Odd Taxi: Anime Thoughts and Reviews
| Genre: | Mystery, Social Commentary, Anthropomorphic Animals |
| Recommend: | Highly Recommend! |
The most under-rated gem of the 2021 Spring Anime season has to be “ODD TAXI“.
If you haven’t watched this superbly well-written mystery + social commentary anime series, please do yourself a favor and WATCH IT! It is really good.
If you googled the series, chances are you will see rave reviews all round. This is one anime that definitely deserves to be on your watch-list.
I really enjoyed watching Odd Taxi and I have to say, this is actually an anime that I felt watching it weekly adds to the whole enjoyment and buildup of the series.
The best thing about "Odd Taxi", in my opinion, lies in its dialogue and conversations.
The characters are all quite relatable and and a pretty clear indication of the kind of characteristics and/or social ills that they are a representation of, despite only having 13 episodes.
Side-Note: I am also really happy that we have been seeing quite a few gems (especially from the Original Animation Series Genre) in successive anime seasons in the past few years. Hoshiai no Sora, Run with the Wind, Vinland Saga, Sk8 the Infinity comes to mind and I’m happy to add Odd Taxi into the pool! ^ ^
The other 2021 Spring Anime that are definitely worth a watch is Mashiro no Oto, Shadow House, and 86. (reviews coming soon!)
Read on for my thoughts and review of Odd Taxi! ^^
Update Dec 25: Great news! We are getting an Odd Taxi movie, releasing on April 1 2022! (No, this is not an April’s Fool Joke!)
Page Contents
What is Odd Taxi about?
Odd Taxi (オッドタクシー) follows the life of Odokawa, a middle-aged walrus taxi-driver in Tokyo, and his conversations with his quirky animal passengers.
Odokawa, who leads an ordinary and relatively unremarkable life, is suddenly embroiled in the mystery of a missing high-school girl. He soon finds himself entangled in a complicated web of yakuza, corrupted cops and the unforgiving idol industry while escaping from mysterious death threats, as well as playing a dangerous game of subterfuge in retaliation.
As all this was going on, his doctor attempts to solve a personal mystery of Odokawa in the hopes of curing his friend’s chronic insomnia. Along the way, Odokawa picks up more passengers that unexpectedly forms the puzzle pieces to the mystery of the missing high-school girl.
My Thoughts on Odd Taxi
Odd Taxi is certainly not your run-off-the-mill anthropomorphic animal show.
As anthropomorphic animal shows goes, it has a pretty different vibe from the ever popular Zootopia and the much talked-about Beast Stars and that’s a good thing. (I really liked Zootopia and Beast Stars is a pretty interesting story).
Personally, I felt that Odd Taxi is actually closer in spirit to the Adult American Cartoons, what with the whole satire, cynicism and dry humor vibes the anime often exudes. I also saw quite a few parallels with the film “Taxi Driver” which led me to think that the writer/production team might have been paying homage to the film. (Check out the section “Homage to Taxi Driver” for my thoughts about this.)
A lot of the themes and societal topics tackled in Odd Taxi really resonated with me, as I believe it will to those who are 30 and above and/or working a daily grind job.
Much of the social commentary and observations of some of the weirdness and oddity of modern-day human behavior are conveyed perfectly through Odokawa’s deadpan + matter-of-fact responses and retorts. Hearing (or reading via subtitles) his take on social media, the idol industry and other topics is both hilarious and frankly a little sad at the same time. Because what Odokawa says often hits the nail on the head and are pretty much uncomfortable truths.
What I especially like is the anime’s take on obsession, be it social media (going viral) or the gaccha gaming culture.
With Kabasawa (the Hippopotamus college student), we get to see how his obsession with going viral brought him fame and fortune but at the expense of his sanity and morality. Under all that bravado (online), he has a crippling sense of insecurity, a lack of purpose and a desperate yearning for peer recognition. Ironically, it took a criminal giving him some sound advice (+ intimidation) to get him grounded back to reality.
As for Tanaka ( the Puma Video Game Developer), we see how his obsession with gaccha mobile gaming spiraled out of control and led him down a dangerous path of (almost) no-return. The interesting thing about Tanaka’s situation is that the Odd Taxi team attempts to explain this “obsession” with gaccha gaming likely stemmed from a sense of “emptiness” and a yearning to be “part of something”.
The anime also tackles the age-old adage of “never judging a book by its cover“.
People are often not what they seem and you need to go deeper to actually realize if someone is good or bad. And even then, there are shades of grey at every turn that makes a clear distinction difficult.
When faced with such a dilemma, how would one even go about accepting and/or forgiving the other?
This is especially true when you compare the things done by Dobu (the gelada baboon gangster and criminal) and the various acts done by the sweet looking Mystery Kiss Girl Group. As the story progresses and more truths are revealed, you really start to wonder if things are really as black and white as they appear.
Next, another interesting aspect about Odd Taxi was that many of the episodes were actually told via the viewpoint of a character other than the main character (Odokawa).
The commonality these characters have are that they are all connected to Odokawa in some-way, either as a passenger, an encounter or a friend.
It is through their conversations and further episode reveals that you eventually see the connections to the final big mystery in the story. There are actually a lot of hints hidden in this character relationship map so you might like to take a look at it after you have watched the anime.
The imagery, symbolism and analogy is also rather strong in this anime series.
This was especially so in that absolutely impactful (and beautiful) scene in the final episode that ties all the characters together. No spoilers but it involves a full moon, the sea (?), a taxi and a beautiful slow-mo shot.
The “added fan experience” of Odd Taxi was another nice touch. As a nod to the social media themes in the story, the production team actually set up a real-life twitter account for a character to tweet ‘live’ as each episode rolled out! The twitter accounts you see on the show are REAL!
They also had audio dramas (podcast) by Nagashima Satoshi (a giraffe high-school student who’s a fan of the “Homo Sapians comedic-duo) to help fill in some of the blanks in the conversations and scenes. The audio dramas are uploaded on YouTube. Episode 13’s accompanying audio drama is especially relevant and important to the entire series. It also explains that OMG moment at the end of the anime.
By the way, my initial hunch and theory about the premise of the show was proven right. But even I didn’t see that twist coming at the end! OMG! That ending! We definitely need at least an OVA to wrap things up.
All in all, Odd Taxi was a refreshing and wonderful anime in the Spring Season.
It was certainly an interesting ride from the start to the end!
I admit that the frequent switch in character perspectives did throw me off somewhat in the early episodes. However, as the episodes progressed and we start to see the connections among these characters, you start to realize the brilliance of the writing behind Odd Taxi.
Anyway, don’t just take my words for it…
Go watch the show and experience it for yourself! ^ ^
Highly, highly recommend.
Criticisms?
As much as I enjoyed watching Odd Taxi and I really appreciated the smart writing, Odd Taxi isn’t without its detractors.
Odd Taxi is also probably not an anime for everyone.
- As mentioned, the anime is rather dialogue heavy and most of the “action” takes place within a taxi.
- Episodes are seemingly disconnected until they all clicked at the end.
- Conversations between characters often reveal bits of important information that might go undiscovered by the audience.
- The frequent switch in character perspectives and focus on their own story might also be a turn off to some.
As such, it is understandable why some might stop watching after a few episodes. It also takes a certain appreciation of black humour + dry sarcasms with a healthy level of cynicism, as well as patience to let the plot threads unfold and weave into a full picture.
I read some criticisms online that some had found the animation style of Odd Taxi to be a tad simplistic. To be honest, this has never bothered me but I guess it may be a deterrent to some. I actually felt that the animation style added to the charm of the show but, hey that’s me. ^ ^ I much prefer a simplistic style than those weird looking 3D animation style of some anime any day.
Do note that the very "criticisms" that I have mentioned here are just objective observations.
I personally don’t see them as problems but that’s also because I do enjoy such types of anime. The main reason why I’m putting these out here is so that those still sitting on the fence about watching Odd Taxi can go in with the correct expectations.
I’m perfectly aware that different fans like different types of anime, so there isn’t anything wrong if you do not like Odd Taxi.
However, I've always felt that if you enter watching a genre of anime that you are not used to with the right amount of expectations, chances are you might discover something new that you like. ^ ^
Non main-stream Anime like Odd Taxi are often over-looked so I am hoping that many more anime fans would give this absolute gem of a series a chance.
So to all those who thinks Odd Taxi might not be your cup of tea, just give it a try and maybe you will like it too! ^ ^
Characters (that I liked & left an impression)
There are some Spoilers in this section so please read with caution! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
For a story that that is dialogue heavy, having memorable characters to play off these dialogues are extremely important. It’s also pretty cool to note that the “animals” Odokawa sees the other characters as are actually quite reflective of their character/physic.
Odokawa is naturally my favourite character. I love his cynicism, deadpan humor and matter-of-fact nature. He’s someone that I would actually love to be a friend of. He would probably help all of us to stay grounded and not lose ourselves to our “obsessions” and “desires”.
As socially awkward as he might be, Odokawa is also fiercely loyal. The lengths that he will go to protect his friends is pretty much admirable. I really liked how instead of out-rightly berating Kakihana (a middle-aged white gibbon who got conned by a love scam) after he saved the latter, Odokawa chose to remind Kakihana that he wasn’t always the “loser” that he thinks he is, thereby restoring hope and some much-needed mirth for Kakihana to move forward.
Have I also mentioned that all the replies and retorts he gives his passengers are really hilarious and spot-on?
It was pretty sad to learn the truth behind his trauma and the real reason for his “visual agnosia” disorder. However, I’m pretty happy that the anime team showed us how Odokawa managed to overcome his disorder and finally was able to accept what happened to him to start healing
Odokawa is the taxi driver that will definitely bring us to the right destination.
My next fav character is actually Dobu, believe it or not. ^ ^
Despite the fact that he’s a gangster and a criminal who probably did lots of illegal stuff, he actually has a really surprisingly good head on his shoulders.
His perchance for old-school honour is pretty endearing. Considering how strictly he follows the no killing rule set by Kuro, this is a guy that still has plenty of redeeming qualities to him. I mean he’s relatively tame compared to say, Mitsuya.
What really won me over though, was how Dobu treated Kabasawa once he finally had the latter in his grasp. He chose to let the other go, despite all the trouble and disruptions Kabasawa made to his life. I mean yes, it wasn’t for free; He had Kabasawa turned over his car, his apartment and all the money he profited from social media to him. (He’s still a gangster after all).
I really love the life advice he gave to Kabasawa on his obsession with social media and going viral. It is surprisingly really good advice and it rings pretty true:
Seeking validation from social media is often due to one’s insecurities and a yearning for acceptance and recognition.
The best way to address this is to find a trusted mentor, a friend who can help guide your path and provide an encouraging and motivating inspiration for you.
To provide a realistic yardstick for your expectations and achievements, as well as help build up your confidence.
Dobu said it much better. Go watch the anime to hear what he said. ^ ^
My only gripe was that Dobu’s advice was obviously ‘live-streamed’ on Kabasawa’s phone but there was no mention of his followers’ reaction to that in the anime. Why?? That was such a good irony.
I mean the much maligned criminal actually giving good life advice to a social media addict?
That’s just golden, isn’t it?
Homage to “Taxi Driver”
Please skip this section if you haven’t watch the anime or the film as spoilers abound. SPOILERS! SPOILERS SPOILERS!
Am I the only one that feels the writer and the production team of Odd Taxi was paying homage to the film “Taxi Driver”?
I mean when you are watching and reviewing an anime about a Taxi Driver, the iconic film “Taxi Driver” by Martin Scorsese naturally comes to mind.
There were quite a few parallels to the movie that one can’t help but think that the writer + the production team are actually fans , especially when you start comparing Odokawa and Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro).
- Both Odokawa and Travis are taxi-drivers
- Both lead characters are suffering from trauma and a mental disorder. (Travis was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Vietnam War; Odakawa was Visual Agnosia that stemmed from his childhood trauma.)
- Odokawa and Travis both suffers from chronic insomnia
- The two leads both get involved in a plan to “save” a woman (girl) who they believed was wronged
- And both shows ended with the lead character looking through their rear-view mirror as the ending shot!! With a Cliff-hanger as well!!
Come on! You can't tell me that these similarities were not intentional!!
But of-course the similarities end here because Odd Taxi and Taxi-Driver are two very different stories. Odokawa and Travis are also fundamentally two very different people with different principles.
Unlike Travis, Odokawa doesn’t have violent tendencies nor fantasies. In fact, Odokawa’s probably like the most honest taxi-driver out there, an absolute believer of living within one’s means. There isn’t a greedy bone in his body. I mean this was the guy who TURNED DOWN a million dollars TWICE (once from Dobu and another from Imai) and he also refused to accept any reward for giving the winning lottery numbers to Imai. (Who does that? Really!)
And when he had to reluctantly accept the recovered money, he ended up giving it to Kuro to be used as funds to support the children of car accidents (i.e. the same organization that had taken care of him when he was a child).
The other key difference I felt was the mental state of Odokawa andTravis.
Interestingly, while "Taxi Driver" follows Travis and his rapidly deteriorating mental state as he drives his taxi, Odd Taxi is like the completely flip-side of this scenario.
With Odd Taxi, Odokawa eventually finds his “impaired” cognitive functions back as he finally comes to accept what happened to his family and his childhood trauma. So the entire journey that he went through in Odd Taxi was positive and beneficial for him.
His Visual Agnosia is “cured” and he was able to see his friends and everyone else as the humans that they are. Putting aside that OMG Cliff-hanger ending, things were actually looking up for Odokawa, with relative normalcy returning to his life.
Anyway, this is just my own interpretation. ^ ^ I’ll love to hear your take on it. Do let me know in the comments about your thoughts.
Whatever it is, both Odd Taxi and Taxi Driver are two great shows and I highly recommend all to give them a watch, if you haven’t.
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More Information
Official Anime Website: https://oddtaxi.jp/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/oddtaxi_
Anime Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddtaxi_
Odd Taxi is produced by the studios OLM and P.I.C.S. The script/story was written by Kazuya Konomoto (此元和津也) and directed by Baku Kinoshita (木下 麦).
You can catch the show on Crunchyroll and Might Media platforms, depending on your location. It is also available on Amazon Prime Video but I think its restricted to Japan.
Manga Adaptation
Odd Taxi is an original animation series. However, sometimes these original anime do get a manga adaptation. I’m happy to find out that this is the case for Odd Taxi. I hope this means they will pick up the story from the anime. We need to know what happened!!
P.S: I really like the covers!
Audio Drama
Remembered how I said Odd Taxi provides an added fan experience for the audience? Well, the weekly audio dramas (podcasts) reveal interesting tidbits and hints to the episodes. You can find it on Odd Taxi’s official YouTube Channel . The audio drama for Episode 13 is perhaps the most important one to listen.
Unfortunately there are no subtitles BUT several bilingual fans have put up translations in the comments, so that’s something.
Blu-Ray/Music
Perhaps realizing that Odd Taxi is an “oddity” in main-stream anime, the production team was cautious in releasing Blu-rays for the anime.
They did an open call for pre-orders and successfully reached their goal of 300 sets. As such, they will be releasing a Blu-Ray Box set for Odd Taxi!
As of July 2021, they have reached their goal of 500 pre-orders. ^ ^ The studio is aiming for more orders of course, and with each new milestone achieved, more extras and specials will be added to the box set.
Update September 2021: They have reached their 3000 sets target!! As a result, the Blu-Ray Box set will have English Subtitles and they are accepting Overseas Orders!! There are tons of extras as well!! Pre-orders are till 30 September 2021… so hurry! ^ ^
- Details on the Blu-Ray campaign can be found here.
- Details on the Blu-Ray campaign for overseas fans can be found here
There is also a Soundtrack CD that costs 2800 yen (inclusive of tax) for fans who like the music.
Check out my other Reviews and Posts
Thank you for reading my review and thoughts on Odd Taxi. If you like it, do remember to share it with your friends and family. Leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on the anime. ^ ^
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Before you exit the page, how about checking out some of my other Anime Reviews?
Anime Reviews
- 86: Anime Reviews and Thoughts
- SK8 The Infinity: Anime Thoughts & Review
- Hoshiai no Sora: Anime Thoughts and Review
- The Rising of the Shield Hero S1: Anime Thoughts & Review
- Babylon: Anime Thoughts and Review
- Vinland Saga: Anime Thoughts & Review
- Run with the Wind 風が強く吹いている — Anime Thoughts
- Anime Thoughts – Hakumei and Mikochi
Geeky Goods Guides
I’ve also done up a few guides on purchasing anime goods/figurines and the list will continue to expand. Do check them out as they might be useful for your own fan- collection journeys!
- Geeky Goods Spotlight: Forwarder, Buying Service & Proxy Bidding (Anime Goods)
- Nendoroids – A Guide on Buying Nendoroids
- A Kuji Guide: All You need to know and more!
- Figuarts Mini VS Nendoroid: A Comparison Guide
- Demon Slayer Gift Guide: Best things to buy for a Kimetsu no Yaiba Fan!
