I’m Happy To Wait a While for More ‘Pokémon Concierge’
Pokémon Concierge was a late contender for the most relaxing show of 2023. The stop-motion production hit Netflix in December and immediately captivated audiences with its slow, gentle look at life in a Pokémon resort.
The show follows a highly strung young woman named Haru (voiced in Japanese by Non and in English by Karen Fukuhara) who quits her job after being dumped by her boyfriend via text and opts to take a job at a Pokémon resort on a idyllic island. You’ll wonder why she bothered with literally anything else in the world when you see what a paradise the island is. Sure, the Pokémon can be difficult to handle at times, but that just gives Haru more opportunity for growth. (Or should I say … evolution?)
Related: Top 10 Rarest Shiny Pokemon in Pokemon GO on Prima Games
How many episodes are in Pokémon Concierge‘s first season?
We spend four 15-minute episodes with Haru and the Pokémon and go on four sweet and low-stakes adventures with them. Haru spends one episode tracking down a floatie for a Magikarp, for example, and in another she helps the most anxiety-ridden Pokémon of all, Psyduck, learn to control his psychic powers. Burnt-out millennials can surely relate to both Haru and poor Psyduck, who just needs a hug.
But even putting aside the relatability, there’s so much to love about the show. Critics thought so too! Pokémon Concierge has gotten great reviews for its detailed stop-motion animation, its carefully needle-felted Pokémon models (check out that adorable fuzzy Bulbasaur!), and its message about needing to take time for yourself and relax. So it may come as a slight disappointment that those four episodes seem to be all we’re getting … for the next few years. Don’t worry, the show hasn’t left us forever!
Will there be a second season of Pokémon Concierge?
It was announced on February 19, 2024 that there would be more Pokémon Concierge! Director Iku Ogawa told Variety magazine in a statement, “I am happy to let you know that we are now working on the new episodes for ‘Pokémon Concierge!’ Life at the Pokémon Resort continues. Please look forward to it! Let’s see which Pokémon will come visit as a guest this time!”
However, just because a team is now working on new episodes doesn’t mean we’ll actually get them anytime soon, and almost certainly not this year. Bear in mind that stop-motion animation takes a lot of time and effort to make.
The below video from Netflix features Non, Haru’s Japanese voice actress, taking us on a tour of dwarf studios, who made the show, and showing us how much work goes into bringing those adorable Pokémon and their human handlers to life. Every tiny thing Haru handles in Pokémon Concierge is a real, physical object and every one of her facial expressions has to be hand-applied by the animators. And—I speak as someone whose New Year’s resolution is to get better at needle felting—I don’t even want to think about how long it must take to perfectly needle felt a Pokémon and how much skill is required.
While the show is no doubt a labor of love for everyone involved, jumping straight into a second season immediately would probably lead to—you guessed it—serious burnout for the animators and designers. And wouldn’t that go completely against the themes of the show? We all love it, it’s a big critical hit (it even has that rare 100% rating on RottenTomatoes) but for now let’s just let the animators take a well-deserved break, just like Haru. We can be patient!
(featured image: Netflix)
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