It’s not that I go to art specifically seeking punishment, or anything like that. I understand the appeal of stories that simply sooth or excite us; these are noble causes, and any balanced art diet will naturally contain many cheerful and comforting stories, works that can serve as emotional candles in the dark. But ultimately, it is the works that test their heroes to the limits that most directly speak to me – the stories that acknowledge a genuine darkness in the world, and are both too smart and too earnest to answer that darkness with either platitudes or escapism. Even when the protagonists of such stories fail, there is a vitality in their striving that feels inspirational all the same. The more bleakly honest a narrative’s perspective, the more solace I can take in its heroes’ struggles, as they bravely face the unrelenting terror of existence.

ODDTAXI’s heroes have all struggled to make peace with that terror, and I love them for that all the more than if they’d somehow “figured it out.” There is no “figuring out” the modern intersection of technology and capitalism; we live in an era where we’ve all been redefined as products, and humanity is, in a very literal sense, not built to handle the pressure of society’s collective surveillance. All we can do is find some peace within this paradigm, holding close to the people we care for, and understanding we are far more than our retweets or viral posts or dating profile cachet. The world can attempt to commodify us, but to the people we love, our worth will always be beyond measure. Here’s hoping at least a few of ODDTAXI’s lost souls come to see their true worth, as we return for the last time to this poignant production.

Episode 13

Aw shit, a genuine cold open for once, as we pan over the lights of Tokyo. The episode title is revealed as “Where to?” – that quintessential taxi driver phrase, which here doubles as a question for the show’s cast. Where are our heroes going, and where will they actually end up?

The next shots further lean into the cyclical framing of this conclusion, as we pan across the same establishing shots that first introduced this show’s version of Tokyo, now with Odokawa rocketing past them with his enemies in pursuit

And at last, we see Odokawa’s notebook. “I love animals. When I grow up, I want to work at the zoo.” Yep, seems to confirm that this story’s animal designs are actually one of Odokawa’s mental coping mechanisms

“That’s because I don’t like humans. Being around humans makes me anxious.” Precisely. So he reframed the world as one of animals, one he could be comfortable in – and furthermore, he chose a profession that allows him to act as an observer on the other side of the glass, rather than an active participant in the drama of life. Unfortunately for Odokawa, in this current era of online fragmentation and perpetual performance, your conversations with your taxi driver are actually some of the most earnest, authentically human interactions you can hope for. His efforts to hide away from humanity have actually made him that much more attuned to his community

We learn Odokawa was also harassed by his fellow students, and even his teachers

“They say I’m like a walrus and laugh at me”

His home life is even worse; his father has a mistress, and his mother takes that fact out on him

“That’s my dad, but he got me an animal encyclopedia, so I like him okay.” This line is more devastating than any of his preceding statements, because it demonstrates what small joys he has learned to live on. If you want to break an audience’s heart, don’t just show how hard a character’s life is: show how they find joy in that life, and what form “happiness” has had to contort itself into for them

“There’s something else that I like, too: cars.”

That technique is repeated as he reflects on how he loved his time at the zoo, even though he knew his father was seeing his mistress at the time

“When I think about returning to reality with all its humans, I’d rather stay here forever.” Odokawa’s reflections neatly fill out our understanding of his identity, reveal the secret intentionality of the show’s visual gimmick, and also reflect the show’s larger misgivings regarding how we engage with and dehumanize each other. God damn is this show elegantly constructed; with stories this well-plotted, the conclusion lands with the satisfaction of completing some grand architectural feat, and admiring how all the components solidify the whole

On the news, we learn that some other group won the Loser’s Bracket Finals. Not too surprising, considering our guy suffered a nervous breakdown on stage

Shirakawa tells Goriki that the cab is headed for the harbor. Where else could this story end, but by the water’s edge

Meanwhile, Shibagaki has at last dropped all his pretensions, and earnestly begs Baba to remain his partner

And at this point, Rui just wants to tell the truth. As we saw in her focus episode, the pressure of maintaining this illusion has drained whatever joy she once found in pursuing excellence. Unlike most of this show’s characters, she’s actually found a slice of true happiness with Baba, a relationship where she doesn’t have to put on airs or impress anyone. But while so many of ODDTAXI’s heroes are stuck seeking a happiness they could never attain, Rui is barred from achievable happiness by the crimes of the past

Even Shiho gets a moment, as she reflects on the jeering classmates who inspired her desire to achieve undeniable wealth. Even before the internet era, society was already dictating the capitalist terms by which she could achieve respect or happiness

“You only get one go round in life. You gotta do whatever you can to make your dreams come true.” Gosh. Yuki’s mother means well, but she’s burdening her daughter with impossible pressure

They seem to have saved half of this show’s overall background art for just this episode, and lord it is glorious. The city has never looked prettier, even as its citizens have never seemed more desperately alone

Goriki tells us that Odokawa’s illness is known as “visual agnosia”

And of course, the chase ends in Odokawa’s car flying off an unfinished bridge. All of Tokyo’s lonely souls stare on as Odokawa’s car crosses the moon, the fortune billowing out of his trunk. Their lives are difficult, and they’ve lost so much, but in this moment of devastating catharsis, the contrast between their splashes and Odokawa’s fall seem to emphasize that compared to this, nothing is irreplaceable. As long as you keep living, you can still repair your story, you can still be loved

In this moment, Odokawa must feel like the rest of them: like this is the destined end of his life, where everything ties together and he can finally rest. But his friends care about him too much to allow him that kind of retreat from pain; he may not see it, but he still has so much to live for

Devastating to hear he actually enjoyed his mother’s suicide drive, as it was the first “family drive” they’d taken in a long time

As expected, Odokawa immediately began seeing everyone as animals after his mother’s crash

“One day, a tapir showed up and said he’d take care of me.” So it was actually the yakuza boss who took Odokawa in. No wonder Odokawa has no fear of him

Shirakawa drags him out from the bed of the goddamn river. SHIRAKAWA STRONG

When he wakes up, his agnosia is gone. “What do I look like to you?” “A human.” “Does that scare you?” “No, I’m fine.”

God, his illness is such a perfect vehicle for this show’s themes. In ODDTAXI, there is truly nothing scarier than the eyes of humanity

Man, after all this time, it’s a little weird seeing these characters’ human forms

We see that Rui and the other conspirators were also arrested. Yamamoto actually looks pretty handsome as a human

“Once things settle down, I’d like to go to the zoo.” Shirakawa wasting no time in setting up a date with Odokawa, now that all the noir murder violence is concluded

“When I think about it, getting to visit an idol in prison is a special experience.” Oh my god Imai

And Goriki asks Odokawa a question I’d entirely forgotten about: what the heck is he hiding in his house? Oh right, that was one of our Big Mysteries

Ahahaha. Odokawa’s secret housemate is just a normal cat, which comes as a great relief even to Odokawa himself

Yuki has apparently successfully transferred to a new agency. I like that they’ve kept the way her bangs twist over her forehead, making it clear that it’s her

And oh my god, SHE WAS THE KILLER. Not one ounce of regret, either. I suppose she’s the only answer that makes sense – who else would have known where the victim was going to be?

And Done

Ahhhh, what a show. As expected, this carefully sculpted narrative culminated in a thoroughly satisfying conclusion, with this finale offering both the fist-pumping emotional catharsis and cheeky evasiveness this show deserves. In the end, only one person was truly fit for our current social media age: the unrepentant, sociopathic murderer, who’s perfectly willing to kill people in order to advance her standing. Meanwhile, all of ODDTAXI’s other stars held tight on whatever happiness they could find, abandoning some digital dreams in order to better appreciate their actual lives. Even with his agnosia resolved, Odokawa will surely face many future challenges, with one of them already smiling in his backseat. But wallowing in future fears is no better than praying for online adulation; we were not built to carry the weight of the world, and the more we can enjoy our present moment or company, the better. Let the world take care of itself for a moment, Odokawa; for now, all you should be planning is that trip to the zoo.

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