Cute to Crazy: 10 Relatable Aggretsuko Characters

If you’ve grown up with Hello Kitty as a child, you probably still love Sanrio characters. But now that you’re in your 20’s, Hello Kitty’s TV show might not seem quite as entertaining as it used to be. Don’t worry, Sanrio has another set of cute, but much more relatable characters for Millennials, featured in the Netflix series: Aggretsuko.

Aggretsuko’s cast of animal characters ranges from the repressed office lady to the literal sexist pig boss. Let’s have a look at 10 totally relatable Aggretsuko characters that we can see in our own lives.

1. Retsuko: More than Meets the Eye

Retsuko, whose name in Japanese translates to “fierce child”, is a 25-year-old red panda. By day she is a typical office worker, living the daily grind in an accounting department. But by night she transforms into a metal head (literally her whole face changes), goes to a karaoke bar, and gets out her repressed anger by singing death metal. Her secret love of death metal songs is a reminder that, although many we may have to fit into a certain image due to pressures from society or work, no one can conform completely, nor should we have to.

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2. Fenneko: The Cynical Friend

Fenneko is a cool, cynical fennec fox. She is Retsuko’s best friend at the office. She loves to deduce the mental state of the people around her, by analyzing everything from how they dress to their social media posts.

3. Haida: The Older Male Co-Worker

Haida, a Hyena, is an older coworker of Retsuko’s, and a friend who genuinely cares about her. He later develops a crush on Retsuko. Although she turns him down, he continues to support her. He loves punk rock and even plays the bass guitar.

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4. Director Ton: The Terrible Boss

Director Ton is Retsuko’s boss. He is an actual pig, who makes sexist comments and forces Retsuko to overwork. But there is more than meets the eye here too. He is very good at his job (when he decides to do it) and has on occasion offered good advice to Retsuko. 

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5. Tsunoda: The Social Media Star Wannabe

This gazelle’s eyes are the biggest and sparkliest of all the characters. But although her character is one of the cutest, her actions are not. She is constantly sucking up to Director Ton so that he’ll give her less work. However, she is very aware of what she is doing and feels she is just using her skills to her advantage.

6. Ms. Washimi: The Successful Secretary

Ms. Washimi is a secretary bird who works as an actual secretary. She is the perfect example of a successful woman, who has everyone under her control (even the incompetent company president). She uses the secretary bird’s powerful ax kick to intimidate everyone, including her superiors. Her only sore point is her contentious divorce. 

7. Director Gori: The Career Woman

Retsuko looks up to both Gori and Washimi as examples of successful businesswomen. However, while Washimi has her life exactly where she wants it, Gori is not satisfied with her high-powered job. In fact, she regrets putting off having a family for the sake of her career. Beneath her intimidating facade (she’s a muscular gorilla) is a kind, funny and caring soul. After Retsuko started a yoga class where she met Gori and Washimi, she became closer to the two of them.

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8. Komiya: The Sycophant

Komiya is a meerkat, who loves to praise and suck up to Director Ton. Although he is an annoying character, he is also a fan of JPop idols, and even becomes a fan of Retsuko’s once she takes the stage.

9. Tsubone: The Power-Tripping Senior

Tsubone is a komodo dragon, and a dragon of a woman, who loves to watch others fail. She is condescending to those beneath her, like Retsuko, and takes advantage of her seniority to make them do her work.

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10. Kabae: The Gossip Girl

Kabae is the annoying person at the office who won’t stop talking — especially about other people. This hippo loves to spread juicy gossip, but her intentions are not malicious. In fact, she is a very motherly and caring character, although her motherly actions towards the others in the office are not always appreciated