Working out... yeah... it ain't fun! I remember when I had to work out almost every single day for 8 years straight. At the time it didn't really bother me all that much because I was used to it, but ladies and gentlemen, after quitting and trying to go back to it recently... I just couldn't.
I used to play an amazing sport called Kickboxing and it required me to visit both the boxing-gym as the training-gym almost every single day. When I wasn't lifting weights I was either hitting someone in the face or getting knocked in the face (the latter being the least fun).
I recently picked up this anime and I was surprised about how well it described the ups and downs of training. Not only that, but there were tons of cute girls in it, even a boxing girl!
We start out with our main character Hibiki who is starting to put on a few. In complete disarray she joins a famous gym, meeting Akemi, the most famous girl in school. With the help of Machio, their trainer, Hibiki is determined to lose the extra pounds.
The Good
'How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?', besides being very funny, is genuinely educational. The exercises these girls have to do are very effective in real life as well!
The comedy and educational side of the show is great of course, but the real reason we tuned in every week is because of the wonderful characters. I'm a sucker for Cute Girls Doing Cute Things, and there are plenty to choose from in this anime. My favourites being the teacher (Tachibana Sensei) and Ayaka, the boxing girl. No matter who your favourite might be, I can ensure you that the dynamic between the characters will make you want to keep watching!
The Bad
Fortunately there isn't a lot to mention here. That doesn't make this the perfect show, not even by far! However, for an anime that knows its audience and tropes so well as this one, I feel like I should only judge it on the few shortcomings it had regarding it.
The main shortcoming is that although the story is enjoyable, there is nothing truly interesting about it. Is that necessarily wrong? Absolutely not: again, this anime knows its audience and a strong story isn't what keeps them showing up every week. It would be odd for me to start talking about character development and plot progression, as this is not what 'How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?' is aiming for.
Conclusion
I definitely like this show! It will never be my favourite anime, but I am planning on reading the manga. I hope that says at least something about how well the story makes you come back every time.
Should you watch it? Sure. It won't be mind-blowing but after a hard day of work this show is very enjoyable to watch. It mellows you out :)
Thank you very much for reading my review! I hope it was useful!
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