A red panda, a microphone and paperwork… This is what the anime Aggretsuko, broadcast on Netflix this year, promises us. An unusual animation, animal characters, an urban jungle… Welcome to this aggressive and hostile universe that may make you see all the colors!
Netflix continues to enrich its "Japanese animation" catalog for our greatest pleasure!With its short format and current subject, Aggretsuko is a favorite discovery in Netflix's Made in Japan catalog. An informed subject about Japanese society and the working conditions of its employees that is worth a look, we tell you!
Aggretsuko
Original title: アグレッシブ烈子 – Aguresshibu Retsuko
Alternative title: Aggretsuko
Genre: Society – comedy – slice of life
Type : Seinen
Period: April 20, 2018
Platform: Netflix
Number of episodes: 10
Studio: Fanworks (Gakkatsu!, Hagane Orchestra)
Scenario: Rarecho
Realization: Rarecho
Synopsis
Frustrated by her life as an employee in a famous company for 5 years, Retsuko has neither a personal nor a sentimental life. She is abused by her disrespectful superiors and little recognized by her colleagues. His escape? Karaoke and death metal, which she sings every night to vent her frustration.
A second version that seduces
What made us want to watch the anime Aggretsuko available on Netflix ? It is above all its short format and its catchy scenario. And we must admit that little Retsuko quickly caught us in her nets… If you're looking for action, adventure and adrenaline, go your way!The adventure to discover in Aggretsuko is that of the Japanese urban jungle and its law. A dive into the tormented waters of a kaisha (Japanese company), in which our little Retsuko will have to survive, every day, to her greatest despair. A series in ten episodes of 15 minutes that seduced us from the first minutes, by many aspects and that is worth a look.
However, it is good to know that the anime Aggretsuko offered on Netflix is not the first version of the title. Indeed, the Fanworks studio had already worked on the original version of the title, which was spread over no less than 100 episodes ! A version broadcast on the Japanese channel TBS between April 2016 and 2018. An end of series that comes at the right time with the release of the shortened version on Netflix for the rest of the world!
Not to mention that Aggretsuko is one of the famous characters of the Japanese brand Sanrio, known for Hello Kitty in France. In Japan, we like to know other friendly companions of Kitty, such as Badtz-Maru, Little Twins Star, Gudetama, Pompompurin or Keroppi, stars on the LINE communication network and throughout the country. Note that Aggretsuko (for "Aguresshibu Retsuko") is a character born in 2015 and is therefore one of the youngest of the Sanrio family. If you want to know more about the history of all their characters, go to this very interesting timeline!
Swimming in troubled waters in the Tokyo jungle
Metro, work, sleep… This could be summed up the life of our favorite red panda. Torn from Morpheus by a snarling awakening that reminds her all too well of what she will have to face even today. Suffocated in Tokyo transport at rush hour, transformed into a giant sardine can. Forced to always smile, despite the mountain of work that spreads on her desk or when the anger of her superior falls on her. Retsuko appears to us as the perfect little office worker, competent, efficient and always smiling. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different and we quickly discover the true feelings that inhabit it… Despair, helplessness, indignation, resignation, helplessness… Life in society is not rosy and does not suit Retsuko who finds no ounce of happiness. And it is not the colorful, cute and sweetened animation that will help to better pass the pill to the viewer.
Retsuko's integrity will be put to the test on a daily basis and the inner and outer help of valuable friends will be welcome to help her get back on track. Life in the Japanese jungle is far from rosy, but this personification allows us to glimpse certain aspects and workings of work and hierarchy in Japanese society. Did you expect to see a cute, funny and no-brainstorm anime? Go your way or get ready to dive into Japanese offices and their special atmosphere, as if you were there!
A cute red panda singing death metal…
If Retsuko has managed so well to make a place for herself in the hearts of her fans – and to catch us in her nets, it's because everyone loves pandas! Not? Always smiling, caring and serious, Retsuko always keeps her innocent air and an adorable face in all circumstances. Finally… almost in all circumstances. Harassed by her superior in the accounting department, she remains upright and fights continuously. Devalued daily, she sometimes lets go, reaches the bottom, but finally goes back up. An upright and sincere heroine, who struggles to find her place and her happiness.
And because our red panda heroine does not spend her entire life in the company (even if sometimes we have doubts), Retsuko tries, as best she can, to succeed in her private life as well. Finding love, a dream common to all, but currently empty box in the life of our panda. And this will not happen without sweating, or without suffering some failures. But Retsuko is a fighter and will not give up on her goal so easily.
But to move forward and get closer to your goal, you have to release pressure. And to evacuate this stress and accumulated frustration, Retsuko has built her own little bubble to escape the pressures of the world around her. A bubble where she can decompress in all serenity and release the pressure in a very particular way…. But watch your ears… Because our cute little panda turns out to be a fan of death metal, which she sings daily in secret to release this overflow of anger and frustration … A secret that he will have to keep or reveal to acquire the trust of characters essential to his entourage.
A sketch of Japanese society today?
The biggest question that this anime manages to raise, between gags and death metal, is that of working conditions in Japan and the valorization of employees. Aggretsuko offers an intensive dive into Japanese offices and reveals behind the scenes. A décor not so framed and clean as that, which easily leaves room for drifts of all kinds. And nothing has been forgotten, between the tea service that becomes a harassing field, the thankless and degrading tasks, the unbearable evenings between colleagues having to lick the boots of the head of department … Some of these practices may be too advanced or exaggerated in the anime, but others turn out to be true if we believe the testimony of Japanese working in large companies of the genre.
If we go even further, through its children's animation, Aggretsuko deals with serious and fundamental subjects such as overwork, moral harassment, exploitation or sexism. Despite the funny scenes or full of glitter, the anime gives food for thought by nuanced its words. Many social issues are raised and raise questions for the viewer, who if he wants, is led to think about them and to inquire. Japanese society is a mystery that still remains unsolved and not totally understandable from our Western point of view.Perhaps it would be interesting to watch, to learn more, the original version of Aggretsuko and its 100 episodes…
In short, Aggretsuko is an anime in short and gripping format, sensitive and serious despite its funny moments that should not leave you indifferent! And if you really love Aggretsuko, head over to Sanrio's official website !
