Odd Taxi

Judevin

~~~_This review contains minimal or no spoilers_~~~ - - - #~~~__Story/Setting__~~~ ~~~img1000(https://i.imgur.com/kJpbInO.jpg?1)~~~ ~~~Set in modern-day Tokyo with a twist, you have a taxi driver who by some luck gets involved in a big crime operation. All the "beings" appear as animals at least from what you see, they're all humanoid animals. I know you're thinking "Hey that sounds like Beastars" but believe me, it is far from Beastars. The story is very neo-noir, a crime thriller with this taxi driver slowly hatching the most 400iq plot to catch criminals with some very interesting revelations along the way. And it has one of the most well-written endings for an original series.~~~ ~~~img1000(https://i.imgur.com/VYlv5iw.jpg?1)~~~ - - - #~~~__Visuals__~~~ ~~~The visuals in Odd Taxi are __very__ unique. They almost look like they were drawn with crayon, giving it a very unique vibe, that somehow fits extremely well with the anime. ~~~ ~~~img1000(https://i.imgur.com/VqrXkjE.jpg?1)~~~ ~~~And as I mentioned earlier all the characters are humanoid animals. But they are not drawn like crayons like the backgrounds, so it creates this very disconnected feeling that what you're seeing is not real. Almost as if the characters are made to stand out (you see what I'm getting at?). ~~~ - - - #~~~__Characters__~~~ ~~~Odd Taxi has a big cast. Your protagonist is Odokawa, the taxi driver. The story is entirely told through his eyes, so you see what he sees. Odokawa is an apathetic uninterested walrus, on first look, you can probably say he has depression considering how disconnected and automated he feels. But he is a smart individual with a very unique disposition, I won't get into that here. He is voiced by Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro in Demon Slayer) in perhaps his most unique role as a VA from what I can tell, because Odokawa sounds nothing like the young boy that Hanae's voice is known for. ~~~ ~~~img1000(https://i.imgur.com/kaUwUrx.jpg?1)~~~ ~~~Then there are the side characters, that while you would think this is a disconnected episodic series where the taxi driver encounters multiple people, it is exactly the opposite. In fact the proverb "What a small world" applies extremely well to the world and characters of Odd Taxi because each character is somehow connected to the other one in a very intricate manner. There's a monkey gangster, an alpaca that knows capoeira, a porcupine that raps, etc etc. A very big and unique cast, each with their own story and their own unique traits, all of them are unique individuals, and they're all connected in some form or another to each other, and to Odokawa.~~~ ~~~img1000(https://i.imgur.com/WuXCofX.png)~~~ ~~~The world building in Odd Taxi is done so well that the Odd Taxi website has an image that shows exactly how each character is connected to the other. [Here](https://i.redd.it/9sloszs8g5x61.png) is a translated version of it if you want to check it out yourself. The official Japanese one is available on Odd Taxi's website.~~~ - - - #~~~__Overall__~~~ ~~~If you are looking for a crime thriller series with a twist, then this is right up your alley. In my opinion, Odd Taxi has been the best original anime of 2021 so far, and the best anime of this season of Spring 2021. Each episode is enthralling and each episode will make you create hypotheses and theories about the characters and what is going to happen next, with one of the best endings in an original anime I have ever watched. Combined with one of the smoothest OPs of all time that I vibe to pretty much everyday, this anime is nothing short of an amazing experience that I would like to see more anime adapt since this genre of noir crime thrillers is so extremely niche. Also rewatching this series is very worth it, because so many of the plot twists are presented right from the start, you just miss them because you didn't know. So this is an anime that is not just a one and done but worth revisiting and see all the hints littered throughout. The whole series is fascinating and I highly recommend it. Just keep an open mind to the animal visuals, and always keep in mind that this story is being viewed from the perspective of Odokawa, you see what he sees.~~~

saulgoodman

#~~~__Spoilers ahead. Skip to the end for a short, spoiler-free review.__~~~

img620(https://i2.wp.com/anitrendz.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Odd-Taxi-1.jpg) ___ #~~~__Beneath the Mask__~~~ *ODD TAXI* reads off like Scorsese characters doing standup routines in fur suits. As much of an affront as that statement may sound, all that you'll hear from me are hymns and praises of this show. Though, trying to effectively analyze the rabbit holes to a dark Wonderland and the tangling spider-webs of interconnections of *ODD TAXI* is a dizzying endeavor. Above all the whimsical dialogue, unexpected characterization, superb foreshadowing and addictive mysteries; exists the overarching theme of fragile appearances and their consequences. Shoutouts to Kazuya Konomoto's ornate writing. Despite giving all the characters their distinct and memorable personalities and conflicts, he's crafted them to contribute to the looming theme of fragile appearances. How he generally conveys this is through observation of modern-day dilemmas, ie. "clout chasing", online validation, online dating, game addictions. Despite the cast of furry animals, *ODD TAXI* reads off as one of the most authentic depictions of the modern-day millennial. The portrayals of these issues exist through the severe conflicts of the characters; such as Kabasawa's desperation for online virility manifesting a crazed internet hero persona, a gacha-game addict pulling a Travis Bickle after losing a SS+ pull and Kakihana being lured into a yakuza badger game from his happy-go-lucky attitude in dating apps; that may certainly be exaggerated in nature, but still effectively point to the holes and consequences when these problems manifest on real-life grounds. Though, these aren't just boomer-esque signaling and lecturing that trends and phones are bad (well, perhaps in Kabasawa's case, when Dobu choke-holds him and tells him to go touch grass), because everyone's conflicts doubling as modern-day situational observation also plays into the theme of appearances. Kabasawa, as mentioned, possesses an internet-hero persona after gaining viral status for his ally-of-justice video promising to take down Dobu. His cult following, resulting hubris and pitiful downfall all occur behind his mask of the computer and phone screen. Oh, but do consider [following his Twitter](https://twitter.com/kbsw_t)! His conflict resolution stifled a chuckle in me, though, as it was the perhaps the only preachy instance of the observational aspect of the show, though with truth weighted behind it, as Dobu lectures Kabasawa about using the Internet as escapism from his insecurities and throws his phone into the sea as a grand finale to his conflict. I was almost expecting Dobu to turn to the camera to break the fourth wall and say "And you, too anon, there's more to life than what's on your screen". So, remember kids, appearances aren't limited to the physical form, but also character and get off your stinking phones. Perhaps the most extreme of these modern-day observations is Tanaka's gacha-game addiction. Though, "addiction" is perhaps a bit too light a word to realize the weight of his conflict. In contrast to the rather ambiguous and vague characters of the show, Tanaka strikingly comes off as the deranged antagonist chalk-full of irrationality. Though, I have to say, his stand-alone episode is by far my favorite of the entire show. Starting off as a musing and recollection of his childhood days of collecting erasers, his monologue steadily meanders to a darker path as his life deprecates, a gacha-game at the center, finally projecting all his frustration against Odokawa. Pinning this all as commentary of gacha-addiction is easy but false, Tanaka's situation examines how the show utilizes modern-day situational observation to characterize. Gacha is simply one of the gears turning Tanaka's life in a downward spiral, others being scammed by an auction seller for an eraser as a child, losing a SS+ pull and his pet bird dying the same day. In the grander scheme of things, Tanaka's situation points how seemingly mundane actions and events can snowball for years, building up pent-up unhealthy thoughts and feelings, and their boiling point is nothing but irrationality. Contrary to the literal mask he wears to hide his identity as he goes on a vendetta killing spree, Tanaka possesses an additional mask; temporary, superficial pleasure. This is where one can say the gacha commentary comes into play. Though, it's much more overarching of an observation, being also applicable to numbing social media and other virtual escapism that plagues many of us today. Whereas Kabasawa's "go touch grass" resolution may be amusingly truthful, Tanaka's situation has a nihilistic tone to it. Hiding behind the numbing pleasures present on the screen, from the bitter reality of life. Hits a bit close to home, huh? ___ img520(https://www.otaquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/OunD2yi0J3.png) ___ #~~~__How much do I owe you, cabbie?__~~~ Taking a break from the discourse of modern-day situational observation, Odokawa possesses the most interesting mask of the cast. Lacking context behind his character, besides his brief flashbacks of his parents figures, Odokawa is a vague individual to dissect and the audience can only rely on his dry-natured interactions with his clients and friends for characterization. Despite being numbed to his cold remarks and biting sarcasm, it becomes increasingly obvious that Odokawa holds his friends dear to his heart, his enemies closer to defeat them. Though this *tsundere* tendency to this grumpy walrus isn't the particular mask I'm meaning to dissect; it's his entire character. Odokawa never fails to keep a vague, unrevealing air to him. Though he generally initiates conversations and can banter with anyone he meets, Odokawa keeps his wit by withholding personal information. Throughout the majority of the show, nothing is known about Odokawa other than his missing parents. Though, this vagueness is all but frustrating, as Goriki's investigation behind Odokawa's past makes the mystery of Odokawa increasingly tantalizing in each passing episode. As much as we can see through his disguised concern for his friends, Odokawa keeps an impenetrable mask of mystery. How can he immediately recognize people he's met just once? Why is he talking to someone in his closet? Is there even someone in the closet? Where one question seemingly ends, two more are asked. ___ img520(https://i.imgur.com/teKFbIZ.gif) ___ #~~~__Really gets the noggin joggin'__~~~ Though Odokawa's vague air is the main course of his appeal, the overarching missing case of the Negima girl is what both supplements it and exemplifies the amazing mystery writing of this show. Several characters suggest Odokawa kidnapped her, the likelihood heightened by the brief, chilling scenes of him seemingly talking to someone in his closet with vague lines. However, as the mystery slowly unravels, perhaps Odokawa finds himself as an unfortunate Red Herring. Though I'm not much of one to participate in weekly discussions anymore, it was incredibly fun sharing and swapping hints and details in the episodes to create, back up and reject theories. One of which, was the Human Theory. Despite the anthropomorphic nature of the character designs, there have hints and clues of something off throughout the episodes. For one, an animal with a human anatomy in Goriki's office. The sheer amount of real-life references to celebrities like Bruce Springsteen. The vague reactions other characters gave to Odokawa when he explicitly states their species name. Director Baku Konoshita states that the animal designs were intended as a juxtaposition between the gloom of the urban crime setting and the cute designs, but by God, the anthropomorphism paid off for the biggest plot twist towards the end of the show. The finale episode tales Odokawa's tragic past at last, how his trauma and car accident left him seeing everyone as the animals that he's adored so much as a child. Throughout the scope of the show, we've been seeing the world through his eyes, unable to cope with his past and his perpetual fear of humans. Until that is, he opens his eyes after an accident and his vision returns back to normal, everyone removed from their anthropomorphic caricatures now. It's underwhelming to state how much catharsis came from this, and proved the talented capabilities behind the writers. New facts and foreshadowing continue to pile up when questions are seemingly answered, often leaving off on unexpected and impeccably timed cliffhangers. *ODD TAXI*'s rewatch potential is scarily high, as you find yourself realizing the dots laid in place and the ridiculous amount of Chekhov's guns riddled in the dialogue. For instance, how Imai comments how "Mitsuya's" dancing has become sloppy since when he first saw her, when in fact the real Mitsuya had been killed and replaced by a look-alike. Or how Ichimura jokes that Nikaidou would and probably has killed someone to get ahead for her idol career, when in fact Nikaidou intended to kill Mitsuya if she refused to step down as the group’s leader. With a plethora of other "oh shit, I get that now" moments that'd fill up a thesis paper, it's clear how well-planned and written the script of *ODD TAXI* is. Seriously, I'm going to rewatch this show for the second time after I release this review. ___ img520(https://wallpapercave.com/wp/wp9245196.jpg) ___ #~~~__Capoeira and Rapping __~~~ As awkwardly silent as my sparse experiences with taxi drivers have been, *ODD TAXI* is a gala of rapid blathering and standoffish comedy. Though the popping visuals that the opening would leave one to believe, this show is devoid of ocular appeasement, instead cherishing the difficult art of conversational and observational comedy through the colorful interactions of the anthropomorphic cast. The 41 year-old cynical walrus Odokawa stands as the centerpiece, with the audience eagerly awaiting his dry remarks, sarcastic rebuttals, irritated comments and his aloof tone all owed to Natsuki Hanae's impeccable voice acting. Memorable voice acting aside, let me gush about Kazuya Konomoto's writing even more, as he brings out colorfulness of the voice actors through the well-maintained humorous banter and well-timed rebuttals, often rivaling the conversational comedy of the *Monogatari* series. The banter has flavorful variety, from good, old-fashioned *manzai* poking at the characters to the observational comedy of Odokawa dryly commentating on how popular tweets are nothing but superficial nothings. Speaking of well-timed, it's impressively worth noting that Baku Kinoshita hired professional comedians (comedian duo Atsuhiro Tsuda and Yuusuke) as voice-actors and prerecorded lines before the animation and drawing process to fully realize the authenticity and timing of rapid banter and conversations. As someone not fond of genre tropes and tirelessly repeated running gags, the downplayed nature, yet punch-packing quips and retorts of the characters has won my heart. In conjunction with the conversational comedy, *ODD TAXI* is also equipped with impressive observational comedy that dually serves thematic purposes, as discussed above. Though smartphones and social media are commonplace in some shows and give off a modernized feel, *ODD TAXI* takes several strides further in depicting the dilemmas of the modern day. Though it touches on social media validation, gacha game addiction, online dating; the show rarely comes off as a preachy boomer newspaper comic depicting how the modern day teen's brain is turned to slush from trends. The commentary of said topics come off more subtlety, as they're moreso utilized as characterization devices and, of course, observational comedy. Odokawa's biting comments of viral tweets amounting to superficial events come off less as boomer mentality, more just entertaining remarks with some truth behind them. Paired with the conversational comedy, *ODD TAXI* feels like an extended standup routine of deadpan and observation. And it hits it right on the head of the nail every time. ___ img520(https://64.media.tumblr.com/b822e35114354c06976a34d8972706d2/38198f81cbf3edcb-32/s640x960/d71022807f2ecdd5385216be0764476d2bae4b64.png) ___ #~~~__Conclusion__~~~ *ODD TAXI* stands out as the dark horse of this season. Featuring superbly engaging dialogue on par with *Monogatari* and *Showa Rakugo*, the conversational antics immediately pull you in. The banter between Odokawa's dry rebuttals and other distinctly flavorful characters are a par above many comedy series I've seen. Apart from the dialogue, *ODD TAXI* also engages in rather offish comedy, such as a rapping porcupine and an alpaca practicing capoeira that'll make one go "Oh...I guess that happened?". In the midst of engaging the audience with oral whimsies, *ODD TAXI* sneakingly builds up a spider-web of varying, interconnected mystery subplots. Where one question is seemingly answered, two more are posed at the cliffhanger of an episode. I've had the pleasure of experiencing this show week-to-week, creating new theories based on the hints riddled throughout the current episodes and anxiously awaiting for confirmation or rejection. The subtlety warrants endless rewatches and I plan to engage in my second one soon enough. Though the show features quirky anthropomorphic designs, *ODD TAXI* is surprisingly humanizing. At its pinnacle, is its authentic observation of modern-day plagues. Social media, gaming addictions, online dating; the show utilizes such topics to simultaneously give characterization to many characters and give nuanced commentary on said topics in a generally non-preachy manner. Ultimately, *ODD TAXI* stands out a cut and two above the shows I've watched, with its well-placed quirkiness that doesn't exaggerate nor render the delicate themes meaningless. The characters, dialogue and mysteries revel in themselves as some of the best I've seen within the last few years. And remember, always tip a good cabbie at least 10% of the fare.

Pinkurori

# __~~~《Odd Taxi》~~~__ img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/526046972629483530/859104263095058462/banner-1.png) ____ # __~~~The nondescript anime I've ever seen~~~__ ____ I ..... really don't know where to start .... before episode 13, so the finale, I thought I knew how to write this review and what the content is ..... as well as the rating of 9 /10.....but that an episode .... can change an anime so radically ...... that is indescribable First of all, I don't know the manga about it and can therefore not compare any content references. I'm based on the material from the anime here! _Here, too, a spoiler warning to all those who have not yet watched the anime_ ~~~__Now let's talk superficially on the anime __:~~~ To first explain my view of things. I thought this was a late night anime where a person portrayed as a walrus takes a taxi tour every episode and always finds interesting people ... but this is not the case. Suddenly the anime becomes very deep very quickly and shows a lot of problems in society. Something like that should be necessary again. And after that, that he gets into contact with crime. I was so flashed because I never thought that such a cute anime could be so interesting and intense ..... Finally .... holy moly but we'll get to that later. ~~~__Now look a little deeper into the corridor: __~~~ When Dobu (the criminal) was suddenly in the selfie, I thought to myself "Oh no, what's going on now for a track". So that really took me as a spectator in a positive way. After that, when Dobu himself sat in the car and threatened to give him the camera and where Odokawa called the police and the policeman was simply an accomplice of Dobu, I was aware that this will not be a normal taxi anime ...... me I thought the anime was going to be really good. So then a short story came up with the cell phone addict to indirectly clarify what cell phone and generally wanting to accept from the media, social media or crude trends can cause. You got it across really well and you felt really sorry for the boy. When the clip came where Odokawa almost ran him over and very precise and attentive viewers were rewarded with the fact that they had actually seen the boy 2 episodes before is just impressive and shows how much love they made the anime with . When the case with Dobu got more intense and he was slowly dishing out his plan to rob a bank and take part in Odokawa, I was really excited to see what else would happen. For example I thought it was so cool how inconspicuous Odokawa was shown at the beginning but he is actually a very smart person shows how interesting the character has been made and that one has thought about it. When he then rescued his friend from the imprisonment of the rapper guy (whom I think is extremely nice as a villain without a joke) and then slowly prepared himself for his plan to hand over Dabu to the police, I thought it was just super nice. # __I'm not going into the individual situations now, like the date, the one with the idols or with the alpaca girl, because that would push the frame of the whole thing too high__ ~~~__Let's jump straight to the finale ...... Operation "Odd Taxi" (Celebrate it too much ....... so many ideas to put in there to show the viewer at the end of the series "Brooooo with it did you really not calculate, did you? *wink* ")__:~~~ I also found following the structuring of the plan very well done and, in my opinion, built up a really good and pleasant tension. When everything went according to plan and they arrive at the parking lot with the money and all of a sudden the chaser of Odokawa was standing in front of the car ...... boy, boy, boy ..... there was not a second that was bad without a joke. When it came out that Dobu was the auctioneer of the eraser and also that with the zoo ..... I was gone again ..... just too good. When Dobu was shot, Odokawa drove away and then the 2 guys followed him, I was so in the feeling until the episode was over ... ~~~__Episode 13 ..... the one episode that rotated the whole anime again by 180 degrees .....:__~~~ I ... I really don't know where to start. The chase was really done again. Non stop action and so slowly I couldn't trust the developer anymore, because you just didn't know what was coming ... and yes they pushed it to the top. First the story about the parents and then about the disease ...... At first I thought the animals were symbolic to describe people ...... Fox as the clever and clever, walrus as inconspicuous and stupid, bear as a strong person but clueless and so on and so on. But when the illness was explained ..... I didn't really know what to do now and ignored it for a moment. In the end, as so many police officers were after him and they drove to the bridge, I was really afraid that Odokawa would simply die ..... when he fell into the water ... he was unconscious and then opened his eyes ... ... I really didn't know what was there with me ..... I was about to get tears and had a depressed feeling ..... my thought was just "they took me really hard ..... these developers ". The fact is ..... this anime ...... it's just a masterpiece ..... honestly now ..... that I would say that about this anime ...... I wouldn't have either thought. Sure 9/10 BUT THAT ...... At the end also the girl who killed her doppelganger to get into the idol group and now at the end was sitting in the taxi from Odokawa ..... is that .... . Does that mean there will be a successor? ...... I would really like it ..... ____This type of anime is something completely new in my eyes ....... something different ...... and thinking outside the box ......__ __ ~~~100/100 ..... good job really ...~~~__

Sirion

# ~~~__VERSIONE ITALIANA __~~~ ~~~img420(https://imgur.com/d1KiU8f.jpg)~~~ Inizio subito dicendo che avevo aspettative molto basse per quest'anime, se non nulle. Ero curioso di che cosa potesse offrire ma il riassunto di trama che ho letto prima di iniziarlo mi aveva fatto intendere che fosse una serie a episodi autoconclusivi che avrebbero esplorato una vasta quantità di problemi della società moderna (dipendenza dai social network, gioco d'azzardo, criminalità organizzata ecc.). Bisogna precisare che questo tipo di lavoro è stato fatto, ma in un modo molto più armonico e interessante di quanto mi sarei mai aspettato. TRAMA: La trama segue principalmente il punto di vista del protagonista, un tricheco tassista di nome Odokawa Hiroshi. Tuttavia, non tutta la narrazione è incentrata su di lui ma si concentra sui punti di vista di tutti i personaggi dell'anime, dai migliori amici di Odokawa a personaggi che hanno interagito relativamente poco con il protagonista. Inizialmente la trama sembra incentrata sulla vicenda della scomparsa di una ragazza, che è stata vista per l'ultima volta salire sul taxi di Odokawa. Questo porta a una serie di disavventure per il protagonista, riguardanti principalmente un rapporto non proprio amichevole con la polizia del luogo. In seguito a una serie di interazioni e di scoperte riguardanti alcuni personaggi secondari della serie, la trama inizia a separarsi in un' insieme di sottotrame, alcune completamente scollegate (solo inizialmente) dal filone narrativo principale. La prima vera nota di merito che va data a questo anime è proprio la capacità che ha avuto di riuscire a intersecare questo insieme molto ampio di trame secondarie e di ricollegarle alla trama principale. Apparentemente infatti, molte di queste storie secondarie sembrano vicende utilizzate solamente per parlare dei problemi societari più comuni, ma con grande abilità sono state utilizzate per ampliare la trama principale e renderla molto più avvincente e interessante. Inoltre la drammaticità della trama è occasionalmente smorzata da alcune scene più tranquille (per esempio una simpatica discussione su Bruce Springsteen tra Odokawa e Goriki). ~~~img420(https://imgur.com/8vdTOHd.jpg)~~~ PERSONAGGI: Escludendo il protagonista la serie non si distingue per la presenza di un gran numero di personaggi di spicco ma, come già detto sopra, li introduce e poi li utilizza TUTTI per aggiungere fattori di imprevedibilità e completezza all'anime, facendo tutto nel modo più preciso e organizzato possibile, senza lasciare buchi di trama o spiegazioni incomplete. Uso però qualche riga per parlare di un personaggio veramente sorprendente di questa serie: parlo di Tanaka, un giovane ragazzo a cui, come vediamo dal suo background, la vita non ha mai sorriso in nessuna situazione. Di questo personaggio volevo sottolineare il sorprendente lavoro che è stato fatto per quanto riguarda il suo passato, che è riuscito a farmi appassionare e interessare incredibilmente a un personaggio che, fino a quel momento, non avevamo mai neanche visto e che ci è stato introdotto proprio tramite il background. DISEGNI: Disegni apparentemente semplici ma che svolgono alla perfezione il ruolo di creare un'atmosfera drammatica e di tensione. Questo vale sia per i personaggi (specialmente per quanto riguarda il personaggio di Tanaka, che lascia trasparire sempre un profondo senso di inquietudine e disagio) sia per le ambientazioni, anche queste non un'opera d'arte ma che sono riuscite a svolgere a pieno il proprio dovere in termini di atmosfera. Mi viene invece difficile parlare delle animazioni, essendo che questo anime praticamente non richiede nessun particolare sforzo in quei termini, data la scarsità di scene d'azione. MUSICHE: L'anime è inoltre caratterizzato da ottime scelte per quanto riguarda il comparto musicale, con le OST che contribuiscono ulteriormente a creare tensione ed ad aumentare la drammaticità delle scene più importanti. Oltre a queste, ritengo anche che sia caratterizzato da ottime Opening ed Ending. PACING: Ritengo che il pacing in generale sia molto buono. L'anime presenta episodi più attivi ed episodi più riflessivi e quindi più lenti. Specialmente nella metà iniziale della serie ho notato una certa alternanza tra episodi maggiormente incentrati sul protagonista e quindi sulla trama principale, e altri dedicati alle storie di alcuni personaggi secondari. Questo solo fino a metà serie perchè da quel punto in avanti le sottotrame che ho citato in precedenza vanno a incastrarsi e iniziano a seguire di pari passo la storia principale. PARERE CONCLUSIVO: Per concludere, considero questo anime come un vero gioiello che ci ha lasciato questa stagione primaverile e mi dispiace che sia passato piuttosto inosservato rispetto ad altre serie che hanno caratterizzato questi ultimi 3 mesi. Consiglio a tutti la visione di questo anime se tra i vostri gusti ricadono le serie caratterizzate da un fitto alone di mistero e di dramma, sempre pronto ad essere smorzato da qualche colpo di scena. P.S. L'episodio finale è uno dei migliori colpi di scena che abbia mai visto. # ~~~__ENGLISH VERSION__~~~ ~~~img420(https://imgur.com/RZG9Qnt.jpg)~~~ Let me start by saying that I had very low expectations for this anime, if any. I was curious what it could offer but the plot summary I read before starting made me understand that it was an episodic series that would explore a vast amount of problems in modern society (social networking addiction, gambling , organized crime, etc.). It should be noted that this type of work has been done, but in a much more harmonious and interesting way than I ever expected. PLOT: The plot mainly follows the point of view of the protagonist, a walrus taxi driver named Odokawa Hiroshi. However, not all of the narrative is centered around him but focuses on the points of view of all the characters in the anime, from Odokawa's best friends to characters who have spent relatively less time with the protagonist. Initially, the plot seems to center on the story of the disappearance of a girl, who was last seen getting into Odokawa's taxi. This leads to a series of misadventures for the protagonist, mainly concerning a less than friendly relationship with the local police. Following a series of interactions and discoveries regarding some secondary characters of the series, the plot begins to separate into a set of subplots, some completely disconnected (only initially) from the main narrative thread. The first real note of merit that must be given to this anime is the ability it had to be able to intersect this very large set of secondary plots and reconnect them to the main one. Apparently, in fact, many of these secondary stories seem to be stories used only to talk about the most common societal problems, but with great skill they have been used to expand the main plot and make it much more compelling and interesting. Furthermore, the drama of the plot is occasionally dampened by some quieter scenes (for example a nice discussion about Bruce Springsteen between Odokawa and Goriki). ~~~img420(https://imgur.com/qcMUEKq.jpg)~~~ CHARACTERS: Excluding the protagonist, the series is not distinguished by the presence of a large number of prominent characters but, as already mentioned above, introduces them and then uses them ALL to add factors of unpredictability and completeness to the anime, doing everything in the way as precise and organized as possible, leaving no plot holes or incomplete explanations. But I use a few lines to talk about a truly surprising character in this series: I'm talking about Tanaka, a young boy to whom, as we can see from his background, life has never smiled in any situation. With this character I wanted to underline the surprising work that has been done regarding his past, which managed to make me passionate and incredibly interested in a character that, until that moment, we had never even seen and who was introduced to us precisely via the background. ART: Apparently simple designs but which perfectly play the role of creating a dramatic and tense atmosphere. This is true both for the characters (especially as regards the character of Tanaka, who always reveals a deep sense of uneasiness and discomfort) and for the settings, these too are not a work of art but which they managed to fully perform your duty in terms of atmosphere. On the other hand, I find it difficult to talk about the animations, as this anime does not require any particular effort in those terms, given the lack of action scenes. MUSIC: The anime is also characterized by excellent choices regarding the musical sector, with the OSTs that further contribute to create tension and increase the drama of the most important scenes. In addition to these, I also believe that it is characterized by excellent Opening and Ending. PACING: I think pacing in general is very good. The anime features more active episodes and more reflective, slower episodes. Especially in the initial half of the series I noticed a certain alternation between episodes more focused on the protagonist and therefore on the main plot, and others dedicated to the stories of some secondary characters. This is only up to the middle of the series because from that point on the subplots I mentioned above go together and start following the main story hand in hand. CONCLUSIVE OPINION: To conclude, I consider this anime as a real gem that this spring season has left us and I am sorry that it has passed rather unnoticed compared to other series that have characterized these last 3 months. I recommend everyone to watch this anime if your tastes include the series characterized by a dense aura of mystery and drama, always ready to be dampened by some plot twist. P.S. The final episode is one of the best plot twists I've ever seen.

AnimeDweeb

~~~ #Welcome aboard. #I hope you're seated comfortably. img100%(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/766670782494408744/859221621058043914/latest.png) ~~~ This one's gonna be an especially wild ride; God knows how much of a blast I had myself. It's become increasingly common that I find myself in the proverbial driver's seat when interpreting the various shows I consume, and my admittedly self-aggrandizing role as a serial AL ranter hasn't exactly curbed my ego either. Articulating my thoughts on the shows I've watched is a natural process that is developing alongside my love for stories. I often enjoy cracking open what any given series has to offer. In the case of "mediocre" stories, my personal findings can often leave me rather dismissive and indifferent towards what a show is attempting to achieve. Personally I don't believe that this process is egotistical; given that time is precious, we need to decide how to best invest our time into the products that yield the most enjoyment. But as you can already tell from this pretentious introduction (so sorry for this, it'll make sense in a bit,) picking apart stories in this fashion can make me feel like I've got it all figured out, as if I'm lounging on that driver's seat. My love for stories hasn't diminished, but my exposure to them has grown. I still crave that sensation of being led on by writing that stays ten steps ahead of me, and have immense respect for the incredible pieces that reinvigorate my passions. With that said, I feel like I have a good grasp about what *Odd Taxi* is all about. But that understanding hasn't stopped the show from shoving me squarely in the passenger seat and taking me along one of the wildest rides I've experienced in quite some time. Looks like our meter's running, so we best be moving on quick. Our destination: *Odd Taxi.* This journey will be spoiler-free. Aaand we're off! ~~~ #Odd certainly lives up to the title. img100%(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/766670782494408744/839127546561953842/Erai-raws_Odd_Taxi_-_04_1080pMultiple_Subtitle.mkv2021-05-04_21-13-04.549.jpg) ~~~ Our story takes place in a curious reimagining of Japan, inhabited by anthropomorphic animals that live exactly the same way humans do. It's a less-allegorical spin on [*BEASTARS*](https://anilist.co/anime/107660/BEASTARS/) , with a dash of [*Baccano!*](https://anilist.co/anime/2251/Baccano/) A sprawling narrative is laid out before us, with tangled webs pointing to the mysterious disappearance of a girl. Someone is missing; someone is responsible. And somehow, everything is connected. A billion Yen. A nurse with secrets. A broken phone. A corrupt policeman. A monkey on Tinder. An idol trio. A Twitter fanatic. A car camera. Plotlines constantly crash into one another in unexpected ways. Each of these seemingly unrelated subplots are entertaining in their own right, offering a great deal of variety to the greater mystery at hand. Fret not if these story threads seem difficult to keep track of, because this series expertly places each calculated twist and turn. Tight story structure is essential to ensuring a narrative of such scale succeeds, and *Odd* all but guarantees that level of precision. Brief recaps help fill us in on what relevant characters know at every stage of the narrative, and objectives are clearly laid out from start-to-finish. *Odd* has one more trick to ensure that its many threads are tied together, and that answer lies in the back of a cab car. ~~~ #Odd is the unique perspective of a taxi driver. img100%(https://theglorioblog.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/oddtaxi1doctor.jpg) ~~~ The man at the wheel takes passengers to a destination, but can inadvertently wind up as a passenger themselves; it's a two-way street. Such is the case with Hiroshi Odokawa, a jaded walrus in his 40s who strikes up straight-faced chats with his various customers. Much of this show's mystery unfolds through innocuous encounters in his backseat, as clues and key story beats are seamlessly integrated into charismatic conversation. Pessimistic and perceptive, Odokawa is an entertaining and essential presence in *Odd.* His wit and deadpan observations of his various passengers assist the audience in understanding the various personalities and motivations involved in *Odd's* grand plan. He's highly intelligent, steering conversations far more effectively than his Uber. As the stakes escalate with the introduction of new passengers, Odokawa is driven to find his way out of a series of dire conspiracies. Adding to the intrigue is the skeletons inside our cabby's closet. Odokawa is keeping secrets of his own, and a fantastic ensemble cast follows suit. ~~~ #This series' diverse characters keeps things engaging and entertaining as our odd mystery ensues. img100%(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Odd-Taxi-03-25.jpg) ~~~ Odokawa may be the star of this show, but *Odd's* greatest asset lies with its secondary characters. Each brings a distinctly quirky energy to *Odd.* With a cast so stacked yet well-balanced, *Odd* is sure to leave an impression, regardless of who you like most. Perhaps you're enamored by the elusive Miho Shirakawa, or just prefer monkeying-around with the mischievous Eji Kakihana. The Daimon Brothers are especially cool, and it's fun seeing these identical twins confront their differing morals. And let's not forget Yano, a crime syndicate higher-up and rap lyricist. No seriously, every one of Yano's lines are straight fire, with a series of flows that could out-bar [Biggie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notorious_B.I.G.) himself (hats off to the translators for miraculously maintaining the rhyme scheme in a different language.) My personal favorites are the comedians Shibagaki and Baba. They first appear during a radio programme that Odokawa plays on-the-job, as stereo personalities yearning to catch a big break in the industry. I absolutely love how their seemingly one-off conflict recurs alongside the duo, as these unseen background celebrities suddenly show up in Odokawa's cab and even receive their own melancholic sideplot. *Odd's* eccentric approach to writing sneaks up on you, effortlessly allowing its cast to shine while progressing this complex tale. With that said, let's take a detour and explore how *Odd* brings its stellar cast to life. ~~~ #Fast-paced, layered dialogue makes for an oddly-satisfying change of pace. img100%(https://randomc.net/image/Odd%20Taxi/Odd%20Taxi%20-%2002%20-%20Large%2036.jpg) ~~~ [Kazuya Konomoto](https://anilist.co/staff/141340/Kazuya-Konomoto) appears to have honed an esoteric command over dialogue in previous works, and *Odd* showcases an absolute mastery of his craft. I'd liken his screenplay as a fascinating blend of [Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire quips](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Sorkin) and [Richard Linklater's stoner musings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Linklater). Much of this series is effortlessly hilarious, with great line delivery and a ton of random references. These conversations aren't merely for killing time though, as they clearly establish the vibrant personalities throughout *Odd.* Chats can take unexpected turns into any number of themes. The show isn't afraid to deftly transition into world-weary commentary on social trends and art, all while maintaining characterization and offering crucial clues to solving its grand mystery. ~~~ #All these odd attributes meet at the intersection of variety and suspense. img100%(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/3mSy04n9YTtv56h4wJVnB0Ld1ePaWx8YQEvmdKYIOnVe50mysd96Lp1gcqURR8r-536_JL5wMoPz5uczq4YmEP0TmDhVyqI3UE4Qd9xumS9_21oPOL2Rvr1kpsQWruHB4SDD1o3OMnM) ~~~ *Odd's* narrative is in-depth and in-breadth. Infectious charisma and ingenious jokes are seamlessly packed into a massive overarching plot. The show's intertwining plotlines capture a swagger reminiscent of [Tarantino's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino) best works. *Odd* offers a smörgåsbord of engaging entertainment, an all-you-can-eat buffet of themes and tones. This is a show so unpredictable that it isn't afraid to bring its multifaceted narrative to a screeching halt and focus on a single character's monologue about his childhood failures and adulthood addictions. Despite all the fun, this crime thriller still knows how to drop a good "Eureka moment" and have us re-evaluate its various variety-hour plot threads. You can never quite pin down what will happen next, but you can be damn sure *Odd* delivers. It's a rollercoaster from start to electrifying finish, embracing a cartoon-y artstyle that is more versatile than it initially appears. *Odd's* OP is an absolute jam, and the sound maintains the show's overall sense of playfulness and intrigue. *** ~~~ #**Tl;Dr**: img100%(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKE9pVCsfNvs7ATgJFVNNfjFjCNDPE2aNRcw&usqp=CAU) ~~~ *Odd* is a nail-biting mystery and witty comedy, complemented with a superb cast of lively characters and a tightly-written script. The momentum of its crime thriller rarely eases up on the brakes. The brilliant writing delivers in droves, with references and social commentary keeping viewers deeply engaged. I had a pretty good idea of where *Odd* was taking me, but the many sights along the way easily rank amongst the most riveting anime you'll find all year. **9/10**~ *** ~~~ img40%(https://64.media.tumblr.com/be730dcd67347fbc19a1eb653dd847cf/418a7385baac3f5e-49/s400x600/1948621b8b3ae6c8bc23708d520de63359649277.gifv) ~~~ Thanks for letting me take you on this journey! Do leave a generous tip on your way out. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other [reviews](https://anilist.co/user/AnimeDweeb/reviews) for seasons past and present. I also frequently post writeups under my list updates, so definitely take a peek if you'd like to see me mald over anime as they hit the airwaves. Peace~

Akanezora

There is no doubt that this is the dark horse of the season, a show with a very high degree of completion. Through a multi-line narrative, it shows all kinds of life under the "skin" of animals. The overall content of the anime is quite compact but perfectly paced. As our MC driver meets many people one after another, the character relationship structure steadily unfolds, and several seemingly unrelated circles are finally all intertwined, which makes me marvel at the cleverness of the script. The characters are also well-shaped. The atmosphere and dialogue are very skilful, and the dry humour contains a great deal of information as well. Besides, this show also makes clever use of social media, such as the characters appearing in the theme song mv, as well as the Twitter account opened a year ago specifically for the hippo college student, which makes a wonderful connection between the inside and the outside of the show. Some of the directing is also very impressive, especially in the last episode when the general direction of the plot is not surprising but it still makes an exciting directing. During the flying car scene, each person watched the taxi fall into the water and thus solved the confusion in his or her mind. The flying banknotes and the emotions associated with these are the best and most emotionally filled shot language I've seen in the first half of the year, which is a wonderful design. Plus, there are almost no elements that are outside of the real world. The sense of realism is great. For example, the gatcha episode was thought-provoking. "Games should be an escape from reality", then such games are no different from shit reality. Also, the portrayal of the duo was interesting. One is dissatisfied with his current situation, while the other has no desire, which can be said to be two typical representatives of contemporary shachiku. Back to the plot, the last episode paid off all the foreshadowing made in the previous twelve episodes. Actually, most of the information could be guessed from the foreshadowing, but it was still a big surprise reveal. The finale was a bit rushed, but the last-minute reversal and the open thrilling ending gave me a greater impact, which makes this original anime outstanding until the last moment. For me, this is definitely an original show that is much more enjoyable to watch one episode a week than in one go. It gave me a great watching experience while seeing people on the Internet speculate about the plot each week. With anime becoming more and more clichéd these days and the pursuit of Blu-ray selling well, it's quite comfortable to bet on and finish this show. I also hope that there will be cooler anime than this one this year. Overall, unlike previous gorgeous and concept-first anime, this one takes a path that tests the scriptwriting skills and the depiction of reality. A large number of seemingly useless dialogues, just like many messy lines in a sketch. It makes no sense to look at one of them alone. It is the accumulation of them that shows the sophistication of the detailing. With the fullness of details, the sense of reality spills out at different levels, gradually engulfing us viewers. When we come back, it seems like we are in the same place, just like Odokawa who woke up in the last episode.

Lure11

~~~_This review is spoiler free_~~~ ---- #~~~__Story__~~~ Oddtaxi is probably one of the best mystery stories ever told in anime. It takes place in modern Japan, and follows Odokawa Hiroshi, a middle-aged Taxi driver, showing how driving his cab and interacting with shady passengers gets him into trouble. While this may seem like a perfect SoL Comedy setting, Oddtaxi is nothing of that sort. Well, except the comedy part. Along the ride we get to meet new characters and see their struggles in life, which I found very relatable. One of the strong points of Oddtaxi is its ability to explore new 21st Century issues. Enough with poverty and drugs, we get to watch characters suffer from gaming addictions, Social media FoMO and even simping. All of these very serious issues are being carried out with great and unique, almost Americanized comedy, and great music. img660(https://media.comicbook.com/2021/06/odd-taxi-1274042-1280x0.jpeg) ----- #~~~__Art__~~~ The art style of Oddtaxi was probably its biggest obstacle to success. While the animation is undoubtedly good enough, the so-called "furry" character design is not very welcoming for most viewers, who tend to stay away from such shows. However, once you start watching the show and meet the characters, you realize how fitting each design is to each character, and almost pay no attention to the fact you are watching animals, and not actual humans. In fact, each character being a completely different species helped me memorize the characters and remember their interactions across the episode, even when after waiting a whole week for the next episode. img660(https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210609/1623251641.14443.39326.jpg) ---- #~~~__Characters__~~~ Oddtaxi has an unusually large cast of characters, who may seem unrelated to each other at first, but slowly we learn the importance and connection of each character to this web of relationships. One of the only problems with Oddtaxi is that some characters failed to interest me as much as the others did. While I counted every second for Yano to appear, I honestly couldn't stand some other characters like Kakihana or Dobu, although they had much bigger roles in the plot and I do respect the message they deliver to the audience. Luckily, having a witty Main Character like Odokawa helped me not fall into boredom when some of the "weaker" characters made an appearance, and I would say that overall, the cast of characters for oddtaxi was very good and unique, even if you don’t count the fact that they aren't human. img660(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Odd-Taxi-01-30.jpg?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss) ----- #~~~__Conclusion__~~~ Oddtaxi unfortunately never got any hype during this anime season, and honestly, if I didn’t make an attempt (which failed) to watch every anime coming out this season, I probably never would've watched it. I sincerely hope more people watch this odd yet amazing show, even if you are scared of the fur or even if you are not interested in the genre, you should check it out because it is truly excellent from every aspect.

IGOR

img800(https://www.otaquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/OunD2yi0J3.png) __Warning: episode 4 spoilers about a character named Tanaka.__ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Odd taxi was an anime that wasn’t very high on my plan to watch list this season, mainly because 1. Art style looked like it’s target audience is kids and the fact that one of the studio behind the anime is OLM who I only know because of Pokémon and Inazuma eleven which happens to both be “kids” anime so that didn't help. 2. I assumed this was going to be a short episodic anime because of how simple the art style looked. But after watching the anime like most people I was surprised by how good and well thought out this anime was. Odd taxi went from an anime I gave 0 fucks about to an anime that is definitely my favorite of this season. img400(https://www.anime-planet.com/images/lists/studio-olm-collection-74379.jpg) __ ~~~ Plot/Characters~~~__ Odd taxi begins by telling us about a high school girl that has gone missing and our main character Odokawa who is a taxi driver seems like the man behind the disappearance of this high school girl. Weather he’s the guy who is responsible for this or not is something you have to watch to find out. But that’s not the only thing Odd taxi is about. Odd taxi is also about many characters and all these characters have interesting stories that plays into the main story in someway and still manages to keep the story cohesive. For example Dobu, Dobu is a wanted criminal who for some reason knows our main character Odokawa the taxi driver seems very close to him, another character is Big daimon who is a corrupt cop that works with Dobu and he also knows Odokawa so right away our main character is super suspicious and makes me wonder about his back story and weather he is responsible for the disappearance of the high school girl. img300(https://dahubbz.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/taxi0104.jpg) Like I said earlier Odd taxi is about many characters and every single one of them is facing issues that somehow ends up playing into the story. Tanaka is a character who has had 1 unfortunate event after another since he was a kid. as an adult tanaka is now a gacha game addict and his goal is to get the dodo bird which is super super hard to get. One day after spending way too much money on this gacha game Tanaka finally pulls the dodo out the gacha pack, right as he was about to claim this dodo a taxi driver speeds right in front of Tanaka almost hitting him. Tanaka being freaked out by this taxi, accidentally drops his phone and the phone ends up in water, broken, and Tanaka never received his dodo. This was the last unfortunate event for Tanaka before he went crazy and swore he was going to find and kill the taxi driver who was responsible for this, and of course the taxi driver was Odokawa. img220(https://randomc.net/image/Odd%20Taxi/Odd%20Taxi%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2033.jpg) Other than tanaka was there is kakihana a man who is desperate for love and will do anything to find love even if it means he’s digging himself into a hole that’s too deep to climb out of. Another character is Kabasawa who wants to be internet famous so badly he will put himself in danger just to get likes and retweets on Twitter. Yamamoto is the manger of the mystery kiss idol group and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make his idol group succeed. diamon brothers are twins and both happens to be cops 1 is a corrupt cop while the other is very lawful citizen who just wants justice in the world, but sadly he is too dumb to realize his own brother is evil. Those aren't even all the characters, there's a couple more with their own story that contributes to the main story. img300(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Odd-Taxi-03-11.jpg) Dialogues between characters are my favorite part about this anime because there’s so much hidden behind what looks like casual conversation but after you watch the mystery unfold you start to realize that majority dialogue in this anime was foreshadowing certain events. __~~~Execution~~~__ Odd taxi executes so many things perfectly. The way they introduced characters, to these characters having their own story, and each story somehow merging into the main story was executed very well. Even the ending was amazing, we’ve gotten so many great anime’s this season that has gotten a very lack luster endings *cough* Wonder egg priority *cough* but thankfully this wasn't one of them. ~~~__Final Thoughts__~~~ I made the mistake of judging odd taxi by its art style but I’m very happy I ended up watching it, because not only is this my favorite of this season but this might be my favorite of this entire year depending on what other anime’s come out. I enjoyed every second of this anime I enjoyed watching every character, story, plot twist, opening, and even the way they wrapped the anime up was amazing. This anime truly is one of the best this year. I highly recommend everyone to check this out. img400(https://webbiesworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Odd-Taxi-Anime.jpg)

tommyuwu1

# ____ODDTAXI____ __L'anime dell'anno fino a d'ora__ Che dire, mi sono perso questo anime mentre usciva durante la stagione primaverile, scegliendo proprio di non guardarlo, pensando: "Sarà il solito anime coi furry". Mai pensiero fu così sbagliato: ODDTAXI è probabilmente l'anime migliore che ho visto quest'anno sotto ogni punto di vista, ma meglio parlarne in sezioni. Questa recensione sarà no spoiler. STORIA Sotto ogni punto di vista la storia di ODDTAXI è il suo punto di forza. Abbiamo davanti un susseguirsi di eventi spesso non collegati tra loro che però hanno una cosa in comune, la criminalità. ODDTAXI è una storia di crimine e giochi di potere tra due membri di una organizzazione mafiosa giapponese, i quali eventi si connetteranno al numeroso cast dell'anime. Da un punto di vista dello storytelling quest'opera si rifà molto ad un altro dei miei anime preferiti, ovvero Durarara: anche qui un numeroso cast svolge nei 24 episodi della serie diverse vicende che sono tutte collegate da un unico filo logico, il crimine e le bande criminali. Ma se in Durarara abbiamo anche il paranormale che, seppur incastrato magistralmente all'interno del mondo, stona un po' con ciò che è l'anime in se, in ODDTAXI la storia è completamente realistica. Se siete amanti del genere poliziesco questa storia è orchestrata magistralmente e 13 episodi passano molto velocemente. img220(https://cdn.animesaturn.it/static/images/copertine/8b8162c50bf0a4148d5c1ce658fd72701617602845_full.jpg) PERSONAGGI Come in Durarara una storia del genere ha bisogno di un cast di personaggi di livello, che riesca a raccontare in 13 episodi una storia molto articolata e cruda, e ODDTAXI lo fa eccellentemente. Partiamo col protagonista, Odakawa, può sembrare un personaggio tipo (ovvero il classico apatico senza un desiderio), ma in realtà abbiamo davanti uno dei migliori protagonisti di sempre. Tutta la storia è narrata dal suo punto di vista, quello di un tassista al quale ne succedono di tutte e di più e al quale la vita ne ha fatte passare tante. Odakawa è estremamente intelligente e riesce subito a capire quale sia la migliore soluzione a tutti i problemi che gli si presentano davanti. Come in Durarara Izaya era il fulcro del legame dei personaggi, perchè muoveva le pedine di Ikebukuro, qua invece Odakawa si ritrova a essere il centro di tutti i rapporti dei personaggi, finendo in un giro di crimine e mafia che tenterà di risolvere. Il resto del cast invece è completamente umano. Tutti i personaggi raccontano una storia veritiera, che sicuramente è successa: la ragazza che pur di trovare soldi si fa aiutare da i mafiosi, il mafioso che ha un senso suo di giustizia, un ragazzo che ha perso ogni cosa per via della sua dipendenza, ~!un uomo di mezza età incastrato da un'app di incontri!~, e molti altri, ognuno più affascinante dell'altro. Odakawa li fa salire tutti sul suo taxi e inconsciamente svolgendo il suo lavoro risolve ogni problema che gli si presenta. img220(https://i.imgur.com/YhTh61R.png) COMPARTO TECNICO Visivamente è piacevole, i disegni sono particolari e ogni personaggio, che sia del cast principale o meno, è completamente diverso dagli altri. Le animazioni sono normali niente di che, non mi aspettavo un anime stile Mappa o Ufotabe ovviamente e infatti è stato così. Ciò che colpisce è il comparto audio: una opening centratissima, lowkey, che descrive perfettamente il mood della città in cui è ambientato ODDTAXI. Visivamente la opening mostra tutti i personaggi principali susseguirsi uno dopo l'altro rimanendo però collegati dall'animazione. Le OST sono come la opening, lowkey e centrate per ogni situazione, un lavoro così magistrale nell'audio l'ho trovato solo in Great Pretender, dove le OST jazz, blues, house e che rimandavano al romanticon si incastravano alla perfezione con la storia narrata. Opening: [link ](https://youtu.be/zI_cLtW3PnA) OST: [link ](https://youtu.be/8Hl26Ye_WXI)

FestivalsOfComf

> OddTaxi features a huge cast of characters in a complex interwoven narrative with incredible dialogue and execution. Read my rating scale first before you decide to jump to the bottom of the review and read the score. --- #**Explaining my Rating Scale** A common mistake with looking at ratings is assuming all of our rating scales are the same, while realistically that is never the case. People rate average anime differently, some rate it as 5, 6 or a 7 depending on their own personal criteria which is subjective in nature. This explains why we all have different tastes. __My Personal Rating Scale (Anime):__ 4 and below = Considered dropped but I finished it for some reason. 5 = Meh, no rewatch ever. 6 = Meh, would only rewatch if forced. 7 = Acceptable and good entertainment, enjoyable. 8 = Great entertainment, not one of the best though. 9 = Loved the story!! Not life-changing but incredible! 10 = Chills, intense emotional catharsis, perfect, and possibly life-changing. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/ZVM14Cr.png) --- # **Setting expectations**: - This is a subjective review and mainly for enjoyment. A very critical opinion will not be found here, my apologies. - Spoilers will be as minimal as possible with images being all out of context. - I’ll try my best to explain what worked for me and what didn’t to help you understand my point of view. This will help you come to your own conclusion about what this anime might be like for you. The preface is because a lot of people online expect reviews to fit a certain mold. For me, I just like to talk about anime I enjoy and want to share my thoughts about it in review-form. Alright, let’s get to the review already. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/ccmah8N.png) --- #**Verdict** Odd Taxi is a 13 episode anime that aired in Spring 2021. It is “an original anime co-production between the creative company P.I.C.S. and animation studio OLM.” (https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2021-05-17/oddtaxi-director-baku-kinoshita/.172729) This was directed by Baku Kinoshita with this being his first TV anime directorial debut having done past works on other projects like commercials. Show is based on an original script written by Kadzuya Konomoto with this being his first credit on an anime. I think the one unique thing about this show is how it was able to marvelously juggle multiple storylines and characters while not losing the viewer like Durarara or Baccano. Seeing an anime do this right is rare for me to see so this definitely intrigued me a lot. ~~~**[Review Summary]**~~~ [Summary of: **Background**] Friends and Gigguk sold the show to me. It managed to hit many things I liked in anime such as great dialogue and a complex plot structure. [Summary of: **Story / Plot / Characters**] An incredible original anime story that implements a complex web of characters with multiple overarching storylines without fail featuring a cast of humanistic characters despite them being animal-looking. Check out the audio-dramas if you like the story, it’s a good supplement! [Summary of: **Visuals / Animation**] Good attention to detail with a crayon aesthetic feel to its art. Animation is serviceable and does its job to present the story in motion. [Summary of: **Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting**] Serviceable show audio and OST but it has a stellar OP & ED. The voice actors shine through the strong script. [Summary of: **Overall**] A welcome surprise to my anime completion list. I’m glad I took the time to watch all of this show and encourage everyone to check it out! It definitely does not drop the ball like a lot of anime with great potential so that’s a huge plus. **~~~[Recommendation / Would you like it?]~~~** I highly recommend this show if you like shows that have good dialogue, complex plot structure, and a large cast. It helps if you like the genres in Mystery, Thriller, and Psychological as the story touches upon such subjects. ~~~**[Rating]~~~** My rating is a 9.5 which describes it to being between: 9 = Loved the story!! Not life-changing but incredible! 10 = Chills, intense emotional catharsis, perfect, and possibly life-changing. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/AZElgxW.png) --- #**Background** The only instance of me hearing about this show was from friends watching it weekly or after it was done and Gigguk in his video selling the show. Gigguk hooked me in but my friends reassured me it didn’t drop the ball so I’m glad I took the plunge. My first impression before watching was that this would have Tarantino-style direction, incredibly engaging dialogue, and a Durarara plot-type of structure. It was a mixture of everything I liked so I felt like I would enjoy it a lot. For this show, I watched it in Japanese audio with English Subtitles. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/TckC0Ai.png) --- #**The Review** Now the review. I’ll be talking about the anime in the following categories: **1) Story / Plot / Characters** ~~~**[Evaluation of Story]**~~~ One of the best anime original stories I’ve witnessed in a long while. It features a dark noir mystery thriller type of story featuring a taxi driver. The storylines and characters touch upon relevant modern topics such as social media, dating, etc. If I go into more detail, I feel like I’m spoiling and going to ruin the experience for you. ~~~**[Evaluation of Plot Structure]**~~~ The plot structure implemented is a complex web of characters with multiple overarching storylines with the relationships of the characters interacting. It is the type of complex plot structure that can be easily poorly done but it definitely is not, in my opinion. I love complex plot structures and to see it executed well brings a smile to my face. ~~~**[Evaluation of Characters]**~~~ If I go in-depth, I’ll just be spoiling the characters. To be vague, essentially these characters draw upon the personalities of today and feature interesting character choices that are not always seen in most anime. I really liked all of the characters featured and enjoyed their humanistic nature portrayed on-screen. One of the biggest highlights is seeing how everyone’s stories converge, diverge, and continue. ~~~**[Audio-Dramas: Additional Side Content]**~~~ If you like this show, you’ll definitely like the english subtitled audio dramas available on YouTube. Check it out as it provides additional content and some foreshadowing. It was released simultaneously as the episodes were airing and so it’s a good way to listen to while going through episodes. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/TX7aACW.png) **2) Visuals / Animation** ~~~**[Evaluation of Visual Art]**~~~ The visual art is amazing with a lot of attention to detail to how the camera shoots each angle. I definitely cannot remember any dip in art quality, it was really beautiful to look at with its simple crayon-esque style. Just a really nice treat to the eyes. ~~~**[Evaluation of Animation]**~~~ There is some usage of 3D CGI but I’m so used to CGI that I don’t mind seeing it here and there. If I remembered, sometimes the animation would take some shortcuts with implying or cut away a bit too early or late, however, it definitely does not detract from the story itself at all. Despite the apparent cuts and lack of sakuga, I still enjoyed the movement showcased and the directing helped with smoothing out scenes that never became an issue. Maybe the reason why the editing and cutting is so smooth is because they recorded first and animated the surrounding audio instead of the usual other way around. In the end, this was definitely serviceable animation and helped execute the story shown on-screen. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/M6V2PeN.png) **3) Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting** ~~~**[Evaluation of Show’s Audio]**~~~ I loved it, it definitely helped immerse me into the show further. Not a masterpiece but it did the job. ~~~**[Evaluation of OP & ED]**~~~ When I listened to the OP, I was vibing. Then, when I listened to the ED, it felt like a good ED credits song. These songs just hit my tastes in music so well that I can’t help but love to loop them whenever I can. ~~~**[Evaluation of OST & Insert-Songs]**~~~ There are some common OST songs here and there but nothing particularly stands out except one song. Regardless, it did the job of being background music and that’s enough. ~~~**[Evaluation of VA]**~~~ Many stand-out performances from pretty much everyone, I liked the whole VA cast. Nobody was too weak or anything, it helps the script was super good to let them all shine. img1080(https://i.imgur.com/1oYo6zF.png) **4) Overall** A welcome surprise to my anime completion list. I’m glad I took the time to watch all of this show and encourage everyone to check it out! It definitely does not drop the ball like a lot of anime with great potential so that’s a huge plus. Also, I personally decided to avoid referencing other media throughout the review because I figured most people may not have seen the media referenced. If you can understand the last sentence then you’ll know what you’re in for. “OddTaxi is like the love child between Monogatari and Durarara with Tarantino-esque style choices sprinkled on top.” --- Hopefully, you learned something useful from the review. Thanks for reading. :) img1080(https://i.imgur.com/aPuG4Wx.png)

CulturedWhamen

Oddtaxi is a masterpiece well its close to being a masterpiece as I gave it a 98/100 well starting off odd taxi was an anime that no one was talking about and I only decided to watch after seeing it in a video by a youtube called mothers basement and I watched and it became my 3rd fav anime. well that escalated quickly. so oddtaxi is a story that happens in japan (a real shocker i know) it follows the life of a walrus called odokawa who just so happens to be a taxi driver and is a bit ODD ok I'm sorry that was a bad pun. well moving on. oddtaxi starts of as this kinda slice of life anime but quickly evolves into this thriller with a mysterious murderer and an entity that livesin odokawas closet (wtf is this fnaf 4). well so basically oddokawa meets all these interesting people and eventually all of them all gets trapped in a tightly woven mystery with the death of a girl to support it. i hoestly thought I knew who was the villain/murderrer but was surprised to see I was wrong and when I thought it made sense it mad ALOTTA sense. Now for the dialogue... its amazing it feels like a Tarantino movie with some of the most interesting dialogues out there in anime. now for the production values. its relly good and by really good I mean good. its not one punch man or demon slayer levels of animation but its good. i mean I don't think the could've done a better job (other than the cg taxi and a certain scene where a character was punching another character but its minor so nothing to worry bout). the cg taxi is done really well and stuff. now for the mystery aspect its executed perfectly I feel like the entire subplot of the missing cat girl and the cat in odokawas closet is amazing the way it weaves all o it together is muah. now for the characters . each character is lovable and 2 or 3 are hatable and one of them I despise. lets start with odokawa the protag Odokawa is a 40-something misanthropic taxi driver with no family, who spends most of his time having mundane conversations with his customers.oh also he is a walrus. as odokawas past is revealed everything stats to make sense and the way its presented is soo amazing and I honestly feel like they couldn't have done a better job. then there is characters like tanaka and others whim I won't go too deep into but all the characters are crafted with utmost precision. now for my biggest an maybe only problem is the ending . don't get me wrong the ending is superb but I feel like it did everything perfectly except one thing a certain character who is interesting want explored enough. yea that's my problem I think the biggest problem is that thee is only 13 eps . well that's all for my review thx a lot for staying with me

Lownar

I have a lot I want to say about ODDTAXI but I want to write a non-spoiler review. This is because in my opinion the best part of this show is the plot. This is a review for people who have seen the show too, but I do not want to talk about the plot at all. The premise is ultimately a _mystery_ story and the audience is tasked with solving two mysteries in this story simultaneously; one is a crime solving mystery that follows our main character Odokawa, and the other one is more psychological and follows Gouriki. I suspect the show is best viewed not knowing what is happening on either of these two fronts. That was what made this journey so enjoyable for me anyways. I would say most of the show is dialogue, so ofc the dialogue itself stands out to me most. The fun of the show comes from the clever exchanges between characters, especially anything coming from Odakawa. He is a very perceptive and blunt protag, very likable, but you are not given a lot of information about him so a lot of his background is explored as you go. There is a ton of soliloquy and on the nose dialogue too, which I don't think is bad innately, but some moments are done better than others. The dialogue is at it’s best when what is being said has double meanings, with the hidden meaning foreshadowing future reveals. You can really tell the author has put in the work and thought about his story from end to beginning. There are a lot of Chekhov's Guns in what characters say to each other, I found myself going back and relooking at dialogue after things were recontextualized. However, there are times when the show sidebars with a very fast and abrupt life lesson that it wants to teach a character and the audience at the same time. When the lesson lands, it hits and this form of delivery is appreciated; I appreciate feeling as if the author is talking directly to me because I am being touched by his words personally. But when it misses, I'm struck and confused by why _these_ two characters are exchanging philosophies _now_. Looking back I remember feeling this way intensely during epi9 when Dobu was giving Taichi a lesson about narcissism… it was a great moment but in the most conspicuous setting at a very inappropriate time. Once you notice it's hard to unsee. Sometimes these moments themselves are very forced into a spot in the story or the content of the dialogue is very unnaturally on the nose, that it’s too obvious to suspend belief. Nevertheless, every time, the content of the lessons themselves were emotionally impactful and most likely affecting someone watching. Aside from plot, the show’s biggest strength is all of the individual characters living their own independent lives. The story telling shines when you start to see how they all connected with each other. There were plenty of characters to relate to and everyone felt relatively real. My fav character was Yano, and there are too many great characters for anyone to come away with not picking a fav. But sometimes your best quality can get in your own way. The ensemble cast was too big for me to keep track of all of the important information for each supporting character. Imma take a guess and say there were at least 20 unique and important characters that I was juggling in my mind over the course of a 13epi season. Maybe more depending on who you think is important. It was not easy, however, I noticed two things in the show that helped me with this problem. The first is kinda obvious but it is that everyone is a unique looking animal. It's easy for me to remember; the taxi driver is a walrus, the gangster is a baboon, the doctor is a gorilla, the nurse is a lamb, the cops are dogs, the friend is a monkey, ect. This ofc has an in-universe explanation, but think about it from a storytelling perspective. The author wanted to tell a mystery story with a lot of characters, each with only some information about the other, where they all connect with each other over time, in a tight small season; a choice like this was almost necessary to make all the characters unique and memorable. The other way is that Odakawa constantly reminds the audience who he is talking to by saying things like, for example, “oh you are the Mystery Kiss fan.” He will flat out declare the role the person is playing in the story out loud to the audience. While a little “odd”, this was really helpful because I would always remember someone's design, but not always their connection in the web of the story. I thought this was a great way to just point at what is relevant and keep going. But even with all this happening, it was still, in the end, not enough for me to really feel like I picked up on _everything_ that was being laid down in the show. The characters I ofc remember the best are the ones where I felt like the spotlight of the show was being taken off the stage and put onto the audience, like when a character’ story felt like mine own, or someone I knew. Arguably this was the greatest talent exhibited by the author. But there were just too many characters for these backstories to go over everyone, and some supporting characters I just forgot about. Another reason I was drowning in characters could have been bc I was so focused on the mystery and the hints and what the reveals meant in the larger story, that I wasn't focused enough on keeping track of all the supporting characters’ role. I spent most of my watching time trying to figure out “what was really going on.” The last few episodes and especially the finale really delivers on explanations and gives you an extremely satisfying feeling when you walk away from the show. All the side stories you were following are relevant to the main story and you feel really rewarded for the time invested in them. I would recommend ODDTAXI to anyone who likes trying to solve the mystery along with the show or any crime drama fan or even surprisingly enough someone in need of some self reflection in their relationships and self image during our age of social media. TL;DR Take a clever and mysterious protag and have him do taxi cab confessions in a crime drama noir anime, you got ODDTAXI ______

ImmoralOrel

I couldn’t sit through Durarara!! but I could sit through Odd Taxi. I am possibly a furry. ***spilers*** Joking aside (…), Odd Taxi is a lot of fun. In my recent review of “Beastars” I described it as “profoundly unserious”. Odd Taxi can be seen as oppositional to this, as it feels absurd at times due to character action and behaviour that strains believability (though I’m sure many characters here have enantiomers in reality), but also contains within it a cold fleck of realism. This isn’t a knock against it. Odd Taxi is possibly at it’s best when it is reflecting and exposing the workings of it’s characters minds. In it’s 13 episode run time, it is regularly straddling a line between cozy and then unnerving. The final frames of the anime being a great illustration of this. Odd Taxi held my attention very well, and I believe this is mainly due to pacing that leaves the narrative sufficiently coherent as to be understood and analysed, while also continuing the drip of mystery. Personally I don’t find the larger presentational twist of the series to be as interesting as others. I liked that there was dialogue hints (mainly from Doc Gorilla) and the presence of actual animals that hinted at the illogically what was being presented. However, Odd Taxi doesn’t really do anything with it besides this. I had thought it was going to take it in the direction of fundamentally contesting the perceptions of our 41 year old Walrus. This doesn’t happen. I am also vaguely confused by the presence of animal references within the dialogue between characters (e.g. noting their animal characteristics) and other characters not responding to this. This had originally made me believe that my theory of a deeper perceptual issue was at play, but maybe it is some Japanese language/culture quirk that I cannot decipher. It wouldn't be the first of in this show after all lol. There is much to the cultural references and humour of the Japanese that continues to fly over my somewhat anime savvy head. It’s still vaguely funny, just not for the reasons the original writers would have intended. Like, is “We Are The World” a common reference for 40 year olds in Japan, or is the writer of Odd Taxi a Springsteen stan? So, despite Odd Taxi not representing a badger scheme perfectly or doing mobile game whales dirty, I was thoroughly entertained. It was a treat to watch and I think one that will be even better to go over with foresight of what the plot has in store. Also, learn your lessons: don’t play mobile games, steal your parents credit card or psychotropic medication, have a twitter account, attempt to rob a bank (which still deals in cash transactions to lottery winners for some reason!?) and take out thousands of pounds in debt to seduce someone more than half your age. Those animals fell on their faces so you could have a softer landing.

VivavideoUser2x

In this moment in time I am just stunned how an anime like this, with its cartoony style, weird title,and anthro animals happened to be one of the best anime I have seen in some years.I still feel weird being in the same universe as Odd Taxi.Its teaser trailer was super vague and with its premise and title I thought it would just be one of those short slice of life stuff. WELP i was a little right but mostly wrong. Odd Taxi is an anime that does deal with a taxi driver and his passengers,but it's mainly a mystery/crime show, and hot diggity damn, there is just so much to unpack in this show,so much so that if you’re too lazy to read the rest of my review and want to watch the show, I highly encourage you to go into this anime with a blind eye. It might scare you away if you don’t like anthro or heavy dialogue, but wow, the experience is so much better going in without any context whatsoever. (And spoilers, but even if the year is only halfway through, this anime does have strong potential to be my favorite anime in 2021.) STORY Odd Taxi’s story is so complex and at the same time its also seemingly simple. So I will touch on both aspects. *The Complex The complex part of its story has to do with the characters, their dynamics, and how they connect with each other. It reminds me of that 3hour movie, Magnolia.The main aspect of that film is that its about the isolated stories of many individuals,but in Odd Taxi, each of these individuals have their own story that not only develops them as characters but contributes to the main mystery as well.There are so so so so soooooooo many small details in the dialogue and the actions that it took me a rewatch to pick up,and when I found them a second time, it felt so well thought out that only a mastermind could think to pull it off that way.And that's only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many pieces of the puzzle that slowly and slowly start to piece itself together, and the more you figure out, the more that becomes revealed about each character.That revelation also commentates on the world of Odd Taxi and omg the final episode was, dare i say it, just “perfect” in about every way.The final episode literally blew my mind, like my brain matter was all over the place.It put me in both this state of an existential crisis and a sense of absolute peace all at the same time.And that sense of peace really does tie into the simpler elements of the show. *The Simple. When I mean simple, I usually am pertaining to the realistic aspect. Despite its cartoony appearance, Odd Taxi is just the definition of “real”. From the casual and fun dialogue between characters, its take on social media,and even the characters themselves, they all feel super realistic. Honestly, my first impression of it being a slice of life show, kinda feels like a disservice to the show itself,because its moments of downtime feel just as important as everything else.It just feels like that since the anime takes a less theatrical way of presenting itself. Its very lowkey and feels more down to earth. Even when the show does become depressing at some points and just absolutely twisted at other moments, the show never loses that lowkey nature.And that feeling really did hit me since,just like real life, it's not all sunshine and rainbows nor is it all screaming,blood, and orchestral soundtracks.And Odd Taxi’s simple nature does go for the characters themselves,but honestly, they're an entirely different story to talk about. I just. I know i'm not the type of guy to ham things up, but honestly I haven't experienced a story as well thought out and well put together since Monster perhaps.It's just that after so much isekai, shounen shows, kids with powers just fighting demons,and anime with only a teaspoon of content in one season and five more upcoming seasons, it's just really refreshing to find an anime with so much work put into its writing and script, also making good use of its 13 episode count. Now before you come at me and say, oh gross it's a furry show, firstly I would say “i'm not a furry”, and secondly, if you are afraid it's just gonna be furries doing their furry things then don't fret. This show isn't Beastars levels where there is weird sexual tension going intentionally or not. Odd Taxi is more refined than that. If anything this show would fit well as a daytime television show on CBS or something(idk i barely watch television). Art n Animation Touching on the character designs though, I think they do their jobs very well. Usually animal designs are a good way to tell a personality with each character in a simple manner.I mean this isn't JoJo, Odd taxi is more “real”.So the designs are not flashy or anything but do say a lot. Odokawa being a walrus was a perfect fit,since walruses in real life always look irritable and sad.And man, his facial expression most of the time that screams “i'm just done with this shit” really makes for some funny moments too.Another character,or characters, I would like to touch on is the idol group”Mystery Kiss”, I like how they are portrayed too,since they are all similar in body shape,but certain features on the center girl are made to look more appealing,believe it or not, there is actual intention behind these decisions that showed the designers had thoroughly thought out a lot of the designs.A lot of them do use really good contrasting of shapes to define their caricature and the color palettes harmonize when they need to and contrast when they need to as well. Woah. I went so in depth with the designs that I even scared my own self.Look long story short, its like Aggretsuko but on a different scale.The background design of Odd Taxi is simple but it does its job to enhance the character designs.It looks like something out of a story book, something very homey and warm.OLM and PICS( i'm just going to call them Olympics from now on lol) are a very weird combination. OLM made some notable stuff back in the day like the 90’s berserk anime and Pokemon the first movie, and PICS makes a bunch of weird stuff.It's just weird how these two studios just come together and make something like Odd Taxi. The animation is fine, there's not a lot of straight up sakuga moments,but to be honest, I don't think Odd Taxi would be Odd Taxi if it had the animation of something like Mob Psycho. The animation is serviceable. If anything it shows that even if an anime doesn't have a MAPPA factory line behind it, its story alone can basically shine so bright that the animation won't even matter anymore ( yea thats right GOD OF HIGHSCHOOL im talking to you,bub) Shout out to the opening sequence though, one of the strongest of the year for sure, not only is the song an absolute toe tapping “VIBE” with a smooth ass saxophone….goddamn that saxophone...but it also has very nice visuals that are surreal. Reminds me a lot of Jojo’s Battle Tendency OP(one of my favorites of all time btw).There are so many easter eggs and callbacks that you start to figure out the more you watch the show. Definitely shows that this story was something thought out from the very beginning. Speaking of the sound, it is also super solid. The OST itself does a great job of not being an attention whore like a lot of other soundtracks.It's hard to describe in honestly, and i'm not Fantano or anything,but it has this weird ambience to it that I like.It feels mellow at times and grimy just like the world of Odd Taxi. The only time the OST does become abrasive is at certain scenes that just amp up the tension and make you more interested in the mystery.The voice acting is superb as well,and since the script writing is marvelous, I could actually feel like the actors talking are just having a conversation instead of just reciting lines and screaming. Characters -Alright, here we go.I love Odokawa so much, not because im a furry,but because of his personality and decisions he makes in the story.Even when he does give a cold shoulder, I could reasonably see why he is the way he is.For a main character in an anime of all things, he makes very wise decisions despite the pressure of the outer forces he has to deal with.His dynamics with others are just a treat to see. Him interacting with the passengers either through intrigue or happenstance. And his development with Shirakawa in particular is so damn cute. This romance is all of things I wished other romance anime had. Seeing them bonding through their interests , talking about just random and mundane stuff, and even coming to dissaggreements like an old married couple would is so cute*yes i said cute twice,don't remind me*There are some scumbags in this show for sure,even if some of them are portrayed as bad guys, I just know about their personalities and lives so much that I don't outright despise any of them.I connected to them,not just as characters but as honest to god humans.Humans with goals and aspirations and those goals and aspirations come together and connect to one of the most important themes in this show.”The need for success." _It is a human nature to want success , so much so that people will become so blind and willing to do anything to achieve it.It can be something as little as buying cool erasers so you can be popular with the kids, to larger goals such as getting enough money to impress a girl you want to marry._ -Enjoyment It is more nuanced than that for sure, but I just can't help but applaud how the show portrays the absolute descent a person goes through when temptation gets the best of them, and at the same time it doesn't go to “177013” levels of proving its point.It just feels so accurate to how real life can play out that it had me hooked.It brought me into its world with warm arms and slowly but surely it took me on such an unforgettable ride.Sure there are some elements that people would argue aren't realistic, but that's the thing about fiction. It it was completely realistic, it might as well be a documentary, and that's not what anime is, anime is a powerful medium to give you insights into different worlds and characters.Even if the characters are spikey haired teenagers or a walrus taxi driver,if made well enough, it can connect you on such a personal level and see happy. sad ,true elements of the world we all live in, and honestly that connection is something I need when I get tired of big titted tsunderes or kids fighting things.Not that those things are bad or anything but I hope you get what I am saying. Overall-100/100

Chizuo

I like Odd Taxi very much. It's true. Ever since I set my eyes on it when viewing the Spring 2021 upcoming anime list on anichart, my intuition told me that it was something different somehow. Not just because of the antropomorphic animals as a character design choice, but because I thought it'd be a comedy show. When I first watched Odd Taxi though, I was totally surprised by the narrative. I didn't expect it to be a mystery show, first and foremost. And I know it's easy to see what genre an anime is... the tags are literally there for a reason. But, for some reason, I didn't see them nor did I remember anything about it, so I was gladly surprised by it being a mystery story. The other thing that made me like it even more is its writing. Oh boy, this show has such a good writing. The dialogues flow really well, as in a true conversational rhythm. Many times when watching anime, I found myself bothered by the speed that conversations took place, with the characters taking a long time to finish simple sentences, or there being long pauses between each of the interlecutors' turn to talk. Dialogues in Odd Taxi generally follow this rapid-fire pattern, speaking in a natural way. That was a big detail which made itself more important as I thought about the show's writing in general. Also, lots of conversations include those randomly spontaneous moments where the characters start to talk about some specific subject in detail, which is fascinating to me, personally. Aside from being a clear way of the screenwriter presenting their points of view in a more expository manner, it also adds new layer of depth in each of the characters. It's refreshing to see that many of them have differing opinions about various subjects, and naturally discuss them as someone would do in real life. The conversation about Capoeira between Odokawa and Shirakawa, the many exchanges that Odokawa has with the many passengers of his taxi, like with Imai or Kabasawa. They work brilliantly as side talks but they shine even brighter when you notice that many of them were actually relevant to the plot, in a bigger or smaller way. It is also refreshing to see how this show is aware about the time and place that it takes place without being too obnoxious about it. There is certainly a lot of commentary on contemporary society and it is also always done in a non-condescending and patronizing way. These commentaries are often coated on a quasi-comical dress, where the situations are definitely belieavable but also kind of extreme. By using this technique, the writer strikes a perfect balance: all the characters' many actions are certainly feasible and credible, but they are also unlikely and uncommon. I'm also a huge fan of ensemble casts, and although Odokawa definitily has a main role to play in almost all the episodes, it is impressing to see how each and every moment of the 13 episodes has some significance and meaning and is somehow intertwined with another past or future action. This is simply fascinating, and I just can't get enough of it. It is definitely not easy to execute, though, but this is not a problem at all in Odd Taxi. Every character has a meaningful role and the necessary screentime to act on it, not overstaying their welcome on relying too much on unneeded character development. This kind of story doesn't benefit that much off of developing all of its characters to the fullest, they're utilized in a more instrumentalized way, which is perfectly fine and also desirable. Well, that's it. This is not a full review or anything like that, I just wanted to write some of the things that made me fall in love with Odd Taxi and publish it somewhere. So here it is.

Krankastel

I often read that Japan animation industry has been becoming creatively sterile. People point out to productions becoming increasingly intended to aesthetically appeal to broader ranges of to-be customers’ tastes, rather than studios and staffs being in them for the sake of art. Many also point out to narratives becoming excessively focused at easily digestible material, such as teen romance and isekai fantasy, rather than dare to write more thought-provoking stories and perhaps even alienate a fair part of the watchers, for the sake of trying something different. Many others point towards more ruthless business practices and mistreatment of staff (especially animators), stripping the last out of each and every incentive to go above and beyond themselves. As for me, I have been detached from those topics and discussions for a very while, I do not often watch seasonal productions and I do not have access to enough data to provide for a more objective outlook. Plus, the animation industry was never charity to begin with and in the end, commercial anime are both art and product. But I can clearly state this: works such as Odd Taxi, the current object of this review, can run against the idea of anime industry decaying as a whole. --- ~~~ __[1. On story and characters…]__ ~~~ Odd Taxi interweaves two overarching mysteries: one is related to the protagonist. Another is a big-picture mystery on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a high school girl. On the protagonist Odokawa, a brief introduction: he is a flat, introverted, sharp-tongued 41 years old taxi driver walrus. He is more than a bit odd, and with a mysterious and apparently troubled background. During his taxi work, he meets and discusses with many characters, until he gradually gets pulled to the big-picture mystery. ~~~ img(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/54/ce/22/54ce2221335f89b47aa9fc7bc11f9e8f.jpg) ~~~ His condition and past form the more “personal” part of the mystery, one which can actually be “solved” before one reaches the conclusion, not unlike in a whodunit. It does require quite a bit of attention to detail though, perhaps even revisiting previous scenes to unite the pieces, and even so one can fall out of line in their judgment of Odokawa. ~~~ ~! I am rather skeptical over the depiction of Odokawa’s visual agnosia, whether similar cases have ever occurred and if it actually treatable, but as a twist I will not pretend it was not surprising, enjoyable and touching.!~ ~~~ Other characters in Odd Taxi are a mixed bag. Some are from sectors of the entertainment industry (e.g. idols), others are Odokawa’s peers. Some are well-developed (e.g. the alpaca girl) for their length, though most are one-dimensional as there is hardly enough time for the show to invest evenly in everyone. Some just steal more of their spotlight. All characters become entangled in the above-mentioned big-picture mystery. This mystery is much more easily explained; although one of its aspects on the girl’s ultimate fate raises too many questions. Not going to spoil, but I can discuss if you have already watched the show. A final note on the overall mystery aspect: there was genuine attention behind not making it too easy to solve and to mostly make sense. E.g. a red herring was used and there was a very funny use of the Chekhov's Gun principle. ~~~ img(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c1/cc/9d/c1cc9d1a794bf515000cd7a75de53e97.jpg) ~~~ Some sociological and psychological themes connected to contemporary life are interplaying, such as social media amplifying narcissistic and delusional tendencies. There is plenty of dry and often caustic humor, and many memorable and actually witty lines that deviated a lot from being tropey. I was almost surprised at the beginning that this show lacked a comedy genre tag. ~~~ img(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/69/5d/7c/695d7ca9f79657759ca72f8c65f73a1d.jpg) ~~~ One point of criticism is that despite its merits, this story ultimately can bite off more than it chews. For example, non-idol aspects of the entertainment industry were hardly built on, e.g. given the presence of a rakugo master and a duo of comedians competing with others. Instead, the first character was connected extremely shallowly to the show and the two comedians were hardly seen “in action”, rather than solely discussing on their fans feedback and arguing on how comedy should be. This point is mostly related to the series’ length as it is a 13 episode series with too many themes and characters crammed together. If this were a 24 episode series it could have worked even better. --- ~~~ __[2. And on audiovisuals…]__ ~~~ As apparent, the characters are depicted as anthropomorphic animals. This could be off-putting to some people’s aesthetics, but nonetheless I would insist that even those people give the show a chance, and for a good reason. Quite frankly, though, I’m rather mixed towards visual production on its whole. Some backgrounds did catch my eye, but animation was often poor. CGI especially was neither technically smooth nor in harmony with the rest of the scenery, standing out like a sore thumb. Soundtrack and voice acting are matching the tone and context of this modern mystery, not too much to say. One complain though was on a gangster who raps all the time instead of normally talking, a choice I found to be too “just because” and clumsy. To conclude, presence of anime such as Odd Taxi run against the idea of the anime industry decaying as a whole. Its mystery narrative provides for an original spectacle and actually can push watchers to think, all without being too alienating. There are flaws tied to its format and it's not pristine in technical aspects either, but to call it sterile would be unfair. ~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~

bjrdman

We all have dreams, aspirations and goals. Some want to be successful comedians, some want to get married, some want to move to the city and be a nurse, some want to be famous, some want to be idols, some want to get rich, some want that limited edition eraser that’ll help them stand out in class and some simply just want to be a taxi driver. Does any of that really matter though? What are we willing to sacrifice to achieve these goals? Will we really be happier, or improve our lives by attaining these goals? These are just a few of the questions Odd Taxi sets out to answer. Hiroshi Odokawa is a taxi driver in Tokyo who has a few friends, but mostly keeps to himself. He’s good at remembering faces, and since he drives a taxi he knows a lot of people in Tokyo. After a girl he had driven goes missing, he ends up tied up in the case when a policeman takes his dashcam data and threatens him. While Odokawa is certainly the main character, so many other characters get developed deeply with backstories and motivations that Odd Taxi becomes more about people, relationships and motivations set to the background of Odokawa’s investigation of the mystery. Every character’s story ends up weaving its way into the main plot in a way that’s emotional and exciting. There’s arguably no real bad guy, and each character, even the yakuza, are developed enough where you can sympathize with their position. The world exists in all shades of gray, and this show demonstrates that with its characters and story. (Minor spoilers, I just go in depth on one of the characters to show what I mean when I say "deep cast") ~!One of my favorite characters in the show is Eiji Kakihana. Kakihana didn’t go to college, and after highschool spent most of his time working low paying janitorial and construction jobs. He’s close friends with Odokawa since they both frequent the same bar. He wishes his life were easier, that he was rich and had a girlfriend, so he lies about his income on a dating app in order to attract dates. He wears suits to their dates, and takes her to fancy restaurants to keep up the ruse. He’s tragically fooling himself through the entire relationship as well, talking of “chemistry” and “true love” when his date, Shiho Ichimura, just sits on her phone the entire time when they’re hanging out and is only interested when Kakihana talks of money. He’s so disillusioned and far away from the life he wants to live, that he’ll do anything to live in his fantasy for a few hours. You can’t help but cringe at the decisions he makes on screen, but at the same time it’s impossible not to sympathize with his midlife-crisis.!~ And that’s just one of the characters. His date, Shiho, is just as deep and exciting a character who has her own motivations and reasons for going out with Kakihana. The show is so tight, expressing thoughts on fame, social media, trauma, isolation and dignity in thirteen episodes. If you ever think, oh, it’s the 7th episode it’ll probably repeat some points and have some filler content, it literally slaps you with three new characters and a whole half of the story you haven’t been introduced to yet. It never gets boring, and will keep you interested every second of every episode. Better yet it’s all set to the score of lofi hip-hop that knows when to be sentimental and when to be exciting. The most interesting part of the show is how truly reflective it is of the world, even though everyone in the show's an animal. Maybe in some ways we chase our desires like animals more than we'd like to admit.

PedroPPTAfag

The first time a heard about this show, I thought it was a silly slice of life where the protagonist rides his passengers and they some funny conversation or something like that. After I read the sinopsis, I thought I was going into a thrilling criminal drama about a taxi driver investigating the disappearance of a girl. And the show actually gave me exactly that, but also so much more. Such a immersive narrative on an anime that looks so goofy at first glance should be illegal. The way the writer make a story where every dot connects perfectly creating such a cohesive plot is impressive. The narrative gets more and more complex and intriguing as the anime goes on deep in its plot and as the writer keeps throwing foreshadow after foreshadow at us to, in the end, give us the full picture. The show links every minimal detail into each other in a way that don't feel cheap as other animes would. As we see the outcasts trying to make it, we follow some of the most beautiful relationships that I ever saw in an anime. From the Homosapiens to the Daimon brothers, Odd Taxi show off such natural and realistic bonds beetween the characters. Even the relatioships like Dobu and Odokawa are kinda wholesome to see. I got so intimate with the characters that even the sight of them getting along with each other kinda of cheers me up. For a show with a cast made out of anthropomorphic characters, this has some of the most human interactions I have ever seen out of real life. For me, Odd Taxi is about success, failure and finding a propose in life. During the whole anime we follow characters struggling in achieving their goals. Be it fame, money, love, etc. Odd Taxi shows that you won't always achieve your goals and maybe you will never be able to make it in life. However, that's okay. Almost every character of the show is a failure. We see them struggling and hustling to achieve such futile achievements because they want to have a place in society. They try over and over to succeed and when they fail, they beat themselves and starts becoming more obssessives with their goal what makes them fail even more. But the characters learn later in the show that you need to first accept who you are to be able to change. Characters like Baba show that when you stop obssessing over success and accept your flaws and your fate, life becomes easier, smoother. We see characters sinking into a spiral because they wanna be someone that they are not, and then they start holding on to fake hopes and fake solutions to their problems to cope with their failure. And, in the end of the show, we get a beautiful ending where every character accept their flaws, who they are and stop obssessing the futile things of life like internet fame, characters in a game or some bullshit like that. Watching the show, you grow with the characters, because it's impossible you don't relate to any of them.

MysteriousNeon

~~~img220(https://media.tenor.com/ZRc3Vb9rHTkAAAAC/odd-taxi-%E3%82%AA%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%BF%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B7%E3%83%BC.gif)~~~ ~~~__NOTE: This review is mostly spoiler free!__~~~ Part of me finds it pointless to do this review, because what can I say that hasn't been said about _ODDTAXI_ already? Many people praise it as being a great mystery anime, with some publications and reviewers crowing it the coveted Anime of the Year title for 2021. To some, that may come as a surprise. On the surface, such as the GIF I used above, _ODDTAXI_ looks... distinct, shall we say. An AOTY about... talking animals? Looks can be deceiving, and _ODDTAXI_, in my opinion, rewards those who look past its seemingly childish facade with one of the best written mystery stories I've ever experienced. # Synopsis Hiroshi Odokawa is an introverted middle-aged taxi driver who drives people around Tokyo. He lives alone, and outside of visits to the doctor and his job, he rarely interacts with others. Through no fault of his own, however, he finds himself caught up in a mystery involving a missing high school girl, and he's in for the ride whether he wants to be or not. # The Good - The writing. It's absolutely stellar. Characters have very interesting backstories. Dialogue flows so naturally, almost as if real people are having improvised conversations. This shines especially in Odokawa's conversations with the various riders in his taxi and the Homosapiens's radio show. It gives the plot a very real air to it, like the anime is actually an adaptation of something that happened in real life. Each character has distinct personalities that shine in their writing. Odokawa is eccentric and sometimes has odd responses to questions posed by his customers. Kakihana's demeanor and mannerisms convey how desperate he is to find companionship and make his life seem more important. Dobu is written as a shady criminal who doesn't play around. It sounds cliché, sure, but you really start to understand what I mean when you listen to the characters talk with each other. It's near flawless execution of line delivery and scripting that beautifully complements the already great storyline - Speaking of that storyline, you are thrown into it from the first minute of the first episode. From there, the puzzle pieces are given to you and as you put it together in your head, they give even more pieces to you that make you stop and think about your analysis again. There is a twist and turn around every corner and sometimes it can get genuinely unpredictable. I first watched the anime weekly as it was airing, and I lamented having to wait to find out what would happen next. You can go back to Reddit posts and forum topics dedicated to discussions for each episode and see them filled with reactions to new information the plot gives and speculation on what it means for the story overall. It's genuinely gripping and well thought out. - Every single character has meaningful importance to the story in some way. They left no stone unturned. What makes this more impressive is that there's quite the ensemble of characters in this anime, yet despite that, the plot doesn't feel weighted down by everyone's involvement. You learn a lot about the characters, their motivations, their goals, and what significance they have to the overarching plot. It's really cool to see how everyone's situations are weaved into the narrative so seamlessly. Even if it doesn't seem like a certain character will be relevant, give it some time, because I guarantee you they will be when everything is said and done. - The music is great. A lot of it is hip-hop inspired and funky, with the occasional idol pop song thrown in courtesy of the in-universe idol group Mystery Kiss. The soundtrack complements the mysterious mood of the show. My favorite inclusion of "music" in the show is Yano, who speaks in rap at all times. The fact they can make his dialogue work in that fashion deserves commending. # The Bad (?) - I could see some people complaining about the pacing in the very beginning being too slow. __I personally didn't have a problem with the pacing__ but I thought to mention it here just in case. ~~Also because I genuinely couldn't think of many negative things to say about this anime and I didn't want it to seem totally biased.~~ - The animation is fine but perhaps a little bland at times. It gets the job done and that's about it. # Verdict _ODDTAXI_ is a masterclass in mystery anime. I've never seen anything quite like it, and I doubt I'll see anything similar to it again. For a first-time director to be trusted with an original anime and knock it out of the park this spectacularly is almost unheard of. _ODDTAXI_ is the reason behind that "almost." My review may have been a little vague, sure, but I'm doing that for your sake. I couldn't bare spoil any surprise this anime has waiting for those who watch it, and I absolutely cannot recommend you do that enough. Don't watch the compilation movie, watch the anime and get the full experience. I've never met someone who has and didn't end up loving it.

Owen23

____This review contains spoilers, please don't make the spoilers go missing, just like the "mystery girl" from this anime.____ Odd Taxi is basically about a walrus named Odokawa and the lives of the passengers he picks up, all leading into a mystery about a missing girl in a big city. So, let's take a ride through the world of Odd Taxi. # ____THE STORY: 10/10 ____ In a city of animals, Odokawa, being a taxi driver, discovers a mystery about a lost girl while driving in his taxi one day. Soon he gets tracked by the police and the yakuza as the anime goes on. Alongside that, we get to learn about the lives of the passengers, such as a cat named Tanaka trying to get addicted to a gacha game or an alpaca named Shirakawa learning capoeira. It eventually ties in the final episodes, where Odokawa is threatened by Tanaka and Dobu, goes in a car chase against Yano, and discovering a condition that makes him see the world as animals in his point of view. The twist comes off as an epic, but also a goosebumping one.

_"I'm surrounded by a bunch of animals.."_ # ____CHARACTERS: 10/10 ____ Odd Taxi has a variety a characters, ranging from the quiet Odokawa, to the calm Shirakawa, and many more characters in it's cast of animals. As the series goes on, the characters gain more development, such as how Yuki was going to be the lead singer of Mystery Kiss before she went missing, or how Taichi catches events going on in the anime, and posting them online. Even Tanaka gets some development in his very own episode, where we learn about his backstory. In his backstory, we learn about how he tried to get a rare eraser and how he got a rare species in a mobile game before he falls into despair cause his game didn't register it before the data crashed. _The remorse of a cat who got a little bit too hooked on mobile games.._ # ____VISUALS: 9/10 ____ The visuals of the show look good, considering this anime was done by the studio who did the Pokémon anime, of all anime. Each episode really gives off that mysterious, but also calm vibe of the anime. Even the OP of the anime looks great and gives off the vibe of the OP song, giving off hints of what's to come for future episodes. # ____SOUND: 10/10 ____ The soundtrack of the show, like the visuals, give off an mysterious vibe for the anime itself. And the OP gives off a laid back vibe, getting you ready for some adventures of the cast and the mystery surrounding them. The ED is also great, with a tone that's upbeat and fits the vibe of Mystery Kiss itself. Even Yano's raps throughout the show are great, setting his character and how he fits as a member of the yakuza. _"This is a story all about how my life got twisted upside-down..".._ # ____ENJOYMENT: ____ Back then when I was watching not four, but a single episode of anime, this anime really made me think about what's gonna happen next to Odokawa as he goes on a mysterious adventure. Even the ending shocked me, seeing the cast of animals as humans really made me go "Wow, this is how they really look like as humans?". Sure, this anime is full of a cast of animals, but it's a great anime to watch if you want mystery and animal characters in an anime full of drama and finding out who is the lost girl is. Think Durarara, but mixed with Zootopia, and you got this anime. Even if this anime takes you through a trip through Odokawa's life as a taxi driver. _Looks like this taxi's gonna have to jump!_

Galios

~~~ >#Caution! This review contains major spoilers. ##__Anime Review__ #__ODDTAXI__ img50%(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/large/bx128547-TWRVIu5zRTYx.jpg)

This review will offer my detailed thoughts and feelings about ODDTAXI. It also includes a table of contents for structural purposes and explains my rating criteria and categories, detailing which aspects I evaluated. --- #__Rating Scale__ --- >[10] - __Best of the Best__ >[9] - __Phenomenal__ >[8] - __Great__ >[7] - __Good__ >[6] - __Decent __ >[5] - __Average__ >[4] - __Boring__ >[3] - __Bad__ >[2] - __Really Bad__ >[1] - __The Worst__ --- #__Rating Categories__ ---

All of the rating categories are judged based on my pure enjoyment and the positive experiences I had with them. __''Objective''__ qualities will not be judged because I'm not an expert on these fields, just a guy who watches anime. >- Story/Plot (40%) - World Building (5%) - Characters (25%) - Animation/Art (10%) - Cinematography (10%) - Sound/Music (10%) = My overall enjoyment from the anime. (100%) --- #__Table of Contents__ --- >- __Introduction__ - __My Expectations__ - __Story/Plot__ - __World Building__ - __Characters__ - __Cinematography__ - __ Animation/Art__ - __Sound/Music__ - __Overall Thoughts & Final Rating__ --- #__Introduction__ --- ~~~

First of all, welcome to my first-ever written review. My name is Galios, and I am just an overly invested fan of anime and manga who loves to talk and argue about them in a very worrying and unhealthy way. These attributes make me surely a perfect candidate to write a review about. Right? But who cares about me? Let's get going and let's dive into my thoughts on __ODDTAXI!__ --- ~~~ #__My Expectations__ ~~~ ---

When approaching new media, everyone tends to have expectations. Personally, I like to keep mine low to avoid potential disappointment, a strategy that's worked well for me in the past and often led to a greater appreciation for unfamiliar content.

However, with __ODDTAXI!__, keeping those expectations low was a bit challenging for me. The anime had gained significant popularity and success, falling into genres I particularly enjoy like __Psychological and Thriller__.

I didn't know much about the parties involved, such as the animation studio, staff, or source material. Still, it grabbed my attention with initial impressions describing it as a _''breath of fresh air''_ and a _''super simple yet unique experience''_, descriptions that definitely piqued my interest.

Despite my curiosity, finding time to watch it initially slipped my mind. But here we are now, and I finally have the opportunity to see what all the acclaim is about --- ~~~ #__Story/Plot__ ~~~ ---

In a nutshell, the story is about __‘'animal people dealing with human problems.'’__ I'm not planning to do a detailed story analysis or recap because, honestly, the best way to grasp it is to watch the show. However, if you're looking for my detailed thoughts and want to dive into specific episode storylines and beats that I found particularly captivating and can't wait to discuss, you're in the right place.

Let's start with discussing things in chronological order. While looking back, I see the first episodes (1-3) as a solid build-up for the story. However, purely in terms of enjoyment, these episodes were decent for me. Nothing exceptionally interesting happened; characters were introduced, and their personalities, as well as their everyday lives, were showcased. It provided a solid foundation but wasn't necessarily 'important' in the sense that you need to catch every word or scene to understand the story. This is acceptable because the conversations between characters and the portrayal of their lives felt genuine, capturing the essence of big city life quite well. However, to fully enjoy these interactions, I craved more interesting events or subjects that had a greater integration into the overall story.

After all the introductions, general story buildups, and becoming familiar with the characters, we move on to the fourth episode, which I'm eager to discuss as it stands out as one of the significant highlights of this series. --- ~~~ ##__Episode 4 (Tanaka's Revolution)__ ~~~ ---

Where do I begin? What immediately caught my attention was the sudden introduction of a new character who had only appeared in one scene during the initial three episodes. This unexpected entry marks a significant departure from the previous narrative, almost serving as a palate cleanser for viewers immersed in a straightforward story build-up.

The introduction of Tanaka's character left me initially perplexed without context. In the first scene, he was running on a sidewalk, clad in dirty clothes, and sporting deranged eyes. I pondered the reason for his sprint, was he running away from someone, or was it something else? What also caught my attention were his eyes, reflecting the obsession of an individual fixated on something. They didn't convey fear but rather an ''obsessive'' demeanor, a correct assumption as Tanaka later becomes a perfect example of how life can ‘’fuck you up’’ due to shortsighted decisions. This episode skillfully unveils his tragic backstory.

His backstory unfolds as follows: In a bid to gain popularity among his schoolmates, Tanaka followed the trend of collecting unique erasers. Even after the trend faded, his fixation on making friends persisted. Taking drastic measures, he stole his father's credit card, used his brother's PC without permission, and splurged on an exorbitant mandrill monkey eraser, only to fall victim to a scam. The resulting trauma left him a soulless young man, devoid of passion or drive. His plunge into addiction to a pay-to-win mobile game severely undermined his skills as a video game developer and overall coherence. Discovering that the person who scammed him was also the top player in the same game fueled his determination to surpass him at any cost. To cap off his backstory, he finally defeated ''Ditch-11'' by obtaining a rare creature in an alley, only to have it invalidated when Odokawa almost collided with him in his taxi. Dodging the accident, Tanaka dropped his phone in a water-filled ditch, shattering it and rendering the rare creature useless. This mentally shattered him, transforming him into an obsessed man hell-bent on revenge.

In my view, this stands as the most coherent and comprehensible character backstory for a ‘'villain,’' perfectly told within a 24-minute timeframe. Tanaka, initially introduced as a very naive but still innocent character, evolved into a shattered individual fixated on revenge against those he perceives to have wronged him. His distorted perspective on life refuses to acknowledge his own shortsighted decisions that landed him in this position in the first place, making him an overall great villain with a lot of depth and believability behind his actions. ---

After this episode, there were numerous standout moments. The highly anticipated reveal of Yano was not only hilariously entertaining, as he started spitting some bars at Odokawa, but it also left Odokawa utterly perplexed by this guy. Witnessing Odokawa and Dobu come to the rescue of poor, old, love-seeking Kakihana from Yano and his yakuza goons was both heartwarming and intense. It was also satisfying to see Kabasawa, the attention-seeking character, finally getting what he deserved.

The revelation of the identity of the corpse from the first episode, along with insights into Nikaidou’s real personality and her initial guilt about the disposal of the corpse, added layers to the story.

The capoeira animation featuring Shirakawa was a comedic gem that made Shirakawa even more adorable.

However, my main interest lies in discussing the last two episodes; episode 12 for its concluding storylines and intriguing main narrative, and episode 13 for reasons that are quite obvious. --- ~~~ ##__Episode 12 (Not Enough)__ ~~~ ---

This episode wraps up the side character storylines involving the police Daimon brothers, Ani and Otouto, the Homo sapiens comedy duo Shibagaki and Baba, and the street thug Dobu and the absolute bat shit crazy Tanaka. While most of these particular storylines weren't the most captivating for me, they were decently presented, and I found myself not entirely indifferent to all of them.

Delving into the Daimon brothers' storyline, their minor role in the main plot took an unexpected and dramatic turn in this episode. The revelation sheds light on Ani's corruption and Otouto's unwavering sense of justice. Ani's motivations lead back to the yakuza boss, resembling a tapir named Kuroda, who supported him during his orphanhood. Ani's allegiance to Dobu also served Kuroda, a fact sympathetically understood by Otouto but impossible to ignore due to his righteous personality. Despite its brevity, this side storyline had a highly fitting conclusion, making both characters remarkably sympathetic despite their initially surface-level appearance in the show.

Next is the Homo sapiens storyline. This felt quite insignificant to the major storyline, or more like it had no real involvement in it. While Baba had a romantic relationship with Nikaidou, there was no real connection between them and the main storyline with Odokawa, despite their brief meeting in the taxi. What I can relate to is that the comedy duo had one goal of trying to be successful comedians. However, due to changed circumstances, the inexperienced and rather naive Baba gets opportunity after opportunity for his career alone, while Shibasaki's career suffers from stagnation. Shibasaki's frustration was authentically presented, in my opinion, as he tried his best to focus on the duo's goal and improve as a comedian himself. Still, Baba’s naive and egotistical thought process that his career is more important set Shibasaki off in the last round of their comedian competition as the final conclusion to their storyline. Ultimately, I find their storyline pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but their career struggles and problems as a duo were authentically shown, and it felt way too real for just a mediocre side storyline.

And lastly, Tanaka and Dobu. It's so ironic that Dobu, of all people, was the one who scammed Tanaka in the first place, essentially creating this 'mental dumpster fire of a man.' The revelation of this conundrum was incredibly cathartic and hilarious to watch. Tanaka notices the mandrill eraser on Dobu and then slowly realizes that Dobu was the one who had been scamming him all along. Then, Dobu confidently lies through his teeth, denying all involvement while thinking Tanaka had no bullets left. Tanaka completely realizes that Dobu is indeed Ditch-11 and then mercilessly blasts him in the abdomen with Dobu's gun (also very ironic). This leaves Dobu in absolute shock, pondering how this scenario was possible, lying bleeding on the ground, while Tanaka frantically runs away. The story conclusions for Tanaka and Dobu were just perfect. --- ~~~ ##__Episode 13 (Where To?)__ ~~~ ---

This episode serves as the perfect ending to the show, and I can't emphasize enough how phenomenal it was. Odokawa's backstory was emotionally heartbreaking, and the revelation explaining why we see animal people in the first place was a genius moment for me, adding layers to Odokawa as a uniquely complex main character. The montage of every significant character in the show cinematically experiencing their cathartic ending scenes, with Odokawa's taxi plummeting into the river, is nothing short of art. It's undeniable that this is straight-up art, just phenomenal.

But that's not all. The plot twist on who actually killed the cat idol was the most unpredictable and shocking revelation from my perspective, and my jaw dropped when it dawned on me. Seeing this psycho of a person step into Odokawa's taxi while smiling at the camera gave me literal chills.

This single episode makes enduring 12 episodes of mundane story buildup completely worthwhile. That's how phenomenal this episode is. It delivered the most shocking yet incredibly rewarding revelation in a story that I've experienced in such a long time. ---

Overall, the story had a slow start, primarily due to the necessary buildup. However, the peaks of the narrative, such as Episode 4 and the concluding episodes 12 and 13, are absolutely phenomenal and elevate this show to a whole new level storywise. While my thoughts may still seem somewhat recapped, there wasn't really something to ''interpret'' or ''a core message'' to derive because this piece of art speaks for itself. The story speaks for itself. The characters speak for themselves. It is just a phenomenally authentic story about animal humans grappling with human problems presented in a very unique way. ~~~ >##__My Final Rating on the Story/Plot__ >#__(36/40)__ ~~~ --- ~~~ #__World Building__ ~~~ ---

In this series, worldbuilding generally takes a somewhat secondary role compared to the development of storylines and characters. Despite this simplistic approach, it proves sufficient to authentically and coherently portray big city life in Tokyo. Throughout the narrative, we encounter recurring settings like Odokawa's home, the doctor's office, and the sauna, among others. While these locations are easily recognizable, they lack substantial details or aspects that might inspire deeper thoughts or a profound appreciation for the set pieces. Essentially, they're quite ordinary and unremarkable. Tokyo, in general, seems to serve as a surface-level backdrop, with worldbuilding appearing to be an afterthought. Which is totally fine, by the way. It's just that, when compared to the other aspects, I've found more enjoyment in the narratives and the characters than in the portrayal of Tokyo or any of the shown set pieces. ~~~ >##__My Final Rating on the World Building__ >#__(3/5)__ ~~~ --- ~~~ #__Characters__ ~~~ --- ~~~ >#img70%(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b204522-WkEvUiPi3XJF.jpg) >##Main Protagonist >#__Hiroshi Odokawa__ ~~~

I adore Odokawa as the main character; he's eccentric, unabashedly straightforward, socially awkward, and his grumpy walrus face is both amusing and endearing. He's my secret spirit animal, and what I appreciate most is his knack for calling out the fake social behavior and irrelevant small talk ingrained in most of us in modern-day society. He couldn't care less about conforming to social norms when conversing with others, resulting in incredibly amusing and intriguing exchanges throughout the series.

Thanks to his non-judgmental demeanor, many people feel comfortable opening up and confessing their genuine thoughts and beliefs to Odokawa. Essentially, he functions as a therapist on wheels, a concept that, while somewhat familiar in other media I've encountered, feels remarkably fresh within the anime realm. From my perspective, it's a genuinely invigorating departure to witness the portrayal of individuals sharing their emotional baggage with a stranger in the anime landscape.

And not to forget his undoubtedly phenomenal backstory, detailing his character's personality and his perception of the world and people around him, serves as an exceptionally cathartic exploration of his trauma, social awkwardness, and the reasons behind his choice to become a taxi driver. This entire narrative package is as remarkable as Tanaka’s backstory, even more so given that he is the main character. It's exceedingly rare to encounter a main character written and portrayed with such fantastic simplicity yet uniqueness. ~~~ >#img70%(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b204546-lOmrCxpBlaap.jpg) >##Dual antagonist >#__Hajime Tanaka__ ~~~

I delved into his episode in great detail, characterizing him as an absolute nut job. This is why I consider him the best antagonist, surpassing Dobu, Yano, or any other contender. Tanaka represents a deeply unsettling yet realistic outcome of unfortunate life circumstances that can morph an individual into a scary and dangerous person. His vengeful obsession, unpredictable behavior, and delusional worldview embody the consequences of bad life choices. This makes him relatable in a pitbullish way but also alarming, showcasing how life can deal a giant middle finger if you're too shortsighted to seek help. Actions have consequences, and his shortsighted and naive decisions led him into a dopamine spiral with no apparent escape route.

Ironically, when he was on the brink of ending his life, Odokawa’s supposed death "saved" him, fulfilling the very desire he had from the beginning. This twist brings his story full circle. His delusional hatred against Odokawa ceased when he believed Odokawa had met his demise. ~~~ >#img70%(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b204540-Wo7b9bBGaa4p.jpg) >##Dual antagonist >#__Dobu__ ~~~

The big baddy Dobu, cunning, strong, and very full of himself. He's an authentic portrayal of a ‘'bad guy who’s cool.’' He serves as a great story tool to move the plot further and is nonchalantly a very badass guy. His power struggle against Yano is also cool and interesting to watch, but this is where my positive thoughts end, or the general thoughts I have about him. As a character, he's not really delved into. His backstory and motivation for why he’s doing things are kind of vague and imply just his absolute loyalty to his yakuza boss. However, other actions, like the revelations of his Ditch-11 persona, show he’s had a bad side always in him, but we really get no clear conclusion on it, which is kinda disappointing. But he still functions well within the story and is generally a cool character. ~~~ >#img70%(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/character/large/b204549-mjl5RRhR1S95.png) >##Dual antagonist >#__Yano__ ~~~

Supa Hot Fire aka Yano is an emo kid who raps all the time. As dumb as this sounds, this guy is just a joy to watch. He is the only character who kinda feels like a cartoon villain. You can’t really take him seriously at all, and I enjoyed every bit of him. The final scene where he stops rapping because of his shock at being bamboozled by Dobu was so funny. I like Yano; he’s such a dumb character compared to all the other ones which focus much on authenticity. ---

Honorable mentions: Shirakawa, Kakihana, Nikaidou, Yamamoto and that absolute pyscho Wadagaki. (this cat watched to much perfect blue.)

Overall, all characters have different stories, and I feel differently about each of them, but one thing in common with everybody except Yano: all of them are authentic portrayals of human beings surviving the oppression of big city life. ~~~ >##__My Final Rating on the Characters__ >#__(20/25)__ ~~~ ~~~ --- #__Cinematography__ --- ~~~

I'm definitely not an expert, nor do I claim to be, but if you're someone who enjoys watching media and experiences more of it, you kind of develop an eye for what works for you, and if something looks noticeably different than others.

Odd Taxi's cinematography is very influenced by Japanese TV drama. There are a lot of static shots with people interacting with each other, but they still perfectly encapsulate conversations most of the time and are very good at showing details that help to understand the context of the story within the scene. However, the absolute highlight is definitely the Flying Taxi scene. ~~~ youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2-vIf5gvg) Simple but still great cinematography overall. ~~~ ~~~ >##__My Final Rating on the Cinematography__ >#__(8/10)__ ~~~ --- ~~~ #__Animation/Art__ ~~~ ---

Throughout most of the series, the animation doesn't stand out. The blurry art style for backgrounds is okay, and the CGI cars are borderline acceptable, not too bad. However, there are unique exceptions like the opening and the ending, which are absolutely fantastic in every way.

Especially the Opening, there is like so much information and foreshadowing in it presented in such a unique visual way. Hats off to the director __Daiki Kamoshita.__

Also, due to the clear focus on the narrative and the characters, the animation and art style take a back seat, much like the world-building, which is completely secondary compared to those aspects. So, it's kinda forgivable for a rather unimpressive art style and okay animations. ~~~ #img70%(https://fotografias-neox.atresmedia.com/clipping/cmsimages01/2022/09/02/D51C4102-C1D7-4001-9380-7697837A0A31/odd-taxi_98.jpg?crop=960,540,x0,y0&width=1900&height=1069&optimize=high&format=webply) #img70%(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDRjNGMwYzYtMDAzZS00NmFiLTkwNGItMWRlODA3OGU3ZjRhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODMyNTM0MjM@._V1_.jpg) #img70%(https://external-preview.redd.it/E_zIQ8vjRNxz0XTr074NyvKmFOGGxdK6JclxHKxJ_UE.png?format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cec83a7766fdee7aaa2c02f70e1d9bf96cbbe2d6) #img70%(https://preview.redd.it/hiroshi-odokawas-68-toyota-corona-from-odd-taxi-second-build-v0-ou4alz5zjxeb1.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=668ddbd94f2ac7625d5309c391091783efd37ee2) >##__My Final Rating on the Animation/Art__ >#__(7/10)__ ~~~ ~~~ --- #__Sound/Music__ --- ~~~

Obviously, the OP/ED are bangers. No questions asked. I dig the OP the most because of the rather soothing nostalgic vocals, along with the added woo-woo vocals and the lofi/jazz beat. It has this vibe of driving through a busy city, which perfectly suits this show in my opinion.

The ED is also great, with the idol group Mystery Kiss performing it and sounding authentically like an idol group in the Pop genre.

And I can’t forget the OST. Most of the tracks don’t stand out individually, but they suit their characters insanely well. Yano's theme is a great example of this. Also, Fairy Tale, the track used for the flying taxi scene, is also phenomenal. ~~~ youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI_cLtW3PnA&t) __ODDTAXI - Opening | ODDTAXI__ youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eAQrBK7lZE) __ODDTAXI - Ending | Sugarless Kiss__ ~~~ ~~~ The music overall is just great in this show. >##__My Final Rating on the Music__ >#__(8/10)__ ~~~ ~~~ --- #__Overall Thoughts & Final Rating__ --- ~~~

Expressing my concluding thoughts becomes challenging after delving deep into the intricate details. Yet, I can confidently declare that this show deserves the hype. It stands out from the typical anime fare, with characters and their stories feeling remarkably authentic and coherent. The overall narrative payoff is truly fantastic. However, as I mentioned in the beginning, I'm just an overly invested anime/manga fan who sometimes writes a lot of gibberish. If you've gone through this entire manifesto, good job on wasting your time, because instead of reading this high quality gibberish, you should have been watching anime or reading manga. ~~~ #__BE BETTER!!!__ Thanks for reading. >[Story/Plot]: (36/40) points >[World Building]: (3/5) points >[Characters]: (20/25) points >[Animation/Art]: (7/10) points >[Cinematography]: (8/10) points >[Sound/Music]: (8/10) points > >[Overall]: __(81/100) points__ ~~~

SenNkA

Listen. I am so weak for psychological and heavy stuff portrayed through animal characters. This shit made me want to rewatch and finish Beastars. (Check out [Amberville ](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2232799.Amberville)by Tim Davys. Seriously.) In this particular show, they tackle a lot more than just a mystery and love. Conspiracies, gangs, corrupted police, revenge... Badass characters, assholes, and mind twists... This show is such a carousel from the start... Things are said, things are hidden, there are symbols and they use the setting of 21st century to the fullest, to give us a story that might be actually happening out there right now. It is so crazy, but so believable... Our main character Odokawa is in his 40ties, seeing a doctor for his issue of not being able to sleep at night. He lives with a caretaker, that was assigned to him when his parents left him, and it seems like someone is living in his tiny room. He becomes a part of a missing person's case, when it's revealed that she drove in his taxi. Odokawa suddenly finds himself "working for the bad guys" as a spy, trying to solve the mystery on his own, while trying not to get himself killed as well. Apart from a beautiful nurse that grew to like him, he has a best friend Eiji, who leads a pathetic life. Together, they adopted a simply strategy of life "I've given up on love and happiness". But we all know, only those who hope say that stuff. On a dating app, he meets a wonderful 18 year old girl, Shiho. But Shiho is not who she says she is either... And please please let me mention Yano. This... Hystrix or whatever RAPS the whole time, and I live. I am so here for it. Seriously, he is everything to me. There is so much more to be said, and analyzed. But for once... I just quietly enjoyed the show. I don't care for an analysis. I care for the art style (that is simple yet so... detailed where it matters), the characters (that can be psychoanalyzed and fit perfectly in many archetypes), music (the opening is SUCH A BOP) and the story (that seemed simply and turned to be much more difficult). The little details of objects that seemingly carry no value are my favorites. I mean... when this scene came on, I fully gasped- ~! img800(https://i.imgur.com/63YBZAt.png) !~ And there are more scenes like these. Practically every issue gets resolved, every secrets spills out. Even those we didn't know were important, or those cases that seemed to be already finished and closed. One thing has to be said: I knew it. The big reveal, I knew. The moment Odokawa said it in the doctor's office, I KNEW. Because, let's face it, creating something that is completely original when you want to have a big twist is close to impossible. Still, still I loved it, still I gasped and still I LOVED AND ATE IT ALL UP. The main series gets an amazing score of 9/10.

AnimeYasna

ODDTAXI is what happens when you blend the gritty underworld of a crime thriller with the offbeat charm of talking animals, throw in a dose of deadpan humor, and shake it all up with a plot so twisty it’ll make your head spin. This isn’t your average cute animal anime—it’s Taxi Driver meets Zootopia, but way more clever, way more cynical, and way more weird. And you’ll love every second of it. __Plot Summary:__ Meet Odokawa, a socially awkward, introverted walrus who works as a taxi driver in the bustling, animal-populated city. He’s the type of guy who keeps to himself, doesn’t say much, and has about as much charisma as a brick. But as he goes about his mundane routine, driving oddball passengers around the city, he becomes the unwitting centerpiece in a sprawling mystery involving a missing girl, the yakuza, shady idols, and a bunch of bizarre characters who could each be the key to solving it all. The plot thickens with every new passenger. There’s the idol fan obsessed with winning a rare toy, a doctor with an online dating problem, a hippo trying to go viral, and a llama nurse with a dark side. Each conversation seems disconnected at first, but like a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces gradually come together, building toward a grand, mind-blowing reveal that’ll have you rewatching episodes to catch all the clues you missed the first time. __Characters:__ __Odokawa__ (The Walrus Taxi Driver): Odokawa is the heart of this story—a cynical, no-nonsense taxi driver who seems unimpressed by the world around him. His deadpan delivery is comedy gold, but don’t be fooled by his aloof demeanor. He’s more involved in the chaotic plot than even he realizes. You’ll start to wonder if his understated personality hides some seriously deep trauma, and spoiler: it does. __Shirakawa__ (The Llama Nurse): Shirakawa seems like the sweet, kind nurse with a secret soft spot for Odokawa, but there's way more to her than meets the eye. Let’s just say her nighttime activities aren’t exactly what you’d expect from a nurse. Watching her dance around Odokawa’s obliviousness is part of the fun, but when her secrets unravel, she becomes one of the most intriguing characters in the show. __Dobu__ (The Gangster Baboon): Dobu is the charming, menacing yakuza baboon who’s somehow both a ruthless criminal and oddly likable. He’s one of the key players in the city’s seedy underbelly, and his back-and-forth with Odokawa is top-tier. If you’ve ever wanted to see a walrus outsmart a mobster baboon in a mental chess match, you’ve come to the right place. __Kakihana__ (The Desperate Dating App Guy): Kakihana is Odokawa’s best friend and the living embodiment of "making terrible life choices." He’s a lonely, middle-aged monkey who ends up catfished on a dating app by someone with much bigger (and more dangerous) plans. His story arc is equal parts tragic and absurd, a perfect snapshot of the show’s dark humor. __Yano__ (The Rapping Porcupine): Yes, you read that right. Yano is a porcupine mobster who only speaks in rhymes. Imagine if Eminem and a spiky rodent had a love child, and you’ve got Yano. His battle rap-style dialogue is both hilarious and kind of terrifying, making him one of the most memorable (and strangely charismatic) villains in the show. __Animation:__ The animation in ODDTAXI is understated, quirky, and full of subtle detail. The character designs—anthropomorphic animals with human-like behaviors—are simple but incredibly expressive. The muted color palette and laid-back art style give the show a deceptively chill vibe, which contrasts brilliantly with the dark and twisty plot lurking beneath the surface. It’s the kind of animation that doesn’t scream for attention but rewards you for paying it. The city itself feels alive—almost like a character of its own—with its dimly lit streets, cozy cafés, and shady alleyways all adding to the noir-ish atmosphere. And for a show about animals, it manages to feel more human than most live-action dramas. __Soundtrack:__ The soundtrack is as cool and smooth as Odokawa’s deadpan quips. Jazzy tunes with mellow beats set the tone for the taxi rides, but when the plot thickens and the stakes rise, the music ramps up into tense, pulsing rhythms that keep you on the edge of your seat. The opening theme, “Oddloop” by Skirt and PUNPEE, is an absolute bop—it perfectly encapsulates the show’s quirky, mysterious vibe. And good luck getting it out of your head. The voice acting deserves a shout-out, too. Odokawa’s dry, monotone delivery is hilarious, but it’s the way every character’s voice subtly conveys their layers—whether they’re hiding secrets, making terrible decisions, or just trying to survive in this crazy city—that makes the dialogue crackle with tension and humor. __Funny Moments:__ __Odokawa’s Dry Humor:__ Odokawa’s deadpan one-liners and reactions to the bizarre characters he encounters are consistently funny. Whether he’s calmly negotiating with a gangster or shutting down an overenthusiastic passenger, his unflappable attitude makes him the comedic backbone of the show. __Yano’s Rapping:__ A gangster who communicates entirely in rhymes? Yano’s over-the-top, rhythm-heavy dialogue is not only impressive, but watching everyone else around him try to keep up is downright hilarious. It’s like someone dropped a battle rapper into a crime noir. __Kakihana’s Date Gone Wrong:__ Watching Kakihana’s desperation unfold as he falls for an online scam is both cringe-worthy and darkly funny. You’ll be yelling at your screen, "No, don’t do it!" the whole time. __Life Lessons:__ Nothing is What It Seems: ODDTAXI is a masterclass in misdirection. Every seemingly mundane conversation, every throwaway detail, holds the potential to flip the entire story on its head. The show reminds you that everyone has a secret, and things are rarely as simple as they seem. Humanity Comes in All Shapes (and Species): Despite being populated by animals, ODDTAXI is one of the most human stories you’ll come across. It tackles real-world issues like loneliness, fame, deception, and the desire for connection. Underneath the quirky animal designs, it’s an exploration of the human condition. Be Careful Who You Trust: Whether it’s a friend, a stranger, or even yourself, ODDTAXI teaches you that trust is a slippery slope. In a city where everyone has their own agenda, even a friendly cab driver might not be as neutral as he seems. __Final Thoughts:__ ODDTAXI is a genre-defying masterpiece that lures you in with its quirky characters and laid-back vibe, only to sucker-punch you with one of the tightest, most intricately woven narratives in anime. It’s part mystery, part dark comedy, part character study, and 100% brilliant. With its mix of offbeat humor, noir-esque intrigue, and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very last second, ODDTAXI is the kind of anime that rewards multiple rewatches. Forget Beastars—this is the real anime about animals grappling with the messiness of life (and, you know, crime).

Tsubakii1225

Odd Taxi is one of the best animes of the decade, the anime features a peculiar style of animal people (a bit similar to the approach used in other animes such as BNA or Beastars) which at first glance makes us forget the Stereotypes, but in reality they They are very present, and we become aware of this throughout the anime to a certain extent as we follow the development of the characters and get to know their stories, until the end of the story reveals everything about the protagonist. Odakawa is an incredible protagonist for the series, he was a peaceful man who just wanted to live his life in his corner until, suddenly, he finds himself in the situation of a crime that happened in his city and of which he is a suspect. . The work, in fact, tells the entire "documentary" of the crime very well, full of plot twists and mysteries that arise, most of which will end up being closed, some early, others only at the end of the story, but all well developed and masterfully closed.The characters are all very well developed, each with very unique characteristics and stories constructed to portray real-life situations, such as addiction to Gacha games with a lifetime's worth of money invested in order to achieve a goal which takes a moment of satisfaction to the character in question, described by him as the feeling of satisfaction that is only felt for an instant due to the release of dopamine from his brain, or a toxic relationship in which one of the parties develops Stockholm syndrome due to the abuser, among many other situations are very realistic and developed in a subtle way, giving realism and making the characters and their stories more humanized, despite their animalistic appearance.The animation is very pleasing to the eye, there isn't much to say, it's nothing fantastic, but everything in the anime is cute and well done, the colors are beautiful, the backgrounds work and fit with the style, the anime is very consistent in animation, despite not having much fluidity, it is not an anime that requires complex animation requirements, for what the anime proposes I think it is a very appropriate approach (highlighting the life that Staff managed to give to the city itself , always with pedestrians passing by on the street and other cars passing by whenever the frame is inside the Odokawa Taxi, with several stores in the background passing by in more commercial areas, it really makes it seem like the city has life, it gives the feeling that it is a place where events take place, I would say that it is another of the many strong points of this anime). Odd Taxi has become one of my favorite animes, I love the captivating story and its plot twists, I love the characters, the anime production did an excellent job.