REVIEW: ‘My New Boss Is Goofy’ Episode 6 — “Ex-boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend?? Ex-boyfriend???”

I start off every review for My New Boss Is Goofy the same: it’s a salve. The series follows Kentaro Momose after he switched jobs to escape an abusive boss and the trauma that has manifested itself as an ulcer that is still flaring up. At his new company, his new boss is Shirosaki, and he is very goofy. Last episode, fans learned more about Kinjo and Chief Ayoyama when they went to a theme park. At the same time, we saw Momose learning that it’s okay to have fun at work. Now, in My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 6, “Ex-boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend?? Ex-boyfriend???” we get to see Momose face his emotional trauma from his last job head-on with Shirosaki at his side.

My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 6 does two things. The first is that we get to see Momose and Kinjo bonding over escaping their former workplaces, looking through social media, and learning about each other’s lives. One of the interesting moments in the episode is when Kinjo is walking Momose through his Enstagram profile and pointing out an ex-girlfriend, a pet, and his ex-boyfriend. And ex-boyfriend? Yup! It’s a casual follow-through on establishing that Kinjo is bisexual a couple of episodes back.

While the series is solidly BL-adjacent and lives in a rom-com formula being presented as a workplace comedy, the fact the series has taken time to normalize same-sex relationships in casual conversation is a big move, especially for adults in anime. One step further, the fact that Kinjo’s closeness to Momose, Ayoyama, or Shirosaki isn’t changed by them knowing that he’s queer. But it’s not just Kinjo’s personal life that we get the chance to see in My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 6, we also get to understand how his boss’s abuse left a mark.

For Kinjo, his boss’s verbal violence became physical and even resulted in rewarding head pats as praise, exploiting Kinjo in a personal way, not just a professional one. Getting to see the kinship built between Momose and Kinjo by sharing their trauma is healing to watch. The series itself has been cathartic to watch. As Momose and Kinjo heal slowly by experiencing a good workplace and making solid relationships, they show you what’s next after leaving a bad situation.

The second section of this episode builds on life after workplace trauma in a touching way. Still working on an ad campaign for an aquarium, Momose and Shirosaki head out to the location. While on-site, Momose hears an angry man yelling at children and is immediately brought back to his old boss, who used to do something similar. Panicking but trying to hide it, Momose drops his phone in an exhibit and needs to get a new one. Only, this new phone results in his old boss’s number being unblocked and a realization that he has been calling Momose insistently.

In both situations, Shirosaki is keenly aware that Momose is struggling, even holding his hand to take him to a bench. Shirosaki may be extremely goofy and clumsy, but he is so emotionally intelligent and aware that he’s able to give Momose the protection he needs in those situations. As Kurano, Momose’s abusive ex-boss keeps calling, Momose has to try to hold it all together, only finding the strength to answer after Shirsaki cheers him up.

But Shirosaki didn’t just do something goofy to make Momose smile. No. When Momose asks his boss why he doesn’t replace his phone with a cracked screen, Shirosaki says it’s because of him. You see, Shirosaki broke his phone on the day that Momose began working at the company. He explains that the phone slowly began to remind him of Momose, scarred but not broken. More importantly, Shirosaki shares that he wants to do everything he can to make sure that Momose isn’t scarred again.

It’s a heartfelt moment between the two that holds immense compassion. It’s caring, but it’s also a moment where Momose is given permission to be scared, to be vulnerable, and to be upfront about his trauma. Instead of trying to hide the moments where panic is triggered, he can be open about it, and more importantly, he can confront it.

The highest point of not just the episode, but the series so far is when Momose talks back to his old boss, hanging up on him. Momose tells Kurano exactly how bad he is but more importantly thanks him for ultimately leading him to work with Shirosaki. After getting threatened by Kurano, who of course knows where Momose lives, the duo become just a little unhinged and decide to start living together to keep Momose safe from his old boss.

My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 6 is perfect. Not only because Momose and Shiroskai are holding hands and are now totally platonic and not at all romantic roommates, but because the series continues to give the audience permission to feel their trauma and confront it in a way I haven’t really seen in anime.

My New Boss Is Goofy is streaming now on Crunchyroll.