Pokemon Concierge

Slice-of-life anime, stop-motion animation, and Pokémon? Sounds quite amazing and unusual, but Pokémon Concierge proves that this mix can absolutely work. From the character designs to the landscapes (that resort island looks so comfy!), and all the way to the writing and the soothing soundtrack - everything just fits together perfectly, resulting in an entertaining story full of heartwarming and funny moments. It’s all balanced in a way that gives the anime a smooth, natural flow. Speaking of natural elements, the characters, while the Pokémon understandably and obviously take center stage, also feel realistic, with no overly exaggerated reactions or forced, artificially distinct personalities. Just ... pure realism and authenticity.

Pokémon Concierge is an adorable, lighthearted slice-of-life show that’s suitable for just about any viewer. It also proves that the Pokémon franchise, though typically focused on battles between trainers and their Pokémon, is rich enough to support a variety of anime styles, even ones you might not expect. It’s a fresh and charming addition to the franchise, and definitely worth checking out—whether you’re a longtime Pokémon fan or not.

If you would like a slice of life show set on a resort island, but with Pokémon ; then I really do think you should watch the show.

This is a really short review, cause there's not really anything bad I can say -- Pokémon Concierge is a genuinely gorgeous stop-motion series. Both just in comparison to other stop-motion media, but even just in general among other series; it really does just look really good. The motions are well done, and I can tell a lot of time, effort, and love went into the models and sets.

There's also some really cute bits ... of lore here and there, mostly with how the Pokémon act and what they do. So if you've liked Pokémon for a while, I think you'll like that aspect a bit more than some people may.

Even the episodes being short is a good thing, because I know if they tried to drag out the shorter plots to full episodes; it wouldn't work. So while I do really love the series and would love more ( so excited for the next season ), this series was 100% made for shorter episodes.

Yeah, it’s cute. The stop motion looks pretty good, albeit some of the Pokemon themselves only have glued on expression changes. It’s fluidly animated and its human characters look good.

That being said, the narrative is nothing to write home about. Little lessons are learned by our lead each episode as she picks up the concierge craft, but it all feels very safe. I give this some credit for just letting us sit in the Pokemon world for a bit without battles or major stakes, but it feels just like a day in the life of a neurotic young woman as she seeks to fit in ... working in a Pokemon resort. That’s fine, and it does pretty well at it, but that’s a low bar for success. Worth the watch if you like the world (I do, well enough anyway), but nothing special.