Aggretsuko season 5 review: characters getting their shit together

Four seasons of work, relationships, struggle, and death metal singing later, red panda Retsuko finally has a new home. Final wordsShe has mostly managed to get her life together. She has a healthier relationship with work, sets boundaries, and has realized that just because some of her co-workers are difficult to work with, it doesn’t mean they’re bad people. She’s become more comfortable with herself and learned what she wants out of life, revealing her secret death-metal-karaoke side to her close friends. She’s grown into a person that she is mostly happy with.

Her boyfriend Haida is the only question in her life as this season’s final episode begins. Haida was her ex-coworker and had been a big crush on Haida for 5 years. They finally got married at the conclusion of season 4. When season 5 kicks off, their relationship seems fine for the most part — except Haida is unemployed, and instead of searching for a job, he’s been falling into a pit of online gacha gaming. It’s now his turn to undergo some rapid character development.

[Ed. note: This post contains major spoilers for all five seasons of Aggretsuko.]

Image: Fanworks/Netflix

The show switches from Haida to Retsuko for about half the season. At first it’s a little off-putting — after all, the charming red panda is the reason a lot of people love this show. But it makes sense; we know little about Haida’s life outside of Retsuko, beyond the fact that he is pretty tech-savvy, loves to play guitar, and apparently comes from wealth. He’s pined for Retsuko for four seasons (and five years before the show starts), but has been kind of a wuss when it comes to admitting any feelings for her. He’s been a devoted friend, but he hasn’t undergone the same growth that Retsuko has. Haida must become a man worthy of Retsuko in order for her happy ending to be complete.

Haida could be from a well-off family. However, any wealth he earns is not without strings attached. Haida’s father, a conservative and ruthless politician, expects perfection from his children and is very demanding of them. Haida is left homeless by his parents after they find a paying tenant to the apartment that he shares. Out of pride, Haida refuses help and ends up in a net café before Retsuko finds him. It’s not exactly flattering for him, especially when he blows off searching for a job in favor of playing video games. He hits rock bottom, and stays there for hot seconds. sense. It is difficult to get up and walk away from a loss of your job or your home. This will cause strain in your relationship regardless how supportive you partner may be.

Image: Fanworks/Netflix

Haida can be very unlikable at times this season. But as the show continues, it’s easy to see where he’s coming from. He doesn’t want to return to his family, who — to put it lightly — are all judgmental assholes. He slowly but surely gets his act together as he meets other net café users and realizes just how shabby his entire life is. Retsuko comes back into the fold when she finally figures out what the hell is up with him, but her role isn’t just solely about helping him get back on his feet. She is anxious about Haida moving in and her parents criticizing her. The two of them navigate through this new stage of their lives together, figuring out how to manage their relationships with their family and not let fear of their relatives’ judgment cloud what they really want. Retsuko has had four seasons to get where she is; now, she’s sharing her life with someone and they’re figuring things out together.

Haida had already made a significant contribution by the end of this season. After Haida stood up for his family in the last episodes and made it clear that they don’t share his political opinions, Retsuko returns to the show. When Retsuko, once again, gets thrust into a completely ridiculous situation (in this case, running for office), he’s at her side and supporting her. This time, there are more stakes involved for him — by standing at her side, he’s also directly in opposition to his family. Haida is even more determined to back Retsuko after his brother threatens Haida with pulling Retsuko out of the race.

Image: Fanworks/Netflix

Haida’s spinelessness, cowardice, and excessive spoiled were some of the traits that he displayed when the show began. These qualities sometimes overshadowed Haida’s compassion and loyalty. It was obvious that he needed to grow as the romantic lead. This season puts him through the wringer — testing the limits of his character and relationship with Retsuko — but by the end of it, Haida has become a steadfast and worthy partner for Retsuko.

It’s not just the end of the season, though, but the end of the series. Retsuko has grown as a person and it was incredibly satisfying to watch (with some hilarious hijinks added). Retsuko’s love story has been the main focus of her life, with Haida being a major plot point. It’s satisfying that them ending up together isn’t an easy answer; it’s a journey of its own, and the show ends with them both having grown as people. Together, the two of them can conquer any hurdle that adulthood might throw at them, and judging by Retsuko’s often ridiculous life, they’ll need to stick by each other’s sides.

The five seasons AggretsukoNetflix is streaming these videos right now