Time Taxi

Romaji: Suteki na Sen TAXI
Genre: Human, Slice of Life
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 9.4%
Broadcast network: Fuji TV / KTV
Broadcast period: 2014, Oct to Dec

 

Cast

Takenouchi Yutaka as Eda Wakare, taxi driver, Cafe Choice = Bakarythm as Sakoda Hiroshi, Minamisawa Nao as Usami Natsuki, Seino Nana as Seki Kanna, and Masu Takeshi as Shirushi MichioSynopsis

Synopsis

Edawakare (Takenouchi) is the driver of Sentaxi, a marvelous vehicle which is able to take a passenger back to his or her "life's turning point".  His cool appearance is at odds with his talkative, meddlesome, sweet-toothed character. He gives advice to passengers who are flustered after failing in their life's choice. (Jdrama Weblog)

My Take

Thoroughly enjoyed this!

Of course, it helped that our sexy Take-san was the lead, and with a bonus episode that included Toru Nakamura, well, what can I say?

A two-fer if ever there was one.

We don't find out the whys behind this gem of a tale until the last episode, so I can't spare much in the way of details without there being spoilers.

Let's just say this was another genius bit of silly that employs the idea of a taxi that is capable of turning back time for whoever is lucky (or not) enough to hop in the back seat and ask to be taken somewhere.

Edawakare's cool stems not from his appearance (obviously) but in his calm nature.


Nothing appears to rattle this dude; not even when a passenger is belligerent or on the lam.

Not even as the driver of a taxi capable of time travel, nor from the amount of sweets this guy consumes.

Each episode offers us a new passenger with a new set of problems, but I think the twist came in not all of these situations being predictable, similar, or happy-ending.


Heck, one of them actually made me cry.

Not being used to, ever being able to understand, or even liking Japanese humor, I did not get the point of there being sporadic instances of a silly crime drama being shown at certain times and in every episode.


Which is why I gave it 4 out of 5, and for no other reason.


This was a drama that made me wish it was Korean 20 and not typical Japanese 10.


I wanted it to go on and on . . .


However!


And, I could be wrong, but, I think it may have hinted at a sequel somewhere down the road,

. . . so let's hope that 9.4% rating is a high number, eh?