deemoyza | "You're only brave because some app told you to be!"

I binged Season 3 of Aggretsuko last night, and I have Some Thoughts. ~~Posting them here, since I'd really prefer not to be devoured by the fandom on Tumblr.~~ Overall, though the initial premise verged on quite silly, I really enjoyed the season -- right up to the pivotal moment in Episode 10.

First things first: Hyodo's voice = ❤❤❤ Very nice, indeed. ;)
Second things second: how did Gori and Washimi resolve their little spat from last season? It would've been nice to the see the moment of real reconciliation between them(rather than the instance of grudgingly working together from the end of Season 2).
Manaka is awesome!!! Her diva attitude was off-putting at the beginning, but she really grew on me. I admired her ambition and pull-no-punches attitude. And then there was the bit with the nail bat. I mean, what's not to love?
Retsuko is a certifiable sweetheart, but how, in the course of all she's been through, has she yet to grow a spine? (I'm specifically referring to her everyday interactions and not what happens in Ep. 10, because that's way outside of the show's usual fare, and her reaction to it is very believable.) I may have forgotten something, but it seems that she still only takes action when others point out what a doormat she is being. And her naivete is disturbing, particularly in regard to her stalker.

That said, the scene in the restroom where she's trying to "wash" him off of her hands after the handshake session was heartwrenching. The sense of violation, and the lingering feeling of being dirty, came across very well (too well, actually; I had a knot in my stomach the entire time). But that just makes her trusting behavior while leaving work in Episode 10 that much stranger.
Speaking of Episode 10, the tension leading up to the attack was excruciating. The fact that the show clearly telegraphed the danger that Retsuko was trying to ignore made it that much more anxiety-inducing. Well done.
But the episode fell apart for me in the aftermath. I liked Inui well enough for most of the season ~~except when she was jumping to conclusions; God, just ask the damn questions, woman!~~, and was relieved that Haida finally had someone else in his life. But when she decided that the best time to ask him to choose between her and Retsuko was while Retsuko was lying unconscious on the sidewalk, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. However she saw Retsuko, you'd think she'd at least be moved to enough concern to set aside relationship drama for the time being. And then she just walks away. Wow.

And then there's Haida. Where do I start? Total credit for saving Retsuko's life, of course! But other than that, he bothered me this season. His pining for Retsuko was already wearing thin in Season 2, but his unwillingness to move on even after she's expressly told him that she sees him as nothing more than a friend moves into creeper territory, in my opinion. Then there's the spying, and stalking her to a gig in Hokkaido. And his final scenes in this season are downright sickening.

While I do believe that Retsuko eventually has to learn to face the world again, and might require some motivation (and definitely therapy!) to do so, Haida's heavy-handed approach turned me off completely. Retsuko is traumatized, the victim of violence, and he barges into her room with the same kind of aggression, regardless of his intent, and spirits her away to a place she formerly saw as a refuge, just to taunt her for being traumatized.

All because a dating app told him he and Retsuko were a perfect match. What a guy. 🙄

(This post puts my problem with Haida much more eloquently than I ever could. And this one shows the parallel that absolutely turned my stomach.)
I absolutely loved Retsuko's response, though:
"You're only brave because some app told you to be. Grow up, Haida. Your feelings aren't my responsibility. You barged into my bedroom without a second thought. Where do you get off telling me how to live? How dare you? Because no matter what I decide, it's not your decision, Haida, it's mine!"

Hmm, so perhaps we've finally seen her long-dormant spine, after all! Plenty of good points in this. Pity that he talks her down from her rage with a vague statement of support.
It was very nice to see Retsuko reconcile all the different aspects of herself at the end. And while it was nice to see that she and Haida are friendly without being awkward, it begs the question: how much does this amicability have to do with the fact that they're both single now? A sweet moment, but too little, too late to elevate my impression of Haida for this season. If there is another, I hope we can see him grow up a bit, and grow into the trust he asked Retsuko to place in him.

I guess I wasn't lying when I said I had thoughts! I enjoyed the first two seasons as they were, but the severity of Retsuko's situation in the late episodes really reframed Haida's indecisiveness and pining, for me,
and not in a good way.

That said, there was a lot to enjoy throughout this season, from VR boyfriend to the idol group to Retsuko coming into her own both as an accounting director and idol singer, and some great Fenneko moments sprinkled in. I would very much like to see a fourth season, to see how the events of Season 3 change the characters' outlooks and development. And, of course, to see what kind of wacky scenarios Retsuko will get pulled into next (hopefully, they include some form of real therapy)! :)

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Just gonna co-sign all of this because YES.

That last episode, too. Wow wtf I was not prepared for that - from the actual attack to Inui deciding now was a great time to drop all this to Haida kicking down Retsuko's door to drag her out and talk despite her recovering from some intense trauma. I was way more upset with the Inui bit than anything else; I really wanted her and Haida to work out, but her decision to not ask "hey why is this pink handkerchief in your bathroom" was just.... ugh... AND THEN SHE HAD THE AUDACITY TO PULL THAT STUNT WHILE RETSUKO IS PASSED OUT ON THE FLOOR.

I really loved the karaoke scene with Haida and Retsuko. It is extremely unfair and damaging to drag Retsuko into that situation, let alone bombard her with all the things Haida said, and in a real world situation, I'd be kicking down that karaoke door and dragging Haida's ass to the curb, but in the context of the narrative, I had been waiting for that moment since season 1. For all of Haida's pining, he really knows nothing about Restsuko. And she just doesn't ever want to give him the time of day. There's an ongoing theme of the inability to communicate and how that shoots people in the foot. It was great to see them get that out. FINALLY. I completely wish it was done in a healthier way, because what the fuck, but it made for an intense and interesting narrative. And I like that it made me feel anxious and uncomfortable. Something like that SHOULD. And I really hope those two can come to know each other better without becoming a couple.

And like... I love Haida, but wow, he's such a disaster. And some of the idolization Tumblr does with him is just... wtf, he literally grabs her the same way as, if not worse than, her stalker. PLEASE STOP SWOONING OVER THIS. THE SHOW DOESN'T WANT YOU TO. THAT'S THE POINT.

Also very curious about the therapy aspect! I'm actually not sure how widely accepted that is in Japan. I feel that would be a natural progression in an American show, but I know I forget a lot that it takes place in Japan ~~while watching it subtitles go me~~ and thus has a different set of societal norms. But also, it's interesting to see how much of those overlap with our own and thus makes Retsuko's story so damn relatable.

Also also - I LOVE MANAKA SO MUCH HER LIL NAIL BAT AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Lastly, I love this post and all your thoughts! AND YAY SOMEONE ELSE WHO WATCHES THIS SHOW!!! 😍

I started this show a little late, but I fell in love with it quickly. I've never worked an office job, but the dynamics, personalities, and situations in the show are fairly universal. I really love the humor, and I think one of the things that upsets me about the dark turn Season 3 took is that it dulls the season's rewatchability for me. Just knowing what's going to happen leaves me uneasy during the more lighthearted scenes, like, poor Retsuko has no idea what's in store for her!

About the karaoke scene -- while I definitely didn't like what Haida was saying, I agree that it was a good idea for both him and Retsuko to communicate that way. In a sense, he spoke to her in her "language," and really opened the door for mutual understanding. If it had happened sooner, and under far better circumstances, I probably would have been cheering.

And I also agree with what you said about them learning more about each other without becoming a couple. Male-female platonic friendships are so rare in media, and I really think Haida and Retsuko would work better as each other's cheerleader or wingman/wingwoman while they search for their own respective romantic partners. It's an interesting dynamic, but I don't fully trust the show to deviate that far from what most people expect.

You raise a good point about therapy and cultural norms! I can't think of any Japanese media I've seen that includes or even hints at therapy, so it may be either a cultural issue, or simply a storytelling choice. It would be interesting to learn how therapy is viewed in Japanese culture, and what benefits or stigmas are associated with it. In the case of Aggretsuko, we may simply have to accept that Retsuko is doing better without seeing her journey to that point.

I really hope we get a Season 4, just to see how Retsuko is doing, and to hopefully return to lighter slice-of-life fare. :)

"You're only brave because some app told you to be!"

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