Aggretsuko is a Comic-Book Adaptation of the anime series of the same name. Published by Oni Press, it was created by a number of different artists & writers that rotate between issues.
As with the source material, the series follows an anthropomorphic red panda named Retsuko who leads a life full of mundane frustration in a World of Funny Animals. Her workplace is full of incompetent, annoying coworkers and abusive superiors, which infuriate her so much that she frequently needs to vent after-hours — specifically, by screaming her heart out to death metal in a karaoke bar. Armed with her trusty microphone and with the help of her friends, she might just be able to overcome the challenges of her job and interpersonal relationships.
The comic encompasses several different series, collectively forming a not-quite-continuous publication:
- Aggretsuko (February - September 2020): The original six-issue run.
- Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends (November 2020 - January 2021): A three-issue Limelight Series that focuses on a different side character in each installment.
- Aggretsuko Meet Her World (April - June 2021): A three-issue series that aims to expand the setting, covering everything from committee meetings to professional wrestling.
- Aggretsuko: Out of Office (November 2021 - April 2022): A four-issue miniseries chronicling a highly unusual Golden Week. Retsuko secretly accepts an offer to temporarily work at a hot spring resortnote run by the aunt and uncle of her friend Puko, assuming that she'd effectively receive a free vacation in exchange for doing relatively easy chores... only to find that the workload is much more intense than she expected. Meanwhile, Retsuko's coworkers grow suspicious about her plans for the holiday and begin to investigate what she's really doing. Both groups end up dealing with bizarre characters throughout their misadventures, many of which relate to a legend about the resort's history. Unlike previous series, every issue is written and drawn by the same person: Brenda Hickey.
- Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch (August - December 2022): A four-issue miniseries written by Josh Trujillo and drawn by Abigail Starling. A series of events at work leave Retsuko pondering what her aspirations in life really are, in turn driving her to seek employment elsewhere. After taking up a part-time gig at a maid café, though, she finds that juggling both jobs' responsibilities is a difficult task. (Unlike every previous miniseries, this one was not compiled in trade format because Oni Press's license to use Sanrio properties ended before it could be published.
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In addition to standard-length issues, there are also longer specials and graphic novels:
- Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine (June 2021): The first graphic novel, written and drawn by Brenda Hickey. When Retsuko learns that the Brides of Resonance (an all-girls metal band she adored as a teenager) is reuniting for a new concert, she's over the moon and quickly buys tickets. However, she soon learns that their new lead singer — the titular Rei — is a short-tempered, destructive jerk whose future plans for the group threaten her beloved karaoke bar.
- Aggretsuko Super Fun Special (October 2021): A longer than average issue containing three different stories (one main and two backup features), each by different artists and writers. In "Regency Rumble," Retsuko gets hooked on a series of romance novels set in the Regency era and competes to win an advance copy of the TV adaptation's pilot episode. "Rare Record" focuses on Haida, who attempts to buy a specific edition of an album he loves at a record store only to face unexpected opposition. Finally, "Rage Quit" is devoted to Retsuko and her friends attempting to defeat a highly competent group of players in a VR game.
- Aggretsuko: Down the Rabbit Hole (October 2021): A graphic novel by Patabot that's a Whole-Plot Reference to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (with some elements of the Disney adaptation blended in). While working overtime late one night, Retsuko encounters a creepy white rabbit and ends up falling into a surreal fantasy world populated by bizarre facsimiles of her friends and coworkers.
At least one additional miniseries — Aggretsuko: Cooking with Fire — was planned to release after 2022 but wound up canceled after Oni Press's license expired.
Aggretsuko contain examples of:
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Tropes present in multiple series
- Blackmail:
- In Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends #2, footage of Retsuko incorrectly answering a basic math question surfaces on the Internet. Anai catches wind of this and threatens to email the video to the entire company, thus putting her job at risk, unless she covers for his extra work on weekends. She ends up enlisting Fenneko's help to prevent anyone from getting the email, which concludes with the fox blackmailing him right back. After setting up his computer to automatically inform her about whatever sites/programs he uses, she sends him an email telling him this and threatening to send the information to "every potential employer you will ever have from now until your retirement."
- In issue 2 of Aggretsuko: Out of Office, when Tsunoda visits a hot springs resort and finds that Retsuko covertly took a temp job there, she takes advantage of Retsuko's desperate desire to keep it a secret by insisting that she serve as her personal caretaker.
- Bland-Name Product:
- Issue 2 of Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends heavily features the social media site "SnipSnap," a reference to Snapchat.
- One scene in Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine shows Retsuko looking things up on "Goggle" (Google) and "ViewTube" (YouTube).
- The first issue of Aggretsuko: Out of Office briefly shows a YouTube stand-in called "TubeTube."
- Bookends:
- The beginning and end of Aggretsuko: Out of Office both include narration where Retsuko says "If you had asked me a few days earlier, this is definitely not how I imagined this trip would go." The context is radically different both times, however: the first issue pairs the line with a scene of Retsuko raging in the woods, while the last one instead uses it after the conflict has been resolved and Retsuko finally gets to relax.
- Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch begins and ends with Retsuko taking a trip to a local amusement park. In the first issue, it's part of a terminally dull company holiday that inadvertently leads her to start thinking about following her dreams (the miniseries' Central Theme). In the last issue, having decided to stop worrying about her dreams and instead live in the moment, she revisits the place with Haida and finally gets to try all the fun attractions she couldn't before.
- Canon Foreigner: There are several characters that were created specifically for this adaptation and aren't in the original anime. Some of them are more plot-important than others: for instance, Karen (from Aggretsuko #3) is the focal point of her story, whereas Mr. Pen (a penguin office worker who first appears in Aggretsuko #5) is generally less significant to the issues he appears in.
- Comic-Book Adaptation: All of the comics are based on the anime of the same name, though they don't adapt any of its events and instead tell new stories with the same characters.
- Company Cross-References: While the comic was created by Oni Press, it's based on a Sanrio property and occasionally alludes to the company's other works.
- Both Aggretsuko Meet Her World #2 and the Aggretsuko Super Fun Special show a woman's restroom with a door bearing the distinctive silhouette of Hello Kitty.
- Anthropomorphic versions of Show by Rock!! characters cameo in two issues of Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch — #2 shows Cyan and Retoree at the Dreamwin Cafe, while #4 includes Moa as a fellow passenger on Retsuko's commute.
- Continuity Cameo:
- Several characters from the original TBS shorts show up as part of the crowd of sick workers in issue 1.
- Karen (from issue 3) can be seen in the crowd at the metal concert in Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine. She bears her "metal" appearance from her issue's conclusion.
- Aggretsuko: Out of Office alludes to characters seen in Brenda Hickey's previous work for the series:
- Issue 1 has a scene taking place in a coffee shop with a panda behind the counter, both previously seen in the backup story in issue 3 of the original Aggretsuko comic.
- The pug that manages the Brides of Resonance in Little Rei of Sunshine can briefly be seen as a resort guest in issue 2.
- Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch:
- One panel in the first issue features both Karen (from the original run's third issue) and the paint & sip hostess from Aggretsuko Meet Her World #2 standing in a line, though they are colored far differently than in their respective debuts.
- During Miggy & Hidarin's performance in issue 2, Rei (from Little Rei of Sunshine) can be seen sitting and watching.
- Continuity Nod:
- At one point in Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine, Retsuko's mother reaches into her purse to give her daughter something. Retsuko immediately assumes it's a photograph of a potential suitor, referencing her insistence that she find one in season 2 of the original anime.
- Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch:
- A billboard advertising Heartthrob! Virtual Boyfriend, previously seen in season 3 of the original anime, can be seen when Retsuko first arrives at Dreamwin Cafe in issue 2.
- Issue 3 features a billboard advertising OSK84, the idol group previously mentioned in Little Rei of Sunshine.
- Dark Horse Victory:
- The original series' sixth issue, "The Carrier Cup," primarily focuses on two teams in the titular competition: Retsuko's and Tsunoda's. The other two teams (one headed by Ton and another composed entirely of minor characters from the original anime) are given comparatively little focus. When the final event rolls around, it seems as though Tsunoda will take home the gold... at which point one of the minor characters swoops in and wins out of nowhere.
- "Rare Record" (from the Aggretsuko Super Fun Special) revolves around Haida and Komiya racing to buy the titular object before the other can, only for Haida's ex Inui to beat them both to it.
- A Day in the Limelight:
- Downplayed in issue 2 of the original series. While it's largely dedicated to Tsunoda and sheds some more light on her past, the plot still heavily involves Retsuko (the main character of the series).
- Played straight in Aggretsuko Super Fun Special's "Rare Record," a backup story that focuses squarely on Haida.
- "Eureka!" Moment:
- Near the end of Aggretsuko #5, Retsuko, Washimi, and Gori all attempt to figure out how to unlock the password-protected thermostat. Collectively, they decide that they need to find whoever was responsible for doing so — someone with a motivation for keeping the temperature inhumanly low, and who would be have high enough clearance to access the system. Washimi figures out the answer right after they say this: Mr. Pen, a penguin who works in IT and cannot stand high temperatures.
- In Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends #2, Retsuko mopes about being blackmailed with an embarrassing video by Anai to Fenneko. She opines "What am I going to do? Just block the whole company from receiving Anai's emails?!" Immediately afterward, she comes to a realization and begs Fenneko to help her do just that, setting up The Plan the rest of the issue revolves around.
- Everyone Has Standards:
- As in the original series, while Ton is a lazy Mean Boss with a chauvinistic streak, there are several things that cross the line for him.
- In the very first issue, he's the one who delivers a message about practicing proper self-care when sick and not risking infecting others by coming into work regardless.
- Issue 3 of Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends makes this a central part of the plot. While Ton's disregard for women is prevalent for much of the story, he's caught off-guard by Kin's lewder comments about Retsuko and Natsuki. It comes to a head near the end, when he admits that he was excited about the possibility of taking his daughters to golf with him (hoping that they could bond over the sport), getting disheartened when they bluntly shut down his idea. When Kin's immediate reaction is to mock him and say he should focus on marrying them off instead, Ton hits his limit and takes him to task for his beliefs.
- Karen, despite being nitpicky and disrespectful for much of the original series' third issue, absolutely flips out once she learns that Ton has been abusing his underlings (like forcing Retsuko to make him tea).
- As in the original series, while Ton is a lazy Mean Boss with a chauvinistic streak, there are several things that cross the line for him.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision:
- In the original run, after spending the entirety of issue 6 trying to win the Carrier Cup, Retsuko is faced with a dilemma during the final event (a desk chair race): go back and ensure Haida's okay after he falls or keep going and win it all. She quickly chooses the former, much to his appreciation.
- "Regency Rumble" (from the Aggretsuko Super Fun Special) climaxes in Retsuko partaking in a contest to win an exclusive DVD of the titular book series' TV show pilot. Her mother constantly urges her to be ruthless, which culminates in her ignoring Tsubone when she's injured during a physical challenge so she can win it. Guilt-stricken, she eventually decides to throw the final quiz question so Tsubone can get the prize instead. The next day, she learns that Tsubone organized a viewing party for the accounting department.
- Furry Reminder:
- In issue 3 of the original series, Karen's overbearing talkativeness is depicted as constant honking, befitting a Canadian goose.
- In issue 3 of Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends, Natsuki (a flamingo) retrieves a golf ball that'd fallen into a shallow body of water by removing her shoes and walking into it, referencing real flamingos' proclivity toward standing in water.
- Hidden Depths:
- Issue 2 of Aggretsuko Meet Her World reveals that Tsubone — who'd never been said to have worked in anything over than accounting — once spent years in Paris studying painting. Despite her work proving to be lucrative, she explains that she quit because she makes more money as an accountant with half as much effort.
- The second issue of Aggretsuko: Out of Office depicts a more vulnerable and self-reflective side of Tsunoda, who's usually characterized as an unashamedly vapid Bitch in Sheep's Clothing. While her latest relationship faltering is initially Played for Laughs, she's shown to be genuinely heartbroken afterward and yearns to get away from Tokyo for a bit. Later on, after she arrives at a hot spring resort and blackmails Retsuko into catering to her whims, she eventually begins to wonder to herself whether doing so is really worth it:"Oh Tsunoda, what are you even doing this for? You know coming here to bother Retsuko is petty. You don't feel any better."
- Improvised Weapon:
- In issue 1 of the original series, Retsuko catches the last remaining uninfected coworkers hunkered down in a room wielding objects they found in the office as weapons. Haida has a mop, Fenneko has a pair of staplers, and Ton and Komiya have golf clubs.
- Aggretsuko: Out of Office #3 makes a Running Gag out of Shuko repeatedly giving people random cleaning objects as "weaponry" in case the oni arrives, something which is lampshaded twice. She hands Tsunoda a broom and Retsuko a bucket; when the latter spots Chuko with a spray bottle and washcloth, her immediate reaction is to ask "Are those for cleaning or for fighting?"Retsuko: For someone who's been paranoid about this oni legend for so long... you'd think she'd have a better defense plan than a cleaning bucket.
- Irony:
- In the original run's first issue, the only character that manages to survive the C-Virus outbreak without getting infected ends up coming down with a more benign illness shortly afterward.
- One gag in Aggretsuko Meet Her World #1 involves Retsuko and Fenneko noting that, without Haida, they won't be bothered during lunch and can hold conversations freely. These two observations are separated by four panels of dead silence between the pair.
- Love Bubbles: Played for Laughs when it comes to Haida's crush on Retsuko.
- During a tender moment between the two in issue 6 of the original run, the background is filled with pink-colored bubbles and sparkles straight out of an anime.
- In issue 2 of Aggretsuko: Out of Office, Haida briefly imagines Retsuko at a hot spring, with sparkly love bubbles crowding the lower portions of the panel.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!":
- When Karen finally stands up to Ton in issue 3, nearly everyone else in the office is visibly shocked.
- Played for Laughs in Aggretsuko Meet Her World #2. When Tsunoda bluntly asks Tsubone why she gave up a successful career in painting for her current accounting gig, every other employee in attendance panics.
- Monochrome Past:
- The flashback near the beginning of issue 3 of the original run is depicted with washed-out, almost sepia tone colors (in addition to a grain filter to make it look older).
- Issue 3 of Aggretsuko: Out of Office features two flashback panels colored in sepia tone, with faux-scratches akin to those on an old photograph.
- Next Sunday A.D.: Some installments in the series are implied to be set a few months after their release date, though no technological innovation or other futuristic developments are apparent.
- Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine was released in June 2021, but the date given for the Brides of Resonance concert Retsuko attends (September 28, 2021) indicates that it takes place a while later.
- A TubeTube video seen in Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch #1 (released in August 2022) suggests that its story begins in November of that year.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title:
- The original release of Aggretsuko #2 calls its main story "My Tsunoda," referencing "My Sharona" by The Knack.
- Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends' first issue is titled "I Cannot Compete with You, Protein" in the series' trade collection. In addition to being a play on the lyrics to Dolly Parton's "Jolene," it also reflects the fact that the story focuses on the yoga instructor (a minor character who only ever says "protein").
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Played for Laughs twice.
- In the first issue of Aggretsuko Meet Her World, the STUFF committee spends two weeks putting together recommendations for the company based on their activities. Despite being commended for their work, none of them were ever implemented.
- In Aggretsuko: Out of Office, Haida, Fenneko, and Gori's plot ends unsatisfactorily for them, though they were far closer to achieving their goal than they think. After going through a massive amount of trouble to get to the resort where Retsuko's secretly been working, they're met with an oni who doesn't seem to know who her is, forcing the group to head home dejectedly. What they don't know is that the oni's already met Retsuko, who's finally started relaxing there — a fellow youkai enlisted his help to pull one final prank on the trio.
- Shout-Out: Has its own page.
- Tempting Fate:
- In issue 1, after Ton explains what the C-Virus is, he notes that the military will arrive with a cure before long and all the survivors need to do is stay in the break room before then.Retsuko: Oh, okay. Seems simple enough.
Ton: Yep.
- After a Beat panel, the infected horde immediately breaks in, forcing the group to make a break for it.
- Issue 3 begins with Retsuko vaguely recalling that something will happen at work that day, but dismissing the thought as unimportant. The very next panel is Karen's first appearance; after her forceful debut, Retsuko panics as she remembers that her arrival is a very big deal to Ton.
- Near the beginning of Aggretsuko: Meet Her World #3, Retsuko is strong-armed into attending a business meeting with Ton, another client, and his daughter. She figures that she'll be able to get some beer and leave before long, having planned to attend another event that night. "How complicated can it be?" The very next page is a splash panel showing her sitting in the audience at a professional wrestling match, the first of many complications she suffers through.
- In issue 1, after Ton explains what the C-Virus is, he notes that the military will arrive with a cure before long and all the survivors need to do is stay in the break room before then.
- Unsound Effect:
- Retsuko's mic drop in issue 1 of the original run is punctuated with a "DROP" sound effect.
- Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine:
- After arriving at a trading convention, Haida glances around with a pair of "LOOK" sound effects.
- Following the concert, when Retsuko believes she's been caught skipping out on a mandatory work event, her sudden shock is depicted as her literally freezing solid with a "FREEZE".
- Whole-Plot Reference:
- Two of the vignettes in Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends #1 reproduce the plots of other works.
- Gori's version of the yoga instructor's history is lifted wholesale from Superman's backstory — he was an alien sent from a dying planet that landed on Earth, was taken in by kindly parents, learned that he exhibited unnatural strength and agility because of something specific to Earth (in this case, consuming the planet's protein), and currently leads a double life as a superhero.
- Downplayed with Retsuko's story about the yoga instructor: while not all the details line up, the basic premise is identical to The Little Mermaid. In both stories, the protagonist is unable to get together with someone they love and makes a deal with a witch to gain a new body in exchange for their voice.
- Aggretsuko: Down the Rabbit Hole lifts its plot and general structure from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (with a few elements specific to Alice in Wonderland (1951) added as well).
- Two of the vignettes in Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends #1 reproduce the plots of other works.
Aggretsuko (original run)
- Achilles' Heel: The flu zombies in issue 1 are defeated because they're extremely sensitive to loud sounds — something Retsuko has no shortage of.
- Banana Peel: During a desk chair race in issue 6, Tsunoda forces Haida and Ton to slip and crash by throwing a banana peel in their path.
- Bare-Handed Blade Block: Spoofed in issue 1. When Haida attempts to fend off Resasuke with a mop (which he wields as though it were a sword), the latter catches him off-guard by grabbing the handle/"blade" with his bare hands.
- Boss Subtitles: The first issue has a variant of the trope, introducing every major character with a caption listing their name and occupation.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: Ton mentions that the military will come to take care of the C-Virus outbreak in issue 1 during his Infodump. Ultimately, they only arrive after Retsuko manages to incapacitate the "zombies" herself.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Issue 5 has a Canon Foreigner that inconspicuously appears early in the story, only to unexpectedly turn out to be important during the climax. Mr. Pen debuts in the very first panel without being addressed in any fashion, but he only gains prominence when Retsuko and company need to figure out who's keeping the office AC dangerously low and realize he's the culprit.
- Commonality Connection: The climax of issue 3 is largely devoted to Retsuko and Karen managing to form a bond in spite of their different worldviews. It begins when Karen admits that she's witnessed gender-driven workplace harassment in person, similar to what Retsuko suffers through on a daily basis. Not long after, it turns out that both women share a fondness for metal — Retsuko is incredibly excited to learn that Karen has a side gig as the vocalist of an indie death metal group.
- Episode of the Dead: The first issue, “Down With The Sickness,” is a send-up of Zombie Apocalypse stories. Most of Retsuko’s co-workers act like a horde of Plague Zombies after being infected with a specific flu strain, leaving it up to her and a few of her coworkers to fight them off before the local military arrives to contain the situation.
- Gratuitous Japanese: Issue 6 has a brief moment where Tsunoda proclaims that things are going "just according to keikaku," with a translator's note explaining that the last word means "plan" in Japanese. In this case, it's a direct reference to an infamous fansub◊ for the Death Note anime.
- Hope Spot:
- Downplayed and Played for Laughs in issue 3's backup story, "A Metal Moment with Retsuko." Retsuko visits a coffee shop on her lunch break, only to be held up by Tsunoda taking far too long to decide on what she wants. Once she finally does, Retsuko expresses relief — only for Tsunoda to suddenly backpedal and start considering another option.Tsunoda: Oooh, on second thought, maybe I do want that mocha after all! Would you recommend coconut milk in that?!
Retsuko: (raging) JUST ORDER YOUR DAMN COFFEE - In issue 5, after the office suffers through a "company ice age" caused by an excessively low AC, Haida eventually decides to ask Ton to turn the heat up. After some suspense, Ton agrees and goes to the thermostat... and finds he doesn't know the password, whereupon he reverts back to denying the cold is a problem.
- Downplayed and Played for Laughs in issue 3's backup story, "A Metal Moment with Retsuko." Retsuko visits a coffee shop on her lunch break, only to be held up by Tsunoda taking far too long to decide on what she wants. Once she finally does, Retsuko expresses relief — only for Tsunoda to suddenly backpedal and start considering another option.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Haida pulls a non-lethal one of these in issue 1 to protect Retsuko from her sick co-workers, forcing her to escape in an elevator as he stays behind to fend them off. (By this point, he's already been infected anyway.)
- Identical Panel Gag: After Ton explains the C-Virus situation in issue 1, he asserts that all the group needs to do is wait in the safe room until armed reinforcements arrive. This panel then gets duplicated verbatim as a silent Beat before the "zombies" break in.
- Injured Limb Episode: Issue 4 centers around Retsuko breaking her arm while rushing to get to work on time, forcing her to wear a cast. Unfortunately, her superiors continue to pile on the usual amount of extra work, disregarding her condition. Washimi takes note of her pain and manages to get the company's sick leave policy amended, leaving her with more time off to recover.
- In Medias Res: Issue 1 opens with a few pages of Retsuko running from a horde of sickly coworkers, with the explanation for their infection only coming once the other survivors pull her into their safe room.
- It Has Been an Honor: In issue 1 (a spoof of zombie stories that doubles as a Plague Episode), Komiya ends up being grabbed by an infected Tsunoda during a chase sequence. Right before he succumbs himself, he tells Director Ton that "it was an honor… working… for you."
- The Mirror Shows Your True Self: A mundane variation appears in issue 2. After spending the entire story repressing her anger over Tsunoda's vapidity and whirlwind spending, she excuses herself to visit the restroom. Subsequently, one panel shows her staring in a mirror, her furious death metal appearance glaring at her while she attempts to hold back her rage.
- Mundane Made Awesome: The entire sports festival in issue 6 takes various simplistic activities or informal Office Sports (like throwing paper balls into a wastebasket, lifting paperwork, & typing quickly) and turns them into an Olympics-styled competition that Retsuko and her friends take completely seriously.
- Ninja Prop: Issue 3 gives Ton a halo whenever he puts on an exaggeratedly cheerful facade around others. When Karen starts chewing him out for abusing his underlings, he grabs it and snaps it in half as he finally loses it.
- Office Sports: Exaggerated in issue 6, which revolves around an Olympics-style competition themed entirely around office "sports." These include Wastebasket Ball (played like actual basketball), lifting massive stacks of paperwork, and a swivel chair race.
- Plague Episode: The first issue is about a "Carrier Virus" spreading at Retsuko's company after some people come into work sick, with Retsuko and her friends trying to avoid their zombie-like infected coworkers.
- Say My Name: Twice in issue 1.
- Ton yells Komiya's name as the latter gets grabbed and infected by Tsunoda.
- Retsuko calls out to Haida by name as the elevator door closes after he shoves her into an elevator as he tries to stave off the flu zombies.
- Sore Loser: At the end of issue 6, several characters are shown taking their imperfect placements in the Carrier Cup poorly. Tsunoda is crestfallen, kneeling dramatically while their teammates comfort them, while Director Ton is absolutely furious about coming in third place.
- Symbol Swearing: In issue 4, as Retsuko briefly vents her frustrations in the women's restroom, her dialogue is rendered as an emphatic "&$%#@%!!"
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Retsuko rarely gets a break in either the original anime or the comic, but one issue ends on an unambiguously happy note for her. In issue 4, where she's forced to work long hours with a broken arm, Washimi notices her strife and strong-arms the president into giving employees extra sick days. The next day, Komiya calls Retsuko to tell her about this; the unusually triumphant conclusion is hammered home by her utterly blissful reaction.
- Titled After the Song: Issue 1's story is called "Down With The Sickness," after a track from the Disturbed album The Sickness.
- Troubled Fetal Position: In the first issue, Resasuke ends up crumpled in a fetal position and clutching his ears after Haida yells at him. This is the first hint that the Plague Zombies are weak to loud noises.
- The Virus: Parodied in issue 1 with the "Carrier Virus" (or "C-Virus"), a strain of the flu unique to the company Retsuko works at. It effectively turns most employees into zombies and spreads through bodily fluids or contact.
- Wastebasket Ball: One of the events during the Carrier Cup in issue 6 is "wastebasketball," which is effectively a 3-on-3 basketball game where the players throw crumpled-up paper into trash bins.
- You Shall Not Pass!: In issue 1, when everyone but Haida and Retsuko have been turned into "zombies" by a strain of the flu, the former shoves the latter into an elevator and stays behind to fight the rest of the office. (As he admits shortly beforehand, he was already showing early signs of infection anyway.)
Aggretsuko Meet Her Friends
- The Bet: In issue 3, Ton makes a wager with Retsuko after she spends quite a bit of his money bidding on an auction for a day with a female golf pro (in addition to a similar offer with a male golf pro, the one he actually wanted) — he'll apologize if the women win the game, but Retsuko must Work Off the Debt by polishing his golf clubs for the next five years if they lose. Ton eventually gets so fed up with the male pro's sexism that he throws the game, letting Retsuko off with only some extra paperwork as punishment.
- Big "NO!": In the first issue, Washimi's take on the yoga instructor's backstory has him yell "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!" as guilt for his past misdeeds finally catches up with him.
- Deal with the Devil: Retsuko's story in the first issue begins with one of these. The then-scrawny yoga instructor, unable to catch the eye of his crush, signs a deal with a witch to give him a buff body. In exchange, she takes his "strangely sultry" voice and leaves him only able to say the word "protein." This doesn't end well for him: not only does his crush continue to ignore him, but the witch ultimately uses his voice to woo the girl herself.
- Elective Mute: Downplayed. In the first issue, Washimi's interpretation of the yoga instructor's past explains that he took a vow of silence as part of his repentance from his evil ways, with the sole exception of the word "protein".
- Framing Device: The first issue is a Vignette Episode where Retsuko, Washimi, and Gori take turns telling what they believe is the yoga instructor's backstory and provide commentary in between each tale.
- Heel–Face Turn: In issue 1, Washimi's story paints the yoga instructor as a villain who uses his knowledge to literally twist others into knots... up until he has a sudden crisis of conscience while meditating one day, leading him to turn his life around and vow to only use his talents for good.
- High-Pressure Emotion: Early in the third issue, after Ton forces Retsuko to spend a whole day keeping track of bids on an item he wants, her anger is underscored by steam shooting out of her ears.
- Hypocritical Humor: In the first issue, after Washimi tells a story that is ostensibly the yoga instructor's backstory, Gori dismisses it as ridiculous and unbelievable right before introducing her own theory: he's an alien superhero. Washimi and Retsuko are none too impressed by this.
- Limelight Series: Downplayed. While the miniseries is devoted to emphasizing characters other than Retsuko herself, she still plays a prominent role in every story. The three issues respectively focus on the yoga instructor (as Retsuko, Gori, and Washimi speculate about his past), Fenneko (as she concocts a plan to save Retsuko from Anai's harassment), and Ton (as he goes golfing with one of his idols, with circumstances forcing Retsuko to join him).
- The Plan: The back half of issue 2 revolves around Fenneko enlisting most of her friends' help in preventing anyone from seeing an email Anai sends to blackmail Retsuko. Her plan is complicated: she intentionally lets Anai send it to the entire company, has the power cut out before anyone can actually read it, gets everyone's phones confiscated beforehand to prevent them from seeing it there, distracts everyone with a lengthy marketing presentation, steals one particular phone containing footage of Anai entering his password, powers Anai's computer with a generator, logs in, and repeatedly sends the same email so many times that it gets flagged as spam. It largely goes off without a hitch, though Fenneko nearly gets caught while she's doing something extra as "insurance:" installing an app on his computer that automatically sends her updates regarding his (lack of) productivity, effectively blackmailing him in case he tries to pull a similar stunt again.
- Pun-Based Title: The third issue is titled "The Golf Between Us," a play on "the gulf between us." It simultaneously reflects the conflict between Retsuko and Ton (and, later on, the division between Ton and his Shadow Archetype Kin) and the fact that the plot revolves around golf.
- Secret Identity: Played for Laughs. Gori's story in issue 1 posits that the yoga instructor's job is actually his "mild-mannered" civilian disguise for his real identity — an alien superhero.
- This Is Reality: At the end of the first issue, Washimi criticizes Gori's Superman-inspired interpretation of the yoga instructor's backstory by saying that "life isn't a comic book, you know."
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: In issue 2, Fenneko's plan to stop Anai's blackmail isn't explained at all to the reader before it begins. It's only near the end that we hear the basics, long after everyone else involved has played their part in arranging things to her liking.
- Vignette Episode: Issue 1 centers on Retsuko, Washimi, and Gori speculating about the yoga instructor's past, with each woman offering their own take on his backstory. Washimi claims he was once evil and repented after a crisis of conscience, Gori claims he was an alien from a doomed planet who learned that he could achieve supernatural athletic prowess by consuming Earth's protein, and Retsuko tells a Little Mermaid-style tale where he traded his voice for a muscular body in an ill-fated attempt to impress a girl he fancied.
- Wingding Eyes: Retsuko's story in the first issue depicts the yoga instructor getting heart-eyed upon noticing his crush early on.
- You Watch Too Much X: In the first issue, after Retsuko finishes her interpretation of the yoga instructor's past (which is largely modeled on The Little Mermaid), Gori responds by saying she "read[s] too many fairy tales."
Aggretsuko Meet Her World
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Downplayed. During the second issue, Ton holds a meeting that starts off on a tense note. The next panel shows three characters' thoughts during this moment, deescalating in severity as they go — Fenneko worries about her career trajectory, Haida considers pursuing an absurd dream job even as he's nervous, and Kabae blasély ponders Ton's temperament.Fenneko: (sweating) Please fire me. Please fire me. I should go to grad school. This was just supposed to be a pit-stop job!
Haida: (sweating) If I get fired, this could just be life's way of telling me it's time to open my rock 'n' roll milkshake bar.
Kabae: Ton is so aggressive today. I wonder if he had breakfast. - Bait-and-Switch: At the end of #3, Momoko experiences an intense dressing-down from the wrestler she's been jeering all issue, causing her to burst into tears... of sheer joy, as she realizes she wants to become a wrestler and "make people cry! For money!"
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Issue 3 begins with Retsuko's coworkers asking her about why she's in an unusually good mood. Their theories suddenly escalate from mundane to severe over the course of three panels.Kabae: Is it a hot date?
Haida: Did they add new songs at karaoke?
Fenneko: Director Ton fall into a sand trap, never to be seen again? - Damned by Faint Praise: At the end of issue 2, Retsuko's mediocre painting skills receive meager complements from her coworkers.Kabae: Much better, Retsuko! It kind of looks like a sunset now. At least you are a very good accountant.
Tsubone: A much better accountant. Much, much better accountant.
Ton: Nice goin' Calendar. That one shows some potential. If you squint really hard at it. - Department of Redundancy Department: One scene in issue 2 begins with a caption setting the scene in an intentionally redundant fashion.PAINT AND SIP NIGHT. THE NIGHT THE LADIES WILL PAINT. AND ALSO SIP.
- Fun with Acronyms: The first issue revolves around the temporary Systemic Transformation Utilization Financial Faculty committee.
- I Resemble That Remark!: In issue 2, Haida claims that men aren't as sensitive as women, only to tearfully defend himself when Fenneko remarks that his hair looks weird.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Near the end of issue 3, the heel in the wrestling match Retsuko and company are watching hits her limit with Momoko's taunting and cuts a promo on her and her father, bluntly calling out all of their personal flaws.Wrestler: You are nothing. You are below the trash that was beneath my foot. You hide behind your words so no one sees that the true you is a scared brat.
Momoko's dad: Now wait a minute—
Wrestler: Sir, you have done a fine job of making your child just like you.
Momoko's dad: Thank you.
Wrestler: That isn't a compliment. You are a rude, insufferable, classist pig, and your daughter is an adult who has to bully others because it's the only way she can feel anything. Now if you will excuse me, I'd rather not waste my time or talent on a pathetic little brat. - "The Scream" Parody: In issue 2, one of the paintings seen in Tsubone's flashback is a version of The Scream with a wolf in place of a human.
- Something We Forgot: Issue 2's climax involves the female cast renting a boat and forcefully entering a yacht party the company's men were holding. After the conflict is resolved, Tsunoda belatedly notices that the girls' boat (which the narrative ignored entirely after they boarded the yacht) isn't secured. End result: it floats off and dashes itself against a nearby set of rocks.
Aggretsuko: Little Rei of Sunshine
- Antagonist Title: Rei, the story's villain, is the titular "Rei of Sunshine."
- Epunymous Title: Little Rei of Sunshine refers to Rei, the main antagonist of the story, while simultaneously playing on the phrase "little ray of sunshine."
- Exact Words: Retsuko's mother tells her that her father is in the hospital, which she takes to be a sign of seriously poor health. Only after arriving there does her mother reveal he was only there for a routine checkup.Retsuko: Mom, I was seriously worried! How could you lie to me like that?!
Retsuko's mom: I didn't lie, I just didn't give you all the details. - In-Series Nickname: After meeting Haida by chance in a bar, Rei refers to him as "Mr. Saké" for the rest of the story (never learning his actual name).
- Meaningful Echo: Before the climax, Retsuko's mother uses Exact Words to get her daughter to visit her in a hospital waiting room, justifying herself by saying "Hopefully getting a scare will help you snap you out of your habit of avoiding things," Later, after Rei finally realizes that she's coming close to burning all her bridges, Retsuko tells her "Sometimes... getting a scare is the wake-up call we need." Downplayed, since the wording isn't the same even if the overall intent is.
- Mood Whiplash: Midway through, Retsuko receives a text from her mother saying that her father is in the hospital. After a series of completely serious, mostly silent panels depicting her traveling there, she meets her mom in person and asks how he's doing... whereupon she learns that he's just getting a checkup, prompting an exaggeratedly cartoonish Big "WHAT?!". However, this then segues into a more serious conversation about Retsuko's tendency to avoid her problems instead of fixing them.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Shortly before the climax, Retsuko suddenly demonstrates the seemingly supernatural ability to emit lightning from her microphone, which she uses to knock out the various reporters at the scene. There's no explanation or Foreshadowing for this — it's done solely to write certain characters out of the story until its conclusion.
- OOC Is Serious Business: After learning that Rei is dead-set on effectively destroying her beloved karaoke place, Retsuko gets so dispirited and defeated that she barely responds to her superiors' usual complaints about her. Fenneko, usually not one for acting sensitively towards others, grows concerned and asks her to dinner to see what's getting her so down.
- Stop Being Stereotypical: This forms the core of the story's conflict. After learning that Rei believes that her destructive habits are simply par for the course for the metal genre, Retsuko gets outraged, feeling that she's feeding into a negative stereotype of metal fans like herself to avoid owning up to her own actions.
- Two-Timer Date: The story begins with Retsuko learning that her old favorite metal band is reuniting for a concert and managing to buy tickets, only for Ton to announce that the entire accounting department must attend a trading convention held at the exact same time. After talking it over with Washimi and Gori, she ultimately lies that she has a family emergency to get out of her obligations, though she needs to attend the concert in disguise as a result.
- Undesirable Prize: The CEO of Carrier Man Trading encourages his directors to attend a trading convention by promising a secret prize to the head of the department with the most employees there. Ton wins after forcing the entire accounting department to come, only to find that his reward is merely a subscription to a trading magazine.
- Wheel o' Feet: As Retsuko and Gori sneak past their co-workers to get to the Brides of Resonance concert, at one point they dart by Komiya with cartoonish wheels instead of feet.
Aggretsuko Super Fun Special
- Alliterative Title: Both "Regency Rumble" and "Rare Record" are alliterative.
- Deep-Immersion Gaming: "Rage Quit" shows several members of the cast playing a VR game together, with their characters looking exactly like them in fantasy garb.
- Fictional Counterpart: "Rare Record" takes place at Nisshoku Records, a record store whose exterior is a dead ringer for the massive Tower Records in Tokyo's Shibuya ward.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All three stories in the special begin with the letter R: "Regency Rumble," "Rare Record," and "Rage Quit."
- I Knew It!: In-Universe. In "Regency Rumble," Fenneko at one point adamantly argues that one character is secretly a time traveler, even as Haida insists it's only a Plot Hole. At the very end, the pilot episode of the TV adaptation proves her right.Offscreen character: But, your grace! How could you be... from another time?
Fenneko: Oh, I knew it! - Quizzical Tilt: Two separate panels in "Regency Rumble" show a character confusedly tilting their head to the side while asking a question: Retsuko learning about the contest for the Regency Rumble TV pilot midway through the story, followed by Retsuko and Fenneko discovering Tsubone is showing said pilot to the entire office at the end.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: "Regency Rumble" ends with Retsuko intentionally losing a contest to win the pilot for the titular TV show so Tsubone can have it instead, having learned a lesson about not letting her competitiveness lead her to ignore others' suffering. The very next day, Tsubone hosts a viewing party in the office that the bulk of the accounting department (including Retsuko) attends.
- What Are Records?: A brief gag in "Regency Rumble" has Anai (the youngest employee in Carrier Man's accounting department) ask Haida what a DVD is, to the latter's horror.
Aggretsuko: Down the Rabbit Hole
- But You Were There, and You, and You: The story casts Retsuko's coworkers in the roles of various characters from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Retsuko herself is Alice (the bewildered outsider unaware she's actually dreaming), Haida's insecurities turn his version of the Mad Hatter into "the Sad Hatter," and so on.
- Call-Back: The Dracopillar (Tsunoda) conjures up scenes from the original anime while dissecting Retsuko's character. These include her looking like a robot at work (as she did after Ton threatens her livelihood early in season 1), smiling against a rainbow background (referencing how she perceived the world while dating Resasuke late in season 1), her stint with the OTMGirls, and her playing a VR game in her trash-strewn apartment (both from season 3).
- Literal Metaphor: Right after falling into Wonderland, Retsuko gets caught up in the rat race... not her usual office job but a foot race with anthropomorphic rats.
Aggretsuko: Out of Office
- Alliance of the Alienated: The final issue reveals that two plot-important characters became friends because they were both ostracized from society for different reasons: the oni was ridiculed by others of his species because of his tender heart, while the ancestor was a samurai in an age that had left the profession behind.
- Blah, Blah, Blah: During Chuko's initial explanation of Retsuko's duties in issue 1, his dialogue is briefly rendered as a series of "blah"s when Retsuko gets distracted and talks to Puko for a bit.
- Cliffhanger:
- Issue 1 ends with the surprise revelation that the kamidana, previously built up as extremely important to maintain in order to keep an oni from destroying the resort, has been ransacked and ruined.
- Issue 3 ends on a double whammy:
- Tsunoda and Shuko have both been abducted by the oni, which is very much real and threatens to destroy the resort. Puko's left wondering what to do next, but Retsuko's already resolved to deal with the problem "the only way [she] know[s] how."
- Gori's impromptu road trip with Haida and Fenneko takes a turn for the awry when they're tricked into visiting a town full of nopperabō (faceless beings that can perfectly imitate regular people), who proceed to surround them.
- Curse Cut Short: Early in issue 4, Fenneko responds to a roadblock with "Oh, for f— Seriously?!"
- Damsel in Distress: By the end of issue 3, two women (Tsunoda and Shuko) end up kidnapped by the Big Bad, with the fourth and final issue partially being dedicated to rescuing them. Subverted when it turns out he actually talked with them about their respective hangups — they're found unharmed, relaxing in the women's bath.
- Description Cut: In issue 2, Gori proclaims her intent to visit Retsuko at the hot springs, certain that she's been "enjoying all [her] rest and relaxation" there. The very next thing the reader sees is Retsuko herself, furious at the amount of work she's been given and the unjust blame she's taken.
- Evil Overlooker: The third issue's "A" cover is a low-angle shot showing the Big Bad (an oni) lurking over Retsuko, Puko, and an alarmed Tsunoda. While it turns out he's not actually villainous, that's not apparent until the fourth and final issue.
- Family Theme Naming: Puko's aunt and uncle are respectively named Shuko and Chuko.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: In issue 3, when Retsuko and Puko have a conversation about the ruined kamidana, the former insists that she wasn't responsible for causing the problem. She's immediately interrupted by another character assuring her that "Puko here knows you didn't do it," a statement that visibly unnerves Puko herself. Exactly one page later, she admits that she was actually the one at fault.
- Foreshadowing: There are a few clues hinting toward The Reveal of who the Big Bad really is.
- Every time the oni is depicted (both in Shuko's story and in the various knickknacks sold in the resort's gift shop), it has yellow eyes that sometimes go cross-eyed and three rows of ridges on its forehead — traits that are also apparent on the tiger that intermittently appears throughout the miniseries.
- When the tiger first appears, they're conspicuously hiding outside the premises of the resort. Their next appearance, however, is inside the building as part of a gag. While this doesn't seem to mean anything at the time, it takes on new significance after the revelation that the kamidana — something previously said to keep the oni out of the resort — has been ruined at the end of the issue. It's only in issue 3 that it's revealed that the two characters are one and the same, implying that the tiger's sudden appearance in the resort proper was after the kamidana was desecrated but before it became apparent to the reader.
- Furry Confusion: The first issue shows Retsuko running by two non-anthropomorphic bluebirds at the very start. Keep in mind that one of her closest friends (Washimi, who appears just a few pages later) is an anthropomorphic secretary bird.
- How We Got Here: The first issue opens with Retsuko venting her rage alone in the forest, immediately followed by the story rewinding time by several days to explain what led her to this point. Her narration boxes complete the effect (including briefly returning when the scene is played again near the end of the issue, this time in its proper chronological place)."...I suppose this isn't the best place to begin this story. Shall we go back a few days, then?"
- Improvised Armour: In issue 3, Shuko eventually makes a set of armor for herself out of various household items (including a wooden bucket for a helmet) to defend against the oni.
- The Legend of Chekhov: In the first issue, Shuko explains the legend behind her resort's creation — long ago, her great-grandfather built it on a mountain as a place to spend his retirement and fought off an oni that lurked there to do so. In the present day, Shuko insists that the resort staff take care of a kamidana, fearing that the oni still haunts the area and desires revenge against them. While Puko and Chuko don't believe the legend is true (though the latter is more than happy to profit off of it through their gift shop), Shuko takes it very seriously and starts preparing for an altercation once the kamidana gets ruined. By the end, the legend is shown to be partially true — her ancestor actually built it with the oni and set up the kamidana so that he could receive a better body and finally live in peace.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: In the final issue, Retsuko and Puko chase down the Big Bad and end up finding two separate paths. While Retsuko wants them to stick together, Puko insists on splitting up to search each one individually, having lost trust in her friend's plan. It doesn't last long — the two meet up again after a few pages apart (not counting the B-plot).
- Real After All: While most of the cast dismisses Shuko's legend about an oni desiring revenge against the resort as an old story, it turns out to be real when the oni reveals himself — even if the details turn out to be less than accurate.
- Red Sky, Take Warning: In issue 3, the sky shifts from blue to red during an extremely tense conversation that reveals the Big Bad.
- The Reveal:
- Issue 3 has two revelations that significantly affect the miniseries' plot.
- The person responsible for breaking the kamidana (something Retsuko unwillingly took the blame for) was actually none other than Puko.
- After spending the first two issues as a bystander, the Big Bad turns out to be a tiger that keeps popping up in and out of the resort (actually the oni from Shuko's legend taking another form).
- Issue 4 has a major revelation as part of its denouement: the legend surrounding the hot springs is deeply inaccurate about the oni's relationship with Shuko's samurai ancestor. As it turns out, the two both felt like misfits and bonded over this, building the resort together. The kamidana was built to help transform the oni into a god (or "kami"); while it only managed to turn him into a tiger, the samurai's prayers were strong enough to cleanse the entire mountain of youkai.
- Issue 3 has two revelations that significantly affect the miniseries' plot.
- Road Trip Plot: Gori, Haida, and Fenneko's subplot involves their attempt to drive to the resort where Retsuko's temporarily working. Complications beset them from the get-go, ranging from humorous (like Gori relying entirely on her lackluster memory to guide them there) to dramatic (like the group finding themselves at the mercy of several Yōkai).
- Two Lines, No Waiting: After the first issue, the miniseries focuses on two plots unfolding in parallel — Retsuko's tribulations while working at the resort and her friends going on a road trip to visit her there.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The final issue reveals that Puko inadvertently caused every problem in the mini-series because their inconsiderate actions caused a build-up of negative energy in and around the resort. Specifically, her habit of inviting friends to the resort and then shunting her chores onto them inevitably results in frustration and all-around bad vibes. Her bringing Retsuko this time was too much for the oni — his desire for peace and quiet clashes with her habit of venting through singing death metal. In addition, the excess negative energy allowed the other youkai to manifest in the area, resulting in most of the hassle Gori, Fenneko, and Haida went through.
- Wham Episode: Issue 3 raises the miniseries' stakes considerably, with the main plot being taken in a dramatically different direction. During a conversation with Retsuko, Puko admits she was the one who broke the kamidana. This is quickly overshadowed by the revelation that the oni her aunt is gravely worried about is not only real but has been staying at the resort in disguise the whole time. Having already kidnapped Tsunoda, the oni then proceeds to abduct Puko's aunt after assuming his true form.
Aggretsuko: Out to Lunch
- 555: Exaggerated — Retsuko's resume (seen in issue 2) gives her phone number as (555)-555-5555.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: During issue 1, Retsuko gets fed up with one of Video Joy Fun Place's rides and declares that she'd rather be back at work. The very next panel shows her back at her desk, swamped with papers and even more stressed, admitting she preferred the theme park.
- Central Theme: Following your dreams and the costs associated with them. The miniseries' premise involves Retsuko getting a second job at a maid café, viewing it as an escape from her Soul-Crushing Desk Job — her dream is to quit entirely. Unfortunately, trying to juggle both gigs' responsibilities at once leaves her incredibly worn down, as many of her coworkers are quitting to pursue their own dreams — leaving her to handle their work. Things degrade to the point where Retsuko gets fired from the café for terminal lateness, but she finds her workload at the office alleviated by a returning coworker whose personal pursuits didn't work out. The final issue concludes with her deciding to live in the moment, figuring she has quite a bit of time to discover her dreams.
- Cosplay Café: The miniseries centers around Retsuko working at the Dreamwin Café, a maid café where the costumed employees serve desserts to customers, play games with them (taking care to let them win), and occasionally perform live music.
- Creator Cameo: One of the billboards outside the Dreamwin Café promotes an anime starring the Virtual YouTuber avatar of artist Abigail Starling.
- Dramatic Thunder: Issue 2 ends during a thunderstorm, with lightning striking on the last page's Cliffhanger (Director Ton unexpectedly paying a visit to the Dreamwin Café, to Retsuko's horror).
- Insult to Rocks: In the first issue, after suffering through Shachou's intensely boring plan of action during a visit to an amusement park, Washimi complains that they may as well be in Hell. Gori disagrees: "Hell couldn't possibly be this dull."
- It's a Small Ride: Video Joy Fun Place (the amusement park seen throughout the first issue) features an unnamed ride where guests board a car-shaped boat through a building with cardboard decoration and animatronics. In line with the park's dated aesthetic, all of the robots are dressed in garish '80s and '90s fashion while the décor & song center on the shopping mall experience (something which was popular in the 1980s but eventually died out). Much like every other attraction seen in the issue, the company's president is the only person who really enjoys it.Tsunoda: [The song]'s kinda catchy after the twenty-third chorus!
- Only One Finds It Fun: Shachou's itinerary for Video Joy Fun Place in the first issue is laser-focused on things no one else in the group enjoys, ranging from a simplistic train ride to standing in line to buy a popcorn bucket to rattling off minute trivia about the park's trash cans.
- Right on Queue: One panel in issue 1 has Washimi and Gori accompany Shachou while waiting in an excessively long line. When asked what ride it's for, the latter reveals it's actually just to buy a collectible popcorn bucket.note
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: In issue 3, when Ton gets fed up with Retsuko's continued absence, Haida's attempt to cover for her ends with him saying "she's definitely not moonlighting!" Unsurprisingly, the rest of the office immediately assumes she is upon hearing this.
- Technology Marches On: Used In-Universe near the start of the first issue. One of the first signs that Video Joy Fun Place is firmly stuck in the '80s & '90s is when Retsuko notices a statue holding either a vinyl record or a LaserDisc. (A similar statue bearing a VHS tape is also visible, though it goes without comment.)
- Title Drop: Near the end of the first issue, Retsuko takes off from work early, leaving a sticky note claiming she's "out to lunch."
- They Changed It, Now It Sucks!: Parodied In-Universe. During issue 1, Shachou enthusiastically explains that many theme park fans took umbrage when Video Joy Fun Place changed the color of their trash cans, much to Retsuko's bewilderment.