As we gear up for yet another wonderful Christmas time, Netflix has graced us with an early Christmas gift: a fourth season of Aggretsuko has been greenlit! While the news first dropped on the official Aggretsuko Instagram, more news is sure to be revealed in the coming days.
While it’s great news that we’re getting a fourth season, it really makes me wonder where the show will go in terms of plot. Where exactly does Retsuko go from wanting to leave her office job, to dating a tech billionaire, to fronting an idol group? Will the fourth season show us the continued aftermath of Retsuko dealing with the events of Season 3, or is that too grounded in reality for casual viewers and fans? Will it go in the other direction and continue with hijinks in order to be able to tackle larger issues with a softer touch? Will Retsuko and Haida be confirmed as a couple? Only time will tell.
The Aggretsuko brand, as well as the character of Retsuko, has struck a gold mine for both Sanrio and Netflix, as they’ve expanded outside of characters meant largely to appeal to children. Who can’t relate to Retsuko’s work-related issues and the need to let your feelings out and decompress? Have we not all been Gudetama at one time or another, whether it’s lacking in motivation or simply needing a good nap?
Both Aggretsuko and the apathetic egg Gudetama tap into a market of all kinds of adults looking for relatable characters and content, while tapping into the soothing, charming aesthetic that Sanrio has perfected down to a science. Now more than ever, people need to see themselves and their struggles reflected in an approachable way, without the harsh light of judgment or reality peeking through. The fact that a fourth season of everyone’s favorite death metal karaoke singing red panda will grace our screens at some point in the future is more than enough proof of that.
