You DON'T GET Aggretsuko!
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- After seeing some BAD takes on Aggretsuko, especially seasons 3-5, I... Am... FROTHING!!! People seem to be missing the WHOLE POINT of the show! So let me channel my own rage as to why people DON'T GET Aggretsuko!
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Music Credits:
Aggretsuko Theme || METAL COVER by RichaadEB
• Aggretsuko Theme || ME...
イヴが暮れてゆく" by yuhei komatsu
dova-s.jp/EN/_...
"Trick style" by まんぼう二等兵
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“しゅわしゅわハニーレモン350ml" by Sharou
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"Stereo Dreams" by Flehmann
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"Good Skipping" by SHUNTA
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#aggretsuko, #anime, #gaijingoombah
I think another important point in the end of season 5 is along with increasing the voter turnout is that she was actually able to light a fire within Jiro, to actually push for things he cares about instead of just continueing to listen to his dad. Even if she did lose she was able to change the person who actually won, so her campaigning did actually have a point.
So there is the implied possibility that Jiro will bring forth some change
Yeah, the point is to garner enough support that even if you don't personally win, your opponent had to shift their stance to compete. It's not an outright victory but making your opponent embody some of your platform is huge, and it's why minority opinions must be heard and losing battles be fought.
It's not just about power structures and number games. People have the ability to connect with one-another, to change each-other. And this is something anybody can do, even the people who don't have "power" in the social sense, and end up living a mundane life. I feel like that was kind of the point, or one of them, in the end.
This ^^^
Unfortunately despite what they run on they are never held accountable for never fulfilling their promises.
I can see why seasons 3-5 was not as popular to international audiences. The commentary is specific to Japan. I love this series. I love learning about the issues Japan experiences.
I think the people it's commentating on are the ones that may not like the show too much, even watching this overview, I saw a number of things that does translate over to the USA. It probably hit a little too close to home for some people and they just want to flake it off and ignore it.
@@bombader2677 Just look at US politics over the last decade and the incoming generation of new voters. I can think of multiple other countries going through similiar as well. Anyone who claims that s5 doesn't resonate with politics outside of Japan has been living under a rock to not see any similarities.
I think i've only once seen a review with the thesis statement of "This was not for me so i couldn't give it a proper review" In which Darling in the Franxx was the topic.
"Ultimately, this show is not for me to watch or enjoy. This wasn't made for me so i can't really give it a proper review. I'm getting old, i've seen this formula so many times, i've been watching anime for over 20 years now. I was there when Evengelion was first releasing and when i watched it as a teenager it changed my entire perspective on life. So for you younger generation that are seeing and feeling the same things that i did back then with this show, i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. This show is for you, it's just not for me."
I feel like too many people approach all media like it is meant for them. Like specific media is suppose to appeal to all audience and when an outside audience member experiences it and doesn't get the same enjoyment from it they tend to get pissed and say that the media sucks because it didn't appeal to their interests. Sometimes it's good to recognize that you are not the target audience, someone else is and is having the time of their life.
Season three was good
This whole video makes me actually want to see it now, I saw it before and passed on it. People need to understand that this is true for politicians all over the world. Alot of them are very old and I don't know if I would call it "working". At least the new ones are making people think!
Retsuko may have lost to Jiro but she got into his head, tapped into his rage, and got him to think about how Japan needs to change. That is why he opened up about his stance on the old age termination bill, enforced term limits for politicians, she may have lost but Retsuko is still a catalyst for change the people need.
This just shows the difference of a Anime Fan, and a Anime Fan that understands the NATION that Anime are made of! You notice stuff that goes over the heads of fans who simply see a show! So yeah, valid points Goomba!! Thank you for pointing it out.
I actually appreciated a lot throughout this series having lived in the nation as a kid, and now keeping in tune with the culture as an adult
This.
I think that's why seasons one to three are so loved and four and five less so; the first three had more universal issues any nation can understand but the other two are more specific to Japan.
There are a lot of anime fans who think they're the latter when they're the opposite. But Gaijn actually knows what he's talking about, and I appericate him for that
🥰😆
We have to consider that probably the biggest percentage of the audience complaining about this show is between 12 and 20. And We all have been as blind and unknowing of complex sociopolitical matters even of our own countries during these times of our lives, let alone Japan.
Maybe they have a deeper interest in the culture of Japan, they just don't have enough experience yet to understand certain parts of Japanese series, as much as we haven't been able to understand the intricate adult humor in western family shows. I don't think any "anime-only-enthusiast" would have finished the first season anyway, because it's not even stereotypical anime scripting and nothing really there to keep an action and romance interested person invested in the characters.
"YOU! MISSED! THE! WHOLE! POINT!"
Freaking shouted in agreement! Felt that rage coming through with that one lol
Excently explaned! Well done GG, well freakin done!
Honestly, a lot of these issues aren’t solely a problem in Japan. They can easily be found in the US and other countries. Also, even though the series ended with everything returning to the status quote, it was shown that some things have changed in small ways like Shikanabe is actively house hunting, instead of her continuing to live in the net cafe.
change is generally small and slow. Something .hack series kinda points out. you can't change the whole it's too late to change it all. But you can change the pieces bit by bit to effect the whole. Small changes is what really changes everything. Just enough of them and it will cascade.
Yeah, like even the USA is pretty much stuck at just 2 BIG politician who would only hoping to keep their power.
Like its been decades since I heard just two faction lol
I am not a politician, I vote for the person who scares me less but indeed in a country that is for freedom why are there two options? I get better choices at Wal-Mart for cookies, so that is something that needs to change.
See, I did NOT understand people's reactions to Aggretsuko. I always saw it more about life in modern Japan than anything else. People complaining it was supposed to be about Retsuko and Haida's relationship seemed to be missing the point.
I can somewhat understand where they're coming from as most SoL animes ALWAYS have romantic subplot with the "main guy" and "main girl". So it's a clash of audience expectations and authorial intent.
@@J-manli If you think most SoL anime has a romance subplot, I beg you to watch more SoL. That's simply not true.
Thank you, I may have like the relationship stuff but even I was able to see that the story had lot of commentary topics it was on about and I was here for it too. I felt so “left out” cause I wasn’t agreeing with a lot of the negative reactions the “fans” had (heck I got kicked out of a server the second I tried to explain why I didn’t hated season 3 when it was fresh out and I was enjoying the season, was in and out of said server in the span of 10 minutes.)
The stupidity when it comes to the reactions about this show highlight my frustrations with how stupid "animation reviewers" and their online community is in a nutshell especially on youtube. In 8 out of 10 channels on RUclips that talk about animation and review both anime shows and western cartoons alike, and they all talk about the same things. But what they don't want to ever talk about is animation and the process. They don't want to talk about animation, they don't want to talk about direction, they don't want to talk about art, they don't want to talk about layouts, they don't want to talk about color design, they don't want to talk about color, they don't want to talk about nuance, they don't want to talk about intention, they don't want to talk about point of view, and they don't want to talk about the craft and the artistry of animation and cartoons.
But they DO want to talk about the shipping, they want to talk about the 'morals' and instantly discount anything they see as a negative example or they criticize aspects that challenged them, and they talk down about the author's intent, and they just want to ramble about the semantics of whether or not everything personally appeased their entitled wish-fulfillment bingo cards, and trash a show if it doesn't do those things.
That is exactly the problem with the way this show is being received. It's like doing a review of Mars Attacks to criticize it for being unrealistic or for not being dramatic or not writing strong characters, or doing a review of Madoka Magica and saying "I don't like the parts that were dark or made me sad, I wanted a happy ending and it didn't give me that the way I expected and demanded from it, so I hate it.".
......it's like doing a review about the Street Fighter II Animated Movie and complaining the entire time that not every street fighter character came together in the end, and complaining that an animated movie trying to be more artistic and cinematic than the other examples of it's genre that suffer for not doing this is "paced poorly" or taking a story about a strong emotional bond between two fighters and saying there's "no emotional core". You know, like an objectively wrong and terrible review would say.
My feeling of Aggretsuko was that it was a Story about a woman lost in life. No ambition, just cruisinh along. And honestly I felt that so much, seeing her start politics was... inspiring.
I'm turning 25 in 10 days. I am still unemployed.
Season 5 really tore me apart, because so many of the issues it was talking about are things I'm struggling and yet don't have a answer to
Everyone is angry and wants change, but feel powerless to do anything because they do not know how to change things. All the knowledge of the world on the internet and yet we have become more ignorant than ever.
@@Bionickpunk because people don't want to listen to the other side. Notice something overall about these stories its about the old vs new stuck in their own ways instead of compromising. No one is compromising anymore because we were brought up in a cut throat world where if u give an inch you lose your war. Which is ridiculous motion.
This isn't even just a Japan thing. I love in Canada and all of these issues can be applied here.
I love this series.
It's probably a possibility that is a people thing.
It's a world thing.
@@Wixvhen It really is. Hell, even in the US, a majority of congress was made up of baby boomers until literally this year (2023 for all you future people reading this comment) and they're still a plurality now. The senilocracy is still entrenched pretty much everywhere.
JJ McCullough frequently talks about how middle class Canadians fear all meaningful change
Eyyyy fellow Canadian!
Great video, thank you for this.
Jiro did get mad at the end and propose an age limit alluding to a glimmer of hope, but then again politicians keeping their promises is also a thing...
I wasn't even aware people were making these ignorant criticisms. Thanks for pointing out the truth! One "fun" Japanese politics thing I always found telling when I lived there: All the political polls conducted by NHK and everyone else are only done via landlines. I lived in Japan for 14 years and neither I nor anyone even vaguely my age or younger had a landline!!
Same
A similar phenomenon exists in the Philippines
I feel like it's less of a problem and more of a consequence of the writing of the early seasons. Sanrio made such loveable characters with such relatable problems that when it shifted over to being pure commentary, a lot of audiences just couldn't transition to that line of thinking. I personally feel it has the inverse problem of South Park, where the early seasons were pure commentary and then it suddenly shifted to serialized stories. It's not that either format is bad per say, but it definitely shifted priorities and a lot of audiences just couldn't jive with it.
Fact is I am more likely to watch this Dubbed (don't get me wrong, I know many dubs are terrible, but I have a wish to hear what is being said without reading it. It has nothing to do with Japanese it could be Schnitzel "Radda Radda" and subs would take me out of it) than anything South Park. It scared my younger self with the dark tones of season 1 before I had maturity to get it. But that just means I could learn more important things and send my hopes out for a better Japan.
The US is full of those bricks that will make buildings fall and everyone knows them, but only a few get within range of that brick in Japan and it has a bullet proof wall and body guards to protect it. But there is always hope.
13:08 this also applies to jobs in USA, nobody has patience for a newbie making a mistake but in turn that also makes the newbie give up much quicker so being kind and helpful and patient is a MUST for anybody trying to train a newbie and I wish more people knew this but it seems like nobody likes to be kind or patient anymore due to everybody suffering so much they feel like they're about to snap
15:05 Kabai is one of my fav characters for EXACTLY this, I wish I could push that same message on everybody's face too cuz IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO, but everybody fantasizes about The One and forgets this (Also Congrats on 10 years, my gf and I aren't actually married but basically have been for over 6 years)
Shikabane was depressingly relatable, feeling of just letting everything go on without me
This show is for mature thinking audiences, not for hardcore shippers. I loved Aggretsuko. I loved the slice of life and social commentary, which usually isn't my cup of tea. All the characters felt real their problems were real. I didn't like Ton until the last episode but after his kareoke battle with Retsuko I began to understand and respect him. I understood Anai, and I love how Kabae won him over. Just desserts can be delicious, but not all antagonistic characters deserve harsh punishment. Sometimes all they need is empathy. While I won't lie and say I wasnt disappointed we didn't get more characterization or the supporting characters didn't get more screen time or we never learn Haida's first name, I didn't mind at all when season 5 went political. I don't understand the criticism calling season 5 "the Haida show". Every point you made are the reasons I love this show + the characters, of course. While it may not happen anytime soon, I hope Aggretsuko helps the youth of Japan wake up and rage someday with a banner of our favorite screaming red panda. 😊
I really agree with you.
This feels like such a direct response to the Just Stop video haha.
Great video, lots to think about! Sadly I do feel that the main issue you’ll see with fandoms and the general court of public opinion is: people being unable to separate a show from what it is, and what they want it to be. Lots of people don’t want to have to think about deep stuff like this, and many others don’t have the right perspective or media literacy, so when a show takes an odd direction they’ll just go “WTF was that…?” And then call a show “mid”.
Thanks for the insight! Glad you like the show so much!
I find it ironic that despite their love of anime, a LOT of American Weebs fail or down right refuse to see how much culture affects its local media.
That's why those people live in ignorant. They don't want hear the true.
@@J-manli Granted, said media illiteracy comes the Westerncentric aspect of alot of media and a lack of familiarity in dealing with stuff.
@@CountDVBI feel the "complaining for what you wanted it to be" is not western exclusive.
Everyone has an idea of how they want something to proceed, I feel.
I loved this show and everything you’ve stated is spot on! Especially the challenge Tonne had to deal with once the new CEO popped in. It’s funny, because I had an uncle that was given a trash position, to do as the justification, to literally throw him away (layoff or collect enough dirt to fire). A lot of this show is relatable, but seeing it from the Japanese cultural-side makes you understand the discomfort and disorder in everyday Japanese life. Actually, this show for me is more of a Korean or Japanese drama in anime form set to 30 minutes vs. 1 hour or two hour shows.
I also love how in the ending speech, the ending where jiro promises an age cap for the japanese government, really is a great idea, not only for japan but around the world
Seriously. Fucking Biden and Trump are nearly in their 80s, their formative years were when STALIN was still boss of the USSR. Putin's in his 70's. Xi's a relic of Mao and the Gang of 4. Even Trudeau is nearly 60. Old old old old old old old OLD all so OLD! Stuck in old ways and old ideas.
I relate to Haida when it came to overspending on games. It was so bad that I ended up getting my steam account stolen because I didn't read the red flags. I lost that account forever. I learned that lesson the hard way. Stay safe, and don't trust people you just met who give free stuff regardless of what it is.
I really like Shikibane. When she talks about how what she does being "more honest" hit me hard because I've gotten really cynical of full time work and have wanted to quit and go back to part time on that having the extra free time at the expense of money would be more honest than killing my soul working full time. I haven't quit because it's the objectively bad choice but part of me still whispers "at least you'd be living honestly".
Having lived "honestly" for a number of years, as you can likely imagine it's absolutely a grass is greener situation. That meager pride isn't worth much and it's so much harder to alter course once you've found comfort in your early grave.
Yay! It wasn't an April fool's! Now I can watch this after just NOW finding out a new season came out.....
Dude, phenomenal work. Like, this was so good and so passionate. Thank you for your hard work. I had seen the first couple of episodes years ago, but I never followed up. I'm glad you could provide that insight if I ever choose to go back to it. I heard your heart breaking as you talked about the different struggles Japan is going through. You've such a caring heart...
Remember folks: Retsuko is made by Sanrio!
And give Seasons 3, 4, and 5 more appreciation and love.
7:19 This moment has always stuck with me, because it blasted me in the face with the realization that we never learned anything about him. He seems boring but the characters in the story don't make an honest effort to know him.
I still think they should have broke up, but it made me sad.
Wow a show with a balanced take on things showing there problems with both sides.
No wonder the internet hates this show now
PS thank you for talking about this I've been feeling people are a little to focused on the micro level for characters and missing some of bigger ideas some shows and movie have been trying because there to hyperfocused on character they like
"you're either with us, or against us"
has been the motto of the internet for... what, 7 years now?
sigh...
@@iota-09 yep with no signs of changing
I think it's important to emphasise that the show also gives the postives of both sides too. It does make judment on what's good and bad and neither. For example it's clearly for sympathizing with the individual and keeping the old school way of giving priority to people over businesses or profit.
i mean everything in balance. if you lean to hard on one side, it causes its own problems. trying to have things in absolutes just doesn't work at all. history has shown us this time and time and time again. not just in japan, but all over the world. when there is not enough balance, then everything starts to fall apart.
It's more of they expect a rom-com story out of this and then disappointed when the romance plot is trash.
So much energy, so much power. This video and how you convey what you wanted to say is just great. Much love, much appreciation.
The themes of this show are not just relatable for Japan, especially the politics. Change for the better is a universal need, and struggle to obtain.
When you talked about Japanese Old Work Culture, it just reminds me of how unpleasant current western job hunting has become
There are so many people, not to mention how some people need multiple jobs just to pay their bills, that work applications are becoming more selective, wanting only the best employees they can get their hands on, firing those who can’t meet their expectations.
I even saw a quote saying “jobs are making employees fight over scraps” when talking about the American idea of “you work for the companies you want to work for”.
For example, I have an education in television and film production, I have the knowledge and willingness to do the work, but nearly all the job listings I have seen are “do you have 3 years of experience outside of education?” or “can you move to London?”, not to mention that these companies would rather pick individuals who have made short films in their free time and/or have successful RUclips channels.
There this whole other aspect about how networking is more effective than job listings, but my main point I am getting at is how present day jobs are becoming a competition where the passionate get in but those who have the skills but aren’t workaholics get left behind.
what happens later is those workaholics burn out and quit in the end within 5 years or leave for a different job making that venture basically worthless.
Never looked at discussion on this show before so I'm surprised that people didn't make some of the same connections. I'm not a Japan expert but many similar problems exist in the U.S
Same generational dynamic, same overall situation for youth and same status quo in politics in terms of policy. Feel like its easy to connect with the big picture problems even if you're not from Japan. Maybe people just aren't very aware of their society or aren't inclined to think critically on the show because of the cute tone and emphasis on personal dynamics between characters
Social media has fascillitated echo chambers and mob mentality far worse than before the internet. It radicalizes people with the most stupidest takes or those that are not informed enough. Also the instant gratification of many social medias makes people have shorter attention spans to actually think deeper for even a second, which social commentary shows require you to do..
This video really opened my eyes to the social commentary side of it. The scary part is flashes of the commentary in japan are also present in the US. This is a great video ill save so when I run into a friend who may have qualms about the show it can be of education to them. 10/10👍
Brilliant analysis! I'll admit, I didn't like seasons 2 and 4 very much for reasons others have mentioned, but looking at it from the perspective of "nothing changes and that's the problem" has made me appreciate the series a lot more. Thank you for making this!
The fact you didn't have a script and just raged... *chef kiss*
I really loved Aggretsuko, both for it's commentary and it's characters. Even though it was a commentary on Japanese society, I really felt myself resonating with a lot of it as an American because we share a lot of those same issues too. It was an adorable and very fun show from start to finish.
Same. The corporate office lifestyle is encompassing if you let it. There's a myth that you can rise to the top through hard work and innovation, but it's also dependent on luck, something poor retsuko never seems to have.
I'm glad to see her slowly come into her own over the series, but it's also hard for me to watch this show
going to agree, actually. my own shorthand for this show is "Japanese Dilbert" which, considering the analysis of what Id seen seemed pretty spot on... as a side note, anyone else want to see another series of that made as well? (At least in the right hands anyway... this could be a monkey's paw scenario in today's entertainment world.)
@@megabyte01 same, it's hard for me to watch for the same reason
I love Aggretsuko too, I felt the same way! I relate to alot of characters instead of just one I was watching the show as whole and not focusing on some of its parts. I didn't get bored with the show at all. I thought it was a great way to see the culture and society of Japan. After the final season I realizing that America suffers from a lot of the same problems. I know I love this show but I understand that the show might not be for everybody.
A lot of these problems labelled as "Japanese" problems" can easily translate to other countries, cause the world is more connected than ever and the way things are done are so factory standardized everywhere that the problems start to get same no matter if you live in Japan or not. The details are different, but the overall problems are the same. For instance Idol culture, despite originating in Japan, has spread as a mentality over the world through internet with influencers. Where people put them on such high pedestals of expectation too make them feel nice, and how easily they punish them when they toe out of line through cancellations, harassment or stalking.
good lord, people needs to get this point of view, this kind of things NEED to be understood
Good job as per usual GGoombah
we understood it, just didn't enjoy it. Yes I'm more interested in the characters than the commentary nothing wrong with that.
That mounting passion throughout the video until it was bursting with the conclusion was glorious to witness. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this video.
I love when people do stuff like this. It can give people outside Japan the perspective to really understand what these types of shows are going for. Just like how the Simpsons os for American culture.
Best explanation of the show I've seen and made me realize how many areas in the US are staring to have the same problem, most notably the "revolving door" employment issue and just overall bad work environments.
Of all people, I was really hoping that you would talk about this, Gaijin.
I really enjoyed this breakdown. To me here's to what I thought the concepts were for each season.
S1: Your work is your life now and it'll be never-ending, no matter how you turn it.
S2: Marriage is valuable, but it's difficult to truly make of it.
S3: Living a double life can be encouraging, but very dangerous.
S4: Work ethnics in the past can't keep up with modern times, so you may sell yourself short.
S5: Politics sucks and if you want change, then the people has to change it together.
That's just my take, but I very much agree what you said about each season. I really liked this series from start to finish, even though S4 wasn't something I didn't find one of the better ones, but it definitely kept me in liking the characters and what they had to deal with.
This notification is like... The best I've gotten in two years, no joke. I've loved Aggretsuko since the start and wanted to see what you'd say. And you said it all.
And you made me aware I was narrow in my focus. Know how you can read with theory? Like, Marxist reading, feminist reading, atheist reading. I interpreted the whole series with Bubble Theory. I once called the economic miracle bubble like Nam for Japan. It touched generations, created chaos and misery, and informed the culture down to the bones. The Bomb and the Bubble are the two things Japanese media will endlessly spin in subjects and imagery. I read every part of Aggretsuko through the Bubble, and it works. It's a workable theory to explain marriage problems and work culture and all of that. But you expanded the view, thank you for that.
And thank you for the idol culture commentary. A lot of folks don't understand. Hyodo especially deserves praise, he's a rare innovator and start-up guy who struggles through economic punishment and the horrors of the industry he chose. Also, extra shout out for flipping the script on the fanboy trio. Three ugly loser nerd superfans weren't portrayed as hideous monsters but earnest, loyal people with feelings and love. And they got hired on. Heck, Zukkun the owl CSI's up the identity of the stalker. Love they got a glow-up. Still nerds, now with muscles. Those dudes got swole. And still are loyal and caring.
I had been hoping you would eventually make a video like this! Aggretsuko is relatable enough to get most of what it's trying to say. But to have you name and explain all the specific cultural phenomena is something else! Very cool!
Ya know, I knew Aggretsuko hits different from other Sanrio properties, but watching this made me really think about something. You could literally change every time Gaijin said "Japan" with "United States" and it would be a damn near identical commentary on what's happening here. As far the hell away Japan is, we really don't have that much different a problem over in the US, and likely other countries as well. The "old guard" and "boomers" won't change a thing because they don't want things to change as long as they live and even if they do, it'll be so minute that you almost don't see it so you ignore it. So many things just plain not changing because too many of those who don't want to remain in power and it makes those who want the issues to be fixed just feel powerless to do so. I honestly didn't want to just make this about the US, but with Gaijin doing such a good job at spelling out the problems in Japan and the commentary in Aggretsuko, I really couldn't help it. All of it is just....tiring.....Thanks for doing this, Gaijin.
Basically its not a location problem its a generational problem japan lived through a bubble the US had another bubble with the same outcome the young getting screwed over by the old but the old do have some good ways of thinking while the new have amazing potential have a very dangerous way of living. I think compromising is the key here. can't be all cut throat but can't just have the power to just dump work on all on 1 person.
I'm glad to see someone finally understanding what this show was trying to do
This video was eye opening. And I'm actually scared how the commentary about Japan's problems can perfectly fit with my country's (Italy).
Everytime I watch this show I always wonder how deep the commentary goes, cause I can feel it, Like ALL OF IT. But my thing is, I have no frame of reference on what the commentary is for. I always hoped you would double back to it cause you are so informative.
Thank you Gaijin for being a good source of info from the inside perspective.
Oh my god THANK YOU, I keep seeing people criticizing the show without bothering to point out that it’s ultimately a commentary on social issues in Japan
I still personally wish some of the story elements could’ve been handled differently- such as Retsuko’s death metal scream literally pushing Haida and Himuro through a window and nearly falling to their deaths. Or the way the window dressing was handled, as a lot of it felt awkwardly done
Or the hard, HARD turn into politics. I understand why the show had to talk about that, but I wish it wasn’t so out of the blue. Though maybe that’s also part of the point? I just feel like it would’ve been smoother if they had one season focusing on the homelessness commentary, and another focusing on the politics commentary, but I imagine they wouldn’t have been able to because season 5 is the last season- they just didn’t have time, so they talked about both. And they talked about both because they’re both such important issues that need to be discussed. I also get that they were probably in the same season because they do tie in together, as you’ve explained, but the pacing just felt incredibly awkward, so if nothing else it would’ve been nice if there was a longer season 5, but again, that wouldn’t have been possible
Overall, the commentary in the show is fantastic- top-notch -but from writing standpoint it still does have some weaknesses. I don’t watch many shows that are primarily supposed to be commentary, so maybe that’s not a valid criticism and I’m being ignorant to that? But as a writer, particularly one who’s writing a book that serves as a commentary about things I care about, though heavily blanketed in metaphor, I have the perspective that both the nature of the commentary and other story elements, like pacing and characterization, are important. I may not watch many shows that serve as commentary, but I’ve read books that do, like The Hunger Games and the Uglies series, and they serve their job of commentary without sacrificing other story elements, and especially not characterization
idk, it’s a complicated issue. Overall, I do believe that a lot of the criticism for Aggretsuko misses the point of the show being commentary, especially of a culture they aren’t as familiar with/educated about, but there are still valid criticisms from a storytelling perspective
This video made me realize just how ignorant I and other people must be about cultures and societial issues outside our own. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but a necessary one. Thank you for putting your time and effort into making this.
The commentary I loved the most about this entire series was in the final moments of season 5, about all the people who couldn't vote. That hit the hardest because it feels exactly how I see thing happening in the United States. The people who can't vote are the ones who would benefit the most by voting, and that hit the hardest of any message from the show.
I also adored how Haida and Retsuko got married without a big ceremony. It showed that in the end, Retsuko realized what was important to her was being married to the person she loves, not big fancy ceremonies. Haida almost dying made her realize what she wanted, and that's very very human. In that situation, I think Retsuko and Haida having a big ceremony would have massively detracted from their characters. They realized what was truly important and followed through with it.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, it's not going to get better. It's not!"
--Dr. Seuss
Hey! Very good video. As someone who didn't really like Aggretsuko's latest seasons, you did open my eyes to some aspects I missed (did not know that staying at internet cafes was a whole "thing", I had assumed they just picked that as it would be a viable location for low-income folks to stay at).
That being said, I'm still not a fan of the later seasons. Not because they're objectively bad or anything, it's just a personal preference thing, I suppose, and I'd like to share my non-intellectual, subjective perspective here. I had always picked up that Aggretsuko is heavy on commentary- at times, it felt a bit too much on the nose, even-, but I did appreciate the charm in the first seasons. The societal commentary seemed obvious and a bit generic, but you had these small character development moments that gave it something enjoyable. The later season seemed to miss that.
Yes, they were very good at delivering commentary, but commentary alone, in my opinion, isn't enough to be entertaining, especially since it is admittedly simplistic in the show. The statistics and thought pieces on Japan's societal pieces are out there- you don't need a show to just say "abuse of power is prevalent" or "people are too overworked to date", there are easier ways to obtain that information. When a show engages with social commentary, there's typically something else applied to make it more than just a stream of statements- be it in-depth characters, funny satire (perhaps it's just me, but Aggretsuko didn't have the best humor), creativity using allegories, whatever. But, once the small character-centric moments were removed, Aggretsuko felt, to me, more like a repetition of headlines I've been seeing in news for years. South Park leans very heavily on its humor, which is what gives it value over just reading the news. I don't get what Aggretsuko was supposed to bring to the table, as it did not really go in depth on any of the topics it touched on.
I really vibe with the Aggrestuko series and its commentary, since a lot of the problems happening in Japan have been happening here at home too. Maybe not one to one similarities, but there is overlap. I want to be able to move out of my parent's house and live on my own in the town I feel most at home in. But I can't because I'm stuck in a position where no matter what I do I can't move out because I don't have the required monthly income. And there are also places where you can't rent them unless you have prior renting history, so if you're a first time renter with 0 history you're pretty screwed. Sorry for ranting there, point is Aggrestuko really helped give me a feeling of catharsis.
thats exactly whats going in in Ireland atm it sucks. Cant afford to go anywhere and then when you can your priced out by everyone else thats been waiting for 10 years 😅
It's not that I didn't get the social commentary. It's that the show jumps the shark all the time, when it didn't start out that way.
It started out really down to earth. And it became a complete farce. There's nothing wrong with a farcical show. In fact, the best farcical shows have down to earth moments. But going the other way gives total narrative whiplash..
what’s funny is i may not be familiar with all of Japan’s social issues or knew that they had terms for some of them, but I still recognized commentary when I saw it and found plenty to relate to anyway. That’s why i enjoyed the show from start to finish. I got what was being talked about. Anybody who said the show was bad or didn’t understand why certain things happened…yeah they didn’t get it. At all.
Thank you for making this explainer. As a person who’s proud of his Japanese heritage, but also have had first hand experience with EVERY ONE of these issues, I absolutely loved the commentary aspect of this show, and am hopeful that Sanrio can continue to produce commentary with this IP in the future. Especially because THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE, but we also need to remember to look back and inherit the positive aspects of our previous systems in order to change for the better.
Oh man. Thank you for doing a deep dive into this show. My partner and I watch this but haven't finished season 5 because it's hitting really close to home with me because of all the unemployment and gaming commentary that's going on. The reason why we love it is how much we relate and understand the world and messages inside. I want to finish the video but I haven't seen all of season 5 yet. But I'm definitely coming back!
This was a really awesome video. As much as I love the characters the social commentary behind every season is what fascinated me, because these are social issues that are relevant to Japanese culture and it was informative to see the various sides that are portrayed. Like these issues are not black and white with so much going on (or lack of) and how the characters helped portray these issues. You did a magnificent job with how in-depth this video was. I always love your content and analysis breakdowns.
How did nobody seem to get this show! I love the social commentary and how it tackles it head on every time! The commentary doesn't just fit Japan, I can tell you that. It also fits current problems over here in Germany! And that is why I vibed so much with that show!
Any time someone watches a piece of media made from outside their culture, they always initially watch that media through the lens of their own culture. It takes active observation and a willingness to broaden your perspective to understand how culture affects media.
I think overall its a generation problem. dont mater the location its a generation that grew up with a major boom and a generation that suffers because of that boom. Notice how the economy in most places kinda mirror each other and the same problem happens in all these countries.
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It's not just a generational gap that's the issue, but also a refusal by said older generation to learn what went wrong and how to improve, as well as a refusal by the younger generation to analyze what should stay.
I got it, just didn't like it.
I can hear your frustration and I feel for you. Japan has always had a strong culture, knowing the problems and how Aggretsuko highlights them is awesome. I'd love to see an expanded series on this, something more scripted? If this is your first and last word, I understand. Keep going GG!
Somewhere in japan someone is watching King of the Hill thinking this is commentary on the american issue of Propane sales
I actually kind of want to see how a Japanese person with little knowledge of American culture interprets the various commentaries of our shows.
Aggretsuko is one of the best shows on Netflix! But I didn't really know how to explain why it's good to non-Japanese friends.
You summarize so well and I'm just going to send this video to my friends from now on😂
i remember watching season 5 after anxiously waiting for the next season, and i was a bit shocked when i found out it was the final one. and then i watched it, and i was like: "wait, that's it? we're going back to where we started? Retsuko decides to become a politician, loses, and then it's back to work as usual." but i wasn't disappointed in it. i actually liked the season finale. :)
Your whole rant is basicly me being like WAIT PEOPLE DIDN'T NOTICE THIS? Then I recall the world and go oh yeah why did I think people could see neon flashing light of context when at my work customers read the resturant is closed today then go bang on the door to the dining hall.
Everything about this made me cry... And I had already been crying. This whole video just felt like.... A commentary on my life and my job, and I don't know what to do anymore. Nothing is working, nothing is changing, and no matter how hard I try for change.... It doesn't matter. I just ... I can't stop trying, but I don't know why I bother.
I didn't know Aggretsuko needed defending, cause I absolutely loved it start to finish. And I'm no expert on Japan, so I didn't quite get all of the commentary, so this was great! The best part for me was when Retsuko got best girl to open up and let herself feel some passion. What a wonderful show
I just finished Season 5, and I purposely held off on watching this video for 2 months since it was posted.
You. Got. It.
I understood it, but you? YOU. GOT. IT!!
What I find ironic about your commentary about the commentary is that you could replace Japan with America and still would be talking about the same thing. Overworking youth that struggle with being treated like humans by supervisors who are stuck in their old ways; Politicians who believe "The Good Old Days" will fix modern problems. And nothing will change until people cannot contain their anger any more.
Bravo, my good sir! Bravo!
So nice to see Gaijin being as pissed as Retsko.
Okay first off, when did Gaijin become a tsurube otoshi for videos? Second, this video is basically Gaijin perspective reimagined and I love it!❤️
I had an operation. XD
I cannot help but think....
Nostalgia Critic: "Social commentary, social commentary, social commentary."
Gaijin Goomba: "That was the POINT!"
Great great video. I rarely partake in fandoms anymore, I finished aggretsuko and didn't coment on it anywhere, so I was pretty surprised when I saw lots of people crapping on it on twitter. i don't know half the details you do, but even I was able to get a loose idea of what they were referencing. Thanks for speaking on behalf of the show, because I've seen nothing but disappointment
Your rage is right, lots need change
I loved every season of this show. I kinda got the gist of what the commentary was but it's nice to have somebody with more knowledge of this stuff explain things so I could get a bigger grasp.
How soon will Gaijin Goomba review Bionicle?
I feel the rage this series awoke in you. didn't watch it myself but glad to have gotten a better understanding than I could have privately interpreted with my limited pool of experience.
The whole review was amazing and very on point, thanks to all the things you've taught us over the years and other knowledge I've got around, I already had nailed down some of these concepts, but that ending is just perfect, not only is it a rage rant but it's so natural, at one point I thought "Austin, is that you!?" xD
Really loved this video. You dissected every point of what Aggretsuko is all about. I like the show for its take on Japan's work-life from the inside and outside. The cultural aspects, norms, and status quo from each season throughout the series piqued my interest especially when I used to live in Japan a few years ago. Shows that have a certain slice of modern life like Aggretsuko are cool to me because they help teach you in a way how life works even if they're culturally different from another culture. Additionally, the relatability to some characters in a way understands them like Haida having anxiety and self-esteem issues in the later seasons. Overall, I love the series and it'll be missed. Side note: Ever since Regular Show (another show I felt had some slice of modern life in its own way) ended years ago, it lead me to see Aggretsuko. The reason I bring this up is that both shows in some ways taught me some things about life in general whether it was never to self-doubt yourself or overcome those harsh struggles.
At this point we should all follow France's example. They're fighting for more than two years of retirement, they're demanding Hedge Funds like Blackrock stop being able to buy up affordable housing for profits because no one can afford to live in them anymore. They want their livelihoods and futures back.
This was a great video. It sucks when media goes out of its way to have something nuanced to say, something that might be difficult to hear, but it gets blasted by its alleged fans because they refuse to listen/engage with it because doing so would mean stepping out of their comfort zone. No one likes to be told that they "don't get it", but when the reason for not getting it is right there in the proverbial text, the fault is not on the show, it's on whoever's on the receiving end of it.
In fact, I'm currently doing a personal writing project about a different show that underwent a similar path with its audience when it decided to get serious about something it was commenting on. In fact, I'm thinking about titling it "You DON'T GET [name of show]" or something along those lines because of this video.
I understood this anime quite well despite not living in Japan, cause a lot of problems the anime comments on are present in other countries. Japan just started having these problems earlier than other countries and was sorta warning what would happen elsewhere in the world.
I think its more along the lines of generation problems. the old vs new generations. the old refuses to hand over the reigns or even compromise and help the new to get into these position of power. Now that the old is dying and the new just ripping the reigns out were not going to see pleasantry in the future from those that rip the reigns out of the hand.
It's not just in Japan. The whole world has come to a point where it has to change. The boomer generation got to power and build the world back up after the great depression. But they them refused to actually let the world evolve further. The refused to relinquish their power, refused to let go of old social norms. They are afraid of change, because they saw what happened when change happens and goes wrong. So they clamped on, tight. And that created the problems that this generation is trying to stand against. But we all have to do so.
The fact that the phrase “When I count back from 10, everything will be back to normal” is used to end things only hurts more because things go back to normal every time. And yet…this is how things will be until they break.
I really do appreciate the insights you’ve given for the themes of these seasons. S3 remains my personal favorite, but you’ve given me stronger reasons to consider S4 and S5.
While I only seen season 1, I could tell there was a lot of commentary behind this show. I didn't know how deep it went. Glad I watched this.
I loved this show for its social commentary! Thanks for doing such a comprehensive video about that point!
“If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”
As someone who only got to watch season 1 due to no longer having netflix, I am legit sad now that I couldn't see the rest of the series when I could. I was always aware that aggretsko mainly tackled issues prominent to Japan, but that last bit, that last bit of the retrospective hit so. Fucking. Hard. Especially right now as there is just so much rage from my generation (millennial) and younger in North America (Canada in my case). Things NEED to change but, like what was shown with them losing in the end, it will take a lot to get there. Hell, we might not get there until way after we are gone. The point is to keep. Trying. Because progress takes time, and even if you just change the perspective of one person, then it's still worth it for all those that come after. Thank you for this vid Gajin.
Things do need to change but we can't rush headlong into change. Else we'd have major problems. Sometimes a compromise is needed. The old needs to give up a bit of themselves and the new need to give up a bit of their ideas. The old have major points while the young know experimentation can bring to a better life. Right now I see the rope being tug by both ends and that line is going to snap when the old dies and we are going to see a very bad outcome in our future. Maybe the generations after that will learn from the lessons about compromising.
He makes a good point, and he mentioned some things about Japanese culture that I didn't know before, but the idea that a character driven story and a commentary driven story have to be completely separate is a bad take. I'm currently taking writing classes for film and tv and there are 4 very important questions to ask when writing a story. 1. Whose story is it? 2. What do they want? 3. What do they need? 4. What is the audience hoping and fearing? The character who changes over the course of the story is the main character, and their want and need are tied to one another because something about the want has to be sacrificed for the character to realize their need. What the audience hopes and fears is the main tension of the story.
In season 1, it is Retsuko's story. She wants an easy way out of having to work and she thinks that getting married will do that for her. What she needs is to realize that there is no easy way out and marrying for the wrong reasons will only hurt her in the end. The audience realizes this tension when she and Ressasuke go on a date and he doesn't realize how much pain Retsuko is in from the blisters she's getting from her shoes, so they want her to realize that this relationship is bad for her.
(I really should make a video about this)
Now let's look at the season finale for season 4. It is Haida's story because he's the one that undergoes change. He wants approval from the President, so he tampers with documents at his request. He needs to realize that this will only hurt himself, and he needs to confront the President about it. The audience hopes that Haida will do the right thing in the end, and they fear that he will go through with the plan. That sounds good, but in the end Retsuko comes in and takes care of the problem for Haida instead of letting him -as the main character for that episode- take care of the problem himself.
You can apply these 4 questions to seasons 1-3 easily and get satisfying answers, but the last 2 seasons don't give satisfying answers. Retsuko is running for office, but it wasn't her choice. She doesn't want to do it, even though the motivation to do it is right there after the dinner scene at Haida's family home. His father insulted him, Retsuko could take that as a threat and then give Ikari a call saying that she'll run for office. The her want would've been to do her best as a politician to win a seat, but her need would be to let her true feelings be known and to be honest with the people to show Haida's dad and his brother a lesson.
Very long comment short, the last 2 seasons are fine, but they aren't character driven while earlier seasons were, and they still had commentary weaved into the story. Making them superior because in stories we attach to characters, not ideas.
Thank you for making this. I hope it gets more views, and that people watch to the end, because this is something people need to listen to and internalize _aggressively_ .
First, great job on this video Gaijin. AMAZING WORK!
And... there's something else to consider. I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate but... to people in America, seeing Aggretsuko and realizing that the issues in the show are EXTREMELY Prevalent, marital issues, voting turnout, old ways staying in power, collapsing markets, it may not be as impactful upon first glance, but then when the conenction is made and we wish a change can be made... we realize the difference in our worlds. America can be so volatile and so different in their rulings and economy because people want change and are willing to fight for it tooth and nail. People in Japan are losing that spark to vote and the scariest part? I think some people in America are losing that passion to vote to. I dunno why I typed this, but overall, excellent video. Be the change you want to see.
Even though the commentary is more on Japanese culture, I can relate to the government being run by a bunch of old people stuck in the past. Most of our Senators and Representatives are in at least their 50s in our legislature.
This show is one of my top 5 favorite anime. Thank for going over the social commentary. I have an even greater appreciation for this show
I have enjoyed the Series all the way. It did feel weird when it pivoted into Idol Culture and Politics in what I thought was just a slice-of-life genre show. But the stories they were telling were always interesting. It so nice to see someone talking about the show and showing parts of the story I never would have known about otherwise.
It's really interesting how some concepts really are universal
had your very own Aggretsuko moment, nice
Never watched the show but every point that was mentioned stuck to me as the issues in the show isn't purely a Japanese thing, it's more of an Asian thing as a whole. But due to needing quite a lot of context and just understanding of eastern culture, I can see why the commentary flew over western viewer's heads. Since for a social commentary to work in the first place, the viewer needs some understanding of the point that is being commented on in the first place.
Amazing video please rage more it's very entertaining.
Be yourself and Love those who can be themselves around you. Congrats on the anniversary my dude, hope to find someone myself one day I can love that much and have a family with.
I think the reason people didn't get Aggretsuko is because they are not aware of the social-political environment in Japan. I'm glad you went into detail about why its important. Now I understand some games a little bit better that I've been playing, where these issues are highlighted. Such as Yakuza: Like a Dragon. People in America understand American politics. I would've never dreamed that the insanity of not having a permanent residence excludes you from voting. That is not just cruel, but intentionally segregating. In Like a Dragon, Ichiban makes a comment when he goes to look for a job about how stupid it is that he can't apply for a job because he doesn't have an official address. And he was right!
It only changes if old people change something and they don't want to.
Yeah that's sad.
I was wondering when you would break this show down. I loved this show and figured there was some nuances that went over my head about Japanese culture. Thanks for the insight.