Im not gonna lie when I saw Aggretsuko get a 4th season the cynic in me thought this was too much of a good thing. Season 3 was already a satisfying conclusion to Retsukos arc and anything more would just be Western producersin this case Netflixmilking a show into oblivion. I especially dreaded the idea of Retuko taking a step backward in her life just so they can prolong her story as many other shows have done. After completing the 4th season I guess I was kind of right? Retsuko doesnt change that much throughout the 4th season because the show is no longer about her growth as a person. It seems strange but even though her names still in the title Retsuko isnt really the main character anymore: Haida is. Now I thought the beginning of the season was downright silly. At the end of the 3rd season I thought the Retsuko x Haida couple was a forgone conclusion so watching a dumb romcom couched in highschool misunderstandings was beyond insipid. Haida was literally one step away from her doorstep but he was too much of a pussy to take it. Yes the show acknowledges how stupid this is but it doesnt mean I have to like it. Seriously it was hard for me to tolerate an indecisive soyboy Haida with a selfesteem as thin as paper not being able to ask out his crush hes been pining over for half a decade. I realized later on that this was a necessary setup to fully examine Haida as a character so the second half improved a lot for me. This season comes with a new antagonist: the companys new president I forgot his name. While the first season explored the abuse of power rampant in a corporation this season explores the more underground corruption plaguing it. Not only is he quick to criticize the outdated tradition of his seniors but hes also so obsessed with efficiency to the point of treating employees more like machines than actual humans. Haida being the most efficient member of the department becomes the new head of accounting. Haida is highly impressionable and is unsure of himself so he desperately seeks outward validation. And now that he finally does get validation it corrupts him. Hes now willing to do ethically questionable things just to protect that meager validation and in the process becomes more closedoff than ever before. Ultimately confidence should come from within not from someone else and this season kinda delivers on that messagethough the ending did feel a bit rushed. Aggretsuko remains as thoughtful as ever but as far as Im concerned I didnt need a 4th season. The fact that Retsuko was sidelined for most of it makes me feel like the writers were grasping at straws figuring out how to prolong the story without ruining what theyve built up. If youre watching just to revisit this eccentric cast youll have a good time. For me Haida isnt nearly as likable as Retsuko so I had a hard time getting invested. Anywho it says Retsuko will return after the credits of episode 10 so what do I know? Im probably gonna watch it anyway since its so short and digestible. Thanks for reading