A storm is brewing in ODDTAXI, one whose clouds loom over every soul we’ve met so far. As episodes have stacked up, odd points of connection have emerged all across the cast, from Atsuya and Nikaido’s relationship to Yamamoto’s murky ties to Dobu’s employers. In a show that’s so thematically preoccupied with the alienation of the modern world, it feels like a kind of cruel irony that its cast are so oddly connected – not in such a way that they might comfort each other, but more in the way dominoes are linked yet separate, bonded only by their mutually assured destruction. A tragedy anywhere in our cast would send ripples through the entire ensemble; and with the danger ratcheted up to its current fever pitch, such a tragedy is beginning to feel inevitable.
Such a sense of unease is common in the noir traditions ODDTAXI draws upon. Rather than hoping for genuine salvation, noir heroes seek only to avoid the flood, and perhaps save an innocent or two along the way. Traditionally, the darkness of these stories was fomented in the ravages of post-war trauma; for ODDTAXI, the stratified, performative nature of social media and modern capitalism provide more than enough horror, allowing characters like Tanaka to drown in the dissatisfaction of modern living. In a world like this, clinging to the connections you can truly count is likely the best we can hope for – and with Odokawa demanding that Dobu let Shirakawa go, it seems like this show’s most precious bond might still be intact. I’m holding on hope for ODDTAXI’s painfully human lost souls, as we enter the second half of this magnificent production.
Episode 7
The fact that actual, non-anthropomorphic animals exist in this world seems to lend some credence to the idea that all of the characters’ current appearances are a mental mechanism of Odokawa, or someone else. Perhaps he finds animals easier to talk to
The OP is back to full length, with Taichi and the idols returning
Also, Odokawa’s closet in the OP has a cat tail hanging out of it. Has that always been there?
Another rare daylight opening sequence, and this time it seems we’re even outside the city proper. Odokawa’s taxi route naturally amplifies the sense of claustrophobia and perpetual performance this show is trying to evoke – in the heart of Tokyo, everywhere you look there is a wall of lights trying to sell you something
“Trick or Treat.” So it looks like we’re barreling right on to Dobu’s Halloween gambit
I love Odokawa’s weary posture as he leans against his car. His design is basically a stout cube, so I’m impressed with how much character they’re able to draw out of how he places his hands and legs
He’s looking for Taichi at his college. “People online might treat him like a god, but among us, he’s famous for being a coward who’s desperate for recognition.” Unsurprisingly, Taichi’s non-digital life offers none of the validation he craves, and he has in fact poisoned his reputation among his peers by being so desperate for recognition. Online fame has come at the cost of any genuine friends
It’s not terribly surprising. Success as an online talking head tends to require a kind of always-on performative intensity, which is great for grabbing an audience of young and credulous people’s attention, but would come off as grating and insincere in person. “Your favorite online personalities are not your friends” is a truism that I hope most people have internalized at this point – but the opposite is also true, in that an adoring online audience is not the same as a personal support network
Glass shimmers on the floor of Odokawa’s apartment. Excellent way to build towards the reveal here – the shards briefly look like tears or diamonds, introducing an element of mystery and expectation just before the bullet hole in the window is revealed
Kakihana used the latest money he doesn’t have to buy a suit and a ring
He proudly uses a shoehorn to adjust his fancy shoes, while on the floor we see a pile of unpaid bills
And outside, the loan collectors have arrived
What a brutal cut, as we abruptly shift away from him cowering under a blanket. Cutting off the end of the loan collector’s threat adds even more impact, as if we’re fleeing a situation that Kakihana cannot
Odokawa is lucky to find just the weak-willed brother at the police station, and convinces him to come investigate the shooting. Separated from his brother, this guy is easy to control – they basically embody the two poles of noir cops, dirty bastards and hapless idiots
Kinda love this cop. He just awkwardly straight-out asks, “you wouldn’t have that missing girl tied up in there, right?”
“Little Daimon, why did you want to become a police officer?” With the urgency of this situation increasing, and both he and Shirakawa in immediate danger, Odokawa is embracing more aggressive investigation techniques, and proving he’d actually make a pretty fine detective if he wanted to. Or perhaps that’s part of the life he’s escaping through taxi driving
Daimon’s parents were killed by a hit-and-run taxi driver, after which he “vowed to punish evil.” So there’s why he can’t stand taxi drivers
This is a pretty major play. Odokawa’s clearly feeling cornered if he thinks his best move is to turn Daimon against his own twin brother, by revealing the full truth of his actions
He even reveals his collaboration with Dobu, offering to work as a double agent. I doubt Odokawa would normally care about putting Dobu behind bars, but I also doubt he trusts Dobu to let Shirakawa go, and is covering his bases
“You’ll get more evil just by collaborating with him!” Little Daimon has the simplest possible view of crime and society, exemplified even in his fundamental desire to “punish evil.” Petty crime isn’t a reflection of “evil” – it’s a reflection of a society that has failed its people in some way, creating an underclass that cannot survive within society’s guidelines. Very few people turn to crime just because they love breaking laws; it’s normally either a desperate or practical decision, the only route out of a bad situation. Smart cops understand this, and know their job will never be to put every person who breaks the law behind bars – but like Taichi, Little Daimon sees himself more as a superhero than a cog in society
“You can speak when I ask you a question.” Naturally funny dynamic between these two, with Little Daimon so overwhelmed by Odokawa’s gruff certainty
We learn that Dobu was once arrested in a bank robbery, and his leader then might be his current boss
“Why would my brother work for him!?” A fair question – is Big Daimon just greedy, or is there something more
“If your brother is doing bad things, you have to punish him. Otherwise your sense of justice will waver.” Odokawa is well aware he’s speaking to a man with a child’s sense of justice
Of course Little Daimon is a fan of Taichi
Pressed by Daimon, Odokawa admits he personally wants Dobu to suffer. He starts to write Shirakawa’s name on his blueprint, then crosses it out, not wanting to get her involved in the police side of this operation
Odokawa doesn’t even care if he gets arrested too. Little Daimon is touched by this show of heroism, but it really just reflects how little Odokawa cares about his own fortunes
These bastards. We get within inches of Little Daimon opening Odokawa’s closet, before he’s called away because a body has been found in the river. Still, quite interesting that Odokawa was actually willing to let Daimon see whatever’s in the closet
They’re really playing up the ominousness of Odokawa’s secret, combining a rising single tone with a report on the body found in the river, as Odokawa says “good girl.” Does he really just have a cat in there? Is this actually the cat from the intro, who he finally got to come home with him? How much is ODDTAXI screwing with me here?
The body was clearly weighted down, and belongs to a woman from her teens to thirties
“Now you can’t get out.” Yeah, increasingly feeling like the ominous framing of Odokawa’s closet is a big red herring
Shirakawa sends Odokawa a text, telling him that Dobu has ended their partnership, and she hopes he’ll forgive her
Odokawa would never admit how much he’s doing for his friends, but fortunately, both Goriki and Shirakawa recognize his sacrifice
“Did you forget what I do for a living? We’re going to treat Odokawa.” In spite of all this show’s reflections on modern alienation, a few genuine bonds still prevail
Shiho leads Kakihana to a construction site, where he’s knocked out from behind by Yamamoto and a goon. Apparently this is another of their “idol duties,” though Shiho doesn’t look particularly happy about it
Odokawa bumps into Yano at last, and oh my god all of his dialogue is little rhyming couplets. This just have been hell for the translators
Odokawa briefly rebuffs Yano’s request for an apology, but is ultimately so perplexed by his rhyming demands that he offers a “sorry” just to escape
Nikaido is Not Pleased. She checks in with Yamamoto, who’s on the phone with Yano. All our stars are circling closer and closer together – and with the reveal at the construction site, there’s no longer any point in hiding Yamamoto’s criminal ties
Meanwhile, Ichimura has just lost all her will to continue, and asks Yamamoto to stop running these extortion games. Nikaido has no sympathy: “how are you going to make money for the agency?”
Dobu is completely obvious in his skull mask, but Odokawa tells him he looks great, and that no one else will be able to recognize him
Odokawa states that now that he’s seen their waitress’ face, he could recognize her anywhere, even with different makeup. More credit to the idea that he actually was some kind of detective or detective-adjacent figure in his pre-taxi life
Big Daimon is wishing people dead as usual, and Little Daimon can’t happily play along with Odokawa’s words ringing in his head
Dobu and Odokawa find “Skull Mask,” but the fur color is wrong. It’s not Tanaka
Meanwhile, Yano is out at the docks, desperately trying to wash something off his hands. Well, that couldn’t be any more suspicious – I wonder if Kakihana is being held in one of these buildings
“Didn’t you know? Kabasawa-sama’s giving a million yen to anyone who catches you.” Oh fucking please. Taichi, you really can’t help yourself, can you?
Taichi catches some footage of Dobu beating this guy up, and disappears into the crowd
And Done
Well, shit. Not only has Odokawa failed to capture either Tanaka or Taichi, but he’s now likely on video as one of Dobu’s assistants, heartlessly standing by as Dobu beats the crap out of an innocent cosplayer. Odokawa has so far resisted getting drawn into the social media maelstrom of Taichi’s crusade, but it’s looking like his profile will soon be rising – meanwhile, the mysterious Yano has finally appeared, and rapidly demonstrated that he’s complicit in everything Dobu has been accused of. Our conspiracy is finally coming together, with Yano, Yamamoto, and Nikaido all contributing to what at best is an extortion/blackmail ring, and at worst is something far more terrible. This was a far more narrative-driven episode than most, and it didn’t waste a single moment – with Odokawa and Yamamoto’s allies now assembling, ODDTAXI’s second half is rambling towards an apocalyptic finale.
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