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Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
Finished Airing Movie PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish

ジョゼと虎と魚たち · 2020

A wheelchair-bound artist finds love, and resistance.

StatusFinished Airing SeasonFall 2020 StudioBones SourceNovel
Story

Synopsis

Josee has spent her life confined largely to her home due to a physical disability, channeling her sharp, prickly personality and vivid imagination into secret artwork nobody else gets to see. Tsuneo, a college student hired to help care for her, slowly earns her trust and pushes her toward experiences she'd long assumed were off-limits, including a tentative romance neither of them expected. The film treats disability, independence, and vulnerability with unusual honesty, avoiding easy sentimentality in favor of something more complicated and real. Their bond grows in small, believable steps rather than sudden leaps.

⚠ Background — may contain spoilers
Loosely inspired by Seiko Tanabe's short story, this film adaptation from Studio Bones and director Kotaro Tamura expanded the original tale into a fuller, more contemporary narrative while keeping its emotional core intact. It earned strong critical praise for its sensitive, non-idealized portrayal of disability and its refusal to wrap Josee's journey up in a tidy, uncomplicated bow. The film became a quiet festival favorite internationally, frequently cited alongside other acclaimed original anime films for its emotional maturity and restrained visual storytelling. It remains a quietly powerful example of anime tackling disability with real care.
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