"The word 'no' doesn't exist in a concierge's dictionary." That's just one of the demanding rules that Akino must abide by in her new job as a saleswoman at the elegant and expansive Hokkyoku Department Store. It's a very special store — the customers are all animals, and the most valued among them are of extinct species. Sea minks, laughing owls, Japanese wolves, even an enormous mammoth — that's Mr. Woolly, the celebrated sculptor whose works are showcased at the store. It's still a luxury retail space, though, and anxious Akino finds her hands full with the customers' challenging requests. These range from hard-to-find merchandise to more complicated matters of the heart. Can the inexperienced Akino fulfill their whims and meet their expectations? If she wants to keep her job, she'll have to succeed while under constant observation by the fussy floor manager Mr. Todo, a creepy consultant eager to downsize the staff, and the store's enigmatic president (who is not a penguin, by the way!).
(Source: Fantasia Festival)
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Comentários
kumajoi
Review summary: A nice 70 minute animated movie. It's packed with just the right amount of happy, tearful, and bit a dark scenes. Who should watch: People who liked movie paintings by movie trailer. People who like anime about workplace. Also recommended for children. Who should not watch: There's no thrill or suspense. You will become sleepy. (Note: I have not read the original manga.) (+) A colorful department store and many animals appear. As you can see from the movie's trailer, it's colorful. The four seasons are beautifully painted. Also, many animals (including extinct animals) appear, so it's fun to watch. (+) A story about getting used to job. A storyabout the main character getting used to her job. Episodes from the original manga are seamlessly connected. The main character's voice was also great. Watching movie warms my heart.
(+) Nice script.
There is a bit of secret in the worldview (background) of this work, but it was expressed very weakly in the movie. Those who know the original story may have mixed reviews, but I have a good impression about this script. The result is a movie that can be recommended to children. I also praise the way the movie was neatly put together in a short 70 minutes.
(-) Doesn't leave a strong impression.
This movie doesn't leave a strong impression on me. Some people may find the story to be flat. but it's a very heartwarming movie.
When I was a child, my parents took me to a department store. It evoked the emotion of the time. Thank you for making the movie!
JEANBERNARGAMING
a nice movie about a girl working as a saleswoman in a store with mostly extinct species. the staff is a strong point: director, art director, colour designer and key animator (only one is credited on MAL) are all veterans who know what theyre doing, and it shows. i cant comment on the japanese dub since i watched the movie in french, but with names like hanazawa kana or murase ayumu i wouldnt worry too much about its quality. the french dub itself is also very good. overall a light-hearted movie which sent me back to childhood for 1h10. definitely a good watch if you want somethingto spend your evening on or something light to see at a theater.
Mahmood_alhusein
I rate this movie 9/10, great movie and enjoyable. I love everything about this movie, The animation was amazing, the story is unique with great massage, direction was good as usual (By the way it's from Ballroom director if u feel the animation similaritiy), all the information mentioned in the movie was Accurate and true (I have researched every piece of information mentioned). That how anime movie must be, clear story and massages. I hope we see more of this in future. I highly recommend watching this, maybe the most beautiful movie in this decade. I don't know what to say anymore this my first reviewand clearly the last one, why forcing to write so much words to describe a 70 minutes movie!
LegoC97
60-SECOND REVIEWS I saw this at the tail-end of 2024 and it became one of my favorites of the year, a simple, quiet, underrated movie whose biggest fault is its short runtime. A hard-working concierge amateur helps a collection of extinct animals--actual animals with animal-like designs that speak; these aren't anthropomorphic Beastars-style animals--with their various low-stakes issues finding gifts for loved ones, a proposal, finding the right outfit for a difficult customer, etc. It's the concierge's commitment to helping each customer the best she possibly can, and working hard to correct her mistakes, that makes her such an earnest and likable character. Pleasant art and character animationelevate a collection of simple, but thoroughly entertaining and cozy vignettes that add up to a heartfelt and immensely wholesome and hopeful ending that may even bring a tear or two to your eyes.
A wonderful and lovely film that I wish more people would see.
atomicsmal
This one is a great Christmas movie, though it doesn't seem like its so from the jump. It reminded me of the olden days when we would get sweet little three episode OVAs all the time. At a tight hour this one is so cute, a good movie for the whole family, I have a feeling this one would be a hit to watch with a mom or grandma. The art is soooo good and the ways the characters move so fun and sharp. Music is great too! If you like animals enough the twist will be spoiled for you very quickly lmao. Still gota tear or two outta me by the end.
Gregory_Senpai
I picked up the manga for this thinking I’d like it based off the key art, so when the anime dropped on Crunchyroll I added it to my watch list. Woke up this morning, on the first day of the New Year, and was trying to find something to watch over Coffee… this was what I put on and I was not disappointed. I think I’m going to casually swap out the retail training course we use for this and see if it improves things. The art was really nice; gave me a warm feeling. Lead character was relatable and likable in every way. 10/10 movie, and anotherone to add to my Xmas Anime List. I feel like as far as movies go, this is going to get out shadowed by Look Back on everyone’s 2024 year in review lists, but it deserves some recognition for being a feel good experience.
emberreviews
The Concierge is the third anime I’ve seen in the past few years about being a good hospitality worker, which doesn’t sound like a lot but still feels like a lot for some reason. In any case, I appreciated that this one doesn’t try to cover up the fact that sometimes the customer is just an asshole, and watching Akino try to figure out how to deal with them in the best manner possible was pretty engaging. It helps that the department store she works in, as well as its patrons, are drawn so vibrantly and with such attention to detail, especially in how thedifferent anthropomorphic animal characters move around. It’s also got a solid balance between zany comedy and heartwarming sincerity, bouncing with ease from the store manager popping out of hammerspace without warning to Kenjirou Tsuda as an aging wooly mammoth reminiscing about his deceased wife.
That said, I can’t help but notice that there’s something unintentionally hollow at the core of this film. It has all the trappings of something that is attempting a critique of capitalism and over-consumption, with all the animal characters being extinct species, but it never really tries to say anything of substance. The window dressings are nice, but once you peek behind the curtain, there’s not much there. Still, it’s not as egregiously hollow as it could have been, with a solid core cast to keep everything well-balanced, and with a shocking short runtime of just over 75 minutes, it’s an easy watch if you’re looking for a decent comedy.
jus7aguy
I'd like to rate this a 6.5 out of 10 really. I can't quite rate it a 7 so I have to round down to a 6. I'd basically say this is pleasant fluff, the setting is "sort" of explained but there is a lot of "huh, that doesn't even seem to make internal sense" moments. If you set that aside however it's a nice "settling in and learning/coming into one-self" story. The characters are pleasant, the pace steady and it's a nice solid 1hr of development. The art style reminds me of the 60s and 70s but the quality is modernanimation. It's simplistic but not lacking in anything either. Probably exceptionally on point for the target age group for this one which is probably pre-teens, maybe the early teens. However it's also one of those movies an adult won't feel the need to tune out for either and can quite enjoy.
As always your mileage may vary but while I can't "rate" the movie exceptionally highly because it is, as I said, just a "nice pleasant piece of fluff", it does what it does very well. As such I would recommend it despite it's rating.
Firechick12012
One of the reasons I love anime so much is that Japan is totally okay with allowing any ideas to become reality? Want a story about children bonding with cute monsters and saving the world? We have a bunch of them right here? Want to play a video game about a little boy spending summer in the countryside doing nothing but catching bugs, exploring, swimming, and making fun memories? Sure, go nuts! Want an anime about girls who sing to heal people's injuries and illnesses? Who cares if it sounds stupid, let's greenlight it! So yeah, not all anime, manga, or games just consist ofshounen series that go on for hundreds of episodes and have nothing but flashy fights. Anime is well known by many for its abundance of ideas, crazy and mundane. But whether you're able to execute an idea well is another story. One such story, The Concierge, completely runs with a fun idea and commits to it, which is all well and good...but one part it doesn't do all that well unfortunately really hinders it from being anything other than just okay.
At the Hokkyoku Department Store, animals of all shapes and sizes can shop for whatever their hearts desire—everything from gifts for family members to gourmet dinners. Extinct animals in particular are considered VIPs deserving of the absolute best of the best in terms of service. Yet, what makes this store so great is not just its wide selection of items but its astounding customer service. Beyond the clerks working at each shop, the department store itself features several highly-trained concierges who strive to make each and every customer's experience a pleasurable one. But does Akino, the newest concierge at the store, have what it takes to help all her animal clients with their myriad of problems, or will she be searching for a new job?
Based on the two-volume manga by Tsuchika Nishimura, The Concierge is an equally short one hour movie showing Akino's experiences in her new job at a luxury department store and all that it entails. Not gonna lie, the setting is definitely the most interesting thing about the movie. A department store that caters to animal clients, with extinct ones receiving the VIP treatment is a really interesting idea, one that both tickles your imagination and raises a lot of questions. How were these animals even brought back to life if they're clients at the store? Is this some sort of universe where some kind of science managed to bring them back? How are they able to talk? What's the department store's history with extinct animals? All we really know about the store is that it's run by a Great Auk and that said Great Auk's family founded it around the time of the species' extinction. I really want to know more about this weird setting! The extinct animal angle also adds to just how delicate being a concierge at the store is, as Akino has to be careful not to step on any of her smaller patrons, who happen to be smaller animals like birds or raccoons, and considering how clumsy she is...yeah, she's got her work cut out for her.
Not to mention the animation for this movie is just fantastic. While the character designs are simple and only lightly detailed, for the most part, the fluid and expressive animation makes them come alive. Meanwhile, the department store is highly detailed in nearly every aspect, really making it appear as the magical, high-class store it's supposed to be in the eyes of its visitors. One thing I do appreciate about The Concierge as a movie is that it doesn't follow your typical first/middle/third act structure. It's more like a series of vignettes, each of which revolve around Akino helping a customer either find an item they need or just help with their issues. These are cute and enjoyable—relating to things like connecting with family, finding love, and dealing with the lingering pain of loved ones long gone. Moreover, there is a strong animal conservation message woven throughout as many of the animals shown are extinct—and by human hands at that. The soundtrack is also pretty nice, even if it's not all that memorable. I do help this tofubeats person/group (There isn't much info about them) gets to do more work outside of this and ClassicaLoid, as I'd love to hear more of their stuff.
So yeah, this movie has a unique setting, great animation, a lovely soundtrack, and strong themes about both animal conversation and what it truly means to provide good customer service. I'd have enjoyed this movie a whole lot more...if every character wasn't a one-note stereotype. Seriously, all of the characters in this movie are either just so bland, forgettable, and uninteresting, or rely on their gimmick way too much. Akino herself is your typical overly kind yet perpetually clumsy girl who can never seem to go a day without messing something up, and is so spineless that she literally lets people walk all over her. Hell, when a monk seal Karen (Yes, really) gets mad at her over the store not having a dress in a certain size and openly expressing that she sees store staff as little more than servants, Akino literally gets on her knees and apologizes to her when the fault isn't even hers, allowing herself to be humiliated just before a coworker steps in. Like...girl, put your foot down! Grow a back bone! You shouldn't have to prostrate yourself to a customer just because they're butthurt over an item being out of stock! Not only that, I really didn't like that Todo guy, as he spends all his time being a ridiculously overbearing micromanaging manager who does nothing but berate Akino for every mistake she makes no matter how small, and the few times he does praise her don't amount to much. Is it any wonder she's always so nervous? Hell, one character pops up in the last third of the movie just to tell Akino she sucks at her job and then disappears. I feel like this guy was just shoehorned into the movie for forced third act drama.
Another thing I didn't like about the movie is that all of its problems are solved in ways that feel way too clean and neat. Need a perfume that was discontinued years ago? Well, the former head of the department store oh so conveniently managed to find said perfume after making some calls and reaching out to certain people! Need to actually identify this perfume? Let's have this random bear do it! A kid broke a super expensive ice sculpture that can never be replaced? It's fine, the kid made a cake for the sculptor and all is forgiven! Also, this series seems to believe that a concierge should always strive for perfection and be some sort of magical therapist who manages to solve everyone's issues. I admit, I know little about the hospitality industry and how hard it can be, but there really needs to be some kind of line drawn here. There's showing what it's like to work in the hospitality industry, and then there's idealizing it, and I don't think The Concierge does enough of the former, preferring to do too much of the latter, the aforementioned monk seal Karen notwithstanding. There's also the fact that the movie is only an hour long, and I feel like it would have benefited from being just a bit longer so it could flesh out its characters a bit more. Maybe the manga has more details that the anime left out, I don't know.
Man, it's a shame I couldn't enjoy this movie more, as there is quite a bit to like about it. It fully commits to its crazy idea and has fun with it, and the animators did a fantastic job of bringing the manga to life in ways only they could. It's a nice, cozy movie to watch if you want to kill an hour, but pretty animation can't hide the fact that its cast of characters are as bland and dull as white rice, nor fix it. It's a light-hearted look at the service industry that doesn't break any new ground...but that's all it is.
