Welcome, readers, to Late to the Party , a column that's right on time when it comes to catching up on anime everyone's already watched. This column addresses a universal truth in regard to being an anime fan: an anime backlog is quite the powerful beast. Many of us have one, where we amass more and more content we have designated in the "planning to watch" category. How and why it takes so long to actually address this task varies from person to person, but the gratification of finally allocating the time is really quite splendid. Occasionally, it’s by watching a classic anime from yesteryear that you’ve had your eye on for quite some time. I like to end the year with a movie when I can, and for 2025, I happened upon a real beauty. If you know you know, and if not, I’m happy to share my experience with you. Facing the Tiger Alone Studio: Bones ( My Hero Academia , SK8 the Infinity , Mob Psycho 100 ) First aired: December 2020 (5 years late to the party! Usually I’d spout some kind of semi-witty pun here, but this time I’ll just say I’m glad that I finally took the time to watch.) Oftentimes, I like to dive into the anime I watch for this column equipped with as little information as possible. I knew that I wanted to end 2025 on a tender note, and with a feature film, but beyond that, I let the fates dictate my destination. While scanning the Crunchyroll library, I happened upon Josee, the Tiger and the Fish . It’s described as a romantic drama that is highly regarded, which all fit the bill for me. But as far as its narrative goes, I went in with nothing. Would it be a fantastical piece of prose, bending the very fabric of reality itself? If you’re at all familiar with this film, you’ll know that it’s not that kind of story. It is instead a grounded, sometimes melancholy tale about embracing one’s dreams, and I can now understand exactly why it’s as lauded as it is. It has its own kind of magic; the kind that lies within all of us. When Tsuneo Met Josee Before we can understand what I mean, allow me to elaborate on the plot a little. Tsuneo Suzukawa is a hardworking college student with a passion for scuba diving. His dream is to move to Mexico after graduation, in order to discover the region’s unique aquatic life firsthand. One fateful evening, a young lady quite literally comes crashing into his life, as her wheelchair careens down a hill and into Tsuneo’s path. After regaining her bearings, the girl bites Tsuneo’s wrist, accuses him of being a pervert, and tells him to get his hands off of her. Gee, you’re welcome, I guess? Her name is Kumiko Yamamura, though she prefers to go by the pseudonym Josee. Her grandmother is relieved that she is safe, stating that someone had pushed the wheelchair down the hill. Appreciative of Tsuneo’s assistance, the grandmother offers him a job as Josee’s carer, looking after her while she runs her daily errands. Tsuneo is your typical broke college student who needs the money, so he accepts, only to quickly regret that decision. Josee is immature and unreasonable, demanding he undergo mundane, laborious tasks such as procuring four-leaf clovers or counting the lines on the tatami mat outside her bedroom. RELATED: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish. Anime Film Full Trailer Introduces Insert Song "Shinkai" by Eve After a while, Tsuneo is about to call it quits until he learns that Josee shares his fascination with the ocean. He resolves to take her to visit the sea firsthand, and from there, they begin to form a mutual understanding and eventually, a close friendship. Vivid, Elegant, & Breathtaking Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is an anime that immediately draws you in with its vivid atmosphere. It’s one of those films that makes you feel like you’re looking through a portal to Japan itself. The locations are so distinctive, rich, and alive. You truly gain an appreciation for the artistry — an appreciation that is amplified by the elegant sound design. Scenes are often punctuated with little more than ambient sounds, practically an ASMR experience that highlights the value of patience and silence. When there is music, it is applied with purpose, bursting forth from the speakers. Not literally, of course, but in a way where you absolutely take notice. Its story is perhaps too sad for it to qualify as a feel-good anime , and yet it manages to make you feel good throughout. As wildly contradictory as that statement might seem on the surface, I believe it to be true, because I was hanging on every moment while I watched. I was engaged, involved, intrigued. Josee’s standoffish nature makes her seem like a spoiled brat, and yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. In actuality, it comes as a result of her lifetime of confinement. She’s not literally a captive in the house, however her grandmother has a distinctive hesitancy to take her on outings. Because of this, Josee’s social skills are lacking, rendering her into an apprehensive woman unfamiliar with routine activities like buying a train ticket or eating crepes. RELATED: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Theme Song "Aono Waltz" MV Filled with Vivid and Gentle Atmosphere Hers is a life of unfilled ambition, where the only understanding she has of the world is what she has gleaned from books. Anyone who has been a shut-in at some point of their lives can surely sympathize. Special mention should be given to her voice actor, Kaya Kiyohara. Handled another way, Josee’s churlish nature could estrange her from the viewer, especially juxtaposed against the good-natured tolerance of Tsuneo. Thankfully though, Kiyohara lends an air of childlike whimsy to Josee that makes us want her to break free from her limitations. The Death of Our Dreams As joyful as it is to watch Josee come out of her shell, there’s an underlying tension throughout Josee, the Tiger and the Fish . Tsuneo finds himself unable to admit to her about his intentions to move to the other side of the world, and you know that the revelation will only lead to heartbreak. For me personally, I also had an air of suspicion directed toward her grandmother, Chizu. Something seemed amiss when she claimed that the wheelchair had been pushed down the hill, and her expectations that Josee remain indoors felt domineering, almost malicious in a way. Then, something happens (and before I go any further, you can skip ahead to the next section if you’d prefer not to read any major spoilers). At around the halfway point, Josee’s grandmother passes away, and with her departure, so too does Josee’s bubble of innocence come to an untimely end. It reveals that there needn’t be a villain in this film beyond the cruelty of circumstance, and the subsequent visit to the beach juxtaposes the change in the air — where the sky had first been awash with the dazzling pinks of a sunset, it is now gray and dismal. Josee’s dreams are coming to an end, her relationship with Tsuneo has unraveled, and the brutal reality of adulthood is all that she has left to look forward to. An Anime About Love Josee, the Tiger and the Fish has an understated portrayal of life and its hurdles, making it clear why so many people lose themselves as they get older. Sometimes, we face challenges that are simply unfair, placing us at a juncture between what we want and what society expects of us. It’s about love; not only between two people, but more broadly, about love for life and oneself. It puts you on an emotional roller coaster, offering a range of complex and genuinely likable characters. Shoutout to Tsuneo’s pal Hayato, by the way. He’s a real one. RELATED: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is a Good (and Familiar) Story This film proved to be an imaginative and sweet piece that served as the perfect way for me to end an eventful year. If you haven’t yet had a chance to check it out, I urge you to do so before December is through, as it just might offer you an introspective appreciation for life’s little pleasures. The things we take for granted may be quite rare and special to someone else, after all. I truly thank you for reading this far, and want to wish everyone out there all the best as we march boldly into the new year. Stay safe, stay cozy, and stay watching anime, you crazy diamond, you.
