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REVIEW: Aggretsuko Season 5




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ab2143



Joined: 09 Jan 2021
Posts: 715
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 1:32 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, wasn’t keen on the final episode and how rushed it was. I also didn’t like how we only got a brief glimpse of Retsuko’s wedding (something that’s supposed to be really important to her)

I too hope for some specials or a spin-off in the future
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Neko-sensei



Joined: 19 Jan 2007
Posts: 283
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 1:47 pm Reply with quote
I was right there with Washimi and Gori in the final episode—I've been following Retsuko since the one-minute shorts, which are still the true heart of the series for me. I don't think I've ever really forgiven Netflix for turning her shorts into a show, with character arcs and everything, but I am at least grateful that Rarecho got the opportunity to share some of Retsuko's uniquely hopeful cynicism with the larger world.
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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1563
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:44 pm Reply with quote
ab2143 wrote:
Yeah, wasn’t keen on the final episode and how rushed it was. I also didn’t like how we only got a brief glimpse of Retsuko’s wedding (something that’s supposed to be really important to her)

I too hope for some specials or a spin-off in the future


I assumed that Retsuko and Haida filed the paperwork quietly out of a sort of "who knows what will happen tomorrow" attitude, but planned to have a proper ceremony later. A lot of couples handle it this way (legally speaking the wedding does not actually make you married, the paperwork does.)

That said, it's still not very satisfying for the audience to just toss that out in a montage. You can tell they were really pressed for time on this finale. We also don't see what Haida's employment situation is like at the end, which is odd given how much focus they put on his unemployment earlier in the season.

There was a lot to love in this season, though. One aspect I'm surprised not to see mentioned in this review at all: Shikabane. Her arc was handled so well. Whereas the main cast of the show are stand-ins for Japanese workers in their 20's and 30's - exhausted, frustrated, but hardworking - she's representing members of the younger generation who have opted out of modern society altogether. And it's hard to argue with Shikabane's approach given the sometimes insurmountable obstacles that late capitalism places between the average person and a basic standard of living.

I liked that Haida and Retsuko each helped her in their own distinct ways; Haida by checking up on her and offering emotional support and (often awkward) advice, and Retsuko by giving her an outlet for her anger, which was a great moment given how seemingly emotionless Shikabane had been up to that point. I think the message of her arc boils down to "Giving up on society is one thing, but don't give up on yourself."

The last scene where she appears, with her looking for an apartment, felt a little perfunctory (how will she afford it? Rent prices in Tokyo are insane) but this was still such a good aspect of the season (and also underscored how Retsuko and Haida have grown up over time, enough for them to mentor a younger person who's suffering her own disillusionment.)
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charliepanayi



Joined: 17 Jul 2021
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 4:40 pm Reply with quote
I greatly enjoyed the bit in the final episode where theyspoiler[ have a pop at streaming services like Netflix for cutting away from end credits immediately to start recommending you other stuff - let us watch the credits in peace!]

The stuff about running for office came in a bit too late, probably should have run it along more episodes but all in all I thought the final season was a pretty enjoyable end to the show. Fenneko will always remain the MVP.
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moony_badger



Joined: 17 Feb 2021
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 1:45 am Reply with quote
Ah this review made me more excited to get back to the show! I'd been putting it off because I found season 4 just. Very frustrating to watch. I am a little disappointed to hear that Haida's character arc takes up most of the runtime, especially since I've always found Retsuko to be a much more engaging character (at least when any kind of growth or progression for her isn't getting kneecapped by the writers to maintain the status quo)
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4442
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 10:23 am Reply with quote
It might be time for me to finish the series. I haven't gotten around to season 4 yet, which I think is mostly due to coming out of season 3 feeling like it had lost track what it was.
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Oggers



Joined: 29 Nov 2017
Posts: 366
Location: Ontario, Canada
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 11:35 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Now that she's in the position of being a relatively well-adjusted thirtysomething, she spends a lot of the season helping Haida play catch-up.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Retsuko is actually in her thirties at all yet by this point? Even if it's been five years in real life since the anime started, I'm pretty sure that amount of time hasn't actually passed in-universe. Retsuko still refers to herself as 25 years old in season 2, at least, so I don't think the series' timeline goes for more than a year or two.
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ZelosZoidberg



Joined: 23 May 2018
Posts: 643
PostPosted: Mon Mar 06, 2023 4:54 pm Reply with quote
Greed1914 wrote:
It might be time for me to finish the series. I haven't gotten around to season 4 yet, which I think is mostly due to coming out of season 3 feeling like it had lost track what it was.
4 and 5 are much better then season 3. I'm with you on season 3. While I liked it it was more 'different" then the first 2 seasons. 4 and 5 get back on track even with the politics focus of season 5.
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