Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Review and Analysis: Overcoming Inabilities to Chase Your Dreams

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is an astonishing story about pursuing your passions against all odds that seem to be stacked against you; animated by the renowned Studio Bones, Josee teaches us about as to how you should not take things for granted as well as how you should follow your dreams and help others reach for their own.

Koutarou Tamura and Studio Bones' ‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.’ Image © 2020 Studio Bones.

The world of Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is in fact, not built around the main character, Josee, herself – rather, the movie presents to us the struggles that still remain present with being disabled in our modern society. Tsuneo, the other protagonist, is a college student who is struggling when it comes to balancing his studies along with his part-time jobs. Tsuneo, much like Josee, has his own dream that he has been working towards with prominent determination and strive. Upon a chance meeting, Tsuneo is subsequently tasked with being the caretaker for the immobilised young woman. Josee’s life solely revolves around aspects of our typical day-to-day lives that she cannot do on her own – a large portion of her freedom has been taken away from her merely through not being able to use her own legs. The oppression of the disabled and as to how they are most commonly pitied or viewed as a burden by the general public, especially in Japan, is noticeable throughout the movie, yet is not overdone in any way. More so, the issue is depicted through the same means of reality – through subtlety.

From gaining the impression that you are only but a nuisance to those surrounding you, the feeling of uselessness amongst the bustling crowds of people and the glares thrown towards you for being in the way; Josee helps the viewer to understand what it would hypothetically be like in that position, and the lack of hope – with the crushing weight of societal standards pressing down on you. Josee, despite her disability, must learn to adapt and integrate herself into society - a society that is, for the most part, not constructed with her type in mind. Initially, the film builds a foundation based on the trials and tribulations that the disabled could face on a regular basis; but from here, then expands upon the ideology by evolving into tackling your ambitions regardless of your own limitations.

Josee, in her world, sees herself as a metaphorical mermaid; wanting nothing else but to swim amidst the fish in the sea and to break free of her own confines. Tsuneo, in comparison, is a diver who yearns to explore the ocean in Mexico. The two characters have vastly contrasting lifestyles, yet both hold similar ideologies.

Koutarou Tamura and Studio Bones' ‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.’ Image © 2020 Studio Bones.

Rather than aiming for the audience to feel remorse or guilt for Josee, the film instead is asking us to empathise with her and to recognise the issues that she faces – Tsuneo, as a character, manages to enrapture this viewpoint by wanting to help Josee meet her own desires. Tsuneo assists in Josee learning and loving the things that, to her, once felt so out of reach. Through this, Josee comes to the realisation that despite her physical inabilities, even she can still at least try to march towards her own aspirations. Moreover, the film focuses on how Josee’s sheltered upbringing, prompted by her grandmother, has effectively impacted the way that she sees and is able to do things – first deeming everyone around her as terrifying tigers that will only serve to hurt her. As she grows to traverse outside through her own means, however, she discovers that people also have the power to support and encourage you.

In spite of having only a small cast of characters, they each serve their own individual purpose throughout the film – aside from Josee and Tsuneo, there is also Chizu, who is Josee’s grandmother, and Tsuneo’s two co-workers, Hayato, who is his self-proclaimed best friend, and Mai, his secondary love interest. Rather, they exist within the movie to underpin our two main protagonists in an efficient manner. On the surface, Hayato appears to be the typical stereotype of the foolish and funny best friend; when in actuality, he is then proven to be a loyal and loving companion who is always accounted for whenever it matters. Chizu, who is shown to be overly protective of her granddaughter and hesitant to let her traverse the world for herself, instead enforces Josee to become reliant on her for her basic needs and wants. Upon her inevitable passing, Josee is consequently left on her own and forced to adapt to her now independent lifestyle; to find some work to afford living and to once again fit into the expectations those around her have for her. This is reflected in a quiet, sombre scene – in comparison to other similar works, we are left with only the silence as Josee grieves the loss of her grandmother with Tsuneo close to her side. Following this, and harbouring a love for drawing and illustration, Josee finds herself inspired by Tsuneo’s hardworking and persistent nature to attempt to pursue art as a career.

On the other hand, Mai fits the role of being a representation of those who view the disabled as a demographic that should only be looked down upon and to be helped. Mai, approaching midway through the film, pleads with Josee to let Tsuneo go to chase his own dreams rather than allegedly forcing him to stay by her side for the sake of looking after her – thus implying that Tsuneo only stays with Josee out of feelings of guilt or obligation. People have the capacity to motivate and revitalise you; but also have the capacity to drag you down. It’s this that then leads us into the halfway point of the movie and the consequences that can emit from someone else’s impression of who you are and how you affect the people closest to you.

To completely understand the pain that someone else is feeling, you can only be in that position yourself. Parallel to the first time the two ventured to the beach, that was once before enhanced with the bright and soft hues of the sun in the distance, radiant and sparkling, upon their second visit, being Josee’s last request for Tsuneo, it is instead a greyscale downpouring with rain. Josee maintains a realistic, beautiful art style that manages to compliment the concurrent narrative, along with clear visual storytelling. In this moment, when Josee feels as though everything has become out of her reach, even Tsuneo, the landscape has been drained of the life it previously had, with nothing but dull and drained colours splattered across the screen. In the sombre moments within Josee, the lighting and visual cues serve an excellent purpose in carrying the various story beats that are introduced throughout the film.

Koutarou Tamura and Studio Bones' ‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.’ Image © 2020 Studio Bones.

As Josee finds herself stuck in the middle of the road ensuing an argument with Tsuneo, without a beat of hesitation he jumps out to push her wheelchair out of the way of the coming traffic; being hit by a car in the process. Waking up in hospital, he then learns that he may not be able to walk or dive properly again; it is then Tsuneo realises as to how losing the freedom that comes along with his ability to walk could potentially cost him his dream, and feels the exact same sense of dread that Josee had felt for herself. Being stripped of his dream almost entirely, and his scholarship to study in Mexico being offered to another student whilst he is stuck in recovery, he begins to spiral into a state of despair and quickly lose s the hope that he had once harboured. Mai, who had once been so harsh and cruel with her words, eventually comes to the realisation that Josee is the only one who is able to show Tsuneo the way much like he had guided her with his unwavering affection for the ocean – through her own means. The incident gives Josee the strength that she needs to see through with her purpose, and then use it to aid Tsuneo in not giving up on reaching for the dream that was so important to him.

Fighting against all expectations, in order to express how she feels to Tsuneo, Josee opts to create her own children's picture book with help from her peer, Kana. In a touching scene, Hayato brings Tsuneo to the library from the hospital, to which Josee reads the book out loud for all to hear; telling a tale about a mermaid who wishes to be on land, and goes on to meet an angel with mesmerising wings. After being attacked by a tiger, the angel saves the mermaid at the cost of his wings – to which the mermaid tells him that, though he may have his wings no longer, he still has the wings inside of his heart. This is, of course, an analogy for Josee and Tsuneo. One character expressing to the other that they do not want to see the person who changed their life for the better give up after everything they had faced so far.

Koutarou Tamura and Studio Bones' ‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.’ Image © 2020 Studio Bones.

Irregardless of some similarities, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish manages to approach living with a disability in different ways, unlike other works such as A Silent Voice, another popular film that released in 2017. The movie focuses on a deaf girl who is bullied by her classmates, and as to how the consequences of your actions can become somewhat of a plague going forwards – the distance between the two is identified through narratively different focal points as well as their own key morals and messages. Whilst A Silent Voice is a tale that fixates on healing and self-redemption, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is instead a story about dreams. In order to achieve your dream, you cannot give up without trying. Josee and Tsuneo were able to acknowledge and reach for both of their dreams – through their mutual love for one another, they were able to separate to follow their own paths, and band back together when they needed each other the most.

Josee does indeed have its own fair share of issues – mainly when it comes to pacing as well as specific narrative points that are shoved into the face of the viewer. The beginning of the film seems to escalate rather quickly, whereas the latter half can feel slow and sluggish. Furthermore, some classic anime stereotypes can be spotted through the duration of the movie; such as the love triangle between Josee, Tsuneo and Mai. Whilst this does spur on the narrative, the concept itself can feel tedious to some and therefore it can be left up to personal interpretation whether or not it remains in the film’s favour.

Moreover, the accident occurring soon after Josee had told Tsuneo that the healthy would not be able to understand felt too on-the-nose for my own liking. Still and all, Josee manages to convey a dramatic romance with the representation and understanding of disability, fitting a captivating narrative in the limited runtime – not only that, but commended with a gorgeous soundtrack by Evan Call and the song “Ao no Waltz” by the popular singer and producer Eve as an ending theme to certainly remember.

Koutarou Tamura and Studio Bones' ‘Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.’ Image © 2020 Studio Bones.

Even if it seems impossible, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish drives home the message to not give up on behalf of your dreams – having your entire lifetime to make them come true. Walking away from this film, you will be reflecting upon the morals and lessons about life that the anime intended to teach you from the beginning.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is now available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray, and is also available to stream on various other platforms.

Tia McGrew is an investigative writer and journalist; being a long-time anime fan, she thrives on exploring how real-world concepts can be applied to fictional settings and characters.