Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi

Equipped with his passion for diving and admiration for marine biology, university student Tsuneo Suzukawa tries his best to juggle several part-time jobs to earn enough money to study abroad. But one night, in a fateful accident, he meets a girl in a wheelchair, driving his current path into a detour.

The girl, Kumiko—who prefers to be called "Josee"—initially comes off as rude. Tsuneo, however, is then convinced by Josee's grandmother to take on the paid job to be Josee's caretaker. Despite being annoyed with her bossy demeanor, Tsuneo sees the opportunity to save more funds to support his academic dream. Nonetheless, after putting up with Josee's behavior for some time, Tsuneo tries to quit, only to discover Josee's dreams of traversing the outside world—to experience a life free from her crippling condition.

Changing his mind, Tsuneo decides to accompany Josee in exploring the wonders that the world has to offer. Through their time together, the two begin to realize that the traits that bind them may be vital toward fulfilling their respective aspirations.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Josee Main

Kiyohara, Kaya Japanese

Suzukawa, Tsuneo Main

Nakagawa, Taishi Japanese

Ninomiya, Mai Supporting

Miyamoto, Yume Japanese

Matsuura, Hayato Supporting

Okitsu, Kazuyuki Japanese

Kishimoto, Kana Supporting

Lynn Japanese

Yamamura, Chizu Supporting

Matsutera, Chiemi Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Suzuki, Mari Producer

Mukai, Kouichirou Producer

Kasahara, Shuuzou Producer

Reviews

Jul 11, 2024

ZbitHound

Recommended

Much of the elements in the story are implied and expressed through indirect means. If you aren't good at picking up ques and emphasis without direct communication, you wont understand the story. I'm going to be completely honest. If you have a heart, you will cry. But in a good way. This story touched my heart like I haven't been in some years. The art style is expressive and fluid! The emotion and struggles are compelling! The full extent of enjoyment and yet capable of making you feel helpless. Still, you are filled with hope and are given a deeper understanding of seeing things from ... an outside perspective.

Too many times today, do we lock ourselves in our own worlds and forget to see things from other's views. A sad reality of today. However, these stories give us the chance to better our selves. To widen our horizons and see the world from a place of understanding. Many of us are tigers, waiting to pounce at a moment's notice. Why not consider that? Will you be ferocious and scary? Or will you acknowledge the power you have to put someone at ease?

If you like good stories and happy endings, as many great anime can tear you up, this one has a happy and fulfilling ending. Though I personally felt wanting to see more, It's an ending that I can confidently say is worth seeing at least once.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jun 30, 2024

adachistan

Mixed Feelings

This is a great movie. I like the premise, the characters, the music, and the art direction. The problem with this movie is the pacing. It is, at times, horrendous and very fast-moving. The movie really needed more runtime so we could delve more into the characters and their motivations. Because of the short runtime, it wasn’t possible to get attached to the characters on the level I was hoping for.

"Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" is a captivating film that stands out with its heartfelt narrative and stunning animation. The characters are beautifully crafted, each with their own unique charm and depth. Josee, with ... her imaginative world and complex emotions, and Tsuneo, with his caring yet ambitious nature, are both compelling leads. The music beautifully complements the story, enhancing the emotional impact and bringing the art direction to life with a delicate, whimsical touch.

However, the movie's pacing is a significant drawback. The story rushes through crucial moments, leaving little room for the characters' relationships and personal growth to fully develop. Just as you start to connect with the characters, the plot hastens to its next point, making it difficult to deeply invest in their journeys and transformations.

The film's runtime feels insufficient for the rich narrative it aims to tell. More time could have allowed for a deeper exploration of Josee's dreams and fears, as well as Tsuneo's inner conflicts and aspirations. This additional depth would have enhanced the emotional resonance and made the characters' struggles and triumphs more impactful.

Despite these pacing issues, "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish" remains a charming and dramatic story. Its visual beauty, poignant soundtrack, and endearing characters create a memorable experience. The film is a touching tale of love, dreams, and the courage to overcome obstacles, even if it leaves you wishing for a little more time to savor its intricacies.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 22, 2022

RebelPanda

Not Recommended

I consider myself a very patient person. It takes a lot to get under my skin. Even when I watch bad anime, I still enjoy riffing on the flaws.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish managed to irritate me. Trying to finish it was like waiting at the end of a school day, watching the clock tick tick tick… I constantly paused to take in the frustrating decisions the characters made, then brace myself for more melodrama. The protagonist, Tsuneo, is a lot like me. Maybe that's why I had such a strong reaction to it. We're both 22-year-old guys planning to study abroad, working a ... part-time job to save money. Except, he's much more patient and resilient to psychological abuse than I am.

His tormenter is named Josee. A slightly older woman with a disability that prevents her from walking. You might assume from the art that she is a pleasant person. That is so far from the truth. Tsuneo and Josee met by coincidence—someone pushed her down a hill. Luckily Tsuneo caught her moments before she hit the pavement. Instead of graciously thanking him for saving her life, she accuses him of being a pervert for groping her. He did not. Their wacky facial expressions imply this false sexual assault accusation was meant as a joke—that's the kind of tone-deaf humor we're dealing with here. Their relationship proceeds as follows: Tsuneo wastes his time and energy to ensure her happiness and livelihood while she begrudgingly puts up with him. A series of contrived unfortunate events befall Josee throughout the film. That's what forces him to stay by her side and help. After saving her from nearly dying, Josee's grandmother invites him in for dinner. For some reason, everyone ignores the sexual assault thing. Her grandmother continues inviting him over to assist with chores for payment. While writing a thesis, applying to school abroad, and a part-time job, he chooses to keep working for this bizarre family for a bit of cash. Josee calls him her "Servant" but she treats him like that too, and this is supposed to be cute? Why the hell does he put up with her awful personality? Josee and Tsuneo's dreams merge in Kon-esque psychedelic montages, among other unanswered questions. Cool, but why?

Nothing about the art style stood out aside from the dream sequences. At least the animation is fine, but the background art is pretty bad for a Bones production. I appreciate that they animated everyone with 2D rather than CGI, the complex movements of crowds and designs of each one take time and commitment to a seamless experience. The compositing was quite good too. Characters blended with the background well because of the soft line art and lighting filters.

I love stories about awful people. One of my favorite anime is Monster (2004). The antagonist Johan Libert is a devilish serial killer. The difference between Johan and Josee is that we understand why he murders people because he's well written. We're assured his actions are morally reprehensible because the protagonist recognizes his unwavering cruelty. Whereas Josee to Tora wants us to believe she is completely justified and we should root for her success. Tsuneo returns to her, not even for the money, to be tormented. His autonomy, dreams, and self-respect vanish into thin air at Josee's will. Josee blackmails Tsuneo by saying she'd accuse him of sexual assault again, and he's forced to oblige. Do human beings do this? Unlikely, but not impossible. Do human beings fall in love with blackmailers? I hope not, but evidently, this dude does. I regret to inform you this is a "love" story. Is Tsuneo a masochist? Likely. Is he desensitized to abuse? Very likely. The most frustrating thing about him is that he's too one-dimensional to loathe him. There's nothing to him that explains his self-destructive choices. His closest friend is only interested in chasing women rather than worrying about this man's descent into madness. The side cast is equally inconsequential, and the character designs are not unique at all. Other torture porn movies go through great effort to acknowledge the misery—he just suffers emotionlessly.

Josee takes advantage of Tsuneo's kindness (or stupidity) by guilt-tripping him. When she's feeling sad that he's gone, she avoids him until he runs back like a dog—sometimes returning with an apology gift as though he did something wrong. Tsuneo simply speaking to a female friend makes Josee bitter and jealous, despite still treating him like dirt beneath her wheels. Rather than talking things through, she manipulates him into staying with her. One unfortunate coincidence after another forces them together… And now it's a romance. The movie repurposes old cliches—sudden death, freak accidents, and rapid mood swings for a quick burst of melodrama. One or two contrivances are easy to overlook. The ENTIRE story is made of contrived situations.

Despite being the most rational voice in the movie, Tsuneo's female friend (the one Josee hates) the film treats her as rude and unsympathetic. Firstly, she treats him like her equal, respects his space, and is open about her feelings. She is not flawless; however, she always attempts to speak rationally by asking Josee to treat Tsuneo with dignity. Suddenly, she drops degrading comments that make her attempts seem artificial and misguided. The script implicitly validates Josee's disdain for the woman. A well-written character doesn't randomly alter their personality like her. It is a pattern of contradictions used to absolve Josee of her rude behavior. Josee herself is not a very likable character unless you love kawaii cliches and hate yourself. There are a few pros to her: The screenwriters illustrate ableism in a way that's not condescending. A businessman bumps into her wheelchair and blames her for getting in the way because of her condition. It evokes an intense reaction without preaching. Portraying people with disabilities is often a problem anime have—see Komi-san Can't Communicate. Since the film is based on a live-action movie from 2003, I'm assuming the themes were forward for the time. Nowadays, they could've done a lot more to realistically convey life for someone with a disability.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2003) had a different ending than the animated version. I doubt it could've been any worse than the overly idealistic way this insidious crap wrapped up. Imagine a train full of cow manure derailing into a burning pit full of used needles—it was worse. Many of us know what it is like to be manipulated. Watching it romanticized disgusted me. A tragic event portrayed through rose-tinted glasses. I understand these characters are just lines on a screen, but they are lines I despised. If you found something to love here, as so many people seemed to, I'm happy for you. If this sounds like something you'd hate, avoid it. Please, God, avoid it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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	Poll: Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) Whateverlife - Apr 12, 2021	217 replies	by dartblink »» Yesterday, 5:39 PM
	Question about the ending mechian - Dec 24, 2020	29 replies	by RobertBobert »» Jun 17, 12:00 AM
	About Mai ( 1 2 ) iwun1 - Jul 25, 2021	50 replies	by removed-user »» May 30, 11:21 PM
	Poll: Which version of the story is better? Old_School_Akira - Jun 18, 2021	16 replies	by Kimuraa_ »» Apr 22, 8:28 AM
	Can you suggest similar hidden gems like this? zSlayPaladin - Jan 16, 2023	46 replies	by the_slothes »» Jan 14, 3:40 AM