So, I typically don’t write episode reviews of series as they’re airing. I’ve tried to do it a few times over the years and always encountered issues (such as not having enough free time) or lost interest part way through. But lately I’ve been trying to broaden my reach and my writing skill set a little bit, and I thought this might be one way to do that.
There are a ton of great series airing right now, but the one I just can’t seem to get off my mind is Odd Taxi. Compared to most other contemporary anime, its tone and subject matter feel very, well, odd; it has the feel of a live-action drama in every way aside from its animal characters. It looks very cute but feels unsettling, and I enjoy stories that play off of that kind of ambivalence. So I’m going to try to catch up with the show and post on it as episodes come out. I hope you’ll join me!
Note: This post contains spoilers for episodes 1 and 2 of Odd Taxi.
You can check out my previous reviews of the series below:
Episode 1



Hatsutaro and Kikuhiko continue their apprenticeship, but as Hatsutaro continually improves, Kikuhiko finds himself stymied by all manner of real-life concerns. He doesn’t have Hatsuta’s natural gift to hold an audience captive, and the fact that he spends much of the day at school means that he doesn’t get nearly the same length of time to practice his Rakugo stories. He finds himself struggling to memorize his beginner’s routines while Hatsuta has moved on to more complicated tales that feature his personality more. Kiku is torn between wanting to give up, and being motivated by watching his best friend’s successes. As to be expected, though, his path begins to open as he start to add more experiences under his belt.

