Pokemon Concierge- Series Review

Whilst on the train journey to London, I watched the 4 episode Pokemon Concierge series. Now, I'm not that into Pokemon as the series became prominent just as I was hitting secondary school but I know it was mad popular with my younger siblings and cousins. The games didn't really interest me either and even though I played the original few, I never really got into the in any real way. So, Pokemon for me is something that has been present but always in the periphery. What interested me about Pokemon Concierge was the stop motion style and the pastel coloured look of the show. With 4 hours of a train journey to kill I dove in.
The show follows Haru, an anxious young woman who finds employment in the Pokemon Resort after being dumped by text by her boyfriend of 6 1/2 years. She goes on a journey of self-discovery and through connections created with Tyler, Alisa, Ms. Watanabe and the various Pokemon, she realises that the worries she has are not really that big when looked at from certain angles and nothing is insurmountable.

So that's the premise but how is the show? Well, I have to say that the show is gorgeous to look at. The stop motion is smooth and the character designs are gorgeous. The Pokemon are often made of felt and look adorable and incredibly tactile.

The inner monologuing of Haru is interesting, all Millennial angst and second guessing, but as she learns to open up and appreciate the small things in life, it is wonderful to see her personal growth. The voice actor for Haru, Karen Fukuhara, is great as she really captures the insecurities of the character well.
The show is not going to blow anyones mind but as a gentle animation about the growth, evolution and maturity we all go through, it's great.