Animation: Weak
Depth: Bad
Design: Weak
Characters: Weak
Story: Weak

Type: OVA   (1 episode)

Vintage: 2009

Category:

» fitness
Verdict: Reviews @ Archen's Anime Page
Unrated
Next in series:
Review:

Training With Hinako


Summary: >

Once there was a girl who got into anime so much she became an anime character. Hinako is excited to see another human like you again, and decides you should do something together. She has kinda gained some weight lately, and if she doesn't lose some fat in 3 months her anime will be canceled. Now is your chance to get in shape together!


Thoughts: >

Some time back in the day, the exercise video was considered an innovation. Some time after that came the fitness video game. Assuming that the point of a fitness video is to exercise not entertain, it's not that much of a stretch that eventually someone would make a fitness anime. Actually who am I kidding, it's the sort of weird thing that could only come from Japan. But that's the reason you have to love the Japan: land of fetishes and weird stuff the likes of which most of us westerners wouldn't have the guts to think of, never mind actually pitching an exercise anime to a company as a commercially viable idea, then have enough people agree to actually produce it.

This is a video that markets itself as an exercise DVD and almost takes itself seriously enough... except it only has three exercises. I wouldn't say push-ups, sit-ups and squats are really an "exercise program", but hey if it gets people more active.. well why not? As a self aware anime which Hinako talks to the viewer, it's kind of cute sometimes. The exercises themselves are about what you would expect, save the fact that doing sit ups with your hands behind your head is generally accepted as a bad way to do them these days.

It mainly consists of busty Hinako doing exercises in pretty much the most leering way possible. Her outfit may change too. Other variations include "bounce sound effects" for her bust while exercising, and she can simply sit on the bed watching and count off. I'm assuming the way this DVD is structured it's meant to be done in sets, not the way you'd see in a fansub. You'd need the actual disk to really get the point and see how the program is laid out and if it's effective.

Training with Hinako is a pretty weird idea, but the sort of thing you might watch out of curiosity, but not for any other reason. I'd certainly never recommend this over a real exercise DVD, but if only moe can get you into action... perhaps there's some value in it.

What's weirder than an exercise training anime? Hinako's follow up where she sleeps with you: Sleeping With Hinako


Quote: >

Hinako: From your perspective, I'm an anime character right?


Screen Caps: >

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reviewed by archen in 2011