Episode Guide
A new boss has come to work and has quickly made a few dirty promises to some of the employees. Some of these employees have already begun to struggle for survival, as they have not been kept fully informed about their options or what is expected of them. Meanwhile, others are looking for ways to move up in the company, but are having a difficult time due to the headhunting that is going on. Finally, there are those who have rendezvoused with the new boss without authorization and are now feeling uneasy about their situation. The review score for this situation is 4/5. ..
Aggretsuko is a dark and introspective anime that dives deep into the mental health pool. It highlights the dangers of stress, depression and overworking.
This season, Aggretsuko returns to its themes of corporate restructuring, layoffs, forced resignations and fraud. The show looks at how these problems can impact people’s lives and the ripple effects they have on society.
This is a problem because it’s not just employees who are being treated poorly. Customers are also being put in danger by companies that don’t take their safety and well-being seriously. In 2021, we saw a lot of companies break the law and do things that put their customers at risk. This isn’t good for either company or the consumer.
This season, Aggretsuko has been more aware of what’s going on and has been able to take action. While there are still some issues that need to be addressed, this season Aggretsuko is more proactive in its efforts to address them.
The President’s health scare and the subsequent transition to Himuro as CEO led to a culture shift in the show. Himuro leans more heavily on Haida as secrets are slowly revealed in a shocking twist late on in the season. ..
Haida, a shy office worker, falls for his co-worker Retsuko. Despite their differences in personality and age, the two develop a strong romantic relationship. Throughout the first five episodes, Haida struggles with whether or not to tell Retsuko how he feels. ..
The rest of the episodes explore the difficult line between personal and professional relationships. While there is no definitive solution by the end over whether they are together, there is enough here to enjoy nonetheless. ..
Ton’s journey across the episodes is particularly poignant and beautifully written. He suffers from depression and struggles to find his purpose, especially with the company’s restructured feel.
Kabae, another to feel the pinch from work, is seen more outside of work during the back-end of this season.
Despite being less effective in season 4, Retsuko’s singing career is still going strong. She has recruited a team to help with her social media and is working on improving her public image.
While it’s a nice inclusion, the joke content is weak and there is no real substance to it. The best jokes come late on and involve Tan, leaning into the technophobia some middle-aged men and women experience with our continued push into digitalization. Beyond that, it’s more of a teasing plot thread to be explored later on down the line.
Overall, Season 4 continues the trend of balancing work and love for our red panda. The focus on darker themes at Retsuko’s office works wonders to freshen things up, while the focus on Haida provides a nice change of pace. ..
Despite the stagnation between Retsuko and Haida, the office work is anything but. Aggretsuko bows out of season 4 on a high – and lots of promise for next season!
