Hibiki joins a gym hoping to lose weight in a friendly atmosphere. The gym is friendly, but it’s also full of macho muscle men!
Episode 1 — “Why Don’t You Try Strength Training?”
Hmm.
As one of the more anticipated anime shows of the Summer season, it’s easy to see why the How Many Kilograms are the Dumbbells You Lift? (Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?) fits that bill. The manga adaptation is an ecchi comedy with sexy girls in skimpy outfits getting sweaty and hot as they exert themselves making sexy sounds. However, Dumbbell is more than just an ecchi comedy. We have slice-of-life hobby tutorial elements going on. It’s a gag comedy, with a great male supporting character who literally explodes onto the screen with his running joke. The main character Hibiki may be a gyaru with typical concerns about body image and catching a boyfriend, but she is also the one with whom the audience identifies as she navigates the strange new world of strength training. That kind of filter makes this show fit the sports anime genre too.
For the gym going set, I saw lots of things that fit the culture, and a lot of the information about certain exercises and practices that are helpful for beginners. My personal background is endurance sports, but many of the same principals that apply to endurance training apply to strength training as well. The body adapting to stress, rest and recovery of muscle groups to build strength, breathing in rhythm to certain exertions, fueling properly during a session, and having a proper recovery meal afterward are all things proper strength and endurance training have in common.
I didn’t see anything that appeared wildly wrong, but all this information is geared toward beginners, so the avid lifters might have some issues with particular details. I certainly felt the same way watching Yowamushi Pedal, Long Riders, and Minami Kamakura High School Girls Cycling Club. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of info being dumped on the screen and, fortunately, it’s not getting in the way of the beautiful girls moving and flexing. That’s what we’re here for watching pretty girls lift weights, get fit, and laugh along the way.
Heh.
The opening credits make clear every girl we meet, even the homeroom teacher, will work out at the macho gym. Holy cow, how does the trainer hide those muscles under his sweat suit? Plus, he shrinks, right?
Please stop eating everything in sight, Hibiki. Hoh. Ayaka calls it straight. Hibiki gained weight because she didn’t do anything.
Ha! Full stats on Hibiki! 3 sizes and even how many calories she burns during the day! Most diets don’t start on Monday. They start “tomorrow.”
Silverman Gym — obviously Gold’s Gym. Exercising alone for some people is hard. The struggle is real.
Eh, I think that huge silver macho man on the outside of the gym is a sign Hibiki has incorrect preconceptions. And there are pictures of real macho men hanging on the walls of this place. Will a high school girl feel welcome here?
There’s the princess of the school, Akemi. She gets full stats too! Akemi’s eyes are sparkling a bit too much just to be excited about exercising. Watch out for this one.
Ahahaha! Look at all the aggressive muscle! I love it! Dat reaction face! Hibiki didn’t sign up for this! Oh, Akemi. We just found out something nice about you. Kinky for muscles!
Hello, ikemen! The dude’s name is even Macho. Fine. You pronounce it Machio. Not me. No sir. This friendly young man is Macho Man! Kyuun~! Sign her up!
This food packaging is very realistic. Um, what kind of person is Akemi’s older sister, talking about the trapezius muscle as the Boxer’s Muscle? This is called foreshadowing.
I saw the opening credits. Macho Man’s sweat suit has a muscle cloaking device. Hahaha! Both girls are drooling over Macho Man for different reasons. Akemi knows something about Macho Man that Hibiki does not. I love these facial expressions tied to the humor.
Fun! This tutorial looks just like an exercise DVD, complete with interlaced video. Hibiki breaks the Fourth Wall complaining about Macho Man’s “erotically charged” explanation starring Akemi. I don’t know what she’s talking about. Everything appeared legit to me. Also, we’re not starting out with dumbbells.
Work hard, Hibiki! Press that bar! Yeah, this dialog is sounding really suggestive now, for both Hibiki and Akemi. Wear headphones, people. Macho Man is so nice! He roots for everyone trying their hardest.
Macho Man is totally macho. Cripes, the music played out so right! And that bit of cloth hitting Hibiki right between the eyes, perfect! Akemi is in heaven.
Upper body yesterday, leg day today. Never skip leg day! Hibiki wants that summer beach body. Bring on the squats with weights!
Akemi is a fan of eating — other people eating because that means they can make big muscles! Yass! Yuri kabedon!
I can’t wait to meet all these other girls in the end credits. And seeing so many macho muscle men cracks me up!
Oh. Dumbbells has a workout omake. Definitely, time to get fit for the Summer.
