Aggretsuko on Netflix: Adorable Anime, or Subversive Millennial Messaging?
Midway through the first episode of Aggretsuko, Netflix and Sanrio’s new animated series, now streaming on Netflix, the main character, Retsuko, a red panda, has a complete breakdown. Fed up after being belittled by her supervisor, Director Ton, and the ever-increasing number of tasks pushed onto her by her superiors, she escapes to a bathroom stall and sings her heart out. “How can any person be such a dick?” she screams into the microphone she keeps hidden within her purse, before reminding herself that she has to remain mild-mannered employee in order to keep the job she hates. A junior-level staffer in the accounting department of a major corporation, she’s undervalued and overworked, yet seemingly incapable of taking the risks necessary to improve her situation. Considered responsible by her friends and a “good, hardworking girl” she attempts to live up to that ideal even as it saps her happiness. Sound familiar?
Terrible workplaces often serve as fodder for comedy; from The Office’s paper company, Dunder Mifflin, to Silicon Valley’s troubled startups (and Silicon Valley), attempting to earn a buck can make for laughs. And while it’s worth noting that even with the proliferation of series set in offices its still rare to see shows where women are at the forefront, Aggretsuko attempts something even rarer. Beneath the cutesy trappings of its visuals (big-eyed, colorful creatures), the series is about navigating the corporate world as a young woman. Retsuko strives to be professional while dealing with sexism, gossipy coworkers, issues with her self-esteem, and the repeated assertion that her generation is lazy, and the one outlet for her stress is her preferred coping mechanism: late-night karaoke. The characters may be drawn in the style of Sanrio’s most famous creation, Hello Kitty, but their struggles with careers and romance are something out of an episode of Insecure.
It’s that balance between sweetness and seriousness that gives the show its best moments. Over 10 episodes, the charm of each death metal song (Retsuko’s preferred genre) doesn’t fade even as the music becomes less of a coping mechanism and more of a reflection of her true personality. Starting out as meek, and something of a pushover, Retsuko gradually learns to speak up for herself and be honest about her feelings. To deal with her boss—a chauvinist who is a literal pig—she engages in a rap battle that ends with her calling out his behavior in front of the entire staff. Even Retsuko’s mishaps—like a misguided attempt to trade her job for life as a housewife—result in growth. Empowered by the realization that she doesn’t need a man to accomplish her goals, she informs the inattentive fox from the sales department that “underneath her smile she’s metal ’til she dies,” aka the kind of girl a bland pencil pusher couldn’t handle.
While Aggretsuko never develops into a narrative as layered as BoJack Horseman, or as gleefully weird as Steven Universe, it fits nicely into the lineup of offbeat, occasionally heart-wrenching contemporary cartoons. These shows often get their points across in ways that a live-action program might not be able to, while allowing viewers the chance to see something of themselves in creatures whose behavior comes across as more human than what we see on many live-action sitcoms. Keeping with the relatable vibe of Sanrio’s last sensation, 2013’s Gudetama, a lazy and sardonic egg whose webisodes went viral, Aggretsuko hits close to home. Each time Retsuko deflects a sexist comment or frets about being fired it feels just a little too real, which may be exactly the point.
