Roarrrr!!! Be careful, Aggretsuko might seem cute and cuddly, but this show also has a lot of pent-up female rage. Created by Sanrio, Aggretsuko is a popular Japanese animated series centered around Retsuko, a small red panda who copes with the stresses of her office life by singing heavy metal karaoke.
Funny and relatable, this series isn’t just loved by kawaii fanatics - it’s popular among anime fans and casual viewers alike. Grab your binders because we’re going on a tour around the office to learn more about this cute but fierce kawaii series!
- Japanese name: アグレッシブ烈子 (Aguresshibu Retsuko)
- Number of seasons on Netflix: 5
- Creators: Yeti and Sanrio
- Fun fact: Retsuko’s rage face is based on Kiss vocalist Gene Simmons
WHAT IS AGGRETSUKO?
Aggretsuko is an animated series that tells the story of Retsuko, a girl red panda who struggles with office life. Retsuko first appeared in a series of animated shorts by the Japanese animation studio, Fanworks. The show became so popular that Sanrio decided to push for an original net animation (ONA) series adaptation on Netflix! Ever since it got its slot on the international streaming site, Aggretsuko has become a worldwide sensation known for its humor and its cute relatable animal characters.
WHO IS RETSUKO?
While Aggretsuko has many different animal characters, it’s centered all around Retsuko, a 25-year-old red panda who works as an office lady. Her zodiac is Scorpio and her blood type is A.
Underneath the smile, I'm metal till I die!
Retsuko’s always dreamed of being a regular office worker in Tokyo, however, this demure red panda finds that work can be quite challenging. It seems like office life isn’t the dream that she always thought it to be!
WHAT DOES AGGRETSUKO MEAN?
Aggretsuko is the abbreviation for the phrase Aggressive Retsuko. In Japanese, the series Aggretsuko is actually called Aguresshibu Retsuko and written as アグレッシブ烈子. It’s a play on the spirit of anger and fury. You see, the Kanji character “retsu” or “烈” actually means “fury” or “rage” in English. Meanwhile, the suffix -ko in Retsuko actually means child. If you put all these things together, Retsuko means “child of rage."
IS AGGRETSUKO FROM SANRIO?
Yes, Aggretsuko comes from Sanrio, the kawaii company in charge of other iconic cuties like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and Pompompurin. Hoping to create a new character for its lineup, Sanrio announced a full-scale competition at their design character back in 2015. The theme of the contest was “kyarariman” - a mash-up between the Japanese words for “character” and “salaryman.” Sanrio wanted to make cute work-related characters and storylines!
In the end, Retsuko was one of the 24 new possible characters created during the competition. This red panda made it to the eighth place at the end of the contest, but somehow, because of her appeal and cuteness, Retsuko was the one who made her debut as Sanrio’s salaryman character in 2015. If you'd like to read more about all the different cuties in Sanrio's roster, you can check our Ultimate List of Sanrio Characters! We also have a blog about Sanrio if you're interested in learning more about the kawaii giant!
THE STORY OF AGGRETSUKO
Aggretsuko is all about the struggles of the cute little Retsuko who deals with the typical problems that most young adults go through in Japan. Like most Japanese people, Retsuko gets by as an office worker.
You need to change something. Did you really give it your best shot?
Though it was always Retsuko’s dream to work in a big firm in Tokyo, she soon learns that office life isn’t easy! Every day she’s filled with lots of frustration caused by her cantankerous department heads and troublesome coworkers.
Since Retsuko is supposed to be a typical non-confrontational, mild-mannered Japanese office lady, this red panda keeps all of her feelings inside her. Until she clocks out of work that is! Once she’s out of the office, Retsuko heads straight to the karaoke bar and screams death metal!
Retsuko has this kind of routine for five years until a series of events puts her work in jeopardy and shifts her relationships with her co-workers. Throughout the series, Retsuko’s life changes in so many ways as she struggles to find happiness at work and at love!
HOW MANY SEASONS IS AGGRETSUKO?
Well, the original series of animated shorts from Fanworks didn’t last long. But if we’re talking about the Aggretsuko Netflix series, then we have good news for you. The show is five seasons long with 10 episodes per season! Netflix might have the tendency to cancel shows that don’t do well, but Aggretsuko was such a hit that the streaming giant had to have five whole seasons of Retsuko’s death metal karaoke!
IS AGGRETSUKO INAPPROPRIATE?
Well, we wouldn’t really say that it is inappropriate. It’s more like the show touches on a lot of adult themes. Aggretsuko is a reflection of the reality for working women in Japan where they have to deal with toxic office environments and sexist superiors. The show isn’t just a regular comedy - it’s a commentary on the Japanese workplace, sexism, and the struggles of women (and men) in Japan.
While these themes might seem a bit heavy for a kawaii animated series, they’re what make Aggretsuko stand out in the kawaii-sphere. Young adults everywhere can somehow relate to Retsuko’s struggle! Everyone loves the show because it holds up a mirror to reality while being funny and cute all at the same time.
WHAT IS AGGRETSUKO RATED?
Interestingly enough, Aggretsuko has different ratings around the world. In many places like Hongkong, Indonesia, France, and Ecuador, the show is Rated TV 13. In the US, the rating is a bit higher - TV 14. Over all though, it seems like the general consensus is that the show is meant for older children.
The reason for these ratings is because of the show’s adult themes. Not only that, but it does have occasional swearing. It doesn’t make Aggretsuko any less cute though! Think of the show like a more mature Hello Kitty series meant for tweens and teens.
WHERE TO WATCH AGGRETSUKO?
You can watch all of the episodes on Netflix! Since the streaming giant produced the ONA series, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Aggretsuko can be found on Netflix only. The upside to having Aggretsuko on Netflix is that you can choose from different language audio and subtitles. That way everyone can enjoy the show!
WHEN DOES AGGRETSUKO SEASON 5 COME OUT?
Good news! You no longer have to wait for the fifth season of Aggretsuko. It’s already on Netflix. If you’d like to binge the entire series on Netflix, you can. Just make sure you’re wearing your comfiest kawaii lounge wear and that you have snacks on hand because Aggretsuko’s 50 episodes long.
VOTE FOR RETSUKO!
Interestingly enough, Aggretsuko isn’t just about work and death metal. In the fifth and final season of the series, we actually get to see Retsuko dabble in Japanese politics. After raging against toxic work culture, Aggretsuko decides to aim for Japan’s political scene at large by having Retsuko run for a seat at the National Diet political party. Talk about a progressive kawaii show!
ALL THE CHARACTERS IN AGGRETSUKO
Besides the death-metal-loving red panda Retsuko, Aggretsuko is filled with other cute animal characters. From Retsuko’s friend Fenneko to her tough pig boss Ton, all of the characters in the show have interesting traits and personalities that reflect Japan’s work life. Let’s have a meeting with Retsuko’s boss, coworkers, and her friends!
Washimi (鷲美)
Washimi is a beautiful snake sardine or secretary bird who’s very good at what she does as the secretary of the company president. She knows how to recognize the president’s pain points! However, she can also be fed up with the harsh way the president manages people and all of his mental weaknesses
Director Gori (ゴリ部長)
Despite her powerful appearance, Director Gori has a delicate heart. She has trouble expressing what she thinks sometimes. This character is outstanding at work and serves as one of Retsuko’s mentors together with Washimi. She works as the manager in the marketing department.
Director Ton (トン部長)
Literally a pig, Director Ton is Retsuko’s supervisor who has a lot of backward beliefs. This character thinks that women should just serve tea and that they should listen to his every whim. He can be very cantankerous or fussy! His mood affects everyone in the workplace. He has a tendency to bully Retsuko because of her demure nature.
Manager Yagyu (ヤギュウ課長)
Despite being a manager, Yagyu does pretty sloppy work. This cow often pushes work to the last minute because of poor time management. He keeps checking updates on horse races instead of doing his job. When the deadline comes he realizes he has tons of work to do and dumps a huge amount of it on to his subordinates. He never works overtime - he always makes sure to leave work on the clock.
Chief Komiya (小宮係長)
This meerkat looks a bit disgusting with his ambitious little face. Chief Komiya wants to rise up the company ladder and so he sucks up a lot to those in higher positions. He desperately tries to get recognition by stealing his subordinates' work. Later on in the show we get to see that Komiya is actually a secret fan of underground idols.
Mr. Terada (寺田さん)
There are rumors that Mr. Terada has powerful connections. That’s why he’s never been fired even though you can never see him working at all in the company. It’s unclear though who Mr. Terada’s connections are in the company.
Kabae Megumi (カバ恵)
She’s not really bad, she’s just loud and noisy. Kabae loves work talk, and sometimes that gives Retsuko anxiety. 90% of the gossip in the company is spread by Kabae the Hippopotamus. She has three children at home that she’s very fond of.
Mrs. Tsubone (坪根さん)
This Komodo dragon has such a strong presence in the office. Whenever something happens, she always has a sarcastic line to share. She throws papers and gets hysterical when she gets angry at work. Tsubone can be unreasonable most times.
Fenneko (フェネ子)
Fenneko is one of Retsuko’s friends at the office. They work at the same time together and they have the same complaints as her boss. However, unlike Retsuko, Fenneko has a better handle at dealing with the world.
Haida (ハイ田)
A hyena working in the same department at Retsuko, Haida is pretty good at programming and IT work though the tech illiterate seniors in Accounting don’t understand it. Haida’s always been interested in Retsuko but has a hard time telling her how he feels. He’s often teased and supported by Fenneko about Retsuko since most of the time he just watches her from the sidelines. Haida is also an avid punk rock fan and plays the bass guitar.
Mr. Ogami (大上さん)
A handsome and refreshing wolf, Ogami is Retsuko’s junior in the accounting department. He’s very charming and has a lot of experience with love. This wolf works with minimal energy at the office though
Tadano-kun (只野くん)
One of Retsuko’s lead love interests, Tadano-kun is an IT president who believes that wasteful labor should just go to AI to help make the world a more efficient place. He’s a genius at IT and because of that, he has a hard time understanding people’s feelings sometimes. He has a rough-at-the-edges aura which makes it hard to believe that he’s actually a company president.
Warabida-san (わらびださん)
Warabida is a temporary employee who’s often cited and compared to Retsuko. She’s very feminine and always smiling. This character is kind and liked by everyone at the office.
Karane (カラ姐)
For some reason in the anime, Karane speaks in a way that makes it sound like she were dubbing a foreign film. A caracal who works calmly in the office, Kara has a unique personality. She doesn’t really worry about those around her and what they say. Though everyone calls her Kara-nee and relies on her at the office, she is rarely looked up to.
Adachi (安達さん)
A two-faced social climber, Adachi speaks in a sweet voice when she’s with people in power. At the same time, she looks down on people that she believes she doesn’t need to flatter. Adachi is just checking social media all the time even though she’s at work.
Tsunoda (角田)
A gazelle that just recently joined the office, Tsunoda captivates the old men at work with her doe eyes. Calculating with her femininity, she acts like a beautiful woman in order to be liked by everyone. However, Tsunoda is superficial. She doesn’t really care if she is resented by her female coworkers. Conscious about her appearance, she studies hard but hasn’t really mastered anything. Tsunoda is fond of hashtags and frappes.
President (社長)
The president of the company, this African Elephant took over the trading company founded by his father. Though President can seem timid at times, he is actually credited with expanding the company by incorporating new things. Washimi encourages him to get out of his shell from time to time. President’s rival is his cousin, the president of the Indian Elephant Company.
Yoga Instructor Teacher ( ヨガインストラクターの先生)
A yoga teacher, this character teaches yoga to Retsuko, Washimi, and director Gori. He likes to show off his well-trained and beautiful body. Yoga Instructor Teacher’s chin is cracked because he trained too much. He always says “protein” and is unaware of his/her gender.
Cafe Clerk (カフェ店員)
This mandrill is an employee at the cafe that director Gori is interested in. Though he looks like a store manager, he’s actually a part-time worker at the cafe. Cafe Clerk seems to know a lot about coffee but he actually likes tea more. Because he’s the quiet type and because Gori doesn’t have the courage to talk to him, there’s no real progress on the relationship front.
Mr. Resasuke (れさすけさん)
Resasuke was one of Retsuko’s love interests. Retsuko was attracted to him for a while. When she was in love with him, he seemed to have a handsome face. The reality of it was that he was a normal Red Panda with a salty face. Resusuke moves at his own pace and speaks with a unique mysterious pause. He likes plants.
Washiko (鷲子)
The younger sister of Washimi, Washiko likes flashy things. She’s fierce about how she spends her money. She’s a newlywed bride who met her husband Arihiko on a blind date.
Totti (トッティ)
A small but nimble hedgehog, he always sneaks past and messes with his juniors in the company. She’s the managing director of public relations after returning from overseas. Despite her size, Totti has a lot of energy. She’s kind to her subordinates so everyone relies on her. In her free time Totti likes to do bouldering ( which is jumping from rock to rock).
Yokosawa-san (ヨコサワさん)
This axolotl doesn’t really listen to people when they’re talking. She pretends that she understands when someone else is telling him a story but she actually doesn’t. Yokosawa has a habit of taking everything into her own account of the story. She occasionally heads to the hair salon to get work on her outer gills done.
Mashiro-san (マジロさん)
Mashiro-san lacks self-confidence. She often tells herself negative comments that put herself down like “no way.”
Anai (穴井)
A badger character who joined the company at the same time as Retsuko, Anai is known for being a fluent speaker. However, while he can speak clearly, Anai can be an immature member of society. He doesn’t take any action until he confirms things in more detail than the regular person.
Gomagawa-San (胡麻川さん)
Gomagawa-san is a wild spotted seal. Though she doesn’t mean any harm, she can be a bit rude. You have to be very careful around her because your reactions will be misinterpreted in a positive way. This smooth-eyed character is good at manipulating old men in the palm of her hand.
Manaka (マナカ)
One of the members of the OTM Girls, Manaka is a chinchilla who can come off as arrogant. Though she can be impatient most of the time, Manaka is dedicated to her career as an idol. She works hard to get what she wants. Over time she comes to appreciate what Retsuko does for the group.
Migi/Miggy (ミギー)
Migi is a guinea pig who is nice and cheery. She’s one of the members of the OTM Girls. Unlike Manaka, Migi doesn’t get as much attention in Aggretsuko. Her name “migi” means right in Japanese. It’s a reference to her position during OTM Girls’ stage performances.
Hidarin (ヒダリン)
Like Migi, Hidarin is a guinea pig that’s highly excitable. She’s a cheery girl, though she isn’t the brightest. This supporting member of the OTM Girls can read people pretty well though - she’s a very observant guinea pig. Hidarin’s name means left in Japanese. It’s a reference to the position she takes when the OTM Girls perform on stage.
WHICH AGGRETSUKO CHARACTER ARE YOU?
Aggretsuko has a lot of funny and interesting animal characters that viewers can relate to. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are tons of Aggretsuko quizzes online. There are quizzes from Buzzfeed, Quiz Expo, ProProfs, and a lot of other fun sites for you to choose from. Could you be the mild-mannered but pent-up Retsuko? Are you the tech-savvy Fenneko? Or are you the lovely and capable Washi?
WHY DID AGGRETSUKO BREAK UP?
Sure, Aggretsuko might be mostly about frustrating office life, but romance still plays a significant part in the series. What kind of tween animated series wouldn’t have a bit of love here and there, huh? Throughout the show, we get to see the cute little red panda go through her fair share of heartbreaks.
During the first few seasons, we see Retsuko form a short relationship with the male red panda Mr. Resasuke. Later on, she has a fling with the CEO Boy Wonder, Tadano-kun.
It's wishful thinking to believe you can understand someone completely.
However, none of these relationships really worked out for Retsuko. Resasuke isn't what he seems to be and Tadano's values don't really align with Retsuko's. That’s just the way life works - sometimes people just aren’t right for each other.
DID AGGRETSUKO END UP WITH HAIDA?
The fan-favorite pairing in Aggretsuko has always been Retsuko and her hyena coworker, Haida. Even at the start of the Sanrio series, viewers get to see how Haida’s been harboring feelings for Retsuko. He likes her and genuinely cares for her well-being. During the first few seasons, he has trouble trying to confess to her and watches from the sidelines as she falls in love. Eventually though (spoiler alert), the two do get together in season 4 of the show!
DID RETSUKO GET MARRIED?
Many Japanese girls fantasize about becoming a bride, and Retsuko has the same kind of dream. In multiple instances in Aggretsuko we get to see Retsuko thinking about marriage. But does she really get to walk down the aisle? Well, the answer is (SPOILER ALERT EVERYONE), yes, Retsuko does eventually find someone to settle down with. And thankfully Retsuko’s life partner is none other than the punk rock hyena, Haida!
HOW POPULAR IS AGGRETSUKO?
Every year Sanrio holds a popularity contest for its characters, and Aggretsuko takes part in the fun. While Retsuko is pretty well known among international fans, it doesn’t seem to do so well in Japan ranking somewhere between the 20th to 50th place most years. She does however rank in the top ten for Western countries like the United States, the UK, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, and Spain!
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH RETSUKO!
Besides the five seasons of kawaii rage on Netflix, Aggretsuko also has its own Christmas special on the streaming platform. Titled “We Wish You A Metal Christmas,” this extra episode showcases Retsuko desperately trying to make plans for Christmas Eve. It’s a fun episode to watch with office friends during the holiday season!
DEATH METAL KARAOKE WITH RETSUKO
Did you know that you can let out some steam from a hard day at work by singing along with Retsuko? Sanrio has a special Aggretsuko karaoke microphone with Bluetooth that you can use to sing Death Metal. You can connect it to any device like your smartphone, tablet, and computer. It even has a death voice mode so you can do heavy metal during your karaoke sesh!
ROCK IT OUT WITH AGGRETSUKO!
In the later portion of the series, Aggretsuko inadvertently finds herself joining an underground girl band called the OTM Girls. Though her stint with the group was short-lived, Retsuko seemed to do pretty well as an underground girl rockstar. The songs were actually pretty decent that Sanrio released some of the OTM songs online! That way fans can rock it out with Retsuko and the OTM Girls together.
LET’S PLAY WITH AGGRETSUKO
Aggretsuko might be about work life, but that doesn't mean the show doesn't have room for fun! There are a few Aggretsuko gaming apps for fans to enjoy. There's the "Aggretsuko: Sanrio Puzzle Game" on the Apple App store and the smartphone puzzle game "Aggressive Retsuko: Kikake no Gyakushu" (otherwise known as "Aggresive Retsuko: The Shortimer Strikes Back" in English).
Besides the puzzle games, Retsuko also has some pretty interesting gaming collabs. Back in 2016, Line Pokopang teamed up with Aggretsuko so that Retsuko could appear in the game. Aggretsuko also appeared in "Animal Crossing" as part of the game's Sanrio event! Thanks to the collab, Animal Crossing gamers could wear Aggretsuko merchandise like shirts and fans around their respective offices in the game.
Did you know that Retsujko can also be found in Sanrio’s game "Hello Kitty Island Adventure"? That’s right. She even has her own special mission called the “Enraging Ruins Quest.” You have to get to a level 7 friendship with Retsuko before you can access the quest though!
AGGRETSUKO RAGES AT TABLETOP NIGHT!
Gaming night is now filled with kawaii rage thanks to the board game called “Aggretsuko: Work / Rage Balance”. It's a fun ladder-climbing social game where the goal is to get out of work as quickly as possible! All you have to do is get rid of all your cards in five rounds. Whoever has the lowest score once the weekend arrives wins!
WHERE CAN I FIND AGGRETSUKO LIVE?
Did you know that you can hang out with Aggretsuko in real life? That’s right! You can find the hard-working red panda in the halls of Puroland, Sanrio’s theme park in Tokyo, Japan. Retsuko is one of the characters that meet Sanrio fans at the theme park! She’s on rotation at the meet and greet section together with her Sanrio siblings Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Pompompurin, and so many more.
Sometimes, Retsuko also takes a break from her office life and works part-time as a teacher trainee at Puro Gakuen, a playtime class for kids at Puroland. The red panda teaches the kids new songs and dances! They also have fun activities. Puro Gakuen is a pretty great experience for young Sanrio fanatics!
WORKING TOGETHER WITH RETSUKO
Everyone knows that Retsuko does her best no matter how frustrated she gets. That's why a lot of different characters enjoy working with her! In 2020, the anime African Office Worker did a fun little cross-episode featuring Retsuko. That's not all! When Netflix released the fourth season of Aggretsuko, the series got to get a collab together with the Jpop singer, Mewhan.
Characters aren't the only ones who like working with Retsuko. Brands love her too! Back in 2020, Tower Records teamed up with Aggretsuko and the OTM Girls to produce fun collectibles like clear files, tote bags, thermo bottles, and towels. Tokidoki also collaborated with Aggretsuko and created fun new apparel. In 2023, Retsuko also shared a campaign with Pompompurin for Nuro Biz! The campaign included tons of fun Pompompurin and Aggretsuko giveaways to lucky Nuro Biz users.
GET FIRED UP FOR WORK WITH AGGRETSUKO HOT SAUCE!
That’s right! Aggretsuko has its very own hot sauce. Inspired by Retsuko’s pent-up rage, Japanese condiment company Shoda Soy Sauce decided to create a brand new hot sauce in collaboration with Aggretsuko. It’s called the “Aggressive Retsuko’s Super Spicy!! Heavy Metal Sauce,” a condiment that breathes fire into the workplace. Apparently, the company is recommending it to office workers like Retsuko who struggle every day in a stressful society.
WHERE CAN I BUY AGGRETSUKO GOODIES?
Expressing pent-up rage is a kawaii affair with Aggretsuko merchandise. Sanrio has a lot of different Aggretsuko goodies for fans to collect. From Aggretsuko t-shirts, Aggretsuko bags, to Aggretsuko home goods. While most of these items can be found in Sanrio stores in Japan, you can also find some in our Aggretsuko collection on Blippo. Don’t hesitate to pick out your favorite Aggretsuko goodie!
Alrightee! We’ve come to the end of our office tour with Aggretsuko. A cute and funny series about adulthood, Aggretsuko reflects the struggles of young people in Japan.
It's impossible to predict the future. What's important is believing in the path you choose and keep pressing on.
Sure, Retsuko might not have the same lightness as other Sanrio characters like My Melody and Cinnamoroll, but she sure does try her best to help everyone express their feelings, even the angry and frustrated ones!
What did you learn about Aggretsuko? Have you seen the Netflix series? Which episodes did you like the most? Who’s your favorite character in the show? We’d love to hear from you. Don’t be shy and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.