‘Odd Taxi’ Director Baku Kinoshita’s ‘The Last Blossom’ Hits U.S. Theaters This Weekend (EXCLUSIVE CLIP)

The Last Blossom, the first original feature-length anime from Odd Taxi director Baku Kinoshita, hits U.S. theaters this weekend, and its North American distributor, GKIDS, has given Cartoon Brew an exclusive clip ahead of the film’s stateside debut.

The film turns on Akutsu, a former yakuza serving a life sentence after an unremarkable career in organized crime. As he lies dying in his prison cell, Akutsu recounts his life to his only companion: a sarcastic talking flower growing from a tin can. His memories take him back to the woman he loved, the child he tried to protect, and the choices that ultimately landed him behind bars.

Our clip finds Akutsu as an authority figure in the yakuza, passing down his knowledge and way of life to his gangster wannabe underlings. Crucially, it foreshadows a future where the yakuza become obsolete, an anxiety sitting in the back of Akustu’s mind throughout the film.

Kinoshita directed and designed the characters, reuniting with Odd Taxi writer Kazuya Konomoto, who wrote the film’s original story and screenplay. Animation was handled by Studio CLAP, whose credits include Takayuki Hirao’s Pompo the Cinephile. The feature premiered in competition at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival before opening in Japan last October under the title Housenka.

GKIDS will release The Last Blossom in select North American theaters for two nights only, August 30 and 31. Screenings will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles.