This film definitely succeeded in making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Sometimes predictability is a good thing, especially in the romance-drama genre, which many seek out as a source of comfort. It’s the perfect example of how a film doesn’t need to be innovative to be highly enjoyable. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a film that met my expectations in every way. This is how Tsuneo first meets the girl who calls herself Josee. The old lady asks him to look into the carriage, where he finds a young woman clutching a knife. A baby carriage comes rolling down a hill and crashes into a guard rail. It’s not a particularly groundbreaking message (especially within the anime medium) but it’s nonetheless a touching experience to watch Josee and Tsuneo help each other through their struggles. One day, the owner of the mah-jong parlour sends Tsuneo out to walk his dog. That we should try and persevere beyond such barriers is the overarching message of the film. Tsuneo has aspirations too, and both of them deal with fears and obstacles in their efforts to reach their goals, just as we all do at some point. Once Josee opens up to all the possibilities life has to offer, she begins to reflect on what she wants. Ultimately, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a film about dreams. Through this, the film also highlights an important issue for the disabled community independence. While this damsel-in-distress archetype is perhaps not the most progressive depiction of disability and it would’ve been nice to see Josee have a bit more agency, it’s made pretty clear that her grandmother is the one responsible for her sheltered way of life. It takes Tsuneo coming into her life for her to finally carry out the experiences she’s yearned of having.

Despite the fact that she yearns to go outside, she’s inherently afraid to and is prevented from doing so by her grandmother. As a result, Josee is essentially a prisoner in her own house. I refer here not to her disability, but to the way she’s been raised by her grandmother, who instills in her the idea that the world is too scary and dangerous for a person like her. I would also argue that Josee’s petulant disposition is somewhat understandable given her predicament. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish – Josee and Tsuneo grow closer

Josee the tiger and the fish