The Concierge (北極百貨店のコンシェルジュさん), directed by Yoshimi Itazu with screenplay by Tsuchika Nishimura and Satomi Ôshima, is an animated film about a new employee at a luxury department store that caters to animals of all shapes and sizes.
Akino (voiced by Natsumi Kawaida) is young and inexperienced but passionate about trying her best to bring the best experience for her customers. But under the scrutiny of her manager and some difficult clients, can she truly become the capable concierge she wants to be?
First of all, the artwork of this movie is really gorgeous and reminds me of 80’s style anime that I saw as a child. Despite being a new film, I loved the nostalgic nod to animation of the past. The linework has that rougher hand drawn style, that brings texture elements in juxtaposition with bold blocks of vibrant colour which have more simple details. The backgrounds are quite lush and detailed, so the simpler colour blocking on the characters really helps them to stand out.
The Concierge is based on a series of short stories from the manga, The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store. With Akino as the central protagonist at the Hokkyoku Department Store, it helps to string together all the whimsical characters and their unique situations, which leads to a really satisfying scene near the end that reunites them all.
Akino starts out as a very nervous fledgling employee, but as she learns and gets used to her new job, she begins to truly understand her customers feelings. The scenes at times can be really calm and relaxing, then the next very fast, frenetic and full of lovely fluid animation. This pacing really draws you into each character’s feelings and expresses their individual story.
One of my favourite scenes from the film is where Akino separately meets a daughter shopping for a gift and then a father shopping for a gift. When she puts two and two together, realising that they are related, she goes frantically running back and forth between them, trying to help them find the perfect presents without bumping into each other. It was very fun and exciting to watch it all unfold, and it gave me a really good laugh with one of her creative solutions to the problem.
The music at times is very subtle and then ramps up to convey the most emotional moments. It never overpowers the scene and instead times so perfectly with what’s happening on screen. There’s always that vibe that you are in an upmarket shopping centre with grand instrumental pieces rather than songs with lyrics.
Yoshimi Itazu, the director of this film, has worked on many great projects in the past and has drawn upon these experiences to create truly beautiful animation with a heartwarming story. It’s not a really long film and I actually appreciate that, as nothing feels overly drawn out and the story is given just the right amount of screen time.
Overall, The Concierge is a beautiful, charming Japanese animated film that warms the heart and really draws you into the emotions of each character. It’s quite suitable for younger viewers and anime veterans alike. A definite recommendation if you love a bit of a giggle and leaving with those warm fuzzy feelings!
The Concierge (北極百貨店のコンシェルジュさん) screened in Melbourne as part of the now concluded 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival.
For more information, visit:
https://miff.com.au/program/film/the-concierge