Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
2020 · Directed by Kotaro Tamura
Original language: Japanese
- animation
- drama
- romance
The story
With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, an artist whose imagination takes her far beyond her wheelchair. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought possible, and inspire a love fit for a storybook.
What it’s like
Hand-drawn animation with soft, sunlit interiors, a tidy apartment washed in morning light, and rain-streaked streets that feel cool and quiet. The aquarium sequences shift into deep, luminous blues, with fish drifting through dark water like slow thoughts. Movement is unhurried and the camera lingers on small domestic details: a cup on a sill, a sketchbook left open, shoes lined up by a door. The score is gentle, mostly piano and soft strings, and long stretches of ambient street and sea sound leave room to breathe. Vibe: tender, wistful and warm, the kind of quiet hopefulness that suits a rainy Sunday, a slow evening alone, or a comfort rewatch with tea. Pacing is patient and episodic, and the emotional register stays earnest without tipping into melodrama. Its central pair are two young people, one who wants to see the world and one who sees it through her art, slowly learning to trust and change each other. Intensity is low: there is some hardship and a few tense or sad moments, one brief and frank intimate scene, and no violence or gore. Made for viewers who want gentle, romantic, character-led storytelling that treats disability with dignity and warmth.
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