REVIEW: ‘My New Boss is Goofy’ Episode 1 — “It’s A Little Cracked”

Work sucks. It really really sucks, and that’s because of bad bosses. But the reality is, even when work doesn’t suck an old workplace can send ripples through your new career path with the trauma it leaves behind. A-1 Picture’s My New Boss is Goofy (Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen) captures all of that perfectly with a workplace comedy slice-of-life anime (though a rom-office-com is a more fitting description), starting with Episode 1, “It’s a Little Cracked!!”

The series follows Kentarō Momose (Koutarou Nishiyama) as he embarks on a new career after his power-harassing boss damaged his spirit and health. With his ulcer and a mountain of anxiety, Momose tries to leave it all in the past but can’t help but worry, “What if my new boss is another abusive person?”

That question rings throughout the entirety of My New Boss is Goofy Episode 1, as Momose tries to adjust to his new work life that is actually healthy, supportive, and respectful. However, on the very first day of his new job, while making rounds to see clients with his new boss, Momose’s ulcer kicks into high gear.

Instead of just accompanying his new boss, Yūsei Shirosaki (Yûichirô Umehara), and allowing him to make an impression, Momose obsesses over the awful possibility that Shirosaki may be horrible. Debilitated by the pain, Momose attempts to force himself to feel better and get moving, only to be met by Shirosaki, who has stomach medicine. A small gesture that offers a big impact, Momose begins to think that maybe his new job won’t be bad at all.

Over the course of My New Boss is Goofy Episode 1, we see the way that Momose’s past experiences are reflected in his current fears about the new workplace. Terrified when he’s late, riddled with imposter syndrome when he’s given a big ad to take over, or even standing on the edge of an anxiety attack when he smells his old boss’s cologne on a train, all of these small moments mark big moments in the episode. While they each have humor around them, the moments themselves are sincerely rendered and treated with respect. Momose isn’t a clown for feeling this way. The comedy comes from his ray of sunshine boss, whose clumsiness matches his competence.

Shirosaki is the joke. He’s funny, cute, and clumsy—and he is the comfortable safety net that is trying his best to help Momose without overstepping boundaries. The series presents an empathetic view of the workplace. One where workplace traumas don’t need to be explicitly talked about but are shown through acts of kindness and anxiety equally.

The compassion can be seen on its own as fostering a respectful workplace. And for those who are always looking for a new BL anime or story to watch, well, this seinen slice of life is adjacent enough to count. While the series isn’t specifically a BL, multiple moments in the first episode that showcase the budding relationship between Momose and Shirosaki are straight out of a rom-com.

In their short time together in this episode, the two speed through work milestones, and Momose essentially takes care of his clumsy boss, Shirosaki. Their report is one built on trust, boundaries, and the fact both men are able to communicate their needs without dialogue but by reading the situations that they are in. This element is key to crafting a believable story and building a relationship, working or otherwise, that has layers.

The vibes are right and if Buddy Daddies was able to carry the BL anime for the Winter season, then My New Boss is Goofy can too—especially given the manga and how it’s been received after its publication and even the art that the mangaka Dan Ichikawa shared when it was announced for animation adaptation.

That said, the rom-office-com structure of the series isn’t its main focus. While its genre does embrace the tropes we know, the primary goal of the series is to showcase Momose’s past work trauma and show him adapting to a new workplace where he is respected. Without a romantic gaze, the series still has a wholesome and important place in the anime season: showing workers that they don’t deserve bad bosses.

My New Boss is Goofy Episode 1 is a stellar beginning to the series that showcases empathy as much as anxiety and will speak to dejected millennials everywhere. The only question is, where will it go next?

My Boss is Goofy Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.