The 2021 anime series Odd Taxi drew plenty of attention for its shocking final episode. Now, a new project has been announced titled RoOT / Route of Odd Taxi.

 

Odd Taxi was an original anime series planned and written by P.I.C.S and directed by Baku Kinoshita. The screenplay was written by Kazuya Konomoto, while the main character–a middle-aged cab driver–was portrayed by the popular voice actor Natsuki Hanae. The music was also a major highlight, produced by PUNPEE, VaVAa, and OMSB. In addition to the manga series released alongside the anime series, the film Odd Taxi: In the Woods was released in 2022 and will be adapted for the stage in 2023.

 

Although the details of RoOT / Route of Odd Taxi have not yet been revealed, a manga series will kick off the project. A visual showing the main characters Sato and Reina has been released. Takeichi Abaraya, who also worked on the original manga, is in charge of the illustrations. Don’t miss out on this new adventure!

 

©P.I.C.S.

Fans who can’t attend the upcoming Odd Taxi: Diamond wa Kizutsukanai (Diamonds Will Not Be Damaged) stage play live can stream at home! The opening performance on January 25 and the final Tokyo show on January 31 will be available to stream live with tickets now available.   The play will focus on the formation of the idol group Mystery Kiss.   Yui Oguri (AKB48) will play Rui Nikaido, an adorable and ambitious idol who becomes a star member of the group. Hinatazaka46 member Hiyori Hamagishi will play Sakura Wadagaki, a key person in the play’s overall story. Former E-girls member Nonoka Yamaguchi plays the naturally talented Yuki Mitsuya while former ≠ME member Hitomi Suzuki plays the shy Shiho Ichimura.   Don’t miss out on this unique take on the world of Odd Taxi!   ©P.I.C.S. / 舞台小戸川交通パートナーズ

An interview with Yui Oguri (AKB48) has been released ahead of the start of the upcoming Odd Taxi: Diamond wa Kizutsukanai(Diamonds Will Not Be Damaged) stage play. The show will run in Tokyo from January 25 until January 31 and in Osaka on February 4 and 5. Oguri will play Rui Nikaido, an ambitious idol and member of the group Mystery Kiss. An excerpt from the interview can be read below.

Q: This stage play is a spin-off of the Odd Taxi series featuring the idol group Mystery Kiss. How did you feel after reading the script?   “I’ve appeared in several dramas and stage plays, but this is my first time playing an idol! As many people know, I’m an idol in my everyday life, and I thought it would be interesting to play an idol role. I’ve looked forward to this from the start. Reading the script, there are so many things that I can relate to as an idol. Some parts were so realistic–I wondered how the scriptwriter could have known so much about the idol industry! I think that’s what makes this play so interesting. Of course, that doesn’t mean that EVERYTHING is realistic.” (Laugh)     Q: Your character, Rui Nikaido, passes an idol audition and becomes a member of the idol group Mystery Kiss. “At the audition, Nikaido wasn’t intimidated. She was confident and wanted everyone to watch her. When I auditioned for AKB48, I was so nervous and felt so small when compared to the other idols with a similar presence as Nikaido. Playing Nikaido made me wonder what would have happened if I had been more confident back then and it reminded me of my own audition. Auditions bring together all kinds of people–people like Nikaido, girls who aren’t great at dancing, and more. I think the audience will enjoy seeing this play out on stage.”     Q: What kind of character is Rui? How do you want the audience to perceive her?   “I think that Rui Nikaido is a girl who knows how to present herself as a proper idol. She has her own way of thinking and is incredibly strong. She’s cool! The way she stands on stage reminds me of how I take myself seriously as an idol. Sadly, what Rui lacks is a charm. For example, when she’s invited to a variety show, she’s bad at being sociable enough and she wonders why she has to do that kind of work. But still, her strong heart and her love of idols make her a really cool character.”     Q: What would you like to say to those who will be coming to see the show?   “I appreciate everyone who has been so patient since the stage play was postponed last year. The entire cast and crew worked so hard to create this incredible work. Those in the audience who see me as Rui and not as Yui will enjoy the gap between myself and this character. I also hope that fans of Odd Taxi will see this as something far beyond their expectations. I hope you’re looking forward to the show!”   [Summary] On a certain day in 2019, an audition was held in Tokyo to recruit new members for an idol group. The three girls chosen from the many applicants were Rui Nikaido, Shido Ichimura, and Yuki Mitsuya, and these singers came together to form the group Mystery Kiss. Each of the girls followed their own dreams and took their lessons seriously in order to have a successful debut. However, the producer of the group is incredibly unmotivated, and several disturbing behind-the-scenes info begins popping up on social media. Although the three are supposed to be friends with the same goal, the relationship between them gradually begins to fall apart. Another girl is watching. Sakura Wadagaki had dreams of becoming an idol but failed her audition. That doesn’t mean she’s ready to give up. ©P.I.C.S. / 舞台小戸川交通パートナーズ

The film Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia will be released on March 3, 2023. The 42nd Doraemon movie follows Doraemon, Nobita, and his friends as they venture off to find Utopia, a perfect land in the sky where everyone lines in joy and happiness. They do so using an airship with a time warp function on their adventure, and to commemorate the film’s release, the Flying Doraemon Project began on January 14. A real-life 17-meter-long Doraemon blimp will soon appear in the sky, and fans are being asked to decide on a name for the craft.   The blimp, inspired by the Doraemon movie, will feature popular characters including Nobita, Shizuka, Suneo, and Gian. The blimp is the largest unmanned airship in Japan.

The message of the Flying Doraemon Project is to convey the feeling that in this day and age, children and adults alike can once again look upward and move forward toward their hopes and dreams.

 

Fans are asked to contribute ideas for the blimps name during the application period. Check the website for more details!

Popular singer Eve will sing the theme song for the film Black Night Parade, coming to theaters nationwide on December 23, 2022. A new trailer featuring the track has also been released alongside the announcement.   Eve’s YouTube channel has over 4.2 million subscribers with video views of over 1.9 billion. The new song, Shirayuki, was written by the singer himself, who has become incredibly popular with overseas music fans as well. The track manages to be both gentle and powerful in equal measure, combining an orchestra with Eve’s unique vocals. In conjunction with the release of the trailer, an exclusive pre-release version of the song has been posted to TikTok.   Black Night Parade Trailer: https://youtu.be/57CkdVMky4o   Black Night Parade was originally manga series by Hikaru Nakamura, the creator of Arakawa Under the Bridge and Saint Young Men. The live-action film will be directed by Yuichi Fukuda, who has worked on a number of live-action film adaptations of manga series including Gintama and Kyo Kara Ore Wa! Fukuda also wrote the screenplay along with Tetsuo Kamata. The protagonist Miharu Hino will be played by Ryo Yoshizawa, while Shino Hojo will be played by Kanna Hashimoto. Taishi Nakagawa will play Kaizer Tanaka and Keisuke Watanabe will play Teppei Kohira.     The story follows Miharu Hino, a man who is completely hopeless at everything he does. He failed his entrance exam, failed at job hunting, and has no love life to speak of. After working at a convenience store for three years, he meets a man in a black Santa suit who kidnaps him, offering him a job. Miharu then begins working at Santa Claus House, a mysterious company at the North Pole that delivers gifts to children around the world.  

Comment from Eve

"I’m incredibly honored because I loved both the original manga and Fukuda's past works. I wrote this song Shirayuki with the hope that Christmas could be an important day for everyone. I would be so glad if this song makes you nostalgic for winter, making you imagine the cold air that stings your nose and the stars in the clear night sky. I love Kunehito, so I am looking forward to seeing him in the film."   ©︎2022「ブラックナイトパレード」製作委員会　©︎中村光／集英社

Reki Kawahara’s web novel Sword Art Online began in 2002, later becoming a popular light novel series. The anime series debuted in 2012, followed by a second season in 2014 and a third in 2018. Following the characters Kirito and Asuna as they traverse a virtual reality MMORPG, the series has seen major success, with the light novels selling over 30 million copies worldwide.   

 

  During Sword Art Online’s anniversary event on November 6, it was revealed that a new film project is in the works. A brief teaser was also revealed, though concrete information is hard to come by at this point in time.    Be sure to check back soon for new information about the film!   【STORY】“This may be a game, but it’s not something to take lightly.”The world's first VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online, has turned into a game of death. Over a month has passed since 10,000 users were trapped in the game world.Asuna, who conquered the first level of the floating castle of steel Aincrad, continues her journey to the top floor along with Kirito.With the help of the female informant Argo, the attack seemed to be going well. However… The top player groups leading the attack are the ALS (Aincrad Liberation Force) and the DKB (Dragon Knights Brigade).Although they should be working towards the same goal, war breaks out. Behind the scenes, a mysterious figure lurks…   What awaits Kirito and Asuna as they continue their journey?   ©2020 川原 礫/KADOKAWA/SAO-P Project