The story takes place in a world where people are replaced by animals, with the main character, Odakawa, being a walrus. He’s a taxi driver who suddenly gets caught up in a police investigation related to a missing girl that leads him to encounters with the yakuza and other dangerous individuals. The story starts off relatively slowly as it introduces the world, characters, and premise, presenting several mysteries for the viewers to think about. The main thing that makes Odd Taxi so engaging is how it gradually introduces and solves these mysteries throughout its run. Tiny hints are sprinkled all throughout, with future events being foreshadowed in past episodes. It’s very consistently written with all plot elements being utilized and leaving no holes in the story. The climax of the story is reached by the end, with all the plot threads neatly tied up and problems resolved.
One issue I have with the plot is its “main twist,” which is presented at the very end and is the most foreshadowed thing. The build-up is well done, but to me, the premise of it came off as inherently ridiculous and contrived, and it doesn’t really even contribute to the overall story, which would have been just as good if it didn’t exist. It’s as if it’s just there to include another plot twist. I’m being vague so as not to spoil anything, so what I’m saying probably sounds pretty strange, but you’d see what I mean if you decide to watch it. Another issue I had was in regards to the multiple perspectives method of storytelling. It added variety to the story, but I found that it made it a bit confusing to follow at times, as there are multiple plot elements you have to keep track of constantly, and they were sometimes presented in a somewhat unclear matter, though that could honestly just be me.
The characters of Odd Taxi are another engaging aspect of the show. Despite being presented as animals, they felt very realistic compared to characters of most other anime I’ve seen. In a Quentin Tarantino-esque fashion, all the characters have their own plot threads and motivations that entwine with one another, and everybody gets their moment to shine. Dialogue is witty and, once again, realistic.
I personally really enjoy when shows leave something for the viewer to think about, which is another thing Odd Taxi provides. I feel its underlying messages are an underrated aspect of the show. It provides some interesting commentary about the effects of social media and society’s obsession with celebrities and becoming famous. How far would you be willing to go to be famous? What happens to those who manage to achieve fame and those who fail to? It adds another layer of quality to an already very good story.
Odd Taxi is undoubtedly one of the more impressive anime to be released in recent times and gives me hope for the industry's future. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s enjoyable and well written for what it is.
