Perhaps it wasn’t immediately obvious that an anime series about tiny adorable woodland creatures would strike such a chord with so many contending with workplace frustration, but that’s what’s made Aggretsuko all the more charming. Though the series first aired on TBS in 2016, many wayward streaming junkies discovered it on Netflix as of April of 2018—what feels like years ago at the time of this writing. The first season consisted of ten 15-minute episodes (each bookended with some hardcore karaoke vignettes) about the misadventures of 20-something red panda Retsuko, whose office job keeps her in a constant state of exasperation. And if there’s anything more exasperating than the workplace, it’s the holidays. We all know this. Hence the series’ next venture: a Christmas special!
The Christmas special, appropriately titled “We Wish You a Metal Christmas” (in keeping with Retsuko’s affinity for screaming her brains out to amped-up metal music in the privacy of a solo karaoke booth), will hit Netflix just in time to coincide with your own yuletide stresses: December 20. If you’re already a fan of the show, you know what to expect. But newcomers, don’t let Retsuko’s cute-as-a-button appearance and demeanor in the above video fool you—she’s got rage. Rightful, relatable rage.
Season one not only dealt with Retsuko’s quibbles at work, but also with the woes of romantic relationships, and without pulling any punches at that. So we can bet that its take on the holidays is sure to be anything but jolly.
Featured Image: Netflix
