"Midnight Taxi," the NHK nighttime drama starring actress Kotone Furukawa, premiered on June 1st (NHK General, Monday-Thursday 10:45 PM). Written by Ruri Hyodo, the youngest recipient of the Kuniko Mukoda Award last year, this original story has a strange, captivating power; before you know it, those 15 minutes just before midnight, Monday through Thursday, have become a small daily pleasure. Let's explore what makes it so appealing.
◇Like an offbeat movie, with lines that occasionally hit home.
The drama centers on Shoko Araragi (played by Furukawa), a taxi driver with a mysterious aura. Passengers who ride in her car have their inhibitions removed and begin to speak their true feelings... It's a lighthearted and chill human story set in late-night Tokyo.
Essentially, it's a conversational drama that unfolds in the confined space of a taxi, and the pacing of the conversations between Shoko and the passengers, or among the passengers themselves, is very pleasant. Shoko also has regular customers with whom she is fairly friendly, as well as the owner of her favorite coffee shop, and these close relationships are essential to the core character of Shoko, which is well-balanced within each 15-minute episode. This is something that you would expect from Ms. Hyodo, who already has experience writing late-night dramas, having written "My Worst Friend" which aired in 2023.
With surreal twists like the sudden appearance of aliens, the overall tone of the film is like that of an offbeat movie. Yet, there are occasional lines that really hit home.
Among some viewers, the words spoken by Ran Yayoi (Emi Wakui), the president of an entertainment agency, in episode 6 when Shoko asked her, "Do you think dreams drive people crazy?", became a topic of discussion: "All living things are inherently crazy. I don't say that having dreams is cool, nor that just living diligently is enough. Living is tough." Personally, I was deeply moved by the line spoken by Hirukawa Gen (Naoto Takenaka), the coffee shop owner, in episode 3: "Divorce is fate."
◇Kan Sano's music would not exist without the presence of Kotone Furukawa.
Aside from the rhythm of the conversation, the music produced by keyboardist and beatmaker Kan Sano is also incredibly pleasant. In fact, it could be said that the unique rhythm and pleasant atmosphere are thanks to Kan Sano's music.
Of course, the presence of lead actor Furukawa is also crucial. Director Teruyuki Yoshida, who previously cast Furukawa in the same network's Asadora of 2020), said that one of Furukawa's charms is her ability to express contradictory things, such as laughing when shocked, or getting angry while laughing. And indeed, she is perfectly cast as the mysterious Shoko, to the point where one might think, "This drama wouldn't have been possible without Furukawa."
In the drama, a countdown to Shoko's 30th birthday is underway, seemingly with some significance, and it will be interesting to see how it all ends.
