I love all things Aggretsuko and this is no different. I loved everything from the artwork to the story. I'm ready for more.

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.

Having never seen Aggretsuko, I had no idea what I was in for, but this collection of stories were relatable and hilarious. I did start watching Aggretsuko and this comic really did follow the style of the show. Overall, I really enjoyed the stories, but the one that hit the hardest was the story about the Office Sickness and how it spread throughout the workplace (very true and very timely with everything). Must read for Aggretsuko fans or those curious about the show.

As a big fan of the Netflix show I was so happy to see this available on NetGalley. This graphic novel follows Retsuko, our over worked employee / heavy metal karaoke singing red panda on three different adventures.

In issue 1 Retsuko deals with a zombie outbreak at work. Issue 2 she goes shopping with Tsunoda. Issue 3 she has to deal with a visitor a work. Much like the tv series everything is resolved with a bit of death metal karaoke at the end of the day. I think it’s best to of seen some episodes of the series before diving into the comics as the characters are not really introduced. Overall it’s a fun read if you’re a fan of the tv series and need a bit more Retsuko in your life but misses a bit of the spark that the show has.

Me gusto mucho este libro! En realidad soy mega fan de Retsko y cuando acano la 3ra tempordada me quede con ganas de mas. En este comic podremos acompañar a Retsko y compañia en varias aventuras, primero como se deben enfrentar a un virus (¡?covid) que ronda la oficina de contabilidad, tambien como debe lidiar con una supervisora de ambiente laboral y con su amiga Feneko. Me encanta el dibujo y espero se pueda llegar a publicar en español.

xoxo.

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.

<I>2.16 stars</I>

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.

<b><I>Aggressive + Retsuko = Aggretsuko!</I></b>

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.

<I>Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max</I> is a collection of the first 3 issues of graphic novels:

<b>Issue 1: Down With The Sickness -- 1.5 stars --</b> 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.

.

<b>Issue 2: Mall Madness -- 2 stars --</b> 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.

.

<b>Issue 3: The Visitor -- 3 stars --</b> 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.

Aggretsuko, one of my all-time favorite anime is back on comic ! it's a real pleasure to see the little red panda struggle not one, but three time with her daily messed up workplace's life.

As always, the topics are very actual (pandemic, instagram, work culture), and Retsuko would surely crack under preasure without her beloved mic and her metal voice. My favorite episode see her encounter with a Karen, who is not like the usual one... sort of...

It was a fun reading I wish I can see on anime someday !

'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.

An incredibly cool and interesting comic book about Aggresuko's adventures. A must-read for any fan of the Netflix show.

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 on current global topics. I had such a great time reading this graphic novel.

I didn’t really know about the character Aggrertsuko but she was one quirky, funny, little character. I especially loved the first comic because it’s an exaggeration about all the things happening right now because of COVID. I’d recommend this to anyone who either is a fan of Aggrertsuko or just wants a good laugh.

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!

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.

I particularly loved the show because it talks about workplace realities and societal expectations for women. Who wouldn’t rage with all that happening? It’s a satire and comedy of our every day life. We laugh at it when we watch it, but deep down inside, we laugh because we know it’s our reality.

Now, I was ecstatic to see Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max on Net Galley because of my love for the show. I squealed. Once I was given an ARC, I read the graphic novel in one sitting. I’d like to thank Oni Press for giving me this opportunity to share this metal novel.


Aggretsuko: Metal to the Max is created by Daniel Barns and Brenda Hickey and published by Oni Press. It includes 3 shorts: “Down with the Sickness”, “Mall Madness” and “The Visitor”.

”Down with Sickness” was written by Daniel Barnes and illustrated by D.J. Kirkland. Aggretsuko tries to survive the attack of the C-virus when her workmates begin acting like zombies and infecting everyone along the way.

“Mall Madness” was written and illustrated by Jarrett Williams. Aggretsuko tries to go shopping after an awkward chat with her workmates. She ends up going with Tsunoda on shopping for really expensive clothes for a charity ball.

”The Visitor” was written and illustrated by Brenda Hickey. A visitor from Canada comes to the Japanese division of the company, a.k.a. where Retsuko works, due to a low employee satisfaction rating on surveys.


THOUGHTS

Mall Madness struck me the most because of the way it dealt with the ways people aim for clout and fame instead of being genuine and authentic. It showed how women are always expecting other women to do something or look like something because that’s what society expects of them.

On the other hand, “Down with Sickness” has mentioned how work was getting Retsuko feeling tired and sick (instead of the actual C-virus) and “The Visitor” was a reality we all dread. In the latter, we see how people stay because they feel they need to earn a living there no matter the conditions. It was more depressing but at the same time, it would relieve you to know someone out there understands your struggles.

Overall, I love the art and stories. They were able to retain the original voice of the anime.The graphic novel didn’t seem to struggle in keeping up with the themes Aggretsuko addressed. Yes, it isn’t the same without hearing the drums and the heavy bass of songs from the series.

However, for first-timers who aren’t familiar with the anime, they wouldn’t understand the backgrounds and relationships between these characters. We didn’t see much of Fennuko, Haida, or now what was the deal with Tsunoda and everyone else in this world. The stories were told as if straight from Retsuko’s perspective. I’d love to see the upcoming volumes feature stories or perspectives from Fennuko and the other characters with more interactions with Retsuko.

THE VERDICT

5 Stars – – nearly perfect for my Aggretsuko fangirl mind.

Should you read it?

If you’re new to Aggretsuko, I suggest you watch the first season before reading the graphic novel. It will definitely help you to understand the characters, their relationships and circumstances before you jump into the graphic novel.

If you’re a fan of the show, YES. Need I say more?

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.

<b>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.</b>

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.

I love the Netflix show so this was wonderful. Incredible illustrations and just overall incredibly fun to read.

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.

I had watchAggrestsuko last year, so I'm quite familiar with Retusko's personality and love the fact that it's taking everything office life and making it a bit more interesting and a bit over the top, but not too over the top.

I would like if the comic was a bit longer than just three storylines, but having all the pages in full color was probably the reason why three storylines were printed.