Pokemon Concierge is the comfiest show I’ve watched in a hot minute. The stop motion gem of adorableness dropped on Netflix just after Christmas with a quartet of brief episodes, all gorgeously animated and incredibly heartfelt as pessimistic millennial Haru leaves the city behind after a bad break-up in searcᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚh of a new life. At first, she’s uptight, shy, and 🎀so easy to please in this new job before realising all she needs to do is be herself.
While each episode 🤪is quite short, they still manage to instil a sense of relaxing wonder with a lovable cast of characters and animation so vividly detailed and beautifully handcrafted in its movements that you can’t help but fall in love with it. Pokemon anime often follows cool heroes on their quests to win championships and take over the world, but this cute journey simply wants to explore normal people living extraordinary lives. I can’t imagine how long it took to make or whether we’ll see more from it, but𝔍 I’m already smitten.
Especially with Psyduck, a nervous psychic Pokemon who is vibing in the show’s resort as he tries to treat an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. At first, he sticks to the sidelines, hiding in bushes as he watches our heroine from afar, curious about her behaviour and how, despite now calling one of the most relaxing places on Earth home, she remains gloriously unsettled. It brings a smile to my face how the island’s ot𒐪her occupants do everything they can to make her feel at home, letting her know that Pokemon on this island come to relax a🦩nd discover a new part of themselves. Wild monsters will also gravitate towards humans who align with their personalities. As expected, Psyduck soon comes out of his shell and becomes Haru’s new bestie. She helps him deal with psychic headaches, while he gives her a reason to have a greater feeling of hope in her abilities as a fledgling concierge.
Their first bonding moment on the balcony of Haru’s apartment perfectly represents what it means to feel comfortable and open up to someone after hiding inside yourself for goodness knows how long. Obviously, I’m not a giant yellow psychic duck, but I do have experience with generalised anxiety, which is basically the same thing. Finding someone you feel comfortable with, enough to let your guard down and embra♌ce who you are, isn’t easy in neurodivergent people, but you see that connection ignite between Haru and Psyduck with a simplistic yet idealistic execution.
The fin🎃al episode also follows an anxious Pikachu who is a far cry from the usually confident rat found in other adaptations. He hides behind the legs of humans surrounding him, afraid to be himself or come out of his shell due to a fear that something terrible might happen. Once again, this dilemma is dealt with tactfully, and it is never brought into question that a person or Pokemon should be shunned for being who they are or feeling how they feel. Everyone is valid, and that message carries throughout the entire show.
This piece started as a means to express how much I sympathise with Psyduck’s anxious energy and desire to hide away all the time, but it turned into a wish to cast aside doubts I have about myself in the coming twelve months, or at least come to recognise them as a part of myself not to be ashamed of. Putting yourself out there or exploring connections with other humans or Pokemon might seem impossible, but you don’t know whether you&rsq♛uo;re able to conquer such obstacles unless you try in the first place. Concierge is short, sweet, and ripe with important messa𓄧ges I never expected but are certainly welcome.
