I am going to open this review by saying that right now if I had to do my top ten anime of the year, this may well make my top five. I don't even know how this is a thing that could happen, it's a show about high schoolgirls learning how to strength train at a gym. Somehow this premise has given me a show that is comparable to RobiHachi in terms of how ridiculous it can get.
The show stars Sakura Hibiki who joins a gym so she can start to lose some weight. She is joined by a star pupil at her school, Akemi, who turns out to be a bit fitness buff as well as having a muscle fetish, her teacher who is secretly a famous cosplayer, a Russian transfer student who learned all she knows about Japan from anime and Hong Kong action movies, and a trainer at the gym who has a babyface on top of a giant ripped body who will randomly do poses when he hears words tha t start with sounds that muscles start with. His specialty appears to be the Side Chest pose.
It's kind of great how, after so long, everyone just stops reacting to Machio and all of his random posing. And the thing is he's not even bothered by it, he just continues posing regardless of if they acknowledge it or not,and it works as this really bizarre bit of character insight. He's clearly not doing these poses to show off, he just really loves bodybuilding and it's deeply ingrained into who he is, he's got a really bizarrely believable passion, and it's hilarious.
Things really get strange with the shows take on an old anime trope, the one where someone is drinking and something seems off with their drink, so they think something out there is going wrong. This happens as Machio is drinking his post-workout protein shake, and he notices the powder is beginning to clump together. This is pretty much what you can expect any time Machio is on screen, and it only gets more ridiculous as the show progresses. If you have not thought anything I brought up in relation to Machio so far is at all amusing, then I will tell you right now this show will probably not work for you. All the silliness of the show aside, the characters are all just incredibly likable.
For one reason or another, even if it's for something as superficial as Sakura wanting a sexy body, the characters all have a passion for doing this. I want to see Sakura reach her goals and break through her enormous appetite and initial lack of desire to actually workout, I want to see Gina continue to put her all into becoming the best at whatever it is she is putting her mind to, and I want Akemi to get her chance to face off against Sakura in order to see whose training has taken them further.
The show does this by making everyone feel like a well rounded and real person. Sakura isn't just here trying to get a sexy body, she is a big action movie buff, genuinely loves to eat (It's not some weird comfort or disorder), is a hard worker, and also kind of oblivious to what goes on around her most of the time. While it's not an inherently unique character, the show does wonderful in showcasing all these aspects of who she is, and the same is said for the entire cast.
There really isn't a main plot to speak of, just people working towards personal fitness goals, so the show pretty much lives by how much it is you care about the characters and how good the jokes are. And on those two fronts,the show works for me. If you still aren't sold on the comedy, I present to you Kawaii Anime Boy Vladimir Poutine offering words of encouragement.
The show also, oddly enough, dispenses information about strength training. Every episode comes with at least one PSA, that happens once or twice through the episode, about proper form, nutrition, and other facts that are genuinely good advice for people trying to learn how to train, and the anime will even cite its sources. These PSA's are done in such ridiculous ways at times and generally come with a lot of fourth-wall-breaking humor. It's no substitute for an actual class or trainer, but it's solid advice, all the same, just some helpful tips presented in a funny manner.
What may turn away some people is the abundance of fan service. I have no issues with it, but it is nonstop throughout the show, especially in the PSA's. While mostly showing off the ladies, from late high school to a couple in their early thirties, Machio probably spends the most timeout of any single character mostly naked, wearing only a speedo while flexing his impressive pecs. If fan service bothers you, stay faraway.
I love pretty much everything about this show, though I can't say much more without just sitting here spoiling all the jokes. So I'll end this review by saying this show is definitely worth the watch if you need a good comedy to sit through, it is not likely to disappoint. I will end this review with its stupidly fun opening.
