Pokémon Concierge is a beautiful reminder to take some time off

theverge.com:

Most TV shows set in the world of Pokémon focus on trainers and their magical pets ripping and running from one region to another in pursuit of becoming legendary battling teams. But fighting for glory is the last thing on anyone’s mind in Pokémon Concierge— Netflix’s new stop-motion animated series from Dwarf Animation Studio and director Ogawa Iku.

Instead, Pokémon Concierge imagines a tropical paradise where humans and pokémon alike would want to get away to for some much-needed downtime, and the show does such a stellar job of bringing its dream island to life that it might leave you hankering for a vacation of your own.

Set on a lush island where the famed Pokémon Resort welcomes pocket monsters of all shapes and sizes to rest and recharge, Pokémon Concierge tells the story of how a young woman named Haru (Karen Fukuhara) becomes the Resort’s newest employee. After being dumped by her boyfriend, fumbling the ball at her office job, and realizing that she simply isn’t happy with the trajectory of her life, Haru knows she needs to shake things up. Understanding that about herself is what makes it easy for Haru to quit her old job and move when she’s presented with an opportunity to join the Pokémon Resort as its newest concierge.

Like most people dealing with (approximately) quarter-life crises, Haru isn’t entirely sure what she wants as the series opens. But the mere chance of being able to find some purpose and luxuriate on the beach is enough to convince Haru that upending her life to become a special kind of pokémon caregiver is absolutely the right move. Somewhat similar to Pokétsume, the all-too-real existential work dread that puts Haru on her path to the Pokémon Resort makes Pokémon Concierge feel like it’s