High School Girls Start Hitting the GYM and Get JACKED is something I never even thought about. But someone did. And you bet they made an entire manga out of it. It was then adapted into an anime. And so, here we are. A wholesome, inspiring, somewhat lewd, somewhat obnoxious anime that can genuinely uplift your mood. Plus, there is something intrinsically surreal about watching High School Anime girls work out. It’s just as educating as it is hilarious. The comedy is really refreshing. So, what’s the premise, and how does it begin? Well, two girls, namely Hibiki and Ayaka are walking back home from school. Hibiki is a bit too adamant about consuming sweets, ice cream, and Takoyaki. It’s all nice and pleasant until Ayaka notices that Hibiki has gained weight.
This observation by Ayaka gives our girl a lot to think about. When did she last weigh herself? What’s her current weight? Should she start dieting? How?
That night, as she is in the bath, she sucks up the courage to weigh herself. People often say that Truth will set you free, but in this case, her actual weight took a major toll on her. The girl immediately starts looking for food in the fridge. As far as dieting goes, she’ll start tomorrow. Definitely. She starts running but quits after two days. She also started strength training but only lasted three days. It really is hard to keep up the motivation when you are just by yourself.
And so, one week later, she shows up at a newly built place called the “Silverman Gym.” Looks like another girl from school has also shown up to check things out, her name is Akemi. Hibiki is instantly taken aback. This girl Akemi is not just a beauty who’s on par with fashion models, she has also stayed the Student Council President since her first year, and her parents apparently have infinite money.
Ordinarily, a girl like Akemi would be flaunting all over the place, but she’s surprisingly pleasant. The receptionist takes them both inside to have a look, and what we see next is a scene straight out of Baki. Seriously, all these men are jacked. They are built like tungsten. Of course, this was like 10 times more intense than what Hibiki had imagined, she starts having second thoughts about this. Meanwhile, Akemi is ecstatic.
Our girl may have a muscle fetish, guys. Now, when Hibiki tries to leave. One of the trainers shows up, his name is Machio Naruzo, and he is the only normal-looking guy in the gym. Hibiki turns out to be a sucker for such guys, so she signs up immediately. Yeah, that’s right. While Akemi has a muscle fetish, Hibiki has her eyes on the Gym trainer. Both girls are genuinely excited to be here.
Bench pressing doesn’t go well for either of the girls, especially for Hibiki, unlike Akemi who has been to a gym before, she is a total beginner. Machio shares a few words with her to inspire her. She looks like she is already head over heels for him. But when he tries to give her advice, the man experiences a perpetual, crippling urge to do a side pose. He does that and completely demolishes his outfit. As the wise girl Hibiki stated during this scene: Who photo-shopped Prince Charming’s head onto a macho gorilla body?
Akemi on the other hand enters a state of extreme frenzy after witnessing Machio’s toned muscles and stellar abs.
Well, that’s how Hibiki’s ascent to being healthy and jacked essentially begins. That’s it for the premise, but I assure you that you can reasonably expect some pretty interesting developments. Moving on, how about we talk a little bit about the primary characters? The protagonists are indeed Hibiki and Akemi.
Hibiki loves her junk food. She only ever gets really motivated when there is something material to be gained. This might change when she also gets comfortable with the idea of bulking up. She still doesn’t like the muscular guys though, but I guess that’s already obvious considering how quickly she switched after witnessing Machio’s muscles.
Then there is Akemi. Going by Hibiki’s description alone, Akemi seems to be the perfect model student, she excels in both her studies and athletics, her parents are absurdly rich and seems to possess uncanny charisma as well. In many ways, she personifies perfection. But of course, everyone has a goofy side to them, and in Akemi’s case, it’s her extreme muscle fetish. That’s right, she loves muscles, and she isn’t afraid to express it in public. Maybe that’s because Akemi can sometimes be oblivious to social standards. She is a pleasant and sweet girl though.
Then there is the man, the myth, the legend, Machio himself. It has been said that Machio has been all buffed up since high school. Apparently, he was also on an American Football team. Basically, he went to the United States after high school in order to study Sports Theory. All in all, he is insanely strong. He easily managed to crush a hand grip goal.
To put this into perspective, only 100 people in the world could even finish this hand grip challenge with a single hand, but as for Machio, he simply crushes it as naturally as he breathes. He is the kind of guy who loves his gains and is always ready to showcase his muscles at any given moment in time. Some people say he always keeps 10 sets of Gym clothes in the closet. Seriously, this guy is just looking for an excuse to show his glistening muscles. And voila!
Still, the man has a warm heart, he is dedicated to helping anyone and everyone at the gym. When Hibiki was exasperated, she asks him if he would laugh at her considering how she can barely even complete three sets of bench presses, but he simply replies that nobody would laugh at someone who is trying their hardest.
He’s not only awe-inspiring and charismatic, but he also knows the bodybuilding game and exercising. Now, Hibiki and Akemi aren’t the only girls who get into Bodybuilding, there are a few others, including Ayaka, remember she’s the girl who told Hibiki that she is gaining weight. As it turns out, she comes from a family of boxers. She and her sister start giving boxing lessons at this Gym. Other than her, there is a Russian transfer student and also a teacher with a secret.
I’d say, the further along you are in the story, the greater the number of important characters. The manga is still ongoing, so I hope they eventually make a second season. This anime doesn’t shy away from the fanservice by the way in case you’re wondering. It’s anime girls training in the gym, things are going to get lewd, especially since the anime is classified as Ecchi, to begin with. There’s plenty of eye candy and just the right amount of infotainment. If you are someone who doesn’t quite understand the thrill of working out other than the physical gains then watching these beauties do it may change your mind.
At the end of the day, it is still a “Cute girls doing cute things” type of show but High School Girls Start Hitting the GYM and Get JACKED story remains light throughout. Quite a few interesting gimmicks to spice things up are also included. The animation is good, really smooth and fluid when it counts, plus the colors are vibrant. But don’t expect too much, it’s not like Kyoto Animation made it. Then there is the songs and background music aspect, it is powerful. At first glance, you may think this is yet another Jack of all trades kind of anime, and I understand that, but the way the chemistry between the characters works is magical.
There is an uplifting air to it all, and it manages to literally come out of the screen. Add that to the fact that this show actually tells you about all the exercises you can do, and before you know it, you have also been infected by the energy of the show. Which is why, if you do decide to watch “How Heavy are the Dumbbells you Lift?” you will be equipped with the knowledge and the inspiration necessary to get into shape as well. And guys, this is not an understatement. The anime forums are full of people who watched this show and began shaking a leg.
Besides, even if you don’t really care about the exercising and stuff, there is also a slice of life and comedic aspect to it. It is basically just a very good show! That’s it. So, what do you guys think of it? Have you checked it out? Or are you planning on checking it out?Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.
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