This Week in Anime

The Adorable, Affirming Romance in Josee, The Tiger and the Fish

Nicky
Okay, okay, while we're still wading the pool for interesting things to cover this season, Crunchyroll recently began putting up a bunch of animated films. Including one very special 2020 animated romance flick by Bones. This week, we've been holding our breathes to talk about Josee, the Tiger, and The Fish.

The premise by itself is interesting enough to warrant a look. Based on a short story of the same name by Seiko Tanabe, Josee is about a 22-year-old college student Tsuneo who becomes the caretaker of the 24-year-old wheelchair user heroine, Kumiko, who calls herself Josee after the character who appears in Françoise Sagan's novels Those Without Shadows and again in Wonderful Clouds.

It's also quite rare that we get romances that focus on disability. Attitudes in Japan towards disabled peoples seems to be a bit of a growing topic for us to get a mainstream-marketed anime movie about it. However, it also feels like a great departure for Bones, which doesn't do many original films, and especially one with such a grounded premise. Manga artist Nao Emoto did the character designs for this movie, and if I didn't recognize her style from O Maidens in Your Savage Season, I would've misattributed this movie as a product of Kyoto Animation or Studio Colorido. It's got a similar idyllic quality.

You could argue that this movie is simply another attempt to eat some of Makoto Shinkai's lunch, but with the giant shadow of Ghibli no longer dominating the world of anime features, seeing studios like Bones try to break into the theater scene feels more refreshing than watching a whole industry die out.

I'd argue this film looks modest next to a Shinkai or Ghibli production, but it's definitely a movie with a delicate touch that will be sure to stroke the hearts of many people.

The backgrounds are particular are gorgeous. Background art is definitely the hidden MVP of anime but especially for films. Josee takes place in the real world, but as a romance it maintains that kind of fuzzy soft lens of being in love. I especially love the look and feel of Josee's own art that she strives to create.


There's actually quite a bit of nigh-perceptible CG in these establishing shots.

And of course it's worth mentioning the wonderful depictions of aquatic life as it's a central theme of the movie.

They even gave a shout out to my homies!

There's a lot for animal lovers, but it's ultimately a story about a few humans. Tsuneo is trying to make money while studying marine biology at university. He works part-time at a diving shop and gets along with his two co-workers, but he's still quite poor and will need funds if he ever wants to reach his dream of studying abroad. One night while walking home, he manages to literally catch Josee after her wheelchair rolls rampantly downhill.

Basically, she freaks out because she has never really been in close contact with a boy her age before and was momentarily on top of a particularly cute one.

Her grandma Chizu is a little more open and invites Tsuneo for dinner, but you can definitely see that Kumiko gets her negative viewpoint from her. Because her parents died, her grandma is her sole guardian and source of support. She's barely allowed outside in fear of her safety as both a young woman and a disabled person.

It's also why this isn't another story set in high school. Kumiko still being treated like a child even as an adult woman is an important part of her growth. It's unfortunately common for disabled people to be infantilized from good intentions in such a way that hurts them. In the beginning, Josee lives exactly like a fish in a small bowl. Her grandma takes care of all of her needs, but this leaves her lacking in crucial experiences. Chizu even turns a social worker down when he brings up opportunities for her to work.

However, after she attempts to run away, Josee accepts help from Tsuneo and they become intimate for real. He takes her to places she's never been to, she meets new people, and he even builds tools to help her become more mobile around the house, allowing her to cook for herself.

Even granny is surprised and feels enlivened by Kumiko's newfound energy. She never reprimands her for sneaking out "behind her back" and instead compares her to the Glico running man, saying she always seems like she's ready to run off out of sheer joy, despite not having a pair of working legs.

They're super sweet!! I especially love Josee's first time seeing the ocean.

I also like that her companionship with Tsuneo enables her to open her horizons, it's not really a savior narrative for him. These are things she could've done by all by herself if she really wanted to. She still struggles in social situations and gets upset comparing herself to him or to other girls her age, but it makes her realize that there are more things within her own reach than she thought. Take her own art for example, completely the product of her own hard work that she never considered having any value towards other people.

Similarly, the romance feels well balanced for both characters, but it especially balances Kumiko's well. The original short story has way more focus on her sexuality, but even in the movie you still understand her struggle of desiring someone when society deems you undesirable.

And while I've only mentioned all the things Tsuneo does for Josee, I think she offers him a lot in return. His story about his parents' divorce and the Clarion Angelfish, a small fish often found swimming in schools in Mexico, reveals the heart of a person just as lonely and in need of companionship as she is.

This is also told to her in an incredibly petty way by Tsuneo's friend and co-worker Mai, who has a crush on him.

This is also about where the film hits a big swerve, first when Josee/Kumiko's grandmother passes, leaving her unable to pay Tsuneo and forcing her to try and deal with things on her own. This causes Tsuneo to worry about her, and they fight over her future. The outcome is a messy turn of events.

It's a pretty shocking twist and I think the execution could definitely conflict a lot of people about the movie. I'm a little mixed on reverse situations because out of context it sounds like something out of a hallmark movie and it's contrived. Even though I totally expected a wrench in Tsuneo's dream plan to study abroad in Mexico like he so desperately desired.

I was more forgiving on my second watch because it represents a complete reversal of power for Tsuneo and Josee. Before, Josee was in desperate need of Tsuneo's physical and emotional support, but now Tsuneo is the one who needs some lifting.

His friends being here helps a lot too. Josee even has her library friend help her write a story, but instead with the intention of motivating her to go after him instead of trying to push her into giving up. It's sneaky but really it shows that even she is capable of being selfless for the sake of someone she cares about.

I love it because not only does Josee encourage Tsuneo to keep doing what he dreams without worrying about being weighed down, it proves how much she internalized what she learned and how capable she really is now thanks to his support. And how there's nothing wrong with needing support or wanting to support someone else, even when it doesn't benefit you.

Maybe someone should warn the zoo? Lol. Anyway, part of the reason others look down on people with disabilities is because they are reliant on others for support. But in truth, everyone has certain things they can't reach and often require help from others in order to do so. Tsuneo was unable to get out of his rut without Josee's help. He had lost sight of his own future and capabilities. Even Kumiko at the end mistakes independence as true strength, so we are surprised when we see Tsuneo's pledge to keep supporting her as a partner in-between chasing after his own dream.

And love really is just about supporting there and being there for each other when you need it. No one should ever feel bad about that!

While this movie isn't super radical about its approach towards disability and is mostly a simple feel-good romance film, it's fairly solid and stands out enough from its contemporaries that I would recommend giving it a watch. It's a great movie to watch even with other people who aren't super into anime but can tolerate a certain amount of drama.

Amen to that! Here's to more quality anime films in the future!!