Pokémon is a franchise that takes many forms and mediums, and in recent years, we’ve seen The Pokémon Company embrace the variety of stories that can be told in its world and with its characters. These have ranged from traditional takes on the stories and characters of the Pokémon games, a globe-trotting adventure fantasy like Pokémon Horizons, and the Golden Age cartoon slapstick and gags of the PokeToons shorts. There have even been shows that tell stories set in our world that explore how people find inspiration, community, and encouragement for self-growth through their relationship and connection to Pokémon. These include Pokémon: The Path to the Peak, which follows a young girl who gets into the competitive Pokémon Trading Card Game scene, and the live-action human drama Pack Your Pockets with Adventure, which features a woman working in advertising who rediscovers her old copies of the Red & Green games whose real-life struggles start to parallel those found in the game. Pokémon Concierge is an interesting synthesis of stories that are set in and explore the world of Pokémon and those that focus on characters dealing with relatable issues through their relationships with Pokémon. 
The series focuses on Haru, a former office lady, who is burned out and takes a new job at the Pokémon Resort, a vacation island where Pokemon are treated and taken care of as guests. Haru arrives on the island as an over-achieving and people-pleasing workaholic, living in a constant state of anxiety over meeting people’s expectations of her and doing a good job. Haru is so stuck in her own head that there’s a recurring gag where she has an internal aside that the camera indicates by zooming in for a grainy greyscale close-up of her face against a black background while she awkwardly winces, a fun way to convey she’s so lost in her thoughts that she’s not living in the present moment and in her surroundings. Haru overthinks everything, misconstruing her boss’s suggestion to take a day to enjoy the island and have fun as a test and spends her time trying to figure out what is being asked of her and spends all night creating a pitch presentation of what she thinks her boss wants to hear. What Haru doesn’t consider is her own needs, what makes her happy, what she has fun doing and brings her joy to do.
Haru finds companionship with a local Psyduck, who like Haru, also gets stressed out by it’s anxieties, but when it calms down and relaxes, is able to concentrate and put its mind to creative, productive, and helpful uses. Other Pokémon similarly have anxieties about their capabilities, including a Magikarp with a star-shaped birthmark who can’t swim without a floatee, a Pidgeot who has trouble flying, and a soft-spoken and shy Pikachu. As Haru helps them become more confident and comfortable in who and how they are, and get away from comparing themselves to others and instead focusing on what make them special, she too comes to an understanding of what she’s good at and the things she can do others can’t that makes her unique and helps her gain confidence and pride in her own skills and creativity.
Paralleling Haru’s character growth with those of Pokémon allows the series to use these Pokémon as metaphors for different relatable anxieties and struggles about becoming comfortable with yourself, letting go of worrying about other people’s expectations and instead appreciating what sets you apart and the things about you that are unique and appreciated. That said, the series also praises making an effort to grow and change to become a better and the best version of yourself, using the concept of Pokémon evolution as a metaphor for a person changing and coming into a new state of their lives. A wonderful example involves the Magikarp who can’t swim, who eventually learns how to swim on their own and in the process of doing so matures and evolves into a Gyarados able to climb up a waterfall.
While Pokémon Concierge can be enjoyed by all ages, Haru’s anxieties and struggles to identify what she really wants out of life is such a mid-20s existential mood, and particularly speaks to the millennials who’ve grown up with the show and may similarly have become disillusioned with their careers and dreams. Through Haru, the show holds up a mirror to a viewer who may be in a similar situation and encourages them to relax and take some time away from what’s stressing them to reconnect with their inner creativity and rediscover what their passions are.
Pokémon Concierge also continues the franchise’s interest in exploring new ways to depict and rediscover the world of Pokemon through different mediums and styles of animation. In Concierge’s case, it is the franchise’s first fully stop-motion animated series, produced by dwarf studios, a small stop-motion studio that in recent years has garnered major attention through their work animating the first Beastars OP, several EDs for Osomatsu-san, their viral samurai short film pilot Hidari, Akihiro Nishino’s Bottle George, and perhaps most notably the Rilakkuma and Kaoru series. It is fair to say dwarf studios is at the forefront of a resurgence in interest and popularity in stop-motion animation in Japan, of which there is a long if perhaps under celebrated tradition. They also dabble in brief moments of 2D animation, one of the most creative of which is the show’s opening scene which plays out like an explainer video in its use of silhouettes and elements that pop-up and reveal themselves as if prompted, which as someone who’s had to make a lot of those I certainly appreciated, especially as a way to introduce and characterize Haru’s mindset coming from that kind of corporate workplace culture. As a whole, Concierge very cleverly compliments its animation to visual presentation to the show’s theme and in service of imbuing its characters with a distinct and descriptive personality.
The Pokémon world that dwarf studios constructs in Concierge is as verdant and vibrant, and colorful and cozy as befitting the series’ themes. The sets have elaborate flora and greenery, decorated with tons of miniatures of little plastic plants and flowers so detailed you may be convinced they are real under the right lighting. Sometimes the clouds in the bright blue distant sky are mattes, but other times they are depicted as fluffy little bundles of wispy cotton. dwarf intersperses a few scenes with visual effects; campfire, for instance, is very clearly CG, though notably the flame on a Charmander’s tail is accomplished through a colorful glassy and glossy plastic that switches between a few states to give a convincing impression of a moving flame. Some waves and waterfalls also appears to be CG effects, but as a whole water is brilliantly and beautifully translated to the setting as a translucent layer in which the characters can wade into convincingly, and other times they actually film and composite in footage of real water for effects, like the bubbling water in the scene where the star-marked Magikarp evolves. In each of these cases, the glistening lighting and effects do a lot to help sell the liquidy and wet texture of water in the setting and in how characters interact with it in various scenes.
There is a warm fuzziness and fluffiness to the texture of all the furry and feathery Pokémon in this world, and their puppets are just so cute, almost chibi-like. Some Pokemon with rougher or smoother textures almost resemble real plastic Pokemon toys, albeit with much more versatility, kind of like Robot Chicken’s approach. The human puppets resemble the more traditional style of plastic models you’d see in a modern production like a Laika film, but there is an impressive variety and diversity of body types and features that make each character look distinct and playfully stylized, like how Haru has a very long and thin neck and limbs. The only aspect of the character models that feels a bit static is their hair, which while they are well-textured and rendered, are solid shapes that don’t move, which I think is a fair concession considering how difficult hair is to animate and render in any medium. The animation itself is quite remarkable and expressively acted, with many different facial models and points of articulation for both human and Pokémon characters alongside the use of add-and-subtract effects for more subtle movements like blinking or changes in the direction or shape of pupils in eyes. The realism in the character acting was in part accomplished by using the voice actors’ real performances and expressions as reference.
In addition to being so well-articulated, there is also just so much variety and texture to the clothing, costuming, architectural details, and the decorating of the characters and sets. Characters wear Hawaiian-esque shirts with intricate and creative patterns that I’m shocked aren’t already being sold as merch – I want that Oddish and Bellossom patterned shirt Haru wears! The familiarity and fidelity to translating and imbuing a living quality to these cartoony models adds to the inviting and enveloping visual presentation of the show. All of these elements are thoughtfully staged and composited in beautifully shot and lit scenes that make every moment of the show feel truly cinematic and like an immersive experience.
The great performances by the cast help bring the characters to life as much as the animation in both the English and Japanese dubs. Haru’s anxieties, simmering stress, and freak-outs are performed relatably and hilariously by Karen Fukuhara and NON, and both actresses also do a good job communicating her letting loose in how her voice changes and the way she talks relaxes over the course of the show. Another standout performance is Josh Keaton as Tyler in the English dub, who expresses the chill surfer dude vibes of his character really humorously. Eita Okuno also gives a spirited performance, but with not as distinctly definable a voice and character type as Keaton’s. Both Imani Hakim and Fairouz Ai give off a cool girl maturity to Alisa in both versions, though Ai amps the deepness and toughness in her voice while Hakim goes for a more subdued and relaxed approach, instead imbuing a lot of bemusement and unbotheredness in her interactions and reactions to Haru. There aren’t too many human characters in the show, but all the actors do a great job making each character stand out and imbuing a lot of personality into their performances that complements, and even informed, how they were animated.
With the Pokémon, there is some notable restraint in having them recite their names as in other media. Psyduck, for example, mainly speaks in squeaks and cries, allowing Hiroshi Kosaka’s performance to be shared between both the dub and the sub. Most other Pokémon take the same approach, with just a few exceptions like a Bulbasaur in the first episode. Kosaka’s performance as Psyduck is given the most to do and imbues Psyduck with a mischievous and playful personality, and adds to how adorable and endearing it is, particularly in its interactions with Haru. Other Pokémon have fine voices, but for the most part their personality comes through more in the character acting and how they’re animated as opposed to the vocal performance.
The biggest exception is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Pikachu, who is played in this show as is almost always in Pokémon media by Ikue Ohtani. Ohtani’s performance as a shy and quiet Pikachu in the last episode is the most expressive and nuanced performance for any of the Pokémon in the show and one of the standouts of all the performances in the series in general. The way she communicates Pikachu’s mixed feelings including sadness and nervousness and expressions of joy in a more subtle and low-key way than she usually does as Ash’s Pikachu or Captain Pikachu. The moment where the Pikachu musters its courage to loudly yell out its thanks to Haru for helping it as it’s leaving the island is such an emotionally satisfying play to the feels because of how understated and quiet her acting was before that moment, and just goes to show you how incredibly talented and versatile she is as a performer to get so much character depth, nuance, and emotion from a character that can only say its name. Just another reason why Ikue Ohtani is the definitive voice of Pikachu, even when it’s not the same Pikachu. Generally, the voice acting for the Pokémon in the show just adds to their cuteness, but I hope to see more performances like Kosaka and Ohtani’s in the next season that really adds a lot of flavor to their personality and depth of character as well.
To end things off, did I mention yet that the show’s ending theme song, “Have a Good Time Here,” was performed by Mariya Takeuchi. Yes, that very same Mariya Takeuchi of “Plastic Love” fame! Her song, sung in a mix of English and Japanese, is such a soothing and relaxing way to wind down each episode of the show and fills you up with a warm feeling of comfort and encouragement that it’s ok to let go of stress and just relax and enjoy yourself sometimes. Takeuichi was such a great artist and unique artist to record a song for the show, and I’m so appreciative that The Pokémon Company didn’t dare to replace the song for the English dub and other international versions of the show just because it was sung in Japanese. A rarity when it comes to the handling of the Pokémon franchise overseas. I’m so glad the score of the show as a whole remains untouched between versions; it’s a delightful mix of orchestral tracks and strummy vacation island-vibe melodies that underscore and accentuate the tone of each scene in a way that really adds to the series’ cozy vibes. Combined with ambient nature sound effects that really make the setting feel full of life, and you’ve got a show that can stir comfort and imagination just by listening to it as much as watching it.
Pokémon Concierge is a heartfelt and wholesome show that I’d heartily and wholly recommend to fans of the franchise young and old, as there are so many different aspects of it that can be appreciated by folks of all ages, from its thoughtful themes, beautifully crafted setting, expressive stop-motion character animation, chill vibes and music, and of course, all the cute Pokémon inhabiting its world. It has such a great heart and message encouraging people to reconnect with their inner creativity, rediscover the things that they love to do, and remember to enjoy life and take in and appreciate the wonderful world and unique people around them. It’s a series that made me feel so good and inspired watching it, one of those shows makes me want to be creative and let go of my fears of failing or not living up to others’ expectations and just have fun trying new things. Pokémon Concierge is a show about decompressing and nurturing and encouraging, and in these stressful times, is a show that helps remind you to never lose sight of what makes you yourself and to enjoy life and have fun, and I’m very much looking forward to soaking in and enjoying more of its world and vibes when its next season drops this September. If you’re interested in checking out the show and don’t have Netflix, the series is currently available to watch for free on The Official Pokémon Youtube channel until March 9th 2025, and I highly recommend paying it a visit. Mariya Takeuchi’s song was right; I really had a good time here.
