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REVIEW: Josee, The Tiger and the Fish

I have a couple of questions. 1) Is Josee just a plot device for the growth of the main character? 2) Is there any romance between the two?

Good to hear that it's an intelligent portrayal of disability and... probably not one of those stories where the girl dies at the end to make the boy sad?

How was the reviewer able to see the movie? Do have interest in seeing it. But at least per ANN's Encyclopedia entry, the film's not out in Japan until next month.

How was the reviewer able to see the movie? Do have interest in seeing it. But at least per ANN's Encyclopedia entry, the film's not out in Japan until next month.

Josee, The Tiger and the Fish, the new anime film based on the 1985 Seiko Tanabe-penned short story of the same name, premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2020 this past week

Actar wrote:

I have a couple of questions. 1) Is Josee just a plot device for the growth of the main character? 2) Is there any romance between the two?

I read the wiki yesterday because while this looks like it’d be cute and heartwarming, I also had some reservations, mostly just because I’m not in a headspace for too much d r a m a.

Long story short! spoiler[For question 1 - yes and no? He definitely “changes” after meeting her. For question 2 - yes.]

Even without looking behind that spoiler tag, it's pretty obvious what must be in there... so I guess we'll see if this version is any different.

rahzel rose wrote:

Actar wrote: I have a couple of questions. 1) Is Josee just a plot device for the growth of the main character? 2) Is there any romance between the two? I read the wiki yesterday because while this looks like it’d be cute and heartwarming, I also had some reservations, mostly just because I’m not in a headspace for too much d r a m a. Long story short! spoiler[For question 1 - yes and no? He definitely “changes” after meeting her. For question 2 - yes.]

Ah, with regard to that first answer, spoiler[does she develop as a character herself or is she used as a tool to inspire and motivate the MC? As someone who's been wheelchair bound since birth, I just curious to see whether this movie portrays disabled characters differently from the norm.]

Actar wrote:

rahzel rose wrote: Actar wrote: I have a couple of questions. 1) Is Josee just a plot device for the growth of the main character? 2) Is there any romance between the two? I read the wiki yesterday because while this looks like it’d be cute and heartwarming, I also had some reservations, mostly just because I’m not in a headspace for too much d r a m a. Long story short! spoiler[For question 1 - yes and no? He definitely “changes” after meeting her. For question 2 - yes.] Ah, with regard to that first answer, spoiler[does she develop as a character herself or is she used as a tool to inspire and motivate the MC? As someone who's been wheelchair bound since birth, I just curious to see whether this movie portrays disabled characters differently from the norm.]

Honestly, this movie is far more about Josee's journey than Tsuneo's. She's been told her whole life that the outside world is dangerous so she's been largely confined to a single small Japanese house that she is ill-suited to exist in. What she needs is an ally to introduce her to the real world and teach her self-reliance.

Tsuneo, on the other hand, has a dream that he's driven to go after and, while it's certainly not an easy one to obtain, it's certainly possible. spoiler[He doesn't really start to grow until it starts to look like his dream might be unobtainable after all. At this point, it's Josee's turn to try and help him.]

On the ending: spoiler[This move turns out dramatically different than the live-action film. In fact, the second half of the film is almost an entirely different story.]