wanting to get into shape is something I can get behind, especially when they both seem to be supporting each other. At the very least, Akemi is extremely excited to finally have a workout buddy her age, even if they aren’t exactly on the same wavelength. I’m down for that.