Despite the very short length of the first season, Pokémon Gatekeeper It’s absolutely charming fun and I can recommend it to just about anyone. The relaxed atmosphere, soothing music, and simple yet incredible premise all resonated deeply with me. In many ways, it’s still hard to believe that such a thing actually exists. stop motion animation Pokémon series of care levels franchise Definitely worth it. All the second season needed to do was be more of the same to get a glowing recommendation from me, and it absolutely delivered.
Granted, season two isn’t the same as season one, but much of what you might have liked about the early episodes is in the second batch of four episodes. Obviously the highlight is the animation Dwarf Studio Once again invited to create stunning stop motion animation. Despite the limited action, everything is still full of life and character. You can appreciate finer details, such as walking cycles and the way characters handle small items. The expressions are simple but still full of character and the voice acting is excellent, once again capturing some of the tender nuances of the simple characters. Karen Fukuhara Haru once again knocks it out of the park, with this cheerful personality certainly more suited to her own given the character’s new status quo.
One of the attention to details I’ve always admired is its texture work Pokémon. Pokémon Usually things with fur have this very fuzzy fur look, and Pokémon Something with a rough texture like Metagross looks almost like a plastic toy. It would also be interesting to see how the water affects the texture of the character Pokémon. There are even some nice little environmental details that make everything feel more lived-in. I particularly like the look of dirt, such as in the garden scene. It doesn’t look smooth, but is constantly dug up and disturbed, like a garden. I feel like the shots this season are more dynamic than what I’ve seen before. Some very interesting and creative shots, not typical of what we’ve seen before. Overall, everything feels a lot livelier.
And then there’s the music, which once again brings us a tropical recreation of classic tunes from anime and video games. Despite the setting and overall premise, this season was even able to have a combat theme, which I thought was pretty smart. Everything has a laid-back vibe, even if some of the characters are going through stressful situations. It’s like the music is making you believe that everything will be okay if you just take a moment to let it wash over you. This is probably one of my favorite scores in the entire production franchise.
All of this sounds similar to Season 1, right? Well, what difference does that make? This must be the status quo. Season 1 focused on getting Haru acclimated to her new life as a concierge. She came to the island to get away from it all and understand its intricacies. Her relationship with Psyduck became a catalyst and metaphor for the character’s growth, and by the end of season one, she came to terms with her position. This season is actually the opposite, and now it’s Haru’s job to help others integrate into this new, relaxed way of life.
You see this episode where she suddenly takes on more responsibilities, but on top of that, almost every episode introduces a new character who seems to be in a similar depressive state as she was at the beginning of the series. She’s not actively trying to change anyone’s worldview; She just does her best to make sure the resort guests enjoy their time. But here I see how Haru has a positive impact on others. She still doesn’t always have confidence in herself, but she knows how to step back and appreciate the many little things that are taken for granted. These things are appreciated by others and we get a wonderful cycle of happiness. Season one was about her; season two is about her. This was done to convince the audience that she made the right choice to become a concierge, and when she said at the end, “This is where I belong,” I completely believed her. I know this style of animation takes a while to produce, but I can definitely see a series of ongoing adventures in this format. It’s such a simple format, so full of potential that it feels like a shame to end it here.
I wish there were more shows like this. I wish I could see more shows about good, kind people helping other tired or misguided people get through tough times in their lives. There is a subtle comment that people are overworked or exhausted to the point that they can become very exhausted. Simply spending a great vacation with your pet can truly give you a new lease of life. It’s the kind of performance that puts a smile on your face and when you look outside, maybe the sun feels a little brighter. No shame, no overly repressed conflict, just a great story about a resort that I really hope I can go back to one day.
