Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
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Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a Japanese anime romantic drama, adapted from a short story, with strong messages around perseverance, compassion, and empathy. The main character, Josee (voiced by Suzie Yeung), is a wheelchair user with a lifelong disability. She lives a reclusive life and is fearful of new experiences after being taught by her grandmother that the world is scary and dangerous. She is sometimes rude and even mean. In one scene, she threatens to make false claims that someone groped her in order to get them fired. But the movie understands she acts out of fear or worry. She meets Tsueno (Howard Wang), who encourages her to experience life and eventually moves toward independent living, using what she's learned to help others. Their relationship ultimately becomes romantic with the two sharing a kiss. The movie has a complex and honest reflection of disability. It has many positive messages, including compassion, perseverance, friendship, and empathy. A character is hit by a car and thrown through the air in a scene, which might be distressing to some. There is both a Japanese version with English subtitles and an English-dubbed version available.
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What's the Story?
In JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH, Josee (voiced by Suzie Yeung) is a 24-year-old woman who has been a life-long wheelchair user and has grown to fear independent living and the outside world. After a chance encounter, 22-year-old Tsuneo (Howard Wang) is invited to work as her carer. Slowly, Josee starts to open up to new possibilities and experiences.
Is It Any Good?
Gentle and empathetic, this Japanese animation celebrates friendship and the joys of encouraging others. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is also thoughtful, never taking its central character, Josee, a wheelchair user, for granted. We accompany her on her journey from shut-in to independent adult and sometimes she's not great company. Her carer and friend Tsuneo is shouted at, picked on, and abused by her. Like the movie, Tsueno understands that Josee's life experiences may well have caused her emotions to be mixed up. He doesn't fight back, he just keeps trying to help how he can.
When they first set out, we're with Josee at a train station. She feels in the way and a man bangs into her and loses his temper. At first it looks like Josee's grandmother is right -- the world's a bad place. But Josee sticks around long enough to see the guy's being rude to someone else, it wasn't personal. She boards the train with assistance from the guard, who respectfully puts down a ramp. In the carriage, she's in the section designated for wheelchairs. Suddenly the world seems OK. In this short scene, our perspective shifts. The movie constantly and subtly shows the importance of how we see the world and ourselves, and how that impacts how we live our lives, regardless of our situation. Beautifully animated and even smarter than it seems on the surface, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is an inspirational triumph.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Josee, the Tiger and the Fish portrayed disability. Are you or someone you know a wheelchair user? How did this portrayal compare? Why is it important that we have stories about people who live with disabilities
How do the characters demonstrate perseverance, compassion, and empathy? Why are those important character strengths?
Discuss Josee and Tsueno's relationship. How did it evolve? What did they learn from each other?
What do you think the movie was trying to say about how our lives are shaped by our perspective?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 12, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: February 8, 2022
- Cast: Suzie Yeung, Howard Wang, Dani Chambers
- Director: Kôtarô Tamura
- Studio: Funimation
- Genre: Romance
- Topics: Book Characters, Friendship
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Empathy, Perseverance
- Run time: 99 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 29, 2022
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