Review - Pokémon Concierge (2023)

        Hey guys, Chuck here, and this is my review of the stop-motion animated series Pokémon Concierge, released on Netflix in December of 2023, and featuring the vocal talents of Karen Fukuhara, Josh Keaton, Imani Hakim, and Lori Alan. 

        So, the series is centered around a young woman named Haru, who has had a pretty rough set of days prior to the beginning on the series. And now, she's set to begin a new job as the concierge of the Pokémon Resort, which is a tropical hideaway where humans and Pokémon alike can relax, unwind, and have a wonderful vacation. However, before she can ensure that the resort guests can relax, Haru must first learn to relax herself. 

       Okay, so the first thing I want to note is that this marks the first Pokémon project to be animated using stop-motion. Typically, Pokémon has been animated either in the hand-drawn anime style or with CGI like in Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution, or even with photorealistic CGI in the live-action film Detective Pikachu. So, to see a Pokémon series produced as a stop-motion animated series is really refreshing, and is something we haven't seen in Pokémon prior to this series. Also, the stop-motion animation style really allows for more detail to really shine, from the look of the resort, the design of the characters, and the designs of the Pokémon, which is arguably the most important thing in a Pokémon series. 

       Also, I really admire the characters. Haru is a really interesting protagonist, as she comes into the series insanely high strung, and she eventually starts learning to let loose and relax, with help from her co-workers like Alisa and Tyler, as well as the Pokémon that Haru partners up with in the series: Psyduck. And, how perfect that a high strung girl like Haru ends up partnered with an equally high strung Pokémon like Psyduck? And, Psyduck is among my favorite Generation I Pokémon, so it's great to see the little guy get a lot more love in this franchise. The rest of the cast, like Josh Keaton as Tyler, Imani Hakim as Alisa, and Lori Alan as Ms. Watanabe. All of them are pretty much in the same boat, as all of them do their best to ensure the guests at the Pokémon Resort relax and have a good time. And, that applies to both people and Pokémon. 

        I also liked how we get different types of Pokémon from across the many generations of Pokémon. The likes of Psyduck, Snorlax, Magikarp, Gyarados, Wooper, Dragonite, Metagross, Graveler, Mudkip, Bulbasaur, Rattata, Furret, and of course Pikachu all look incredible in stop-motion, and it feels like they were all directly pulled from the anime in terms of design and appearance. The materials used for some of the Pokémon to give them a more furry look, especially for the more furry-looking Pokémon like Rattata and Pikachu, was also a really nice touch. 

       Lastly, I want to point out that this series is very relaxing. There are no Pokémon battles, no Pokémon League, no intense levels of action typically seen in the Pokémon franchise. It's just a bunch of people and Pokémon at a destination island resort relaxing, playing, and having a wonderful vacation. It's a series where you can pop it on for something simple and easy to watch, relax, and unwind after a stressful day at work or at school. It's pretty much animation comfort food, it's just really nice, warm, and easy to appreciate. Heck, you don't even need to be a hardcore Pokémon fan to enjoy this series. 

         Overall, I enjoyed Pokémon Concierge, and I'm giving it a rating of 5/5. Log on to Netflix and give it a watch. And, because there are four half-hour episodes at the moment, it's an easy watch that anyone can get through in about an hour. Anyway, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time.