Season three of Netflix's popular anime Aggretsuko ended on pretty unambiguous terms, or at least where the show's central relationship is concerned. Series protagonist Retsuko, a 25-year-old anthropomorphic red panda, had beaten off the flirtations of coworker Haida (he, a spotted hyena), and it looked like that was a wrap. But when you've got a good thing, you probably want to keep it going: and so, back in September, Netflix announced a fourth season during TUDUM: Anime Spotlight. Just over a month later, we've finally got a trailer.
You might be a tad confused by all of this talk of anime anthropomorphism (which isn't exactly novel, of course). So, for the uninitiated: Retsuko gets by in a pretty mundane office job, which she hates and, as a result, finds herself easily stressed out. Like the best of us, she finds solace in karaoke - unlike most of us, though, it's on a karaoke stage that she becomes a bona fide death metal superstar. The ensemble, as any all-star cast of fluffy animals should be, is totally lovable and the show's central themes, particularly around the struggles faced by Millennials in the workforce, really resonate.
The trailer for the new season elaborates on the role of the mysterious, bespectacled creature centred on the poster released with the DUDUM reveal. He - a wolf, apparently, though he's equally serving greyed-out Sonic The Hedgehog - is the company's sly new president, who promises to take the office to a "new extreme". It looks like he's gonna buck heads with Haida, particularly: check out that machismo-loaded gym scene. "It's a war of resistance," he ominously suggests. "Defeat is not an option." Well, I guess we'll find out.
Check on the new trailer for the season below. Season 4 of Aggretsuko arrives on Netflix on December 16. The show is directed by Japanese animator Rarecho, with the titular character attributed to an unknown artist named Yeti. All three previous seasons are available to stream on Netflix.