Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max

Aggretsuko #1-3

by Daniel Barnes

Sanrio and Oni Press join forces to bring Aggretsuko to comics for the first time!

Aggretsuko, the hit Netflix show in production for season three, stars Retsuko the Red Panda, a young office worker stuck in a thankless job, whose only stress release is singing death metal at the local karaoke joint. With the help of her friends, can she ever find the job satisfaction she craves - - not to mention adventure, the approval of her mother, and even... love?! These comics explore all these issues and more, brought to life by today's top talent! Collects issues 1-4

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Humor, Fiction, Manga, Graphic Novels Comics, Anthropomorphic

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2020

Reviews

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.3 stars (rounded down)

TW// brief mentions of harassment and sexism

Down with the Sickness: 5 stars - My favorite comic in this collection and possibly my favorite Aggretsuko comic. It plays on the covid-19 pandemic by making it somewhat of a funny zombie story. I also loved how this comic addressed how people should stay home when they're sick. It was definitely dramaticized, but it showed how easily a virus can spread.

Mall Madness: 4 stars - Geez, Tsunoda was annoying to read about. This story made great commentary on entitled rich people and social media influencers.

The Visitor: 4 stars - This one was probably my least favorite one in this collection. It was still pretty enjoyable and I thought it was creative how this story played on the idea of a "Karen." However, this Karen story felt a little weird to me because Karen was actually making good points about how Retsuko can and should stand up for herself. I did really appreciate the ending though because it left off on a really good note.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


SO HYPED! I love Aggretsuko series (though I would love Retsuko to be a bit more responsible in many ways) and I was delighted to see the comic series pop up on Netgalley. I already was eager to read it as several of my favourite artists talked about it on Twitter and showed the covers they made.

The book features 3 stories with awesome fitting name and Retsuko’s frustration listed as well. I have written a short review per story.

Down With The Sickness: 4.5 stars Monday’s suck. Literally in this one as apparently everyone is sick in the office. I had a big laugh at how the sick people looked and acted like zombies and how everything was also kind of handled that way. We get a small group of survivors, glass breaking, lots of running, lots of leaving behinds and more. I had a laugh that the virus was called C-virus, which stands for Carrier-Virus. Which is about people who should stay home because there are sick, but don’t because of various reasons mostly to do with their carreers.
It was an exciting story and I loved the ending. Go go Retsuko! Shout out loud! Though poor her in the end, but I am happy with her decision.
The art by D.J. Kirkland was good. I liked seeing the characters in his style.

Mall Madness: 3.5 stars. In this one Retsuko is shopping when she meets Tsunoda. Yep. Our artificial and not always so kind girl. Retsuko kind of agrees to go with her instead of being honest about why she was in the store and getting some cute clothes for herself. And that is how a day with Tsunoda begins. A whirlwind of fashion, expensive clothes, perfume, and lastly a cup of something to drink. There were times I really liked Tsunoda… but there were enough times I wasn’t happy. She is not one of my favourite girls, she can be quite mean towards people. The moments I did like is that she never pushed Retsuko to buy anything and when she opened up about her youth and how she got to love fashion and such so much. That was a nice moment.
I do feel for Retsuko, some people don’t really care if their clothes are fashionable, they just need to look nice and fit comfortable.
I had a laugh at the ending, let it all out girl. Let it all out. Though next time? Maybe just tell Tsunoda your feelings honestly.
The art by Jarrett Williams was pretty OK. The faces didn’t always work for me.

The Visitor: 4 stars. Karen from the sister office appears to make things better in the Japan office. Sorry, I just couldn’t stop laughing that the girl was called Karen, the name has definitely been ruined due to the internet. And at points she really was a Karen. 😛 But I could also see she really wanted to help Retsuko… though she only made it worse for her with her ideas. But she tried, and I can imagine, given what we learn later on that she doesn’t want to have Retsuko, and her colleagues to have a horrible job situation. I am glad someone is finally stepping up. Though I am guessing it will take a lot more to get rid of Ton or make him see the errors of his way. And we know he can be a good guy… sometimes.
The ending and that duet, that was just fantastic, I would love to see more of Karen now. Just like Retsuko. I hope that things will change, but for now motivational notes are the start of it.
Fantastic art by Brenda Hickey.

The short story at the end is all about Tsunoda and Retsuko getting a coffee. I felt for both girls. Tsunoda because there are indeed so many options at places, and Retsuko because she wants something easy and get back in time.

I absolutely LOVED the cover gallery with all the variant covers.

All in all, I had so much fun reading this one and I am happy I got to read it. I will definitely be adding this one to my collection, I am sure my hubby (who is a fan of Retsuko just like me) will love this as well. Happy that they finally collected 3 of the 4 comics to a bundle as I just cannot easily get the single issues here in my country.
Recommended to all who love the show!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when I saw "Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max" in the "Read Now" section of Netgalley. I am a fan of the Netflix original show that follows Retsuko, the red panda, an overworked company employee by day, and metal karaoke singer by night. Her adventures and endearing personality always get a chuckle out of me, and make a hectic day at work seem less so.

This graphic novel follows Retusko on three different adventures: trying to stay healthy at work while everyone else is falling ill, a day out shopping with her social media obsessed co-worker, and touring a consultant sent to raise the morale of the employees in the office. Just as in the show, her struggles are very relatable, and she always breaks down into metal karaoke singing to help her overcome them. The illustrations are very cute, and almost all the characters from the show make an appearance, which was great to see.

This is a great read for fans of the Netflix series. It takes about 15 min to read (about the same length of one episode) and is sure to put a smile on all of Retusko's fans' faces. Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite anime on Netflix right now so I was super excited to see my favorite heavy-metal red panda, Retsuko, in manga form. All the characters are here but with brand new stories not previously done in the Netflix show. The three stories here include an office contagion of zombie-like proportions, a long day of shopping with a social media obsessed shopaholic and a visit from an international division of her company who comes in with a bang and is determined to turn their Japanese office into a copy of her own Canadian office. The first story was by far my favorite and I laughed out loud a few times. Plus, we get plenty of screaming heavy metal from the leading lady herself.

I would highly recommend these stories for anyone who is already a fan of Retsuko or those who have no idea what I’m talking about. This was a great read for me after an especially dark and depressing series of books and these quick short stories really brightened my day.

Received via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max' by Daniel Barnes with art by D.J. Kirkland is a graphic novel based on the Sanrio character on Netflix.

This volume has 3 different stories in which Retsuko the Red Panda has to endure situations which lead to her singing death metal karaoke. In the first, a coworker comes to work sick and causes a zombie outbreak. In the second a shallow coworker goes shopping with Retsuko. In the third, an office improvement specialist visits the office with lots of trite ideas.

This was a funny set of stories. Retsuko is so put upon and her karaoke anger sessions are hilarious. The art is as fun as the stories.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick read perfect for fans of the show. I really liked the longest story about the exchange lady (goose) from Canada.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

English Review below.

أنا من كبار معجبين مسلسل أغريتسكو على نتفليكس وهذه الكوميكس مستوحاة منه. قصته تدور حول ريتسكو، موظفة رقيقة في اليابان تتعرض لضغوط كبيرة في الحياة والعمل وتجد أن وسيلتها الوحيدة للتنفيس عن غضبها هي بالذهاب إلى غرف الكاريوكي المنتشرة في اليابان لتغني أغاني ميتال. المسلسل نفسه ظريف جدا وفيه رومانسية ودمه خفيف وبصراحة أنصح به قبل قراءة هذه الكوميكس، أولا، لأنه أقوى، وثانيا لفهم علاقات الشخصيات ببعضها البعض.
أظن أن هذه المجموعة مخصصة لمعجبين المسلسل بالفعل لكنها تعد أيضا مقدمة لطيفة إلى عالم ريتسكو.

I'm one of the biggest fan of the Netflix show Aggretsuko, because honestly, I relate to that working girl crumbling under the pressure's society. This is a story about Retsuko, an office worker in Japan, whose only way of dealing with the pressures of life and work is to secretly go to private karaoke rooms and sing death metal songs where she pours her heart out.

The show is fun, cute, so real, and got one of the cutest romance I've seen. and I highly recommend it. The comic wasn't as strong as the show, and I think you kinda need to watch the show first to understand some of the characters' nuances, but it's still a wonderful addition to any fan of the show.

I thank Netgalley and Oni Press for the digital ARC.

[Adi Rocks Socks · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.16 stars

I absolutely love the show Aggretsuko on Netflix. I’ve just caught up with the latest season which came out recently, and boy did I not expect it to take the plot that it did. I completely enjoyed it (as expected) — I have always enjoyed every episode of Aggretsuko, often finding it relatable to my life. In fact, my friend who recommended it to me did so only because Retsuko (the MC) reminded him of me.

So what’s Aggrestsuko? It’s a Japanese anime centring around Retsuko, a 20-something accountant who works an ordinary desk job. Her boss is constantly mean to her, often dumping her with extra work, and criticising her for everything. He uses her as his peon, making him fetch tea, and often mocks her and makes fun of her. And how does Retsuko cope with all this? By singing death metal karaoke after office hours, that’s fuelled by her rage about what’s going on at work.

Aggressive + Retsuko = Aggretsuko!

Since I have nothing but only high praise for this show, I thought a supplementary graphic novel, based off this show, would be just as good. Sadly, this did not happen. The novel, despite having gorgeous illustrations just as rich as the anime, lacked when it came to a story line that fit in with Retsuko’s life. It felt like fizzy water gone flat, and often had Retsuko behave in a way that wasn’t consistent with the show — her personality seemed different here.

This graphic novel didn’t capture the essence of Retsuko-chan, which is the best part of the anime. The graphic novel also seemed to miss out on the key interactions that Retsuko has with her colleagues, which is one of the main pillars of the show. Maybe it’s not fair to compare this with the show, but since the latter is the original, as a reader who requested this ARC only because of that, I can’t help but do so.

Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max is a collection of the first 3 issues of graphic novels:

Issue 1: Down With The Sickness -- 1.5 stars -- A weird COVID/zombie plague spreads through the office, and the only solution to reverse the effects? Loud heavy metal.

I understand it's supposed to be satirical, but considering the pandemic and how many lives have been affected, including those of people close to me, it felt a little poorly timed. I liked that the solution was wacky, but the story over all was boring.

.

Issue 2: Mall Madness -- 2 stars -- Retsuko is shopping at a clearance sale when her super rich, Instagram obsessed/influencer friend, Tsunoda, spots her. Retsuko has to think on her feet to conceal the fact that she's pretty much broke from her vain friend.

The premise for this issue is pretty typical of any Aggretsuko anime episode. Even the resolution of the problem is typical of the show, and yet, it felt like the graphic novel lacked the life that the show has. There was a certain je ne sais quoi that was lacking.

.

Issue 3: The Visitor -- 3 stars -- Karen, an employee from a sister-company visits the Japanese branch in order to observe and recommend changes to their routines that would improve the employees' and the teams' productivity.

This was my favourite of the three issues. While Retsuko was a lot more emotional than what we see her as in the first two seasons, it fit in with her emotional arc in season 3 to an extent. Some of the mannerisms and the relationships Retsuko has with her colleagues felt out of place, but I liked how the plot was executed. This was a fresh idea, and though it still didn't really feel like Aggretsuko, it was better than the first two issues

.

It would also have been great if the stories had all fit in somewhere in the TV show’s universe, plot-wise. It felt like I was reading a disjoint episode of Retsuko’s life, and it felt highly derivative from the main work. It didn’t exactly supplement the show, but neither did it innovate. It felt like lack-lustre fanfiction, and it’s possible that this is because it was written and illustrated by people who might not have been exposed to the work culture in Japan and other Asian countries.

I went in with a lot of expectations, and was sorely disappointed. Luckily, Season 3 came out a few months back, and I can take solace in the fact that it was well executed. (Can’t wait for Season 4!)

Thank you One Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy the book.

[Mina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I got really excited when I spotted that there is an Aggrestuko comic! I love the Netflix series.

The base story is this: Retsuko is a young office worker in Japan, who strives to be an ideal employee but she deals with a lot of work stress. Her one escape is karaoke, more specifically death metal karaoke. Her adventures manage to hit just the right notes on how personally taxing it can be to do everything right at work and putting our personal interests aside. The series is also very real about relationships, workplace friendships and the difficulties of a grown up life.

It is good to have seen at least a few episodes before you read the comic, as it doesn’t really have an introductiory part and you might wonder who are all these characters. Sadly, I did not like it as much as hoped, a lot of them feel like watered down, shallow caricatures of the characters I came to love in the show.

Each chapter seems to tackle a different topic. First, we deal with a virus outbreak at Restuko’s company. Corona, anyone? In the second part we go shopping and have a bit of a look into second hand stores vs. brand clothes. In part three a foreigner colleague makes a work visit. While the first two parts felt a bit rushed for me, this last part was written pretty well and it was an enjoyable journey with Resuko and how she deals with Karen, the Canadian office lady who is hellbent on improving employee satisfaction.

While the parts with Retsuko singing hit the same notes - this is where she gets real about issues that bothered her during the day - as there is little substance to her in the short stories she comes off meaner as she actually is.

I am unsure about a few translated phrases, like why people call her Calendar. I think it was short-timer in the show? That made a bit more sense, but I don’t get what Calendar even means in this context.

Overall this was a fun read, but I felt that the stories were a bit short to really have the same impact as the series.

[Marcy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the anime show, so I definitely wanted to give this a read. I can’t seem to get enough of Retsuko and her daily monotony, so this was the perfect remedy.

Told in four short stories, we are entertained with more office antics and shenanigans, while Retsuko deals with the work life balance that seems to be pushing her over the edge. While this is a light and quick read, this does miss the subtle depth that the show was masterful at pulling off. The show is so relatable it makes you uncomfortable, and it often feels like you’re staring at a mirror image of yourself. This graphic novel misses the nuance of that, which was a big element to what made Aggretsuko so popular to me.

I did find the virus story a bit odd. I mean, the timing couldn’t be better, but maybe it would’ve been funnier if Covid hadn’t killed thousands of people and changed our lives for who knows how long. I get it if the illness was originally meant to be the regular office flu, but all I see is Covid.

The art style isn’t the same. I’m not sure I love it.

This is a fun graphic novel to enjoy for a quick spark of entertainment, but it misses what made the show special. It’s great for a first timer who has yet to experience the anime, and for anyone who relates to the daily grind of office life.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the show Aggretsuko but this comic was really disappointing. This is a compilation of 3 small comics written and illustrated by different authors. The first two stories were pretty terrible. The first one was a “zombie” like sickness theme but the characters put on masks and it isn’t consistent throughout the story (even just from panel to panel on the same page they will go from wearing a mask to not) and the plot was pretty bad. The second one was even worse - just pages and pages of Tsunoda being vapid. The thing that bothered me the most about these two stories was the lack of understanding of Japanese culture. The best part of the show for me is how it captures life in Japan but these comics are just typical American plots copy and pasted into Aggretsuko (especially the part about Tsunoda running up a credit card bill; Japan is still largely a cash based society and hardly anyone uses credit cards). The third story was the only one that captured the essence of the show and had really strong art and composition but it still wasn’t enough to save this book for me. Would not recommend.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retsuko is an mild mannered accountant working in a mind-numbing corporate job. But when karaokeing, she turns into Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max.

When her entire office comes down with the “C-virus”, it’s Retsuko to the rescue. How you say? A vaccine? Social distancing? Bleach injections? No, of course not! It’s heavy metal karaoke over the office intercom!

We all wish getting over our current c-virus could be this easy. But honestly, no one has tried Retsuko’s solution. It may actually work.

There are two more full stories and a two-page short in addition to the one I describe above. One of the short stories is about Insta-fame. The other is about a Canadian coming to Retsuko’s office “to help optimize workflow synergy”. I loved the culture clash within the second.

This comic is a fun read. The characters look identical to the ones on the Netflix show. The plot is humorous. For fans of the show, like me, Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max is easily worth 5 stars!

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

[insert netgalley disclaimer --I could write something clever here, but really you all know what's up]

A funny comic that feels like a kids book, but for adults. There is something so sanrio about the style of these cut characters. The first section dealing with the "c-virus" is a timely addition that tricks the audience into reading about self-care. This second story is peppered with little jabs at adult life outside the office from secondhand shopping to superficial and toxic friends. And the last story closes us out back in the office with an external fixer -and anyone who has ever worked in an office environment can relate. Someone from the outside stops in for a week and give thousands of notes and criticisms, but management pushes them down the line. The ending is nice and very sweet (as we expect from this style of story), but there is still some solid social commentary about office drudgery in there.

A solid choice for fans of the show and adult fans of the other sanrio characters (like Hello Kitty) who don't quite have adult lives that reflect their own.

[ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aggretsuko is one of my favourite shows ever, and I was so excited when I heard that a graphic novel was being made about it, especially by the same people who published Mooncakes and the Tea Dragon Society!

I flew through the comic so quickly because it was such a fun read and I loved being back in that world again.
The short stories in this were very funny and made me think they could be extra episodes for the show.

The cover gallery at the end of the graphic novel was filled with so many amazing potential covers. My favourites were those by Katie Cook and Arielle Jovellanos.

I can recommend this to everyone who loves the show. Although, you can read the comic without watching it beforehand, it will be more appreciated by those who've already watched and understands the dynamic between Retsuko and the other characters.

Thanks to Oni Press and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I haven't yet watched the anime of Aggretsuko, but I've heard a ton about it and have wanted to check it out. When I saw there was going to be a comics series featuring her and her fellow characters, I had to pick it up. The art style perfectly matched what I have seen of the characters and anime and Retsuko was a great character to follow. Her bouts of using karaoke to blow off steam was hilarious and relatable at the same time. If you're a fan of the anime or if you just want to get acquainted with the characters and feel it out, check out this one!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Aggretsuko! Ever since I first laid eyes on her Netflix show, I was hooked! This has led to purchases of funko pops and pyjamas bottoms adorned with her face.

Metal to the Max is a great companion to the show, all the usual suspects are there - her horrible boss Ton, Fenneko, Tsunoda, Haida and the fabulous ladies Washimi and Gori. It has several stories including the dreaded lurgy coming to the office, an annoying shopping trip and a work visit that plans to increase morale.

There is plenty of Karaoke and dry humour plus it is as fun and colourful as the tv show.

A definite for fans!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This set of three comics is based of the "Aggretsuko" Netflix series, staring Retsuko, a red panda, who works at an accounting office. At work, she deals with a terrible boss and annoying coworkers, and at night, she relieves her frustrations by going to a karaoke bar and screaming her own version of metal music.

I have actually not seen the show, and actually instead chose to read the comics to see if it would be something I would like to watch in the future. If the comics are anything like the show, then I think I will enjoy it! The three stories in this book were all adorable, funny, and totally too accurate.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Oni Press for the ARC!

"Metal to the Max" collects the first three issues: "Down with the sickness", "Mall Madness" and "The Visitor". As usual, we can relate so much to what the characters are going through. Especially the first one. It put a smile on my face several times. I'm glad that reading this book gave me the same special feeling I get when I'm watching it on netflix.

I'm sure all the fans will love it!! But if you never watched it, you probably should check it before reading this. It'll be even funnier then, trust me.

[Samantha Paterson (Magic.between.pages_za) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this so damn much. I absolutely love the anime series and was so surprised to see this available on the read now list that I snapped it up immediately. And in true Aggretsuko fashion, it did not disappoint. It was funny, cute, and hinted at current global topics. I had such a great time reading this graphic novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched Aggretsuko expecting to just superficially enjoy it. I was seriously surprised at the depth this show has. I think it speaks for a lot of workers out there that feel used and abused by their jobs. The show continues this trend in the comic. I enjoyed reading these unique stories that still accurately represent the current toxicity of the workplace. For those that feel unheard and ignored, I recommend Aggretsuko; she has some important messages to share.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a cute comic book, mostly for fans of the series, but it also works if one doesn't know it yet. For me, it just didn't give me anything new and exciting. It was okay overall, had some cute moments, but couldn't really wow me.
Still, love the show and it's always great to see the characters again.

[Kiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

A fantastic compilation of mini stories set in the world of Aggretsuko! I absolutely love the character and her office shenanigans! I highly recommend this book if you want a light, fun read!

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aggretsuko is one of my favorite anime in existence and when I found out about the comic I knew I had to purchase it. I am so glad I did, it showed characters we hadn’t seen in a while, characters I wish we could see in the anime, and starts off with a topical storyline. If you are unsure of the anime I recommend this comic.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*
I love how well the art style matches the show.
This comic is made up of a few side stories that really feel like they fit in with the show.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently binged the entire Aggretsuko series on Netflix, and now that I have nothing else to watch, I need something to fill the Retsuko-shaped hole in my heart. This book is perfect! I found myself reading in each character’s voice. The comics perfectly encapsulate the humor and hijinks of the show. I highly recommend for every Aggretsuko fan!

[Kate Tilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a birthday gift and I was so glad because I love this show. The comics are a lot of fun too!

[Debi Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

What? Retsuko is always a great idea! One of my favorite anime’s on television. Reading this brought me so much joy it’s insane! Give us another season 😍

[Albine Eien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, iconique, très respectueux de la série, j'ai bien rigolé.

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

Eh. I liked including the virus because it’s the first graphic novel I’ve seen do that, but other than that I wasn’t too impressed.