English Dub Season Review: Aggretsuko Season Two

Our favorite red panda returns with the same comical and frighteningly familiar scenarios that followed her last season, however, this season ebbs away from the work-place topics discussed last season in favor of a more personable narrative. In essence, season two of Aggretsuko dives right into the heart of issues that virtually all Millennials can relate to.

The season opens when Retsuko’s mother unexpectedly drops by her place in hopes of setting up her daughter with a prospective husband. Yes, you read that correctly. Unfortunately for Retsuko, her mother believes that she needs to interfere with her daughter’s love life before she becomes a Christmas Cake. Her mother is well-meaning, but Retsuko is uninterested in the prospect. Still, her mother’s intervention prompts Retsuko to really consider what she wants in life during the latter portion of the season.

The first half of the season focuses on perhaps the most harrowing part of young adulthood: making the transition from a child into a productive, full-functioning adult. This anxiety, that pervades throughout the brains of young adults, is personified in the form of Anai, a college graduate recently hired by Retsuko’s accounting firm. He’s eager to please but is seemingly incapable of functioning in the workplace under Retsuko’s tutelage — a concept that’s played for laughs later when it is revealed that Anai isn’t the chipper guy that he initially appears to be. The fact that Anai’s character is seemingly incompetent in a professional workplace setting appears to be a subtle jab at the idea that college, in spite of its teachings, doesn’t teach young adults how to be productive employees. Perhaps what’s most memorable about this plot, however, is that these fears of growing up don’t simply dissipate with age. Rather they linger and evolve, as seen in Retsuko’s own life when she begins to ponder whether she’s on the right track to living the life that’s been the established norm for years. You know, getting the job and settling down. The show does a fairly decent job of reminds its protagonist and audience that is a fairly difficult process, but certainly, one Retsuko isn’t alone in.

The second half of the season steers away from the battlefield of the workplace and instead focuses on Retsuko’s personal life. More importantly, it focuses on the sort of future Retsuko wants for herself, a question that she’s initially unable to answer. This question becomes the focal point of the series and becomes all the more prominent when Retsuko falls for a mysterious yet likable individual, whose agenda, while inspirational, forces Retsuko to consider if she can live a future with this man. The situation Retsuko finds herself is not uncommon and is tragically commonplace in a fast-paced and demanding society, one that is seemingly callous and inconsiderate of the hurdles and stresses it imposes on young people.

As was the case last season, Aggretsuko is a social commentary under the guise of an anime with cutesy animal characters. Rather than completely harping on the issues discussed in the previous season, season two focuses on a new array of issues, some of which have become more hot-button issues since the premiere of the series last year (e.g., workplace harassment). In presenting new issues, the season doesn’t feel stale or somehow intertwined with the previous season, but rather it could easily stand alone on its own. While the writers could’ve focused more on the workplace stresses Retsuko faces, they decided to delve more into her personal life and her struggles in that aspect of life. As a result, we get to know Retsuko better as a character.

One of my favorite things about the series is the way in which it discusses the importance of female friendships. Season two is no different in this regard. In fact, I would actually argue that season two does a better job of portraying this by giving Retsuko’s new BFFs Gori and Washimi, ample screentime. Aside from delving more into their personal and professional lives, they continue to be a support system for Retsuko when work and her personal life run her ragged. She confides in them both for a majority of her struggles, reinforcing the idea that having a good social support system is healthy and beneficial in difficult times.

Fan-favorite characters such as Fenneko, Haida, and Tsunoda recede into the background this season, a travesty considering how much potential they have as far as character development goes. Although the show largely centers around Retsuko and her life, it would be interesting to see what these characters could become aside from foils to Retsuko’s diffident persona. I feel like this is especially important when considering the role Haida played in season one and the Holiday special; he clearly still has feelings for Retsuko and this elephant in the room isn’t addressed towards the end of the season when Retsuko falls for another man.

As far as the dub goes, Aggretsuko is one of the few anime that I’ll watch dubbed. I think the voice actors do an excellent job portraying the characters they play while giving them their own unique spin that separates them from their Japanese counterparts. The dialogue is also rather smooth, peppered in with relevant slang words and snappy jokes that won’t go unnoticed by the casual viewer.

All in all, this season of Aggretsuko is a worthy continuation of the previous season, entrenching viewers with more of the same, relatable content from last season while focusing on a different set of issues. In a way, it reminds me a bit of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock in that both shows follow a career-oriented woman who’s trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives. To see Retsuko become a furry, younger version of Liz Lemon would be hilarious.

Also, per usual, there was a good amount of death metal this season. Perhaps not as much as last season, but definitely enough to make us feel for Retsuko.