I think it’s too easy for me to say, but this was the most relaxing update to draw for this event. It’s almost unfair, because the other updates were fun, and very enjoyable, but they had the moments where I was making heads or tails of the order of layers, or what step to draw next so the effects wouldn’t get messed up. Usually trying to save time only ends up making you waste time. But this update was pretty straight forward, simple, and satisfying to work on. Drawing the Retsuko face on Movie Slate was so fun and so simple it should’ve been illegal for me to do so, especially with the line etching that is so iconic of the cartoon. That effect is super simple to do, only took me 5 minutes to apply it to her whole body (after I figured out the method that is).
 
I always end up rambling a lot in these, do you think I should write shorter descriptions?
 
I will be honest, I went into “Aggretsuko” only knowing there is a show called Aggretsuko about a red panda office worker who vents her frustration singing death metal. And it’s made by the guys who own Hello Kitty? I think that combination of radically random factors was what made me give the show a go, otherwise I would’ve ignored it completely because the style didn’t say anything to me and I was pretty baffled by the setting. But after I got past that, and embraced the hyper-exaggerated nature of the animation, I found myself watching an anime that’s actually closer to the Western cartoons released during the grunge era of the 80’s. This show is closer neighbors with Ralph Bakshi and his Fritz the Cat than it is with, well, anything else coming from Japan. The stiffness of the animation on some parts notwithstanding, the subject matter of venting frustrations in an exaggerated manner with explosive results is something that could very much well fit into something like “Rock and Rule”, without losing the edge or reaching a rating above PG-13. For a show that’s so extreme it handles its balance fantastically well.
 
It’s not all roses however. The second season is a pretty big fluke, mostly because it suffers from the so dreaded sequelitis, and the plot seems to be on repeat. There’s a big problem with recurring themes, and in that regard season two plays them to a T, to the point that’s a detriment. Besides that there’s a handful of characters that are just downright despicable, even when they show up on screen for a quarter of a second (Retsuko’s mom and Anai come to mind, just to say two). But for every foible this show has (and like many things that are perfect it really isn’t) there’s another ten things that are right with it. For every unlikeable character there’s ten characters that I adore (my favorite one is Director Ton, he’s just fantastic). For every tired cliché there’s ten others they subvert. The music is great, as I think a show like this should have, and it’s varied enough that even at its weakest it’s still memorable and iconic. The shortcomings don’t make the good things shine any less.
 
Aggretsuko is a show that uses its strong points so well that what little weaknesses it’s got get sidelined relatively easy, as it’s reliance on likeable characters, relateable settings, and good music, make for a very fun and enjoyable watch. Even if you’re not into anime I say give the show a watch, and you might surprise yourself in what you’ll find.