Written by Luca LeFay

The Western world has always had a complicated relationship with anime (Japanese animation). For most of my life, it has been the subject of confusion, and often mockery or scorn by all but the nerdiest. Many see it as something just for “kids”, such as Pokemon, Digimon, or Yu-Gi-Oh. Others see it as hyper violent, like Ninja Scroll or Akira, or perverted, with bouncy breasts, tentacles, and furries. While many anime can fall into one of these descriptors, it is an extremely small scope that overlooks the vast majority of an art form and medium of storytelling.

Anime is not a genre, but a style of art. There are kids shows, violent shows, and shows you would hide under your mattress, but the same can be said of any medium of storytelling. There are also fantasies, romances, slice of life comedies, psychological thrillers and so much more.

Anime has had a steady growth over the past three decades in America, yet still has not become mainstream like video games, comic books, and superheroes. In the early ‘90s it was nearly impossible to find – I would watch Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z at 4 AM before school. Pokemon hit the scene in 1998 and that cash cow brought a lot of recognition to these curious foreign cartoons. Toonami and Adult Swim on Cartoon Network started bringing shows that could appeal to teens and adults, respectively. Anime has had a steady growth in popularity in the West since then. Online streaming services, such as Crunchyroll and Funimation have made anime much more accessible and allowed a wide variety of shows to be available legitimately for the first time. That said, it is still mostly only watched by those labeled as “anime fans” rather than becoming commonplace. While most people are aware of Pokemon, and many have seen a random show or a Ghibli film, it is still quite niche.

Accessibility tends to be an issue for new anime watchers. Lots of anime contain common tropes that would not be understood by a first time watcher, may require knowledge of Japanese history or culture, and many are subtitled only. There have been standout anime which people have considered a “gateway” watch (Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Attack on Titan come to mind). I have generally considered Cowboy Bebop to be one of the best introductions until this year, with the arrival of an unassuming show called Odd Taxi.

It would not be surprising if you have never heard of Odd Taxi. It didn’t tear up the charts and doesn’t contain flashy action or sexy girls. It is however one of the best-told stories I have ever experienced. It has been compared by greater writers than I to Knives Out or Agatha Christie and I enthusiastically agree. Odd Taxi is an accessible 13 episodes teeming with thought and intrigue, not a minute wasted. Many likely would not give it a second glance, as it is subs only, a cartoonish art style, and the world is populated with anthropomorphized animals.

The first scene of the first episode is a short clip of a wrapped-up object sinking underwater. The episode continues slowly, mostly showing the daily life of a taxi driver, who also happens to be a walrus. By the end of the episode there is some intrigue building, but almost nothing is yet known. While it may not immediately leave you with a jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, it leaves you interested, and hopefully curious to see what is going on in this city. Every subsequent episode delves deeper into the underhanded happenings of corrupt cops, rival gangs, and pop idols. Clues trickle in as to what this murder is all about and every episode after the first hooks you to watch the next episode right away. The series culminates in a total left-field surprise that is satisfying in every way you could hope and likely would never guess. Upon completion you will want to watch through it again to sift through the details and find out what you missed, having already known what happens. It turns out that all the hints are sprinkled throughout, but only the most talented of Sherlocks would put it all together on the first viewing.

As much as I would like to explain its brilliance in more detail, the only solution is to watch it. Divulging any more of the story would spoil some of it’s magic along your four-and-a-half hour journey. It is a complex, subtle, enigmatic mystery that will keep you guessing the whole way – so hopefully you can take my word on it and give it a shot. I am confident that you will be satisfied and want to recommend it to another person, and the genius of this art will continue to spread and become well known. You can view Odd Taxi on Crunchyroll or VRV (please watch legitimately and support the anime industry). After you have watched it, I recommend an analysis and breakdown of its complexity by Anime Youtuber Geoff Thew, which helped inspire me to write this.