If you haven’t watched the Netflix anime Aggretsuko yet, then you should make a point to push that to the top of your list. Aggretsuko follows the journey of Retsuko, an adorable red panda trapped in the painful monotony of her thankless accounting job. Day after day she’s pushed around by her cold hearted superiors and selfish coworkers. To deal with her frustration of being a woman in the early stages of her career, she unleashes all her rage in the form of belching out death metal. Aggretsuko is a great watch for anyone, but will resonate especially with women early in their careers, or anyone who has had a shitty office gig.

Besides Retsuko who is possibly the most relatable Sanrio character evercreated, I was surprised by the other characters in the series who are practically people we all know. Here are some character types that are just all too real:

1. Kabae- The Loud Mouth Busybody
   

   Image courtesy of Netflix

Whether it’s showing off pictures of her nephew or talking your ears off about any or all gossip she might have heard, this character often drags conversations longer than they need to be. Kabae isn’t necessarily an ally or an antagonist, but merely acts as a slight thorn in your side when you actually need to get back to work.

2. Fenneko- The Social Bystander

Fenneko holds in depth knowledge of everyone’s social media handle and can track what you were doing, when you were doing it. A friend of Retsuko, her character first comes off as a funny, clever confidant until you realize that she very much plays the witness. Fenneko criticizes others for their social media posts, namely Tsunoda, while she is in fact the one spending hours following other people online. Other than being hypocrite, Fenneko doesn’t raise a paw to help Retsuko when their superiors bully her. Let’s face it, we’ve all had that one judgy kind of friend.

3. Haida- The ‘Good Guy’

Haida is the typical ‘good guy’ friend who has a secret crush on Retsuko. Desperately shy and possibly fearful of ruining their friendship, Haida gets knots in his throat whenever he tries to ask Retsuko out. He’s the guy you feel bad for but root for him because he’s genuinely a nice misunderstood fellow. Ultimately, it’s on him whether or not he finds the courage to pursue his dreams (and there is no such thing as “the friendzone”).

4. Director Ton- The Chauvinistic Pig / Evil Boss

A very direct play on words, Director Ton is the male chauvinistic pig of a boss. Ignorant, rude, and all around disgusting, Ton makes derogatory comments about women and plays favorites. He’s quick to bully Retsuko but falls victim to sweet words that stroke his ego. You hate him, and when he shows a slight bit of humanity, you’re right to be skeptical.

5. Yoga Teacher

Protein! Retsuko’s muscle head yoga teacher that never says more than the word protein. He is rippling with muscles and towers over everyone in his class. He is often found shaking a blender bottle or lifting weights. Despite his top physical appearance, he has somehow unlocked true power with his mind as well as his body. You can’t help but feel a little jelly of this friend.