She became quite impressive herself lol

Loved it. We (I) need more buff women in media.

wow so nobody except one person saw the racism of the tall and straight out of jojo person with a darker skintone and the ridiculously petite white girl. Like the meme about racist pairing like that with the black person alway way bigger and more buff that their white lover was a way to denounce that dynamic, not a challenge you know? Do they not see how it looks and how it perpetuates the masculinization of black and brown women by people?

C'est beau

wow so nobody except one person saw the racism of the tall and straight out of jojo person with a darker skintone and the ridiculously petite white girl. Like the meme about racist pairing like that with the black person alway way bigger and more buff that their white lover was a way to denounce that dynamic, not a challenge you know? Do they not see how it looks and how it perpetuates the masculinization of black and brown women by people?

There is no "white girl" here, Miyuki is Japanese. Momoko is also Japanese. Miyuki said she likes buff women so Momoko got buff to impress the girl she likes. Also Sono the Japanese mangaka behind this work just loves big buff women as we know because of her other works. So trying to frame this as Sono making a race fetishism comic is a massive stretch and leap.

They certainly misspoke when they said “white girl” instead of light-skinned, but they did not try to frame the issue as Sono making a race fetishism comic—dark-skinned characters being portrayed as innately more masculine/aggressive/less intelligent/etc (not saying these are all present here) is an example of colourism, which is a very real form of prejudice. I recommend you read up on it yourself. Momoko did not get buff to impress the girl she likes; Momoko is a character without agency, who the mangaka specifically designed as a dark-skinned buff woman. This is something Sono actively went out of their way to do. It’s not about “race fetish,” it’s about conscious and subconscious biases in society. There’s a reason innocence is portrayed as blonde-haired and blue-eyed.

Kayoot c:

wow so nobody except one person saw the racism of the tall and straight out of jojo person with a darker skintone and the ridiculously petite white girl. Like the meme about racist pairing like that with the black person alway way bigger and more buff that their white lover was a way to denounce that dynamic, not a challenge you know? Do they not see how it looks and how it perpetuates the masculinization of black and brown women by people?

There is no "white girl" here, Miyuki is Japanese. Momoko is also Japanese. Miyuki said she likes buff women so Momoko got buff to impress the girl she likes. Also Sono the Japanese mangaka behind this work just loves big buff women as we know because of her other works. So trying to frame this as Sono making a race fetishism comic is a massive stretch and leap.

They certainly misspoke when they said “white girl” instead of light-skinned, but they did not try to frame the issue as Sono making a race fetishism comic—dark-skinned characters being portrayed as innately more masculine/aggressive/less intelligent/etc (not saying these are all present here) is an example of colourism, which is a very real form of prejudice. I recommend you read up on it yourself. Momoko did not get buff to impress the girl she likes; Momoko is a character without agency, who the mangaka specifically designed as a dark-skinned buff woman. This is something Sono actively went out of their way to do. It’s not about “race fetish,” it’s about conscious and subconscious biases in society. There’s a reason innocence is portrayed as blonde-haired and blue-eyed.

Altogether very cool we can be having these conversations. To share knowledge with each other, show care for those often discriminated against, and bring about compassion and equity. Racial dehumanization is a common trope sadly. I only noticed small amounts here, with just her massive size when buff that seems 10ft tall. But at the same time, no hostility, perhaps might just happen to be a larger bodied frame than many shorter smaller Japanese women. No racial competition between them or other other characters which is good. I like that it wasn't even talked about, nor did it have much of an impact on the story. They were both sweet and loving.

All this to say, anyone curious about the topics of racial and sexual dehumanization (in a western lens) might check out these Black American poets, authors, and journalists writing: Audre Lorde, Barbara/Bessie Smith, Mignon Moore, and Kimberle Crenshaw. :) great papers!

Or it could be that Momoko is very tan, because it's common thing for professional bodybuilder even outside competition. So it's possible, she is just getting tan with UV or something like that.

Or it could be that the author have little knowledge about bodybuilding, and she is used to see pictures of competition, with the vast majority of competitor using tanner, without any specific intentions behind it. Especially as Momoko is portrayed are feminin, cute and vulnerable (so, not very cliché).

But I guess it's easier to jump to conclusions and assume things.

Or it could be that Momoko is very tan, because it's common thing for professional bodybuilder even outside competition. So it's possible, she is just getting tan with UV or something like that.

Or it could be that the author have little knowledge about bodybuilding, and she is used to see pictures of competition, with the vast majority of competitor using tanner, without any specific intentions behind it. Especially as Momoko is portrayed are feminin, cute and vulnerable (so, not very cliché).

But I guess it's easier to jump to conclusions and assume things.

That's what we do here, yeah. Surprised we turned this into something so fast though. BTW, this girlfriend is basically just as big as the woman from SHWD. I argue we need her buffer during the serialization. I'm also wondering what the story will focus on. I can't imagine they'll stretch out the time they're "broken up," so I'm assuming we'll start from where this chapter ends. What kind of hijinks could they get into?

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 7:34AM

Or it could be that Momoko is very tan, because it's common thing for professional bodybuilder even outside competition. So it's possible, she is just getting tan with UV or something like that.

Or it could be that the author have little knowledge about bodybuilding, and she is used to see pictures of competition, with the vast majority of competitor using tanner, without any specific intentions behind it. Especially as Momoko is portrayed are feminin, cute and vulnerable (so, not very cliché).

But I guess it's easier to jump to conclusions and assume things.

That's what we do here, yeah. Surprised we turned this into something so fast though. BTW, this girlfriend is basically just as big as the woman from SHWD. I argue we need her buffer during the serialization.

I don't mind the discussion and the debate. It can bring some interesting stuff to the table. But assuming this author intentions without trying to understand why things are like that, with a fierce ton cannot bring anything good.

And hell, it could be intentional, it wouldn't be a problem. We are already in fetish category there, like a lot of stuff on this website. Is the author like big dark woman and wanted to portrait one, so be it.

Especially as Momoko is portrayed are feminin, cute and vulnerable (so, not very cliché).

Unironically, it’s cliche, because it’s mostly used for jokes, like, the contrast of being a woman who is muscular that loves cute things or is very damsel at heart it’s the whole joke. There are a lot of example (some being very unserious) but I think the most well know one for most people is Biscuit from hxh

wow so nobody except one person saw the racism of the tall and straight out of jojo person with a darker skintone and the ridiculously petite white girl. Like the meme about racist pairing like that with the black person alway way bigger and more buff that their white lover was a way to denounce that dynamic, not a challenge you know? Do they not see how it looks and how it perpetuates the masculinization of black and brown women by people?

You're right with the nuance that it's colorism rather than white vs. black, ie it's mostly darker skinned asians that suffer from it because their form of traditional beauty includes pale skin and it has roots on being tan being associated with men and the working class, not that racism against black african people isn't influenced by it ofc.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 8:29AM

I do see the colorist undertones (seeing Momoko as the only person with darker skin among the competition was jarring). That said, I did read her as only tan, since that's an actual thing for bodybuilders.

Regardless, cute work. I like FluffyCow's take a lot in that the author's merely drawing what they like, without thinking about testosterone or much else other than "damn she hot".

Momoko was brown even in high school so I think that is her natural skin tone

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 9:08AM

I would mind in a serialization, with a serious tone, but in a light hearted one shot comedy, who cares?

Agree! And maybe even in a serialization I wouldn’t mind tbh. Like spokon, you have the serious technical ones and the magical ones, it depends more on the tone the author aims for me than anything else.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 9:17AM

I would mind in a serialization, with a serious tone, but in a light hearted one shot comedy, who cares?

Agree! And maybe even in a serialization I wouldn’t mind tbh. Like spokon, you have the serious technical ones and the magical ones, it depends more on the tone the author aims for me than anything else.

Yeah I'm assuming comedy will be the name of the game for the serialization. After SHWD, it'll be interesting seeing where they take the narrative. I'm hoping they both bulk up quickly and we deal with that rather than the series being about one GF's slow journey to catch up. I doubt she'll ever reach her GF's size but if the next chapter starts from where this one ends that would be great. I could swear I read another series (on Webtoon?) about something similar.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 9:36AM

This story is very much a parody. If Sono had any conscious intent behind the absurdly buff girl being dark skinned (aside from the aforementioned "damn she hot"), I would assume they were specifically making fun of the stereotype by having such an unrealistic contrast. Reality ensues just long enough for that contrast to cause trouble, and the solution is that they should just toss out the frail light-skinned waif stereotype and both be muscular. And so Sono gets to draw what they obviously like to draw, while at the same time mocking unhealthy stereotypes. Everybody wins.

really good, the only unrealistic thing is that none of them are on testosterone or something cuz damn, i wish building that much muscle was that easy just by eating a lot of protein

It clearly shows that working to get those muscles took a LOT of effort. You don't need steroids.

Can confirm. Former bodybuilder here.

FWIW, back when I actually went regularly to the gym (because I wished to get enough strength to surprise princess-carry my then-fiancee the big day - I double dog-dare you all to find a better reason for doing strength building) I was able to put on 20 Kg of muscle mass in six months. And the bigorexic crowd gave me the stink eye because they were convinced that the skinny one who turned not-so-skinny was, no doubt, using better steroids than them. The only thing I used was effort. Lots and lots of effort. And regular attendance, not skipping days. I managed to be able to deadlift princess carry 80 Kg just in time, so it was worth it. Of course, once I stopped going to the gym after the wedding, I lost 10 of those Kg of muscle REAL fast. Which underscores the "you need effort" part, doesn't it?

No longer bodybuilding. The only thing I keep from that age and time is the red sequins underwear I bought as "sports equipment" for bedroom amusement value. I mean, if you're gonna bodybuild, you NEED proper equipment - you never know whether you're gonna take part in a private performance stage contest! :-D

I think the story is ok as a comedy and they're both really adorable. I don't really get some comments though. If you guys are going to criticise a work, how about getting your context and terminologies right first? This work is made by a Japanese author so don't apply western metrics for it? I agree there are colorism undertones, and it is stereotypical but it is not racist. In Asia this problem largely stems from classism, from the time when not working on the field meant you had lighter skin tone. People aspired that kind of status and it didn't help that the aristocrats set the beauty standards that people had to follow. Can't speak for every places in Asia but at my place, colourism is not as dehumanising as racism. It does limit your choice in works involving looks but overall you don't have to worry about your safety. Certain countries are more terrible than others in this aspect. I also think it's partly because in those countries, the colourism is pushed more because of the competitive job market. When everyone is academically excellent, what else can you use to filter out applicants? Looks.

The colourism/racism debate should probably consider that sono just really, really likes buff women and frequently draws them. So this isn't a case of "dark skin therefore big" but "big and just happens to be dark skinned".

I agree that there's a stereotype where muscular/tomboyish/outdoorsy women to be frequently drawn with darker skin, but I can't tell whether those are conscious stereotypes, subconscious stereotypes, or a fetishization of a certain appearance symptomatic of childhood exposure to a societal stereotyping (which is a whole other can of worms), or simply an exaggerated tan. Likely a mix of all four.

I also think you shouldn't conflate US-style racism with japanese racism as those aren't culturally analogous.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 12:19PM

Thank you girlswhokiss you described the problem in better words than i had and wtf how can you make it about only class when i hope everybody knows here that racism, colorism and antiblackness is everywhere so representing a darker skinned character like this especially making her contrast with her very fair skinned and petite partner is tied and participate in the dehumanisation and masculinization of darker skinned people.
And like please if you parody something and use the same trope as the parody it still perpetuates the thing you try to parody actually. Calling something a parody doesn't absolve it of it's awful and harmful tropes. And yeah it's possible to represent darker skinned woman who are buff but it require care.
And when it's one of the few woman having dark skin being represented in the medium as well as in the manga itself it's pretty egregious and heartbreaking for people searching for representation in the stories they read.

Good Lord, dynasty comments going absolutely batshit again I see.

Can't even draw a tan buff lady without a mob showing up and somehow taking offense and making it about imagined racism.
Pro tip: if you're looking for something, you will find it whether it's there or not.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 2:30PM

Good Lord, dynasty comments going absolutely batshit again I see.

Can't even draw a tan buff lady without a mob showing up and somehow taking offense and making it about imagined racism.
Pro tip: if you're looking for something, you will find it whether it's there or not.

You believe in misandry, not in a position to imply the people elaborating on an aspect of this work that they didn't like are insane. Not engaging anymore.

"A Star's Warmth, A Returning Dream" was a sweet short series (1 volume). Odd place to be reminded of it and don't really agree with how it's being implicated but still worth a mention. Short riff on a FF14 type (Final Fantasy 14) romance slice of life. Would have liked Sono to continue that one for longer.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 2:54PM

really good, the only unrealistic thing is that none of them are on testosterone or something cuz damn, i wish building that much muscle was that easy just by eating a lot of protein

It clearly shows that working to get those muscles took a LOT of effort. You don't need steroids.

Can confirm. Former bodybuilder here.

FWIW, back when I actually went regularly to the gym (because I wished to get enough strength to surprise princess-carry my then-fiancee the big day - I double dog-dare you all to find a better reason for doing strength building) I was able to put on 20 Kg of muscle mass in six months. And the bigorexic crowd gave me the stink eye because they were convinced that the skinny one who turned not-so-skinny was, no doubt, using better steroids than them. The only thing I used was effort. Lots and lots of effort. And regular attendance, not skipping days. I managed to be able to deadlift princess carry 80 Kg just in time, so it was worth it. Of course, once I stopped going to the gym after the wedding, I lost 10 of those Kg of muscle REAL fast. Which underscores the "you need effort" part, doesn't it?

No longer bodybuilding. The only thing I keep from that age and time is the red sequins underwear I bought as "sports equipment" for bedroom amusement value. I mean, if you're gonna bodybuild, you NEED proper equipment - you never know whether you're gonna take part in a private performance stage contest! :-D

there are women who naturally develop enough muscle to compete in bodybuilding, but that takes years of dedicated training. a physique like momoko's is pretty much impossible for a woman to achieve naturally without steroids, whereas the protagonist's physique is actually achievable. i’m not doubting your experience but if you managed to build a bodybuilding-level physique in just six months as a woman, then you must be genuinely blessed with incredible genetics, because that's extremely difficult. i've been training for five years myself.

last edited at Nov 7, 2026 2:57PM