When Pokémon Concierge first dropped on Netflix back in 2023, I instantly fell in love with the series. I adored the art style and the simple yet charming story of Haru as she started her new job as a hotel concierge. I had almost no complaints with the series except for one thing: it was too short. Each of the four episodes was around 20 minutes long for a total of 80 minutes. That’s nowhere near enough time with these characters, and I was left unsatisfied with Haru’s journey. Well, it only took them nearly two years, but we’ve finally got the second half of Pokémon Concierge with four more episodes of Pokémon goodness to sink our teeth into (and an actual ending this time).
The latest batch of episodes keeps the same formula as the first four. Haru is continuing to find her footing as a concierge at the resort, dealing with a variety of problems and making sure all the guests are happy. Haru and her partner, Psyduck, will have to deal with power outages, help with family issues, train the new hire, and even deal with her ex!? Haru definitely has her hands full, but as long as she works together with the Pokémon and co-workers, there’s nothing she can’t handle, even if there are a few missteps along the way.
My biggest complaint about the first part of Pokémon Concierge was that the story felt incomplete. We got to see the start of Haru’s character growth, but it didn’t amount to much in the first four episodes. I’m happy to say all we needed were these new eps, because now it feels like a proper story. While the general formula stays the same, we actually have completed arcs for the characters that missed out on them.
Tyler, for instance, gets some more time in the spotlight and becomes more than just a chill dude. And of course, seeing Haru’s arc actually conclude was something I had been hoping for since 2023. These episodes make the story of Pokémon Concierge feel complete, and I’m only annoyed it took them this long to release them.
I had already fallen in love with all the characters and their performances in this series in the first four episodes, and that hasn’t changed one bit. Each actor has once again brought the same level of quality they had previously, and I couldn’t be happier. For context, I watched this series in English, so I’ll be talking about the English cast (I’m sure the Japanese cast is just as phenomenal). Firstly, Haru, once again voiced by Karen Fukuhara, is absolutely perfect. I loved how, over the course of the episodes, she starts becoming more confident, and that’s shown in Fukuhara’s performance. While she stumbled over her words initially, by the end, she’s confident in her decisions and isn't second-guessing herself.
As I mentioned above, Tyler gets more of a spotlight this time around, and Josh Keaton delivered in spades. His relationship with his uncle Dan added new layers to his character, and Josh Keaton’s performance made me see Tyler in a whole new light. Alisa, played by Imani Hakim, and Ms. Watanabe, played by Lori Alan, didn’t have as much to do in these episodes, but they had way more focus in the first four, so it balances out. Even so, their limited screentime was still enjoyable, and their actors did phenomenally.
Arguably, my favourite part of Pokémon Concierge was seeing all the Pokémon in this new art style. I adore this stop-motion/hand-made style they have going on, and that hasn’t changed. There are some returning Pokémon that still look adorable, such as Mudkip, Eevee, and Psyduck, but we got a whole bunch of newcomers this time, including even more of my favourites. Starting with the best electric type, Shinx and its evolved form, Luxray. When the trailer for these new episodes dropped and I saw Shinx, my heart couldn’t handle the cuteness. He is just a lil electric guy, and his cuteness is only elevated in this art style. Hell, even the intimidating Luxray looks adorable, especially when it plays with Shinx.
The other lil guy I loved seeing in this series is Spheal, and dare I say, he was the cutest Pokémon in this entire series. I already adored Spheal (I mean, who wouldn’t?), so to see not only him, but also the evolved version, Sealeo, was a treat that I was not expecting. God, I just love him so much! This is to say that the animation studio, Dwarf Studios, has once again done an amazing job at bringing all these Pokémon and people to life.
I absolutely adored these new episodes of Pokémon Concierge. Not only did we get even more Pokémon in this adorable art style, but we also finally got what feels like a proper ending to a lot of the character arcs set up nearly two years ago. I hope that they continue to make this perfect Pokémon slice-of-life series for years to come, because I will always be happy to rejoin Haru and the gang at the Pokémon Resort.
Have you seen the new episodes of Pokémon Concierge? What did you think? Are they better than the first four? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about the cutest Pokémon and why it’s Spheal (the true lil guy of Pokémon).
