How Aggretsuko Fell From Grace

Aggressive Braxton. Aggraxton. Doesn't roll off the tongue that well.
(Sorry if the audio sounds odd. I had some microphone issues)
Twitter: / braxtonjs
Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/JustStopYT/
Thumbnail Assets by: / pontiikii
Intro - 0:00
S1 - 8:08
S2 - 25:46
S3 - 36:07
S4 - 52:45

[@usuallyangry]

If there is anything modern animation has taught me, it's that love triangles are a death knell for any series.

[@cosmiclikesminecraft]

I could NOT agree more. I wish that trope would die

[@BiigiieCheeese]

Doesn’t have to be look at the beginning of Gurren Lagen. Love triangles can work but most writers are not that smart, capable or meticulous.

[@jcudejko]

@@BiigiieCheeese they don't even need to be that meticulous, just not have an obvious favorite from the beginning. It would be nice if writers put more effort into their craft, of course

[@suitdoggy4707]

This! Often case when a love triangle starts it means the writers wants to start melodramatic conflict. I find them so annoying and it side tracks whole plots in order to have a dick measuring contest.

[@Watersiteplay]

Most love triangles in media aren't even real love triangles funnily enough which is why they often fall short True love traingles would either make it a balanced chance for characters B and C to get with the love interest, character A or make it one where character A is into B, B into C and C into A The problem is tho, it's quite tricky to write them with a satisfying resolve and the 2nd option requires a character to be queer which is why there's substantially less of such love triangles So yeah usually the writers just take the easy way out and have B be the obvious favourite and therefore get together with A and C just be there to create useless drama or something

[@adriannaranjo4397]

We can only handle "Retsuko decides to go back to her shitty office job" & "Haida ignores other girls to chase after (uninterested) Retsuko" so many times

[@WobblesandBean]

Agreed. I hate "will they won't they" plots, and in this case it's even worse cuz the "good guy" Haida turned into a total creep by refusing to accept Retsuko's clear and obvious rejection.

[@toadlord8594]

Agreed

[@adriannaranjo4397]

@@WobblesandBean Will 100% stand by my idea for Haida to have accepted Retsuko's refusal, move on & become the office Chad that all the girls swoon for while Retsuko sulks since she already turned him down

[@capt.artemislivius7601]

It's almost as equally insulting as basing the entire romance of your 3D Animated Superhero Show on the fact that the only thing keeping the two main characters from confessing to each other are domino masks that don't hide sh!t, and a dumb rule about losing powers if they ever reveal who they really are...

[@Meleedroit]

@@capt.artemislivius7601 isn't Marinette also a creepy stalker? I remember her acting like that in all the miraculous episodes I watched

[@Birdyboys]

Ngl i always kind of hated how Haida calls Aggretsuko a chicken because she was so deeply traumatized after being assaulted

[@jackalope3374]

Blame the English localization for that one. In the original Japanese version, he says "lucky you" in a sarcastic way. One could argue that's still not great, but the decision to change it to "chicken" is baffling to me.

[@yeetneat]

@@jackalope3374 Yeah, things like that getting lost in trasnlation is frustrating

[@breaduzimaki]

​@@yeetneat tbh

[@kykycupcake1]

THIS

[@KlutzyNinjaKitty]

Agreed. It doesn’t feel like he’s helping her overcome her trauma. It feels like he’s bullying her into “getting over it” which is the absolute WRONG way to go about it. If Retsuko had the “I gotta suck it up” moment that’d be fine. But, not with Haida and definitely not in such a calloused way. (Even if there has been some translation issues the whole scene felt kinda yuck.)

[@Birdyboys]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention how Retusko’s coworkers essentially forced Haida and Retsuko to ask each other out

[@ralcolfwolfcoon8207]

In the end. It worked out

[@Birdyboys]

@@ralcolfwolfcoon8207 I guess. But I much rather would of had them actually ask each other out when they were ready

[@ralcolfwolfcoon8207]

True. But i think it was pretty obvious he liked her. I didn't like him for the way he treated her and the things he did, i can understand the hate. But... If he didn't care... Wouldn't he go out of his way to make his own life better? Make an actual effort?

[@BabyCharmander]

Thank you, gosh, that bothered me SO MUCH, especially as someone who's had people pester me to try to go out with other people. (And then later I figure out I'm aromantic!!)

[@Peekabye]

Talk about unprofessionalism to the fullest and finest degree. Even if it isn’t against their work environment’s rules to do so it’s still the most lune thing you could ever do to someone in general.

[@silverscorpio24]

THANK YOU for bringing up how Anai faces no consequences for harassing and bullying his coworkers.

[@WobblesandBean]

As a bullying victim both as a kid AND in the workplace, that really pissed me off. I know Japan has some REALLY screwed up ideas of acceptable behavior, especially towards women, but this is too far even by their standards. Just cuz Anai has a legitimate reason for his behavior doesn't excuse him from the consequences of his actions.

[@greendemon905]

Seriously! It always bothered me Anai never apologized for his shitty behaviour. The show just made everyone like him out of nowhere to make room for Tadano's arc.

[@SeanWinters]

What exactly should have been done to the anxious 18 year old? Shouldn't retsuko have been fired as well then? It's genuinely strange that the guy you decide should have been fired isn't the kissass, the gossip, or the cyber stalker, but rather the anxiety-ridden young man(who likely has autism). That really points to a certain type of bigotry, doesn't it?

[@silverscorpio24]

@@SeanWinters Are you saying you're the type of person to take your instructor's constructive, gentle criticism and threaten to go to their superiors and get them in trouble for harassment and breaching their duties? Emailing them every single day saying they should either apologize in a public audio recording or they'll be fired? Retsuko literally starts having panic attacks every time she opens up her phone.

[@bronzelaugh2350]

@@SeanWinters but the kissass, gossip, and cyber-stalker aren't causing their coworkers nearly as much mental strife that detracts from their ability to work. When you're in a workplace enviornment, harrassing and bullying your coworkers and ESPECIALLY your boss (lets not forget he harrassed Ton too) is completely unprofessional and unacceptable, no matter the age or position of the perpetrator. Anai might be anxiety-ridden, I can relate to that deeply, but that's not an excuse to cause anxiety in others, especially when they're just trying to help you adjust to the job and do it correctly. He really should have faced consequences of some kind because that is completely unprofessional and mayhaps he should seek work in a less high-stress career and learn to take constructive criticism like a responsible adult. Also, it's strange to call someone 'bigoted' over a fictional character who may or may not have a mental disorder. We do not know if Anai has a mental disorder, and even then it is STILL not an excuse to harrass and bully people in the workplace.

[@mysticalkeyblade759]

To me it fell from Grace the moment they kept pushing for Haida to pursue Retsuko when it’s stated over and over again she isn’t into him!

[@LatinoLover]

He should have gotten with that girl that was interested in him she was such a cool character

[@lapistmacir1014]

Isn't that shit that happens in the work place though...

[@maddymooo]

Agree. I hated the thought of them as a couple at the end of season 3. The fact he was so annoyed by her being traumatized really upset me. She was almost murdered! He shouldn't be telling her to get over it like he did. Made me wonder how he'd react to hardships and future trauma.

[@suitdoggy4707]

I do have to say the Haida arc was very strange. I thought it was cute he had a crush on her at first. But after the first rejection they should have made his primarily love interest the dog girl. I loved his character and was so disappointed that he was mostly used to obsess over Retsuko. At the end I kinda just felt like she dated him out of convenience.

[@DoveJS]

@@LatinoLover YES! I LOVED Inui, the dog lady! I understand Haida not being entirely over Retsuko and I thought Haida was an interesting character but I loved Inui and I was like "baby just come to me, I'll treat you right..." I really hope this becomes a wake-up call for Haida (for lack of a better term) and he just ends up friends with Retsuko. And I really hope Retsuko can find someone who really loves her and can give her what she's looking for. Don't get me wrong, I've been into pairings where they have a rocky start but I just don't like pushing the girl into being a prize for the guy.

[@Duskool]

Man, i was so confused as to why they changed Anai's character so much from the base animated shorts to the series. He was much more likeable in the former, and was, as far as i recall, the only character that standed up for Retsuko in the OG shorts, albeit while also slightly, unintentionally insulting her cuz he's awkward like that.

[@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006]

And it actually got worse because his voice actor apprently died while the Netflix show is running.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006 Wait, what?!? Oh no!!!

[@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006]

Also, the voice actor died a while ago, I think.

[@irkenpony17]

@@DrawciaGleam02 Billy Kametz, he died from stage 4 colon cancer back in June last year.

[@CatsRul85]

@@DrawciaGleam02 Yeh Billy Kametz passed away last year from cancer (hadn't realized he voiced Anai) he did so many great characters

[@poisonpenfairy2844]

For the section on Anai, I know he seems completely over the top and unrealistic, but I lived this. I had a roommate EXACTLY like this, down to the insane lawyer-like harassing emails for any little thing. So, because of this experience that part of the series was scarily relatable....including the part about lack of consequences or apologies from the harasser because people like that honestly believe they are sticking up for themselves and not, you know, bat shit crazy

[@ca678.4]

Sorry you went through that. This is why I could never do roommates. Don’t know which level of crazy you’ll get!

[@LittleSparklingStars]

Onision is like this too

[@xduwu4257]

Fr lol I get the vibe whoever came up with his character had to deal with someone exactly like this

[@tavoiradio7667]

What’s kinda hilarious is the Haida had better chemistry with the extras Inui, tadano, and homura

[@ca678.4]

Agreed. Lol. But gotta stick with the main trope seen in these kinds of works where the underdog gets with his dream (usually main) girl. Despite the girl showing little to no interest (or even rejection) for majority of the story.

[@MilkChai_X]

TADANO IS SO REAL. Ive been seeing so many things about people shipping them that, honestly, I ship them too now. I also used to hate Tadano so it's weird for me to have such a big turn around and to start shipping him with my fav character

[@the_best_username]

HO-HOMURA? The magical girl? You meant Himuro, right?

[@silverscorpio24]

Haida really should've gotten with Inui. It would've been a happy development for that part of his character and solidify his role as Retsuko's best friend, instead of on/off simping love interest.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Haida suddenly getting over his crush of 5 years is not good writing, lol.

[@silverscorpio24]

@@willfanofmanyii3751 He wouldn't be completely getting over her. He would be moving on. Besides, Retsuko made it clear she didn't want him that way anyway. Pursuing her after the fact is soft stalking.

[@rickywilliams1586]

​@WillFanofMany II no it wouldn't. However, Haida learning to get over his crush while pursuing someone else and seeing the consequences of it is.

[@anintrovertonyoutube5271]

I mean they are dating in S5 and are shown to care for each other a lot

[@silverscorpio24]

@@anintrovertonyoutube5271 What a great message. "If you cling to that one crush you have for long enough, even if they say no initially, eventually they will date you."

[@eerieeric834]

Five seasons one Christmas special clearly the writers were burnt out by season four so I can’t blame them for making a bad season of an ultimately great show. Here’s hoping it ends on a high note

[@DudeGunman]

Writer singular one dude

[@WobblesandBean]

@@DudeGunman Not anymore. Season 4 got more writers. I think that's why the show started to suck, and characters like Ton have suddenly gone from sexist caricature to sympathetic character. 🙄

[@angah82]

Without spoiling anything too bad, the final season ended on not so much with a bang, but with a whimper. I was overall left feeling disappointed. I think it had been better if it ended on season 3 or 4. There's just so much tonal shifts that I feel disoriented afterwards. It is such a shame though.

[@eerieeric834]

@@angah82 I guess the riders were burnt out and ran out of good ideas for season, 4 & 5

[@angah82]

@@eerieeric834 And how. They should've left well enough alone.

[@chasestudio2736]

As someone currently struggling with a real life Haida (a.k.a. workplace crush) I sympathize with Retsuko a lot, because the crush and the feelings around it don’t give me any room to actually know the guy. He is so hellbent on going out with me that we don’t even talk. Every time I try to have a normal discussion he just goes quiet and stares at me, like his attention is behind a pay wall of romantic exchange. Like this man is literally upset with me because he can’t take no for an answer. If he would step back and try to befriend me, maybe I’d find a lot of things in common with him and end up liking him, but his behavior makes me not look forward to going to work (he’s also my neighbor, go figure).

[@P-P-Panda]

Yikes 😬 stay safe

[@sabsd1561]

checking in, please let us know you're good.

[@Nihil847]

It’s the “friend zone” mentality imo. I always tell my friends to not care about it, because most relationships are based in friendships and isn’t like a dead end.

[@InternetNonsense]

What you said about his attention being behind paywall doesn't sound too good. I wouldn't invest many thoughts of future prospects with him if he's withholding normalcy to get what he wants, might become from annoying childishness to emotional abuse levels later on if that's how he deals with things not going as he imagined.

[@syrusangi8743]

He's your neighbor too? Oh Lord 🤦

[@thedawgduane3294]

"Nobody gives a care about the fate of labor as long as they can get their instant gratification."

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

- Squidward

[@shaggystoner5235]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 Tennisballs

[@angah82]

@@shaggystoner5235 Tortellini

[@AdrianGuzmanOfficial]

@@angah82 Testicles

[@burtbrotherswoodworks4283]

Poor squidward

[@Bunni89]

Kind of wild that people who hate Haida and people like you who liked him both hate this season equally as much for opposite reasons It really failed to satisfy anyone on any side of the fandom

[@FlyingFocs]

I haven't seen season 4, because I lost interest after season 3. And I did so for one reason: Inui. Inui was that rare "false love interest" who was not only actually good, but BETTER than the character to whom sees supposed to be a false lead. Her genuinely sweet, supportive and wholesome relationship to Haida was so good, it honestly made me question WHY he continued to pursue Retsuko. Especially once it's pointed out (more than once if I recall) that Retsuko goes out her way not to include him and Fenniko on what's troubling her even when they ask. And have never had a real talk. Also, the endgame of the idol arc was... Really dark. I mean, the show got dark before, but it just felt way out there for this show. If you've seen it, you know what I mean.

[@DoveJS]

I love Inui and Retsuko very much but we didn't get to know Inui well enough for me to call her a better character per se. But I will cry for the loss of Inui for sure; her potential for becoming a great side character was destroyed the moment they broke up and we'll probably never see her again. I didn't feel like she had to be with Haida but I'm gonna miss her!

[@FlyingFocs]

@@DoveJS Well, maybe not better character per se... just better, more stable girlfriend. Because seriously, would Retsuko actually be a good girlfriend? From what I remember, not really.

[@DoveJS]

@@FlyingFocs Yeah. Retsuko definitely still has more growth ahead of her which is fine! I just regret losing Inui and I agree that Retsuko/Haida isn't what's needed to continue either character's story arcs.

[@shrimpyalfredo3933]

If retsuko showed more interest in haida, I'd see it as making more sense when haida chooses to still go after her - but she doesnt. She just continues to push him away, I know people dont make sense but GOD.

[@DoveJS]

@@shrimpyalfredo3933 Yeah... that's why the push to get them together makes me uncomfortable. If she wanted him, I'd be okay with it too.

[@corpsenymph4644]

Honestly, I was kinda surprised with your commentary on S3. I wasn’t a big fan of the pop idol and sorta creepy Haida stuff, but that’s not what rubbed me the wrong way in S3. It was the way in which Haida “tough loved” Retsuko, forcing her to come out IMMEDIATELY, and without at least pacing her from the trauma she’s faced. Reason why is because, long story short, I was raised in a very “suck it up buttercup” kinda way. With how vehemently I object to tough love, you got me to change my perspective on it. I see myself in Retsuko more than ever and, honestly, I don’t know if the slow and steady approach would’ve actually helped Retsuko. You’re right, she would’ve dug her hole further, and further, and further… if not for Haida reaching out to her, letting her spill everything she suppressed, and be told “it’s ok, I’m here for you” in her ugliest moment. All I can say is, beautifully done 👏❤️‍🩹

[@BabyCharmander]

Tough love isn't the problem--it's the fact that Haida acted exactly like her attacker (forcefully grabbing her, screaming insults in her face). There's tough love, and then there's being an absolute scumbag to someone with severe PTSD.

[@Lesbean_Burrito]

Haida also did it solely for his own reasons. He DOESN'T CARE about her health and wanted to gesture how much he LOOOOVES her 🙄

[@kn-jt9dj]

What rubbed me off is that the finale really rushes through how isolated Retsuko's become due to the trauma she faced. We don't really get a period of time on how long she's been isolating herself for, we don't get to see how she's destroying herself, we don't even get to see how her life has changed because the story tells it to us, and that's probably because the finale tries to juggle Retsuko facing trauma and Retsuko overcoming her trauma in like...25 minutes. Maybe I'd feel more for Haida's "tough love" if we actually...saw most of Retsuko's isolation, or showcase him trying to slowly break Retsuko's barriers by visiting her from time to time to no avail instead of just barging into her house on a whim and yelling at her because he thinks that's what she needs, but we don't, because again, the episode is like 25 minutes Most of it is just characters talking about how Retsuko's isolating herself instead of the episode showing that, even the dream sequence mostly implies that Retsuko's trauma has shattered her world view and how she may _start_ to isolate herself as indicated by the lights shutting off on her, but that's it: so I end up agreeing with Washimi when she said that Retsuko needs more time The show _tells_ us that what Haida is doing is good for Retsuko, but I don't _believe_ it, because its all tell and not show Sadly its not the only time I've been confused in this finale either, like that scene where Inui talks to Haida about their relationship and asks him who he chose: Retsuko literally fainted and is on the floor, not really the most appropriate time to bring this up The pacing just feels so mismanaged to me

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

@@kn-jt9dj Retsuko was isolated enough that she was going to be fired.

[@kn-jt9dj]

@@willfanofmanyii3751 Yes, but that's what the episode _tells_ you It's _telling_ you that Retsuko's isolation is serious enough for her to get fired by _implying_ that she's been locking herself away for a long time, but it's not _showing_ any of that because it's information given by the other characters rather than Retsuko herself So Haida busting into her house and screaming at her in the booth as a "last ditch effort" doesn't feel nearly as impactful or warrented since we barely see her actually conscious until that point I wish we actually got to see how monotonous Retsuko's life became because of her isolation if Haida's rash decision is going to be justified like that

[@cinderefell1399]

We've been taught to overwork since the industrial era. It's been beaten into people's head that people think it's supposed to be the norm. Then, we talk about mental health and avoid the problem that starts at work. My father was screwed by his job, which I work at alongside him. He is the type who will work fourteen hours a day, all week, then work week ends. It sounds crazy, but I grew up with the man. He was screwed over and still tells me that I don't want to be seen as lazy even though no matter how hard he worked.... They wanted more.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

2nd thought has a ton of great videos about work and labor

[@Dice-Z]

People of lower classes have always been overworked to death. The only difference is that the industrial era has beaten into people's head that it's a GOOD thing. "Work to live, don't live to work"

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@Dice-Z I hate the fact that your reply not showing up. You might need to repost it

[@Projolo]

Overwork is before the industrial era. It started around 1550 during that time most holidays were removed. Christmas got banned in England in 1659 for 22 years.

[@The_KingDoge]

Before that. People have had slaves since the dawn of humanity. (although that goes quite a bit farther than overwork, not to say that overwork is at all good)@@Projolo

[@Score_Magala]

It fell from grace after season two. There's some solid good relatable stuff afterwards, like Retsuko blowing all her money on a video game, accidentally getting into a car accident, Haida hunting for a job, etc. However, it gets lost halfway through the season. Season 3 had her become an idol, season 4 had corporate espionage, and season 5 had Retsuko running for office. It was like they kept trying to one-up the previous season and it just got annoying. I'm happy it's over, though, cause it was obvious it was running outta steam.

[@whatayaDO543]

It feels like writers in Japan aren't good at writing these things, unless they combine some weird sci fi element, which I have no idea why are they like this, WHY?!?!!

[@AdrianGuzmanOfficial]

I liked S5, It wasn't perfect but it was definetly better than S4, I think they actually though this one and I also praise what they could do with only 10 episodes, besides that this time I could felt some chemistry between Haida and Retsuko for the first time, people Say that it wasn't a satisfying ending, but for me it felt more of a "Life keeps going" kind of ending I know that the political part wasn't for everyone, but at least for me they made it entertaining, and I have to give the writers my respect for that since I hate politics, Overall, the show isn't for everyone, it has it's flaws, but it's still quite enjoyable and it ended better than other shows, because trust me, there's worst ways to end a show

[@KawaiiStars]

@@whatayaDO543 because like aggretsuko, they're overworked and given less time to achieve things than in the past, schedules have gotten worse in some areas compared to before so their work is suffering

[@ca678.4]

Agreed. For some reasons any season after like season 2 or maybe 3 halfway through the season the story gets lost. This was ESPECIALLY the case with the final season. Like what the fuck was that!

[@wildfire9280]

@@whatayaDO543 if you want even more fuel for frustration there’s always that one technically magical girl anime that went from exploring very grounded real world problems from a kinda serious but still fantastical lens to “suicide is actually caused by X, we need to eliminate X”

[@rosenrot234]

The last thing I enjoyed with Aggretsuko was the creepy fans introduction. The one with the hand holding tickets. That was straight up terrifying and so well delivered.

[@MrGentleman2051]

"I will forgive you if Haida and Fenneko getting together becomes canon" Ahh yes a man of culture I see ☕

[@Someone-zn4dh]

I legit thought that will be the end game seeing how messy his relation with Retsuko yet his relation with Fenneko are much, much, natural

[@MrGentleman2051]

@@Someone-zn4dh Well Haida x Retsuko was the creator's favorite ship so yeahhh it would've been impossible for Haida x Fenneko to happen

[@DeathKitta]

@@MrGentleman2051 feels like starco. an intended ship from the start but constant weird negativity around the idea of them dating made it like them less and less and less.

[@InternetNonsense]

@@Someone-zn4dh Right? They had normal conversations, constantly hanging out and talking about what's bothering them, similar interests in technology being a pastime. Modern media really fumbles on canon ships, making characters in them have better chemistry with literally everyone else but romantic interest. Usually they share very little in common, have little to discuss around each other or just keep being stunted by awkwardness, hiding feelings and lacking heart-to-hearts. They're telling but not showing them being a couple in action. What gravitates them towards each other, how they cooperate?

[@sporkzzz]

I thought fenneko was a lesbian when I first watched Aggretsuko 😭

[@lavenderlemonade6758]

i rewatch aggretsko regularly. it is a comfort show....i forgot there was a season 4. I just restart the series after haida and restko sing at each other. oops.

[@eatatjoes6751]

I stopped after the Christmas Special.

[@lavenderlemonade6758]

@@eatatjoes6751 there was a Christmas special???

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

@@lavenderlemonade6758 Between Seasons 1 and 2, explaining what happened after Haida confessed.

[@MekuChanAnime]

skip s4, go straight to s5! you won't miss much, and the development makes much more sense like that

[@lavenderlemonade6758]

@@MekuChanAnime I've seen it once XD just never rewatched it

[@jackiej6233]

I don't get what would've been so hard about letting Haida GET OVER Retsuko; it would've led to the growth he sorely needed. She clearly wasn't interested, and frankly, after how he handled that traumatic situation with the Stalker, that REALLY should've put her off him permanently.

[@ca678.4]

Because it doesn’t go along with the main boy gets together with the main girl trope. Or the underdog guy getting with his dream girl. I could go on. And I agree with you. It’s something typical in these styles works where EVENTUALLY..eventually, the girl is suddenly interested. Have you watch the last season? I won’t say spoilers but This is a great example of that.

[@LadyLeomon]

Because _objectively_ no sane man would WANT to date her, and despite a few plot elements the show likes resetting the status quo 😒😒😒

[@jackiej6233]

@@ca678.4 Nah, I lost all interest partway through season 4. I tried to get back into it, but I just couldn't.

[@Nyanx4]

_oh god I'm like a month late_ I completely agree- I honestly think that you could have worked out season 3 with Haida choosing to pursue a relationship with Inui- even if it doesn't last. And then when Retsuko is willing to reach out to him and let him in (on _her_ terms thanks, yelling at stalking victims isn't a solution), he's finally fine with just being friends- satisfied that he is someone she feels comfortable reaching out to. Their relationship and dynamic changes for the better- rather than someone pining after another person who doesn't seem to show as much enthusiasm, it's about mutual respect. You could explore that theme with Fenneko (more Fenneko focus, dammit) feeling the change in the dynamic between the 3 coworkers. 4th season could have had a focus on interpersonal conflicts as people naturally grow apart when they're older and things other than their careers become their focus. Instead, it feels a bit like... _"Haida worked so hard, he should get the girl he wanted even though the earlier seasons made it clear she wasn't interested."_ Which, while you could definitely root for him as a viewer, to me is a really lazy way of concluding the story. I'm sure the last season tied up a few things, but S4 kind of ruined so much of what I liked about the show that I didn't bother with S5.

[@victorhurwitz5559]

​@Nyanx4 whose fennko again?????

[@yarrroww]

I honestly felt like this season was filler. Genuinely. I remember watching it and all I remember is a lack of satisfaction. It was nice to see the characters again but it felt like nothing happened and Retsuko and Hida's relationship just went back to where we started. I genuinely remember nothing from this except the feeling of disappointment from a series i've loved since season 2.

[@CoffeeLamb]

glass beach pfp /pos

[@sarahhenry3607]

All I got from the latest season was... Memes.

[@wildfire9280]

@@sarahhenry3607 Memes, ENIO. The DNA of the soul.

[@NaNaFan707]

The only thing that i liked from the last season was Shikabane. I HATE how she didn't got more screen time, a lot of potential wasted...

[@Kinkajou420]

Honestly I think Anai's interactions later on in the series make sense. He disliked most of the main cast from his introduction and their avoidance of the main cast later on is pretty realistic in a work place environment. I would argue with the goofing off part without being reprimanded for it is also in line with that, due to previous harassment the other characters would want to avoid initiating conflict Anai, and since their work is still being completed without issue. I can totally see coworkers not really caring since it doesn't impact their work flow. Not that avoiding working while at work and being hostile is a good thing, but in a office work focused environment this is totally realistic. "You don't cause more work for me and we still get the job done." the only thing I would argue is Anai's work flow during the new CEO not increasing with the consistency that he completes his tasks. That could have been a good opportunity to explore Anai's reactions under external stress as well as the entire office as they work under unrealistic goals.

[@twgok3162]

I mean I feel part of the reason why people slowly start doing more and more work until it becomes too much is because their friendly and open and will accept the idea of oh it's a busy period for the company we all help each other just once or twice and then it becomes forever whereas someone like anai wouldn't fall into the trap of the company that treats its employees like "family"

[@windego999]

To me it just felt like after a point, the show was throwing situations for Retsuko and co to go through just to have something to put on the screen. Not to learn a lesson, not to improve or change her outlook or to move forward the cast. It just started to be conflict for the sake of having something happen.

[@Dice-Z]

Which isn't inherently a bad thing. It can have a poor execution, but a show does not have an absolute need for morality, character progression or life lessons. I mean this as a general statement and not specifically Aggretsuko.

[@TheDigitalApple]

Steven Universe, Star Vs, The Loud House, The Simpsons, Family Guy and Aggrestsuko all part of a long line of cartoons once praised for how great they were…….now seen as going on for longer than they should’ve or having a *HUGE* nosedive in quality.

[@timidalchemist8475]

Don’t forget Voltron.

[@saitama-il2on]

@Kamen Rider Impact i know how you feel i was disappointed as well they left us with a cliffhanger which i got piss. Same with inside job completely cancelled for no reason

[@ms_red_eye]

Star vs. should've ended with Toffee's death.

[@aarcade6676]

this is why it annoys me when people want gravity falls to come back. IT'S GOOD BC THEY ENDED IT WHEN THEY WANTED TO!!

[@DoveJS]

I'm on the fence regarding Steven Universe and Star Vs because there is a lot of valid criticisms to be made about both but I feel like there were still enough good notes that overall I don't hate either. I especially liked the movie and sequel series for Steven. Star Vs is kind of weird for me because the shipping ruined it and the ending was awkward but I admired what they were trying to do and I loved most of the other characters. It just fizzled out into a fart.

[@shards-of-glass-man]

I've dropped Aggretsuko after S2 / early S3 once it became kinda obvious that they were going to force Retsuko and Haida together, despite Haida not really being a good fit for her. I wanted more death metal copium against life's suckage, not uncomfortable "romance".

[@breanntheartist1989]

Death Metal Copium! I love it!

[@AbrasiousProductions]

after being stalked for a while i feel retsuko's pain so much more now.. that creep still won't get off my back

[@annacamila]

Hey, it's been a month now ¿How are you doing?

[@noweya4311]

been 2 months, you good?

[@AbrasiousProductions]

@@noweya4311 he left me alone after I made him go homeless :)

[@noweya4311]

@@AbrasiousProductions congrats!! (if its a good thing) (im pretty sure it it)

[@AbrasiousProductions]

@@noweya4311 I ruined a pedophiles life and took away his family, of course its a good thing

[@mdsystems4463]

I think that the point of Haida's arc in season 4 isn't that he feels small but rather that he feels he has to be better. Think it this way: this guy spent most of his life being a loser in a job that he doesn't like and wanting to date a girl who doesn't give him attention. Then, suddenly, he gets everything he always wanted; he is dating Retsuko, he's getting fit at the gym, he's the best at his work and the right hand of his boss and even feels like the whole company is on his back (since at the begining of the season it kinda did) for the first time in his entire life he feels like a succesful man worhty of the good things that happen to him. The thing is that this thought of being succesful eventually turns into an idea of toxic masculinity, he no longers wants to be good at his job, he needs to be ideal employee who takes risks for the sake of his company; he can't just be Restuko's boyfriend, he has to be the *perfect* boyfriend; he even needs to prove that he's superior to Tadano, not seeing him as a friend or person but rather as his girlfriend's ex. To sum up, Haida's arc is basically a loser that suddenly progresses in his life and then gets consumed by his own ego and pride

[@kaptainrogers]

I'm so mad at haida in the 5th season. I hate them being a couple. Because of his incompetence he makes restuko go grocery shopping Late At Night because he couldn't bring himself to do a chore he Agreed to do earlier. And she's ends up being stalked home. She was assaulted and stalked previously. She was pretty traumatized from it. She should have never been in that situation and it's haidas fault she relives that fear. And he takes forever to answer the phone when she calls him scared. I'm glad he runs to her when he realizes the danger she's in but It's his fault it happened. They're lucky her new stalker didn't have I'll intent.

[@JT_VA]

One thing I found weird about Haida and Retsuko’s relationship in season 4 and now season 5 is that there are multiple times where Retsuko unknowingly or actively feeds into Haida’s insecurities creating a barrier between the two of them then the show framing Haida as the one in the wrong, like how in season 4 with Retsuko ignoring Haida then reprimanding him as if it seemed like she cared at all, then actively cutting Haida out of her life until he finds a job and refusing to help him until she finds he has been evicted and forced to live off very little, then it seems like the show was framing Haida as the problem for not actively reeching out for help when Retsuko literally said she wont actively talk to him until he’s back on his feet and instantly thinks he’s cheating on her when she finds out he’s no longer living in his apartment, it feels like the show isn’t allowing Haida explain his issues while actively painting him as a bad partner while it seems more like the label of bad partner to go to Retsuko for knowingly cutting him off from her life while knowing and understanding that he’s having rough time with a gaming addiction that leads him to becoming homeless and why Retsuko does finally offer her help Haida is portrayed as a worthless bum who doesn’t help with anything and can barely hold a job. It felt like with putting Haida in the role of protagonist it became too critical of his flaws and basically assassinated his character

[@alexcat6685]

1:11:54 I belive it would be entirely better if they we're just friends, its points how important platonic relationships and how you're Romance being torn doesn't mean your friendship is destroyed. Which would've continued into Haida finally getting over it, since that part of him caring so much about Restko could be enhanced by it never leaving. which changes what would be seen as obession, to a deep care for another past themselves. and just I did see Haida's romance with retsko not really work, mostly because Haida isn't someone she wants as a husband but definitely wants as a bro. And Inui should've been the one he taken, instead of forcing the Restko x Haida thing, because yes mostly it is his way of seeing it, Overall yes He should've have gone for Inui and the moment he saved her from the high consequenses of her decision, shouldn't have been him "making his choice" Because it wasn't, it was him caring about another person's safety. Inui was the his Right choice, that he should've taken since he should know Retsko rejected him not because she didn't need help, because she wasn't into him that much. Inui was and he was her, until he decided not to be.

[@molinagrn65]

I’m thinking the confrontation with Retsuko and Haida in S4, would’ve been more interesting if it was a arm wrestling match for them. Like Haida wouldn’t be sure to with her, but she’s adamant and they arm wrestle. The two of them talk through it, Haida being stubborn on his stance but Retsuko gets through to him with examples of him being his own person and mattering more than being in the background, winning the arm wrestling match as Haida is stunned at her words. I don’t know, but I feel like at least that idea would give more emotional/physical struggle between the two of them and give Haida that sense of control with his issues and with Retsuko as in a arm wrestling match, that would put the two of them in a equal moment together. Just anything than her just slapping him. 😐

[@hermos3602]

I have never heard of the term "quiet quitting" and I never heard anyone ever mention it. This is the first I've heard of that.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

I have, I just never knew what it meant

[@jcudejko]

Be thankful. I wouldn't have known the term either, but I have friends that still watch normie TV so I get seconhand re... um...

[@MortalAnonymous]

Same. Complete news to me.

[@rebchizelbeak5392]

The way he put it lacks context. It is done with the socialist “you can’t get ahead because capitalism… blah blah.” The real issue is those that practice quiet quitting complain about not getting raises or promotions. Busting your balls for an ungrateful entry job is one thing. Expecting a promotion from doing bare minimum is another. You have to prove you can do more before you get a promotion, but that means knowing your worth and the upward mobility of your current position.

[@Ergeniz]

@@rebchizelbeak5392 Your premise is flawed. If everyone got promotions based on merit that would make sense. There's too much evidence of the opposite. In fact, it can be a detriment to be a competent/hard worker. 'Expecting promotions from doing the bare minimum' is not the issue and is a strawman you crapped out. Not to mention other things like wages stagnating and not keeping in line with inflation.

[@PrincessPinkHeart2702]

I hate how Retsuko’s coworkers force her to be with Haida even though she makes it clear she’s not interested in him. You can’t force someone into a relationship they don’t want and you shouldn’t even try.

[@breanntheartist1989]

You will hate the final season.

[@MillyKKitty]

I wonder how season 4 could be rewritten. Perhaps it could have been about Haida realizing that he does not have anything in his life because he had always been there for Retsuko. Once he has Retsuko, he notices he is missing something. Also his relationship with Retsuko is not blossoming because of that something, not only that but Retsuko's past experiences and relationships have grown her confidence so much she stands her ground on everything while Haida supports those decisions she makes because of the role he had assumed so long for her happiness. What their relationship is missing is compromises. To fill this emptiness in his life he puts most of his effort onto his work like always and unfortunately for him, the new Boss appears that rewards him and sees Haida's potential and even does compromises just for him. However, the work piles on Haida, he gets slowly more and more cut-off from everyone else not because he distrusts others or Retsuko but because he trusts his Boss. This becomes Retsuko's moment to finally support others this season. She talks to Haida on their dates and asks about his work from time to time until she has had enough of Haida being used and outright asks him what he wants. Does he like his work? Does he truly think the person he works with has his best interests at heart? She tells Haida that they don't have to do the same things, and even if he didn't work at the same company, they'd still be together. This would drive Haida to do his first step towards himself, not for others for validation, and he stands up to his Boss and quits. Depending on how season 5 goes, I will stick with this version, if its theming fits with Haida reaching out for what he wants and Retsuko supporting him because she wants to.

[@aeroritz5862]

I just wanna say that the new season felt bad. I really liked the internet cafe plot line. It was what drew me in, I really wanted them to handle the hikkomori topic and those who just give up on working. However... they then switched it entirely over to retsuko! Politics! And did such a poor job resolving the first plot line. Honestly, it was just a bad season.

[@LadyLeomon]

I hated that too! The idiot struggles with her _regular office job_ and yet she actually thought she could be a politician (because a midget in a suit persuaded her)? 😒😒😒

[@GamersInHellOnYt]

I hated so much how i resonated with Anai. My own insecurities about my first office job were really projected onto all the team training me. When they stopped discussing work stuff to show pictures of their dog/ family - I saw it as really inappropriate and a waste of time rather than just ... you know. Them being human and trying to share stuff and give us a break. I felt if they actually wanted to give us a break they could just- let us have a break- rather than having hour long meetings where they share photos. It killed me inside. But I havent started a family or have pets so i had nothing to share.... adding to more anxieties. They were married in highschool and here i am in - after college still trying to date. Like... a lot of this weighed on me and I hated them alll for it.

[@chumbum3041]

Did they make fun of you or something for not having anything? I don’t understand your hatred.

[@GamersInHellOnYt]

@@chumbum3041 i was built up (by teachers and parents) with an expectation that school was a watered down version of work. And that work would be much stricter, and more studious, and i would fail the moment i showed any weakness. To answer your question, No one was mean at work. The problem was, just like in aggretsuko, the community that broke this illusion in my head didnt meet the standards that i had been brainwashed with for years. It made every interaction full of anxiety. And i read it as an attack against me personally. For example, The simple act of them being kind, i thought was condescending. Or some form of under evaluating what i could do. Less work on my plate= "theyre going to fire me soon. I have to build a portfollio and case of what I've been doing at this company so they dont boot me. " And id obsessively scrub through our records, conversations, to show i was working and that it was a manager who decided to take a break for the hour + and i was involuntarily dragged into that pointless meeting when i could have continued working at my desk. It got really bad. I felt like a child among adults because this was my first job. I had a severe case of imposter syndrome, and felt as if everyday, every meeting, every call would be the one where they fire me because i was so insecure about my work that any thing broke me. I had no support from family and was expected to hold a job just to put my entire paycheck into rent and eat poorly because i didnt know there were options. School doesnt really teach you how to hold a job, balance bills, learn about affordable housing.... It repeated set up and expectation instead that if i dont work im a failure to society. Woah that was long. I guess it depends on your environment and background... But it took about 2 years of work to break out of that mindset. You can see I still spiral a bit... But its really exhausting.

[@GamersInHellOnYt]

Tbc... This is pretty much why i cringe as i see myself reflected in Anai. Its all my toxic behaviors in one character.... It might be hard for others to resonate, but i think it taught the lesson it needed to . Especially to a new group of people insecure about entering employment for the first time.

[@lilcc58]

Tbh therapy might help you out if your not already in it

[@GamersInHellOnYt]

@@lilcc58 i was a teenager. No therapy needed, just explaining how i was at the time and why the characters personality is something few people can understand. Some people who just graduate feel the same way. Some people wont. Thats okay.

[@donnaabbott2079]

And i must say, this series suffers the spongebob effect, strong and good at the start, big supposedly ending thing happens, then we take a dumpster dive due to corporate needing more money so a bunch of weak things come out, and you come out of that dumpster with an early thrown out chocolate donut that was still good with a bit of unknown plastic trash stuff on it, and an unknown disease that lasts for a month or so. Feel free to make a better name for the spongebob effect like sponge effect or something. or there might already be a better name.

[@grumpytoadgaming9742]

Spingebill Syndrome

[@MilkChai_X]

I watched the 4th season and was deeply devastated with how they handled Haida's character. Even after the 1st season I was aware of something shifting in my favourite hyena but that season really just made it all clear. they made him the "nice guy" for lack of a better way to describe it. I absolutely adored him in the first season but now he's different. He's not Haida anymore. I loved watxhing Aggretsuko, I didn't relate to it because I was 12 when It started but it had cute hello kitty looking characters so of course I kept watching it. Honestly, they should've kept Haida similar to a character he was in season 1 and made him and Tadano (or someone else I suppose) get together. I think that would've been better than him actually getting the girl in the end. The same girl that was very adamant about the fact she did not like him back.

[@portablefrog2249]

What made him different, i hear tht a lot

[@Hopper_Arts]

I adored season 3's finale, i really wish that was the actual end of the show, it was perfect. Oh well, let's hope the 5th season is good like the first 3. Edit: season 5 was ok but definitely rushed, poor raercho must've been hassled by netflix executives to finish the show quickly and that ended on some weird ass decisions.

[@brialapoint2608]

Season five to me is realky good bit rushed but good

[@daylinhesford3116]

its better than 4th so far tbh

[@lostcrusader8053]

Watched season 5. It was okay, better than season 4 but I felt season 3 is where it should've ended.

[@wildfire9280]

@Ms Aileen Valentine I wish my initial assumption Haida’s family had mafia connections was true, that would’ve made the political angle more thematically enticing in my book.

[@portablefrog2249]

How could you tell S5 was rushed, i hear a LOT of ppl say tht (im on s4 e3)

[@roromimii]

Gosh I remember when Anai came up... he never gets punishment indeed and not even apologizing to anyone for his actions make me despise this character so much

[@LadyLeomon]

That rubbed me the wrong way too, he threatened Retsuko with getting her written up/out right fired, and terrified Haida, but a bit of Kabae Mommying him and a cooking montage makes all that go away? I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the psycho 😤😤😤

[@portablefrog2249]

I can relate to him in a way, cus as the new guy coming in. You dont know qho is and isnt cool. Say he let his guard down and they was on bullshit now he assed out a job all cus of favoritism, he was tryna cover his six but came off kinda prude doing so

[@diegoproductions7926]

I’ve rewatched Aggretsuko multiple times and I’ve really enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions each season presented. Season 4 was more controversial amongst fans but I enjoyed the focus on character relationships and how it felt somewhat like a return to its roots after the crazy idol group story from season 3. Here’s hoping that season 5 is a satisfying conclusion!

[@SilverDragon1991]

The thing about Retsuko wanting to get married as an actual goal kinda came out of left field for me when she had that concern with Tadano. Season 1 established that she was more than willing to use marriage as a means to an end, to get out of her job, not so much as an actual aspiration for the fulfillment of marriage and motherhood. Then in Season 2, when Tadano mentions he doesn't want to get married, it's all of a sudden one of her life goals to get married, and to be a mother, which kind of contradicts her earlier desires for marriage as a means of getting out of her accounting job. So where exactly did that goal come from? Or am I not remembering something?

[@fionadeonmeister1396]

You are correct! That's where our protagonist set the end goal, when meeting the polar bear and the line struck her to the core. When will be the time to stop being scared of marriage. Aggretsuko primary antagonist is a psychological one since it all about fear of the wrong decision. Fear getting hurt and other love one getting hurt. Fear itself, and the combat is fight with rage, to use it to make a difference and to get what she wanted which is normalcy. Because her parents lived normal and she wanted that way. Also Aggretsuko dad give a hint what her husband will be, so the genetic copy continues. In a good normal way.

[@yunabroadway3033]

I think you are over looking the fact that yes, in season one marriage was just a mean to run away from her terrible office job but in season 2, she discovers more about her need and want. She realizes that she wants a marriage and kids in her life. Tadano offers her what she wants in the season 1: he is filthy rich, and with him she wouldn’t need to work anymore. But when she realizes that he can’t give her children and a wedding, she discovers that those are thing she wants in her life. She never said that didn’t want to get married, or that she dislikes children.

[@MYNAMACHEF]

Especially considering that Sasuke taught her how a relationship doesn't automatically fix everything

[@LadyLeomon]

@@MYNAMACHEF his name was Resasuke dude

[@wildfire9280]

@@LadyLeomon Sasuke it is then.

[@SniffyTugBoat]

25:03 I really like cartoons that are giving us more characters like this. also breakdowns like these make me forget that you're so young.

[@tomdragamer]

Seriously season 4 felt unnecessary! Haida and Retsuko's relationship didn't really feel natural with the way they wrote it for this season. After the ending of season 3, them steadily coming together to form a romantic relationship would have worked better if season 4 just had to happen, but it ended up feeling all over the place, like they wanted to get together but also didn't??? What was happening? Also Haida being put into a position of power and then having it go horribly wrong had potential but also was handled poorly. Only part I liked was the brief exploration of older staff and their anxiety and experiences of losing their jobs, even if the sympathy towards Ton was kinda forced. EDIT: Yeah so I'm already up to episode 8 of season 5 and it feels messy with all the plot threads and I'm kinda disgusted with what they're doing to Retsuko. SPOILER FURTHER DOWN. EDIT 2: Okay I have no idea how to feel anymore. It felt like a non-ending? It's the final season, but it was anticlimactic AF in my opinion. Her former OTM group have pushed her into the spotlight against her will by allowing a politician to use her image for his campaign. They knew about the stalker attack right? Why would the allow this? The manager is literally talking about her like she's a puppet and not a person.

[@Amanette2003]

I can’t get over how anti-climatic the epilogue of the finale was. I also can’t get over how out of the blue Retsuko and Haida getting married was. What a way to end a good show.

[@LadyLeomon]

@@Rianoa19 dude, you came into the comment section and read it … what did you expect?

[@TheOtakuFoxBronie]

So I think the best way season 4 could of gone is the balance of having a life outside of work and mixing at the same time. If Haida and Retsuko started dating do they have time to date? Maybe she needs to learn devoting less time to work, can two people dating work in the same office? Maybe Haida does get a promotion and she's afraid he want need/want her, the fear of someone out growing you to only discover he likes her for her. There's places they could of gone, hell business is tied to this show what if their company shut down? Think of where that can go!

[@shihateslife1210]

Personally I do think the creator wanted to make season 4 for the layoff plot and the plots for the pig and hippo (I can't remember names) but I get the feeling he didn't know what else to put in around those plots

[@Some_Guy6]

Ton and Kabae.

[@TrilobiteTerror]

39:15, for everyone who only watched the sub, the English dub goes so hard with the stalker's rant (at the end of Season 3, episode 9). In the original, the stalker calls her a hag. In the English dub, he caller her a "sl*tty little c*ck tease". (I'm trying to prevent this comment from being auto-flagged)

[@CarrotSpunk.]

Wtf 💀

[@liesebeam8910]

Coming from season 5, the only thing acknowledged about season 4 is haida leaving. You can entirely skip season 4 and get whats going on

[@tudoraragornofgreyscot8482]

Honestly, good on Rarecho for pretending Season 4 didn’t happen.

[@AdrianGuzmanOfficial]

Yeah, it was a good decision to do that

[@cherriegetison6093]

Haida becoming Retsuko's boss in season 4 was an interesting idea! How would the power dynamic change affect their relationship? But by that point, Retsuko's barely at work (new side business) and then the story snaps right into the book cooking thing, so it was a waste! Imagine Retsuko getting mad at Haida over the layoffs during a date, or Haida feeling forced to be ruthless at work because everyone slacks off thinking he'll be an easy boss! Season 5 also never brings Himuro back, so I wonder if that was a sign that nobody liked him.

[@martinalejandro224]

truth be told, I did feel like the show was going downwards not in season 4 but in 3. I dunno, the idol shit just felt too out of place and personally speaking uninteresting my main issue being that they ruined Haida in this, it felt like they wanted to keep his shipping with retsukko because of brand recognition. like I get what they were going for but really, him leaving Inui felt super forced. I feel it would have been better if he just told Inui he needed more time, because him jumping from one person to another so quickly would have just made things between them messy. also going back to the idol stuff, again it felt too out of place. I understand where they were coming from but it just felt weird to me how much time they had with that, it went from a slice of life show about a normal office worker that anyone could relate to an anime about idols. I am not a Japanese person myself so I could be wrong but I doubt many people just randomly get the chance to become idols. I feel a better way to go with the idea is just for Retsukko to open her channel and her gaining a following because, although not everyone can become internet famous, the thing about social media is that normal people can become popular I also feel like the stalker subplot was just unnecessary, like the other 2 things I could more or less the point, but having this life or death situation was just too much, kinda like how in season 4 they made Haida a higher up. It felt like Retsukko didn't had the choice to leave because it was an outside force that made her leave, like if someone tried to kill me because I was trying to follow my dream then no shit I would quit, I would be horrified

[@GuardianOfMoon]

Finally, a reviewer who understands the finale of season 3, bad English translation or not. He was the first one to step up to her true self, take her hand, and tell her they can take on the world together.

[@tonig.1546]

Something I liked about the German dub of this show was them hiring Jürgen Kluckert, who ironically plays a very well-known GErman cartoon character who is also an anthro elephant, as the voice of the President Shachou.

[@cheeseball7882]

Benjamin blümchen?

[@WobblesandBean]

Man, I don't want kids. Where's _MY_ Tadano?

[@Gwen1661]

I've rewatched seasons 1 to 3 at least twice and I remember them vividly. Season 4 I have not watched since it aired, I barely remember it, and the few things I do remember are extremely disappointing. Haida is my favourite character in the entire series and season 4 feels so... weird for him.

[@MilkChai_X]

I know :( it felt so wrong, he feels like a completely different character from s1 in my opinion

[@michaelmunoz8014]

Season 5 should have been the real season 4 and they should have made season 5 into an aftermath season that doesn't have much external conflict but rather have internal conflict based on the consequences of their past actions in the previous seasons.

[@kykycupcake1]

I actually think season 3 were the first signs that the show is going downhill. The entire concept of being in a pop idol group doesn't fit the "relatable" themes that the show had had up until that point Season 3 is when all the characters around Haida and Retsuko really start trying to force them together, despite their relationships/their feelings After Retsuko is STALKED, ASSAULTED in almost MURDERED She develops obvious trauma/PTSD and is unable to leave her house And heida decides his feelings are more important than hers and calls her a chicken In general a lot of writing and character flaws start to develop at this point of the show and it's where I personally really started to lose interest

[@girl-ow3xj]

never watched this show but i always watch your videos. this video made me want to try out the first few seasons even though i know what happens. seriously this is my favorite channel. im always taken aback by your abilities and im convinced your a genius.

[@thomask4538]

You know something I didn't think about. Tadano is some who somewhat sees only efficiantcy as important and can be blindsided such as the learning to drive and his relatioship with Retsko. After failing a relationship with Retsko he tries to make a statistacal perfect dating app. The fact he jumbled the number to make it seem Haida and Retsko seem perfect, tells me he sees that there value in imperfection or at least exploring the unknown.

[@strongbadman2]

I'm totally on the haida x fenneko train, I was really hoping that retsuko would sorta realize she has no feelings for haida and fenneko would suddenly realize she does. I mean come onnnnn, fenneko would have way better chemistry. like manaka put it, haida and retsuko are both "followers" and fenneko would definitely be the moving force that haida needs.

[@daniellewilliams5781]

I’m so sad because I used to love the show so much but they just had to restart His damn character

[@FawnMidnight]

I haven't finished watching this yet so not sure if he brings this up, but I watched all of season 3 with my friend when it came out we were really hyped for it. We both had watched the first two seasons separately and finally watched the 3rd together and honestly it was pretty decent, up to a point. That point being the ending. We both had the same reaction to Haida yelling at Retsuko, complete shock horror. And to this day I don't know why people aren't talking about that and think everything that happened in season 3 was great. Haida yelling at Retsuko to get better and to be with him is abso-fucking-lutely not okay and it baffles me that people think that's romantic in any way shape or form. SHE DOESN'T LIKE YOU THAT WAY HAIDA, STOP TRYING TO FORCE IT, THATS NOT HEALTHY.

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

A bit soon, considering that Season 5 is for tomorrow. Would have loved to see the WHOLE series in retrospective but it's only 4/5 of it.

[@lornbaker1083]

Sometimes you just got to know when to end the show. A lot of shows falling to that problem. They just keep going to the point where they've not only jumped the shark but they quite literally jumped so high that they're now orbiting the moon.

[@Femboyfcker88]

This video was so GOOD. I really enjoyed this longer form of content!

[@MewGirlZ]

You know, I was fully expecting a rant on how awful Haida is (because folks won't shut up about his arc in season 3). You didn't do that. In fact you did the opposite and showed that you understood what made the ending sing off GOOD for Retsuko's character. Your analysis is spot on and I appreciate it greatly. Good show, man!

[@Carossmo]

Agreed! Finally someone who got Haida's intentions at the end of season 3. I know even Haida's VA was in disbelief of what happened but if we saw how long Retsuko was hiding in her mom's house then there would be more weight that her friends "needed" to finally intervene.

[@MewGirlZ]

@@Carossmo Exactly! Everyone acts like Haida was bullying Restuko out of her trauma, but he wasn't. If anyone was going to be able to build her back up softly out of her funk it would have been her mom in the weeks after the incident, but that clearly wasn't working. She needed to be pushed into saying what was in her heart and lay all her ugly feelings on the table. When the screaming is over and her friends are still there for her Retsuko realizes that she can lean on them even when life gets busy and confusing and scary.

[@Carossmo]

@@MewGirlZ Unfortunately people misread the season 3 finale sadly. I understand that you should've force someone with PTSD to do that... If the series shown how shutting everyone out affects her negatively, then the audience would've seen how much her friends, moreso Haida, needed to do that. But we are all just speculating and going by what her friends were thinking, saying she hasn't been going to work for who knows how long and it isn't healthy to stay in her room all day.

[@MewGirlZ]

@@Carossmo Yeah. The presentation was rough to say the least. I do understand where the misinterpretation comes from, which is what makes it especially frustrating.

[@EeveeFlipnoteStudios]

I get the point of it, trying to take all the responsibility on her own and refusing to be helped are her main character flaws. The show tried to give her a rock bottom to sink to, where it showed her friends are able to show her that she has support. Still, I really don't like how S3 ended and how it was handled. They gave her some really heavy trauma. If it were any other reason she decided to hole up and build walls around herself, then yeah like it's a self-imposed problem and her friends busting in to do the thing would make some sense. But the show treats a genuinely traumatic event on the same level. Yes, Retsuko may have responded to the trauma in a way to make further excuses to evade people/reality... but that doesn't take away the fact that she was stalked, harassed, and nearly died(???) which is something that would leave most people deeply fearful and unable to function normally for while! The dream sequence that Retsuko had and her reactions that we DID see in the season are pretty normal reactions to a traumatic event, which just doesn't send the message that "this event will cause her to spiral even further" clearly. As others have mentioned, we only have the words of other characters to guess at what she's going through. In other words, we're being told that "her reactions are worse than usual" without seeing evidence or being convinced that, in fact, her mental state is even worse/more self-destructive than usual. And furthermore, if the main message the show wants to convey is that Retsuko should let people in and accept help, why not have the rest of her friends step in to help? Yes, Haida has his own arc that season so it's supposed to make sense that he wants to actually take steps to be there for her, and finally act on his feelings but... the rest of her friends know her just as well if not better than Haida. Maybe he can take the lead in getting the friends together to do something for her-- that would still resolve the romance aspect of it while allowing the trusting relationships that Retsuko has actually relied on in the past to shine through. It's just too late to give Haida the spotlight with the pace they set, they didn't build any interesting chemistry between them at all, so it feels so sudden for him to be the one to get her out of her mindset. Frankly, Retsuko's responses to Haida's attempt to get through to her do make sense, even as an attempt to reject help. Who is he to presume he can be a safe harbor for her? In this particular time? To Retsuko, he kind of is somewhat of a stranger still. I am happy to give messy relationships a chance, but this isn't just a little mess. This is a situation involving actual trauma. Why would she want to open up to him of all people? All-in-all, the writing decision of S3 chooses to introduce a traumatic event as a plot device to bring two characters together. Even if it's for the sake of character growth, the changes a character makes to their lives still has to be convincing, in show meant to be relatable like this one! It still has to center around their own ability to recognise their need to change the status quo and choose differently through their own agency. In S3 with Haida, Retsuko didn't have that. We don't see her take active steps in healing after the fact, we don't see her acknowledge her walls. In S3, Haida has the last word on what's right for Retsuko ("Let's punch back") but we don't get to see HER input and how she chooses to change. The later seasons 4 and 5 do not properly address the post-traumatic effects this event would have on Retsuko, the committed struggle she would need to take in order to tear down years of building up walls-- in fact in season 4, the direct sequel doesn't even bring it up at all! She is just suddenly fine. What, so Haida just hopped in to be a savior and made things better after all? Is that the takeaway I'm supposed to get here? Where are the rest of her support system? This is why S3 is a mixed one for me. It has great themes and ideas, but execution that feels off because they took away Retsuko's agency. In S1 and S2, the changes Retsuko made to her life were all her own choices, and we could very clearly see the thought process she was going through. When she chose to enter or leave a relationship, it was because she understood something about herself and what she wanted. In S3, we don't see that process.

[@TheUltraYusuf]

Really good video summarizing my feelings. I LOVED the first two seasons and was kinda into season 3, but I quit halfway through season 4 questioning why I still cared.

[@KatOwO2235]

you forgot the Christmas special that goes between seasons 1 and 2, it explores Haida's care for Retsuko as well as the fact that some people have no choice but to work during Christmas and other holidays, also Tsunoda is teaching Retsuko how to be a social media model and it freaks Fenneko out

[@whiteglovian]

i studied Japanese in actual classes for a couple years, your japanese was actually really good

[@mochiboni2560]

Incredible Video JS! Absolutely loved how well you explained how good the first 3 seasons were. Honestly while I have watched the show and haven't talked much about it in a long while, it holds a special place in my heart since both me and my sister would watch it and love the heck out of it. My sis and I have pretty varied taste in media so watching this show was not only fun and entertaining but endearing since it's one of the few things I enjoy with my sis And yeah, when watching season 4 it was just... such a letdown. I mean I thorougly enjoyed Season 1, Season 2 being my favorite and Season 3 just really making everything work so well with previous lessons and understanding characters that they have more to them and Retsuko's growth was just beautiful to watch. Season 4 me and my sis were enjoying it at the start, we loved seeing Ton and Kabae's story and really was exciting to see where the season is going... and while it is an animation, weird things happen over the top for comedic effect mostly character's reaction to them the ending was just... weird, too fast, don't exactly know what was the point of it all and was just wayy too much for this show that was a cartoon for adults Love yer content and keep up the great work, editing and humor my guy!

[@Megumi646]

Wow! An hour and 12 minute video that matches my opinion! Thanks, can’t wait to finish it!

[@hehesleep]

This was the best hour or so I've ever spent. You make great background noise for Minecraft and make amazing points even without the video. So thank you :D!

[@Musicallison]

47:33 Saving a time stamp for myself because damn, that’s such a good way to summarize Retsuko’s character progression. Also because as a really young adult, there is a lot to be learned from Retsukos story.

[@BaeCat872]

I don’t think Retsuko and Haida are an inherently bad pairing, but they did not pace it well at all and it made a lot of people hate them together

[@portablefrog2249]

This

[@mq8858]

They did Haida so dirty

[@urotaion9879]

That Japanese is… something else **No more devoicing, drop the vowels and stress your syllables in an English fashion** I mean, even going through the effort to voice act that is good enough, I commend you

[@bandagedart9041]

I heard Netflix pushed for Season 4 while Rarecho wanted to end it at three. (Take this with a grain of salt I forgot where I found this info)

[@Lefaid]

That intro was very well written. Nice job!

[@starhikariblue]

One thing I always did like in the later seasons was how Ton started giving her advice and not sugarcoating anything. Also couldn’t stand her mom.

[@pgakt]

Wowww this video really changed my view of things and put my feelings of “not sure about this” into clear words, amazing video

[@TheMedicatedArtist]

Saw this was an hour long and grabbed some snacks and blankets to get comfy

[@radiocoffee7700]

This is the first video I've seen of yours, and I really enjoyed it! Great analysis!

[@razorburn645]

It lost me when they started drifting away from relatable subjects to a damn mission impossible heist and somehow Haida was ok with them breaking into his files.

[@flapjack7301]

This was my major comfort show for SO LONG, as I could relate to everything in the show so much, and when season 4 came out, I felt like the show ripped my heart out and threw at at the floor.

[@DarwinskiYT]

Goddamit I was about to go to bed

[@Mori-gt2ip]

Good to have you back mate!

[@cawmusic]

i love this show so much, and I loved season 5 too. I literally couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in season 4.

[@DETahaX]

Seriously, I can almost always count on Just Stop to talk about anything and gives us a great frame of the topic, he gives us its origin, descriptions, analogies, similarities, and and analyze it in multiple ways but also focuses on writing the most.

[@TAEZ_MOA]

i loved the early seasons of aggrestuko when it was before haida and retsuko were forced together and it was just an office death metal red panda who showed how it feels in offices

[@Yime4President]

The relationship between Retsuko and Tone in the first 3 seasons can be summed up by 2 words. Tough love.

[@TheFishMustard]

Haida’s character just got assassinated in the final season. It was so bad.

[@emilyv5509]

Season 5 was truly a ten episode experience

[@kaydraven]

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on season 5 because....wooo boy...

[@Mcloganberry]

My personal ranking of the seasons is this: Season 1 7/10 Season 2 9/10 Season 3 8/10 Season 4 5/10 Basically I’m hoping the final season is at least decent cause personally this series isn’t bad to me yet and I still enjoy it for the most part, it has a chance to redeem itself and I’m really hoping it does

[@KlearChristal]

Narrator: It wasn't.

[@portablefrog2249]

Update?

[@RebeccaGunn]

I think the big issue for me is what happens after S3's ending just doesn't make sense to me. Haida's whole thing prior to S3 is he wants to be Retsy's support and "man I would be the best boyfriend for her if she'd just let me..." - it goes in the right direction where he passionately just puts it all out there to break thru her rage Karaoke shield - but with a question hanging on if the rejection is just her being so deep in the pit mentally at that point or genuinely she just can't muster those feelings for him. But up to this point we've seen when people do survive the heavy metal barrage and still reach out, Retsy responds by being a bit more open with them and seeing them more as equals. But Haida doesn't really get that, she's still hiding herself from him despite S3 ending and being a couple and something just doesn't make sense there. Then they don't really ever get more comfortable in being a couple or shown to be exporing that feelings - were the writers scared to take it to that level or something?

[@theforgottenscribe]

Slice of life. The phrase you're looking for is Slice of Life, JS. It's a staple of anime that isn't properly recognized in the US as a genre or a story telling format unless it's for things like Nonfiction memoirs.

[@LumaMars]

At 14:53 that type of story telling is called semi serialized

[@43Second]

All any of us can do is hope that Season 4 is just a bump in an otherwise smooth road. Also I love your new avatar