Haida

**"Haida"** (ハイ田) is an office worker, a major supporting character, and later the deuteragonist of the Netflix Original series *Aggretsuko*.

He worked alongside Retsuko in the accounting office of Carrier Man Trading Co., Ltd. and has a long-standing crush on her. After the events of Season 4, he quit his job at the company.

Season 5 ends with him and Retsuko living together and married.

# Character

## Appearance

Haida's appearance is based on a spotted hyena, and his name is a play on the Japanese pronunciation of 'Hyena'. He has grayish-brown fur, a black nose and ears, and a dark gray muzzle with freckle-like spots on his cheeks. His eyes are hazel, and he has gray hands, tail, fur tufts in his ears, and a pronounced underbite.

Haida wears a white dress shirt, red tie, black dress pants, and brown dress shoes at work. As director, he wears a black coat over his shirt at work and a long navy blue coat over it when out of work. His casual wear consists of a red long-sleeved t-shirt with black stripes or red long-sleeved t-shirt with a black union jack logo, black leather jacket, jeans, and boots. In winter, he wears an olive green coat with a white fur hood.

## Personality

Haida is constantly fawning over Retsuko or drunk, but these situations show that he is somewhat neurotic, often visibly anxious, and can be prone to bursts of anger. Haida tries hard to impress Retsuko with his initiative to fix her things and compliments her as best as he can, but cannot get himself to admit his feelings for her and doesn't take her rejection very well at first.

He has a lot of trust for Fenneko to keep Retsuko safe at the mixer, and though he gets extremely jealous of Resasuke, he is still content that Retsuko is happy with him. This shows that he is kind and considerate, even when not getting what he wants. He ultimately realizes that it is his fault alone for not trying to get together with her when he had the chance. He is loyal to his friends and would do anything to help them, as shown when he put his life on the line to save Retsuko from her stalker.

At times, Haida can get very passive and indecisive, such as when he juggles between his feelings for Retsuko and Inui, unable to choose between the two. He can be pretty much of a pushover, only following people's words rather than listening to his own choices. This is stemmed from his father dominating his life with unrealistic expectations, leading to him being unable to make his own decisions.

His lack of confidence has been a huge obstacle in his life, such as hindering him from advancing his relationship with Retsuko further, and it also makes him susceptible to manipulation from empowered individuals like Himuro. But gradually, he learns how to stand up and be at least a bit more assertive after Retsuko slapped some sense back to him.

# Relationships

## Love Interests

### Retsuko

*Main article: Retsuko*

Haida developed a huge crush on Retsuko sometime after they started working at the trading firm together, six months after they started working together when he caught Retsuko stealing water after work hours. Aforementioned by Fenneko, he had a crush on her for approximately five years to which he primarily kept it a secret (except from Fenneko).

He explained that his reasons being, his first impressions and interpretation of Retsuko described her as vanilla until he saw her after work hours and decided to tail her and catch her in the act of putting her water bottle near the water machine. To his delight he found it fascinating and with that explanation - that's how the long term crush began, as well as him thinking she was cute. Since then, he tried working up the courage to confess to her.

After Retsuko started dating Resasuke, Haida blamed no one but himself for waiting too long; he took their relationship very hard and went out drinking alone, catching pneumonia after dejectedly laying outside in the rain. Retsuko visited him in the hospital, informing him of her break up with Resasuke, leading Haida to finally confess his feelings. Retsuko politely rejected him, saying she knew how he felt and that she did like him, but that she simply wasn't ready for a relationship yet.

Haida later developed a complex after the rejection and couldn't talk to Retsuko, having nightmares regarding the rejection. After Fenneko told Haida that he should move on, Haida proclaimed he wasn't ready to and wanted to try again, but failed to ask her out to a Christmas party due to his nerves.

After seeing Retsuko's lonely Instagram post while at a Christmas party, Haida ran back to the office thinking she might still be there working overtime, disappointed to not see her there. While walking back, he ran into Retsuko, Gori, and Washimi leaving a ramen bar. Gori and Washimi walked off, leaving Retsuko in the care of Haida, and the two decided to spend the rest of Christmas walking home together.

Months later, when news broke of Retsuko's relationship with Tadano, he became extremely jealous and sad, stating he was going to punch Tadano despite previously being a huge fan of his, showing that he wasn't letting it go, but his jealousy seems to have lessened after noticing that Tadano was upset upon leaving the karaoke bar, aware that Retsuko had privately ended her relationship with Tadano.

Haida, along with Fenneko, were aware of Retsuko hiding personal matters from him, and had since resigned to their current relationship as mere work colleagues despite his lingering sentiment for her. His feelings towards Retsuko became affirmed after she admits second-handed to having him as a friend instead of a work buddy soon after teaching her guitar lessons. He tries to spend some time with Inui to get his mind off Retsuko, but eventually he realizes that he cannot forget about her as Inui soon figures out he still has lingering feelings for Retsuko. He later saves Retsuko from an aggressive stalker and finally realizes he cares about her after Inui tells him to be honest with himself.

Sometime after Retsuko shuts herself in her parents’ house, Haida decides to step in by dragging her out and bringing her to the karaoke bar. He sings aggressively to Retsuko to motivate the latter to admit and express herself and once again confesses to her. Although rejected and initially staggered by her death metal, Haida accepts her and reaffirms his support for Retsuko, which shows his willingness to know her for who she is, unlike her other boyfriends. They had since become better friends afterward, being more honest with each other.

Haida decided to muster up the courage to ask her out, but out of submission and anxiety brought on by his lack of confidence, he started creating reasons for getting out of going on dates with her. Retsuko soon believed that they weren't ready to enter a relationship, and decided that they should stay as friends for the time being. After she gave him a confidence boost by telling him she likes him back and wants to know him better, they started going out again and became closer at and outside of work.

Haida became more immersed in his work after being acknowledged by Himuro for the sake of validation and loyalty to the company, eventually leading to his involvement in fraud of the company's quarterly profits. After Retsuko realized his actions, she slapped some senses back into him, telling him frankly that even though she was disappointed with his mistake, she still cares and values him.

Thanks to Retsuko, Haida eventually stood up against Himuro and quit his accounting job, with him and Retsuko remaining as close friends outside of work.

Soon, they started dating, although at first Retsuko enabled him, leading to him compulsively playing video games, until he got kicked out of his old apartment. After her getting him out of the cramped internet cafe, he started living with her. She later took him to see her own parents, and while at first she was shocked at him blowing his own cover in front of her parents, they began to grow closer. Both gradually became each other's emotional support, after Retsuko met Haida's dominating and old-fashioned father Juzo Haida. In the end, they are currently married after the end of the house of representatives election campaign.

### Inui

*Main article: Inui*

Haida initially met Inui, and after finding out that she shares an interest in music with him, he tries going on dates with her, hoping that she can help him get over his feelings for Retsuko. However, Inui later perceived that he isn’t very into her and advised him to make his own choice. In the end, he still chooses Retsuko.

In Season 4, Haida and Inui bump into each other at the same record store where they first met each other. They catch up with each other over drinks at the punk bar, with Haida's lack of interest in Inui becoming clear when it's brought up her role at the company was temporary and that Haida didn't remember.

## Friends

### Fenneko

*Main article: Fenneko*

Fenneko and Haida are good friends, co-workers, and drinking buddies. Until "We Wish You A Metal Christmas", Fenneko was the only person who knew of Haida's secret crush on Retsuko. She would help him out as much as she could, keeping guys away from Retsuko at mixers and social media stalking Retsuko to calm Haida when he thought she had a boyfriend.

Fenneko later stopped encouraging Haida after Retsuko rejected him and she pleaded with him to move on with his life, but then continued after Retsuko started showing signs of liking him back. Sometimes Fenneko being a cynical troll can get on his nerves, and she also has a terrible tendency to keep pushing him down when he's at rock bottom.

### Anai

*Main article: Anai*
Haida and Anai originally got off on a good start until he saw how unstable Anai was and began to frighten his co-workers. He won them over with his cooking, however. Haida and Anai are often seen talking from time to time and going out for drinks, implying that they may have become good friends.

However, there are times that Anai would bail on Haida, such as refusing to allow Haida to crash on his couch upon knowing that Haida is homeless and unemployed. Still, he was one of the people who forced him out of the internet cafe, despite refusing to house him.

### Ookami

*Main article: Ookami*
Haida and Ookami are good friends. However, he mentioned to Anai that Ookami isn't very close to him despite them being friends.

### Tadano

*Main article: Tadano*

Haida was previously a fan of the tech entrepreneur Tadano. However, his admiration quickly turned to dislike when it was revealed that Tadano and Retsuko were dating. He ultimately did not go through with it though and instead shyly asking for his autograph. His jealousy apparently has lessened after noticing how Tadano sadly left the karaoke bar, aware that the latter had broken up with Retsuko. They begin to be on friendly terms in season 3, regarding their respective relationships with Retsuko.

Sometimes, Haida expresses jealously of Tadano; believing that he is better than him and was on much more open terms with Retsuko, leading to an arm wrestling contest with Tadano. However, they have overall become closer friends as time passes, with Tadano also being supportive of Haida and Retsuko being in a relationship.

### Himuro

*Main article: Himuro*
Haida's work gets recognized by Himuro and Haida would then start looking more of his approval, and stay late work additionally during the after work hours. They develop a friendship-like relationship as they become gym buddies. Due to his lack of confidence and need for recognition, Haida would get easily manipulated by Himuro to generate fraudulent profit documents, convincing himself he is doing it became he wants and for Retsuko. Eventually he overcomes his need of recognition and stands up against Himuro, wishing to prevent him from putting someone in the same situation as him.

### Shikabane

*Main article: Shikabane*

Haida met Shikabane online in the video game *Aggressive Heroes* sometime between the events of Season 4 and Season 5. They became partners in-game, often playing together.

She pushes him to spend too much on in-game gacha items, to the point where he spends all of his money, and can't financially support himself after being kicked out of his apartment. They meet in person for the first time at the Anagura Net café by pure coincidence.

She introduces him to Dokachin, who gives him a temporary job at a construction site. Feeling guilty for being one of the reasons he has no savings, she offers to share a two-person booth with him in the net café; splitting the bill for a larger booth.

They part ways in Episode 3, as she searches for a new partner and loses contact with him until one month later in Aki's Kitchen in Episode 9 at which point she looks to be sleeping rougher than before, having eye bags and looking more tired.

### Dokachin

*Main article: Dokachin*
Haida meets Dokachin through Shikabane. He gives Haida a temporary job at a construction site to keep buying nightly booths in the café, although he warns it's as long he's good with heavy lifting. While seeing Haida struggle at work, he cheers him on.

He's very welcoming and amiable towards Haida, arguably protective as he doesn't want him to end up like him - stuck being homeless - by encouraging to never come back to the café and to work hard from now on.

## Family

### Juzo Haida

*Main article: Juzo Haida*
Juzo is Haida's father. He was a politician who got rich from the bubble economy before stepping down due to his health. Being the older son in the family, Haida had to bear his father's domineering expectations, while also being chained by his economical support. Their relationship was further soured after a video about he and his band singing antisocial songs was posted onto the internet by someone back when he was in high school.

During Haida and Retsuko's parents meeting at his old home, Juzo mercilessly insulted Haida in front of Retsuko, whom he also disparaged in front of Haida. Haida finally decided to break off from Juzo's financial support and make a success by himself and Retsuko to prove himself without needing to please his father.

### Jiro Haida

*Main article: Jiro Haida*
Jiro is Haida's younger brother and is at extreme odds with him, due to Jiro being the more gifted and successful son who meets their father's high standards. Their tension rose when Jiro became an opponent against Retsuko during the election campaign. Jiro also played Haida like a fiddle, such as giving him family money to financially and deliberately tie him down. However, by the end of season 5, Haida finally comes to terms and make peace with Jiro, as both move on with their lives.

### Haida's Mother

*Main article: Haida's Mother*
Haida's Mother is the only family member who is more neutral with Haida. However, she is too much of a pushover and doesn't have the courage to stand up for Haida against Juzo.

# Gallery

Fist PumpDepressedNervousHaida's "awkward" high school phaseExhaustedHaida's apartment
# Trivia

* According to Aggretsuko writer and director, Rarecho, Haida plays bass guitar and loves to sing punk rock, but is really bad at it.
	+ However, it is shown that his bass guitar playing has improved over the course of the series.
* Haida's bass guitar is modeled after a Fender Jazz Bass.
* His parents are rather wealthy, so his apartment was actually paid by them and therefore he didn't need to bother paying the rent. Although he got kicked out of the apartment by the start of season 5.
	+ It is later revealed that his father Juzo was a politician born of old money from the bubble economy, before Juzo stepped down due to health issues.
* He appears to be good at working with computers, shown through his ability to repair Retsuko's laptop and Tsubone's computer, his fluency when explaining the features of the MyPad Pro to Ton, and a program he created himself to automate his work for three years. The program he made is still being used by all the employees in the Accounting Department even after he left the company.
* Komiya described him as the closest they have to an IT specialist.
* He appears to be good at cooking. He is shown to be able to cook curry, spaghetti, and cook breakfast for Retsuko.
* In the English dub, Haida is voiced by Ben Diskin, who is known for voicing Numbuh 1 and Numbuh 2 in *Codename: Kids Next Door*, Joseph Joestar in the first season of *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*, Jack in *Beastars*, Shirou Ogami in *Brand New Animal*, and Young Master Xehanort throughout the *Kingdom Hearts* series.
* Haida is revealed to be his surname in Season 5. His first name is never revealed and his surname has been used as a nickname.
* His work computer password is "retsuko l0ve" and his *Aggressive Heroes* account password is "retsuko love".