The One Piece Gym Uses "Meat Weights"
Anime first gained its footing in its country of origin, Japan, and such, is far more popular there than in other countries in the world, meaning that the Eastern country will celebrate the medium in some wild ways that haven't made their way to North America. Opening up a One Piece gym on January 13th this month, anime fans are beginning to discover the wild ways that this fitness center has made itself unique when it homages the Straw Hat Pirates and the world of the Grand Line from creator Eiichiro Oda.
The One Piece Gym doesn't just have "meat weights" that fans of the Straw Hats can lift in an effort to become healthier and more physically active, but it also creates an entire aesthetic that makes it seem as though you are on one of the ships that sprang from the Shonen series. Opening in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, the anime-themed facility also has training programs that are named after aspects of the Straw Hats' journey with movements to match. Classes include "Great Pirate Dance Series: Alabaster Belly Dance" and "Project Combat Haki", with the gym also offering fans plenty of unique merchandise themed after the anime franchise.
What is a Meat Weight Exactly?
Luckily, we won't need to just describe to you what a meat weight looks like, as the gym known as "One Piece Fitness BragMen" has shared an image of the hilariously shaped exercise tool that helps to make quite the unique experience for One Piece fans in Japan who join the fitness center:
At present, there has been no word on this establishment making the leap from Japan to North America, though we would imagine there would be quite a few Straw Hat fans that wouldn't mind working out in a gym dedicated to the Grand Line. Hilariously, the gym even goes the extra mile by dressing its trainers up in uniforms similar to One Piece's military members, giving its patrons a wild experience that seems ripped from the anime's world.
Do you think a One Piece Gym would one day make its way to North America? What other anime franchises would you love to see get their own fitness centers? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.