ONA
Description
Director Ton is the head of the accounting department, serving as the direct superior to Retsuko and several other main characters. He is a large, middle-aged pig whose design is based on the Duroc breed, characterized by his rosy brown skin and overweight physique. He typically wears a white dress shirt with a green tie, black pants, and brown shoes, and is frequently seen sweating and using a handkerchief.
His personality is notably complex and often contradictory. On the surface, he is a volatile and demanding boss who holds outdated, sexist views, frequently asserting that women in the workplace should focus on simple, supportive tasks like serving tea. He often goes out of his way to make Retsuko uncomfortable, burdening her with excessive workloads and making inappropriate comments. His mood is unpredictable, swinging between being grumpy and inexplicably cheerful, which keeps his subordinates perpetually on edge. In an ironic twist, his employees find him more disturbing when he acts nice than when he is in a bad mood.
However, this harsh exterior occasionally gives way to moments of genuine insight and care. When Retsuko experiences significant personal troubles, such as financial difficulties or heartbreak, Ton is surprisingly perceptive. He eases her workload and offers her heartfelt, mature advice. During a drunken moment at a company party, he even admitted to seeing leadership potential in Retsuko, expressing regret for his own actions and revealing a hidden faith in her abilities. This duality extends to his home life; he keeps photos of his twin daughters on his desk and professes to love his family, yet he also seems intimidated by them, especially his teenage daughters, whom he dotes on to his own chagrin.
Ton’s primary motivation appears to be maintaining the status quo and getting the job done through his own traditional methods. He is deeply resistant to change, most notably in his stubborn refusal to use computers for accounting. He prefers to use an abacus, with which he is extraordinarily fast and precise, often completing complex calculations more quickly than his younger colleagues can with spreadsheets. He is also a habitual participant in office social activities, enjoying golf and company drinking parties, often spending evenings out with younger staff.
His role in the story is primarily that of an obstacle and an antagonist, particularly for Retsuko. He actively contributes to a hostile work environment, enabled by his sycophantic subordinate, Komiya, who echoes his bad behavior and shares his interest in golf. In contrast to his treatment of Retsuko, he is noticeably lenient and flirtatious with the younger female employee Tsunoda, often blushing around her.
Director Ton undergoes significant development, as his traditional and sometimes toxic approach to management comes into conflict with corporate pressures. When a new company president demanded he compile a list of employees for potential layoffs, Ton refused, an act of loyalty that resulted in his demotion. Following this, he secretly resigned from the company without telling his family and began working at a convenience store. It was during this low period that Retsuko discovered him and, in a turn of events, hired him to manage the finances for her personal YouTube channel. This experience led to him eventually being reinstated at the company, returning to his original department. Despite his flaws, his refusal to sacrifice his team and his subsequent, if grudging, evolution into a mentor figure define his character arc, showcasing a man who is as trapped by his old-fashioned concepts as he is by the corporate world he navigates.
His personality is notably complex and often contradictory. On the surface, he is a volatile and demanding boss who holds outdated, sexist views, frequently asserting that women in the workplace should focus on simple, supportive tasks like serving tea. He often goes out of his way to make Retsuko uncomfortable, burdening her with excessive workloads and making inappropriate comments. His mood is unpredictable, swinging between being grumpy and inexplicably cheerful, which keeps his subordinates perpetually on edge. In an ironic twist, his employees find him more disturbing when he acts nice than when he is in a bad mood.
However, this harsh exterior occasionally gives way to moments of genuine insight and care. When Retsuko experiences significant personal troubles, such as financial difficulties or heartbreak, Ton is surprisingly perceptive. He eases her workload and offers her heartfelt, mature advice. During a drunken moment at a company party, he even admitted to seeing leadership potential in Retsuko, expressing regret for his own actions and revealing a hidden faith in her abilities. This duality extends to his home life; he keeps photos of his twin daughters on his desk and professes to love his family, yet he also seems intimidated by them, especially his teenage daughters, whom he dotes on to his own chagrin.
Ton’s primary motivation appears to be maintaining the status quo and getting the job done through his own traditional methods. He is deeply resistant to change, most notably in his stubborn refusal to use computers for accounting. He prefers to use an abacus, with which he is extraordinarily fast and precise, often completing complex calculations more quickly than his younger colleagues can with spreadsheets. He is also a habitual participant in office social activities, enjoying golf and company drinking parties, often spending evenings out with younger staff.
His role in the story is primarily that of an obstacle and an antagonist, particularly for Retsuko. He actively contributes to a hostile work environment, enabled by his sycophantic subordinate, Komiya, who echoes his bad behavior and shares his interest in golf. In contrast to his treatment of Retsuko, he is noticeably lenient and flirtatious with the younger female employee Tsunoda, often blushing around her.
Director Ton undergoes significant development, as his traditional and sometimes toxic approach to management comes into conflict with corporate pressures. When a new company president demanded he compile a list of employees for potential layoffs, Ton refused, an act of loyalty that resulted in his demotion. Following this, he secretly resigned from the company without telling his family and began working at a convenience store. It was during this low period that Retsuko discovered him and, in a turn of events, hired him to manage the finances for her personal YouTube channel. This experience led to him eventually being reinstated at the company, returning to his original department. Despite his flaws, his refusal to sacrifice his team and his subsequent, if grudging, evolution into a mentor figure define his character arc, showcasing a man who is as trapped by his old-fashioned concepts as he is by the corporate world he navigates.