REVIEW: ‘My New Boss Is Goofy’ Episode 9 — “I’ll Listen To That!”

Each week, My New Boss is Goofy takes the time to develop relationships between its core characters in a healing way, with each one getting a share of the spotlight. In My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 9, “I’ll Listen To That~!,” that shifts to Chief Aoyama and Shiroskai and Kinjo as coworkers—while still processing Momose’s past, of course.

Chief Aoyama may not be the sole focus of the episode, but he plays a large part in it. The needy boss, instead of the clumsy one, makes him goofy in his own way, and we see more about why he is that way. He’s alone in a large empty house after his divorce, and his many Kemattechan plushies, including the person-sized one, help keep the loneliness at bay. While we’ve seen him explain this before, his love of the bear has been treated as mostly a joke, but in My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 9, it’s handled with sincerity.

When the group–Momose, Shirosaki, Aoyama, and Kinjo–end up going to a last-minute mixer Momse is scared. Mumbling to himself about the last time he went to one, he reveals how he was mistreated, kicked by his old boss, and tries to push down his fear and trust his new co-workers. Only, Momose’s inner voice is heard by Aoyama, who makes it his goal to make Momose feel comfortable at the mixer. As the current mixer kicks off, Momose and the others get absorbed in Aoyama’s Kemattechan bit, and all worry drifts away as the men make the women laugh just by being themselves.

The awkwardness at the table is entertaining for both the viewers and the women on the other side of the table. While Kinjo knows exactly how to flirt, the others are awkwardly and hilariously trying to keep the mood exciting with dad jokes, gags, and the general goofiness we’ve come to expect. The men aren’t as concerned with flirting with the women so much as they’re just being themselves. In fact, round two is them going to a karaoke bar and drunkenly singing anime songs. They’re adorable.

As the series continues to move forward the slice-of-life nature of the series is effortlessly fun and shows so much care in speaking to audiences. A lot of what Momose feels are things that while sometimes exaggerated, many of those watching at home have felt too. It speaks to a generation that has been run ragged by the workplace in a more positive way than Zom 100. You don’t need an apocalypse to escape workplace abuse, sometimes you just need a good boss and caring co-workers.

It’s the small things in My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 9 that really make it all the more heartwarming. The audience has been able to learn more and more about the men outside of their relationships with each other but also how their likes and dislikes are all taken into consideration by the others. Like Kinjo loving anime and then helping Shirosaki learn about it too in order to help with incoming requests. We see small glimpses into their personalities so that when they all come together we see a dynamic picture of men just trying to make it through life the best they can and connecting with others along the way.

While the joy comes from learning more about them, the beauty of the series is how each of the men care for one another. They’re all on the same empathetic wavelength, anticipating the needs of the other and attempting to create an environment where they can all feel included and cared for, both professionally and as friends. For these men, care goes a long way. Proactively listening to those you consider friends is an important element of relationships, platonic and otherwise. Modeling that on-screen in a work environment is touching, especially if you’ve dealt with any type of workplace harassment.

It’s been clear since Episode 1 that the series uses romantic-comedy tropes as the foundation for its comedy, not just the workplace. That said, as each episode has progressed, I’ve found myself less and less concerned with any of the pairings officially being recognized as partners and just happy to see the display of healthy relationships and caring people on screen.

My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 9 is thoughtful, delicate, and empathetic to all of its characters. From Kinjo’s otaku hobbies, Aoyama’s loneliness, Shirosaki’s absent-mindedness, and Momose’s fears. It’s another episode that shows how wonderful connections to other people can be when those people care.

My New Boss Is Goofy Episode 9 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes every Saturday.