Reika Saiki is here to evolve traditional kawaii cuteness into a new form: mukikawa.
When she first joined idol mascot group Cheer♡1, Reika Saiki looked pretty much like what you’d expect for someone
entering that sector of the Japanese entertainment industry. She had a slender build, and showed up for her audition interview in 2014 wearing a girlish ensemble with a pleated skirt.
懐かしい写真を発見しました。私が事務所に入りたての頃の宣材写真です。
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) April 21, 2019
弱そうな女子だった……………#筋肉アイドル #ムキカワ pic.twitter.com/j2HFb9PP2d
However, Saiki recently took a moment to look back on her physique of a few years ago, and now when she sees the above photo of herself, she says “I was a weak-looking girl.” Whether or not you agree with that assessment, there’s no denying she radiates an aura of far more physical strength today.
https://twitter.com/monsttuyo/status/1126085884997033984Now billing herself as Japan’s “muscle idol,” the 26-year-old Saiki isn’t entirely averse to doing a bit of maid cosplay, but with her rippling biceps she appears just as capable of cleaning your clock as cleaning your house.
https://twitter.com/saikireika_info/status/1123165143594962944 https://twitter.com/saikireika/status/1125586124389244933Likewise, while Saiki sat demurely with her hands in her lap for her audition interview, her latest video features quite a bit more strenuous physical activity, including deadlifts, barbell curls, shoulder presses, and some crazy push-ups combined with lower-body cable work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1mNauN1h4
ムキかわ😇💓#才木玲佳#ニコニコ超会議2019 pic.twitter.com/0mieF66GHk
— ☂️ (@arisa2go) April 27, 2019
Those muscles aren’t just for show, either. Saiki has taken the rarely traveled career path from idol to professional wrestler, donning a blue-and-gold combat outfit for when she steps into the ring to slam, dropkick, and pin her opponents.
最近『僕のヒーローアカデミア』というアニメに出逢った✌️
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) May 7, 2019
私も個性が無い自分に悩んだ時期あったなあ。今では"筋肉"が個性になってるけど。💪
私も誰かのヒーローになりたい。敢えてヒロインと言わず、ヒーローに。#w_1 #筋肉アイドル #ムキカワ pic.twitter.com/6Sn40PW1hU
この人のドロップキックは、いつ見ても女子プロレス離れしてるし美しい。#才木玲佳 #tjpw #w_1 pic.twitter.com/f8OhLXujln
— 🐸 (@shinimonoguru1) May 3, 2019
【ニュース】“筋肉アイドル”才木玲佳が井上京子との筋肉勝負に完敗!「京子さんは私なんかが戦っちゃいけない高い壁」 https://t.co/GKZMnhUg9A
— バトル・ニュース (@btln) May 4, 2019
【Yahoo】 https://t.co/4EqUWBmlBP#W_1 #レッスルワン #筋肉アイドル #才木玲佳 #ムキカワ #ディアナ #筋肉は裏切らない #女子プロレス #井上京子
The fact that the 150-centimeter (59-inch) Saiki has a professional need to toss around opponents much larger than herself explains the specialized weightlifting equipment she uses in many of her workouts.
💪💪💪💪💪💪
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) May 1, 2019
令和も頑張る。
💪💪💪💪💪💪
今回はViPR12kg😱#筋肉アイドル #ムキカワ pic.twitter.com/21ybUw2hKk
8kgのViPRで💪今回は捻りを加えて💪
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) April 20, 2019
なかなか難しいし、結構きついんだなあ〜これが❣️
日々、鍛錬❣️❣️💪💪💪#筋肉アイドル #ムキカワ #w_1 pic.twitter.com/ihHEKcOTv5
▼ Saiki employs her powerful musculature to clothesline and submission-hold defeat opponent Yumi at a match held last month.
Saiki has even coined a new term for her specific appeal to fans: mukikawa, a combination of the Japanese words mukimuki (“buff”) and kawaii (“cute”).
https://twitter.com/saikireika_info/status/1121949194640453632GWも中盤❣️私は1日後楽園ホール❣️
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) May 2, 2019
昼は東京女子、夜はWRESTLE-1のダブルヘッダー❣️❣️
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
令和1発目の頑張り時
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#tjpw #w_1 #筋肉アイドル #ムキカワ pic.twitter.com/cCmVGENRNx
Of course, sometimes people who get bitten by the fitness bug burn out on all the exercise just a few months later. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Saiki, though, who’s looking even more muscular than when we first found out about her in 2016, or when she pulled off arguably history’s greatest Chun-Li cosplay in 2018.
おはよーーーーーーーーーっっっっ🐶💪❣️🌟💗✌️💋✨💪❣️💗🌟✌️✨💋✌️💗🌟❣️💪❣️💋✌️✨💗🌟❣️💪❣️✌️💗✨💋❣️🌟💗✌️💪❣️🌟✌️💋✨💗✌️🌟❣️💪🌟💗✌️💋✨✌️💗🌟💋✨💪💪💪
— 才木 玲佳 Reika Saiki (@saikireika) May 8, 2019
今日もみんなのプロテイン❣️❣️❣️
And as further proof that she’s as passionate about bodybuilding as ever, one of her most recent tweets is roughly 20 percent flexing bicep emojis, so it looks like she’s committed to being the muscle idol for the long haul.
Source: Twitter/@saikireika via Kinisoku
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he periodically has dreams about benchpressing.
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