Episode Rankings: Aggretsuko

Aggretsuko is the first anime I've ever seen. While it's gotten a tad frustrating as of late, its blend of office-style social commentary and adorable art direction makes for a very unique show. Here's my ranking of its episodes:

1. When You Count To Ten (S3.10) - Dub issues aside, I'd be perfectly happy if this was the show's finale
2. She's Dreaming (S2.09)
3. The Duel (S1.07)
4. The End Of The Moratorium (S3.09)
5. The Dream Ends (S1.10)
6. Time To Grow Up (S2.01) - So relatable it's almost painful
7. An Urchin In The Desert (S3.05)
8. United Front (S2.05)
9. Rendezvous (S4.10)
10. Exposed (S1.05)
11. Bursting Her Bubble (S3.08)
12. Wonderful Life (S2.10)
13. Options (S4.05)
14. The Blessings Of Life (S3.01)
15. He Lives Above The Clouds (S2.08)
16. The Out Of Pocket Prince (S1.08)
17. Unauthorized Access (S4.09)
18. Winds Of Change (S3.04)
19. Walking Down The Aisle (S1.04)
20. Unknown Future (S2.06)
21. Struggle For Survival (S4.06)
22. Crossroads (S3.06)
23. Stoking Rebellion (S1.06) - Tsunoda and Washimi at their best
24. A New Hire Named Anai (S2.02)
25. A Day In The Life Of Retsuko (S1.01)
26. A Sheltered Life (S3.03)
27. Unkept Promises (S4.04)
28. Short-Timer (S1.03)
29. An Impenetrable Wall (S3.07)
30. Unavoidable Impact (S2.04)
31. Moving Up (S4.07)
32. Double Moratorium (S2.03)
33. Someone From Work (S4.01)
34. A Good, Hardworking Girl (S1.02)
35. Deep In The Hole (S3.02)
36. Dirty Work (S4.03)
37. Growing Affection (S2.07)
38. Headhunting (S4.08)
39. A Rosy World (S1.09)
40. The New Boss (S4.01)

Aggretsuko: Season 4

Aggretsuko's fourth season feels it should work more than it does. It brings the focus back to the office stuff, features the side characters a lot more, and has Haida and Retsuko actually try to be friends and get to know each other. However, it doesn't address the show's current fundamental problem: I, and a lot of other people, don't really care about Haida and Retsuko anymore, and the more the writers drag it out, the worse it'll get.

Season 4 of Aggretsuko has two central storylines. The first, and probably the better of the two, is about the office's CEO briefly getting replaced. The new CEO Himura makes a lot of changes to the office that the workers aren't okay with, most notably firing Retsuko's boss. I like this storyline since it gives many of the side characters in the office a lot more focus, especially Ton, who gets a lot of development and depth. Kabae, Anai, and even Tsubone get the most screentime they've had in a while. When the season is focused on its side characters and corporate commentary, it's just as fun and quirky as it's always been. The final arc where Himuro gets Haida to commit fraud does a solid job of heightening the stakes and there's definitely a fun spy-ish vibe to it all, but this is where the season gets shaky. Because Season 4 is also supposed to be about Retsuko and Haida getting to know each other and easing into a relationship, which doesn't quite mesh when one of those two characters gets fired for committing fraud. And that's the least of that storyline's problems.

I was already a bit unsure about the show's central relationship when Haida broke up with Inui, who is literally perfect for him, but I did really want to see them start to get to know each other a bit better. However, the more this season progresses, the more I realized this show doesn't do a great job of convincing the audience that Haida and Retsuko need to be together. The first half of the season has the two be incredibly uncomfortable and awkward with each other. Fenneko and Tsunoda got a lot of great material as they play wingmen together, but the fact that I felt like I shipped those two together more than the series's central relationship wasn't a good thing. The second half was a bit better as they started to feel more comfortable with each other, but then the fraud stuff happened. Haida's insecurities and jealousy of Tadano got frustrating as well, and I came out of the season not really wanting them to get together anymore. As a whole, I think the romantic subplot dragged down the whole season, and that's just a shame.

Still, there were some episodes I enjoyed this season:

Options: It really took them four seasons to give Ookami more than like two lines. No, but seriously, this was what I wanted to see from Haida and Retsuko's relationship all season. Their date this episode was legitimately cute and amicable, and it's a shame we didn't get more of that. Ton's subplot was also heartbreaking, and his scene at the train tracks hit me like a truck.

Rendezvous: Despite all my gripes with this season, I think this was a pretty good finale. Retsuko slapping Haida was honestly all I needed to see at this point, and it does at least seem like Haida has grown a bit after this episode. He willingly quit his job, gets over his jealousy of Tadano, and generally seems to be a lot more confident. As rough as this season was, I do think this finale showed that the show can still salvage Retsuko and Haida, I just hope that this episode's development will end up sticking.

Overall, Aggretsuko's fourth season just didn't fully work for me. While the office storyline was pretty great and I liked the fact that the side characters got more focus, the storyline about Haida and Retsuko's relationship just ended up outlining why the two don't work anymore. 

3/5 Stars

Aggretsuko (Season 1-3)

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