10 More Intriguing Shows About Life!
Aggretsuko is a fun, heartwarming anime about a red panda named Retsuko. She uses her love for death metal as a coping mechanism to relieve stress from her daily life activities. Her tale will resonate with folks who struggle to navigate their own lives, even if their problems don’t correlate with the issues Retsuko and her companions endure in the anime. Although this anime’s come to an end (at the time of this writing), it left off on an enjoyable note.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Aggretsuko! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Aggretsuko.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows/anime that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Aggretsuko!
Odd Taxi
Similarities – Animals & Themes
Have you ever wanted a dark interpretation of Animal Crossing? Odd Taxi should satisfy your desires. This anime offers splendid characters, an engaging narrative, and is full of mature themes. Like Aggretsuko, Odd Taxi’s animal cast struggles with loneliness, financial insecurities, and social status. You’ll become immersed in their tales and hope for them to have a better future.
Both anime have dark undertones that add emotional complexity to their storylines. Despite being comedic, these anime explore serious themes and demonstrate the complexity of human emotion and behavior through their animal characters. For instance, Odd Taxi introduces several mysteries that will make viewers feel tense and nervous.
Retsuko’s karaoke screams she has in multiple episodes depict her frustrations with modern life. It’s moments like these that add an emotional layer to each anime’s story, making it enticing for viewers. If you’re looking for another incredible animal anime that leans into its darker aspects more than Aggretsuko, check out Odd Taxi.
You can read our thoughts on Odd Taxi in our full-season review here!
Africa Salaryman
Similarities – Animals, Comedy, Workplace
Africa Salaryman is a comedic animal anime that’ll entertain many folks. It follows the daily lives of multiple animal species who adore outing the lives of office workers in a capitalist society in Japan. On that note, Aggretsuko and Africa Salaryman explore the corporate culture and its impact on workers. You’ll sit through multiple episodes that highlight both cast’s struggles to succeed.
At the same time, both anime like to poke fun at societal norms and current affairs. For instance, you’ll see characters from Africa Salaryman perform absurd stunts to get by like creating bizarre ads for brands. As for Aggretsuko, it tackles the pressures many women endure when on the job. It’s these moments that will make people ponder how it connects to modern society.
Personal development and establishing strong connections are other topics tackled in these anime. Where Retsuko learns to appreciate music by joining a band in season 3, Africa Salaryman showcases the importance of finding a work-life balance and taking care of one’s mental health within its storytelling.
Detroit Metal City
Similarities – Comedy & Music
If you loved Retsuko’s heavy metal outburst but wanted something with human characters, Detroit Metal City has you covered. This anime will subvert many fans’ expectations with its protagonist and messages. In it, we follow Souichi, a soft-spoken college student who happens to be a lead singer in a popular metal band called DMC. He’s known for bringing energy to every performance.
Despite his fame, Souichi would rather opt for a peaceful existence. The anime chronicles his twisted lifestyle, as he works to balance his band and romance life. As one can expect, both anime feature protagonists who live double lives. Souichi is a college student by date and rockstar by night while Retsuko is an office worker by day and finds herself tackling multiple odd jobs throughout other seasons.
Both anime tackle music, but in different ways. Retsuko uses music to calm her nerves from stressful life-oriented events. As for Detroit Metal City, it satirizes the heavy metal scene and the ridiculous personas musicians forge to maintain their image. In both anime, the music serves as a backdrop for their characters’ personalities, emotions, and growth.
Shirobako
Similarities – Characters, Action, Comedy
In need of an anime that will get you motivated to pursue your life-long goals? Shirobako should suffice. This anime features an adult cast like Aggretsuko who is trying to forge a stable path in the working world. In Shirobako, the characters work in the anime industry, unlike Aggretsuko’s cast, who are office workers.
Nevertheless, these anime explore the challenges and frustrations of working for a paycheck, dealing with difficult colleagues and bosses, and striving to achieve one’s dream. Shirobako’s cast will be presented with multiple deadlines and must work as a unit to get the job done. As for Retsuko, she’ll struggle to find meaning in her dead-end job and uses death metal to relieve stress.
Shirobako’s cast receives excellent development over the course of the series. Viewers will adore seeing these characters gain new skills and mature as they work diligently in the anime industry. The same goes for Retsuko and her friends in Aggretsuko. For those who want a taste of what life is like for animators, Shirobako offers a significant portrayal.
Nichijou: My Ordinary Life
Similarities – Characters & Story
Nichijou: My Ordinary Life is an anime brimming with absurd humor, lovable characters, and relatable situations. It follows the daily lives of five girls who like causing a ruckus wherever they go. These girls will witness many bizarre sights from giant talking goats to their principal wrestling a deer outside of their classroom window.
The characters in both anime are flawed and relatable. They find themselves in awkward and uncomfortable predicaments that’ll make people laugh hysterically. Both anime have simplistic art styles that shroud people within a comforting atmosphere. At the same time, both anime have several animated sequences that will evoke an opposite effect on viewers. If you’re looking for a stellar school-themed anime with fun characters who indulge in strange and exciting mischief, check out Nichijou: My Ordinary Life.
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san
Similarities – Comedy & Workplace Culture
If following a red panda working an office job was entertaining to you, then you’ll love following Honda and his Japanese bookstore endeavors in Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san. This anime provides viewers with fun, relatable humor to those who worked retail jobs. It highlights Honda’s grief in the workplace from making simple mistakes to his interactions with different customers.
Like Aggretsuko, this series has short episode runtimes and should be a cakewalk for people to binge. The art style is minimalistic and the plot is easy to follow. Some may wonder why the anime never got more seasons due to how humorous it can be. If you’re looking for another anime that gives you the genuine workplace experience through the eyes of a non-humanoid figure, check out Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san.
The Way of the House Husband
Similarities – Themes & Comedy
If bookstore skeletons or office worker animals weren’t your things, then you may enjoy following Tatsu in The Way of the House Husband. This is another anime with episodes that are short, simple, and effective. In it, Tatsu has abandoned his gangster lifestyle for a househusband role. Like Retsuko, this anime explores Tatsu’s daily life activities from shopping to cooking.
During his journey, he’ll be joined by colorful characters from his wife to his former employee Masa. Everyone has a fine personality which makes Tatsu’s life more lively and entertaining. Both anime offer incredible comedy that will get a chuckle from you. You can expect Tatsu to wear silly aprons while he’s cooking and confront fellow yakuza when he’s shopping for goods. If you’re looking for a short anime with great humor and incredible characters, check out The Way of the House Husband.
Beastars
Similarities – Animals, Romance, Themes
Beastars is another fun animal anime that delves into deep topics like discrimination, personal identity, and navigating complex relationships. Like Aggretsuko, it utilizes anthropomorphic animals as its main characters, giving the story added depth and originality. It follows Legoshi, a wolf who must monitor the school grounds after a fellow classmate Tem was killed by a carnivore.
During his shift, Legoshi meets Haru, a dwarf rabbit who isn’t loving her best life. Legoshi falls head over hills for Haru but must keep his predatory instincts at bay if he wants to get close to her. Like Retsuko, Legoshi will learn how to overcome his internal struggles to become the best he can be. Only for him, he must defeat his carnivorous instincts while Retsuko struggles to become a good employee.
Aggretsuko and Beastars portray relationships in complex ways, In Beastars, Legoshi’s bond with Haru requires him to challenge his own preconceptions and prejudices towards herbivores, creating a complex relationship dynamic. As for Retsuko, she’ll struggle to find a person that’s right for her, and others won’t look down upon her for choosing.
You can read our thoughts on Beastars in our full-season review here!
Sakura Quest
Similarities – Workplace Culture & Comedy
Sakura Quest is another anime that highlights the challenges of navigating the workforce to find one’s purpose in life. In it, we follow college graduate Yoshino Koharu as she finds a part-time gig as queen of the Kingdom of Chupakabura. We examine her life alongside other co-workers as they try to restore the beauty and charm to Manoyama, the rural town where this “kingdom” resides.
Like Aggretsuko, Sakura Quest gives Yoshino multiple work-related challenges. She’ll struggle to promote Manoyama with her friends, leading to immense stress and unforgettable interactions with her peers. Many people who are tourists or have a difficult time promoting their work in outdoor environments or online will resonate with Yoshino and her friends’ anxiety.
Both anime contain some great jokes, one-liners, and situational humor. These anime also have beautiful visuals and animation. Viewers will adore Sakura Quest’s easy-going artwork since it will make individuals cherish the beauty of small towns. If you’re looking for a delightful workplace-themed anime about tourism struggles, check out Sakura Quest.
Take My Brother Away!
Similarities – Comedy & Slice of Life
Take My Brother Away is a fun slice-of-life anime that explores the problems with navigating the intricacies of life as a young adult. Like Retsuko, the protagonists in Take My Brother Away come off as relatable and enjoyable to follow. In it, we follow Miao and Fen, two siblings who can’t get along with each other. One notable aspect between Aggretsuko and Take My Brother Away is how it uses comedy to delve into serious topics. In Take My Brother Away, it uses hilarious moments to offer a story about familial love.
For Retsuko, she uses death metal music to relinquish her stress over office life. It uses humor to showcase the absurdity of stressful work environments while addressing topics like prejudice and burnout in her workplace. Miao and Fen’s relationship will relate to those who couldn’t stand their siblings while growing up. Furthermore, Aggretsuko and Take My Brother Away were worked on by Studio Fanworks, but have distinct animation styles that complement their narratives.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Aggretsuko!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!