When Anime Factory announced the arrival of Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces in cinemas it was really a welcome (and unexpected) surprise.
A surprise in the best sense of the word, given that the film adaptation of the masterpiece by Seiko Tanabe manages not only to excite the viewer, who will have to obtain handkerchiefs to wipe away the necessary tears, but also to reflect that dreams should never be put aside and constantly pursued whatever the difficulties we will encounter in our life.
Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces is a fresh and direct love story between two boys who will face each other’s feelings as they pursue their aspirations and desires of the future.
On the occasion of such an important launch, Anime Factory delighted us with one Ultralimited Edition intended for the most demanding fans, full of content and a beautiful 72-page color book with interviews, background and much more.
What can I say, let yourself be carried away by this modern fairy tale, a reinterpretation of a masterpiece of youthful love novels.
Technical details
Product: Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces
Duration: 98 minutes (excluding extras)
Direction: Kotaro Tamura
Version: Blu-ray Home Video
Video: 1080p
Languages and subtitles: Italian and Japanese 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio | Italian subtitles faithful to the original
Extra: Special interview with the director, textless title sequence, unreleased special pilot, promotional video, CM, original preview, cinematic trailers
Official price: € 49.99
The Manganalysis of the home video edition was carried out thanks to the kind support of Koch Media.
Analysis and impressions
I admit, when it comes to animated films that showcase a mix of authentic feelings and tell a beautiful love story, I can’t seem completely indifferent. The last one who managed to get me excited was Your Name (Kimi no na wa), the feature film from Makoto Shinkai’s novel of the same name: a real master of the genre.
But don’t think, Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces will be able to enchant like few other exponents of the genre. The narrated events are set in Ōsaka (perfect scenario, fashionable but above all elegant) and see protagonists Kumiko Yamamura, a girl who moves in a wheelchair from an early age interested in books and illustrations, e Tsuneo Suzukawa, a marine biology graduate who has a great dream in him: to go to Mexico to swim with some legendary fish he has been in love with since childhood.
And any day, an accident becomes an encounter with one’s destiny: Kumiko loses control and slides at great speed down a sloping road. Tsuneo finds himself in the right place and miraculously manages to save the girl: from that moment their dating begins, in an unexpected way.
Tsuneo, in search of money for his stay in Mexico, accepts from Kumiko’s grandmother the task of fulfilling every request of Josée (the name by which Kumiko wants to be called). The girl is very grumpy and has a really sharp tongue that tends to generate fights between the two boys.
However, Tsuneo, seeing Josée’s desire to visit the outside world, establishes a relationship with her that is magical and the distance between their hearts will be dramatically reduced.
As you may have understood, it is an authentic youthful love story, based on difficulties (you will understand the reason for the “tiger” and “fish” issue), on dreams that seem impossible and on the complicity of two young men giving each other strength.
Talking about this work in a few lines would be impossible, but the animated film directed by Kotaro Tamura is delicate and gentle (especially in the stretch) and will make rivers of tears flow to every spectator who loves the genre.
As for the dubbing in our language, I really have to congratulate all the cast: in particular to Mosé Singh in the role of Tsuneo Suzukawa and Luna Iansante in the role of Josée. Honorable mention to the handling of Japanese suffixes (Josée-ko for example) which are generally lost in the Italian adaptation.
In Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces also plays a pivotal role the music, leaving their mark and transporting the viewer into the world of our protagonists. After all, he was chosen for the musical part Evan Call, a real talent of the “second generation”, while for singing Eve.
A not easy story to tell that touches on very important themes, caressed in the right way by studio Bones (My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist) and above all by the director.
A look at the edition
Josée, the Tiger and the Fishes is distributed by Koch Media in 2 versions: Limited Edition and Ultralimited Edition exclusively on the official store and object of our manganalysis. This beautiful limited edition is an explosion of content placed in a beautiful glossy slipcase of very solid paper.
Let’s start with the 72-page color book (very bright) that will reveal all our curiosities about how and why this work was created: a truly delicious object enriched with interviews and anecdotes.
Still on the subject of paper content, the story illustrated by Josée will not be missing: “The Mermaid and the Glittering Wings”. This little book gives a note of sweetness to the ultralimited, a little story to tell to the little ones.
The set is completed by the 4 postcards depicting some of the most iconic moments of the film and the original Ōsaka map with all the points of interest that the various protagonists have visited.
Obviously, the Blu-ray disc cannot be missing, which in addition to the complete film includes an exhaustive interview with director Kotaro Tamura to be viewed in one breath.
Read all the Manganalysis – Anime
What does the Nerd-O-Meter?
Josée, the Tiger and the Pisces is a pure and authentic modern fairy tale, engaging and that focuses on the only force that drags the world: unconditional love. This was possible thanks to the masterful work in the drafting phase and a truly impeccable characterization of the characters: the feeling of the two boys is authentic and can be perceived in every frame of the film.
Talking about it is really very difficult: my advice remains to see it and get carried away by this tide of dreams that, I’m sure, will overwhelm you.
For a film of such an emotional level, Anime Factory has created a fantastic (forgive the exaggeration) Ultralimited Edition that will delight any self-respecting fan: for all the details of the edition I refer you to the official site.
Finally, I remind you that, if you want to immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Japanese animation, you know that from GameStop you can find Crunchyroll refills And Netflix that will offer you truly unrivaled content.
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