10 Anime Characters Who Have Office Jobs

5–7 minutes

In honour of Workers’ Day, here are 10 anime characters who have office jobs, complete with a desk, and whom, in one way or another, I admire. I tried not to duplicate anime in my list, since some series feature more than one character.

Office life is soul-crushing… but these 10 anime characters make it look (kinda) bearable. What makes office jobs interesting in anime is how they strip away fantasy and force characters to confront the same mundane struggles we do: burnout, awkward small talk, and the quiet dignity of just showing up. They humanise heroes and make supernatural chaos feel grounded.

(This list is not ranked. Also, mostly spoiler-free!)

An office space featuring numerous workstations with computers, storage cabinets, and transparent partitions, designed for collaboration and organisation.

I had planned to feature Akira Tendo from Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, but he isn’t office-bound for long after all; the zombie apocalypse freed him from his desk and office.

I have split my list across a multitude of genres, or at least I thought I did, and then I realised this list is dominated by romance, or at least by love interests. Turns out office jobs are fertile ground for romance plots. My bad. Either way, I stand by this list.

Emi Yusa

A young woman with long red hair and a headset, smiling while standing in an office with cubicles. Behind her, several colleagues are also working at desks. anime characters who have office jobs,

Anime source: The Devil is a Part-Timer!

Emi works in a call centre, which is about as grounded as it gets, with constant calls, problem-solving, and keeping it together for customers. Considering she comes from another world, she made a plan, and it works out for her. Sure, it’s not glamorous, but it gets the bills paid and puts food on the table; it is stable and reliable. I admire that practicality and how she adapts without complaint. Her office job matters because it strips away the fantasy and shows her as someone just trying to survive in a very normal world.

Himuro

A young man with white hair and blue eyes, dressed in a suit, studies a stack of documents with colour-coded tabs.

Anime source: The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague

Himuro is new to the office and relatably nervous as he navigates training, work trips, fitting in, and falling in love. He freezes up, literally, when he gets overwhelmed, which adds a supernatural twist to very real workplace anxiety. I enjoyed that mix of fantasy and everyday office life. What makes him stand out is how sincere he is, even when he’s struggling. His job matters because it frames his growth: learning to function in a workplace while managing emotions that quite literally spill over.

Fushihara

A young woman in an office setting enjoying a bowl of food while looking at her computer screen. She has brown hair tied in a ponytail and is wearing a white shirt with a tie. Fushihara from Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost

Anime source: Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost

Fushihara is the exhausted office worker we’ve all been at 5 PM on a Thursday. She works late constantly, survives on caffeine, and is perpetually on the edge of collapse. The twist? A tiny ghost child starts following her home, determined to make her rest. It’s absurd, heartfelt, and weirdly motivating. I admire Fushihara because she keeps going, not heroically, but stubbornly. And sometimes that’s what office work really is.

Seiichirou Kondou

A young man wearing glasses holds a blue feather quill and a sheet of paper, displaying a focused expression, with wooden beams above him. Seiichirou Kondou from Isekai Office Worker: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

Anime source: Isekai Office Worker: The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter

Even in another world, Seiichirou Kondou is unable to escape a desk job as an accountant. Although in his case, he volunteered for it and made a big impact. While his unique circumstances allowed him to travel a bit, he is a bit of a workaholic who sees the value of his position. I am glad he has people around him who force him to pace himself and to take a break.

Azusa Kannawa

Anime source: My Awkward Senpai

Azusa is competent but catastrophically awkward. She knows her job inside and out, but the moment she has to talk to a colleague or (god forbid) give a presentation, she short-circuits. She over-prepares emails, rehearses conversations in the bathroom, and hides behind her monitor. I see way too much of myself in her. What makes her admirable is that she never actually quits or runs away; she just fumbles through, and that counts.

Hirotaka Nifuji

A young man in a white shirt and purple tie sits at an office desk, holding a can and looking upwards. He wears glasses and has short, dark hair. Hirotaka Nifuji from Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku at his work desk

Anime source: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

Yumeko Koda

A cheerful animated character with blonde hair, wearing a light blue outfit with frills, and a small bandage on their cheek, gesturing with outstretched hands and smiling. Yumeko Koda from Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!

Anime source: Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!

Turns out delulu is the solulu. Yumeko’s absolute force of positivity can only be described as delusional, but it works for her. She refuses to let insecurity, memory loss, or office politics drag her down. Yumeko is a reminder that sometimes the only thing standing between you and a miserable workday is your own stubborn optimism. Is it realistic? Not always. Is it inspiring? Absolutely.

Haida

An animated character resembling a hyena, appearing surprised or concerned, carrying a stack of books in an office or library setting with shelves in the background. Haida from Aggretsuko anime characters who have office jobs,

Anime source: Aggretsuko

Haida works in accounting, which sounds stable until workplace pressure starts to get to him. He is down-to-earth, makes mistakes, and is endearing, even when he crosses lines like cooking the books. He’s not the best role model, but he feels very real. I like what he adds to the office dynamic and how his story shows how pressure at work can spill into your personal life. His job matters because it directly drives his choices, for better or worse.

Rika Honjouji

A female character with shoulder-length dark purple hair, wearing a light purple shirt, looks thoughtfully with a serious expression in an office-like setting.

Anime source: 365 Days to the Wedding

Committing a type of marriage fraud is one way to make sure you remain in an office and at a desk you know and love when your company announces an overseas branch transfer. Is it ethical? No. Is it relatable to anyone who’s ever clung to a comfortable life? Absolutely. I’m not endorsing marriage fraud, but I admire Rika’s chaotic commitment to keeping the life she’s built.

Tatsuru Miyazumi

Anime source: Salaryman’s Club

Just because Tatsuru Miyazumi has a sales job and is in a sports anime does not mean he gets to fully escape the desk and the resulting paperwork. I enjoyed this series more than expected, and he is a big reason why. He represents that dual life of career and passion. His office job matters because it constantly pulls him back into reality, no matter how intense the matches get.

Who would you include on this list?

Office jobs may not be glamorous, but anime shows us they can be full of humour, romance, frustration, and small, meaningful victories. These characters remind us that behind every desk is a story, sometimes chaotic, sometimes comforting, but always human.

Happy Workers’ Day! Whether you’re battling deadlines or daydreaming of zombies, here’s to finding joy in the grind.

Drop your faves (and their anime) in the comments, I’d love to know if I missed any paperwork pros!