Aggretsuko was the first anime I've ever watched, mostly due to its intriguing premise and unique animation style. Three seasons later and with a fourth to come (seemingly, at least), Aggretsuko ended up becoming one of the most unique and memorable slice of life anime I've seen.
Season 1: The first season of Aggretsuko is about Retsuko, who's stuck at a dead-end job with a boss who hates her guts, so she copes by screaming heavy metal in private. Her character arc revolves around her false belief that getting married will help her leave her job, which she eventually realizes is wrong. There are also her colleagues Fenneko and Haida, the latter of which has a crush on Retsuko, along with her new friends Gori and Washimi. I love this cast, every character has a nice amount of depth and they have fun interactions with each other. My favorite is Fenneko, whose dry wit is a joy to watch every time she's on screen, though I also find Retsuko to be an excellently empathetic and relatable protagonist. There's also a lot of strong relatable humor for those in a position similar to Retsuko's. It's a solid first season that doesn't have any major high points, but tells a solid story incredibly well.
Season 2: This season feels like it takes a step back for every step forward it takes as well. The first half of Season 2 is great, with the annoying Anai serving as a great source of conflict and Retsuko's parental issues resulting in some of the most painfully relatable moments in the show. The second half is a bit weaker, however, as while Retsuko's boyfriend of the season Tadano is likable, the finale just feels like end of the first season all over again. There are tons of great episodes and character moments throughout Season 2, but it doesn't seem to do anything to surpass Season 1.
Season 3: Season 3 is the season I've been waiting for since the first, with tons of big status quo changes and character developments. Haida gets a lot of focus as his feelings for Retsuko are fully explored, and while the idea of Retsuko being in a band isn't as relatable as the last two seasons, it's a great usage for her musical talent that hasn't been utilized that much in the first two seasons. The final two episodes in particular are tense and dramatic by the show's standards, and change things up a lot, even if some of the plot developments aren't executed as gracefully as they should be. There are also a ton of strong new characters with their own amount of depth as well, even if it means characters like Fenneko end up getting shafted.
Throughout these three seasons, there are a lot of strong episodes in Aggretsuko:
The Duel: Retsuko's titular rap duel with her boss is a lot of fun to watch, and the entire cast ends up getting brought together in the same location. It's a fun and cathartic episode that's easily the highest point of Season 1.
The Dream Ends: A strong finale that ends Retsuko's current relationship on a predictable yet touching note. I like that she gets to have a heart-to-heart with her boss, and the big cliffhanger with Haida confessing his feelings left me desperate to find out what happened next.
Time To Grow Up: This episode physically pained me to watch at times. Retsuko's dynamic with her mom was relatable and uncomfortable, but also incredibly funny as well. A stellar episode to start the season with.
United Front: The Anai subplot ends on a satisfying note with a fun episode that utilizes the entire office cast very well. The side character Kabae got a surprising amount of depth here as well that was definitely welcome.
She's Dreaming: This episode was absolutely stuffed with plot, and was probably the highlight of Season 2. Retsuko's golf game with her boss was a lot of fun, and the numerous big twists at the episode's end did a great job of setting up for the admittedly underwhelming finale.
An Urchin In The Desert: This was Retsuko's first live performance, and wow, what a stunner. That final line that name-dropped the show's title was just chill-inducing.
When You Count To Ten: Easily the best episode of the show so far, this finale was intense from start to finish, with the scene of the fan being surprisingly violent and realistic for Aggretsuko. I think some of the plot elements got a bit butchered during the dub, especially in regards to Haida, but it was still incredibly satisfying and powerful to see Retsuko and Haida finally communicate and vent to each other.
Overall, I've really been enjoying Aggretsuko so far. Even with some odd plot decisions at times, the anime boasts strong characters, creative animation, and tons of strong relatable humor.
3/5 Stars for Season 1
3/5 Stars for Season 2
4/5 Stars for Season 3
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