Skirt -- Chikatetsu no Yureru Rhythm de（地下鉄の揺れるリズムで）feat. Motoi Murakami/Special（スペシャル）

 

Just around three years ago, I was made aware of a stylish anime noir called "ODDTAXI" which had an appropriately stylish urban contemporary opening theme song by the partnership of musician Skirt（スカート）and hip-hop MC/trackmaker Punpee, I didn't add much more than that regarding either fellow.

As for the high-toned Skirt, he is originally Wataru Sawabe（澤部渡）from Tokyo who began his Skirt project in 2006 which has dove into regular J-Pop, guitar pop and City Pop. In 2020, he released a digital EP titled "Extended Vol.1" which includes a snazzy jazz-pop number called "Chikatetsu no Yureru Rhythm" (To the Swaying Rhythm of the Subway). I don't think that would entail any of our subways here in Toronto but I can certainly swing to this song as would Glenn Miller...wherever he is. Helping Skirt out is trumpeter Motoi Murakami（村上基）from funk band Zainichi Funk（在日ファンク）along with a battery of other fine brass musicians. A vinyl version of the EP came out just a few weeks ago.

I decided to make this article a two-for-one post because this second song is so short but also so sweet. "Special" is the title track from Skirt's May 2025 5th album as a major artist, and I gather that this happy tune would qualify as one of his guitar pop tunes. It's still got plenty of groove and swing in its arrangement and the only thing that I was disappointed about was the fact that it cut short so quickly.

Skirt & Punpee -- ODDTAXI

 

Some days ago, a commenter gave me a shout under the article for Dacho Club's（ダチョウ俱楽部）"Vegetarian Rumba"（ベジタリアン・ルンバ）where they recommended me an anime called "ODDTAXI". I'd never heard of it and I'd assumed that it was something being shown during this current season.

Actually, though, "ODDTAXI" had its run about a year ago through TV stations including TV Tokyo. The series has its characters of anthromorphized animals going about their daily and nocturnal lives in Tokyo, and that is nothing new in the world of anime. However, as one YouTube commenter put it, "ODDTAXI" has this atmosphere of a Quentin Tarentino flick, and even in the first episode as shown above, the world surrounding the main character of Odokawa the seen-it-all heard-it-all stoic and sarcastic walrus taxi driver has that sensation of camaraderie and humour overlaying a not-quite-comfortable tension that could explode at any time. Even before I saw the QT comment, I'd gotten the impression that there was some serious film noir happening.

I've only seen Episode 1 thus far but I've enjoyed it and the whole thing about the animals takes a back seat to the mysterious story whose disparate elements, I suspect, will all be connected as the series progresses. Another thing is that the morose Odokawa is played by seiyuu Natsuki Hanae（花江夏樹）, the same fellow behind the heroic Tanjiro in "Kimetsu no Yaiba"（鬼滅の刃）. It's quite the voice change. 

This being a music blog, I have to say that I have also fallen for the opening theme "ODDTAXI". Created and performed by the duet of musician Skirt (スカート...aka Wataru Sawabe/澤部渡) and hip-hop MC/trackmaker Punpee, there is some beautiful music being made as I get hints of Kirinji（キリンジ）and maybe a pinch of 80s City Pop among the rap and the nighttime pop. The music video goes weaves in and out between the anime and real-life Tokyo with appearances by the seiyuu (although I'm not sure whether Hanae pops up) in the show. It's a modern urban contemporary example of musical mellowness that would be ideal for a midnight taxi ride in the big city. If I'd known about the song earlier, I would have included it in my "Taxi Songs" list a month ago.

In any case, I'll have to take a look at the rest of the series since even "The New Yorker" mentioned that "ODDTAXI" was a worthy honourable mention in its "Best TV of 2021". Better late than never.