My New Boss is Goofy: Empathic Anime to battle Karoshi

(Image Courtesy: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Atarashii_J%C5%8Dshi_wa_Do_Tennen_1.png)

The fatiguing work environment in the Japanese corporate culture is not unfamiliar to any perhaps. Karoshi (death by overwork) has compromised the mental health of many sararimen, or white-collar workers. Exhausted employees are often seen fainting on the sidewalks, without any chance to recuperate. In the recent corpus of anime, one can come across titles that focus on the grueling demands of the industries. For instance, Sekaichi Hatsukoi focuses on the nexus between the mangaka, the editor, and the printer, struggling to keep up with the constant deadlines. It is not uncommon for publishers to lock up mangakas in luxury hotel rooms with all, till they produce the instalment for the next issue.

However, with the recent anime adaptation of a manga series by Dan Ichikawa from 2018, the fandom finally encounters a story of healing, rather than of torture. My New Boss is Goofy narrates the tale of a worker in the field of advertising, one of the most challenging industries out there. Forced to quit the preceding company due to his harassing manager, Kentaro Momose suffers from panic attacks and spasms. After joining the new firm, he is easily triggered by minute stimuli which reminds him of his previous establishment. In the pilot episode, as he is commuting back from work, the person next to him wears a cologne that his former boss used. The odor makes his insides churn and turns him pale.

Enter Yusei Shirosaki, who is Kentaro’s new manager. He is perhaps a definition of anyone’s dream boss; all encouraging and accommodating. An overachiever without being a taskmaster, Shirosaki is a team-player who is popular through the office. However, there is a downside to his persona, if it to be considered a downside at all. He is hopelessly clumsy. He is the type that would run to a drugstore to get remedies for Kentaro’s bellyache, only to return with a prescription of menstrual cramps!

While one might feel that the series has undertones of BL, it is more of a feel-good fluff, which allows viewers to hope. By presenting a constructive image of corporate workspace, it acts as a positive reinforcement for debutants in the job market. In the post- pandemic era, mental health and wellness of employees is a major concern to be handled sensitively. The conglomerates can certainly take a leaf out of Shirosaki’s page on empathy, if not goofiness. Overall, this anime refashioned from the award-winning manga is a must watch, for employees, bosses, and other members of the audience in general.

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@Dr Otaku