Odd Taxi (2021) (Anime) Review
Series - Odd Taxi
Air Date - April 6, 2021 – June 29, 2021 (Japan)
Creator(s) - Kazuya Konomoto, Baku Kinoshita
Network(s)/Streaming Service(s) - TV Tokyo, AT-X, Television Hokkaido, TV Osaka, Nara Television, U-NEXT, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel
time to take a break from any of western animation and head to the form of Japanese Animation. And then I came across Odd Taxi. I was wondering what kind of fruit this Odd Taxi is. But still! It turned out to be an anime series from the Japanese Animation Studio: OLM (Oriental Light & Magic), the studio that gave us Pokemon. If you think the Japanese animation studio, OLM (Oriental Light & Magic), focuses on Pokemon, you're very much mistaken. Sometimes cult series like Pokemon need a break, but OLM decided to embark on another anime series, and for the first time, the studio is introducing characters and animals.
Meeting best friends, most of whom now don't even remember you; the jitters before the first, second, or any other fight, sparked by baseless malice; the delight of a well-worn joke; competition, intrigue, and fear of an inevitable future full of responsibility and uncertainty. Vague memories, flooded with faded shame, are constantly replaced by the warmth of something we involuntarily push from our memory. This is me, and this is the reality of the characters in the truly adult Detective animated series "Odd Taxi" from The Japanese Animation Studio: OLM (Oriental Light & Magic), the studio that brought us Pokemon.
At the forefront, as described in the anime's description, stands, or rather, sits, a walrus taxi driver named Odokawa, unpretentious in demeanor but possessing an extraordinary mind. Bristling with a spiky mustache and seemingly completely disconnected from the world around him, the driver never misses an opportunity to make a caustic comment and, often reluctantly, engages in dialogue with the "local fauna" that inhabit Tokyo, a place alien to both him and us. From the backseat of his car, attention-seeking bloggers, washed-up comedians, passionate admirers of local singers who don't last long in the spotlight, doctors, and even gangsters stare at him through the rearview mirror. After work, Odokawa isn't averse to stopping by a bar he once liked, where he's met a loser friend desperately trying to find a soulmate online. But at some point, the tediousness of everyday life evaporates, replaced by a tangled mess in which a walrus taxi driver just so happens to be a key link.
Over the course of thirteen episodes, we're not only shown a detailed glimpse of Japan with its exotic everyday life, told an engaging detective story, and caressed with ethereal, tender fingers a heart weathered by years of living, but also vividly reminded that we all, in one way or another, influence one another. Our environment shapes us as individuals, but it's far from the pressure our parents exerted on us. What do we want? How will we achieve it? Will we achieve it or will we remain in the shadow of our parents' ambitions and our own hidden aspirations? Each of the characters in "Unusual Taxi" will find answers to all these questions, just as the anime itself brings every apparent detail to a complete conclusion, which is incredibly satisfying.
An ordinary taxi with an ordinary driver at the wheel cruises the streets of Tokyo. However, it's only at first glance that it's ordinary, and it's not just that Odakawa, an anthropomorphic walrus, is commonplace in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals. What makes him special is his unusual ability to remember and recognize people he's seen before in a crowd, a talent born from the tragic events of his childhood. When a young woman, last seen in his taxi, disappears in the city late in autumn, Odakawa finds himself caught in a whirlwind of events that require only himself and his friends to survive.
There were many unique anime this season, and this was for sure one of them. A seemingly simple anime where everyone were animals with many different stories. However, what made this anime one of the best show this season was how these stories all interconnected, despite how unrelated they seemed at first glance. There were an incredible amount of details in each episode that had significant meanings later.
Watching this anime weekly might be a mistake because you might forget the details, which I did. Because of this, I decided to rewatch the whole thing before the last episode, and I'm glad that I did. As I realized that these stories were related, I became increasingly invested and impatient to see how everything would resolve. It was a big mystery that slowly built up.
The characters were very interesting. There were three episodes that contained a monologue background story from each of the three characters. They were sad, shocking, and dangerously realistic. Our main character was the walrus taxi driver, but there were good stories to many other characters. Also, I had to mention my boy Yano, who was by far one of the dopest character. He rhymed when he talked, and every time he appeared, his lyrical conversation that sounded like rapping almost always followed a beat that was played. He stole every scene he was in.
As I was saying, the stories were linked together and detailed. However, it was so detailed that even the opening gave clues about the mysteries in the show. Also, it was great that many who watched this anime formed theories that mostly turned out to be true. One of them was regarding the animation of the story.
As for problems, I felt one particular story about two comedians didn't really relate to the other stories. Also, I had a problem with the last episode regarding what happened to our taxi driver after the major event.
The show was at heart a slice of life. It reflected some of the people living today. I believe that some watching will be able to relate to the characters.
One last thing I wanted to touch on was the last reveal in the ending episode. I honestly did not see that coming, and the final shot was quite haunting.
Just as the city's colorful, shimmering facade conceals dark alleys, so too, the bright, cartoonish world and characters conceal a multitude of serious issues: loneliness, mental disorders, obsessions, social inequality, betrayal, unfulfilled dreams, and dashed hopes. Over the course of the anime's 13 episodes, we follow a multitude of characters, each with their own lives, problems, and aspirations. The series is part film noir, part Guy Ritchie crime comedies. Humor is seamlessly intertwined with drama.
As often happens, the story gradually picks up steam, and by about episode 6, I couldn't put it down. The final twist (yes, there is a plot twist at the end) although it sheds light on many of the gaps associated with the main character, and logically seems quite appropriate, but for me personally it ruins all the charm of the anthropomorphic world.
The best part of the show is that characters were so written well that you could relate and care for and understand their motivations. The show is nothing but dialogue, and it uses this advantage by fleshing out the characters as much as they can. They don't just spout exposition all the time, they spend time letting the characters express themselves and their feelings while at the same time progressing the mystery plot. The dialogue is snappy, sharp, and fast. It allows the audience to get sucked into the conversations and remain glued to the screen despite nothing "exciting" happens.
The show is very much against the mold of a typical anime. You can easily imagine this show as an Adult Swim show and not much would change.
The main problem with the show is aspects of the writing. While I do commend some things about it, such as keeping the pacing very fast and letting the characters bounce off each other so well, it does come with flaws.
Sections of the writing has a layer of self-impressed ego attached to it - like an emo middle schooler writing their first script. Characters will force in pop culture references, they'll talk about depression and insecurities like they are the only people on earth who've experienced it, and they'll give the characters quirks like rapping or a martial art and it makes you cringe in your seat. I rolled my eyes way too many times than I care to admit. Someone trying to emulate Quentin Tarantino without the talent to pull it off most of the time. The silliness overstepped its welcome and did more harm to the show than benefit.
The writing and logic start to suffer in the second half. There were many plot elements that didn't add up. The show started strong so it really did let me down when it lost momentum after the first half. Even in some of the best episodes in the first half there were massive missteps in logic that it took me out of the immersion. Characters losing data on their phone that would've normally been backed up based on what they were playing, characters only showing up at key moments even though they have the ability to track their enemies 100% of the time, and other plot conveniences.
Verdict: 9 out of 10. I can totally understand the appeal of this show. It's a breath of fresh air for anime, and I do wish more anime would borrow aspects of this show. The majority will love this show, and If you are on the fence I recommend to give this show a try. You might be surprised like I was.
Final Rating - 9/10
Odd Taxi Belongs To Kazuya Konomoto, Baku Kinoshita, Shogakukan Inc. DENPA, LLC, P.I.C.S. Co., Ltd. OLM Team Yoshioka, OLM, Inc. IMAGICA Lab. Inc. AT-X, AT-X, Inc. TXN Network, TV Tokyo, TV Tokyo Corporation, TV Tokyo Holdings Corporation, Crunchyroll, Funimation Productions, Ltd. Funimation Entertainment, Funimation Global Group, LLC, Crunchyroll, LLC, Sony Pictures Television Inc. Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. Sony Entertainment, Inc. Sony Corporation of America, Aniplex, Inc. Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. And Sony Group Corporation