Anime is an art that keeps on giving. This year has been great with so many crazy releases. But very few comes in contention with a show like this. A show that not only delivers with clever writing, intricate characters, great suspension of disbelief, and well drawn animation, but evokes so much as a contemporary show.
Odd Taxi takes place in Tokyo. A realistic version of Tokyo with every characters and their situations revolves around. Most of them are the damned, people who live vicariously and large while hiding skeletons in their closets (And also, anthromorphic animals). People who are humanized and you empathize to because of their plights, their struggles to fulfil their dreams in the harsh world of reality. While it is similar to Beastars in a few ways, it isn't entirely though.
One thing I like about the show is how it tries to show you little yet lays out good enough clues to give you exact ideas as to what's going to happen, ongoing conflicts, and so on. It is well subdued, as it is grounded. Characters that are relatable yet endearing in their own ways.
Commentary: One of those interesting things about the show is how much you see, the beautiful part of it is how much it revolves around the main protagonist, our taxi driver, Odokawa. Be wary to the clues it gives out, not just his commentaries on society and everyday lives he observes of people, but hidden intricate details that point out so much about how he thinks of people. Most of his opinions being true to an extended degreee.
For one, while it's a psychological drama, it's also a crime thriller. Odokawa got himself in the middle of a bad situation that involves hustlers, the Yakuzas, the police and powerful people behind them. One man who only can stand for himself, while he does the most he can for his friends who got caught in the downward spiral itself.
This show also has comedy, it fits and settles in nice without coming off forced. Staying true to the show's nature while not always taking itself seriously. Works in a pretty multi-faceted way. Especially thanks to each characters being unique, standing out on their own.
There's a lot of nuance, twists and turns that don't feel contrived. The story stays true to the world it created while the characters and their journeys take them to places they never thought they'd go to. It has a nice ending, but that ending even finishes in cliffhanger, leaving you to wonder what exactly is going to happen next, without showing you later on. A mind teaser if you will.
C: Strangely enough, I got mad vibes of Little Miss Sunshine, Collateral, French Connection, and Manchurian Candidate. From how much realism it exudes, it is certainly, clearly taking a lot of western influences. Which I like, I mean I like the movies I mentioned. Am a bit of a film snob though.
Odd Taxi is kind of under the radar compared to most anime this year. Ya'll can talk about AoT all you want, but that show isn't going to fix the mess that the mangaka made with the ending. Maybe it can, MAPPA can try. But doesn't change the fact that better shows that exist, Go watch Odd Taxi, it'll make your week. Trust me. You'll have a breath of fresh air later on.
