Netflix’s 8-Part Cozy Fantasy Series With Rare Perfect RT Score Is The Ultimate Afternoon Binge

Netflix’s eight-part cozy fantasy series is the ultimate relaxing summer afternoon binge. The “cozy fantasy” trend has picked up steam over the last few years, with comforting, low-stakes books, games, and shows helping audiences relax while enjoying all the fantasy genre has to offer. Whether the characters are opening brand-new coffee shops, tending magical greenhouses, or raising baby dragons, there’s something for everyone.

In 2023, Netflix teamed up with one of the biggest sci-fi fantasy franchises in the world to create the ultimate cozy experience. While The Pokémon Company has produced multiple anime series and plenty of movies alongside its video and trading card games during its 30-year history, Netflix and Pokémon’s Pokémon Concierge offers something entirely new. Rather than introducing a fledgling Pokémon Trainer on their way to greatness, Pokémon Concierge chronicles the everyday struggles of workers at an all-inclusive Pokémon Resort as they care for the mischievous critters and try to keep the business running smoothly.

It’s a sun-soaked dream, and fully deserves its 100% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score. The eight-episode show follows new concierge Haru as she gets acquainted with the resort’s many Pokémon guests and learns to anticipate their needs. It features plenty of fan-favorite Pokémon, including Psyduck, Luxray, Eevee, Bulbasaur, Snorlax, Arcanine, Metagross, Dragonite, Pikachu, and so many more. The animation is beautiful, too; rather than the franchise’s trademark 2D anime style, Pokémon Concierge uses 3D stop-motion animation, with each Pokémon carefully crafted from textures, fabrics, and materials that suit their designs and types.

Best of all, Pokémon Concierge is adorably fun for everyone, from kids to adults, die-hard Pokémon fans and newbies alike. It’s basically a workplace sitcom with the bonus of Pokémon‘s incredibly cute Pocket Monsters. Despite having arguably the best job in the world — who wouldn’t want to play with Pokémon all day? — Haru and her co-workers’ struggles are relatable and, thankfully, always fixable. Anyone longing for a tropical paradise getaway should visit the Pokémon Resort.

The Pokémon Franchise Needs More Shows Like Pokémon Concierge

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Frankly, it’s a wonder that it took nearly 30 years for Pokémon to create a show like Pokémon Concierge. Yes, part of Pokémon‘s core concept has always been battling, and watching the anime’s young characters, like Ash Ketchum or, more recently, Pokémon Horizons’ Liko and Roy, growing as Trainers alongside their Pokémon is genuinely rewarding. Seeing Ash finally win the Pokémon League in Alola was a historic moment, made even more so by his victory over Champion Leon in Pokémon Journeys.

Still, some of the Pokémon anime’s most memorable and fun episodes are the ones in which the Pokémon get to hang out together without having to fight for their lives, or when the Trainers bond with their Pokémon without the need to win a battle. Who can forget the emotional gut-punch of “Bye Bye, Butterfree,” or the fire-fighting Squirtle in “Here Comes the Squirtle Squad”? Watching the Pokémon interact with each other is what makes audiences and gamers want to live in the Pokémon world, not just experience it on-screen.

In this day and age, where action and fantasy franchises are constantly trying to outdo themselves, slice-of-life storytelling can be just as bold and exciting. There’s a reason the “cozy fantasy” trend has taken off. People want a stress-free, low-stakes escape from their daily lives, and Pokémon can provide that in spades. There’s room for the franchise to play with different genres, narratives, tropes, and ideas without alienating its core fanbase.

Imagine a live-action sitcom involving Pokémon. Think about an animated rom-com in which the main couple meets when they go pick up their Pokémon at the Pokémon Day Care. What do Gym Leaders do in their downtime when they’re not battling hopeful trainers? What does a day in the life at the Pokémon Center look like? Is there another Pokémon Resort out there, perhaps in a colder climate? Pokémon Concierge proved that the possibilities for Pokémon are literally endless.

All episodes of Pokémon Concierge are streaming now, only on Netflix.