Crunchyroll Acquires The Concierge Anime Film for 2024 Screenings in N. America

Crunchyroll announced on Thursday that it has acquired the North American rights to The Concierge, the anime film of Tsuchika Nishimura‘s The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store (Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san) manga, and it will screen the film in theaters in 2024. The company streamed a trailer:

The film will open in Japan on October 20.

The film had its international premiere on June 13 at the Annecy International Film Festival. The film will screen at the Animation Is Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 21.

The previously announced cast includes:

• Natsumi Kawaida as Akino, the protagonist
• Takeo Ōtsuka as Elulu, a penguin who always wanders around the store
• Nobuo Tobita as Tōdō, the ever-present floor manager
• Megumi Han as Mori, a senior concierge
• Natsumi Fujiwara as Iwase, a senior concierge
• Eiji Yoshitomi as Maruki, a veteran concierge
• Jun Fukuyama as the Maître d’ of the store’s restaurant
• Yūichi Nakamura as Tokiwa, a salesman who looks sternly at Akino
• Kenjiro Tsuda as Wally
• Danshun Tatekawa as Laughing Owl (Husband)
• Sumi Shimamoto as Laughing Owl (Wife)
• Minako Kotobuki as Sea Mink (Daughter)
• Hiroshi Yanaka as Sea Mink (Father)
• Hiroki Nanami as Male Peacock
• Marika Kano as Female Peacock
• Miyu Irino as Japanese Wolf
• Kana Hanazawa as Female Japanese Wolf
• Ayumu Murase as Barbary Lion
• Emiri Suyama as Female Barbary Lion
• Kyoko Hikami as Caribbean Monk Seal
• Risa Shimizu as Paradise Parrot
• Sumire Morohoshi as Cat

Yoshimi Itazu (“Pigtails,” Welcome to the Ballroom, key animation on Popin Q) is making his directorial debut on a feature anime film, with Satomi Ooshima (Hataraki Man, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, Raven of the Inner Palace) penning the script and Aniplex distributing. Electronic music producer tofubeats is composing the film’s music. Chiyo Morita (Run with the Wind episode animation director) is serving as character designer and chief animation director. Production I.G is producing the film.

The manga centers on a new concierge at a mysterious department store where all the customers are animals. As a concierge, she tries to read her peculiar customers and try to make appropriate recommendations to them.

Nishimura launched the manga in Shogakukan‘s Big Comic Zōkan magazine in November 2016, and ended it in 2020 with two volumes. The manga won the Excellence Award for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs’ 25th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2022.

Source: Press release