Sanrio anime is known for more than the wildly popular Hello Kitty. While the famous no-mouthed white cat has long been a staple of international pop culture, there is a newer animated craze called Aggretsuko. First premiering as a series of shorts on TBS in Japan, the popularity of the main series' lead, Retsuko, led to an eventual Original Net Animation series based on her misadventures to be picked up by Netflix.
Aggretsuko (short for Aggressive Retsuko) premiered to an international audience on Netflix back in 2018 and was met with critical acclaim, as well as a new batch of adoring fans. Here is a handy guide for those who want to see what the hype is about but don't know where to begin.
The Plot of Aggretsuko
The titular protagonist, Retsuko, is a 25-year-old anthropomorphized red panda who works in an office. Due to the daily stresses of working life, including pushy co-workers and sexist bosses, Retsuko has an unusual hobby that helps her cope with the day-to-day grind: singing death metal at a local karaoke bar.
Amid the ubiquitous cute demeanor of the Sanrio company, it's fun to see such topics as work-related stress, bad breakups, and addiction addressed in this form. Think of Aggretsuko as Hello Kitty for twenty-something death metal fans with cute animals, and the general gist of the series is made clear.
Where to Read the Aggretsuko Comics
Surprisingly enough, there is no accompanying manga of Aggretsuko -- instead, there's an American comic book series that released in 2020. Containing the same characters, as well as some exclusive new characters, the comics are a collaborative project between Sanrio and an independent publishing company called Oni Press.
To date, 12 issues of the Aggretsuko comics are available in printed format on the Oni Press website for $3.99 each. For those who prefer digital copies, they can all be found on Amazon Kindle for $1.99 per issue.
Where to Watch the Aggretsuko Anime
The original TBS shorts are not officially on any streaming platforms -- but considering each one is about a minute long, viewers are not missing out on anything important plot-wise. As for the actual anime series, Aggretsuko can be found on Netflix. As of this writing there are three seasons, with Season 4 set to release in December 2021.
The best thing about Aggretsuko for potential new fans is its ease of entry. While it may have three seasons, each episode is about 15 minutes long and all are nicely paced. This makes it perfect for newcomers interested in a new anime but who may not want to make substantial time investments in a long-running anime series like One Piece.
With its cute demeanor, fun and well-written characters, and intelligent handling of adult-related topics, Aggretsuko is probably here to stay. Current fans of the show can prepare for the upcoming Season 4 of their favorite death metal karaoke singing red panda. For newcomers, you're in for a fun, cute, and unexpectedly deep anime.