Aggretsuko has been teasing this potential office romance out since the beginning, but will Haida x Retsuko ever actually happen? Aggretsuko is a cult anime show from Netflix which was originally based off a series of shorts. The story follows trading firm employee Retsuko, a talking red panda. She’s constantly stressed out at work due to horrible bosses and working conditions, and her only real outlet is singing death metal at karaoke.
Aggretsuko’s unique characters and story helped it gain a cult audience, in addition to being genuinely funny. The show might be about an introverted panda who only comes to life while singing metal at night, but the relatable office dynamic and relationships keep it surprisingly grounded too. Retsuko herself is a likable heroine and the show boasts great supporting characters through her co-workers Fenneko and Haida.
Aggretsuko was one of the best anime series of 2018 and quickly became a fan favorite. One major subplot involves Haida, who has a major crush on Retsuko, but keeps this to himself for much of season 1, though he confides it to Fenneko. His repressed feelings make up most of his arc for the first series and his attempts to get closer to Retsuko, such as repairing her laptop or attending an office party just to hang out with her, usually end badly. He eventually leaves it too late and Retsuko starts a relationship with co-worker Resasuke.
Haida blames himself for not talking to Retsuko about his feelings earlier and later ends up in hospital with pneumonia following an accident. Retsuko and Fenneko later visit him, following Retsuko’s break-up with Resasuke, which is when he decides to confess his feelings. Considering the timing of this, she rejects him simply because she’s not ready for a romantic relationship with anyone. Again, Haida takes this badly, though the pair later spend time together in Aggretsuko Christmas special “We Wish You A Metal Christmas.”
In much the same way The Office had the Jim and Pam romance, Aggretsuko has Haida x Retsuko. Fans certainly want the two characters to get together, but the series is taking its time to develop the romance first. Season 1 had a lot of fun contrasting Haida’s frustrating inability to just admit his feelings to Retsuko, who was always kind of aware of how he felt but didn’t act on it either. The series finale suggests there’s still hope for a future relationship between them, though.
It looks like fans will have to wait for Aggretsuko season 2 to see how Haida x Retsuko develops, which should arrive sometime in 2019.
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