After two seasons of surprisingly insightful television, “Aggretsuko” has proven to be the second realest show starring talking animals to come out in the last decade, with top spot going to Bojack Horseman. Retsuko, the overworked, death-metal belting red panda, has become emblematic of the wonders and frustrations of the mundane world. Though the show’s characters may look like Hello Kitty rejects, each one presents a series of complex but relatable emotional perspectives as the story unfolds. This season in particular breaks the show’s perpetuity of office drama and introduces some surprising but appropriate shifts in the story that, while not always ideal, demonstrate that the show has a further reach than it lets on. 

The season kicks off with Retsuko as she trudges forward after last season’s bittersweet relationship drama. Needless to say, she does not handle this in the healthiest way, and begins episode one addicted to a virtual relationship sim, which is both hilarious and very depressing. From there, one would expect that a lot of the season would be focused on her love life in some way, as per much of seasons one and two, but the show instead decides to tackle deeper themes of personal drive and satisfaction. In an unexpected skew from her normal office-based trials and tribulations, Retsuko is accidentally roped into the world of underground idols (Japanese pop singers) after damaging their manager’s car. Now, she must find a way to work with infuriating new colleagues on a project which she basically has to build from the ground up. Unlike in previous seasons where other people in her life tended to be at the wheel, Retsuko is for the first time given a chance to direct a major life-changing event that has the potential to bring her fulfilment in a way she hadn’t considered. Thematically, this creative decision meshes well with both her practical character and the show’s focus on music. Whereas in previous seasons Retsuko’s music and songs by other characters were used to emphasize emotional turning points, music is now a practical gateway into a new career for Retsuko. Seeing such personal work come to fruition over the course of the season is the first time in the series where she manages to take a decidedly active role in steering the ship, a change which reverberates through every episode. 

The other big character point of this season centers on Haida the hyena, Retsuko’s co-worker and permanent resident of the friend-zone. After two seasons of being turned down by Retsuko, he finally tries out romance with someone else, a dog named Inue from another department in the office. Though her characterization is a bit lacking, she and Haida share enough chemistry that it’s easy to become invested in whether or not he can get over himself and try something functional instead of spending his whole existence pining over an uninterested coworker. He also becomes friends with both Retsuko’s gal pal director Gori and Retsuko’s ex, Tadano. Both give him insight into how he views Retsuko and his relationship with her. Like Retsuko, he actually tries to take control of a new situation and new relationships in order to find happiness. Throughout the season, the two storylines intersect more and more until they culminate in a way that has left fans with very divided opinions. To not reveal too much, it can be said that some of the resolutions are at the very least rushed, and perhaps tone deaf to a lot of the presented themes. Despite this, the episodes are still entertaining, the characters are still funny and the conversations are still strangely powerful. 

Image from Netflix via YouTube