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 someoneentering 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.
Now 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.
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”).