[S1 + S2, but not S3 Spoilers Ahead]
Ah yes, once again, Netflix is bringing us more of our favorite red panda Retsuko in an all-new season of Aggretsuko! I was excited about Aggretsuko S3 going in, but I had my doubts. After such a good ending, how could Fanworks produce another season of this? Shouldn't they have run out of ideas at this point?
And oh boy, was I wrong.
Story: (7/10) This part of the anime was where I was pleasantly surprised, but at the same time, pretty standard for Aggretsuko. Each season of Aggretsuko has a message, the first one of how "love makes you blind" and the second season of how "love is something that makes both parties happy." Based on these past two messages, I thought the main plot of Aggretsuko S3 would be about romance, but instead, Haida gets his chance to shine with his romantic quarrels.
As for Aggretsuko S3, Retsuko's conflict is encircled by the message "everyone has their talent or quirk, but it's up to you how you choose to use it." Retsuko is essentially her "passive office lady" persona again, and all her choices are made because of someone else and not her own decisions. Overall, Fanworks does a great job building this core message throughout the entire story as they have with their past two projects.
Art: (5/10) Pretty much the standard art style we've seen in the past two Aggretsuko seasons. It's not bad in any means, the character animation and the structures serve its purpose for the story. I'm still miffed that the voice acting doesn't fit with the character animation sometimes (which is why the rating is a mediocre five instead of a standard six). Still, I guess that comes at the cost using chibi art for the character animations. So if you're searching for anime with good art, you've come to the wrong place.
Sound: (5/10) Same as the art, the sound production for Aggretsuko was nothing special compared to the rest of the two seasons. I'm glad they used the same OP sound sequence and SCREECH theme for the show since it just adds to the same comedic tension that is Aggretsuko. The only thing that I thought was wasted potential was that they could have added more music variety with the addition of her new lifestyle outside the office, but the story was more focused on Retsuko's life so that it couldn't be helped.
Characters: (8/10): Aggretsuko is a perfect example of an ideal mixture of a human drama with a slice of a comedic sitcom. The best way to bring out these two genres to life is through its characters.
Most of the characters reintroduced into S3 all have some plot relevance, whether its to exemplify how bad Retsuko's situation is or drive Retusko's conflict itself. The introduced characters are all developed in some way to bring Aggretsuko's human drama shine or to make the comedic moments even funnier.
But can I talk about Aggretsuko S3's characters without talking about Haida? In the past two seasons and OVA, I haven't seen Haida as much as a character and more of a "one-sided love interest" for Retsuko. However, this season is where he shines. Watching him grow throughout the ten-episode season made me realize that love is stupid. Even if someone else comes in the way that seems too perfect to be real, we will always love someone else for some bizarre reason, and that's how love manifests. All I'm saying is, CAN HAIDA WIN CRUNCHYROLL AWARDS 2020 FOR BEST BOY??? He has some stiff competition like Ishigami (Kaguya-sama) and Hachiman (Oregairu Kan), but I know my boy can do it!
Overall, the characters fit the mold of the story that is Aggretsuko. Nothing extraordinary to the point I would call it "great", but for a chibi-style slice-of-life office anime, Fanworks goes above and beyond expectations!
Enjoyment: (7/10): Disregarding all the character arcs, production value, and story elements, Aggretsuko was just so much fun. I doubted before going in if I would like this, but it definitely did. I laughed hysterically at many moments throughout the anime and the everyday mistakes and small dilemmas made me go, "Oh god, I felt that."
Aggretsuko S3 brought another season of greatness that brings us the realism of our lives in a fun, cartoony style all "children ages 20 and up"can enjoy. I will be looking forward to another season (if it ever happens) of our favorite red panda very soon.
Overall: (7/10)
