One of the funniest moments in Production IG’s animated series The Concierge features a very nervous ferret businessman wearing a tiny suit. He’s visiting a fancy department store because he’s entertaining two of his company’s most prestigious clients: a little owl and his wife, both dressed in formal coats for their shopping trip. Mr. Ferret wants to show them a good time because the owl could bring his company some good business. So he enlists the help of the department store’s newest concierge, a human who has to bend down to see the little critters up close.
Seeing such a cute animal so concerned about human concerns is a treat. It's adorable—as is the guide bending over backwards (sometimes literally) to help a little ferret. And that's not even the most unique element of this film, which will be in theaters in the US for one day only, on September 11.
Based on the manga The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store by Tsuchika Nishimura, The Concierge is adapted for the screen by director Yoshimi Itazu (The Deer King) and screenwriter Satomi Ôshima (Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko). The premise is simple: A young woman named Akino (Natsumi Kawaida) becomes a concierge at a department store that specializes in animals. Her job involves making sure that all the needs of customers — especially those of Very Important Animals, creatures that are extinct in the wild, such as sea otters and Japanese wolves — are met. Akino is determined to do a good job, but she worries about the possibility of mistakes.
If you’re looking for a deeper explanation of why these animals dress and act like humans, don’t bother. The film includes some reflections on how lonely some extinct animals are and how the department store exists as a refuge for them, but there’s no significant information or world-building about how the rest of this world works. That’s fine, though, because it’s a wonderful world to see when it’s played out on screen.
The animation is simple and colorful, really emphasizing the distinct shapes and designs of the animal characters. They all have unique ways of moving and interacting with the setting, from the great auk that needs a little push to slide across the glittering floors to the giant mammoth whose weight slows down the elevator. Akino always bends down to talk to the smaller animals, especially after a disastrous moment on her first day when she nearly tramples on some of the store's tiniest customers, including a mole, a rabbit, and a mother duck and her ducklings.
The series has multiple episodes where Akino helps various animal customers and wanders around the department store. But there's more to the story than just a few episodes or chapters, especially as Akino grows more confident and uses what she's learned from her previous customers to help her new ones.
Watching Akino’s confidence blossom over the course of the film is gratifying. And as she grows in her role, she becomes more confident in truly connecting with her customers. There’s a gentle plot thread about interpersonal (and… animal?) connections that runs through The Concierge; it’s subtle at first, but as the film winds down, it comes to the forefront, a slow emotional build-up that all comes together beautifully by the end. It’s a touching, surprisingly poignant film that also makes a big impact by including a variety of animals in beautifully human clothing.
Crunchyroll will debut The Concierge in US theaters in a special one-day-only screening on September 11. Polygon will update this post when Crunchyroll announces a streaming date for the film.
