Deeper look at Season 3 of Aggretsuko Haida’s Journey

Spoilers ahead. Overall review here.

While not my favorite season of Aggretusko I do think it raises talking points about adult hood and responsibility. In a almost recreation of Perfect Blue Retsuko goes through a identity crisis. I would argue that Haida goes into an equally important heroes journey.

It seemed like Haida was on the minds of the writers more so than our lead. But like I said in my other review Haida didn’t get a good Heroes Journey. But at least he kind of got one? I mean Retsuko goes to the regular circle the call to adventure was the side job/idol group. She learns how to work the system and actually make money from being in the group.

The return is her being attacked and returning to the status quo at her old job. I mean it’s like a feels bad man moment when she decides to go back. I thought the whole theme was getting independent from her old job and moving on, not clinging to the old ways. It felt kind of a step back and a slap to her growth as a character.

Was the moral of the story to not try new things or better yourself? I also thought that Retsuko could have turned the trauma into a learning moment like in the last two seasons. In season 1 she learned that she shouldn’t look for an easy way out. Season 2 was learning what makes her happy and finding it on her own. And in this season I guess don’t fly to close to the sun?

Anyway we’re here to talk about Haida. His journey follows Retsuko but it branches off at parts and we are given a look into what makes Haida Haida. There are a few narrative leaps the writers do but I guess it’s fine. Retsuko asking Haida to teach her guitar seems out of nowhere. I mean she could have heard him talking about playing Bass but if she never saw his room before I don’t think she would have made that connection.

Haida’s main conflict is choosing between Retsuko and Inui. Which wasn’t really a fair contest given that Retsuko would have been stabbed or worst if Haida wasn’t there. I guess my problem with this is how real it felt but the characters didn’t act normally. Inui was like hey good job and btw I’m leaving you. She didn’t even acknowledge that someone could have died. And a side note Fenneko was apparently written out of this whole thing to make Haida the savior. Looking back I felt like Fenneko and gang could have helped.

Haida also saves Retsuko from her PTSD by convincing her to come back to her old job and leave idol life behind. Haida chooses Retsuko in the end but the writers forced his hand to make that decision.

At the end of the day it feels very sitcom like. I would have liked the characters to change at the end. Everything they went through seems kind of pointless with no lasting changes. Haida’s journey only reinforces his feelings about Retsuko. Which is fine but he is kind of stuck in a wishy washy love triangle. I also feel like the relationships are very polarizing maybe because of the culture of japan, but it seems like Haida’s options were dating or distance friend. It seems like the writers can’t seem to choose between two extremes.

Which is fine at a story stand point, but after three seasons I felt like Haida should understand more about the subtle differences in adult relationships. But maybe I’m expecting too much at a Sanrio cartoon aimed at adults?