Movie
Description
Shun Imai is a 24-year-old male waiter and cabaret boy at the club "White Dolphin." He exhibits an honest, cheerful, and straightforward personality. His defining passion is an intense obsession with the idol group Mystery Kiss, particularly its lead singer Rui Nikaido. This devotion compels him to spend heavily on merchandise and attend every concert.
Imai has been a dedicated follower since Mystery Kiss's earliest performances before their public debut, when they performed unmasked for sparse audiences of only about five people, including himself. He maintains a fan account dedicated to Rui Nikaido and believes his long-standing support grants him special status among fans. He owns exclusive photos with Nikaido, including one where she embraces him, treasured as proof of their connection.
Financially motivated by his idol obsession, Imai purchases lottery tickets to fund merchandise. Using numbers from taxi driver Hiroshi Odokawa, he wins the grand prize of one billion yen. He attempts to share his winnings with Odokawa in thanks, but Odokawa declines. With the lottery money, Imai plans to buy 300,000 copies of Mystery Kiss's upcoming debut single to obtain exclusive photo vouchers included with pre-orders, aiming to monopolize access to Nikaido.
His public online announcement of the lottery win attracts the attention of the criminal Dobu, who targets him for the money, placing Imai in significant danger.
Despite his overt focus on Rui, Imai demonstrates perceptiveness about the group's dynamics. He notices inconsistencies in member Yuki Mitsuya's performances, correctly deducing that an imposter—later revealed to be Sakura Wadagaki—had replaced her after Mitsuya's death.
A critical revelation in the series finale discloses that Imai, like all characters perceived as animals by Odokawa, is actually human. Odokawa's visual agnosia, stemming from childhood trauma, caused him to see humans as anthropomorphic animals, a condition persisting until near the story's end.
In the film "Odd Taxi: In the Woods," which restructures and expands the television series, Imai's role and characteristics remain consistent with his portrayal in the original anime, including his occupation, idol fandom, lottery win, and subsequent targeting by criminals.
Imai has been a dedicated follower since Mystery Kiss's earliest performances before their public debut, when they performed unmasked for sparse audiences of only about five people, including himself. He maintains a fan account dedicated to Rui Nikaido and believes his long-standing support grants him special status among fans. He owns exclusive photos with Nikaido, including one where she embraces him, treasured as proof of their connection.
Financially motivated by his idol obsession, Imai purchases lottery tickets to fund merchandise. Using numbers from taxi driver Hiroshi Odokawa, he wins the grand prize of one billion yen. He attempts to share his winnings with Odokawa in thanks, but Odokawa declines. With the lottery money, Imai plans to buy 300,000 copies of Mystery Kiss's upcoming debut single to obtain exclusive photo vouchers included with pre-orders, aiming to monopolize access to Nikaido.
His public online announcement of the lottery win attracts the attention of the criminal Dobu, who targets him for the money, placing Imai in significant danger.
Despite his overt focus on Rui, Imai demonstrates perceptiveness about the group's dynamics. He notices inconsistencies in member Yuki Mitsuya's performances, correctly deducing that an imposter—later revealed to be Sakura Wadagaki—had replaced her after Mitsuya's death.
A critical revelation in the series finale discloses that Imai, like all characters perceived as animals by Odokawa, is actually human. Odokawa's visual agnosia, stemming from childhood trauma, caused him to see humans as anthropomorphic animals, a condition persisting until near the story's end.
In the film "Odd Taxi: In the Woods," which restructures and expands the television series, Imai's role and characteristics remain consistent with his portrayal in the original anime, including his occupation, idol fandom, lottery win, and subsequent targeting by criminals.