#aggretsuko ton

[theforgottenbuu]

3D modeling go brrr (Aggretsuko addition)

Now, what to do with them…

Komiya and Director Ton, the Shitty Boss and the Boss’ Shadow!

Mr. Ton is an ABSOLUTE UNIT ong 🙏🙏🙏

[lacrimalis]

i want hello kitty island adventure to let us invite retsuko's boss to the island and I'm not joking. sorry but it would be really funny.

[terminallyapologetic]

swine by lady gaga sounds like something retsuko would write about director ton

[re3xxer]

Greetings from the dark side...

♤Rexx, Rory》 He/they or They/them

♤die hard rock fan

♤ #1 bloodsucker

♤ multi fandom

♤emotionally/mentally numb

♤might bite

♤vampire disguised as a college student

♤ tolerant to most things (except nazis, rapists, pedophiles, etc)

♤ it's not a fashion statement, it's a death wish!

×bands×

Aerosmith, Anthrax, B182, Black Veil Brides, Breaking Benjamin, Black Sabbath, David fuckin Bowie, Deftones, Foo Fighters, FOB, Gerard Way, Green Day, Gojira, Guns N Roses, He Is We, Iron Maiden, Joy Division, Joan Jett, Kiss, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Led Zeppelin, Literally EVERY single one of Frank Iero's bands, Metallica, Megadeth, MCR (#1), Misfits, Murderdolls, Motley Crue, Never Shout Never, Nirvana, Ozzy Osbourne, OM&M, Oasis, Pierce The Veil, Prince, Queen, Radiohead, RHCP, Ramones, Rammstein, Slipknot, Sepultra, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Sour, Sex Pistols, SOAD, Sum 41, Sleeping With Sirens, TON, The Smiths, Three Days Grace, The Cure, Van Halen

×fandoms×

Aggretsuko, American Horror Story, Breaking Bad, Hellraiser, Hannibal, Twilight, Night of The Living Dead, Death Note, Nosferatu, Dracula, Elvira, Saw, Scream, Vampire Diaries, Jennifer's Body, Napoleon Dynamite, Scott Pilgrim, Superbad, Marvel, DC, Danger Days, Orphan, Carrie, Child's Play, LOTMS, Fangoria, Friday the 13th, Terrifier, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Umbrella Academy

If you're looking for a friend, you're in the wrong place- get out of this page and run as far as you can, search anywhere but here. If you're considering to, send a message..

[queen-of-lesbians]

Top 10 Femme-coded Sanrio Characters

As a sequel to my butch/stud-coded sanrio characters list , the sanrio expert is back !! This time im tackling femmes. Same as last time I'll be going based off the top 90 of the Sanrio Character Ranking, giving a little backstory and my reasoning for them being femme, and a TL;DR at the end for those who don't wanna hear me ramble.

Let us begin!!

10. Ru Ru Gakuen

Right off the bat I am cheating. This is a group made up of 6 girls; Terumi, Naomi, Chie, Maiko, Yoshiko, and Tomo. They have a multitude of personalities (as girls tend to do) and they personally remind me of my friend group which is made up of mostly femmes. I guarantee at least one femme in your life acts like one of them.

9. Hummingmint

Hummingmint was born under bright green aurora borealis lights she loves singing and she thinks her most chraming points are her heart shaped ears, nose, and white spots. I've met too many femmes covered in hearts not to add hummingmint to this list. She's also extremely kind and delicate.

8. Gaopowerroo

Poweerroo is a very strong dinosaur who lives on an island and surprises people with his powers. Anytime he sees someone in trouble he uses his powers to protect them and has a roar that sounds like "Gao" (sort of a meow). Being femme has a lot to do with protecting other members of our community and Powerroo is exactly that. Not to mention the gender fuckery of being extra feminine and still going by he/him and being a dinosaur who sounds and looks like a cat. He would be higher up on the list if it weren't for me putting all my faves on here.

7. BonBonRibbon

Bonbonribbon loves singing and dancing and someday wants to be a fashion designer like her mother. She loves playing dress up and also just look at her.

6. Aggretsuko

Retsuko is a tired business woman who tends to let people walk all over her. Shes constantly comparing her femininity to the other women who work in the office and feels bad about her own sometimes, however, she gets all these emotions out through scream metal. She's possibly the most realistic femme on this list (as we move up they're more aesthetic based). Born to be adorable and listen to metal music, forced to work in an accounting job she hates.

5. Marroncream

Marroncream is a little rabbit girl who loves to hand craft things for her friends and is always bright and happy. She lives in a little cottage in france and makes baked sweets. She loves fashion for both aesthetic purposes and practicality in the kitchen.

4. U-SA-HA-NA

Usahana is little bunny who loves summer. She's three tulips high (me too girl) and weighs "as much as a bunch of green grapes". She's very much a tweed femme to me. She's the type to wear funky tights and tons of rings.

3. Cherry

This is Cherry, she's always with the other demon Berry. She loves to act cute around boys (butches) except for Berry but they're very much friends who pick on each other to lovers (trust me). She's a little evil but gets away with it because she's cute and honestly me too.

2. Wish Me Mell

Wish Me Mell is a rabbit who works at the local post office a job that was given to her but Lutz a Lion from Kenya (who would've made the butches list but he was not in the top 90 characters for this year). Her and Lutz write letters back and forth to each other and Wish Me Mell still has the keychain he gave her before he moved back to Kenya. She is the true Queen Of Yearning a certified Yearner Femme.

Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty is a little girl in a cat costume from England who eventually moved to New York. She loves apple pie, playing the piano, poetry and her twin sister Mimmy (who you can tell is Mimmy if her bow is on the left rather than the right as Kitty's is). Just as her boyfriend is the blueprint for all butches and studs, she is the blueprint for all femmes.

Well thank you for listening to me talk about butchfemme sanrio for a second time. I'm probably gonna do Monster High next because I know them even better than Sanrio and nothing is more butchfemme than some of the ships that doll line has. bye bye and kisses again!!! <333

TL;DR

Hello Kitty

Wish Me Mell

Cherry

U-SA-HA-NA

Marroncream

Aggretsuko

Bon Bon Ribbon

Gaopowerroo

Hummingmint

Ruru Gakuen

[marsisfried]

Aggretsuko and Gender Analysis

I loved how realistic this anime is. The art style makes it feel cutesy, but the main character has so much rage that it is undeniably human and humorous.

Right from the start, Retsuko is trapped in a rigid, soul-sucking routine. She's a mild-mannered office worker who tolerates overbearing bosses, misogynistic coworkers, and endless corporate nonsense. She performs the role of the "good female employee" --submissive, accommodating, and polite. Butler's theory suggests that gender is maintained through repeated acts, and Retsuko embodies this by going through the same forced niceties daily. When she steps into the karaoke booth and lets out her death metal screams, we see her frustrations' raw, unfiltered expression. Her mask almost slips, revealing that her "feminine" persona at work is just that---a persona. When Retsuko accidentally lets her death metal hobby slip in front of her two coworkers, it is a huge break from her carefully curated office persona. According to Butler, gender is enforced by social norms and when someone strays from their expected role, they face consequences. Retsuko's coworkers are shocked and amused but overall accept who she is. Yet, she still wants to sort of remain hidden to maintain the illusion of an "ideal woman" in the workplace. This fear of exposure speaks to the societal policing of gendered behavior. Especially with her boss, Ton, constantly making sexist remarks towards Retsuko.

In the last episode we watch of season 1, Retsuko finally snaps at director Ton, who constantly reinforces traditional gender roles. He mocks her work ethic and expects her to silently endure mistreatment. This is similar to how patriarchal structures keep women in check through intimidation and social pressure. At the very end (like 2 minutes left of the episode), Retsuko finally decides to stand up to him through death metal. Butler argues that gender roles can be subverted through alternative performances, and Retsuko's metal persona is her way of resisting these oppressive structures. However, since it remains a hidden outlet, she is still trapped within this system.

Anai, the new hire, introduces a different kind of performance (weaponizing social norms to avoid accountability). He plays the role of a sensitive employee when confronted but turns aggressive in private emails, making it impossible for Retsuko to call him out. This reflects how gendered expectations of politeness and professionalism can be exploited to maintain a power imbalance. Retsuko is expected to maintain the situation with grace. Yet, we realize that Anai just wants to be treated with kindness in season 2 episode 5 with how Kabae treats him. I think Anai and Retsuko have masks but they're both based on their gendered stereotypes in the workplace. Yet, when Anai breaks his mask over emails, and for Retsuko it is through death metal.

Retsuko is so relatable.

[britt-kageryuu]

I can't get the idea of any version of the Turtles getting tossed into different media, out of my head.

Like I wondered how well they would do in different anime worlds, a few game worlds, some book series, I could go on.

The first one that popped into mind was One Piece, but I can't really get a good idea of how that would work. Other than them not being the weirdest beings out there.

Next was Zootopia, they would probably fit in pretty well once they get used to needing to wear clothes, the real question more lies in why they get tossed there, and if April and Casey go with what animals would they get turned into (if they don't stay human). Maybe the Aggretsuko, or Beastars worlds would be a bit similar.

Then I wondered how they would deal with a Sword Art Online and the game system from it, though most of that was how the Full Dive system work interact with them being mutant turtles. Maybe BOFURI aswell.

Many different Isekai genre worlds. It just more depends on which ones. Thought 'Restaurant to Another World' would be a very interesting crossover if only because it's a restaurant where no one will care they're turtles and a giant rat if Splinter goes with them.

Video game worlds are also just a mess of wanting to spiral into world building. Like I want to spend a ton of time world building a TMNT × Pokémon story. Animal Crossing would be an interesting place for them to be tossed for a bit.

The Legend of Zelda games are more of a 'depends on the game' kind of thing, like the stories would be vastly different between them in Twilight Princess, and them in Tears of the Kingdom. I can't fully wrap my mind on how this would go.

Dr. Stone would definitely be a very interesting crossover, if only to see the interaction between any Donnie and the Science Team, especially the 87 Donnie and his constant refusal to follow the laws of physics. At least one other part is how this would work with the Rise timeline, like would the turtles, Splinter, and the yokai be petrified or not, and the possibilities from there.

I won't attempt to go into detail on how they would be with the Harry Potter universe.

There are a few that I find interesting ideas, but there's already fanfiction for some of them, like Marvel, DC, Spiderverse, AtLA, BNHA/MHA.

I want to ramble on about my ideas more, but I should cut it short.

[afreakingdork]

I'm sorry about your wrist, hope you get better soon! Take a break if that's what you need!!!

And also yes, truly heartbreaking my (our) husband murdered both our girl and with her our ship. I get it, but DAMN

It would've been something!!

I guess?

How would've it been to have been to have AENEM Kendra and WS/SP Donnie interact? Or AENEM Kendra and reader?

With reader I believe they could get along sort of well, I mean, yeah, why not? Conversation could tackle a few awkwardness down, find a middle ground on something.

With Donnie?

I believe they'd have a small rivalry but like, nothing they would indulge too much in. Mutual understanding, perhaps? I mean,

The possibilities 🤌🤌🤌

Tho I can't shake the feeling Donatello would look down at Kendra for letting herself get imprisoned, lol. That just speaks how 'sloppy' her work was.

I'm just rambling

- That one anon that still gets insecure with their wording. English is complicated

Wah!! Thank you!!! I'm hoping 3 days does the trick because I refuse to lose writing time this weekend!! 😤

ALSO YOU KNOW JUST HOW TO SPEAK MY LOVE LANGUAGE INGENIOUS ANON!! (I WILL BOOST YOU UNTIL YOUR CONFIDENCE IS AS HIGH AS THE ONE I HAVE IN YOU!!!) I'M FEELING BETTER ALREADY BECAUSE KENKEY!!!! 💞💞💞

It's hard because both AENEM and WS/SS are canon compliant to an extent, obviously WS/SS are divergent while AENEM picks up after canon, but they sequences overlap for the show progress. WS/SS Donnie killed Kendra when she first tried to take his tech to make a show of her. If WS/SS Donnie was in the AENEM universe, he would have done the same thing if she got anywhere near him.

SO LET'S CHANGE IT UP!! I BELIEVE KENKEY CAN HAPPEN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS!! 💖💖💖

So the only way for Kendra to survive is to not fuck with Donnie. Purple Jacket didn't happen the same way in WS/SS because Donnie did the Nakamura job while the Purple Dragons were still planning it. That's how she finds out about him and hatches the stealing tech plan. Instead of luring him with bugged clothes, they just bug his apartment while he's out because he was still new and getting his footing in the human world at the time.

Let's move up the timeline! Donnie hits Nakamura before and the Purple Dragons aren't aware of him. Nakamura has already beefed up security and thus the Purple Dragons go for smaller potatoes. Without a foil like Donnie, they probably succeed and become mainstays in the tech world eventually because heist style villainy only takes you so far when the tech sector basically relies on stolen data, patents, and the like.

The probably go legitimate and found their own company. Lined pockets and the world as their oyster I can see Jase and Jeremy becoming two different kinds of complacent. Jeremy likes the work and doesn't wanna take management seriously because he loves what he does. Jase flourishes in a board positions because he gets a power rush he's otherwise been denied. Then, there's Kendra. Our girlie surely wouldn't have enough even cornering her own market and then out of nowhere Genius Built suddenly exists. How can I company that has had no trace suddenly be their biggest competitor? Kendra's furious and wants to take it down, but finds layers of red tape and nonsense. For her probing and hunger, Donnie finds it too tedious to kill her outright, so he takes everything from her in one swift buy out that no one else at Dragon Tech (I bet I could think of a better name) can refuse.

There's Kendra, her company suddenly gone with her and she's totally disillusioned. She basically has no say as she's been the one put in some holdover position unless she retires and starts again. She could, but that was her company, but by bureaucracy, there's no feasible way to get it back. She's disillusioned and has nothing to do (think Ton in season 4 of Aggretsuko where he's shoved off to that little office without real work). She ends up skipping days and bumming around town. She's got more money than anyone ever needs and was wiped out by a ghost. She's sulking in bottomless mimosas one day when she hears someone talking mad shit. We know a certain someone does brunch and AHH I CAN'T SAY MORE BECAUSE SPOILERS!!!!!

ALSO MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN ALL THIS. I MEAN I AM WEARING A SPLINT BUT IM NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TYPING BUT HOW CAN I NOT WITH A PROMPT THIS GOOD!!!

Thank you so much for this!!! I hoped you like it and I have a million more kenkey meet cutes because I wuv them!

[cherryblossomcinephile]

Aggretsuko: Sugar-Coated Rage....

Aggretsuko, which has been streaming on Netflix since 2018, is far more than just an anime about a cute red panda. While it's filled with humor and death metal, it delves into very real issues like workplace stress, societal expectations, gender roles, and the struggle for self-expression. I discovered this show in 2019 through a friend, and I found it incredibly relatable.

Recently, I rewatched Aggretsuko for a class, focusing on key episodes from seasons one and two. These episodes demonstrate how the show mirrors real-world scenarios and why its message continues to resonate with so many.

The first episode immediately establishes the show's tone by depicting the daily struggles of a young working-class individual in Japan--struggles that are relevant to people worldwide. Retsuko endures a toxic office environment with a micromanaging boss, an endless amount of work, and little time for personal enjoyment. This reflects the experiences of many Japanese workers who face long hours and adhere to societal conventions. The pressure to maintain wa (harmony) in the workplace leaves many feeling trapped, much like Retsuko. Throughout the first episode, we learn about Retsuko's job and personality, and then discover her unique outlet: death metal karaoke. This is relatable for anyone who uses hobbies to decompress after a stressful workday.

As the series progresses, Retsuko's hidden love of death metal is nearly exposed, forcing her to confront her fear of judgment. This resonates with many in Japanese society who feel their individuality must be concealed to maintain a professional image. Women, in particular, often feel pressured to be polite and reserved. Furthermore, forming genuine friendships is difficult when trust is scarce in the workplace. These are global issues, as many struggle to balance authenticity with professional expectations.

One particularly powerful moment occurs when Retsuko finally confronts her boss, Director Ton. This highlights the pervasive issue of workplace sexism. Social conventions discourage confrontation, especially for women in Japan, but this is a global problem. Retsuko's emotional outburst symbolizes the frustration of those who feel ignored. While it doesn't result in immediate triumph, it marks a crucial step in her journey toward assertiveness.

Later, we meet Anai, a manipulative new hire who adds another layer of stress for Retsuko who has been assigned to train him. Retsuko's polite and cheerful feedback is met with offense, leading Anai to demand all communication be in writing or recorded. This addresses the challenge of working with toxic colleagues and the issue of workplace retaliation. Globally, the abuse of power by superiors is a significant problem. Employees hesitate to speak up about toxic coworkers due to fear of retaliation, mirroring Retsuko's initial reluctance to confront Anai. Unfortunately, many workplaces have individuals who exploit the system.

Despite these challenges, Retsuko finds support in Washimi and Gori, two influential colleagues. Initially, Retsuko avoids them until they meet at a yoga class. An unexpected friendship forms, and they collaborate to address Anai's behavior. This reflects the growing workplace solidarity among women in Japan, who are increasingly advocating for gender equality and fair treatment.

At first glance, Aggretsuko appears to be a cute and funny anime, but it's a reflection of universal struggles. From Japanese work culture to gender inequality and the need for self-expression, the series resonates globally. Whether you're dealing with a toxic boss, balancing work and hobbies, or seeking a strong support system, Retsuko's experience as a young adult is relatable to countless people. Her story demonstrates that even in rigid environments, it's possible to stand up for what's right, find happiness, and build genuine friendships.

Whether you're screaming death metal into a karaoke microphone or simply trying to get through the week, Aggretsuko reminds you that you're not alone.

CherryBlossomCinephile Rating: 9.6/10

Animation: 9.5/10; While colorful and lively, I found the animation to be very pleasing to look at. The attention to detail was a fantastic touch

Writing: 9.9/10; The writers did a fabulous job creating this series. The story resonates with people all over the world but it still holds humor as well as other unique characteristics that make it a perfect anime especially for anime newcomers.

Sound: 9.4/10; For the most part, the sound quality was fantastic between the voice acting, the mood music, soundtrack, etc. but I was not a fan of the sudden transition to death metal from more subtle tones.

[rohits-anime-blog]

Aggretsuko

Something that I found interesting in Aggretsuko was how the genre and tone influence the social commentary the show provides. Aggretsuko is an upbeat slice of life comedy set in a workplace that attempts to dissect the role of professional women in society play and how they are viewed. By presenting the show as a comedy, it takes a much lighter tone which classes with the social commentary the show is providing. The show uses subversion to highlight the false beliefs much of society hold towards women Instead of being overtly dramatic about topics. It laughs at bosses like Mr. Ton, who see women as inferior or subservient in the workplace, and even critiques women for sometimes upholding these stereotypes through its protagonist and her female friends. In our assigned reading, we learned how Gender is a construct that is performed by women for society, and no characters illustrate this more like Retsuko's senior friends, whose introductions showcase them walking upright past their coworkers, even thought Gori mentions the pain that comes up as a result of having to walk so. The performance aspect of this is played up even more with the other woman saying they "must not show weakness."

[tatters-the-bat]

Ask game prompts be upon thee !

✈️🫐🖤🪐!

✈️Favorite Place You've Traveled

Unfortunately I haven't really gotten much chance to travel in my life thus far, have only left my state twice ever. I did get to go to a really big aquarium within my state a couple of years back, that was a really cool experience! Was also my first time riding a train (and currently my only time)!

🫐 Some Place You'd Love To Visit

I really want to go to Japan someday!! It seems like such a beautiful place! I'd especially like to visit an old temple or shrine site, the architecture is so cool and the nature surrounding them in videos and such always fascinates me.

🖤Favorite Hobbies Outside Your Blog

Most of my hobbies are 'online' in some capacity - art, writing, games, roleplay - but beyond that, I really like finding new spots to go on nature walks and look for bugs! Can't wait for the weather to get nicer so I can start doing that again :3

🪐Favorite Shows/Series Of All Time

I don't watch a ton of actual shows, buuuut some of my top favorites are Invader Zim, Aggretsuko, Dead End Paranormal Park, and Avatar The Last Airbender!

Thanks for the ask!! :3 :3

[sleepingdeath-light]

how they’d be as parents ; haida & retsuko

requested by ; anonymous (21/07/23)

fandom(s) ; aggretsuko

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; haida, retsuko

outline ; “Idk if this counts at UCS since this is the first request for Aggretsuko, but could you do parenting headcanons for Haida and Retsuko?”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

these two are incredibly loving parents — the type who are unconditionally accepting, supportive and understanding no matter what because they aim to be the parents they needed growing up — but they can be a bit much some times (they are only people after all and nobody is perfect)

your mum insists on you finding a healthy outlet for your frustrations early on, teaching you the death metal scream and helping you find other methods to calm you down (whether that’s knitting/sewing, sports, music or something else)

your father, meanwhile, takes every opportunity to help you branch out creatively from you being young — pushing you to pursue any interests/hobbies and even teaching you to play the guitar if you want to learn

they’re generous with gifts and pocket money, but they’re sure not to spoil you; making sure early on that you understand that sometimes you won’t get what you want and sometimes you need to work to get the things you really desire in life — they teach the latter by giving you small jobs to do around the apartment (fetch some food, do some dusting/mopping, help mum/dad out with cooking, etc.)

haida has so many pictures of you in his wallet it’s frankly ridiculous — like he has one of the three of you when you were a baby and loads of you smiling and having fun

they’re always there to lend a helping hand with homework and to give you some aid with extracurriculars — even reaching out to friends and colleagues to give you a well rounded life and education from being extremely young

retsuko calls you ‘sweetheart’ and haida calls you ‘tiny’ — and yes you will always be ‘tiny’, yes even if you grow taller than him

they instil a very strict set of values in you growing up: be kind and respectful but don’t let others walk over you, give everything your all but don’t exhaust yourself to do it, it’s okay to try something and decide it’s not for you, it’s okay to fail and get things wrong, don’t let others shame you for the things you love, etc. etc.

things that took them years to learn and incorporate into their lives that they make sure you understand because they want you to learn from their mistakes — and, in turn, be able to make some new mistakes that you can learn from

you have plenty of loving aunts and uncles so having no contact with your father’s family doesn’t really impact you all that much — you’re surrounded by love and support and fun all of the time anyway so why bother

your first word was ‘mama’ and they both cried so much when you said it and, later on, you took your first steps to chase after your dad (which made him cry like a baby) — so your parents have no issues with arguing over who is the ‘favourite’

much like what her dad did for her, retsuko takes pictures for every major milestone of yours and keeps them safe (only putting copies up around the house): first steps, first day at school at every level, first partner, first holiday abroad, first sleepover and on and on it goes

you get perpetually spoiled by your parents’ friend tadano who is always happy to step in and help you pursue your interests and hobbies in ways that your parents might not quite be able to do

gori and ashimi are constantly fawning over you and asking your mother how you’re going — they call themselves your favourite aunties whenever they visit and they’re the first ones to volunteer their help with babysitting when your parents go out on a date

they’re eternally getting advice from ton — especially when you start to become a teenager, which actually ends up being incredibly useful so they get him a gift basket as their ‘thanks’

[robian]

Aggretsuko

Aggretsuko is an anime focused on transitioning into adulthood and especially work life. From the get-go Retsuko is faced with a really shitty boss. He makes her clean his desk, bring him tea, and do a ton of extra work. She hates him, but puts up with it because of the hierarchy within the workplace. To her it's better to just deal with it rather than anger him more. To me, this is an obvious comment on the horrible work culture in Japan. Overtime is expected and seniority is king.

Retsuko is even scared to become friends with other women in the office because they are her seniors. This work hierarchy is even preventing people from being friends. Luckily, Retsuko and the other women become friends anyways. One of the women even report Retsuko's boss to the CEO which, although short lived, made his boss become nicer. After all, in the hierarchy, the CEO is typically king.

The boss also represents present sexism in the workplace. He sees most women as incompetent and only good for petty work. He also believes women are less valuable employees because as soon as they get married they will leave (tbf that was Retsuko's plan but still isn't right). This is a very real problem in real life as well. When hiring, employers are worried about women leaving after marriage or spending less time on work due to children.

Retsuko struggles with the idea of marriage. She's been working for awhile, but she partly still sees herself as a kid. She feels that she'll lose a part of herself if she gets married. Retsuko's just going through a natural transitional period of becoming an adult. It's weird to think that we graduate school and so soon we are just expected to get married and have children. Retsuko even has the stereotypical mother who's always pushing her to get married.

As a college student, Aggretsuko tackles some themes that I've yet to deal with, but know are coming. Although Aggretsuko is meant to be comedic, it has a touch of reality that's important to recognize and learn from.

[seaside-writings]

If you don't mind me asking what're some of your comfort fixations right now?

I don't mind at all! But I do have a few comfort fixations so buckle up lol! Please note, that I have a ton of hyper-fixations, but since you only asked for the comfort fixations, here are the ones that help me relax.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Transformers: Gen 1

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend (Now Husband)

What's Up Beanie?

Crow Time

Welcome to Night Vale

The Powerpuff Girls

Aggretsuko

Stardew Valley

Luigi's Mansion 2 & 3

Untitled Goose Game

Donut County

Bob's Burgers

Thank you so much for the ask, and I really should start posting about these more!

[strawburrychainsaw]

Genuinely forgot how well written aggretsuko is especially season 2. It just feels like it handles the very relatable problems retsuko faces with this level of brutal honesty that I rarely see portrayed. Lengthy ramble under the cut.

The struggle with your own desires and fears for a goal you aren't sure you want and realizing your desires don't necessarily match up with the people around you. The assurance that while nothing is guaranteed you can't make decisions based upon fear and always push your own feelings down. The balance between partnership, friendship, freedom, and commitment... with every single character having a unique, interesting and realistic position on the whole marriage thing. The characters who found joy in their marriages (Ton is super interesting, acknowledging his weakness in his own self and life, but recognizing that the love he has for his family drives him to live, even calling himself a grumpy old bastard who'd be pointless without them..) the Gori/Washimi conflict stemmed from their extreme desire/disdain for marriage & anger at feeling talked down to by the other - even people like Fenneko, who claim they think marriage is pointless but have flip flopped in the past... it seems like the whole season is kind of idealizing marriage as an end goal (and one Retsuko is mostly just expected to want) before dropping Tadano's genuine apathy and even antagonism towards it. He is extremely strong willed in his beliefs. He will not change for someone else. It is actually incredibly good for Retsuko to have been with someone like him because it forced her to realize her own desires and hold firm in them herself. She can't push him around & neither can he, and that's a good thing. Marriage never would have worked between them simply based on that disconnect. Which is why the breakup is so good.

The driving metaphor specifically really jumped out to me. By coincidence I was thinking about how much I like to drive today -how it allows me the commute in private to sing or to listen to podcasts or even to meditate/pray and get some peace of mind. I can go wherever I want to go. The journey from the very start of the season - with Retsuko's mother making decisions for her and demands for her while constantly encouraging her to make her own choices and "grow up." Retsuko learns to drive to please her mom before realizing she Does want to do it.

Tadano doesn't give much of a shit about driving- the metaphor for self reliance in this case - and we are under the impression he is totally directionless. The whole AI reveal is crazy in part because it proves we did misjudge him - but did we? Because he still doesn't want to make decisions for himself. The AI chose the company for him. He comments on Retsuko's skill at taking orders - but he trained his AI to listen to and learn from the masses online. A huge focus is put on the 'all ears' learning aspect of his technology. And he listens to the AI. He's kind of doing the same thing she is, in an extremely roundabout way! Yes, he's smart, and yes he has a job, but he's not driving. He flies a jet. The magnitude of decisions he makes are on a different scale to Retsuko's. He thinks driving is boring. He doesn't want to check for motorcycles- he doesn't want to have to think about anybody else while he's making his decisions, and this is shocking to a person like Retsuko who is naturally aware of and subconsciously considerate of others and their needs / desires. They're not compatible!

the show also goes out of its way to pay respect to Retsuko and her simple life. She likes doing the work she's good at. She enjoys the simplicity of what she has. And she has let go of her fear by the end -- both of marriage and of missing the marriage boat - by firmly stating her desires, risking her current relationship, and ultimately letting him go instead of trying to impose her will on him or wear him down. Tadano isn't demonized either - they're both happily heading in different directions.

Retsuko's ability to bounce back is also really cool to see. She's doing the karaoke thing much less throughout the season, dealing with negative emotions in other ways. While it's still difficult for her to navigate work sometimes she has a mutual understanding with Director Kon and , real talk, their dynamic is and always was my favorite part of the show. Grumpy asshole older boss helps the well meaning hardworking yet angry younger lady completely platonically. Gotta love it. Retsuko cries with her besties after the breakup but it's clear from her statement at the end that she recognizes the good that came from it and bears no ill will to her ex. It's lovely to see and a super mature response to a really hard and unfair feeling situation - how easy is it to vent about exes who we had fallings out with, how easy to complain about their bad priorities? But nah, there was value in trying out a relationship that wasn't perfect and letting it end after it had run its course. The fear has been defeated - temporarily , as it always is.

Now i have to ramble about Haida, an extremely flawed and realistic guy friend who I've got a soft spot for. I know there is a lot of criticism towards him being a "niceguy" and it's hilarious he's a techbro in s2 (my punk rock baby could never, Come On!) but I honestly get it. He's also somewhat directionless, he doesn't have a ton going on outside of being the male character we maybe sort of root for, depending on your taste & how much of a masochist you are. But I really appreciate the change between this and last season. We got the same scene of him being heartbroken in the rain, kicking a can and falling down, but where he got hypothermia and was hospitalized in s1, here he gets his shit together and keeps living his life. When shes in need, he steps it up and doesnt once make it about himself. He doesn't even blush when Retsuko thanks him for his help, reassuring her that he's her friend. For all he knew, Tadano was going to agree to consider marriage and they'd walk out still a couple. Even if they didn't, it didn't change the fact he was rejected before. It was out of selfless love for Retsuko that he got involved and it's a huge leap in maturity from what we saw before. I know this feels like complimenting someone for the bare minimum, but seriously, have you ever helped out your crush when they're going through a tough relationship period and tried to help them solve their issues? It sucks a lot. It requires a lot of shelving your own wants for the good of the other. And I think it's a cool thing, every step of it. He called Fenneko to vent, got his shit together, and kept going to work like an adult. I don't remember what s3 has in store but I still like my garbage hyena dude as of now.

Anyway. I like the writing on this show. It feels really nuanced in entertaining ways and is interested in conversations that are fundamentally more mature. I like how the show deals with regret and shame and fear in a specific kind of lifestyle I can relate to. It's nice to have.

[howsitduud]

AGGRETSUKO SEASON 5 REVIEW

Picture this: It's a gloomy Saturday, April 11th. I had plans later on in the day, so I wanted to kill some time by getting around to watching Dan da Dan on Netflix. I open the app, and I see Aggretsuko. I was familiar with this show; I watched the first season when it came out, loved it, and kept up with every season as they came out. At least, I thought I did, because I come to find out that not only was there a 5th season, but it was the final season of the entire show. So, I knuckled down and finished the season and I have some thoughts about it.

But first, why did I drop the show at season 4 to begin with? The main reason was that there was a significant dip in quality in season 4 that turned me off of the show. For the unaware, Aggretsuko is an anime about the Sanrio character, Retsuko, an office worker who is tired of her dead-end job, so she vents by singing death metal at a karaoke bar. Over the course of the show, she gets multiple boyfriends, becomes part of a pop idol, almost dies from a stalker, and pushes back against her superiors, including the new CEO of the company. Seasons 1-3 are genuinely fantastic, focusing on the day-to-day life of Retsuko, who is an incredibly sympathetic and relatable character.

However, like I said, season 4 dropped the ball hard and moved the show in a new, worse direction. The show was now less focused on Retsuko and her struggles and more on side characters, particularly Ton and Haida. Ton, Retsuko's boss, has an entire subplot about him being transferred to the middle of nowhere where he does nothing, and I while I like this subplot, I don't think it added much to the story that Retsuko didn't. Haida, Retsuko's friend, takes over the main plot of the season when he gets a promotion and starts doing shady shit, so she and the other side characters have to stop him and it doesn't feel like this is the same show anymore. I like both of these characters, but they were great supporting characters, not the sole hooks for the entire season. Retsuko barely had much to do in this season, and she didn't get many opportunities for character growth. It was apparent that the show was going in an unnatural direction, so I kinda just stopped watching. This show escaped my mind, save for when the Hello Kitty: Island Adventure trailer dropped and I saw her in video game form.

But, now that I've watched season 5, did the show end on a high note? Kinda? This season is pretty weird, so let's start off with the first half. The first half of this season is dedicated to Haida and resolving his character arc -- he no longer has a job, and his rich politician dad is no longer financially supporting him, so he has to get gig jobs in construction while sleeping at a 24/7 internet cafe. I was so worried because it seemed like the writers took the wrong lessons from the previous season and went all in on having Haida take over. The thing is, I honestly enjoyed this arc quite a bit. Haida getting addicted to an MMO and spending all his money on vbucks is something plenty of people in the real world suffer from, and it's an aspect of life that this show never really touched upon, so I was really interested seeing it. Especially since it has a great character as a symbol of this sort of unambition and complacency, Shikabane. She's a young person who gave up on life and coasts in an MMO, everything that Haida fears he'll become. She's an excellent character in an excellent part of the show, however, I don't think any of this helped further the show in any way. It felt like the writers wanted to dedicate all their effort into developing what's essentially a B-Plot. What hurts even more is that the Retsuko's plot, the main plot of the season, is really good.

After Haida starts living with Retsuko, a galago with an anger problem shows up and asks her to run for a political office with her immense OTM fanbase. You'd think this coming right the hell out of nowhere is a bad thing, but I like the suddenness of it. A lot of the best arcs in this show are about Retsuko stumbling ass-backwards into a weird-ass scenario, like dating an uber-wealthy entrepreneur or being an internet celebrity, and seeing how she deals with it and how she starts to find herself in the process, and that's no different in this arc. Running with her idol group, boyfriend, and coworkers by her side against Haida's nepo baby brother was the spark she needed at this point in her life, and she fully embraces her more aggressive persona, something she tried to hide most of her life. It's also not like it came completely out of nowhere, the political aspect of the world is constantly mentioned and the OTM crew get more publicity if they're involved in a political campaign, so it makes sense within the world of the story. I just wish that this was what the whole season was about so that we can get all we can out of this concept.

The rest of the season as a whole was perfectly fine. The other side characters I haven't mentioned yet are fine; the only thing of note is that Ton gets a nice moment in the finale where he helps Retsuko's confidence by revealing that he fully remembers the drunk rage all the way back in season 1. A nice bit of continuity, wish we got more of it. The show is also still pretty funny, with my favorite bits being everyone's reactions to Retsuko going into politics and how both her and Haida have their moments where they lay down on the floor, motionless while the other tries to feed them a banana. I also liked the montage at the end where even though Retsuko didn't win the election, she's perfectly content with where she is, marrying Haida and getting back to work.

But something I can't help but mention now is that this season was not that special in regards to it being the final season. This does not seem like a final season at all, since the entire hook for the finale hinged on a plot that was underbaked, especially because the focus shifted way too hard towards a side character. I don't mind that normally, but since the show doesn't attempt to weave these two plotlines together in a natural way, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When Retsuko and Shikabane meet up and sing karaoke in the finale, I don't get much out of it because I was just thinking, "what if?"

This is still a show I enjoyed watching for most of it's run, and there are even some parts of seasons 4 and 5, the weakest seasons in the show, that I really enjoyed. Aggretsuko is, as a whole, a great show with an underwhelming ending.

7/10, why Jiro kinda fine tho...