“Cruel Angel” aims to make healthy otaku.

While much of the social stigma of being a Japanese animation enthusiast has melted away in recent years, anime remains an extremely sedentary hobby. Sure, otaku get spurts of exercise trekking around the venues of conventions and events such as the twice-a-year Comiket, but under normal circumstances, being an anime fan doesn’t require any greater physical exertion than hitting the play button on your Blu-ray player’s remote control.

Still, any time spent exercising is generally less time spent enjoying the myriad aspects of anime content, right? Well, not necessarily, thanks to Anison Fitness, a TV program that premiered earlier this month on broadcaster Tokyo MX. Each episode clocks in at just five minutes, airing from 10:35 to 10:40 on Wednesday nights, and showcases a different aerobics-style exercise routine, to be performed in conjunction with a famous anime theme song.

The show’s producers have even been generous enough to start sharing some of the routines online, starting with one of the most iconic anime songs of all time: “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

▼ Hit play to start your workout!

Given that the target market is more “people who need to get off the couch for a few more minutes a day” than “hardcore fitness buffs,” nothing in the routine is too terribly strenuous.

 

Still, it covers a wide variety of motions so as to get all of your limbs as well as your core involved.

 

If you had trouble catching everything, Anison Fitness also has a video that walks you through many of the steps at a slower pace.

Conversely, if you’re looking for a greater challenge, you can fiddle with YouTube’s playback settings to run the video at 1.5 or two times its normal speed, so that the quicker tempo gives you a more vigorous cardiovascular workout.

 

Just remember that while it may have taken only two hours to write the lyrics to “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” you’ll need to stick with your exercise regimen a bit longer before you’ll start to see results.

Related: Anison Fitness official website
Source, images: YouTube/アニソンフィットネス -Anison Fitness- official channel

Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s often inspired to get some exercise by repeat viewing of the Fatal Fury movie.