Netflix Announces Pokemon Concierge Stop-Motion Animated Series
Today it's Pokémon Day, the 27th anniversary of the Japanese release of the original "Pokémon Red" and "Pokémon Green," when the world was introduced to the pop culture phenomenon that was Pocket Monsters.
A lot has changed since then, of course, with the games becoming bigger and more intricate over the years, the number of Pokémon growing to officially pass 1000, and the anime adaptation becoming one of the biggest sensations of the 1990s as Pokémania swept the globe.
Last year in particular was one of the most historic years for "Pokémon" ever. On the gaming front, we saw the first open-world "Pokémon" games released, giving fans a whole new way to experience this world. And on the anime front, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town made headlines all over the world as the perpetual 10-year-old finally and officially became a Pokémon Master.
Still, good things can't last forever, so in 2023, the Pokémon Company is undergoing some changes. First, Ash and the face of the whole franchise, Pikachu, are retiring, taking their victory lap on a special limited series before "Pokémon" officially reboots with brand new protagonists this April. Now, Netflix is announcing a brand new spin-off, the first in the series to be animated in stop-motion. Welcome to "Pokémon Concierge."
The age of Pikachu is over, the time of the Psyduck has come
During a special Pokémon Presents livestream to celebrate "Pokémon Day," Netflix and The Pokémon Company announced their first official collaboration — after it was reported in 2021 that the streamer was working on a live-action "Pokémon" series. Titled "Pokémon Concierge," the show is a stop-motion project produced by the acclaimed dwarf studios, who previously made the gorgeous and unique award-winning opening sequence to "Beastars."
While we don't know a whole lot about "Pokémon Concierge" just yet, we know it will not follow Ash or the main characters of the main anime. Instead, we follow Haru, a concierge at the "Pokémon Resort," as she interacts with both Pokémon and human guests. Better yet, it seems Haru is accompanied by an adorable Psyduck, who finally gets the time to shine, and a whole TV show to star in — after stealing the show in "Detective Pikachu."
The streamer also posted a tiny little tease, more of a title reveal, really, which gives fans a first look at the stop-motion anime and how Psyduck will look. Honestly, it looks rather great, and the idea of a stop-motion animated "Pokémon" series is much more enticing than a live-action one.