It will be the end of a raging era for Sanrio and Netflix. Over the weekend, Japan’s Tudum Livestream announced that the upcoming fifth season of Aggretsuko will be the last. The announcement also came with images, which can be viewed below.
For anyone wondering who this cute red panda is, meet Retsuko! She’s a 25-year-old adult trying to survive the daily grind in a business world that doesn’t appreciate her. Her bosses don’t appreciate her, her friends tease her all the time and she doesn’t seem to find happiness no matter what she does! Her only way to let off steam is a dark secret, every once in a while the meek cute panda rents out a room at a local karaoke bar and sings the most aggressive death metal you’ve ever seen!
When life gets hard, let it go!
“Agressive Retsuko” originated from the Sanrio company, which specializes in products featuring cute mascots with a “kawaii” flavor. The company is most famous for Hello Kitty, but has a plethora of equally cute and endearing characters who have hugged and cuddled their way into the hearts of millions. But Retsuko stands out in a slightly different way. While characters like Hello Kitty have a fairly even balance between kids and adult fans, Aggrestuko was developed and marketed more heavily towards an adult audience. With her business-related struggles and ‘adult’-related problems, she is the face of many who are still trying to find their way through life. This made her an easy target for an original series.
What started in 2016 as a 100-episode series of one-minute short films was quickly adapted into a Netflix original anime that premiered in 2018. Each season focuses on an all-new challenge that Retsuko must overcome. The show previously covered themes like love, breakup, standing up to your boss, finding a career that suits you, and even dark themes like PTSD and corporate fraud. So, what will season five tackle? According to AnimeNewsNetwork, the season will focus on Retsuko going to the office! Now, what kind of office she will run for is currently a mystery. It could be a major political chairperson, or it could be a smaller position in a lower branch of government, or it could even be an office in the company she works for!
A few hints can also be found in the images themselves. First, we see Haida (Retsuko’s on and off love interest) hanging out with a new skunk friend, perhaps a possible new love interest? We also see Manaka, Retsuko’s idol-leading friend introduced in Season 3, who appears to lead a team of muscle-bound “staff”. Then there’s Retsuko with… an elderly hyena? Could these be Haida’s parents? Or maybe another figurehead? The older hyena’s underbite certainly betrays a relationship with Retsuko’s former colleague, unless it’s a trait all hyenas in this universe have. And why is she blushing? Is it getting serious?
For now, we can only wait and theorize until Aggretsuko Season 5 premieres on Netflix in February!