Aggretsuko Season 2 Anime Review: This Show Speaks to My Soul

I realized a few days after watching Aggretsuko S3 that I didn’t actually watch S2…but I quickly corrected my mistake and binged through it LOL. Aggretsuko Season 2 is back at it again with the high quality writing, humor, and character relatability. Retsuko is a 25-year-old red panda who leads a normal life as an accountant, and this show explores how she deals with her daily grievances like an overbearing mom, crazy coworkers, and figuring out how to be happy. A recurring theme of this season was the topic of love and marriage.

Retsuko and her “rage” mode moments are as hilarious as ever, and maybe even more so than they were in S1. It’s been awhile since I watched S1, but I definitely noticed that in S2, the comedic transitions between normal Retsuko and rage mode Retsuko were absolutely hilarious, frequent, and on point. A few new characters are introduced this season, the most memorable being a new coworker that Retsuko has to mentor (Anai) and a new potential love interest (Tadano). I feel like the latter half of the season was extra exciting because the introduction of Tadano brings a layer of drama and intrigue. He also brings into the story moral dilemmas that can be really relatable to millennials - for instance, the implication of AI replacing jobs and the idea of whether or not marriage is an outdated system. Towards the very end, Retsuko is faced with an extremely difficult decision, and her inner monologues really spoke to my soul.

In conclusion…

Every season of this anime is great and definitely worth your time! Not only will you feel a cathartic release watching Retsuko going into rage mode, but you might also walk away contemplating some deep thoughts and questions about life. I personally feel like some of the opinions I’ve held deep to my heart are validated through this show, and it’s part of the magic of why people relate to and love Aggretsuko. 10/10 would recommend for laughs and a boost to your mental energy.