A cute stop-motion Pokémon story about allowing yourself to be who you are and have some fun. Netflix released this four episode stop-motion series just before the new year. With a total running time of about an hour, do not expect long stories with many plot twists. Rather, what we get is some human-Pokémon interaction that is not about winning battles, but about having fun.
Our show follows Haru, a new employee at the Pokémon Resort, on her first day at work. Haru comes from a stress-filled job where she makes powerpoints and pie charts. The Pokémon Resort provides a very different way of living life, and we see Haru as she struggles to adjust to that. Her job is to make sure that the Pokémon that come to the resort have a good time and (learn to) have fun, something she has to work on herself as well.
I also enjoyed watching it as an adult, if only for the incredibly cute Pokémon and their little mannerisms
The series is clearly aimed at kids. The main messages include that it is okay to be yourself and that you should be able to relax every once in a while. That being said, I also enjoyed watching it as an adult, if only for the incredibly cute Pokémon and their little mannerisms. The creators clearly put a lot of effort into the creation of the Pokémon. They are made of different materials based on the texture of their skin or fur, so that the stop-motion does not just consist of clay creatures, but also different fabrics and what I think is needle felt art.
The scenery and sets are gorgeous and really give that resort vibe. Together with the care for the Pokémon creation, this shows the effort put into the show. Sadly, the motions of the characters are sometimes a bit wonky, and they could have done with some extra shots in between to make for smoother movement. This is especially bothersome if you watch on a bigger screen.
As for language, the original dub for the show is Japanese. I tried both the Japanese and English dubs; both are of good quality, it is mostly a matter of preference.
The first episode is a bit weaker than the other three. There is more exposition than story. The last three episodes each have their own storyline, where we get to see some character development in Haru and the Pokémon she works with.
The show may not be long or complicated, but it makes for a very cute snack between all the more serious stuff out there. If you were a Pokémon fan as a child and want to see some non-fighting Pokémon, or if you have children, I would definitely give this show a watch.
About the writer, Nienke de Boode
She started with watching NCIS, CSI and Bones, but over time her passion for TV shows has grown to what it is today, with dozens of shows that need to be watched. You can always wake her up for a good crime show, but she is also open to different things. Comedy and fantasy are on her list of favourites as well. Since October 2014, she also writes for MySeries to combine her love for TV shows and writing.
