Sanrio is known for its super cute and colorful characters. Hello Kitty, Pochacco, Little Twin Stars, My Melody, and Gudetama, to name a few (of many). They’re iconic anthropomorphic characters. Each has their own unique personality and traits, appealing to children and adults alike.
Aggretsuko is Sanrio’s newest character whose anime series debuted on Netflix earlier this year, and it is an absolute delight.
Retsuko is an adorable, straightlaced, hardworking red panda. She works an office job by day… And releases her pent-up rage and frustration through heavy metal karaoke sessions by night.
Because Sanrio’s characters are generally aimed at younger audiences, I had little to no expectations for what simply looked like another cute animated series for children.
But Aggretsuko is a well-written and adorably animated series that I would recommend for all ages. The series took me completely by surprise with how relevant and relatable it is to anyone in the workforce struggling to find a happy and healthy balance between work and their personal life.
We meet Retsuko as a new hire on her first day of work at a trading firm in Tokyo. Like many on their first day of anything, she’s completely optimistic and excited for this new and exciting opportunity.
She’s landed her dream job. And she’s ready to start her new life as she jumps up and exclaims, “The sky’s the limit!”
Cut to 5 years later and we see Retsuko hitting snooze on her alarm clock. Empty beer cans and food containers clutter her bedroom. Dirty laundry is piled up on the floor. And she’s struggling to get out of bed as she mutters, “Work can bite me.” Oh, we know that feeling, girl.
We then follow Retsuko through a typical workday where we meet her coworkers. Most notably, her chauvinistic boss who talks down to her simply for being a woman.
Yet he is only one among many familiar workplace archetypes that contribute to Retsuko’s misery. After struggling to make it through the stressful work day, Retsuko is finally free to sneak away to her secret sanctuary, the karaoke bar, where Aggretsuko is free to let off some steam by screaming out some hardcore metal verses.
Retsuko is 25 years old, single, a Scorpio, and desperate to quit her awful office job.
She’s hardworking and reliable to a fault. This makes it easy for her superiors to take advantage of her work ethic.
At the beginning of the season Retsuko runs into an old high school friend, Puko. Her free-spirited personality rivals Retsuko’s good girl persona. Puko asks her this hard-hitting question: “Do you actually like your life?”
It’s an important question that we should all be asking ourselves.
And it inevitably motivates Retsuko throughout the rest of the season. Up to this point we’ve seen Retsuko have to deal with her overbearing boss and coworkers taking advantage of her on a daily basis. It’s not okay. And she’s sick and tired of it. So, Retsuko slowly but surely starts making changes in her life in an effort to better her situation.
From trying to make nice with her boss, becoming actual friends with her coworkers, standing up to her supervisors, and making it her life’s mission to find a husband in hopes to never have to work again… Her efforts may not achieve the results she hopes for, but she continues to try.
Towards the end of the season Retsuko’s death metal karaoke sessions become less frequent. After she seemingly falls in love with a coworker, she feels as if she has nothing left to complain about anymore and all of her problems from the beginning of the season are the last thing on her mind. Thankfully, her new friends from work give her a reality check. She comes to realize that she’s been giving more than she’s getting out of the relationship, which also holds true of her status at work.
Being “in love” was just a temporary escape from her true misery.
We all need an outlet to help relieve the daily stresses of life. Retsuko’s is death metal karaoke, which she learns is just part of who she is. After all is said and done, Retsuko returns to work with the same horrible bosses. Same overwhelming workload. But, she has a newfound perspective.
Aggretsuko’s catchphrase is, “Tomorrow is a new day!” And her determination is admirable. Even after she twists her ankle, she keeps moving forward. And her optimism never falters. She knows she’ll get where she wants to be someday. But, there are no shortcuts. Aggretsuko teaches us that each day provides us with a new opportunity to take a step in the right direction.
Aggretsuko is available to stream on Netflix and each episode is a refreshing 15 minutes long.
If you’re hard at work, please remember to take a break. And when you do, I hope you spend that time enjoying this adorable anime as much as I did.
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