The ODDTAXI Reunion That Went to Prison
The Last Blossom (ホウセンカ, Housenka) opened in Japanese theaters on October 10, 2025, and now has a home-viewing path lined up. Japanese entertainment news site Comic Natalie reported that Netflix will carry the film as an exclusive starting August 29, with Blu-ray and DVD hitting shelves on August 26.
Directed by Baku Kinoshita and written by Kazuya Konomoto (此元和津也), the film marks a reunion of the creative duo behind ODDTAXI. Production was handled by CLAP, the studio behind Pompo the Cinéphile. Where ODDTAXI wrapped a murder mystery inside a talking-animal taxi ride, The Last Blossom goes darker and more intimate: Akutsu, an elderly man serving a life sentence, discovers a balsam flower in his solitary cell that can speak. Through their conversations, he looks back on his years as a low-level yakuza, and on the love that defined his life.
A Cast Built From Live-Action Talent
The film stands out for its voice cast. Rather than casting voice actors, Kinoshita and Konomoto brought in live-action performers across the board.
Kaoru Kobayashi voices the present-day Akutsu, the old man in the cell. Junki Tozuka plays the younger version, the small-time gangster whose choices led to that cell. The dual casting mirrors the film's structure, which moves between past and present.
On the other side of the story is Nana Nagata, voiced by Hikari Mitsushima in the past timeline and Yoshiko Miyazaki in the present. Pierre Taki rounds out the principal cast as the housenka flower itself, the voice that draws Akutsu's memories to the surface.
What's in the Blu-ray
The physical release ships in a tall case with original artwork drawn by director Kinoshita. The Blu-ray storage case features a separate illustration by artist kigimura.
Extras include a postcard set with early concept art by Michinoku Tōge, a miniature reproduction of "Akutsu's painting" (a key prop in the film), and full staff commentary. Video extras cover the voice recording sessions of Kobayashi and Pierre Taki, plus footage from the theatrical premiere stage greeting. The standard pamphlet sold at theaters during the original run is also available through Pony Canyon's Canime online store.
Looking Ahead
The August 29 Netflix exclusive gives international viewers their first chance to stream it. Anime Limited and Plaion Pictures have already licensed The Last Blossom for the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, and Switzerland, with an Australian theatrical release through Sugoi Co. completed in April 2026.
The film screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, raising the profile of an original film made outside the seasonal anime cycle. Konomoto is also the creator of Setoutsumi, which recently received a live-action TV drama adaptation.
No English-language home video release has been announced yet, but the Netflix streaming window and existing Anime Limited license suggest broader availability is on the way.