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The ODDTAXI Ending Explained!




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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 11323
PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:26 pm Reply with quote
I don't know if Rui was true to her conscience so much as just finally reaping what she sowed by covering up Yuki's murder. She didn't look relieved so much as depressed as she's being led away and made a public spectacle as a criminal, going from idol to suspected murderer.
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tintor2



Joined: 11 Aug 2010
Posts: 1838
PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:10 pm Reply with quote
I liked the series' multiple focus on different social issues but I kinda sea coming this twist since the opening vid had multiple out of place elements like pets. Still, it kinda felt to me like Durarara with this usage of characters.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:47 pm Reply with quote
It was very good, but I think it would have been even better by just removing most of Yuki and the murder plot (just keep it unexplained) as most of the event where the story fall apart are connect to it. Yuki 2.0 kill the Yuki 1.0 to replace her, but her plan would only work if she somehow knew that Yuki 1.0 would go to the office that night, Rui would also go and that they'd try to cover up the murder. Her planting the cell phone for Tanaka makes no sense and isn't necessary anyway (apparently there's an explanation in the manga but that's definitely a portion that should have remained unexplained, no explanation > bad explanation anyday). Yuki 2.0 being free is just strange, Odokawa remark that he should mention to the cop that he drove her the night of the murder and she should definitely be a person of interest in that murder, I guess Odokawa just forgot that?

Just keep everything vague, leaving the question of whether Rui killed Yuki or not in the air instead.
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Sven Viking



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1039
PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 10:20 am Reply with quote
An important thing to keep in mind there is that Odokawa’s evidence — that a second person with a relatively weak motive was at the scene around the time of the murder — is extremely circumstantial and would not be enough to convict her. To be honest Rui’s disposal of the body makes her massively more suspicious in a her-word-against-hers situation. Assuming the police couldn’t get a confession (which seems unlikely given Sakura’s sociopathic character) or find enough additional evidence (which also seems unlikely from what the show has shown us), at best it would provide enough reasonable doubt to get Rui acquitted.

An important question is whether Odokawa can recognise Sakura. After discussion with others it sounds like he should be able to, but even if his powers of recognition were gone and he can’t associate her animal form with her human form, at the very least he was definitely aware that she was the new idol group member and has had a few days to find out who she was if he didn’t know her face. I think this makes it very likely that he’s pretending not to know her in the final scene.

Given those two points, I think Sakura’s line about it being amazing luck to have randomly come across Odokawa’s taxi just then (shortly after he realised she was the likely killer) is intended to imply to the viewer that this meeting is not actually random. Odokawa is running some new scheme with the intention of getting her to incriminate herself, either with the cooperation of the police or because he decided to do it himself for some reason (e.g. maybe he went to the police but they weren’t helpful).

In cooperation with the police seems like the simplest assumption without anything else to go on, since he specifically says he’s going to take it to them and if nothing else there doesn’t seem to be any reason he couldn’t co-opt Daimon again.
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lossthief
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 14 Dec 2012
Posts: 1395
PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 10:55 am Reply with quote
Sven Viking wrote:


Given those two points, I think Sakura’s line about it being amazing luck to have randomly come across Odokawa’s taxi just then (shortly after he realised she was the likely killer) is intended to imply to the viewer that this meeting is not actually random..


It's definitely not random, but that's because Sakura already found his cab several episodes earlier, when she was riding with her manager and placed her phone - with the active GPS - in his rear seat cushions.
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Sven Viking



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1039
PostPosted: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:26 pm Reply with quote
lossthief wrote:
Sven Viking wrote:


Given those two points, I think Sakura’s line about it being amazing luck to have randomly come across Odokawa’s taxi just then (shortly after he realised she was the likely killer) is intended to imply to the viewer that this meeting is not actually random..


It's definitely not random, but that's because Sakura already found his cab several episodes earlier, when she was riding with her manager and placed her phone - with the active GPS - in his rear seat cushions.

That wouldn’t help much at this point considering the vehicle the phone was placed in is presumably either still underwater somewhere or in a scrapyard?

While on the phone she says she headed out to find the taxi and thinks she’s found it by “total coincidence” and luck. She then ends the conversation early, giving the impression she just spotted Odokawa while walking and is hanging up to enter the cab.


Edit: Another point that makes it hard to believe Odokawa wouldn’t know Sakura’s face is that she says she’s been getting a lot more attention since the arrest. With Rui gone, I doubt she’s remained constantly masked both in publicity appearances and in news reports.
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danpmss



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 768
PostPosted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 4:35 pm Reply with quote
Wouldn't say the tighest written show in any stance after the two absurd capoeira ex machinas we've got by the final episodes. But overall it's a really good anime in an overview nonetheless, that dark twist finale was totally unexpected.
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myfairx



Joined: 29 Sep 2016
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:58 am Reply with quote
All time best? Not really. Tightest written also no. In my book it’s already claimed by Psycho Pass. But I must say Odd Taxi is quite good. It’s not too convoluted but has many forced moment and plot device is decent at best. Just my 2c
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